Hogan Reviews

I knew going in that 2024 might be a bit more of a lean year game-wise, but thanks to games like Star Wars: Outlaws just disappointing me (to the point of an extremely rare giving up halfway through and selling it scenario) and the latest Assassin’s Creed game, normally good for an early Top 10 placement, getting delayed to next year it’s more lean than I’d imagined. Plus due to its length and having already played through a similarly-lengthy Atlus RPG a few months earlier I haven’t played Metaphor: Refantazio, nor have I played Astro Bot, two games that dominated most Top Games lists elsewhere. It’s so bad I’ve thrown in a few compilation re-releases to make up the Top 10, something I really didn’t want to do but a “Top 7” just sounds weird, so… Hey-ho. Also every game this year is either a sequel or a remake, so either I’m getting old and refusing to look into new things or the business has really gotten lazy… Either way, let’s take a look!

Who would’ve thought it? After all these year an entire collection of all the Marvel vs. Capcom crossover titles, plus the stand-alone Marvel fighters, re-released in one package with some fun achievements/Trophies and badges to go for as well for a bit of modern flare. Unlike the other two compilations on this list “Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics” (what a mouthful!) doesn’t have any new content in it at all, but I played it more than a lot of games on this list, so that has to count for something! (Obviously no review to link here, but I do plan on covering more classic fighting games on this site one day…)

In a game that I feel flew under the radar a bit, the original DOOM and DOOM II got a HD remaster / re-release this year and with it a whole new game full of brand new sprites (created in the same old-school method as the original enemies) and storyline from the original creators. So yes, it was fun to play the two original games and their spin-offs wide screen but not stretched, plus it gives you access to a tonne of PC mods even on PS5 which was great fun, it does at least count as an original release as well! (While I technically reviewed the original Doom, it was the Jaguar port so… not really comparable. Maybe I’ll review these two properly, again, one day…)

Final compilation release now, and it’s Castlevania: Dominus Collection. Collecting three games previously locked on the Nintendo DS it’s done a great job of not just porting them to a single screen while still giving you visual access to the multi-screens like the original releases, but also removing and replacing touch-screen controls without getting rid of them entirely. It breathed new life into especially Dawn of Sorrow, which suffered heavily in its original form thanks to the Seal System. The collection also came with a ground-up remake of the original Arcade game, meaning it does have brand new 2024 released content on it, even if it’s not the highlight of the package by any stretch of the imagination! (My Review of Dawn of Sorrow can be found HERE, Portrait of Ruin HERE and Order of Ecclesia is coming soon!)

Okay so, while this is the first stand-alone new release on this list, it’s far from original! Honestly I normally get the new WWE game cheap the year after its released but weirdly WWE 2K24 was free for us Playstation Plus members to add to our catalogues a few months ago, so I did just that! While the story mode is still either annoyingly full of cut-aways or full of cringey cut-scenes featuring an “original story” the gameplay is still fun and this year you can make your own matches including finally giving me the ability to play a pinfall and submissions anywhere Royal Rumble match, just like on No Mercy. Hell, they even put in the “behind the announce desk” view from the AKI games as an option and brought back the ability to throw weapons. It’s as if they knew how to finally get me to invest a good chunk of time into a WWE game again, and all it took was taking some ideas from the N64 games… and, um, giving it to me for free as well. That helped… (My Review will appear one day, if I ever get a move on with my “Wrestling Game Rundown” marathon…)

Now here’s a game that wasn’t even close to being on my radar this time last year. I’ve never actually played a Romance of the Three Kingdom game before but I happened upon a video of someone playing this Remake as a preview for its release I had no idea you could play as a general and work your way up to land owner/ruler, or that you actually take part in cinematic duels and debates, fun stuff like that. Once I found out the PS5 port had good controls I was away and super-addicted for several days, then settled into playing it on and off as a good “chill game”. Funny that the first entirely new-to-me game on this list still has “Remake” in the title though… (Doubt I’ll ever review this one, strategy games tend not to make riveting reviews, even if the duels and top-down battles do liven things up more than most!)

What can you say about Tekken 8? It’s more Tekken, more great combat and weird storytelling but with frankly stunning Gen 9 graphics. I’ve yet to actually buy the game and settle into long play sessions but I’ve played it multiplayer with friends enough to know that it hasn’t lost its touch and will definitely be a standout of the year when I do get round to purchasing it. The recently announced Clive from Final Fantasy XVI as a DLC character has only helped the case! (My Review will be coming sometime next year, I’d imagine…)

Dragon Quest is among the many RPG franchises I’ve never touched before but am now giving a try thanks to a weird new obsession with the genre that in the past I’d only had an occasional want to play. Thankfully this newfound passion coincided with a lovely “HD-2D” Remake of one of the most beloved entries in the franchise in Dragon Quest III, and so far I’ve loved every minute. Simple storytelling, fun turn-based combat, and lovely modern-yet-faithful visuals and soundtrack. Looking forward to I and II’s 2D-HD remake as well, and maybe more from the franchise one day. (My Review will be appearing early next year!)

2024 will standout the most to me for this title. It may not be my game of the year but it was the game I obsessed over the most this year, the lead up to release via teasing new characters with monthly trailers was excellent, and the game itself is really a return to form, took me straight back to the PS2 Budokai Tenkaichi games that it’s a successor to. I wish there was a little more single player meat to its bones (thankfully I’m not a competitive online player, though why people thought this would work as that I have no idea, the producer even warned everyone as such beforehand!) but its visual flare, animations, destructible environments and frankly absurd amount of playable characters (not even including the yet-to-be-released DLC) means this was everything I wanted it to be, and will be a game I pop back on every time I’m in the mood for from Dragon Ball action for years to come. (My Review can be found by clicking HERE)

I’ve always loved Persona 3, ever since I saw my friend play through a third-or-so of the PS2 version, and despite that I’d only experienced the story through the anime movies, that was until this remake came along this year. I dived head-first into Persona 3: Reload and loved every single second of it, the social aspect, the storyline, the visuals and yes the extremely satisfying combat as well. It was really hard separating this with No. 1, especially as I write this I’m about halfway through the “Episode Aigis – The Answer” DLC for Reload and its only reminded me how much I love the cast of characters and the in-game combat. Most years this would be my favourite, but one game just managed to beat it, and I guess I should’ve know all along… (My Review can be found by clicking HERE)

“If Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth isn’t my Game of the Year than some amazing game I’ve not heard of is secretly being worked on” is what I said at the start of the year, and I guess no secret game was being worked on because sure enough, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth has captured the top spot. Stunning visually, great voice work, script and OST that do justice to the already amazing cast and OST from the original game, combat that’s exciting and fast-paced but also tactical, vast and varied open world that’s fun to explore and map, mini-games that are actually fun (well, most of them) and just enough challenge to keep it from ever feeling stale. Rebirth ticked just about every box there is to tick, and even after 90+ hours I was upset there wasn’t more to play. Thinking about it, even 11 months on, this was a no-brainer. (My Review can be found by clicking HERE)