Best Games of 2024 You Cannot Miss Out - Part 2

As 2024 is almost at its end, we simply must continue our list of Best Games of 2024 You Cannot Miss Out, but before we start with the selection, we would like to refer you to the first part of the list HERE as there might be an entry that you have not heard of yet, so be sure to check it out (if you had not read it of course) and then read this one!

Hold on tight to your seats as this one is going to be also quite dynamic and interesting, so let’s start right away!

TEKKEN 8

A list of best game releases for any year would not be complete if there has been a TEKKEN release in that period and this one is no exception this is due to the fact that we got the next exciting chapter in the legendary fighting game series - TEKKEN 8.

You get a smashing roster of 32 completely redesigned, both familiar and newly-introduced, fighter characters with improved visuals for a new generation of hardware and highly-detailed models and graphics to give more weight and atmosphere to the iconic battles that typically take place in this gaming universe!

There has been much attention given to every little detail in the dynamic environments, with objects that could be used or destroyed around the levels, in order to create a stronger sense of immersion when creating the ultimate fighting experience the series is infamous for.

Do not hesitate to go for the latest continuation in one of the longest-running video game storylines ever, TEKKEN 8 continues the tragic saga of the Mishima and Kazama bloodlines, and their troublesome father-and-son grudge matches starting again half a year after the closure of the previous match. Get to experience the story of Jin Kazama's growth and dedication that marks a new chapter in this epic timeless saga.

Enjoy the new Heat battle system, which brings up the aggressive nature of matches to the maximum, while at the same time keeping the feel and tactics that are specific to the TEKKEN series. The level of intensity during the battles is also greatly enhanced by the destructible stages. All of these mechanics come together to shape TEKKEN 8 as the most exciting entry in the franchise up to now!

What’s more is the fact that you are now able to craft an avatar character to your liking and begin your very own TEKKEN journey. Take your player to the next level as you battle your way to the top against a variety of rivals across different arcades, from the basic moves to mastery over the most important skills in TEKKEN 8. There is also a huge variety of customization items for all of the characters and avatars to unlock as you go forward.

Balatro

Even though we passed half of our list, there are still plenty of awesome hits to showcase and this next one is a deceptively simple-looking concept, but it comes packed with incredible amounts of replayability included, Balatro is based on the rules of the popular Poker card game.

You are going to build a hand of pairs or a flush and after that get points from it. By using that simple frame as a trampoline, this roguelike card game allows you to twist the rules of the game a bit on the go by using a collection of special Decks, Jokers, Tarot cards, Planet cards, Spectral cards, and Vouchers. Use all of these versatile and potent instruments to initiate a stronger combo and charge up your Poker hands by crafting unique synergies between them.

Building your approach and strategy as you go through the increasingly harder "blinds" with more point requirements is a really satisfying experience, that is perhaps due to the way the game lets you feel like you are victorious, only to have things suddenly turn against you with much more difficulty. When this inevitably occurs, you would need to think in the spur of the moment and tend to your deck accordingly all through the runs to manage with the newly emerged challenges.

Jokers that initially looked as if they were useless could resolve your hurdles as you make use of their unique abilities and involve them in your strategies. Every time you make it to the end--or what is more likely, fail-- starting up another hand is the quickest thing that you would probably do. You would need every advantage that you can get to reach the boss blind, manage to beat the final ante, and secure your victory, but beware, it really does sound easier than done.

Destiny 2: The Final Shape

We keep going through our list with the best gaming hits of 2024 and Destiny 2: The Final Shape is one title we are not able to go without on it. Having gained control of an Echo, Fikrul is raising an army of the undead, and a battle of epic proportion for control over the House of Light is nearing.

You must make absolutely sure that you would protect the Eliksni and manage to defeat Fikrul’s Revenant Scorn. Destiny 2: The Final Shape includes the new story campaign, three new Supers, a completely new destination to explore, weapons and armor parts to collect, and an Episode in the year of The Final Shape.

For the first time ever, players are getting the Prismatic subclass which just got introduced and it would empower you to be able to combine your Arc, Solar, Void, Stasis, and Strand into a custom-made subclass of your very own making, thus trying to reach some sort of a balance between Light and Darkness within you so that you are able to end the war once and for all or perish trying to do so.

In Destiny 2: The Final Shape reality gets bent and defragmented into a never-before-seen nightmarish calcification in the most sinister and twisted designs of the Witness. Defeating the Witness would need you to use unbelievable power and you would have to master a new Super within your arsenal in order to go against the oblivion on this adventure through the impossible landscapes that relentlessly bend time and space altogether. Would you be able to restore peace and order or is it all going to go down into a massive catastrophe?

FINAL FANTASY XVI

We would definitely like to shed some of the spotlight on the first fully fledged Action RPG in the mainline Final Fantasy series as well, so get ready to embark on an epic dark fantasy where fates are solely decided by the mighty Eikons and the Dominants who wield them.

FINAL FANTASY XVI tells the story of Clive Rosfield, a warrior who has been granted the title “First Shield of Rosaria” and is sworn to protect his younger brother Joshua, the dominant of the Phoenix. Clive is going to get caught up in a series of tragic events leading to him swearing to deliver his vengeance to the Dark Eikon Ifrit, a very mysterious and powerful entity that only brings devastation and chaos around this world.

There is a plethora of powerful swordplay techniques and Eikonic abilities that lie dormant within Clive -and it is entirely up to you to decide which would be the ones that you wish to learn, upgrade and improve upon. Experience the Titanic Clashes when rivaling Dominants come against each other, there are always epic and grand battles that take place between their Eikons!

The gameplay campaign could be experienced in a couple of ways and the story-focused mode is recommended for those of you who are less comfortable with action games and just wish to focus more on exploring the game's story elements. During this mode, Clive would evade some of the attacks automatically and it is much easier to trigger the epic Eikonic combos with just a few simple button presses.

The other way to go is the action-focused mode, where each of Clive's actions is fully controlled by the player and is much more suitable for those who are more confident in their gaming skills and reactions.

Frostpunk 2

Frostpunk 2 takes the city-survival genre to a whole new level of dynamics and complexity. As you take on the role of a Steward, you must lead your city through a series of interconnected difficulties all taking place (much of the time at once) in a snowy postapocalyptic setting 30 years after a massive blizzard ravaged Earth’s surface. It is up to you to gradually develop, expand, and advance your given city in order for its inhabitants to survive the snowy world they live in.

In Frostpunk 2, you are facing not only the difficulty of the never-ending freezing winter, but the forming of powerful factions inside the Council Hall that would carefully follow each action you take. Construct the large city districts and do your best to satisfy their seemingly endless string of needs and demands. Navigate through and handle the conflicting interests of the different factions that populate your metropolis or you just might lose your favorable status and position within the social order.

As the Steward you will have to carefully navigate through the interests of the many groups that inhabit the city and all of them want to have a say in how you run things. Every faction has its ideology and their own ideas for the future, but there is another thing that all of them have in common - the insatiable desire for power over others. You would need to choose your allies in the Council Hall wisely, so that there are fewer disruptions while you govern over everyone, since things could get out of control quite quickly if you mess it up.

While the needs of the city keep on growing day by day and factional power at its core constantly rises, it is only you that could steer the increasingly dissatisfied society towards any sort of future, be it an uncertain one at best or tragic at worst.

Since this world is overtaken by an ever present winter, the meaningful expansion of the city could be the only chance of survival for the remnants of mankind. To grow and be properly heated, the metropolis needs more and more essential resources such as coal and oil, just like the citizens need food, protection and warmth. In Frostpunk 2, it is up to you to manage with this never-ending vicious cycle of ongoing supply and demand that needs to be constantly increased.

SteamWorld Heist II

As we begin to near the end of our list, there are still a few strong hits to review and on one of them was a summer release where you get to join Captain Leeway on the grandest heist ever, in efforts to rescue all of botkind from a drastic water crisis!

With its tactical turn-based battles packed with the signature ricochet shots and more than 150 different weapons and items at your disposal, a completely remade job system and real-time navy open sea fights this gem offers players 30+ hours of quirky gameplay and fun moments, so prepare yourself for an epic SteamWorld adventure like none other before it!

Not everything is okay on the waves and currents, there is an upcoming water crisis since the precious resource has mysteriously become deadly, it is able to corrode metal limbs, parts and even mechanical hearts. It all quickly comes down to you as the legendary Captain Leeway and your trusted crew of steambots to find the source of this ongoing threat and do your best to save botkind before it gets too late!

Dive right in the upgraded tactical experience that is built upon the beloved gameplay of the first SteamWorld Heist. Each and every move you make would matter in the grand scheme of things, so you should carefully plan all of your turns ahead, how you position your crew, and manage to precisely aim the shots you get to make. You are able to exploit ricochet bullets off walls and this way effectively use your environment to deal with your enemies, but you need to remember – victory depends on a well-thought-out strategy, not just a trigger-happy finger. With all this in mind you would be good to go and discover what else does SteamWorld Heist II got to offer you!

Persona 3 Reload

We did mention the Persona franchise in our previous publication on the first part of the list and now it is time to give it more attention since early this year we got a remade version for one of the entries in the series. We are diving right into the Dark Hour, where we would try to awaken the deepest hidden corners of your heart.

Persona 3 Reload is a masterfully crafted reimagining of the RPG that defined the genre in the past but now it is given a rebirth that is fit for the modern era in gaming, coming equipped with up-to-date graphics and improved gameplay.

You step into the shoes of a newly-transferred student that suddenly gets thrown into a fate full of disarray, when managing to somehow enter the “hidden hour” that is placed between a day and the one that follows it next. You would have to awaken your incredible powers and chase down all of the mysteries that reside in the Dark Hour realm, fight for the salvation of your friends, and mark their memories and lives forever.

As you fully immerse yourself in this emotional and gripping journey there would be new cutscenes, interesting character interactions, and additional voiceover dialogues on the way, so make sure to enjoy them as best as you can. Choose the ways to meaningfully spend each of your days through the various available activities: from exploring the environments to making bonds with the other essential characters included in the game as you build your trust towards each other in order to defeat the otherworldly Shadows. Would you be able to discover the truths or is the mystery going to drown you deeper and deeper until you lose all sense of reality?

Horizon Forbidden West™ Complete Edition

As we are nearing closer and closer to the final conclusion of our list for best games of 2024 you cannot miss out we find the sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West, which is an entry that boosts everything that made the original game have such strong resonance with gamers from all across the world.

This time there are greatly expanded and diverse environments, so that you are able to explore larger locales, much more detailed mechanical dinosaurs to battle with and even a brand-new ability included that allows Aloy to roam through the skies in style, add to that a new part of the story that is full of twists and turns and you have a game that is going to keep you tense for many, many hours.

Horizon Forbidden West is an epic action-adventure title that had its PC debut earlier this year and it definitely seems like a visual masterpiece that could be a worthy contender for one of the most realistic and beautiful games ever made.

On the more technical side the Horizon Forbidden West PC version improves on the PlayStation 5 original, with multiple upgrades in the visuals department having improved texture quality, greater environment details and advanced graphics paired with awesome effects with support for unlocked frame rates, ultrawide displays, DLSS Super Resolution, and Frame Generation.

Not many AAA games manage to deliver such a high level of detail and sustain the cinematic immersion with that ease, which is due to a blend of incredible artistic direction and game design on a whole new level. So, prepare your gear for some outstanding battles with the mecha dinosaurs and make sure to go around the amazing levels to fully enjoy their splendor.

Star Wars Outlaws

Many would describe it as the Star Wars game we have all been waiting for, coming to market literally last month from Ubisoft and Massive, the studio standing behind the excellent Division games, Star Wars Outlaws is the first ever open-world action-adventure game set during the classic time period of the Original Trilogy, as you explore distinct locations across the galaxy, that are both familiar iconic places as well as new ones that we have not seen before..

The story is centered on the underworld, as players take control of scoundrel Kay Vess (with her trusty sidekick Nix) seeking a way to become free of her toils and how to begin a new life. She gets an offer that could possibly provide her with all of her wishes and wants, but it would require her to sneak into heavily-fortified locations and obtain important data as she is dealing with the ever-so-growing threat of the Galactic Empire.

The game offers a lot of mechanics such as stealth moves, dynamic action and open-world exploration, Star Wars Outlaws has a more cinematic world design, full of familiar and unknown characters of the Star Wars Universe. You are going to race across the vast outdoor landscapes on your speeder. Each new location you reach is bringing new exciting adventures to have various unique challenges and get your reward if you are ready to take the job.

Experience the high-stakes lifestyle of an outlaw and manage to turn each situation to your advantage with the help of Nix by your side: overcome enemies by using a variety of gadgets, or make sure to distract your enemies at the right moments. When piloting your ship, the Trailblazer, as would have to engage in dangerous dogfights with the Empire and other enemies you encounter. After all, you are one of the most wanted people in the galaxy and each decision you take would affect your reputation.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II

Finally, at the end of our list we have Senua's Saga: Hellblade II, which could be described as a showcase example of what could be possible when using Unreal Engine 5 and Ninja Theory demonstrates just that with this title.

In the sequel to the award winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua returns once again in a more than brutal journey of personal torment and survival through the myth and tyranny of 10th century Viking Iceland. She intends to save those who have fell victim to the horrors, but to do that she must face a battle of overcoming the mighty darkness from both within and without.

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II makes sure to deliver a spellbinding cinematic adventure packed with scares and a story that maintains a constant sense of unpredictability and manages to keep player on their toes. Very often the gameplay consists of incredibly realistic and violent combat sequences that then merge into narrative scenes showing extreme gore.

The combat system feels straightforward and the perspective-based puzzles regularly cause you to think differently. It is a brutal journey delivered through excellent graphics and sound effects, including animation made in one of the world's most popular facilities for motion capture technology. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is a very worthy title that meets the high expectations that came after its predecessor.

With so many incredible titles available on Steam all through 2024 we could definitely say that the year was quite rich in both single and multiplayer hits and gaming delights for fans of all genres! We hope that you like our list of select titles to give more attention to in case you have somehow missed them and you would find at least a few to get before the year ends this December holiday season.

Stay tuned for more all the way to 2025 and beyond as we keep bringing you the most important and interesting developments on the gaming scene, until next time!