HHW Gaming presents the best games of 2024

The year 2024 is coming to an end. It’s been a roller coaster year in gaming; we break down the good, the bad and the ugly in our conclusion.

2023 has been an unforgettable year, thanks to releases like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Alan wakes up 2, Dead space, Resident Evil 4, El Paso, elsewhereand more, but make no mistake. 2024 has not been a breeze due to the large number of strong releases.

There has also been some fragile news in the gaming industry, and we will discuss all of this and award our Game of the Year award.

So let’s finish 2024.

The PlayStation 5 finally goes pro

Sony’s worst kept secret, the PS5 Pro, has finally arrived after a year and a few changes of speculation and information leaks. The reveal of Sony’s powerful console refresh landed with a thud with the announcement of the console’s $700 price tag, and that’s without a stand or disc drive as both accessories are optional, leaving many wondering if the game had limits?

Many then questioned whether this console was even necessary, even if the company was knowingly marketing it to a more niche gamer who prioritizes graphics and frame rates.

The consensus on the console ultimately was that it offers gamers a significant boost in performance and fidelity, but it’s not something you should rush out and buy.

We’ll see how the PS5 Pro performs in 2025 and whether it was really worth Sony making it. Our prediction: We expect this to do well in the new year as developers focus more on the PS5 and Pro models and no longer have to worry about optimizing games for the PS4.

PS Portal was a win for Sony

The PS Portal was a big surprise for Sony. When it was first revealed, the immediate question was: why? It didn’t work natively, had no Bluetooth capability, and was essentially just a companion accessory for the PS5 console, only working with the console’s Remote Play feature.

When news of the device began to circulate in 2023 and photos began to appear on the web, we immediately felt that Project Q, as it was called at the time, was Sony’s way of test whether they should return to the still hot market for handheld computers. Nintendo largely dominates this.

This proved to be the case, with PlayStation boss Hideaki Nishino saying sales of the PS Portal were a “huge achievement” for the company and adding that the device would continue to “evolve”.

With the addition of Cloud streaming (beta)we saw signs Sony is actively developing a native handheld device that won’t require you to be tethered to your PS5 console.

Sony is not alone; Xbox is also working on a handheld device, but has yet to reveal what has been proposed.

Saving money, if you’ve been on the fence about the PS Portal, now is as good a time as any to consider getting one; this gamer really appreciates how effective he is when being in front of the TV and console is not possible.

Just make sure the internet and Wi-Fi are up to par.

Almost everything is now an Xbox

As the end of the year approaches, Microsoft has made its plans for the future clear: almost all of your devices, not just the black box, are Xboxes.

With Xbox’s mission clear after its shaky start following the Activision/Blizzard/King acquisition, it was able to regroup after its epic failures.

Desperate for a win, Xbox finally got one, but not in a conventional way. Instead, they released console exclusives like Rush to Hi-Fi And Penmentfollowed by Sea of ​​Thieves And Based on PS5 and Nintendo Switch. These titles became bestsellers on the PlayStation Store despite poor console sales.

The much awaited Senua’s Sacrifice: Hellblade IIanother technical masterpiece from Xbox studio Ninja Theory, was also released in 2024. However, it was also a polarizing game, with critics divided on whether it was worth the wait and whether it should have been considered a big exclusive for the Xbox Series X.

Two massive wins for Team Green had to be Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle arriving on Xbox Game Pass to rave reviews.

2025 may be an interesting year for Xbox. Yes, many people remain skeptical of the company’s future plans, mainly because they feel their loyalty is taken for granted. Still, Xbox was losing and they realized they had to pivot.

They still have their mid-tier refresh console, codenamed Brooklin, the aforementioned native handheld in the works, and plenty of games in the works, so we’re still very intrigued.

Layoffs and studio closures

Yes, it was fun to discuss all the good things that happened in 2024, but we wouldn’t be honest if we didn’t talk about the layoffs and closures of many video game studios.

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced it was laying off 1,900 employees from Activision Blizzard and Xbox. This was not a good idea for a company that had just spent $69 billion to acquire the Call of Duty promoter. The trend continued into 2023, when approximately 10,500 video game industry workers lost their jobs.

Xbox also closed four of its studios: Tango Gameworks, which delivered the surprise hit Rush to Hi-Fi; Red fall developer Arkane Austin; Alpha Dog; and Roundhouse.

PlayStation also stepped in, laying off 900 employees in February 2024 and suffering the biggest failure of the year with its hero shooter, Concordwhich never really saw the light of day following a very poor reception and finally closed the studio behind it, Firewalk was.

Gaming journalism also suffered after Gamestop closed Game Informer magazine after 33 glorious years and numerous covers and exclusives.

Gamestop didn’t even give the magazine the farewell it deserved, opting for a lame landing page when you visit the now-defunct publications landing page.

What a sad way to end the iconic magazine. Ancient Game Informer employees discuss the unceremonious end of the FPS Podcast below.

Game of the Year by HHW Gaming

In a year that saw a lot of bangers like Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, Astrobot, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Helldiverse II, Tekken 8, and more, there can only be one HHW Gaming game of the year.

But figuring out which game would win our prestigious Game of the Year award wasn’t difficult. The winner is that of Ubisoft Montpellier Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.

There was no doubt that The Lost Crown was a special title from the first time we launched it in January. In our review of the game, our resident player, Beanz, wrote:

The Last Crown is a masterpiece; I struggled to find anything wrong with this game. Combat is snappy and fun to use thanks to Sargon’s combo system and acquired abilities, making for sleek and fast-paced gameplay.

While Ubisoft Montreal is hard at work on the Sands of Time remake, Montpellier’s The Lost Crown isn’t just a placeholder; it’s the perfect pivot for the franchise, setting it on a refreshing path to new greatness.

Unfortunately, Sargon’s journey likely won’t continue as Ubisoft disbanded the Montpellier team, leaving the game in limbo. This development is discouraging because Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was a unique game with the potential to become a successful new chapter in the iconic video game franchise.

We’re keeping our fingers crossed that Ubisoft admits its mistake with The lost crownbut we are not holding our breath.

Well, that’s it for 2024, until 2025. Keep it locked HHW Games for the games we’re looking forward to in 2025, and visit the gallery below for other games we thought would be bangers in 2024.