2024 was a year of uncertainty. It wasn't clear which games would dominate the conversation, the slate of blockbusters seemed set to continue until mid-summer, and there was a constant buzz around Nintendo's Switch announcement. 2. Despite the Big N's best efforts, plenty of information has surfaced about the successor to the Nintendo Switch, but that's for 2025.
As far as the past 365 days are concerned, it's ultimately been just as packed with exciting media to consume, technology to play with, and events to keep us guessing. As Game Rant's editor, I do my best to stay up-to-date on the newest, latest, and greatest, but it's always a fool's errand. However, there are many things that excite me about 2024. Here are my favorite things in 2024.
My favorite video games of 2024
My tastes change from year to year, but there's always a middle ground when it comes to the franchises I grew up on and titles with engaging yet challenging combat. I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to sample many different games from many different genres. A good story can take a game a long way, but more often than not I get addicted to games with a well-stretched open world or stunning art style.
However, there are only so many hours in the year, and sometimes that means giving up on games that didn't blow with me out of the gate, but that I intend to return to. Will this happen as 2025 rolls around? Probably not, but there's still time to clear the backlog before next year's onslaught of titles begins. I would also like to add that Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree It's one of the best DLCs I've ever played, and it was well-deserved at The Game Awards this year.
The legend of Black Wukong It caught my attention in a way that I did not expect. It started with a hands-on preview at Summer Game Fest and continued until I played the final product. The gameplay is beautiful, but it's the variety of bosses and the challenge they offer that kept me hooked from start to finish.
It was a good year for video games. Joyful experiences like Astro Bot and Echoes of wisdom To keep the kid in me alive, while titles like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Nova It left me with questions to ponder (in a variety of ways) long after the credits rolled. It's always harder to narrow down my video game choices because there are so many that I've enjoyed for different reasons. Like, if I didn't have friends to jump with, I don't think I'd be as interested. Helldivers 2.
My favorite movies of 2024
Video games are my professional passion, but movies are my personal passion. I try to go to the movies at least once a week and I'm always looking for the next great voice in filmmaking. Don't get me wrong, I love a good popcorn movie too, as my list should indicate, but I'm looking forward to the next one. Avengers Flip as hard as I do the next Paul Thomas Anderson.
Dune: Part 2 and Deadpool and Wolverine It delivered the glasses I needed this year, two sides of the same coin. I've become a huge fan of Sean Baker over the years and I'm very excited to see him win the Palme d'Or. Anura. brutalist It was an epic that we don't see often. And horror/suspense continues to thrive thanks to movies like this a heretic and This is what's inside.
I don't think there were any movies this year that completely blew me away, but there were plenty of movies that thoroughly entertained me and quite a few that made me think about hard questions. As with video games, I'm always looking for a good story, but the core elements of a movie, such as cinematography and indelible gameplay, can also engage me.
My favorite TV shows of 2024
Between video games and movies, TV doesn't do me much favors from year to year, but this year has seen some really great shows come out. The television landscape continues to change, competing with movies for its long story-telling potential thanks to actors' willingness to take a closer look at whatever project comes their way. Colin Farrell, for example, has seen potential in streaming and was part of two fantastic series.
Thanks to actors like him and a few risk-taking studios, the variety of television available to us is richer and more diverse than ever. Yes, there's a lot of fluff to sift through, but sometimes fluff can even become your favorite show.
A good hook is very useful for me and watching TV. If the first episode can draw you in with a compelling or unique premise, then I'm willing to give it another chance as long as a series gets off to a slow start, but word of mouth says it gets better with time. Usually those simmering series are among my favorites, but everywhere you look there are so many good shows and so many streaming series to subscribe to.
I would love for us to have a TV series adaptation of another stellar video game Fallout. It did not copy the created formula The last of us It was a hit, but it embraced what makes Bethesda games great without feeling generic and cheesy. Shogun It was full of great performances and took us into a time period and setting that video games use a lot, but perfect for a TV series. 3 body problem It was a show that got off to the most interesting start, but I'm worried that it might not be there to see it. I hope so – because the concept is very bold.
My favorite technology in 2024
I use many devices and tools in my daily life. If it makes it easier for me to do that, I'm willing to look at it, but I'm trying not to turn my nose up at all. Often times it is the technology that doesn't reveal its usefulness at first that ends up being necessary. At first I couldn't see the appeal of a PC gaming rig, but now I can't imagine going anywhere without having one nearby at all times. Other times, it's just about improving on the tried and true. If something is better than its competitors or among the best I've ever used, it gets added to the rotation very quickly.
I am fortunate to have the opportunity to try many different technologies. I love searching for my next favorite controller just as much as the next best mouse, keyboard, or headset. Audeze Maxwell and Scuf are now in my favorite category, and the ROG Ally X is currently the best in terms of performance compared to battery life.
But I don't want to overlook the smaller possibilities of technology either. The Anker MagGo travels with me everywhere and is especially useful on busy days like visiting Disneyland. And a few of the things on my tech list this year will help us bring you better content in 2025. I would also like to invite the Corsair Platform:6 table to give me more space to display my collections and toys. .
My favorite collectibles and toys of 2024
Speaking of, I love collecting. Call it Peter Pan Syndrome or whatever you like, but I hardly pass up an opportunity to indulge the nostalgia of my youth by displaying quality toys that represent my favorite characters from the past. I picked up a lot of media growing up, and that's why my “favorites” list is as deep as it is wide. And the number of companies that see value in breathing new life into huge, obscure properties is also on the rise. Hurts the wallet but warms the soul.
Look, Mattel makes it Street sharks Figures and Lego finally add one The Legend of Zelda The collection was enough to make my year. Mondo (and parent company Funko) continues to run at a high level, releasing so many exciting toys, collectibles, and memorabilia that it's hard to keep up. I took a risk Elden ring collector's edition Hoping Malenia is a memorable boss and doesn't disappoint, so I can't say no to adding Mesmer to my collection.
I also have a son, so my interests are now shaped by his. I've done a deep dive minecraft I've learned a lot about that game over the past year, but it's exciting to watch my favorite things become his favorite things without me pushing him in a certain direction. Being a father has changed my life in so many ways, but my favorite part is that it allows me to be a kid again and experience a sense of wonder through him.
Almost everything I experience now has a new context and I get new things out of it that I didn't before. My list of favorite things is unique to me, but my experience is very different from a few years ago. I don't expect this to change in 2025 and I look forward to seeing what new things excite me. I know nintendo switch 2, Grand Theft Auto 6And the new Paul Thomas Anderson is on my waiting list, but it's the video games, movies, TV, technology, and collectibles I have no idea about that keep me curious and eager to try new things.
Black Myth: Wukong
