Over the past couple of years, I have increasingly come across the opinion that the gaming industry is dying, the agenda is ruining everything, and games in general have gone downhill a long time ago. And this, unfortunately, is partly true, especially if you look exclusively at the Western segment of game development.
In 2024, there was a real renaissance of Eastern culture in games. Starting in January, a hit project from Japanese, Chinese and even Korean developers was released about once a month. And what’s most surprising is that almost all of this year’s hits have been translated into Russian.
Today we’ll be looking at the games that have been tearing up the charts and getting high marks from everyone. Yes, you will see many titles for the first time, but believe me, these projects are worth giving a chance.
1. Tekken 8
January is usually considered a low season in the industry, when almost nothing interesting comes out.
But this year, on January 26, two projects with very high ratings were released at once from everyone in general. We’re talking about Tekken 8 and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (which I’ll talk about below).
Tekken 8 is a great fighting game with beautiful graphics, a cool story mode (seriously, it feels like watching an action movie) and crazy potential for learning the combat system.
I still play T8 and have no plans to stop, but at the release my friends and I put everything aside and practically didn’t get out of the online mode.
2. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
I will not go into the history of the series here, tell you that this series was previously known in the West as Yakuza and that in fact this is already the 8th part of the series.
And don’t let the number scare you – it’s not necessary to know all the previous games. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth at the beginning very gently introduces you to the course of events so that a beginner does not have the discomfort of not understanding the local history.
And there is something to tell, because Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is a crime drama about a former Yakuza member named Ichiban Kasuga, who flew from Japan to Hawaii to look for his mother.
There are a lot of colorful characters, a well-developed open world and a very strong story about friendship, honor and the importance of family. Well, yes, in addition to the plot, there are a lot of additional activities and mini-games, from karaoke to a farmer simulator on your own island.
You can get stuck in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth for a very, very long time. The game, by the way, has been translated into Russian, for which we say a huge thank you to SEGA – there is a lot of text and videos in the game.
3. Games from Atlus (Persona 3 Reload, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, Metaphor: ReFantazio)
This year, Atlus decided to literally fire all guns and released three hit JRPGs in a row. From the long-awaited remake of Persona 3 to the new Metaphor: ReFantazio. And let’s talk briefly about each.
In February, Persona 3 Reload was released, a remake of the cult game from the PlayStation 2. Yes, you, most likely, have heard about this series of games at least once, in which a group of schoolchildren save the world and call on their inner spirit in battle. I. The role-playing game’s plot focuses on exploring the theme of accepting death, and the gameplay is a thorough simulation of the life of a Japanese high school student. It’s not enough to fight enemies; you need to study, go to clubs, and even be friends with girls.
But if the school theme and overt anime setting are off-putting, then you should definitely try Shin Megami Tensei V. In short, it’s “Pokemon”, but for adults, where instead of cute monsters we have demons, angels and gods, and you don’t even need them catch, and persuade to join you using various methods, including by self-mutilation, if the interlocutor asks.
And the plot will tell a non-linear and extremely dark story about the degeneration of the human race. And no school themes and anime. Only darkness, blood, occultism and cruelty.
However, if you want a role-playing game, but not in a modern setting, then Metaphor: ReFantazio was recently released. Here we have fantasy, palace intrigue, themes of xenophobia and saving the world from a tyrant who has ascended the throne.
All 3 games have been fully translated into Russian (officially for the first time), Persona 3 is still included in the Xbox Game Pass subscription, and SMT does not need to be afraid of the number 5 in the title (the numbers 3 in Persona too), these games do not require knowledge other parts and are absolutely self-sufficient. And they all tore up the charts, yeah.
🛒 Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance в Steam
🛒 Metaphor: ReFantazio в Steam
4. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
The winter season also ended brightly – with the continuation of the remake of Final Fantasy VII. However, it turned out with nuances. The beautiful action-RPG in the open world suffered from performance problems, players criticized the approach to game design and the need to open towers on the map (hello, Ubisoft), and the game had not yet been translated into Russian.
But if we take these nuances out of the equation, the result is a strong project for fans of Cloud’s story with a complex combat system and a great plot.
Critics once again praised the game. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is called one of the best exclusive projects for PlayStation 5 at the moment.
If you are not familiar with the series and the lack of translation doesn’t bother you, then it’s worth a try. However, keep in mind that without knowledge of the events of the first part it will be difficult for you. But don’t worry, the first part will be explained to you in detail at the beginning of the game, or you can play it yourself, as it is available with a PS Plus subscription.
🛒 Game page on PlayStation.com
5. Stellar Blade
Stellar Blade attracted the attention of literally everyone from the very announcement, and all thanks to the appearance of the main character Eva.
As a result, the release was accompanied by scandals and sharp criticism from the progressive public and journalists who indulged them (for this reason the game did not have the highest rating, by the way) – the developers were accused of all sins, from imposing unrealistic beauty standards to a banal lack of sense of taste.
However, behind the facade of feigned sexuality, there is a rather strong slasher film that takes inspiration from the Nier series in terms of plot and Metal Gear Rising in terms of combat system.
The story of Stellar Blade is a tragic post-apocalypse with biblical motifs, spectacular combat and a simply wonderful soundtrack that is sure to be on your playlist. If you have a PlayStation 5, it’s worth a try.
🛒 Game page on PlayStation.com
6. Astro Bot
Let’s move on to the top games. It’s no joke, but at the moment Astro Bot is the most highly rated game of all this year.
Yes, this cute platformer about robots from the Japanese studio Team Asobi.
The game is incredibly addicting, and there are two key aspects to it: the gameplay and the atmosphere of constant fun. Throughout the entire playthrough, it constantly presents surprises – from micromechanics within levels to unexpected fan service and difficult challenges that appear in the most unexpected places.
On the internet, some people are calling the game “the graveyard of Sony franchises,” but Team Asobi was clearly aiming for something else. Astro Bot is more of a respectful and touching tribute to all the games that have ever been released on Sony consoles.
🛒 Game page on PlayStation.com
7. Black Myth: Wukong
And we will end with the top project of this year. A game from the young Chinese studio Game Science, which even before its release was blackmailed and muddied by Western journalists, slander was spread about the studio’s employees online, and individuals were openly bullied, getting personal.
And all because Game Science publicly refused to work with American companies like Sweet Baby Inc., which consult on issues of diversity and implementation of the modern agenda.
Almost all top publications predicted Black Myth: Wukong to be a deafening failure and oblivion. But immediately after the release, the number of concurrent players on Steam reached 996,371 people, and within a few hours their number increased to 2.2 million, this is the second highest figure in the entire history of the online service.
In terms of simultaneous online play, Black Myth: Wukong surpassed other popular single-player games, such as Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077. Lower ratings from specialized publications in this case only played into the hands of the developers.
And, unfortunately, I am sure that the game will not even get into the list of nominees for “Game of the Year” from The Game Awards, and will not receive any specialized regalia. But she deserved the love of the players, respect and honor.
No, not because Game Science sent the Western agenda openly and to hell, although that too. First of all, Black Myth: Wukong is a great game, and if you are interested in why, then please read our review.
The main thing is to discard stereotypes
Often, when Japanese games come up in conversation, sooner or later an opinion will pop up that sounds something like this: “Are these those weird anime games for older kids? Are all these RPGs of yours turn-based with a ton of text? Why is it needed!” And, as a rule, next to this opinion there will certainly be a desperate cry that, they say, the industry is dead, there are only games-services and an agenda.
And every time I see something like this, the first thing I want to ask is: “Well, yes, from the Japanese and even anime, but will there be any disadvantages?” How long has it been since this became a bad thing? And everything is fine with the industry. She is more alive than all the living, and the projects I listed above are the best proof of this.
Yes, the West is really drowning and eating itself in pursuit of investments from companies that value their political and modern social image, it’s true. But as long as we have those studios that remember why computer games are created, everything is fine with the industry. You just need to broaden your horizons and discard conservative stereotypes.
I leave you with this thought. Have a good day!
iPhones.ru Over the last couple of years, more and more often I have come across the opinion that the gaming industry is dying, the agenda is ruining everything, and in general games have gone downhill long ago. And this, unfortunately, is partly true, especially if you look exclusively at the Western segment of game development. In 2024, there was a real renaissance of Eastern culture in games. Since January, a hit song has been released about once a month…
Dmitry Borisov
@Agito_Akira
I write about games, consoles and everything connected with them. A little about everything else.
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