2023 was a year that was going to be hard to top. With epic franchise revivals, incredible sequels, and addictive indies, gamers had a lot to chew on last year. But even in the face of that stiff competition, 2024 was packed with its own exciting blend of titles that represent the diversity of creative voices and gameplay experiences that continue to push the industry forward. It’s always challenging, narrowing down a top 10, and that is no different this year.
The Best War Games's Top 10 Games of 2023
2023 was a packed year for video games, which makes narrowing the list down to just 10 titles a monumental task.
Here is The Best War Games’s Top 10 Games of 2024.
10 The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
A Legend of Zelda game where you actually play as Zelda has been a long time coming for Nintendo. Featuring a similar setup and art style to the Link’s Awakening Remake, Echoes of Wisdom melds classic 2D Zelda sensibilities with the boundless creativity of the more modern titles like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. It is the out-of-the-box thinking that makes The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom exciting and gives it a distinct personality, but the core elements of the franchise are still rooted in the experience as well.
Echoes of Wisdom is yet another example of how Nintendo and its partners can subvert expectations and evolve a franchise, while still capturing its spirit. We hope this isn’t the last opportunity Zelda gets to lead her own title, and we can’t wait to see what surprises Nintendo has in store for the IP on the Nintendo Switch 2.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- Released
- September 26, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo, Grezzo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
9 Helldivers 2
Read The Best War Games's Helldivers 2 Review
Easily the most talked about cooperative experience of 2024, Helldivers 2 doled out a ton of pain but put even more smiles on gamers’ faces. A change in perspective is all it took to broaden the appeal of the Helldivers franchise, but developer Arrowhead Game Studios didn’t back down when it came to delivering another brutally challenging cooperative game. Its addictive reward system, tongue-in-cheek humor, and DDR-like Strategem inputs are just a few of the elements that made Helldivers 2 stand out, but it was the gameplay that ultimately helped the game dominate the gaming conversation in the early part of 2024.
The best part is that the Helldivers 2 saga is only just getting started. Through updates that included new Strategems, vehicles, and a recently released enemy race, Helldivers 2 continues to evolve and fuel that addiction for even longer.
Helldivers 2
- Released
- February 8, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Arrowhead Game Studios, Nixxes
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation Publishing
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Extraction Shooter, Action, Science Fiction
8 Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
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The doe-eyed innocence of Ichiban Kasuga is a perfect counterpoint to the brutality of Kazuma Kiryu. As one faces his own mortality, the other is set on another adventure to fill out his family tree. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth marries the chaos of the Like a Dragon subfranchise’s (in the West) JRPG combat with the zaniness of the Yakuza franchise. But even when it is at its most absurd, there is still a lot of heart to Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Kiryu represents everything that makes the Like a Dragon franchise cool, but Ichiban keeps it grounded. It is arguably the greatest marriage of story and combat that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has delivered and may even surpass Kiryu’s solo adventures in terms of its breadth and depth. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth proves that strong characters will support any type of gameplay experience.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Released
- January 26, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Platform(s)
- PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC
- Genre(s)
- RPG
7 Balatro
Children of the 90s likely have their own experience with video Poker addiction, but Balatro takes that obsession to new levels. You don’t even need to understand how Poker works to get Balatro, and in some ways, that fresh perspective is what takes a simple premise and transforms it into the perfect just-one-more-run experience.
All of the little design touches, from the art on the Jokers to the way your score multiplier dances on the screen as it activates, give Balatro a distinct style and help it stand out. It’s easily the most unique game on this list and it sits right alongside Helldivers 2 as one we expect to still be playing in 2025.
Balatro
- Released
- February 20, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- LocalThunk
- Publisher(s)
- Playstack
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Android, iOS
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, Digital Card Game, Roguelike
6 Silent Hill 2
Read The Best War Games's Silent Hill 2 Review
Silent Hill 2 is Bloober Team’s best game and one of the best video game remakes. Its ability to expand on the beloved original in ways that make it even scarier, more interesting, and visually impressive are testament to Bloober Team’s ability to understand the property but also how it can improve. Everything that fans treasure about the original game is brought to life in new and creepy ways, but this is not a straight remake either.
Luke Roberts’ performance as James Sunderland brings a quiet desperation to a character that can never catch a break. There were a lot of expectations heaped onto Bloober Team, and they delivered with Silent Hill Remake.
Silent Hill 2
- Released
- October 8, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bloober Team
- Publisher(s)
- Konami
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
5 Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Read The Best War Games's Dragon Age: The Veilguard Review
BioWare has needed a win for a while now, and they knocked it out of the park with Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The studio made smart decisions when it came to evolving the Dragon Age formula, specifically with combat and story progression, but the game still has plenty of elements that fans have come to love. The characters are vibrant, the world is a treat to discover, and it wouldn’t be a BioWare game if there were not a few tough choices to make along the journey.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard reminds us what BioWare can offer that few other studios can. It has the ability to create a merry band of unique characters, all with distinct interests and backstories, and make you care about each one. If this is to be the future of Dragon Age, then BioWare fans have plenty of reason to be excited.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
- Released
- October 31, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- BioWare
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- Genre(s)
- RPG
4 Metaphor: ReFantazio
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Atlus has once again proven that it is operating on a whole other level when it comes to the JRPG genre. Despite a deviation from its other popular series, Metaphor: ReFantazio still has a lot of the same DNA as Persona, albeit in a new setting and context. The characters are just as fully fleshed out, the combat is just as complex and challenging, and the design of the game, from the music to the disturbingly beautiful enemies, oozes style.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is a serious undertaking, even by Atlus’ standards, but it is a journey well worth the 100-hour investment. It sits perfectly right alongside the studio’s other work, while standing on its own as an excellent JRPG. Fans are still dying for Persona 6, but Metaphor: ReFantazio is a great way to satisfy that hunger.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Released
- October 11, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Studio Zero
- Publisher(s)
- Atlus
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
3 Black Myth: Wukong
Visually stunning and mechanically challenging, Black Myth: Wukong is part of a larger effort to introduce Western gamers to the Chinese development scene. From that first trailer, Black Myth: Wukong didn’t seem like a real game but rather a tech demo showcasing what could be possible in the future. However, the finished product is one of the best-looking games of this generation, full of flashy effects, epic boss battles, and complex environments.
Its status as a soulslike is up for debate, but Black Myth: Wukong took gamers' love for challenging boss battles and blew that out into an epic experience. Developer Game Science pushed its creativity when it came to continuously surprising the player, while also drawing inspiration from Journey to the West. There are visuals and moments in Black Myth: Wukong that take your breath away - before a challenging boss doles out some serious punishment.
Black Myth: Wukong
- Released
- August 20, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Game Science
- Publisher(s)
- Game Science
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
2 Astro Bot
Read The Best War Games's Astro Bot Review
The joy of playing Astro Bot is undeniable. A platformer that is endlessly creative, but simplistic in its construction, the game shows how a clear understanding of a popular genre can reap tremendous results. Astro Bot is a love letter to PlayStation and PlayStation-adjacent properties, but even without the fan service elements, this is still a tight platformer with mechanics that are so inventive you become addicted to discovering the next one.
Fans of Astro Bot Rescue Mission and Astro’s Playroom had been desperately begging Sony to make a proper Astro Bot experience, and they certainly got more than they ever could have hoped. Team Asobi has established itself as another flagship studio on Team PlayStation and Astro Bot has staked its claim as the best Sony mascot.
Astro Bot
- Released
- September 6, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Team Asobi
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
1 Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Read The Best War Games's Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Review
Square Enix followed up Final Fantasy 7 Remake with an even bigger and more ambitious game, the second in a planned trilogy. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth features open world exploration, expanded combat, a deepening of character backstories and relationships, and Queen’s Blood. There were a lot of “will they or won’t they” conversations surrounding the game, but there is little doubt that Square delivered something that toyed with fan expectations and left them hungry for more.
While Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth didn't provide all the answers, it put this new trilogy on a trajectory toward an epic conclusion. The theories and discussions from the ending alone will keep fans engaged for the multi-year wait. Whether or not the third game will stick the landing is yet to be seen, but Rebirth delivered so much more than Remake that you can’t help but be impressed.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Released
- February 29, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
- Genre(s)
- RPG
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2025 has a juggernaut looming over it with the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, and it likely won’t be until Rockstar Games stakes its claim on a date that the rest of the year, particularly the back half, begins to take shape. It’s possible that GTA 6 doesn’t make its planned debut next year, but even if it doesn’t there are plenty of exciting titles to look forward to in 2025. Even February alone is packed with titles like Monster Hunter Wilds, Avowed, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows that could make picking a top 10 for next year extremely challenging. We look forward to it, though.