Seldom do we get a year so stacked with high quality video games like the ones we got in 2024. There are so many games to get for anyone in your life. Casual gamers? Hardcore gamers? Sports lovers? Card game lovers? There truly is something for everyone this year. Here are some games that would make for great gifts for all your loved ones – and you can gift them digitally!
Balatro
I enjoy poker as much as the next guy, but the true challenge of poker is how you sell your plays to other people around the table. Poker is one of those games that is really only as good as the group of people you’re with. Balatro does away with that by taking the base game of poker and flipping it on its head over-and-over until it’s hardly recognizable. Balatro is essentially “Poker 2.” It’s a single player roguelike deck builder that revolves around creating insane synergies with one of the 150 Jokers in the game. Jokers provide wacky upgrades and change the way you can play your cards. Some provide bonuses to certain suits, others allow you to add cards to your deck. There’s an obscene amount of ways to play each run, and no two games of Balatro feel the same. You can play it on any console you’ve got, your PC, and even your phone! I cannot think of a better bang for your buck in 2024. You owe it to yourself to play this game. I would know – as I have over 300 hours on it.
Star Wars Outlaws
There’s a lot of people out there who love open-world westerns. There’s also a lot of people out there who love Star Wars games! Luckily for them, Star Wars Outlaws came out this year! Star Wars Outlaws is the first proper open-world Star Wars game, and it does a great job presenting that world. You play as Kay Vess – a scoundrel who is looking to make a new life for herself by any means necessary. You’ll collect bounties on some of the most dangerous people in the galaxy, and you’ll rip apart various crime syndicates from the inside out. If you know somebody super into open-world experiences, Star Wars Outlaws might be the game for them!
NBA 2K25
If you’re buying for a diehard basketball fan – look no further than NBA 2K25! Every year they keep coming back and improving the graphics and immersion, and this year is no different. This time NBA 2K25 is once again powered by ProPLAY™, a complex system that boasts over 9000 new animations to keep the game as dynamic and unique each time you play. There are tons of new dribbling animations as well as off-the-ball animations. ProPLAY™ provides more polish and authentic gameplay, and even includes the signature shots of many players. You can explore “The City” – a new mode that allows you to play streetball and gives access to all new venues. You can also play in the WNBA and create an up and coming legend.
WWE 2K24
Nothing beats good ol’ fashioned wrestling. Getting to play as your favourite huge beefy men and women while breaking a steal chair over someone’s head just hits different… literally. In WWE 2K24 you can play as 250 different wrestlers. Some are legends from the past, but most are currently working athletes. You can recreate the iconic Andre The Giant Vs. Hulk Hogan match from Wrestlemania III back in 1987. You can even have either of those legends fight pros they would have never stepped into the ring with. That’s what really excites me about wrestling games – all the impossible matchups. Of course the Create-A-Superstar mode is back again. You can make your own wrestler and turn them into a legend. If you’ve got a wrestling fan in your life, WWE 2K24 is a no-brainer.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered
It’s crazy to me that these games haven’t already been remastered. The Legacy of Kain series is always talked about in such high regard, and people have been clamouring for a new entry in the series. The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 3 Remastered isn’t the new entry people have been asking for, but, it is an extremely well-made remaster that does a remarkable job bringing these classics into 2024. You play as Raziel, a vampire who is killed and brought back to life as a Wraith to take revenge on Kain, your former master who betrayed you. As a Wraith, you will kill many vampires who you once called your allies. You’ll fight with your claws, your mastery of telekinetic energy, and your elemental Wraith Blade. It’s so refreshing to revisit these games because they truly embody the PlayStation 2 era of action games. Everything is so ridiculous and over the top in The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 3 Remastered and the badass vibes are overflowing. You can instantly (and I do mean instantly) change the graphics from the remaster to the original in a single click. No loading, no stuttering, just an instantaneous change of graphics. I found myself doing this all the time in both games just to see how improved everything has become. There are all new textures and enemy designs, and you finally get a proper look at the emotions being conveyed by the characters. You just couldn’t properly see those facial features 20+ years ago! If you’ve got an adventure loving nostalgia-head in your life, you need to let them know this game exists. What a delightful way to return to two classics. The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 3 Remastered is how you remaster games!
Risk of Rain 2
Look, I know that Risk of Rain 2 didn’t come out this year. However, it is still being constantly updated by its developers and has an extremely impressive player count even after all this time. Risk of Rain 2 is an extremely chaotic third-person shooter where you combine tons of different powerups to kill some aliens. Your goal, like in most games, is eventually to get to the point where you kill the boss, and then you escape to safety. You could do that if you wanted… or you could take advantage of the game’s infinite scaling and try to survive as long as possible – even after killing the boss. Eventually you’ll get to the point where you feel like a true force to be reckoned with and you’ll just start decimating everything in your path. It’s an extremely fun gameplay loop, and it’s even more fun with friends (I imagine.) Risk of Rain 2 is alive and well in 2024, and it looks like it’s got an even more exciting 2025. It also goes on sale all the time, so you should check it out when you get the chance!
Metaphor: ReFantazio
The moment Metaphor: ReFantazio begins you see the King of Euchronia get assassinated by a man named Louis Guiabern. Other than the obvious “he wants to be king” assumptions, his motives aren’t made clear right away, but you know it’s him who did the killing. An attempt on the Prince’s life was also made by way of a curse. Just before Louis can declare himself king, the castle begins to float into the sky and it is engraved with the face of the king on the bottom of it. I can’t make this shit up. It’s incredible. The King – now a giant floating castle – announces that there will be a competition for the throne. It is up to you to see that you become the new ruler of Euchronia and save your best friend’s life. In Metaphor: ReFantazio, you play as a young boy who grew up as childhood friends with the Prince. You are sent to lift the curse alongside your fairy companion, Gallica. As your journey begins to unfold, you will meet many new friends who will fight by your side, and some terrifying villains who will stop at nothing to get in your way. You must knock out each of the other competitors, and win the hearts of the nation to become king. I stand firm in believing that Metaphor: ReFantazio is one of the most impressive RPGs ever made. The way it weaves the complex topics of religion and political intrigue so seamlessly is astounding. Metaphor: ReFantazio feels like a game that shouldn’t be able to exist. It is an exhilarating epic from top to bottom. In my opinion, it is not only the best game of 2024, but it’s the best game that ATLUS has ever attached their name to. Shoutout to Louis – one of the greatest villains in video game history. Metaphor: ReFantazio is the definition of an “all timer.”
