End of 2024 Review!
This year had its ups and downs, but it was pretty average when it came to gaming. I did beat more games then I added this year! I also bought an Oculus Quest 2 (I’m a bit behind) so I’m excited to enter the world of VR gaming. If anyone has any suggestions for some must have VR games, let me know! My current obsession is Beat Saber.
In overall stats, I beat 22 games in 2024 which is unfortunately 8 games less then last year. I have no new reviews to add this month so I’ll just do my yearly stats and recap!
Here are some thoughts on games I beat this year.
Favorite Game Beaten This Year!
This game just had it all. It had the monster-catching (more like copying..) mechanic, friendships and romantic options, and well-developed characters. It also added many layers of challenges and a darker edginess than games like Pokemon have. The side missions were engaging, and the main story kept my interest throughout. It has the family-friendly and colorful presentation but still manages to get deeper at times. The soundtrack is fantastic, and the level of detail they give to the monsters, enemies, and gameplay mechanics far exceeds expectations.
Favorite Runner Up
Funny enough, I beat my two favorite games this year in the same month of April. As most sequels go, this one didn't live up to the first one for me, but it still manages to keep the momentum rolling with a beautifully crafted, heart-tugging game. The soundtrack is still striking, managing to capture all the highs and the lows, enhancing every moment. The graphics and worldbuilding are still some of the best I've seen. Even the gameplay is improved. New abilities were added, and old ones were perfected. The only thing I didn't like as much was the story itself. It's probably just personal preference, but I think it could have been done a little bit better.
Least Favorite Game Beaten This Year
I'm a fan of creepy media disguised as something cute/wholesome. I love being led into a false sense of security and then having the rug pulled out from under me. This is why I loved the Higurashi visual novels. They all start wholesome and sweet and slowly become more deranged, more nightmarish the more you read. They tackle horror tropes in such a creative way, and they slowly build this sense of dread when you see these characters involved in a dangerous conspiracy that is much bigger than they are.
That being said, there have been a couple of moments in the series that follow an all-too-familiar anime trope. The one where we get suggestive with characters at an age where we shouldn't be getting suggestive with. I'm not generalizing all anime, of course, but this series (rarely, but still) skirts the subject a little too close like others have.
That being said, this game is the worst offender. It crosses that line, goes backwards, then crosses the line again ten more times. This game takes place after the main story has already finished. These are bonus stories. They add nothing new to the overall plot. There is no reason for this other than having more story with these familiar characters.
The first bonus story is pretty good. It follows the usual Higurashi formula. It starts with the friends hanging out and then gets more horror-esque as it goes on. It deals with heavy themes such as death, sacrifice, and road safety (of course).
The second bonus episode is a little strange. It raises some eyebrows. It adds nothing new. It's a light story with no urgency.
The last one is the real kicker. It's about a teenage boy who fantasizes about his (even younger) friends. It's not super graphic, but it's super disturbing for obvious reasons. There is no reason for someone to have written this. It reads like a bad fanfiction from someone who shouldn't get ten feet from a school. Just avoid this game, really. It makes me not want to play any games like this in the future.
Biggest Surprise This Year
This is my biggest surprise for the year. I beat this one in September.
I've never played an FMV before. This was a solid first pick. I thought it was just a comedy, but it's also filled with drama, hard choices, and some topical social commentary. The characters range from comedic relief to three-dimensional, and I became engrossed in some of their stories. A lot of them are overdramatized and hammed up for comedic reasons, but a fair share of them carry the plot.
There are fourteen different endings, and your choices really do matter. I wish it was easier to replay the games and get all of the endings, but there are no skip or fast forward buttons, so it seems more hassle than it's worth. Mainly because I got my favorite ending on the first try. I'll probably pick up the DLCs in the future or try this in VR.
Biggest Disappointment of the Year
I know this is a controversial pick for "biggest disappointment of the year."
A lot of people love this game. I can understand why. I just wasn't impressed. To me, it just seems very average. Painfully so.
Dave the Diver has all the ingredients for a great game, but it feels like it's missing the recipe. Most times it felt boring and lifeless, even though there was so much happening. This is most likely just personal preference. I felt like it was just lacking that special something to make me like it.
On a positive note, it has some great things going for it. Wonderful animation. Quirky characters. A solid combination of exploration, combat, and management gameplay.
To me, most of the game was just long, tedious, and boring. I didn't enjoy the minigames, didn't enjoy the combat, and the side missions were just not fun. I was mostly bored. I do very much respect that the game keeps adding new gameplay mechanics. I was getting tutorials until the very end. It never gives up on the player, and it keeps the player engaged.
I think this one just wasn't for me.
Most Anticipated New Addition!
SILENT HILL 2
I've only just started Silent Hill 2, but I'm very excited to continue it! The graphics look great, and the atmosphere + voice acting in the very beginning set the tone perfectly. I never played the original Silent Hill games, but I absolutely love the old Resident Evil, and I'm ready to tackle another survival horror. I think the ending may have been spoiled for me? Either way, I'm still excited. I'll be beating this in January, and hopefully this leads to more old survival horror games getting remade!
Next Time:
These are the games I’ll be tackling in January + February. I hope everyone had a good 2024. I know it was hard for a lot of people, so I really hope 2025 treats everyone better. Feel free to leave your favorite game you beat in 2024, or one that you were disappointed in. I created a train on Steamgifts with most of these game in it. Feel free to join here
Here are the games I’m going to play next time
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Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition
9 hours playtime
5 of 127 achievements
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SILENT HILL 2
2 hours playtime
no achievements
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SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS
20 minutes playtime
no achievements
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Sea of Stars
20 hours playtime
12 of 48 achievements
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Wanderer
10 minutes playtime
3 of 50 achievements
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Super Lesbian Animal RPG
0 minutes playtime
no achievements
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Hollow Knight
10 hours playtime
3 of 63 achievements
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Later Alligator
42 minutes playtime
1 of 14 achievements
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I Was a Teenage Exocolonist
14 minutes playtime
0 of 50 achievements
Happy New Year!
Bummer to hear about Dave… I absolutely love it! ^^ Currently beaten and clocking 70 hours in. But it’s good to see that you have enjoyed some other games!
From your future games: Mass Effect is of course the BEST of the best - enjoy it! Hollow Knight is also one of the best games ever made! I love both games, hope you will have fun with them. And of course the remake of Silent Hill looks absolutely stunning! Gonna grab it myself someday… xD