Game of the Year 2024
We’re winding down another big year for video games, and our lists feature the top games and the games we enjoyed the most.
Our previous Game of the Year winners were God of War Ragnarök and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. There were many great games in a year, including Metaphor: ReFantazio, Astro Bot, Balatro, Helldivers 2, and more.
After hours of deliberation and a team vote, we’ve tallied the votes and finalized this year’s Game of the Year.
This year’s finalists included Astro Bot, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Balatro, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. It was a clinch to the top, but Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth received the most votes.
Square Enix delivered an incredible follow-up to Final Fantasy 7 Remake. The expansive world, the fantastic score, and the memorable performances bring the iconic entry to life in a way the original never could.
I’ve spent almost 200 hours with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. It has a lot to offer players looking for a world to get lost in, characters to fall in love with, and a story to remember forever. Every character you meet is endearing and memorable, with something to offer players each turn.
Growing up, I bonded with this cast, which has held strong for nearly 25 years. They’ve been there for me through good and bad times.
I felt like a kid again earlier this year. Video games can invoke memories from our pasts—I remember waking up before school and playing the opening hours of the Mako reactor over and over until I received a memory card.
I remember my first holiday, sitting down with Final Fantasy 7 and how I felt then. I could recall simpler times when my parents would be on the couch, and I’d be playing my PlayStation and mesmerized by my first encounter at the Gold Saucer or figuring out how to breed a Golden Chocobo to unlock Knights of the Round.
In a year where the incredible Metaphor: ReFantazio is rightfully heralded as a unique experience, I find myself tripping over the power of nostalgia and revisiting old friends. Nostalgia is powerful, so I voted for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth as my Game of the Year.
While the ending has some issues, I hope we see the promise of an “Unknown Journey” come to fruition in the story’s last chapter. While more insight has improved most story beats, it hasn’t strayed too far from what we’ve learned.
It remains to be seen whether we’re dealing with multiple timelines or whether the Lifestream’s energy is revealing potential futures.
I trust Square Enix’s direction because Naoki Hamaguchi and producer Yoshinori Kitase lead the project.
-Bobby
As this year has passed, it feels like it’s been a long time since I beat Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Still, even as big and small games released during this honestly surprisingly stacked year for games, nothing for me surpassed Square Enix’s beautifully brilliant execution in the second entry of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy. Going into the sequel, I took a different approach to playing the Game by refreshing my memory of the series by replaying the Intergrade version of Final Fantasy 7 Remake on Steam Deck.
Going straight from the ending of the 2020 game to its sequel, the stark difference in gameplay is immediately noticeable. I was shocked by how much the developer levelled up the actual feel of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, to the point that it might be hard to go back to Remake if I ever feel the itch. Characters like Cloud, who played great in Remake, were revised, becoming much faster to control and even launching condensed wind blades, giving a long-range attack option. Other characters that were playable in the first Remake entry feel so much better to play as well. Alongside the new synergy attacks, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth feels like the best battle system of any RPG ever.
That’s only one part of the Game; the best part is easily the characters and the interaction with them as the story unfolds. With one of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s themes being about bonds, spending time with my party members was a real treat, as it felt like the care for each character’s arc was brought to another level. Seeing certain characters finally have their long-awaited moments adapted in the remake sequel feels cathartic and heartwrenching. I sometimes feel overwhelmed when I see one of my favourite games in this cinematic retelling.
Being a fan of the original, I know the map of Final Fantasy 7 all too well, and the regions are breathtaking. It’s not just about the looks, but about what Square Enix has done to expand the locales, even Kalm, a not-too-memorable town for me in the 1997 JRPG, but Square Enix puts in the effort to turn it into a bustling, almost city-like place with personality. That isn’t unique to Kalm, though, as every place you visit feels expanded in some way, with the locations themselves feeling like their own characters with a story to tell.
Even knowing the Game was developed in Unreal Engine 4, it’s hard to tell how beautiful it looks in motion. The developer somehow found a way to level the Game’s visuals for the PS5 exclusive, and with everything you can do. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has tons of content to get lost in, which can be harmful depending on who you are. I loved it because I tried everything I could, giving me more reasons to stay. Every mini-game, and there were a lot of them, was fantastic to play through; even when there were some frustrating ones, it pushed me to get over the hump and improve my approach; also, Queen’s Blood, with its Yu-Gi-Oh! Energy is the best.
I struggled to pick Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth as my Game of the Year, not because of the quality, but because the other contender, Astro Bot, a game that genuinely put a smile on my face this year, was such a fun time to play one weekend. Either game is my favourite, but Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth edges out a bit more as it feels like it goes beyond a simple nostalgic trip. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth feels more like a legit sequel to the original Final Fantasy 7, with the love and care that went into its narrative, characters, visuals, and music, bringing everything together. I love living in a world where this game exists; in the 137 hours spent with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, not one hour was wasted.
-Dennis
