2024 is more than halfway over, and now is the perfect time to take stock of all the best new games we’ve played over the past six months. Across PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X and PC, we’ve enjoyed new experiences alongside fantastic sequels.
While this year hasn’t been as packed with all-time bangers as 2023 (In fairness, last year was one for the history books), 2024 has still offered plenty of highlights already from reuniting with Cloud and the gang in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth to slaying hordes of bugs with our co-op buddies in Helldivers 2. And those are just two of the best.
Down below, the Tom’s Guide staff have listed their favorite game of 2024 so far, and with the relatively quieter summer season ongoing, now is the time to circle back if you missed any of these new games. So, here are the best games of 2024, so far…
(Please note this list is unranked, and the games are presented in release date order)
BEST GAMES OF 2024 (SO FAR)
Tekken 8
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
A truly regal return for the King of the Iron Fist Tournament, Tekken 8 is a silly, close-to-sensational fighting game that slapped a broader grin across my face more than any other title so far this year. Adding new combat layers to a series that is now decades old is deftly handled, with the fresh “Heat” stance and resulting moveset breathing fresh life into the fighter.
Before I reviewed Tekken 8, I hadn’t touched the series since its PS3 days, so coming back to a roster rammed full of familiar faces from my youth was the most pleasant of blasts from the past. The fact I can still rattle off half a dozen trademark combos from Yoshitsu at least shows my brain hasn’t entirely degraded into mush, too.
That there’s also still a story mode in here that rounds off with the series’ now legendary 60-second closing cutscenes is something I’m all about. Seeing British boxer Steve Fox pump enough iron to make the Incredible Hulk look malnourished makes all the sense in the world to me in terms of Tekken logic. — Dave Meikleham
Helldivers 2
Platforms: PC, PS5
The 50+ hours I’ve spent playing Helldivers 2 this year are easily some of the most fun I’ve had on my PS5 in a very long time.
This bombastic co-op shooter tasks you with joining Super Earth’s never-ending war against the Terminids (giant killer bugs) and the Automatons (robotic terrors). To spread Managed Democracy, you’ll outfit your Helldiver with all kinds of powerful weapons and stat boosts and plunge to the planets to take the fight to Super Earth’s enemies accompanied by one of the greatest main themes in gaming.
The core gameplay loop is great fun, and the farcical sense of humor is on point, but the real fun isn’t just the firefights or deploying stratagems on increasingly tough missions. It’s in embracing the utter chaos that each and every Helldive entails. Facing utter carnage on the toughest difficulty settings and hearing your flailing squad scream either for support or in abject fear as you “accidentally” call in another barrage mere feet from your fellow Helldivers and you’ve all got to scramble to safety. Glorious fun. — Martin Shore
Balatro
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Balatro came out of nowhere in February to disrupt my gaming group with its strange mix of poker, deck-building, and rogue-lite elements. This indie title takes poker and breaks it with new cards that refuse to follow any rules of poker that you’ve experienced.
My group chat which is normally dedicated to board games became obsessed with determining the best strategy around different Joker cards and builds that will automatically drop 200,000 points. It became math homework, but fun.
The game is infinitely replayable and always engaging with different ways to build your poker hands. Whether or not this game has sticking power is up for debate but for now, it feels amazing to win at this game, even when your run eventually goes down in flames. — Scott Younker
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
Platforms: PS5
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is a fantastic follow-up to the equally excellent Final Fantasy VII: Remake. As a PS5 exclusive, it can leverage the system’s power to deliver some of the finest graphics of this console generation. But it’s not all flash and no substance as you get a robust gameplay experience featuring tense real-time combat, huge explorable environments, numerous side quests and a thrilling story.
What’s great about Rebirth (and its predecessor) is how it deftly balances nostalgia and freshness. The overall story mostly flows the way it did in the original 1997 game, but it offers new perspectives and expansions of the old plot. There are also a decent amount of new narrative threads that blend well with the original. The characters retain everything that made people fall in love with them, but they feel like more fully fleshed-out people.
Overall, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is one of the best games of the year. — Tom Pritchard
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
It’s been almost four months since I played Dragon’s Dogma 2, and in that time, I’ve forgotten pretty much everything about the game’s generic main story, and I’m struggling to recall many specific side quests too. But what hasn’t faded from my memory is the numerous unscripted moments I encountered during my 30+ hours with the game.
These memorable situations range from a hulking minotaur attacking the town square of a major settlement while I was trading for upgrade materials, to a fearsome griffin taking flight midbattle while I was perched on its back, and flying my bewildered hero back to its cliffside nest. While it has a few unfortunate faults, Dragon’s Dogma 2 remains almost unrivaled when it comes to providing players with unique moments and making you feel like a fantasy hero leading a band of followers on an epic quest into the unknown.
I greatly respect its refusal to make concessions for player convenience (even if this approach can lead to frustrating no-win scenarios). Dragon’s Dogma 2 won’t be for everybody, but if you want an engrossing RPG, it’s the best we’ve had since Elden Ring. — Rory Mellon
Sand Land
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Falling silently under the radar this year, Sand Land proved an excellent escape into the water-less and sun-scorched anime world it provides. It’s ripe with action and heartfelt adventure, punctuated with both hand-to-hand combat and Death Race-like vehicle fighting that blends Akira Toriyama’s witty characters into an action RPG unlike many before it.
To understand what type of experience Sand Land provides, think Mad Max meets Dragon Ball Z in the form of a narratively-driven open world that focuses primarily on a ragtag group led by the rascal Beezlebub, prince of all demons. Together with your trusty pals, you venture on a quest to find the enigmatic Legendary Spring, all while battling away foes led by the world’s menacing monarch.
Though it more or less floundered with most critics and received a variety of mixed reviews, Sand Land was an utter bright spot for me in a year so far offering few truly captivating experiences. It’s sad the late Toriyama, writer and illustrator of the original Sand Land manga of 2000, couldn’t see this game come to fruition. But at least it captured the essence of his storytelling in expert detail, offering fans writ large an enticing escape into a world brimming with humor and personality all its own. — Ryan Epps
Stellar Blade
Platforms: PS5
Stellar Blade is a breath of fresh air. In a sea of remakes, remasters and sequels, this hack ‘n slash action game stands out for being a completely new IP. And that’s not the only thing it has going for it as Stellar Blade delivers some of the finest graphics seen on PS5; coupled with engaging action-adventure gameplay, numerous customization options and an engaging story with plenty of twists and turns.
Though Stellar Blade is a brand-new game, it feels like a game that would’ve been released in during the PS2 era. At its core, you play as a hero who battles an array of powerful foes across varied environments in order to save the world. Even if the premise is simple, the thrilling gameplay and plot keep you hooked. Stellar Blade is also a relatively short experience at around 20 hours, meaning it doesn’t overstay its welcome. If you’re looking for a satisfying title that embodies everything that makes gaming great, Stellar Blade is worth your consideration. — TP
Still Wakes the Deep
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Imagine a game that combines the claustrophobic panic of Alien: Isolation and the disgusting body horror from Dead Space. It would be pretty terrifying, right? Well, there’s a game that embodies these elements perfectly, and it’s the recently released Still Wakes the Deep.
Set on an offshore oil rig in the 1970s, you step into the shoes of Cameron "Caz" McLeary, an electrician caught in a sudden catastrophic event. As the storm rages and the rig begins to crumble, you must navigate its treacherous corridors, seeking an escape while surviving brutal weather conditions and evading deformed creatures. But there's a twist: you won't find any weapons to fend off these horrors. Instead, stealth becomes your greatest ally as you avoid a strange, deadly substance slowly claiming the lives of your friends. This stealth-based gameplay was enough to make me sweat (and jump a few times).
Put simply, Still Wakes the Deep delivers an engaging story, brilliant voice acting, and genuine horror, all within a concise and impactful four-hour experience. — Alix Blackburn
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Yes, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is technically a DLC expansion rather than a full game so its inclusion is debatable, but the sizeable add-on packs more content than some of the above picks, and it was a flagship release from the first half of 2024. Not to mention, it’s of such a high quality that not including it wouldn’t have felt right.
I described the DLC as “Elden Ring on hard mode” in my review, and having now polished off the last of its optional secret bosses, I feel confident in saying it packs not only some of the most difficult enemy encounters FromSoftware has ever made, but also the most satisfying. I’m eager to avoid spoilers, but some of my favorite bosses ever are found here, and the scale of the expansion is truly staggering.
In short, Shadow of the Erdtree is merely more Elden Ring. But considering the base game is not just the defining title of this current gaming generation, but also among the greatest games ever made, more of the same is all we ever wanted — RM
