Over the next eight days, Hardcore Gamer will be revealing its Best of 2024 Awards leading up to our Game of the Year. Today we present you with the Best Sports, Strategy/Puzzle, Fighting and Racing Game.
EA Sports College Football 25
First off, kudos are given across the board as all of the major sports titles to release this year received significant upgrades. EA SPORTS COLLEGE FOOTBALL 25 not only returned for the first time in ten years, it was far from a barebone experience. The return to Dynasty Mode alone made it stand out among the rest. This is an extremely fun and wide open football game that lead plenty of people who normally don’t play video games to go out and purchase a new system just to experience it. The environments, atmosphere and pageantry are fully displayed and the game has even more room for growth. This is a completely separate experience from the Madden series and provides the more inexperienced yet wide-open side of football fans have been wanting for years.
Runner-Ups
Madden NFL 25
EA Sports FC 25
The trick with any great strategy or puzzle-affiliated release is having your player fixated on the reality of what may be, as much the inevitability of what may not. Whether it was gambling hard-earned dollars on a random Joker, going all in on leveling up a particular hand type or skipping entire blinds for short-term gains, Balatro was that classic, signature roguelike case of nothing ventured, nothing gained. “Who dares wins!” Regardless of one’s success or failure – no matter the commitment to blind luck or calculated decision-making – Balatro is one of the most tightly-knit, highly-concentrated examples of a deckbuilder bursting at the seams with one delightful, emergent moment after another. Accidental, intentional or reliant on some hopeful gamble, the combination of Poker’s mathematical precision, with that arsenal-like fortifying of one’s strength any good roguelike is built around, Balatro is a game of near-infinite questions with similarly infinite replayability. Whatever one’s strategy with hand types, Jokers and the varying amounts of “Mult” they produce, Balatro accommodates all manner of play-style. With conundrums and risk:reward scenarios that made each run, a fitting illustration of how high in quality roguelikes/deck-builders can still aspire to reach.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
Children of the Sun
Bandai Namco took the pole position for release date in 2024 and never looked back with Tekken 8. Utilizing the Unreal Engine 5 and introducing the new HEAT System for its fight mechanics helped to create a fighting game that released ruthless aggression. Tekken 8 implemented a strong balance of characters across the board with tons of customization options. The core fighting engine was where Tekken 8 offered its hook, creating fantastic matches and excellent online netcode to boot. Updates with new characters throughout the year along with balance updates and the introduction of the Tekken Shop have kept the community alive. Even in a year that didn’t have any major fighting game releases like 2023, it would have likely still taken the crown. No matter what the naysayers comment, Tekken 8 is one of the better fighting games of all time.
Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
Rage of the Dragons NEO
Rivals of Aether II
Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes
While there weren’t many of the usual racing title to release in 2024 (looking at you Forza), there were certainly some that were able to shine. While F1 24 brought forth classic drivers and the ability to jump into a career as a current driver, the strides that Milestone made with MotoGP 24 can’t go unnoticed. While they’re not the biggest developer in the world, the passion for what many believe is the Formula One of motorcycle racing shined through, with MotoGP 24 offering the most-approachable racing the series has ever seen. Along with excellent AI characteristics, a boost in visuals and a Career Mode that properly replicated the drama that is seen off the track, MotoGP 24 offered plenty of aspects that other racing game series should look into replicating.
Parking Garage Rally Circuit
Phantom Spark
DeathSprint 66
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