2024 has been the year of the RPG. From brand new properties like Metaphor ReFantazio to resurgent franchises like Dragon Age, and large scale remakes such as Persona and Final Fantasy, the genre has dominated. Yet the gaming calendar has also surprised with mind-meltingly complex strategies, brutal brawlers, and innovative indies — and the return of cinema's greatest whip-wielding archaeologist certainly didn't hurt, either.
Where do they all rank though? There's only one way to find out — read on to see what makes Empire's cut for the best games 2024 had to offer!
The Top 20 Games Of 2024
20) Senua's Saga: Hellblade II
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC
The original Hellblade was so lauded for its delicate exploration of mental health and psychosis through a dark ages lens that returning to Senua's world five years later was a risky proposition for developer Ninja Theory. Thankfully, the team smashed expectations with this wonderful evolution for the Pictish warrior woman as she strives to rescue her tribesfolk from slavers. A new Icelandic setting allows for some truly breathtaking visuals, while the local folklore of Hidden People blends perfectly with how Senua sees the world. Despite its brevity and linear nature, Hellblade 2 is a haunting, harrowing, but ultimately hopeful journey.
Read Empire's Senua's Saga: Hellblade II review.
19) Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
The long-awaited return of the Prince came (almost) out of nowhere back in January, revamping Ubisoft's storied fantasy series into one of the finest Metroidvania games in years. As young warrior Sargon, players navigate the labyrinthine corridors of the dauntingly vast Mount Qaf, where time itself is broken. The Lost Crown delighted with some of the most sublime platforming mechanics the series had ever seen, along with time-twisting powers that made its combat really sing. Post-release updates adding a Boss Rush mode and speedrunning challenges have only enhanced an already brilliant game.
Read Empire's Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown review.
18) Batman: Arkham Shadow
A Meta Quest exclusive, This VR instalment in the lauded Arkham series managed to near-flawlessly adapt the fluid, multi-opponent combat of the wider series to virtual reality, inviting you to dish out a very literal hands-on pummelling to assorted of new Bat-villain the Rat-King. The strategic (and decidedly aerobic!) combat combines with stealth sections and the obligatory detective mode to creat a truly immersive Dark Knight experience that stands head and pointy cowl above most other VR fare, with a story that even sends you undercover as an inmate in Blackgate prison. The phrase "I'm Batman!" have never felt so true.
17) Persona 3 Reload
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
The original Persona 3 might be the most important game in the series' history. Although Persona 4 and, especially, Persona 5 cemented the series' popularity in the west, the PS2 version of Persona 3 laid the groundwork, defining much of the visual language and narrative approaches those later games would build on. The only problem? Well, it was stuck on the PS2, making this stunning remake long overdue. Pitching you as a member of a secret society investigating Tartarus, a strange dimension that only appears during a hidden time window called the Dark Hour, Reload's blend of action packed dungeon adventuring at night and relationship-building social elements by day remains as engaging as ever – but with expanded scenes building on the original, brand new vocal performances for its expansive cast, and a massively refined combat system more in line with that of Persona 5 Royal, it's that much richer.
16) The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Legend of Zelda fans have waited a long time to properly play as the eponymous princess (the CD-i games don't count) and Echoes of Wisdom doesn't disappoint, with Zelda stepping up to save Link for a change. Almost a stealth release from Nintendo – unexpectedly announced in June, launched in September – its use of the top-down toybox aesthetic of the Link's Awakening remake gave it a cutesy flair, but it was really the far more elaborate Tears of the Kingdom that proved the biggest influence. Zelda's newfound ability to create the titular echoes of almost everything in the world, from humble pots to cloned enemies to battle on her behalf, allowed a similar degree of freedom and inventiveness in navigating the perils of the land of Hyrule, and players are still discovering surprising new ways to use them to overcome challenges. Ingeniously crafted from top to bottom and positively dripping in charm, hopefully this won't be the last time Zelda gets the spotlight.
Read Empire's The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom review.
15) Unicorn Overlord
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
At first glance, Unicorn Overlord looks like a riff on Fire Emblem, from its fantasy anime aesthetic to its swords-and-sorcery-and-fallen-empires setting. But instead of the turn-based gameplay of Nintendo's beloved series, this is a tantalisingly tactical real-time strategy game that rewards meticulous planning of units, character abilities, and equipment to maximise success on the battlefield. It's the tender writing and surprisingly deep explorations of the impact of war (even fantasy magic war!) on soldiers and civilians alike that really elevated the experience. Wrapped in developer Vanillaware's trademark hand-painted visual touch, this proved an unexpectedly satisfying strategy experience.
Read Empire's Unicorn Overlord review.
14) Black Myth: Wukong
Platforms: PC, PS5
Nothing short of a phenomenon, Black Myth: Wukong burst onto the scene back in August and blew players away with its stunning fantasy world and blistering combat. Inspired by Journey to the West, the modern quest for "The Destined One" – successor to the mythical monkey warrior Sun Wukong – not only repackaged the literary classic but did so in visually breathtaking fashion. Lightning-fast, magically-infused battles utilising the Monkey King's mystic staff and supernatural abilities such as making duplicates from strands of hair kept even regular battles exciting, but it was the show-stopping boss sequences against titanic foes that really served up the spectacle.
Read Empire's Black Myth: Wukong review.
13) Balatro
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4/PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, iOS/Android
Solo indie developer LocalThunk's Balatro isn't the first Roguelike deck-builder to have ever been made. Hell, it isn't even the first one worthy of Game Of The Year consideration (we daren't admit how many hours we've sunk — and continue to sink — into 2019's Slay The Spire and 2021's Inscryption.) But there's just something about this cosmic twist on poker that, when the chips are down, we simply can't get enough of. From its CRT patina to its soothing synth soundtrack and instantly iconic array of game-changing jokers (Yorick, Hiker, Blueprint — our guys!), the game oozes throwback, lo-res style. But it's the brilliantly thought-out gameplay mechanics, the ceaselessly addictive chase of ever more ambitious runs, multiplier combos, and fantastical decks as the ante ratchets up that grabs you and refuses to let go. It might not quite be our best game of 2024, but Balatro is almost certainly Empire's most played game of the past twelve months.
12) Tekken 8
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Bandai Namco's long-running fighting franchise reached its apex with Tekken 8, quite literally kicking off the year with the most exciting and fast-paced entry to date. Tekken's signature combat mechanics, where one button controls one limb, make it as easy as ever to get into, while a brand new Heat system rewards aggressive, pro-active play by allowing you to tear through an opponent's defences. With a cinematic (if admittedly bonkers) single player story mode centred on the globe-spanning father-son war between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama, an extremely meta Arcade Quest (where you strive to become the best Tekken player by touring virtual arcades), and mini episodes for each of the 32 fighters in the game's packed roster – bolstered further by the post-launch introduction of DLC characters, alongside added game features – Tekken 8 is the most feature-packed entry in the series' history.
Read Empire's Tekken 8 review.
11) Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PC
The Like a Dragon games – formerly Yakuza – have always been strange hybrids of gritty crime sagas and bizarre comedies, but Infinite Wealth is the ultimate expression of that unlikely mashup. Sending protagonist Ichiban Kasuga to Hawaii in search of his long lost mother allows for some wild fish-out-of-water moments, matched at every turn by some truly shocking moments of violence or heart-breaking plot developments. What impresses most though is just how much game is crammed in here, with gloriously weird parodies of Animal Crossing, Crazy Taxi and Pokémon offering diversions chunky enough to almost stand as their own releases, full arcade recreations of classic Sega games, and minigames such as darts and karaoke to while away the hours. Like a Dragon is more than an RPG, it’s a world you can fully immerse in – even if that might mean having to beat up gangsters with a surfboard or pummel a giant shark along the way.
Read Empire's Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth review.
10) Dragon's Dogma 2
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Capcom's action RPG series was absent for over a decade, but roared back to life with this stellar sequel. Unfortunately – for players – it hates you. Eschewing the norms of the genre, it makes fast travel around its open world more effort than it's worth, slashes your max health if you're dumb enough to lose a fight, and saddles you with AI party members who can spread a disease that drives them murderously insane. Yet every one of those decisions is what makes it so great – no reliable fast travel forces you to explore its gorgeous world, tough battles makes you appreciate the intricacies of the combat system and the nuances of character classes, and the deranged companions… well, they're still a nightmare, but a fun one. Dragon's Dogma II hates you, then – but you'll love it.
Read Empire's Dragon's Dogma 2 review.
9) Helldivers 2
Platforms: PS5, PC
Listen up, meat — Super Earth needs YOU to spread managed democracy through the cosmos! There's just the small matter of an endless horde of ravenous insects and nigh-unstoppable mechanoids to deal with first, but if you have to die and die again to deal with them, so be it… Helldivers 2 might have been the biggest surprise of 2024, a deliriously fun multiplayer shooter that liberally, err, "channels" both Terminator and Starship Troopers to serve up hectic battles across alien terrain. It's not just the run-and-gun chaos of it all that entertains though, it's the use of stratagems – special moves that can turn the tide with everything from an armoured turret to an orbital strike – that makes for an explosively good time. Best of all, the constant ebb and flow of galactic control as enemy forces rally or invade makes this live service game feel truly alive, with a community of players forced to react in real time to hold the line. Glory to Super Earth!
Read Empire's Helldivers 2 review.
8) Thank Goodness You're Here!
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4
Extremely stupid and extremely northern, Thank Goodness You're Here! is, hands down, the funniest game of the year — and given how notoriously tricky comedy is to pull off in gaming, all the more impressive for the achievement. As a tiny junior salesman in the town of Barnsworth, you'll wander around solving residents' problems through the fine medium of slapping stuff – like finishing the fishmonger's display by slapping cigarettes into the haddocks' mouths, or slapping the chippy's deep-fat fryer back to life, or slapping rogue seagulls back to their naked, bin-dwelling admiral "leader". It's all thoroughly deranged, but you'll be laughing your head off from start to finish (unless you can't understand the authentic Yorkshire dialect of it all, in which case switch the English subtitles on, which feels like just one more brilliant meta-joke to it all).
Read Empire's Thank Goodness You're Here! review.
7) Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Platforms: PS5, PC, Xbox Series X|S
After a decade of dormancy, the return of Dragon Age had fans on tenterhooks – especially given developer BioWare's only releases inbetween were the underwhelming Mass Effect: Andromeda and the flop of Anthem. They needn't have worried – The Veilguard was good enough to not only impress as an action-fantasy romp in its own right, but to restore the studio's rep as a purveyor of finest digital fare. The series' pivotal choice-based progression means the core plot – try to stop the shattering of the boundary between the mortal and demon worlds, brought about by a former ally from 2014's Dragon Age: Inquisition – can splinter into thousands of different directions, while its combat blends real-time action with pause-and-think tactics to incredible effect. Throw in a top-tier character creator for protagonist Rook and cinematic set pieces against colossal bosses, and it's safe to Dragon Age is back and better than ever.
Read Empire's Dragon Age: The Veilguard review.
6) Indiana Jones And The Great Circle
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S
Only released early December, The Great Circle is a late entry to be making this list – but developer MachineGames has so brilliantly recreated everything that made audiences fell in love with Indiana Jones that it whip-cracks its way close to the top of the pile of 2024's gaming treasures. Set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, this globe-trotting adventure sees the intrepid archaeologist hopping from Connecticut to Iraq, by way of the Vatican, Giza, Shanghai, and Siam, chasing down a Nazi occultist hunting relics with the power to change the course of the Second World War. While there's plenty of satisfying Nazi-punching along the way, this earns its spot thanks to its blend of thrilling adventure, a bounty of ancient mysteries to solve, and pitch-perfect humour. With gorgeous visuals throughout, and aided by Troy Baker doing an uncanny impersonation of Harrison Ford in his prime, this is the best Indy's been since The Last Crusade.
Read Empire's Indiana Jones And The Great Circle review.
5) Silent Hill 2
Platforms: PC, PS5
James Sunderland's journey through the horrifically haunted town of Silent Hill was a generationally defining moment for horror gaming, so fans of Konami's long-dormant series were justifiably cautious over a remake of the 2001 classic. Thankfully, developer Bloober Team laid such fears to rest with this sensational outing. A ground-up rebuild of the PS2 game, it absolutely nailed the oppressive, mournful, tone that hangs over the town like a cloud thicker than its iconic fog, even as a shift to full 3D controls and a free camera allow the terrors lurking in that fog to be realised like never before. The mind-bending puzzles of the original are either faithfully recreated or cleverly expanded on too, while the ability to more deeply explore the town makes it feel both larger and even more maddeningly inescapable. Remaking a sacred text of the genre was a risk, but 2024's Silent Hill 2 surpassed all expectations.
Read Empire's Silent Hill 2 review.
4) Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
Platform: PS5
And speaking of remakes, Square Enix's almost incalculably ambitious reimagining of all-time classic Final Fantasy VII finally hit its Empire Strikes Back moment here, continuing the saga of mercenary Cloud Strife and his allies in their effort to defeat the planet-killing Shinra corporation. Expanding on the already impressive Final Fantasy VII Remake, Rebirth added fan-favourite characters Yuffie, Red XIII, and Cait Sith to the playable roster, improved on the already fantastic battle system, and took players out of the familiar confines of Midgar City to explore a vast, beautiful world. It's in how the story continued to subvert expectations based on the original game that Rebirth really amazed though, painting a grander, richer picture than its progenitor, dealing with themes of destiny and predetermination, and doing it all without alienating newcomers. And, like all the best middle trilogy instalments, by the time the credits roll on Rebirth, fans will be left with countless questions — but none more pressing than "when is part three coming?!". A sensational achievement.
Read Empire's Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth review.
3) Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
There comes a moment in Shadow of the Erdtree — likely sometime between getting your arse handed to you by a rampaging golden hippo and your fiftieth unsuccessful attempt to defeat a furious, thorn-throwing sunflower — where you begin to wonder if, despite having sunk 150-odd hours into Elden Ring, you’re actually improving at all. Such is the nails-hard difficulty of this expansion that it’s part videogame, part hair-tearing, controller-flinging, aneurysm-inducing rage fit. But, despite director Hidetaka Miyazaki’s obvious penchant for schadenfreude, it’s also one of the most incredible gaming experiences of the year. Building on the sprawling majesty of the base game, this adds another huge open zone to explore (the Shadow Realm), as well as all-new sorceries, weapons and abilities that not only allow you to attack the expansion in all-new ways, but open up the wider game for the same, successfully refreshing the entire experience. With more gameplay here than in most complete games and some of the most stunningly beautiful, intricately designed areas in all of Elden Ring, this is one of the most painstakingly crafted, meticulously realised expansion packs we’ve ever played. Even if it is harder than a diamond sledgehammer.
Read Empire's Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree review.
2) Metaphor: ReFantazio
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Capping a phenomenal year for developer Atlus, Metaphor ReFantazio took the well-honed RPG formula of the Persona games and polished it into dazzling perfection. Beneath its familiar fantasy anime trappings – set in a world populated by elfin folk and animalistic hybrids, medieval towns and magic-powered technology – lay one of the deepest games of the year. What begins as a quest to restore a lost prince to a stolen throne evolves into a deeply nuanced and political outing exploring class, power, governance, and the entrenched oppressive forces that too often shape societies. With a satisfying blend of complex turn-based encounters against tough foes and speedy real-time melee to dispatch weaker enemies while exploring, it was no slouch on the combat front either. A new gold standard for the genre.
Read Empire's Metaphor: ReFantazio review.
1) Astro Bot
Platform: PS5
Admit it — it's been a tough year. Know what'll make it better? Astro Bot. Sad? Play Astro Bot; its exuberant protagonist will remind you what happiness feels like with every tink-tink-tink of his adorable li'l robot feet around the dozens of joyfully designed levels. Exhausted? Play Astro Bot; its perky, upbeat vibes and beautiful musical suite will re-energise your very soul. Stressed? Play Astro Bot; with its hundreds of cute robots to rescue, all cosplaying the biggest stars and cultist of cult favourite characters from the last 30 years of gaming history, you'll be transported back to your childhood, whenever that was. What really elevates Astro Bot to true game of the year status is how it promotes Sony's metallic mascot from the glorified tutorial games he's previously appeared in to a spectacular full scale platform game that could (whisper it) rival those of a certain crimson plumber. Developer Team Asobi has fine-tuned every aspect of Astro Bot to perfection, resulting in a colourful outing kids can enjoy, but intricate and challenging enough to give even the most seasoned of players pause. A digital burst of sheer serotonin.