And just like that, the first quarter of 2024 is over. Done. Finished. But what a quarter it's been! The release schedule had us scrambling to review a crazy number of high profile titles, but now that we've emerged victorious, we'd like to take a moment to reflect on our favourite PS5 games of the year... so far.
Now then, let's dive right in with the (potentially questionable) opinions of our esteemed editorial team.
Aaron Bayne, Video Producer
There have been a lot of games to enjoy in 2024, but none have grabbed me by the scruff of the neck quite like Helldivers 2. This democracy fighting third-person shooter was already lightly on my radar, as someone in love with online co-op games, but like many, I’d have never expected the fervour it would conjure up when it launched in February.
Helldivers 2 finds a special medium between an awesome power fantasy as you mow down hordes of bugs, with a butt-clenching tension as it all goes awry. It has a deep affinity for sh*t hitting the fan, which has easily made it one of the funniest cooperative games I’ve ever played. And this has proven to be a major hit with my gang of democracy-spreading Helldivers, as even months after release I’m still having to book in a slot ahead of time with friends.
Khayl Adam, Staff Writer
The dust is starting to settle after a huge first quarter of releases, but it is really difficult to pick anything other than Helldivers 2. I was a fan of the first game on Vita, and honestly, I didn't really know if the game would translate to 3D, but it does, and it's absolutely incredible, with a gameplay loop that is essentially pure gamer fuel fed directly into the veins.
Each mission is full of the kinds of unforgettable moments a scripted game could never hope to match, with a high-stakes extraction as the cherry on top. The evolving metanarrative is so engaging it feels like calamity could strike at any moment, and it has been a real joy to experience, both as a player and a reporter; I can't think of any other game that is such a joy to cover, with truly insane developments seemingly every other day, and we suspect many imitators will swiftly follow in Arrowhead's footsteps.
Liam Croft, Assistant Editor
Despite the obvious quality on show across the first few months of 2024, I've struggled to really click with a lot of its biggest releases. I've been more frustrated with disappointment rather than delighted by anything I'd consider Game of the Year worthy. Still, there has been one PS5 game that properly spoke to me: the excellent Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
After falling off Yakuza: Like a Dragon well before the end, I'd had a bigger break from the series than most, so I was itching to return to the world of Kazuma Kiryu and Ichiban Kasuga when the game came through for review. The game consumed my January as a result, with a near 70-hour playtime tingling my narrative-focused senses. An improved turn-based combat system, new open world locations, and a fresh cast of characters made it even easier to lose my evenings to the trials and tribulations of the two legendary Yakuza members. Comfortably the best entry in the series yet, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is by far my favourite game of 2024 so far. I'm just going to be a bit disappointed if nothing else comes along in the next eight months that beats it.
Robert Ramsey, Assistant Editor
Going by the sheer amount of time I've put into playing it, I think my favourite game of 2024 so far has to be Dragon's Dogma 2. This is an experience that I've been waiting on for close to a decade, having fallen in love with the original Dragon's Dogma a few years after its PS3 release. In a lot of ways, the long-awaited sequel is like a remake — a truer realisation — of that initial concept; an RPG that places an incredibly heavy emphasis on open world exploration and dynamic action combat.
Dragon's Dogma 2 does stumble in places. The storytelling's a bit naff at times and the shoddy frame rate's a real kicker on a console that's quick to tout 60 frames-per-second as a selling point, but I just think the game's a joy to pick up and play. No other developer creates satisfying, tactile gameplay quite like Capcom, and it's on full display here. I simply can't get enough — as evidenced by the fact I'm almost on my second New Game+ run — and I'm looking forward to seeing what future updates and the inevitable expansion bring to the table.
Stephen Tailby, Assistant Editor
Balatro is a difficult game to explain, as its excellent emergent gameplay and ripeness for dopamine-drenched high scores only truly makes sense while you're playing. With that said, I'm hard pushed to think of any other 2024 game I've enjoyed more. There are multiple moving parts during any given run of this card-based roguelike, but it never overwhelms with too much information. Success is never guaranteed, but there's endless potential for creating extremely powerful decks that wipe the floor with every stage. When the stars align, there's little else as satisfying as watching your stack of jokers and other buffs launch your poker hand into the stratosphere.
It's also just so easy to hop into. You can play Balatro for 20 minutes or several hours, and it's always worth a shot as you never know how a run will go. There's so much to unlock and discover, too, with 150 jokers providing wild effects and so many other layers to unfold, plus the challenge mode and numerous difficulty tiers to conquer. Between the generous amount of stuff to see and do, the countless card combinations, the elegant presentation, and the ever-present potential for joyous, game-breaking chaos, Balatro has quickly become a staple for me. I've no doubt I'll still be playing come December, and beyond.
We've had our say, but it's you that we really want to hear from. Get involved by voting for your favourite PS5 game of 2024 so far, and then explain yourself in the comments section below.
What's your favourite PS5 game of 2024 so far? (1,031 votes)
- A Little to the Left
- A Tale of Two Sons Remake 0%
- Balatro
- Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
- Contra: Operation Galuga
- Dragon's Dogma 2
- Expeditions: A MudRunner Game 0%
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Foamstars
- Freedom Planet 2 0%
- Granblue Fantasy Relink
- Helldivers 2
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Immortality 0%
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story 0%
- Pacific Drive
- Pentiment
- Persona 3 Reload
- PlateUp!
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Rise of the Ronin
- Skull and Bones
- Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
- Tekken 8
- The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered
- The Outlast Trials 0%
- Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered Starring Lara Croft
- Ultros 0%
- Unicorn Overlord
- WWE 2K24
- Other
Comments 81
Hey everyone, the plan is to do another article (Push Square Readers' Favourite PS5 Game of 2024 So Far) based on the results of the poll, so make sure you get your vote right!
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. And I can tell you right now that nothing's going to top it.
It’s got to be HD2 for me. Dragons Dogma 2 hasn’t been as good as I hoped.
Only the biggest game of the year (early access don't count lol) Helldivers 2.
There are two:
What an amazing experience I am having in both. I expected to love FF7 and it has exceeded my expectations.
Helldivers on the other hand. I had no idea I would love this game. I didn’t expect it would unite me and my brothers to all game together again. And the developers not only priced it right, but they’ve outdone themselves for community support and respecting the players (except for killing them on repeat).
What a brilliant year I’m having with these two games.
FF7 Rebirth and nothing is even close yet.
I expect/hope Stellar Blade is able to compete with it for my GotY this year.
I don't get too much time to game on my PS5, so I've only played Granblue Fantasy ReLink & Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (of which I'm only about 60% through the story) this year, but out of those two I'd pick FFVIIR even though I'm not done with it yet.
Oh, I also jumped back into FFXVI to play through it's first DLC quest over a weekend too.
Looking forward to Stellar Blade next.
Rebirth followed closely by Infinite Wealth for me. After a few attempts I have to realize DD2 ain't for me. Excited to try Balatro, Unicorn Overlord and probably a dozen other games on that list.
Man, it’s at times like this (Q1 2024) that I just hate the fact that my backlog is so deep. I’ve bought Granblue Fantasy Relink, Helldivers 2, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, have pre-ordered Stellar Blade and have a constant eye out for a decent sale price on RotR and Dragons Dogma 2… but I honestly have no idea when I’ll get to them.
I’m only starting the original Helldivers tomorrow ffs! 😅
I stopped playing Rebirth and Helldivers for Dragon's Dogma 2 and I haven’t played either of them since. Enough said.
For Democracy!
I’m not playing on PS5 but Unicorn Overlord and Dragon’s Dogma 2 have been fantastic experiences so far.
This is a tough decision, if you asked me last week I would have said Final Fantasy 7 ReBirth for definite but over the last 3 days I've put in 21 hours into Unicorn Overlord and I absolutely love the game.
But, I'm going with Final Fantasy as my vote because I've actually completed it unlike Unicorn Overlord and I think its hard to say somethings game of the year without even completing it or even getting half way.
HellDivers 2 is in third, brilliant game and so addicting but also has its frustrating moments and bugs sometimes ruin the fun.
Next is Granblue Fantasy Relink, combat and story were fantastic and would have been higher in the list if it was more what I was hoping it was, huge open world and various towns but the final product was way more linear and akin to Monster Hunter, it's not a total negative but yeah wasn't the RPG I was hoping for.
Rebirth, nothing else has come close to the enjoyment I've had with that game in years.
FF7. There's some excellent games on that list but I put 133 hours in to Rebirth and loved every minute of it.
Unicorn Overlord gang
Helldivers 2 for me. Insanely good fun with friends. Can’t go wrong!
Rebirth hands down. It’s utterly fantastic. There nothing that even comes close to it.
Balatro is in second place for me and Prince of Persia is in third. I need to spend more time with Helldivers and I’m aware of that, but outside that, I’ve played a lot of games so far this year and right now, I sort of feel like that top 3 is locked til Erdtree drops unless we get some big surprises coming to the release schedule. Certainly there must be some surprises the second half of the year…. right? ….Right!?
Infinite wealth for me.
The best game I’ve played this year is Unicorn Overlord but my favourite is Rise of the Ronin. It’s got so much heart and is just so much fun to play. In some aspects it hasn’t met my expectations but in others it has assuaged and even surpassed them. Team Ninja should be proud of their first open world effort and have cultivated some real fertile ground for future projects here. If anyone’s looking for a challenging, classic open world samurai sim that prioritizes gameplay, don’t sleep on this one!
More hours in Balatro than anything else this year.
Realized that on this entire list I've only played Helldivers 2 and Tekken 8. 2024 is about to be a Stellar year though!!
Helldivers 2, any other answer is against democracy.
Hot take!! 😁👌
Helldivers 2 is boring, bleak and repetitive and the gameplay loop isn't really that far removed from Suicide Squad yet it gets none of the hate...
Dragon's Dogma 2 is THE BEST GAME and the micro-transaction/frame-rate drop hate is just reductive clown college dropout material 🫵🤨
As I said in another article I've only played ff7 rebirth. And I don't think anything will top it. It just doesn't stop being fun. But this year is packed with all sorts of good games. It's a tough battle. I have dd2 and pre ordered stellar blade. I also recently got a hold of a year of plus for free. So now I'm considering seeing what the hype for helldivers is all about
Legendary Tales is not on this poll. Poll is rigged.
The PS4 game Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
To large of a backlog but also not time to spend…
Still playing GT7, the light brigade and FF16. Also need to unpack Persona 5 Royal which I played like 2 hours because it was on PS plus.
My top 3 so far are:
1. LAD: Infinite Wealth
2. Helldivers II
3. FF7 Rebirth
FF rebirth by a big margin.
Then Helldivers 2, which is surprsing af, as I rarely play multiplayer games...
I haven’t played many from this year, I kinda want this year and next to be a backlog year. However from the games I have played, it’s definitely Hi-Fi Rush. It’s just a pure, unadulterated video game in the perfect sense. We need more games like it where big studios make smaller projects focused more on core fun than a huge experience.
I haven't really played much because both of the RPG's I have played have taken up so much of my time this year! If I'm picking between Infinite Wealth and FF7 Rebirth...at the moment I would pick Rebirth by a hair. They are both really great in their own ways though.
I'm taking a short break on giant single player games as I want to play Stellar Blade at launch but I still intend to get to Unicorn Overlord, Hi-Fi Rush (will probably squeeze this in before Stellar Blade), Persona 3 Reload, and probably more I'm just not thinking of at the moment.
It's been an absolute banger year so far!
Dragon dogma 2 👑 for the win.word up son
It still fascinates me just how polarizing DD2 is. It's either the best thing ever or a low quality joke and nothing in between. Can't think of many games in history quite that divisive other than story reasons.
It’s between LAD: Infinite Wealth & FF7: Rebirth. Hard to choose between them tbh
Helldivers 2 and it's not even close (so far). Just bought Rebirth, though, so maybe if I ever stop having so much fun diving with the boys it can usurp the king.
Dragons dogma 2 and helldivers 2...nothing else comes remotely close to be honest.
Methinks it's Dragon's Dogma 2, master.
I bought the wrong JRPG...
I should've finally played Remake and gotten Rebirth. Instead I got the disappointment of the year: DD2
@NEStalgia As someone who loves the game it's been fascinating to see so many contrasting takes. I think there are a lot of interesting factors to it, like 12 years' worth of expectations, how open world games have changed in terms of structure, how people's perception of Capcom has changed...
With all of that in mind, I'm actually shocked that FF7 Rebirth isn't as divisive — although I suppose you could argue that people who didn't like Remake might not have played Rebirth anyway, which only leaves existing fans to talk about it, for the most part.
Not only is Final Fantasy Rebirth my favourite game this year, but it's also one of my games of all time.
I’m really not sure what my favorite game is this year. I absolutely adored Prince of Persia The Lost Crown, and got the platinum. But I also love Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and put in 110 hours into it. Right now, I’m playing Rise of the Ronin and having an amazing time as well. I can’t make a definitive answer right now, but I’m curious to see how my answer evolves the more I think about it.
@Pixipantalon
SS got nothing on Helldivers 2 lol. It's something all Star Wars fans would've wanted, but never got. It's beautiful, it plays very well and it's a world of fun with friends.
On the other hand, I don't care for FPS nor the microtransactions, so I tried to like DD2 for 25 hours and then gave up.
Dumb dialogue, actually there is none. It's all exposition thrown at you.
Dated gameplay loop.
Same enemies every 5 seconds of travel.
You have to travel past those dumb enemies A LOT.
Making the whole experience even worse are the insanely annoying pawns who can't shut their goddamn mouths and only have dumb things to say.
Dumb fetch quests you'd see in budget RPG's around 2010.
Annoying inventory simulator you'd see in budget RPG's around 2010
(and you can't even give multiple items at once to your pawns in this crappy menu you'd see in budget RPG's around 2010).
Meanwhile there have been countless quality RPG's out since Dark Arisen and they've done both to learn from them. There's no moment's rest. Can't take in the view before a goblin screeches or your pawn try to go for darwin award
My genuine favourite so far has to be the last of us part 2 remastered. It's such a good game that even as a remaster I'd finished already it still won out for me.
Im currently enjoying Hi-fi rush and had a great time with Brothers remake, Banishers, alone in the dark and prince of persia but still TLOU 2 was my pick
Dragon's Dogma 2 has definitely captured me since it released a couple weeks ago. I can't get enough of just wandering the landscape looking for new caves or secrets to uncover.
That said, the best game so far can't be anything but Helldivers 2. Just too much fun blasting communist robots and anarchist bugs. For Democracy™!
Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Unicorn Overlord still neck and neck for me.
Only played Dragon's Dogma 2 and Prince of Persia on the PS5 this year so it's DD2 for me. I played Balatro on the Steam Deck but haven't spent a lot of time on it yet, it could be a contender though. I must say that the overwhelming praise for Rebirth has got me wanting to play that, need to finish the Remake first however.
Helldivers 2 is the only one I bought, although I do want many of the others. And that is because its a game that depends on player count verses a single player game that can be played any other time.
Put a lot of hours into balatro and it's dangerously addictive but playing it on switch whilst the family have the tv. I had to go with Prince of Persia though, put a big smile on my face playing that really enjoyed it considering it wasn't even on my radar!!! Final fantasy does nothing for me, and haven't played helldiver's but Prince of Persia is the best metroidvania I have played since hollow Knight
It’s Balatro for me. Initially bought it on PS5, then I got a steamdeck and bought it on that. There’s a reasonable chance at some point i will buy in on Switch as well because I think the wife would like it. It’s a fantastic game that I have played it nearly every day since it released. Tekken 8 a close second and Infinite Wealth third.
Rebirth takes it easily for me although I've only really played Granblue and am in the early game of P3 reload. Have to show some love for PlateUp though super underrated excellent couch co op fun
Like a dragon 8 for me. Tho I don't like that they took out stuff from the game to sell it as dlc. But I like the game tho still.
Rebirth for me. Then DD2. Haven’t played helldivers yet, as I’m not really into multiplayer. And I’m also looking forward to trying unicorn overlord when I get chance!
Turns out I've only actually played one game from 2024 so far, Persona 3 Reload. Does it count if I played it on gamepass?
Tekken 8 but I haven't fully completed FF VII Rebirth or Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth so that could change in the coming weeks. If the demo is anything to go by, I think Stellar Blade will also be one high on my list.
I’ve only actually played Prince of Persia and Pacific Drive thanks to backlog and replaying games I’ve played multiple times before!
Pacific Drive really clicked with me, especially the sound design.
@ShogunRok Yeah, it's absolutely an interesting study. Games have been polarizing before, but not quite so starkly dividing. What's more unusual though is that the player polarization isn't paralleled by the critical reception. You'd think you'd see the same with some outlets giving it middling scores and others high, balancing like the player reception. But Critically it's all been high praise, while for players it's either a 10 or a 1, all legit, not review bombing but genuine dislike or joy.
Like a dragon infinite wealth, one of the best yakuza games for sure.
None, unfortunately. I'm none too pleased with Sony right now, so I won't be getting any new games from them - not until they make another Ratchet&Clank, Uncharted or Infamous games.. Or, you know, anything that ISN'T a generic open world experience of cinematic JRPG.
That said, I do plan on getting Trails Through Daybreak and YS X later this year for the system
Rebirth was a disappointment. The hackjob to the story took the shine off the gameplay and music.
LAD, Helldivers, and Dragon's Dogma 2 are all better games.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, no question.
Rise of the Ronin.
Its open world seems outdated with early PS4 graphics and rather poor performances, but for some reason i just can't stop playing it. Gameplay, loot, characters and Japan during Edo period are captivating.
A game I finished recently that came out last year that i adore is Alan Wake 2. If i have to pick a game for this year, I'd have to go with Rise of the Ronin.
FF7 Rebirth - just over half way through and this quite easily my favourite game this generation so far. It might end up being an all-timer.
@Pranwell I play it before I go to bed each night. It's not a forgettable experience but it's the very definition of repetitive.
I'm with Liam, I've been disappointed with almost every release I've bought in 2024, but can't knock Like a Dragon. One of the few standout franchises going atm.
Probably Rebirth for me. 2024 has been disappointing with too many REALLY LONG games and all overstay their welcome by at least 7-10 hours.
Otherwise from that list in general the Last of Us II still holds up as a 10/10 and Pentiment when I played it on Xbox was imo the ONLY EXCELLENT Xbox game of the last 12 years
As always, it's fascinating to see a wide range of opinions and be reminded of just how much my gaming preferences differ from others. For those who have been disappointed with 2024 so far, please be happy for the likes of me! Thanks to Rise of the Ronin and Helldivers 2 I can't remember the last time I had this much FUN as a gamer! Together with Ghostwire Tokyo, Returnal, and Cyberpunk 2077, my purchase of a PS5 finally feels justified. And with Stellar Blade to look forward to at the end of this month? Amazing!
1. FFVII Rebirth
2. Unicorn Overlord
3. Helldivers 2
Helldivers 2 and Balatro are great to dip into, but oh my days, Dragon's Dogma 2 has squozen 130-odd hour out of my ass, so far. I've not even reached New Game plus. I am just enjoying exploring the world. Still finding stuff!
Dragon's Dogma 2 is my GOTY so far.
Where's the Stellar Blade demo? 🤣
Helldivers 2, it's just pure fun even with random's, the community is great and the devs are doing a great job so far supporting it! Looking forward to Pacific Drive once the physical arrives in a couple of weeks and also Stella Blade but can't see either stopping me from more HD2 ✊
Helldivers 2. I hadn't played in a while, hopped back on and was pleasantly surprised I still loved it. Not many other games have done that apart from the Spider-Men, inFamous, Ghosts of Tsushima and any of Rockstar games
I have yet to buy this year f123 and beat saber psvr2.
I might be in the minority here judging from the result so far..
But I'm in chapter 7 of FF 7:R - I find it hard to get back into it. Is there any point where the story ramps up (I did play the original years and years ago, but I can't remember if there were lots of minigames back then - or maybe I'm just getting more senile towards them as I am getting older)
@Skye122 The issue with the FF7 remakes is they have VERY big shoes they were never going to fill, and while the games are decent, they do have flaws and fall short.
And Chadley must f**king die.
Edit: Sure there were minigames in the original FF7, just there are too many in Rebirth. Queen's Blood is great though, once you get the hang of it as the tutorial is so crap.
Who the hell voted Suicide Squad? 😅
Between Helldivers 2 and FF7 Rebirth for me though HD2 may take it. So far its been a great year so far with many great titles released.
Rebirth's got to be #1, with Unicorn Overlord a close second
I spent the most time with FF7 but I'd say my top3 are too close in terms of favorites to have a particular order: FF7, Helldivers and Tekken 8
Late to the party but it has gotta be Infinite Wealth for me.
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