The year 2024 was one of the richest in terms of significant game releases recently. We saw the triumphant return of iconic series, bold experiments with genres, and the emergence of new franchises that will be remembered by players for a long time.
The most notable projects of the year include Astro Bot — a charming platformer from Sony that has become one of the best PlayStation 5 exclusives Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 impressed me with its varied approach to completing missions and atmospheric spy story.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle by MachineGames unexpectedly combined the adventures of the legendary archaeologist with elements of immersive sim, giving players the freedom to choose their approach to the passage.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has become one of the most exciting metroidvania games of recent years, and Balatro has unexpectedly turned poker into one of the most exciting roguelike projects of the year.
However, when it came time to choose the best game of the year, ITC.ua editorial team ultimately came down to three of the most striking titles. Each of these games is special in its own way, and each deserves special attention. Let us tell you why these projects deserve honorable places on the gaming podium in 2024.
Third place — Dragon’s Dogma 2
Dragon’s Dogma 2 was one of the biggest surprises of the year. This large-scale RPG from Capcom managed to awaken the spirit of adventure and thirst for exploration, which is often lacking in modern role-playing games. The world of Dragon’s Dogma is alive and dangerous, full of secrets and unexplored places. At the same time, the game offers unique mechanics, such as a system of hired companion pawns, that make each playthrough different.
The game map is designed in such a way that even the shortest path to the goal offers several routes, each of which hides its discoveries. In Dragon’s Dogma 2, something is always attracting attention: pawns share rumors about hidden treasures, a giant monster appears on the horizon and flies away to its lair, a random traveler asks for urgent help. And often all these events happen at the same time, forcing the player to choose what to pay attention to and what to lose forever.
Battles with monsters and dragons turn into exciting and sometimes unpredictable battles. The ability to climb large enemies and attack their weaknesses is only part of the combat system. Each class has its own unique style, and the pawn system creates a unique team dynamic. Your companions don’t just fight alongside you – they warn you of danger, share knowledge of enemy weaknesses, and can even carry an unconscious comrade to you for healing.
What impresses me most about Dragon’s Dogma 2 is how naturally unforgettable adventure moments arise. A calm escort of a merchant can suddenly turn into a battle with an ogre, which is unexpectedly joined by a griffin, and ends with a dragon attacking the nearest city. And each such event feels like an organic part of the living world, not a pre-written scenario.
Although the technical condition of Dragon’s Dogma 2 at release was not perfect, the game itself left such a vivid impression that we give it an honorable third place. This is an old-school adventure, which is incredibly rare nowadays — a game that allows you to create your own stories and discover the world at your discretion.
Bloober Team managed to preserve and convey the signature atmosphere of Silent Hill 2 — depressing hopelessness and mystery, deep psychological drama with powerful symbolism, and masterful play with the player’s perception and fears. The developers have completely abandoned cheap tricks like screamers — all the suspense is achieved by skillfully juggling music, sounds, bizarre environments, and the knowledge that mortal danger may be waiting behind the next door. Each encounter with monstrous monsters makes your heart sink, and wandering through an unfriendly city of dirty secrets inspires primal fear.
We should also mention the high-quality Ukrainian localization by UnlocTeam, thanks to which Silent Hill 2 finally spoke to us in our native language. Taking all this into account, we boldly give the remake of the cult horror the second place in our list of the best games of 2024.
First place — «S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl»
For us, the choice of the best game of 2024 is obvious — it is S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl from the Ukrainian studio GSC Game World. After numerous postponements, a pandemic, and a full-scale Russian invasion, GSC studio not only brought the project to release, but also created a game that exceeded all expectations.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has become a phenomenon. In the first few days, the game sold over a million copies, with the largest number of copies sold in the US and Ukraine. On the day of release, more than 400 streamers simultaneously broadcast the game in Ukrainian on Twitch, setting a new record for the Ukrainian-language segment of the platform. Thanks to the game, the whole world heard Ukrainian music — the soundtrack of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 features more than 120 songs by Ukrainian artists, from modern rock by The Hardkiss to a cappella singing by «Picardyska Tertsia».
But the main thing is the unique atmosphere of the Zone. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 immerses the player in a gloomy world where every step can be the last. The game doesn’t have the typical «ease» — — Zone that is typical for modern AAA projects. Every artifact must be found in anomalies, every victory over a mutant must be earned in a tense battle. Every piece of bread and sausage must be found in abandoned buildings or bought for the last penny from a vendor.
GSC developers have put their hearts and souls into every corner of this world. The locations, ravaged by time and radiation, impress with their attention to detail: rusty garages, abandoned factories, eerie laboratories — all this creates a sense of real post-apocalyptic Ukraine. The world seems alive: stalker groups are at war with each other, mutants hunt prey, and somewhere in the distance you can hear the sounds of gunfire that have nothing to do with the player.
Despite some technical shortcomings at the start (which GSC is already actively fixing with patches), S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 — is not just a game of the year, but a triumph of the Ukrainian gaming industry. At a time when our country is fighting for its existence, the success of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is of particular importance. This is a story about how humanity can be preserved amidst ruins and dangers. How in the darkest times there are heroes ready to challenge the unknown. And how Ukrainian creativity can captivate the whole world, even in the most difficult conditions.
2024 was the year that proved that video games can not only entertain, but also inspire, unite, and deliver important messages. And while our choice of the best game of the year reflects the position of the editorial team, we understand that each player may have their own favorites. So we invite you to share in the comments: which games of 2024 impressed you the most? What surprised you, what disappointed you, and what made you reconsider your attitude towards certain genres or series? Let’s recall the most memorable gaming moments of this year together.
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