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Writer's pictureMichael Sapiro

Michael's Top 10 Games of 2024

At BetterPlay Studios we believe in "the joy of gaming." That is, gaming should be joyful -bringing fun and catharsis into your life. It should and truly can be part of a healthy, mindful, and mental health friendly lifestyle. Recently, we shared a series of videos from our community about games that positively impacted us this year. Video games are powerful. That's why I am continuing my annual tradition of breaking down my favorite games of the year.


Keep in mind, these are not games released in 2024. (I'm much too cheap to buy games at full price.) Rather, these are the top 10 gaming experiences I've had this year.


Honorable Mention: Minecraft. All I can say is that over the last few days of the year, my kids and I have been playing split screen co-op in Minecraft. Even though I think I may be losing hearing in my left ear from my kids screaming when skeletons shoot arrows at them, it's still pure fun. There's a reason it's the most popular game of all time.


TEN

Death Stranding: Hideo Kojima makes games that are part "art house" style cinema, part dumb action blockbuster, and forms them into something that at times is prophetic (Metal Gear Solid 2 essentially predicted the effects of postmodernity on media and society). Even though a game about properly balancing the carrying weight on a post-apocalyptic mailman as he carries a ghost-detecting baby around his chest might sound weird... you really have no idea how weird this game actually gets. Bonus points for the Conan O'Brien cameo.


NINE

Titanfall 2: It's a short game, clocking in at about 5 hours in total. But man, does it pack a punch. Besides being an emotional story about "a boy and his machine" it's just a blast to play. The "feel" of this game is top notch. This is the template FPS should borrow from moving forward. And... when are we getting Titanfall 3 already?



EIGHT

Alan Wake 2: Night Springs and The Lake House: Alan Wake 2 may be my favorite game of all time. Right behind Alan Wake 1, depending on my mood that day. Two DLCs were released this year and each were spectacular. My favorite was Night Springs, which had one of the weirdest and most creative sequences I've seen in any media with Episode 3, "Time Breaker." Won't spoil it here, but it's worth the price of admission alone.


SEVEN

Nevah: Gris is a favorite of mine. This follow up from Nomada features more gameplay and more...tears. Yes, you will very likely cry from this game. However, this is more than just the typical "human/animal" buddy game. It's a game featuring some of the most breathtaking and compelling art direction I've ever seen. Level after level, Nomada tops themselves with pure beauty. You will be awestruck by the sheer beauty of this game. It's an aesthetic experience that should not be missed.


SIX

Resident Evil 4 Remake: I tried playing RE4 multiple times. I was either frustrated with the control or frustrated with the opening village sequence. (I did not realize I just needed to survive a set amount of time). So I gave the remake a reluctant chance, thinking maybe this game was just not for me. I'm glad I gave it a chance. I love the Resident Evil Series and I think the big, dumb, creepy fun of RE4 might be my favorite yet. It's the perfect blend of silly and scary. I can't wait to save the President's daughter from Spanish zombies again in the near future.


FIVE

Far Cry 5: "If you've played one Far Cry, you've played them all." At least that's what I thought until I played Far Cry 5. I was blown away by the characters, the Montana landscape, and the addicting gameplay. All of those alone would make the game great. But the most compelling part of Far Cry 5 is the soundtrack. Yes. The use of original music to support world building in this game is genius. My family and I still drive around to school/practice/whatever, listening to hymns from a fake cult in a video game. And we love it. In fact, here is a link. Give it a listen. I didn't like the follow up, New Dawn quite as much. But good gravy, this game got its hooks into me in a way no other Far Cry has.


FOUR

Mario and Rabbids: Sparks of Hope: Who would have thought the most compelling tactical strategy gameplay would come from an Ubisoft game with licensed Nintendo characters fighting Rabbids? Not me. I played the first entry in this series a few years ago and it was solid but didn't shake my world. However, Sparks of Hope refines that formula to make turn-based tactical game play feel as fluid as real-time action combat. I don't know how. It's a magical piece of game design.


THREE

Valheim: Minecraft is fun and all, but what if you made it about Vikings? And if you had impossibly difficult boss battles? And had a gritty "man vs. nature" art style? Well - you'd have Valheim. This was my mental health game for the year. Despite being hard as nails, you can also just make cozy cabins and cook deer meat while sitting next to your hearth. Or you can sail the seas and try to find giant turtles. Or maybe you can get stuck in an ocean storm and get utterly destroyed by a Sea Serpent. This game can be the most relaxing or the most stressful game in the world. It's up to you and how you want to play.


TWO

Wasteland 3: Once I stumbled upon a cult that worshipped an animatronic Ronald Reagan, I knew this would be one of my favorite games of all time. Wasteland has a lineage older than Fallout (and depending on who you ask, Fallout heavily "borrowed" from the Wasteland series). However, the third entry is so witty, full of so many colorful characters and compelling choices, and has such strong tactical strategy gameplay, that it's beyond reproach for me. It's a game you could play twenty times over and get a new experience each time. Whether you side with the Ronald Reagan worshippers, a costume clad militia who runs a shopping mall, or one of the Patriarch's sociopathic children, you're going to have an unforgettable experience.


ONE

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth: This is a game that encompasses many games. And it does it while still feeling like one game. Sound crazy? It is. It’s got a full Dragon Quest game. A full Pokemon game. A full Pokemon snap game. A full Crazy Taxi game. A full Animal Crossing game. More than that, Infinite Wealth is a game that will elicit every type of emotion from the player. It’s hilarious. It’s high drama. Its a tear jerker (that ending scene will stay with me forever). The Yakuza series has been refined for nearly 20 years now. Infinite Wealth is it’s high point. With Ichiban and friends, they have created the most compelling cast of characters in any RPG. With Kiryu, they have created a multi-decade legacy that is unrivaled in any form of media. And that ending! The final scene gives me chills just thinking about it. This is the best game I've played all year and one of the best games I've played in my life.


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