The Boar’s ‘Games of the Year’: 2024 Edition

Welcome to The Boar Games’ Game of the Year 2024, where we share our personal favorites from the games that have won us over this year. Now, let’s dive into our top picks!

Daniel May (writer’s pick) – Final Fantasy VII Rebirth 

With the tone and worldbuilding already established in 2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake, its sequel Rebirth narrows its focus towards delivering a modernisation of the world-spanning section of the 1997 epic. Busting open the gates of Midgar, the player is finally able to sink their teeth into the greater expanse advertised throughout the previous entry. With this opportunity, director Naoki Hamaguchi and the team push the JRPG genre to its limits.

Evolving from the first remake’s linear design, this game is decidedly open. Its open-world design is not explicitly unique; it is instead a selection of previous efforts, pulling from many of the genre’s most successful instances. This culminates in an incredulously crafted world, one built upon 20 years of innovation. Soulful characters and picturesque vistas accent the narrative’s environmental through line exceptionally. Litters of delightful side stories and overworld objectives encourage variance along this narrative. Big-budget cinematic moments prevent the pacing from losing its steam. Slowly, each piece of the game’s structural puzzle slots into place, each reinforcing the adventurous spirit at its core. Final Fantasy VII is a game about saving the planet herself, and Rebirth carries you across this planet, convincing you it is one worth saving.

At release, Final Fantasy VII was notable for telling a personal and poignant story, about one’s relationship with themselves and with their planet. Final Fantasy VII’s themes have only grown more relevant as it has aged, and Rebirth’s writing embraces this, once again telling a cutting and intelligent story, now tweaked for today’s audience.

Admittedly, the ending to this game is plainly messy, leaving much for the trilogy’s closing act to clean up, but, when viewed on its lonesome, when viewed as a sequel to Remake, and when viewed as a reimagining of the original Final Fantasy VII, Rebirth is nothing short of a masterpiece. It is the first game in decades worthy of the pedigree the Final Fantasy name once carried. 27 years have passed since Final Fantasy VII was released, and games have come a long way. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is Square Enix finally catching up.

In Kind Words 2, you don’t just share problems and responses; you share hopes, fears, jokes, interests… even poetry

Alex Timbrell (writer’s pick) – Kind Words 2 (lofi city pop) 

Popcannibal’s BAFTA-winning Kind Words was the escape from the internet at large that many of us needed in 2020. A game about writing and receiving letters of support, solidarity and advice. No identifying information. No pressure to respond to anything. No metric to measure your success outside of a cute sticker collection amassed through the kindness of others. Four years later, the internet is by no means a happier place – so it’s just as well that two-man team Ziba Scott and Luigi Guatieri returned with another instalment.

But did the first game, which thrives on its simplicity and maintains a healthy user base today, really need an expansion? Well, getting to venture beyond its familiar room for the first time and explore the sheer number of creative new ideas here certainly alleviated my reservations. In Kind Words 2, you don’t just share problems and responses; you share hopes, fears, jokes, interests… even poetry. Opportunities to do so are spread across a range of adorable environments, showcasing more of Guaterri’s wonderful visuals and composer Clark Aboud’s soothing lo-fi.

Admittedly, just like Kind Words, this sequel won’t appeal to everyone. I can understand why some look at this and see an overpriced, glorified internet forum, and a cesspool of toxic positivity that encourages users to hide from the real world and bask in the uncritical reassurance of strangers. Resist cynicism, however, and it’s just as easy to see what a game like this can provide. The ability to have various fleeting interactions with anonymous users across the globe that, despite all odds, seem more or less unanimously committed to being understanding, supportive, and, well, kind is something truly remarkable, and feels like just the type of thing the internet was made for.

It might not be a one-stop solution to the toxicity of social media and it definitely isn’t a suitable alternative to a qualified therapist, but Kind Words 2 is a game that makes me hopeful and excited about what people are able to create in 2024.

Gabriela Jozefowicz (editor’s pick) – Cyberpunk 2077 

While this game was once surrounded with hate and controversy for its sub-par quality on release, I believe it now deserves all the love and attention it can get. The developers think so too as the studio recently dropped update 2.2, showing that even when working on The Witcher 4, they still have Cyberpunk 2077 in mind. 

The game itself offers lots of variety and gameplay hours. The thing I have enjoyed most is how realistic the sprinkling in of side quests was. As you run or drive around, you often get calls and texts with sidequests which you can choose to engage with. Speaking of driving around, the game offers a variety of combat situations including a shootout while driving a car. This can catch you off guard as you are enjoying a pleasant walk only to find yourself in a combat situation with a big group. I guess that’s the rules of the streets.  

The main story is also engaging and for fans of Keanu Reeves, I have good news. I think CD Projekt Red, as always, excels at merging gameplay, storytelling and cutscenes making the game feel smooth and immersive. The map you play in is an open-world one, allowing you some freedom to explore your surroundings and take in the different aesthetics of each area. 

In honesty, I am still making my way through this game (thanks to my completionist complex) but so far I think in terms of action RPGs in 2024, this is still a solid go-to with simple controls, customisable elements, amazing atmosphere and great storytelling. 

Playing this game truly does feel like watching a movie where you can control how the plot proceeds and the outcomes it has

Sunehar Aneja (deputy editor’s pick) – Detroit: Become Human  

Released in 2018, Detroit: Become Human, was met with critical acclaim for its dynamic storytelling and stunning visuals. Quantic Dream’s dedication to crafting a deeply engaging experience has absolutely paid off, with the game now loved for its intricate storyline and choice-driven gameplay. 

What makes this game so intriguing is how immersive it is. You get to play as three separate androids who live very different lives and have distinct, and sometimes even opposing motivations and goals. The real hook is how much control you have over how everything unfolds. Every decision you take not only impacts the character but also changes the world around them, leading to a vast array of potential endings. The narrative adapts to the kind of choices you make and makes the gameplay much more interactive and personal. 

Another thing that I really like is how the game presents you with a detailed flowchart of all the choices you made at the end of a chapter. It also shows you all the paths that you didn’t take and any alternative endings the chapter could’ve had. This gives you a chance to replay those chapters by choosing the paths you missed and arriving at a different ending, making the playthrough feel fresh and exciting every time. 

The game looks and sounds incredible too. Playing this game truly does feel like watching a movie where you can control how the plot proceeds and the outcomes it has. But what really sets it apart is that it makes you think. A lot of the choices you make have real, moral implications and they force you to face the consequences they have. While I’m still getting through the game, I can say that it’s perfect for people who like story-driven games that let you shape the narrative. With beautiful life-like visuals of futuristic Detroit and complex characters brimming with moral complexity, Detroit: Become Human is definitely worth playing. 

Combined with intense shooting and puzzle solving, this game takes you on a journey well worth putting in the effort for

Callum Morar (sub editor’s pick) – Destiny 2 

Being a free to play game, Destiny 2 may not immediately ‘wow’ as the game of the year, however I believe since its release in 2017 it has only grown, not just in terms of popularity but in appeal and engagement. The developers at Bungie Inc, have learnt over time and adapted the gameplay to what the fanbase is interested in, ensuring the Destiny universe does nothing but grow over the years. When I first played Destiny 2, I was greeted with high-paced animations of space mixed with action-packed combat scenes and all of the cool ray guns you can think of. While playing those introductory missions, I would never have guessed this was going to be my favourite game for the coming years.  

What this game offers is what any sci-fi action fan is looking for, combining a Halo type RPG format with a Red Dead Redemption open-world feel. As you traverse the incredibly picturesque Destiny solar system, visiting multiple planets and moons, you witness breathtaking scenery and state of the art graphic effects. Combined with intense shooting and puzzle solving, this game takes you on a journey well worth putting in the effort for. Branching out from the storyline of its predecessor, Destiny 1, Destiny 2 brings a new twist on futuristic gameplay. It is no wonder it was nominated for ‘Best ongoing game of 2024’ by IGN.  

In 2024, despite Destiny 2 being over 7 years old, new expansions and storylines are being released year-on-year maintaining the fanbase’s interest, and keeping the game fresh. As I continue to play this game every year, I am intrigued by what it has to offer me and what planets I can visit next. It’s ability to story-tell and be appealing to gamers of all levels, makes it a go-to game to try in 2024.