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 of Story, Soundtrack, Performance, Technical Graphics and Artistic Design.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
The power of narrative comes in many ways. For some, that’s stirring up emotions and making you feel. For others, it’s the experience of going on a journey far outside our realm and becoming part of it. Metaphor: ReFantazio in many ways hits those checkboxes on a grand scale. On the surface, the game follows a nameless Protagonist on a quest to save the once-thought-dead prince in a high-fantasy world. Yet, it managed to not only do that but to tell a narrative full of heart, triumph, perseverance and companionship that rivals ATLUS’ other titles, which in itself is a huge accomplishment. Playing politics and adventuring with a stellar cast of quirky-yet-endearing characters has never felt quite as good as Metaphor does it. And despite being fantasy, it still brings out the best and worst in humanity. It talks about issues plaguing our world and gives them the respect, finesse and justice they deserve, which ATLUS has always strived to do. Yet, it still highlights that we can make a difference for people and for ourselves, no matter what happened in the past. All these intricate details made Metaphor: ReFantazio a story not to be missed and worthy enough to be heard.
Runner-Ups
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
1000xRESIST
Stellar Blade
The Korean-based SHIFT UP developed not only one of the best-looking and best-playing action games of 2024, but it also featured a soundtrack for the ages. It only made sense that a game that was somewhat parallel to Square Enix’s Nier Automata in terms of design and style would also feature a soundtrack that is reminiscent of our Game of the Year for 2017. It features everything from somber moments where you take in the destroyed world around you, to highly-engaging and action-packed tracks that will have you bobbing your head in the middle of a messy boss fight. Even if you’re not interested in playing an action title, the soundtrack transcends the game itself, being a work of art.
Persona 3 Reload
Still Wakes the Deep
When it came to crafting an authentic experience for Still Wakes the Deep, the team brought along Scottish theater actors whose voices are not commonly represented in games. In fact, they speak in the spoken dialect of the United Kingdom. This sort of move is uncommon within the industry, but with high risk comes a high reward. Still Wakes the Deep delivers top-notch spine-chilling performances within the confines of an oil rig in the middle of the North Sea. Our main protagonist Caz (Alec Newman) brings a spark to the down-on-his-luck electrician with grit and humor. Performers such as Neve McIntosh (Suze), Clive Russell (Rennick, Boyd) and Karen Dunbar (Finlay) deliver powerful presentations that will make waves within the voice acting industry. In any theatrical setting, the supporting cast are the ones who carry a lot of weight on their shoulders. There’s something so eerie yet exhilarating about how committed the actors are to making their characters, no matter how prominent they are within the story. With an atmospheric game such as this, having a cast that captures the authenticity of the story itself is one that we commend wholeheartedly.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Black Myth: Wukong
Truthfully, Black Myth: Wukong’s graphics are so good that it actually caused issues for the game upon release. One of the biggest (and only) complaints from players was the presence of invisible walls throughout the levels. Why was this such an issue? Because the levels looked so beautiful that players wanted to explore every square inch of land that they laid their eyes on. With locations on the journey to the west ranging from snow-capped mountains to dense green jungles, every single step through the world of Black Myth is a gorgeous one. To top it all off, the fur-covered cast of characters all look fantastic, with cutting-edge hair physics and animations rounding out the already impressive graphical juggernaut of a game. Game Science immerses players in a jaw-dropping world of monkey kings, talking pigs and ancient dragons with a level of detail and expertise far beyond their years.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Shigenori Soejima and the team were given tons of creative freedom with Metaphor: ReFantazio and they delivered tenfold. Every single inch of the design is expertly put together and felt everywhere, from the drawing-like backdrops to the inspired character looks. The stylistic graphics make each location and action feel straight out of a painting, thanks in part to a handful of talented Japanese icons like Koda Kazuma and Ikuto Yamashita. Nothing feels out of place and that is vital to crafting a fantasy title, especially one this ambitious. The game even managed to craft Hieronymous Bosch-inspired enemies and make them work in its regal setting, lending more to that artistic flair. Speaking of, the character design is stellar, as each of the species looks and feels real as opposed to too outlandish or off-putting. It’s one of Shigenor Soejima’s best works yet and one whose style and charm will be felt in many future RPGs for years to come.
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
Continue to Day 2 →
