15. Ultros
Platformer - 7.9
We open our list with this psychedelic platformer. Ultros is a feast for the senses. Taking place in a weird alien world called the Sarcophagus. Players must survive the relentless horde of enemies in stylish action.
It's a metroidvania with a trippy time-bending loop. It comes with a unique gardening mechanic. Each run provides nutrient-based upgrades depending on your playstyle. These can go from problem-solving builds, to straight up overpowered abilities.
It rewards the patient, but it can be frustrating losing upgrades and movesets in each run.
Its central theme lays it heavy on environmentalism, telling a meaningful story about nature and its consequences.
14. Pepper Grinder
Platformer - 7.9
Devolver Digital’s Pepper Grinder is a dream come true for players who want a fast-paced Dig Dug. It is a fluid action game that alternates between drilling and shooting enemies.
Digging tricky levels and obtaining hard-to-find treasures is where the fun’s at. You get a boost of dopamine every time Pepper cruises through the colorful levels.
Some players compare it to Celeste for its responsive controls and challenging levels.
Pepper Grinder isn’t a long game. Despite its flashy display of colors and retro visuals, it knows not to overstay its welcome. Within 6-8 hours, you can explore the game from start to finish.
13. Turnip Boy Robs a Bank
Action - 8.0
The craziest thing about Turnip Boy’s next adventure isn’t his crimes. It’s that his games keep getting better.
The delinquent crop returns with new felonies on his checklist. This time the career criminal is all about robbing a bank, teaming up with the Pickled Gang to do the craziest heist of all time. Ever seen that one Spongebob episode?
While it plays similarly to games like Hotline Miami and Enter the Gungeon, this action roguelite doesn’t take itself seriously. It is a hilarious romp that encourages you to improvise with the tools you have.
12. Granblue Fantasy: Relink
JRPG - 8.0
The latest Granblue Fantasy game takes on a whole new level of ambition. Relink is a bold new direction for the franchise. It is a massive and visually appealing RPG for new and old fans.
Depending on your pace, the game has over 40 hours of playtime. Players can explore its grand open world with a freedom you can’t find on its mobile counterparts. It is rife with adventure and its characters are well-suited for the journey.
Once you finish the single-player story, you’ll rely on the multiplayer for post-game content. Unfortunately, it has the pitfalls of most multiplayer JRPGS. Despite removing the gacha elements, you’ll still have a tedious grind ahead of you. Some players have commented on this, citing the ‘monotonous combat’ that extends to its online experience.
(If you’ve played Granblue Fantasy: Relink, do you agree with its grindy post-game content?)
But even with its shortcomings, Granblue Fantasy: Relink is still a great JRPG and a great evolution from its mobile beginnings.
11. Expeditions: A MudRunner Game
Racing - 8.1
Off-road racing games will always have a market. And if you’re looking for a new simulation racer, Expeditions: A MudRunner Game has everything you need.
What’s interesting is how challenging it is. It takes the literal ‘off-road’ driving to the test. The environments are harsh and there’s a layer of brain-teasing puzzles in each level. You’ll have to rummage for solutions to its rich content.
While critics praised its muddy charm, players weren’t too happy with it. The Steam reviews are all over the place with over a thousand reviews calling it a ‘major downgrade’ from its predecessors.
If Expedtions has one egregious flaw, it's the microtransaction model. It was review bombed by fans for putting vehicles behind the paywall of costly DLCs.
The good news is that the devs are trying to fix ‘some’ of the issues. The coming multiplayer update promises a seamless off-road adventure to play with friends. (Do you think that’s enough to make up for it?
)10. Helldivers 2
Shooter - 8.2
The gift of managed democracy keeps giving. Helldivers 2 is a great example of a videogame that’s built for endless fun. Who wouldn’t love dropping in and out anytime to kill bugs and robots for a living?
Its developers, Arrowhead, have mastered the live-service model with its affordable Season Passes. They even offer in-game credits you can earn by playing.
Helldivers 2 is an evolving game led by the mysterious ‘Joel’. Its active Galactic map is a playground where you can see their spread of liberty across the system.
The game has been a constant treat so far. It already has a massive player base of over 200 thousand Helldivers who continue to spread of democracy every day. Find a few friends to play with, and you can ramp up the experience entirely.
According to Checkpoint Gaming’s Elliot Attard, Helldivers 2’s “...cooperative shooter is engaging, charming, dynamic, and at no point feels greedy or unnecessary.”
9. Momodora: Moonlit Farewell
Platformer - 8.2
This year has a lot of surprise titles that inch their way to our charts. Like Momodora: Moonlit Farewell a fantastic metroidvania that “...is a truly unique aesthetic that blends all [my] favorite things into one unforgettable package.”
The latest and final installment of the Momodora series. It improves on the previous games with its captivating pixel art style. Momo’s quest to save her Village is rife with action, with intense boss battles and action-packed gameplay that keeps the momentum going.
With the ‘Sigil’ system, you can customize your playstyle depending on the situation. With exploration and experimentation at its core, it is a game that encourages you to think outside the box.
Fans of cute fairy waifus will definitely want to check this out.
8. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
RPG - 8.5
The latest IP from the makers of Life Is Strange. In Banishers, DONTNOD delivers an emotional narrative about love and loss amidst the supernatural
Step into the shoes of two ghost hunters investigating an evil curse plaguing a town. DONTNOD's tough moral dilemmas come into play here and you can approach the story in various ways.
Aside from the complex choices, the combat is satisfying too. Taking down threats using spectral powers is something you don’t see a lot nowadays.
For everything it offers, it makes you want more. It's “... a game haunted by the ghost of satisfaction – satisfaction from good gameplay and a great story.”
It's an ambitious but unassuming action RPG. Released in the same month as some pretty big names, it might've even flown under your radar.
7. Prince of Persia The Lost Crown
Action - 8.8
The latest Prince Of Persia veers away from its third-person adventures, taking on a new form as a 2.5D platformer.
It leans heavily on Metroidvania elements where exploration and abilities are the key to survival. It is not a revolutionary pivot. But it’s a completely different style and they’re sticking to it for the next game: The Rogue Prince Of Persia.
Part of the charm of the original series was the signature parkour-based movement. And that remains true for this latest game. It’s a lot like Hollow Knight where you can zap across levels with swagger as long as you get the job done.
The Lost Crown “...is a turning of the page for a traditionally Orientalist franchise, and it never sacrifices gameplay to do so.”
6. Persona 3 Reload
JRPG - 8.9
ATLUS continues to milk their beloved Persona franchise to this day. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. It's good milk and players are happy to drink it.
Reload is a Remake of the 2006 PlayStation 2 classic. It redefined the series with its healthy balance of visual novel and JRPG elements. Despite its dated mechanics, Persona 3 Reload is still an upgrade thanks to its quality of life improvements and new features.
It is a complete retelling of the original story. But with new visuals and fully-voiced characters. These enhance the experience of the heavy storyline and bring us closer to its memorable cast of characters.
5. Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition
Adventure - 8.9
PlayStation’s red-haired princess returns to PC. The sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn takes Aloy to the wild Western frontier. This Complete Edition includes the Burning Shores DLC in the massive open-world journey
There is no shortage of praise for its visuals and gameplay. The sheer scale of its open-world is impressive. And the variety of robot monsters to take down keeps it from getting stale.
This sci-fi trip to a post-apocalyptic Earth is teeming with danger and beauty. Forbidden West really amped it up, and it’s on display in this optimized PC Port. Play it on the highest settings with the best graphics cards is a satisfying experience.
4. Tekken 8
Fighting - 9.1
The latest Tekken game paved the way for the future of modern fighting games. It LOOKS GOOD and it PLAYS GOOD. Tekken 8 shakes up the traditional fighting formula with new mechanics. The new Heat System made fights much more unpredictable, for better or worse.
At the end of the day and new players are quick to adapt, making tournaments much more exciting to watch.
Perhaps the biggest fumble in Tekken history is the in-game shop. A lot of players were disappointed by this update and rushed to review bomb the game on Steam.
Although the shop only sells cosmetic items, no one was too happy about the scummy prices. Plus, the fact that it was added late in the game outraged fans.
(Do you think a fighting game needs an in-game shop that costs real money?)
3. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
RPG - 9.1
The latest Yakuza game brings ‘Infinite Wealth’. Literally. It is a haven of content that rivals their previous entries. With the number of activities in this idyllic Hawaiian escape, you can probably net over 100 hours of playtime.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth is still about Ichiban and Kiryu. Their interconnected stories are brought together in this sprawling narrative of crime, drama, and comedy. Fans of the series will know what to expect, but if you're new to the game, it can be easy to get lost in the crazy shenanigans.
For a better story experience, playing the previous games is recommended. But anyone can waltz right in and enjoy Infinite Wealth’s treasure trove of activities.
2. Dragon’s Dogma 2
RPG - 9.2
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is without a doubt an impressive game. It capitalized on the strengths of the original and added tons of improvements.
SEE: Best PC RPGs
Whether or not you're an RPG veteran, there's no hand-holding here. Some have even called it the next Elden Ring.
However, it has also been a subject of controversy for the past few weeks.
For one, even the most high-end PCs couldn’t get a good framerate. And secondly, it's the fact that it has microtransactions at all. Though complete ly optional, the idea of having them in a $70 game irked thousands of fans.
Do you think it’s a good idea to add microtransactions to a single-player game?
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a victim of its own making. While there have been a few patches to improve framerates, the microtransactions are still there.
Since its release, it has received a barrage of negative reviews. But despite that, it still managed to top our charts.
Critics put the game in high regard, leveling the charts with ratings of 10s and 9s.
“it is clear that Capcom has created a flawed masterpiece that might not be for everyone.” said Game Rant’s Adrian Morales.
1. Balatro
Card - 9.3
This might come as a surprise but Balatro is the best PC game of 2024 so far. This poker-inspired roguelike is the talk of the town lately. Even burrowing into the headlines amidst triple-A giants like Dragon’s Dogma 2.
For starters, Balatro is a roguelike. But it injects poker mechanics into its increasingly addictive gameplay loop. Players pump out illegal poker hands and break the game using outrageous combinations.
With over 150 unique Jokers that can make or break a run, plus even more tarot cards, the possibilities are endless.
It’s a game for everyone, even those who aren’t interested in Poker. Fans of Slay the Spire or Wildfrost should definitely put this on their wishlist.