3 days Ago
Our individual Game of the Year articles allow our lovely team of writers and editors to share their own personal PS5 picks for 2024. Today, it's the turn of editor Sammy Barker . 5: Astro Bot I was an extremely early advocate for Astro Bot, and I’m never going to let that lie.
Regular readers will know I campaigned for The Playroom VR’s platforming minigame to be expanded into a full-blown adventure all the way back in 2016, so I saw the potential in Team ASOBI’s adaptable little adventurer from the start. To see him level up into a true gaming great is far beyond what I could have ever imagined, though. I must admit, I didn’t finish this game yet as I’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to savour the second-half; if I’d found that opportunity earlier, this game would probably be higher up my list.
4: Infinity Nikki Another game that released a little too late for me to fully appreciate is Infinity Nikki. As I write this, the title is just a week or so old, but I wanted to give it its figurative flowers because I can already tell I’m going to fall head over heels in love with this – especially as new outfits and adventures release. This is just a lovely game: a vibrant puzzle platformer with a whimsical vibe and bags of potential.
I love the attention to detail on all the dresses – it feels like Gran Turismo for fashion lovers – and it’s just a breath of fresh air in an industry so often dominated by darker tones. 3: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth A game that took over my entire life for a good four-week spell while I tried to finish it, the sheer scale of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth meant I sadly never got time to play Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth . But the truth is, even though I’ve finished the main story, I could comfortably dig in to another 50 hours of this turn-based RPG, as I actively want to do all of the side-content.
I enjoyed what I played of the Animal Crossing minigame, and was having a great time with the Pokémon mode, too. As it stands, I just think this is a delightfully varied adventure, with moreish RPG combat and some sharp, witty writing. I prefer Yakuza as a Dragon Quest -style experience over a brawler now.
2: Zenless Zone Zero One of my biggest first-world problems right now is that gachas are consuming all of my gaming time. The never-ending stream of time limited events mean there’s always something I’ve got to do, and subsequently Zenless Zone Zero has been one of my most played games this year. I don’t think it’s quite HoYoverse’s best – I still ultimately prefer Honkai: Star Rail – but I love the overall quality of this production.
It feels a little bit like something SEGA would have made for the Dreamcast, with bright primary colours and flashy character action combat. The speed at which the team is iterating on the game and responding to complaints is also impressive, and I feel it has a very exciting 2025 ahead of it. 1: Stellar Blade I’ve been tooting my own horn far too much in this post, but I did say Stellar Blade was one to keep an eye on a long time ago.
I was already a fan of smartphone game NIKKE: Goddess of Victory , so I knew this was going to have a stunning soundtrack and exquisite attention to detail. But even with such high expectations, the final product surprised even me a bit: it reminds me of a PS2 game in the best possible way – straightforward, with none of the crap that sometimes encumbers modern games these days. For that reason, it's my personal pick for Game of the Year.
I do think there was more ambitious software released this year, but this is the one I’ll look back on with most fondness. I just had a great time from start to finish. What do you think of Sammy's personal Game of the Year picks? Feel free to agree wholeheartedly, or disagree politely, in the comments section below.
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