Xyneas' 2024 Rankings
Every game I've played in 2024, ranked.
20 Games
Dragon's Dogma 2 grabbed me by the balls from the first hour and just kinda... Refused to ever let go. Everything from the whimsy behind exploration, the expertly executed simulacrum of what it's like to adventure with a party, to that oh-so-hard-to-itch niche of a Japanese game inspired wholly by western fantasy had me in a fog of pure dopamine from start to finish.
Even with the rocky performance at launch, and occasional frustration with some of the newly introduced enemies, looking back on my time with this game really is like looking back on a month-long trip across somewhere you've never been.
Even with the rocky performance at launch, and occasional frustration with some of the newly introduced enemies, looking back on my time with this game really is like looking back on a month-long trip across somewhere you've never been.
1
A fantastic remake that inevitably couldn't stand all the way up to my love for the original FES. Still, it stands out in it's own ways, giving characters more time to shine, and making the act of grinding through Tartarus an absolute breeze with its flashy albeit easier gameplay, and unsurprisingly addictive music.
2
It's kind of weird to say that a mobile game made me bawl, but when I remember it's more NieR, its not all that surprising.
This third and final chapter answered questions I didn't think would ever be answered, and made me realize all over again why I fell in love with the series way back in 2013.
![NieR Re[in]carnation: The People and the World](https://images.igdb.com/igdb/image/upload/t_cover_big/co7zfb.jpg)
This third and final chapter answered questions I didn't think would ever be answered, and made me realize all over again why I fell in love with the series way back in 2013.
3
![NieR Re[in]carnation: The Sun and the Moon](https://images.igdb.com/igdb/image/upload/t_cover_big/co6vhs.jpg)
While Rebirth is no doubt a loving tribute to the game it spawned from, what new things it does try to introduce ring more hollow than the sloppiest of Ubisoft slop. The hours of meaningless side content and checklist would only create gaps between the moments I actually came to see; a party of lovable characters, their dynamics and problems, and the journey they go on.
Maybe it's a symptom of being the second part of a trilogy, but by the ending cutscene, much of the journey felt hollow, even if there is still warmth in my heart for the character moments.
Maybe it's a symptom of being the second part of a trilogy, but by the ending cutscene, much of the journey felt hollow, even if there is still warmth in my heart for the character moments.
7
While clearly not a game for me, it's impossible to not acknowledge the love that went into this. The people who made Hi-Fi Rush adored this thing, and poured their souls into making it fun for everyone that touched it.
It's a shame that Microsoft decides to reward studios like these with permanent closure.
It's a shame that Microsoft decides to reward studios like these with permanent closure.
9
10
Played in preparation for Dragon's Dogma 2.
While it's undeniably flawed in places like the story, or how dead Gransys' map can feel (in both good and bad ways), there's nothing quite like this game.
It itches a bunch of scratches for me that other games could barely touch, and everything from the final confrontation with the Dragon onwards was where it finally clicked.
Assuming the same philosophies are kept for the upcoming Dragon's Dogma 2, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen could be the most important stepping stone for a series that I've ever seen.
While it's undeniably flawed in places like the story, or how dead Gransys' map can feel (in both good and bad ways), there's nothing quite like this game.
It itches a bunch of scratches for me that other games could barely touch, and everything from the final confrontation with the Dragon onwards was where it finally clicked.
Assuming the same philosophies are kept for the upcoming Dragon's Dogma 2, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen could be the most important stepping stone for a series that I've ever seen.
12
If wasted potential was squeezed like a fruit into a concentrated juice, that'd be Fallout 76. Appalachia is rife with folklore that is genuinely well executed within the Fallout universe, however it ends up ultimately wasted on live-service slop.
Really, every positive point I could give the game seems to be accompanied by a big "but". Sure, I enjoy building a nice C.A.M.P for other players to look on in awe, but if you don't spend money or play the game daily, then much of the nice looking furniture is just out of arms reach. Sure, the weapons are plentiful and fun, but the multiplayer live service framework ensures that much of your arsenal will inevitably end up obsolete soon enough.
The shell of a good Fallout game is here, but making a live service game was the worst possible decision Bethesda could have made. Though, nowadays, perhaps that's the new norm for them.
Really, every positive point I could give the game seems to be accompanied by a big "but". Sure, I enjoy building a nice C.A.M.P for other players to look on in awe, but if you don't spend money or play the game daily, then much of the nice looking furniture is just out of arms reach. Sure, the weapons are plentiful and fun, but the multiplayer live service framework ensures that much of your arsenal will inevitably end up obsolete soon enough.
The shell of a good Fallout game is here, but making a live service game was the worst possible decision Bethesda could have made. Though, nowadays, perhaps that's the new norm for them.
15
Much like the art the game focuses around, Silent Hill A Short Message rings hollow in some of the worst ways it possibly can with a subject like suicide. "Suicide is bad" isn't much of a thought-provoking take, let alone from some cold money-driven entity like Konami.
The "gameplay" largely consists of running around and reading notes while spooky things happen to you, culminating in the most mind-numbing chase sequence with the game's designated knock-off Pyramid Head, that I can only compare to what it'd be like if you were playing a Slender Man game where the titular man himself was always in a full sprint while you collected his pages.
The "gameplay" largely consists of running around and reading notes while spooky things happen to you, culminating in the most mind-numbing chase sequence with the game's designated knock-off Pyramid Head, that I can only compare to what it'd be like if you were playing a Slender Man game where the titular man himself was always in a full sprint while you collected his pages.
18
Soullessness is the word of the day. The game was made to be a vehicle for battlepasses and 40 dollar skins. What semblance of story there is can be boiled down to hollow corporate platitudes like "be yourself!" and "everyone is unique!".
A lot of people will compare it to Splatoon, but this game is far more bizarre. Floaty to the point of being unsatisfying, and massively unrewarding to anyone but those willing to fish their wallet out from their jeans.
A lot of people will compare it to Splatoon, but this game is far more bizarre. Floaty to the point of being unsatisfying, and massively unrewarding to anyone but those willing to fish their wallet out from their jeans.
19
