Best Surprise of 2024 - Article
by Evan Norris , posted on 18 January 2025 / 2,226 Views
It's easier and often more profitable to focus on the negative in the video game industry, but there's enough gloominess in the world. Let's focus instead on all the happy surprises that 2024 gave us. First, there's Balatro, the little indie-that-could that made a bigger splash than most AAA games. Second, there's Bakeru, an unassuming action-platformer with style and creativity approximating the giants of the genre. Third, there's The Plucky Squire, an outside-the-box (and off-the-page) action-adventure that constantly breaks the rules. Fourth, there's Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, which against the odds delivers both an outstanding Metroidvania and a game worthy of the legendary franchise. Finally, there's Silent Hill 2, which, despite months of hand-wringing, turned out to be one of the best remakes of the year.
The Shortlist:
Balatro
Bakeru
The Plucky Squire
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Silent Hill 2
The Runner-Up:
Balatro
Balatro is simply one of the best stories of the year. A humble rogue-lite game, developed by a single anonymous programmer, goes on to sell 3.5 million copies and earn "Best Independent Game" honors at The Game Awards? It's just lovely — not to mention totally deserved. Indeed, Balatro is immediately a classic of the genre, due to its accessibility, addictive qualities, and hidden strategic depth. It will undoubtedly be around for a long time and influence many indie developers for years to come.
The Winner:
Silent Hill 2
Last August, Bloober Team CEO and creative lead Piotr Babieno, in reference to the then upcoming remake of Silent Hill 2, said, "I am dreaming that gamers will trust us." At the time, it seemed like wishful thinking, but now it's clear Babieno knew something the general population was reluctant to believe: the landmark survival-horror game, a title revered and guarded jealously by legions of fans, was actually in good hands. That's right; in spite of Bloober's spotty development history and a handful of unconvincing gameplay & story trailers leading up to launch, the remake of Silent Hill 2 turned out to be exemplary, preserving what matters most and expanding in a couple of key areas. Sometimes, you just gotta have faith.
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Astrobot was a great surprise. Yeah the previous two games were great already. But Astrobot was only announced a few months before it released to universal critical acclaim. The highest rated 3D platformer that is not a Mario title.
Plucky Squire is my favorite on this list.
Silent Hill 2 was absolutely phenomenal even if it's plagued by slight technical issues coz of unstable engine 5,
Other than that Bloober Team blew us out of the water,
Everyone doubted them myself included and they just friggin delivered,
I'm absolutely terrified and they made the experience even longer,
I wanted the game to end coz it was that damn scary
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