Games I have completed in 2024
Date: 2025-01-30
This is my subjective rankings of the games I have completed last year. These are all new playthroughs, no repeat. I haven't played much in the past few years, but in 2024 I managed to play some really good ones. Most of them are fantastic, and I was lucky to choose them.
I like the tier system better than the numbering system for rating stuf, so here is the list of 7 games in reverse order.
C tier
Need for Speed: The Run (PC, 2011)
Ever since NFS: Most Wanted - which is the last NFS I enjoyed - this one was the only one I wanted to play. I liked the idea of a cross country race. However I didn't expect it to be this cinematic (with unskippable cutscenes), many QTEs, and just riggid storylines, with no random events. It is an interactive movie, racing edition.
I love the sense of speed and the collection of cars are really nice, although the handling is very weird overall. The scenery is beautiful despite being a 13 year old game. Still can be a great of fun.
Other than story, you have various challenges, which can be also great fun, even though we can no longer compare times with friends, since the servers are down.
The idea was so good, but they didn't dare - or EA didn't let the devs - to do more with it. I think more routes, or random events could have benefited the game, instead of on-rail story, that you cannot even skip if you want to play the game more.
Note: If you want to play this game, you have to disable internet connection for it, since it wants to connect to an online server that no longer exist.
B tier
Silent Hill (PSX, Retro Arch, 1999)
First time playing Silent Hill, as I am not a console player. Haunting atmosphere, with many otherwordly elements. Who knew that a city with so wide streets, can be so claustrophobic at times? Playing as an ordinary person also feels fresh. Story is less interesting, but the atmosphere and puzzles are definitely on the plus side.
The enemies don't really have much variety, but it's mostly the mystery that carries the game. Action is still good and I was surprised that we can aim and move at the same time, while we can't do that in Resident Evil, which is the closest SH series can call as a brother. I really wanted this to be A tier, but I think Silent Hill 2 is better.
A tier
Batman: Arkham City (PC, 2013)
I loved Arkham Asylum, but I couldn't finish Arkham City for many years, because I am not a fan of open world games. This time I stick to it, and it was worth it. We meet the best of Batman's villains here, but many of the sidequests are worthy to play as well, and very varied in nature, has many easter eggs for comicbook fans. As with Asylum, I love that the game has a mini encyclopedia so even new fans or totally not Batman fans just check out different characters and their look. Make the game more approachable for not hardcore fans. Really well done.
We are here not just to beat up bad guys, but our detective skills are also on display. Graphics is still very nice, and who could forget the voice acting by the legendary pair of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill.
One of the many positives are the various boss fights, which are all very different, and some of them can be challenging, and going against Mr. Freeze is probably the most memorable.
The story has some twists and turns, and luckily I never had the feeling that they should have cut things out. The combat is enjoyable, although I played only on keyboard and mouse, because I am terrible with controller (except for driving). If you like doing collectables, it has even more than Arkham Asylum.
Many fans says this is the peak of the series, but as you will see, I put another Batman game higher…
S tier
Batman: Arkham Origins
Oh look, what do we have here? Many considered Origins the black sheep of the Arkham series, however it was a pleasant surprise for me. From the very first moment of the intro, showing a very different Batman in his early years. He is raw, angry, sometimes rush, and a little bit amateurish. We have different voice actors than the rest of the series, but it fits to their earlier life, plus "Origins" and "Knight" had a parallel development time for a while. WB Games did Origins, while Rocksteady made Arkham Knight.
In a way it continues City's tradition of open world, but it's also more cinematic. The cutscenes are well made, and alongside the voice acting it is real highlight of the game, without overtaking and distracting from gameplay. The combat might not be as fluid, as other games, but fits with the "early year's" narrative. We have to battle with not just the mob, but the police as well, since the police doesn't view Batman as an ally at that time. The bossfights are well made and each of them are very different. In fact the second one is fairly laughable, and really funny.
Story wise there are lots of developments, a real prequel without stupid fan services moments. I especially like the Batman-Alfred relationship, and the highlight of the game is a comicbook acurate Bane, and the bossfight with him. They handled him more truthfully to the comics, unlike in the Batman movies, or in the other Arkham games. More on the smarter side and definitely not just added for silly humor.
We can walk around the Batcave, talk to Alfred. Origins also gave Batman the detective puzzle mode, that we also see in "Knight" later.
Silent Hill 2 (PC, 2001)
Psychological horror in Silent Hill, that goes beyond unexplained monsters and the creepy environments. Different protagonist than first time. We got a letter from our dead wife, but the game takes us to unexpected journey, and we also meet 3 interesting people that can question, why are we in Silent Hill, or what is this place at all.
Really hard to talk about it, without spoilers, but it's hell of a game, and if you want to play only one game from the series, this is definitely it!
S+ tier
Doom 3 (PC, 2004)
I know this is a weird one, but I loved playing Doom 3, and finishing it for the first time! I played the original version with a source port. I loved the horror atmosphere, even though the single flashlight use doesn't make sense (I am fan of AvP games, where we have shoulder lamp or helmet lamp), but adds to the atmosphere.
Here we don't play as Doomguy, but a regular marine, who is tasked to make a trip to one part of the station, because of communication cut off. With smart, and short cutscenes, we see the story develope, while we are trying to regain control over the station.
Guns are the usual Doom lineup, except we don't have a super shotgun (comes in the expansion pack "Resurrection of Evil"), but everything else is here. We have 2 machine guns, plasma gun, BFG, etc.
Doom 3 was iD's first attempt to create a more rounded game with story, cutscenes and NPCs. It definitely adds up to a more complete game, even though most people would say that Doom 3 is a not a good Doom game in overall, the experience, especially a terrifying one, is still there. Although being a more modern experience, the game still has monster closets from the previous game, which will keep you on your toes, despite the engine only throwing 1-2 demons at a time against you.
I browsed the web around the 20th anniversary in August, not long before I started playing the game, and I saw many many positive memories from people. Overall I think Doom 3 stood the test of time, and the test of developer's intention.
The engine especially shines in the lighting/shadow department, no wonder later fans of the Thief games made The Dark Mod, based on idTech4 engine, where shadows are really important.
It's also not surprising, that people are doing all kinds of mods for D3, like replacing weapons/sounds, upgrading textures and things. The dwehm3 source port is keeping the game well alive, while if you like you can play the BFG edition as well, which gives you more resources, and flashlight for every weapon.
Terminator: Resistance (PC, 2019)
This I am sure surprised many of you, and it surprised me as well. As a fan of the first 2 movies, and the Future Shock/SkyNet games from the 90s, I had no expectations for this game. I couldn't play it when it came out, but now I have a better hardware.
The game depicts the future war part of the story, where you play as Jacob Rivers, who is separated from his unit. It has one of the best atmospheres, and truly a great movie based game. It has crafting for items and ammo. You can go with different playstyles and can upgrade skills according to that. We get to know other survivors and work together, while doing mission against SkyNET that truly can turn the tides of the war, and ultimately meet a certain character from the movies…
I don't like to compare this to other post-apocalyptic games, especially since we are still in the active apocalypse phase in this one. Skynet collects people for their own goals, while humans try to fight back. I love the whole atmosphere, and how faithful it is to the movies. You can feel the passion behind every corner, and how this game got put together.
I also highly recommend to play the DLC, called Annihilation Line, in which we meet another character from the movies. This time we are going way beyond with our little team, against SkyNET.
I played Future Shock and SkyNET when I was a kid, and Terminator: Resistance was worth the 2,5 decades of wait of another good Terminator game. Nevermind that the devs redeemed themselves after the terrible Rambo game. And after Terminator, they did justice to RoboCop as well. Cannot wait to see, what they will do next…