Game of the Year Awards 2024

"Omnimovement is the biggest notable change to how players transition through the environment in a Call of Duty game. In simple terms, it allows operatives to dive and slide in all directions, and also fire at any angle while lying down. There are viable reasons to slide around corners or dive off stairs, plus it adds a cinematic flair and hilarious moments when opponents superman to their death." - Ben Thomas

Runners-up: Helldivers 2, Echo Point Nova, XDefiant

"Fairly robust combat design is drawn towards Souls-likes, but has a flashy side to it, akin to traditional character action games. The action feels deliberate and quite slower-paced than you might expect. There is a heaviness to the movement, and yet being aggressive is encouraged and possible. The action feels meaty and satisfying, as you clash against metal and fleshy bits of enemies with Eve's sword. Stellar Blade should appeal to fans looking for a challenging but flexible combat experience with flashy visuals and an unapologetic approach to character designs." - Alex V

Runners-up: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Helldivers 2, Rise of the Ronin

"Sumerian Six takes the core mechanics from the Mimimi games, mixes it with the Nazis from the Commandos series, and spikes it with a fun supernatural element. The levels are large, fun sandboxes and it is rewarding to pick apart guard patrols and clear areas before grabbing XP crates that improve skills for subsequent missions. Each individual squad member has a good repertoire of skills, but tougher Nazis pose enough challenge and vision cones are still important to avoid." - Ben Thomas

Runners-up: Homeworld 3, Frostpunk 2, Ara: History Untold

"The core gameplay loop of exploring junctions and unlocking routes is a simple but very enjoyable way to peel back layers of the world. The focus on the station wagon helps to set the game apart, with many useful upgrades and customization options. Widespread randomization means that every trip plays out differently and there is great reward for planning and executing long drives across an unpredictable region. There is also a fantastic sense of discovery, thanks to weird anomalies and other oddities, in a world that has a suitably creepy atmosphere." - Ben Thomas

Runners-up: The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Still Wakes the Deep, Silent Hill 2 (2024)

"The more important dialogue responses carry the directional symbol that acts as a soft choice on how to respond to a situation or conversation, which will have some effect on either the proceedings or feelings. And of course, there are some rare choices that have no middle ground, as you must pick a path, and hope things work out elsewhere. Exploring the game's maps and doing quests for the faction in each location leads to improving their strength, which as you might expect may become a factor as the narrative leads into the finale. Keeping a strong bond with your companions is important for similar reasons, so bringing them on adventures and quests helps not only gameplay variety but also the narrative." - Alex V

Runners-up: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden

"When it comes to The Show, there's a level of quality to be expected from it year after year, and this release once again hits that mark. The mechanics of the sport have been refined to the point where I'm not sure what could be done to improve them. Storylines remains just as engaging this season, and my Yankee loving heart enjoyed reliving the exploits of Derek Jeter. Even Road to the Show saw improvements this year with the addition of a female career path and further player development outside of the field. MLB The Show 24 is a picture of a series at arguably the peak of its powers." - Eric Hall

Runners-up: NBA 2K25, EA Sports FC 25

"Despite tricky challenges, the platforming mechanics are slick. Sargon can slide down walls, drift while in the air, jump wall-to-wall, duck under spinning blades, and swing up poles, which all works great on a controller. The six time powers are mostly advanced moves disguised as temporal abilities, including a mid-air dash, double-jump, and grappling hook. The most interesting power creates a shadow copy of Sargon that he can teleport to and it is used for the best platforming challenges and puzzles, although there are not many of the latter." - Ben Thomas

Runners-up: Astro Bot, Neva, Animal Well

"World of Goo 2 is an excellently made sequel that looks and plays exactly as fans would expect, as if no time has passed at all. This isn't a precision puzzler with specific answers to discover - it's a game where randomness is part of the package. With every batch of levels, the game quickly introduces all sorts of new mechanics and goo types. You'll aim turrets that can propel your goo friends between platforms, use balloons to provide lift, touch goo reservoirs to suck up the liquid, manipulate the level to create a safe passage for yourself, use yellow goos to create solid surfaces, and more." - Alex V

Runners-up: Children of the Sun, Balatro