Over the next eight days, Hardcore Gamer will be revealing its Best of 2024 Awards leading up to our Game of the Year. Today we present you with the Best New IP, Sequel, Remaster, Surprise and VR Game.
Stellar Blade
Another year, another batch of sequels. Whether it’s the annual titles such as Call of Duty or sequels to beloved franchises, existing properties are what make publishers the most money. Thankfully, there are developers who take chances, or in SHIFT UP’s case, they only have a couple of titles under their belt that they have to take the chance. Stellar Blade is a fascinating-looking title that looks similar to Nier Automata, featuring a desolate world with a protagonist who is part of organization that’s shrouded in mystery. Even though you somewhat can piece things together fairly early on, SHIFT UP crafted a surprisingly intricate world filled with compelling lore and backstory that helps paint a picture of horrors from the human race and the potential future we could have. Stellar Blade is a new IP we hope to see more of, as everything the developers have set up only brings us anticipation for what they do next.
Runner-Ups
Slitterhead
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Still Wakes the Deep
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Continued excellence can be a tough mark to hit. Evidence of that can be seen in the score of disappointing game sequels we’re often confronted with. On the flipside of that coin are the sequels that amaze and astound by simultaneously recapturing the spirit of the original while bringing the whole experience a step further. Hours could be spent listing past examples (Batman: Arkham City, Assassin’s Creed II, etc.), but this year gave gamers one of the most phenomenal sequels of this generation. The first Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine game was a solid, engaging third-person shooter and offered a look at the dense lore in a digestible fashion. Its sequel, which launched over ten years later, retains all aspects that made the first a great 40K game, but exponentially enhances the combat elements and visuals. Fighting as an Ultramarine feels weighty, responsive and just plain awesome. And the story. If there is another game out there that captures the indomitable coolness factor of Space Marines as well as Space Marine 2, it’s yet to be made.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Helldivers II
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Sonic X Shadow Generations
This year brought forth some fantastic remasters, but one has cast a shadow over its competition. That’s right, Sonic X Shadow Generations shined a light on the best of the Sonic franchise and paired it with a darker side of the series. In the same way that we all felt when we first played the 2011 classic, the Sonic Team and Sega brought back that nostalgia-filled essence that we loved and brought it to the current generation of players and consoles. With this being said, Sonic Generations ran so Shadow Generations could run at the speed of sound. For a DLC, the title builds off of the groundwork of an already-fantastic game and crafts a gripping story amidst a thrilling journey through various stages of Shadows past. Sonic X Shadow Generations authenticates the franchises’ stance within video game history by respecting the past whilst paving the way for an exciting future.
Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
What remains integral to proclaiming something the biggest surprise is how immense a leap of expectation was truly felt. The realization that what one has experienced is of such shockingly high quality, you may’t help but recollect on one’s pre-initiation state. It wasn’t hard to find one enamored discussion after another as to the immediate appeal Balatro conjured, even with its demo phase. “I’m now a Balatro believer” this; “I now prescribe to the word of Jimbo” that. Jokes aside, it was hard to find a game this year whose enjoyment and evident qualities so quickly made their presence known. A game of immediate delight whose minor quirks were as celebratory as the very mechanics governing its core progression. Even as the hours rolled on – tens inevitably becoming hundreds in total play-time – Balatro rarely, if ever, lost its wow factor. New Joker card unlocks intrigued and humored in their visual design; unspoken strategies revealed themselves. It takes something truly special to pull this off again and again, but Balatro ended up the kind of game that could surprise you at hour one hundred and still leave you wondering what else it may have in store.
1000xRESIST
Duck Detective: The Secret Salami
Batman: Arkham Shadow
Batman: Arkham Shadow was not the game Arkham fans wanted at its announcement. Following the disappointing Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, the announcement of a new Arkham game seemed too good to be true, and for many, it was. Announced as a Meta Quest title set exclusively in VR, Batman: Arkham Shadows was mostly written off by fans hungry for a new console and PC title. Thankfully, developer Camouflaj proved everyone wrong. Batman: Arkham Shadow isn’t just a great VR game, it’s an excellent Arkham game, successfully translating the third-person Arkham combat and stealth into first-person. The free-flow combat feels perfectly translated, the Detective Vision sections immerse you deeply into the detective side of the caped crusader, and the predator sections feel even more menacing from a first-person perspective. From a narrative perspective, the game fits in perfectly with the rest of the Arkham story, establishing several characters and events featured in Rocksteady’s games all while serving as connective tissue between Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Asylum. Camouflaj has not only delivered the best VR game of 2024, but also managed the rare feat of out-Arkhaming the original Batman Arkham developers in the same year.
Vendetta Forever
Asgard’s Wrath 2
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