It's been a couple of weeks of showcasing some of our favorite and most memorable titles, even some that surprised us in 2024, but alas, there can only be one winner. Some of these titles may shock you, some may be obvious choices, but no matter what anyone says, all of our reasons for loving certain games are valid. Check out Chalgyr's Game of the Year below and let us know what games are on your list!
Nick:
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
The initial entry was one I waited a long time to play through, but once I started it I couldn't put it down. I didn't wait that long for Rebirth, and with good reason. The continuing story was one that kept me invested from the beginning, and continues to connect with me in a way that the original (which I always enjoyed well enough) never quite did all those years ago.
Valerie:
Caravan SandWitch
I absolutely loved this game! It had everything in it to keep me absorbed and wanting to keep playing even after I would finish one of the puzzles or finish a quest. The characters were interesting as the story progressed and they fit right in the village they occupy. The bad guy in the game actually wasn’t who I thought it was at first and then clues revealed the true baddy not too long after I met the Sand Witch. The graphics were very colorful and spot on for each item and scenery in the game. The mechanics of the van in the game weren’t too hard to master, but I did wish for a couple of things as I played the game. Kudos to everyone at Studio Plane Toast! You made my Game of the Year and I look forward to the second ending, when I have the time to sit down to play again!
Susan:
The Talos Principle II: Road to Elysium
My Game of the Year could only be one (only because the other game that could take this spot I haven't yet purchased!) We all know about my love for puzzle games, and the Talos Principle II: Road to Elysium DLC takes the spot! There are a number of reasons why, beginning with the absolutely adorable story of Yaqut and Miranda. Of all the stories, this one made me smile the most. It grabbed at the heart strings. Although, the challenge world has an emotional story of its own as you get to experience what Byron went through. Not only does the challenge world kick you in the gut, the puzzles you have to solve are brainmelting. Unlike other game DLCs which may introduce new tools to solve puzzles, all of the tools you used previously are used. There is no guessing what new tools do to increase the challenge of the areas, the puzzles require a new way of thinking. And that is part of what makes it the game of the year for me, the fact that the difficulty is derived from your preconceived notions of how to solve a problem. The characters, the scenery, the secrets are cherries on the top of the cake. What's crazy about this DLC is that no one was expecting it! Road to Elysium was mentioned at an event like the PC Games Show, and I only found out about it because of another puzzle fanatic friend of mine. Honestly, if you love puzzle games, Talos Principle and Riven are the top dogs in my opinion.
Richard:
Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2
I'll admit that the first experience I had with the Earth Defense Force series was...less than stellar. Once I started playing this EDF title? Man, I feel stupid for not getting more into the series before now. I've spent a lot of time trying to get others into the series now to play with me, and no shame will stop me making shameless plugs for it.
P.Y.:
Unicorn Overlord
Vanillaware? They know what they are doing. Having moved from side scrolling JRPGs into more narrative heavy experiences and real time strategy, Unicorn Overlord had me hooked from start to finish. This was one game that I just couldn't wait to finish work and boot up. The flow of the story, the real time strategy combat to move your forces around, but topped off with a hands off automated turned based combat, it meshed and merged styles in a great way that was hard to put down. I also very much enjoyed that while there were a variety of story based characters to add to your ranks, the more generic units weren't useless or just padding. They could hold their weight and at times even carry the fight over the narrative based characters because of their class types making them better in the combat situations that they found themselves in.
