PS Blog Game of the Year 2024: The Winners https://ift.tt/Dtjiz7x
The polls for the PlayStation Game of the Year 2024 awards closed last week and with the numbers crunched – totalling over 1.6 million votes globally – we can reveal this year’s top contenders across the 19 categories, as shaped solely by your choices. While four titles earned trophies per category, there were numerous games that received support from players worldwide, either through selecting from shortlists or write-in options. A thank you to those who voted, and of course, to those creators and teams whose creativity and craft has been shared and enjoyed on PlayStation consoles the world over.
Before we dig into the winners, a quick reminder on the category guidelines:
- As with the majority of the other categories, Best Multiplayer Experience focuses on titles released in 2024. Best Ongoing Game focuses on titles that have seen new, large scale content or game-changing updates launch over this past year.
- Best Rerelease is categorized as titles that, in the main, feature upgraded visuals and some QoL improvements but otherwise hew close to their original launch version. This category does not include full-scale remakes of older titles. Those are eligible for Game of the Year consideration.
- Due to the polls closure date, some titles weren’t eligible for inclusion. Those titles will be eligible in next year’s Awards.
- If a title won a Platinum Trophy in a category any previous year, it won’t be eligible for inclusion in the same category this year to allow other titles a chance to shine. As such Grand Theft Auto VI isn’t included in The Most Anticipated Game of 2025 and Beyond category – as it earned the Platinum in 2023’s Awards.
Congratulations to everyone who released titles this year.
Best New Character
Platinum Trophy: Eve (Stellar Blade)
Gold Trophy: Jane Harrow (Call of Duty: Black Ops 6)
Silver Trophy: Emmrich Volkarin (Dragon Age: The Veilguard)
Bronze Trophy: Ryoma Sakamoto (Rise of the Rōnin)
The Best New Character category received the highest number of write-in votes, so a shout out to – amongst others – Metaphor: ReFantazio’s Strohl, Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail’s Wuk Lamat, and Helldivers 2’s General Brasch, all of whom have fans across the globe. The majority of the votes however were split between Stellar Blade’s Eve, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s Jane Harrow, Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s Emmrich Volkarin and Rise of the Rōnin’s Ryoma Sakamoto.
Best Story
Platinum Trophy: Silent Hill 2
Gold Trophy: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Silver Trophy: Stellar Blade
Bronze Trophy: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
The Best Story category had strong competition this year, including new gripping narratives in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Stellar Blade. Two unforgettable remakes duked it out for top position: Silent Hill 2 and Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth. The votes for number one were remarkably close.
Ultimately, James Sunderland’s surreal return trip to Silent Hill took the top spot. Bloober Team and Konami’s remake of this PS2 classic captured the dreamlike essence of the original title while enhancing it with high-fidelity facial capture to add extra nuance to the town’s troubled visitors. We’ll see Silent Hill 2 in our restless dreams for years.
Best Graphical Showcase
Platinum Trophy: Black Myth: Wukong
Gold Trophy: Astro Bot
Silver Trophy: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Bronze Trophy: Stellar Blade
You know that moment when you’re playing a game and you just have to stop and say wow? 2024 has been choc-full of those thanks to a line-up of gorgeous games which have pushed the boundaries of what is possible graphically. Adventures like Stellar Blade and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth brought a realistic style to their fantastic worlds, while the bright and playful planets inhabited by Astro and his bot buddies captured the hearts (and eyes) of gamers everywhere.
Perhaps one of the most memorable of those moments is the opening of Black Myth: Wukong, which sees you raising your staff in a stunning fight amidst the clouds. But that’s just the beginning; the action epic’s towering mountains, dense forests and glistening snowfields really highlighted just how beautiful PS5’s visuals can be, helping it claim this year’s Platinum trophy.
Best Art Direction
Platinum Trophy: Astro Bot
Gold Trophy: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Silver Trophy: Silent Hill 2
Bronze Trophy: Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero
The games of 2024 brought top-tier artistic visions to life, from harrowing horrors to fantastical creatures. Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero captured the source material perfectly, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth featured top-tier character and boss design, while Silent Hill 2 beautifully recaptured the moody atmosphere of the PS2 original with a fresh aesthetic.
However, Team Asobi’s Astro Bot leaped up to claim top prize in the category. The platforming adventure’s Bots sport loving homages to classic game characters decked out in gear that thoughtfully distills the original character design. Each stage is a visual banger to boot, including inventive knife-juggling ghosts, traditional Japanese architecture, and outlandish sci-fi contraptions. Congrats to Team Asobi.
Best Audio Design
Platinum Trophy: Astro Bot
Gold Trophy: Silent Hill 2
Silver Trophy: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Bronze Trophy: Stellar Blade
This year our ears rang with clashing metal, buzzing gadgets, and small towns creaking and moaning, breathing detailed life into the environments we played through. But it was Astro Bot’s all-encompassing auditory adventure that blasted it to the top spot. From Astro’s pitter patter adjusting to whatever terrain he crossed, to the squishes, bangs, and pows of his power suits, every level filled players’ ears with a galaxy of sound.
Best Soundtrack
Platinum Trophy: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Gold Trophy: Astro Bot
Silver Trophy: Stellar Blade
Bronze Trophy: Silent Hill 2
2024 featured stiff competition in the soundtrack department. Astro Bot introduced new tracks we’ll be humming well into 2025. Silent Hill 2 brilliantly recaptured Akira Yamaoka’s eclectic and moody sounds, and Stellar Blade’s soundtrack was, well, stellar.
However, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth secures the top position for Best Soundtrack. It’s no wonder, as the original PlayStation game is considered to have one of the greatest soundtracks in the history of the medium. Each track in Rebirth is stunningly fleshed out with broader instrumentation, from the soothing town of Kalm to the rousing boss battles against Sephiroth. This year, one of the best soundtracks ever only got better.
Best Use of DualSense
Platinum Trophy: Astro Bot
Gold Trophy: Stellar Blade
Silver Trophy: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Bronze Trophy: Silent Hill 2
If you’ve heard the clash of Eve’s blade ring out from its speaker, or felt the pitter-patter of the rain in Silent Hill, you know how much more immersive the DualSense can make your games. And this year, many developers made the most of its features to make their games more terrifying, challenging and enjoyable.
With Astro Bot, winner of this year’s Platinum trophy for use of DualSense, Team Asobi built on what they created in the past. From rolling Astro around in a LocoRoco-inspired world to clearing the path with a blow of your breath, every element of the adventure is developed with the controller in mind, adding to the enjoyment of an already joyful game.
Best Accessibility Features
Platinum Trophy: Astro Bot
Gold Trophy: The Last of Us Part II Remastered
Silver Trophy: Silent Hill 2
Bronze Trophy: Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
Team Asobi has not only crafted an epic, nostalgic adventure paying homage to PlayStation’s extensive 30-year history, they’ve also championed accessibility by design! High contrast visuals, a streamlined, Access Controller-friendly control scheme, and truly unique implementation of haptic feedback with visual cues in tow, ensure players can explore a bevy of vibrant worlds alongside Astro.
Best Multiplayer Experience
Platinum Trophy: Helldivers 2
Gold Trophy: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Silver Trophy: Fortnite
Bronze Trophy: Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero
Dispensing peace doesn’t come easy, but the taste of liber-tea is that much sweeter when shared with a team. This year players united under the Helldivers 2 flag of democracy to fight off bots and bugs. Whether you dropped in with friends or completed mission objectives with strangers online, we salute you.
Best Ongoing Game
Platinum Trophy: Fortnite
Gold Trophy: Final Fantasy XIV Online
Silver Trophy: Call of Duty
Bronze Trophy: No Man’s Sky
Nothing lasts forever, but some games have evolved into an ever-growing ecosystem. Constant updates bringing new fierce competitions in Gran Turismo 7, rebuilding a universe from the ground up in No Man’s Sky and exploring new frontiers in Final Fantasy XIV Online.
With constant innovation, never-ending stories, and a whole galaxy to explore there was one game that has withstood the test of time above the rest. Fortnite. Whether it’s dancing with Snoop Dogg, tackling teams with the TMNT, or just hanging with your best friends and anime characters, Fortnite appeals to the imagination of us all. Add in modes like LEGO, car racing, and even an FPS, and you have a game that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Best Expansion
Platinum Trophy: Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
Gold Trophy: God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla
Silver Trophy: Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide
Bronze Trophy: Alan Wake 2: The Lake House
Wanted to explore more of Kratos’ history? God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla delivered. Craved a new Final Fantasy XVI story? 2024 had you covered. Needed more Alan Wake in your life? Yup, got that too.
There was no shortage of expansions of already fantastic games this year. God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla took you to the trials of the Norse afterlife, while Alan Wake 2: The Lake House acted as an unnerving addendum to an already terrifying adventure. Meanwhile, we left the Lands Between to journey to the Land of Shadow in Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. Easily one of the biggest expansions of the year, it brought dozens of new enemies and bosses to face, a whole new map to explore and countless new ways to grow your Tarnished’s armoury. The sheer amount of content aside, Shadow of the Erdtree also introduced one of FromSoftware’s most challenging boss fights ever, adding a delicious and deadly cherry on top of an incredible adventure.
Best Sports Game
Platinum Trophy: EA Sports FC 25
Gold Trophy: WWE 2K24
Silver Trophy: F1 24
Bronze Trophy: NBA 2K25
High-scoring action was plentiful for sports game players in 2024. F1 24’s improved Dynamic Handling dazzled adrenaline junkies with realistic heart-pumping races, while WWE 2K24 came off the top rope to deliver nostalgia by bringing back fan-favorite match types.
The competition was strong but EA Sports FC 25 took home the chip, securing the Best Sports Game title for 2024. The new FC IQ feature overhauled tactics and delivered the most strategic control over gameplay in the franchise’s history. EA Sports FC 25 also made it easier to pick up and play with friends in the 5v5 Rush mode, as smaller teams bring more time on the ball for players who want to be close to the action.
Best Rerelease
Platinum Trophy: The Last of Us Part II Remastered
Gold Trophy: Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
Silver Trophy: Tomb Raider I-III Remastered
Bronze Trophy: Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
The Last of Us Part II Remastered kicked down the door at the beginning of 2024 with its impressive visual enhancements, crisp frame rate, and new No Return mode that offered new challenges once players completed the emotionally charged story. Crisp foliage, dense shadows, and detailed character design pushed this release to be players’ definitive version of the game.
Best Independent Game
Platinum Trophy: Balatro
Gold Trophy: Palworld
Silver Trophy: Phasmophobia
Bronze Trophy: Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 (Flat Version)
The frights of Phasmophobia and Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 kept players on their toes, and monster-taming adventure Palworld helped them build community. But this hand ultimately went to Balatro, which built a deck of roguelite fun that turned poker on its head and kept players locked into its hypnotically fun gameplay loop all year.
Best PS VR2 Game
Platinum Trophy: Resident Evil 4 VR Mode
Gold Trophy: Metro Awakening
Silver Trophy: Phasmophobia
Bronze Trophy: Cooking Simulator VR
Immersive horror frights proved a strong draw for PS VR2 players. Despite launching this time last year, Resident Evil 4 VR Mode is still a vivid memory for many, pulling in the majority of player votes as Capcom sublimely adapted the thrills of its survival horror franchise for VR. Vertigo Games brought the post-apolycaptic world of Metro to VR, adding in immersive features while retaining that franchise’s taut, oppressive atmosphere. Phasmophobia proved supernatural escapades are best with company, and Cooking Simulator VR delighted with its culinary chaos.
Best PS4 Game
Platinum Trophy: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Gold Trophy: Metaphor: ReFantazio
Silver Trophy: Sonic X Shadow Generations
Bronze Trophy: Persona 3 Reload
Some of 2024’s best games launched on both PS5 and PS4 this year. Atlus delivered two RPG bangers with Personal 3 Reload and Metaphor ReFantazio. Sega also expanded on its hedgehog love letter in Sonic X Shadow Generations, featuring a new campaign. What a year for Sega!
Despite the strong competition, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 secures the Best PS4 Game victory this year. Treyarch and its development partners delivered a gripping, action-packed campaign, ushered in the return of round-based Zombies mode, and offered the endless excitement of genre-defining multiplayer. Congrats to the Call of Duty developers for this year’s achievement.
Best PS5 Game
Platinum Trophy: Astro Bot
Gold Trophy: Black Myth: Wukong
Silver Trophy: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Bronze Trophy: Stellar Blade
Great gaming experiences launched across the entire stretch of 2024, and four in particular were seemingly top of mind for many voters. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s lavish and expansive RPG adventure kicked things off back in February. Stellar Blade’s sci-fi action unleashed itself on PS5 two months later, with Black Myth: Wukong’s own take on tight combat mechanics leapt into the fray in August. But it was the platforming adventures of Astro Bot, released in September, that netted the majority of votes.
Studio of the Year
Platinum Trophy: Team Asobi
Gold Trophy: Bandai Namco
Silver Trophy: Shift Up
Bronze Trophy: Arrowhead Games
No video game would exist without talented people and teams pouring their passions into the medium. Every year, we are privileged to experience the imagination and ideas that took years to bring to life. We had one of the greatest satire multiplayer experiences, a new staple in the action-adventure genre, and a team putting out multiple hits in a calendar year. Still, the studio that captured the hearts of players was Team Asobi.
Through Astro Bot, Team Asobi tapped into the simplistic yet hard-to-master, joy of playing a video game. From invoking feelings in seasoned gamers they may have forgotten, to being a new gamer’s first magical experience. They prove to players they have the talent to bring out the best in the art form.
Most Anticipated Game of 2025 and Beyond
Platinum Trophy: Ghost of Yōtei
Gold Trophy: Marvel’s Wolverine
Silver Trophy: Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
Bronze Trophy: Monster Hunter Wilds
Hotly-anticipated heavyweights line the horizon of 2025 onwards. Players haven’t long to wait either: Monster Hunter Wilds launches in just over two months. While its beast-fighting delights kickstart the year, Sucker Punch’s latest adventure will bring sword clashes, exploration and more to 2025 in the form of Ghost of Yōtei. And with Insomniac’s and Kojima Production’s latest works also part of PlayStation’s future, there’s a lot to be excited about.
