10 Video Games That Deserved BETTER In 2024
“Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble” (2024)
Beginning with the GameCube original, “Super Monkey Ball” grew into a popular series of platformer party games from Sega. But it began to fade away in the early 2010s. We got a remaster of a Wii entry in 2019, a remake collection of the first three in 2021, and finally, the first new entry in years in 2024’s “Banana Rumble.” Unfortunately, by this point, it doesn’t seem like many players showed an interest. The series has grown pretty niche, resulting in some of the lowest sales in the franchise’s history. However, if you have fond memories of the older games, we’d recommend checking it out. While not necessarily deep, fun level design and mechanics offer just as much entertainment as “Super Monkey Ball” always has.
“Nobody Wants to Die” (2024)
Adventure games don’t draw nearly as big an audience as other genres. Set in a dystopian New York City, “Nobody Wants to Die” follows a detective tracking down a serial killer. The twist is that the killer targets the city’s elite, those able to afford simulated immortality by uploading their consciousness into a new body. While it did get more coverage than others on our list, thanks to strong visuals and an enticing premise, we still feel it came and went without getting as many players as it deserved. Maybe if it had more engaging gameplay, more players would have given it a shot. But the noir tale is still delectably dark, and it’s a setting we wish we could’ve spent more time in.
“Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden” (2024)
Mostly known for narrative adventure games like “Life is Strange,” developer Don’t Nod released this action RPG in February, 2024. However, it had some stiff competition that month from others like it, primarily “Persona 3 Reload” and “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.” While it sold well initially, things slowed down quickly. And by September, Don’t Nod revealed “Banishers” fell well below sales expectations. Not only did this cause the studio to “reorient” two projects and put another two on hold, but it’s part of the reason the studio laid off nearly 70 employees in October. That’s a shame because the story, about two ghost hunter lovers torn apart when one of them becomes one, is quite moving. And while the combat isn’t quite as fleshed out, there’s plenty here to please fans of the genre.
“Berserk Boy” (2024)
There are so many indie games released in any given year that it can be hard for one to break through the noise. “Berserk Boy” is an action platformer that takes a lot of retro inspiration from the likes of “Mega Man.” As you progress, it even gives you cool abilities that also change your appearance when you use them. It got really strong reviews on both Steam and Switch when it launched in March. It’s just that not many people played it. While we don’t have sales numbers, it only has around 220 user reviews on Steam as of writing, and an all-time peak of 89 players. Yeah, there are a lot of other games like it these days. But that doesn’t make this one any less deserving of some attention.
“Neva” (2024)
It’s downright tragic that thoughtful, artistic experiences like this one rarely get brought up in conversation when talking about the best games of the year. “Neva” comes from Nomada Studio, the developer behind 2018’s “Gris.” Just like that game, the entirely hand-painted, watercolor aesthetic is absolutely gorgeous. With more experience as a developer, though, gameplay is also more exciting, with combat and puzzles having more depth. It follows a woman, Alba, navigating a corrupt fantasy world with her wolf companion, the titular Neva. While reviews were quick to point out how incredible it is in October, it disappeared from the spotlight almost as soon as it appeared, being overshadowed by gigantic releases, like “Dragon Age,” “Silent Hill 2,” and “Metaphor: ReFantazio.” But seriously, don’t sleep on this one. It’s a beautiful piece of work.
“Dungeons of Hinterberg” (2024)
Released back in July, “Dungeons of Hinterberg” is one of the cozier games of 2024. Equal parts life sim and unique dungeon crawler, it follows Luisa adventuring to a mountainside town after mysterious, monster-filled dungeons began appearing nearby. For some reason, fans of these gameplay blends, which are fairly popular, didn’t show up in as large of numbers this time around. If you missed it, you should check it out. The comic book style makes the Austrian-inspired Hinterberg pop and the “Persona”-inspired life sim elements bring each character to life. Additionally, with 25 dungeons to explore that all have different mechanics, there’s a lot to get lost in.
“1000xResist” (2024)
“1000xResist” is another adventure game, and one that flew even further under the radar than “Nobody Wants to Die.” Set in the far future after most of humanity perished from an alien plague, players control a clone who navigates memories in order to find out what really happened long ago. Narratively speaking, it is a remarkable feat of storytelling, which was agreed upon by everyone who played it. So, why was that player base so small? Well, it may have had something to do with the fact that it launched the same day as two other indie games that both blew up: the PS1-inspired horror title, “Crow Country,” and the Dunkey-published Metroidvania, “Animal Well.”
“Tales of Kenzera: Zau” (2024)
“Tales of Kenzera” puts you in the role of Zau, a shaman who seeks to win back the soul of his father from the God of Death. What helped it stand out from other Metroidvanias, for better or worse, was its implementation of African culture and Bantu mythology. While it wasn’t as mechanically deep as others in its genre, it was still plenty of fun to play with a heartfelt story. Player numbers, sadly, weren’t high enough no matter where you looked, resulting in layoffs at Surgent Studios a few months later. While there are a ton of indie Metroidvanias out there, there’s no denying this game was a victim of the culture war, with vocally volatile claims of forced DEI, despite it being an original story from an independent, Black-run studio. There were some gamers who even celebrated the game’s failure and loss of employees. “Tales of Kenzera” not only deserved more players, it deserved more respect.
“Alone in the Dark” (2024)
Listen, was this game perfect? No, far from it. But did it deserve its fate? Absolutely not. A remake of the groundbreaking 1992 survival horror gem, “Alone in the Dark” had the misfortune of launching in an era of pristine horror remakes like Capcom’s “Resident Evil” series and, as we’d see later in the year, “Silent Hill 2.” With a smaller developer and budget, it just couldn’t measure up. One of the most frequent criticisms was its lackluster combat. But what it nailed was its atmosphere, so much so that even the series creator praised it for preserving the core feeling of the original. Sadly, a mid-tier game wasn’t good enough for publisher THQ Nordic’s parent company, Embracer Group, which was already on a closing spree following bad business decisions and the cancellation of multiple titles. “Alone in the Dark” didn’t meet sales expectations, and Embracer closed developer Pieces Interactive a few months after launch.
“Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown” (2024)
2024 was not a good year for Ubisoft. But of its many games that the publisher deemed financial failures, the “Prince of Persia” revival absolutely did not deserve to be one of them. “The Lost Crown” is an immaculate Metroidvania, with plenty of trap-laden obstacle courses to obsessively test yourself against and some of the best, most challenging boss fights of the year. And every second of it feels like a dream thanks to strong controls and wonderful mechanics. But all of that couldn’t save it. Many have speculated on the game’s failure, from its lack of a presence on Steam until seven months after launch to Ubisoft’s ridiculous sales expectations, that it apparently failed to meet. Whatever the reason, Ubisoft not only passed on the team’s idea for a sequel, but also disbanded them entirely. And that is just plain disappointing.
What’s a game you feel went underloved and underplayed this past year? Give it a shout out in the comments!
