The best video games of 2024, according to Metacritic

In the video game industry, it’s pretty rare for everyone to agree on something. There will always be naysayers in any audience, but a site like Metacritic is a good way to gauge the overall vibe of a game in the community.

Best video games of 2024 on Metacritic —

While mediocre reviews are fairly common, a few times a year there are games so good that even the harshest critics can’t help but praise them, and it’s these games that we want to highlight.

We analyzed all the games released in 2024 and chose the ones that got the best critical rating on Metacritic.

Tekken 8 – 90

The Tekken series has always been one of the kings of the fighting game genre, and Tekken 8 made sure no one forgot that, proving to be the best-received entry in a while. It received near-universal praise for being one of the best modern fighting games around and for revitalizing the series’ competitive scene.

Thank Goodness You’re Here! – 90

Sometimes it helps to be openly weird, and Thank Goodness You’re Here is one of the most brilliantly weird games we’ve ever played. He has a brilliant sense of humor that plays out absurdist comedy through an aggressively British lens that feels almost nostalgic if you’re English, but still makes you laugh out loud if you’re not.

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered – 90

Remastering a game that wasn’t even four years old at the time is a questionable decision, but it evidently worked, as this retouched version of the game received the same praise as the original. Along with some additional content, this is the definitive version of an already highly regarded title.

Balatro – 90

Undoubtedly the biggest indie hit of the year, Balatro took the simplest of game concepts, and transformed it into a complex and engaging masterclass in “increasing numbers” game design. It does a fantastic job of slowly drawing the user into its fiendishly complicated world, making them analyze every little move and slowly grow from a clumsy card clicker to a master strategist.

Satisfactory – 91

Satisfactory seems to have been around forever, but it finally came out of Early Access a couple of months ago and has proven to be worth the wait. Developing a gameplay formula that has already been successful with the likes of Factorio and modded Minecraft, Satisfactory allows you to build an incredible empire from scratch, giving you total freedom to make it as efficient or chaotic as your heart desires.

Animal Well – 91

This game received a nice boost due to being the first game published by Bigmode, founded by content creator VideoGameDunkey. As a first release, this was the biggest success the publisher could hope for, because Animal Well is an extremely clever puzzle platformer that just keeps getting deeper the more you watch it.

UFOs 50 – 91

Why have just one game when you can have 50? It is a collection of retro-style games that can be played in both single and multiplayer, and it immediately captured people’s hearts. It was able to revive the visual style and atmosphere of classic games, albeit with a modern design that allowed it to create unique ideas and make you return to it more times than you would have imagined.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth – 92

The second part of the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy, Rebirth showed the full potential of what the team could do to this great story with modern technology. After the linear experience of the Remake, it was a breath of fresh air to play in this huge world with almost too much to do. It kept the incredible story of the original alive, recreating classic moments and innovating at the same time, taking things in a new direction, looking forward to the trilogy’s finale in a few years.

Astro Bot – 94

Astro Bot managed to pick the perfect year for its launch: it’s been long enough since Mario’s last major 3D platformer that people were itching for something similar. While there’s a lot of debate about whether Astro Bot is actually as good as the plumber, it’s certainly a fantastic 3D platforming experience the likes of which we haven’t seen in a long time from a company not called Nintendo.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree – 94

DLC or not, Shadow of the Erdtree can easily be considered a great RPG experience and there was never any doubt that this Elden Ring expansion was going to be a hit. It brought back everything people loved about the base game, while increasing the difficulty of the boss designs and massively expanding the build possibilities with the new gear. “Elden Ring, but more” is pretty much what everyone wanted from SotE and that’s exactly what we got.

Metaphor: ReFantazio – 94

“Persona, but fantasy”: this was the concept of Metaphor: ReFantazio and everyone agreed almost immediately, with many even saying that Metaphor surpassed Persona in terms of using its core mechanics. Whether you agree or not, Metaphor has managed to capture that audience with great writing, fun battle mechanics, and refined life sim elements that make it a clear candidate for the title of best RPG of the year.

Written by Ryan Woodrow for GLHF