No need to provide a link. As I understand it, you can just post wherever you want, and the mods will sort each post into the thread where it belongs.
Touché, Strandicoot…
It’s nothing too dramatic, I just wanted a New Year’s resolution. I barely played any new games in 2023 because I was playing retro stuff, and I decided to set a goal of averaging one new game per week in 2024. I ended up hitting 52 games by the end of June, so I just decided to keep it going to an even 100.
A lot of my list is short-ish indie games, and I’ve only actually beaten about two-thirds. A lot of them I just played a representative sample and decided I didn’t like the game or it’s too long.
Game 99 is Stalker 2, and 100 will be Path of Exile 2 in a few weeks!
Huh, I played more 2024 releases this year than I thought. There’s only three I really want to talk about, starting from the bottom:
3. Balatro
I’m perhaps inevitably comparing this to Hades. Balatro doesn’t quite nail the fail-rewards that Hades does, but it does a good job, and it does nail the most important thing, which is making that first successful run make you want to succeed more. It doesn’t help/hurt that I’m already a big fan of poker. I’m far from completing it since I don’t feel strongly about full-clearing every stake or getting every Joker, but it’s nice to pick up and play now and again.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
I wrote about this one on my blog. In short, playing it reminded me of playing OOT randomizers and because the artistic direction of the game is modeled after a very linear game (Link’s Awakening, though it hides it well), it can make the player feel like they’re “breaking” the game or not doing things “the intended way” by just…walking on top of trees or letting a Spark move you toward a new location, to name a few things I did regularly.
1. Nine Sols
Just a fantastic package of gameplay and narrative. I’m gonna copy-paste something from the review I wrote for it. It’s a more direct comparison to Hollow Knight, but despite the two games sharing certain aspects…even if I would maybe put Hollow Knight over Nine Sols in “which do I like,” I would definitely put Nine Sols over in “which is better.”
not big spoilers, just HK and NS comparison
I am hesitant to compare this game to similar ones in the genre, as it’s so easy to fall into traps of calling something a “whatever”-like, but I think it’s apt to contrast Nine Sols with another action platformer, Hollow Knight, because I think there will likely be comparisons drawn. The key difference here is that Yi is not simply dropped into this world and forced to uncover its history. Yi is, literally, uncovering his own history, his own actions, and the bosses you encounter are actors within that world as well, in a way that the Knight, effectively a vessel only for the player, is not (for the most part). Characters, enemies, and environment are so tightly intertwined with the narrative here and feel alive–or, at the very least, attempting to survive. Hallownest is dead, but New Kunlun is asleep.
I am 100% going to buy this game again on Switch. Probably twice, if a physical release comes around. I am no stranger to buying indie games 3+ times.
The streak is still going strong. Even @Magnanimous, who played 99 (!) new games this year, recognized the truth.
I truly hope the console release gives this game the Hollow Knight-like fanatical fanbase it deserves. I can’t wait to see what Red Candle cooks up next.
Question: If I didn’t jive with the feel of Hollow Knight, should I skip Nine Sols? Like, how are the jumps? How’s the combat compare?
I’d have to boot both games to again to compare the jumps, but the combat is very different. Nine Sols has probably the most refined combat system ever featured in a side scroller. Hollow Knight doesn’t even come close in that regard.
If it was the movement and combat that put you off HK, I’d say give Nine Sols a shot.
If instead it’s that you don’t like Metroidvania exploration or hand-drawn 2d graphics, eh, give it a shot anyway. It might change your mind.
Sounds like I should give it a shot then. Thanks!
However, if Nine Sols is so great, why didn’t I hear about One Sols, Two Sols, Three Sols, Four Sols, Five Sols, Six Sols, Seven Sols, or Eight Sols? Is there even gonna be a Ten Sols?
i haven’t played very many 2024 releases but yeah this one is my GOTY fer sure
Sphere to square. Yes, it’s a fantastic game. Definitely the best writing and voice acting of 2024. It’s such a moving allegory.
I played a staggering five new games this year and I think the cat samurai game was the best. With the underground Hong Kong game coming in second.
The game played the most this year was Deadlock which was good but not really the kind of game for a conversation like this.
I don’t like boss battles all that much. Should I still try it?
I mean, you don’t like boss battles in games that aren’t Nine Sols, so…
actually as much as i think 1000xResist is a truly remarkable piece of science fiction video game, the Game That I Played in 2024 That I Have Thought About The Most might be… insertcredit 2023 post-GOTYs mention Paranormasight. there is just a moment in that game that hit me like a brick to the back of the head in a way no other game has.
I’m gonna come back closer to 2025 and express some actual thoughts on all the ones that really hit me this year, but I can’t imagine anything hitting like 1000xRESIST over the next five weeks. After that one, it’s Slitterhead, Metaphor, Balatro, God Dang Uforia 2 (it’s like this game didn’t exist), and Before the Green Moon/Pocket Card Jockey sliding in because they came to Switch in 2024 and that’s where I played them
But, I do intend to check out Indika, Mouthwashing, Arctic Eggs & a taste of probably easy-mode Nine Sols before I make this surely anticipated, culturally divisive GOTY list
I’m not sure why it would be culturally (at least here) to say 1000xRESIST is your GOTY. It’s a fantastic game, and you have hekki good taste.
I bought a lot of games I was excited about this year but I have played not many of them and finished even less of them. I don’t think that’s an indictment on them but I’ve been playing a lot of older stuff this year. I think my favorite games that I’ve played this year(and have finished or played a lot of) are:
Slitterhead
Powerful Pro Baseball 24-25
Slitterhead is a perfect 6/10 action game. It’s unique, weird, janky, and is loaded with The Juice. Power Pros I played an absolutely incredible amount of this year while I was getting into baseball, really good game that I probably could have enjoyed a lot more of if I knew Japanese and could play the RPG modes.
I also played Drag Dog 2 which was cool but it didn’t leave a lasting impression on me. Same with Shiren 6 and Unicorn Overlord.
Games released this year I have either started or bought that still could be on a best of list for me:
Tsukihime
FFVII Rebrith
Regency Solitaire 2
Megaton Musashi Wired
Sand Land
Natsu-Mon 20th Century Summer
Gundam Breaker 4
UFO 50
Pro Baseball Spirits 24-25
MLB The Show 24
Sonic x Shadow Generations
Ys X
DQ3 remake
MvC Collection
Fantasian(coming soon)