Tim Disney

Some Games I Enjoyed In 2024

Palworld #

Pokemon but with guns.

Was briefly very into this game. Wrote a bit about it at the time.

Quickly dropped off because it was very early access and those kind of engagement hooks have a very short half-life on me. Might circle back at some point but probably not.

Final Fantasy XIV #

WoW but make it good.

I finished the story content up through Endwalker this year and very much enjoyed it. I'd been working through the main story of FF14 off and on since 2021 (got interested in the game off the hype for the initial Endwalker release).

As much as I enjoyed my time I think I'm done with FF14. The story could be incredibly affecting but working through the MSQ too often felt like a slog.

Persona 5 Royal #

Persona but make it the fifth one.

I've been playing this one off and on for years. Unless it's an automation game I find it difficult to really stick with a game beyond twenty hours or so and Persona 5 Royal is much longer than that. Finally pushed through to the end and really glad I did.

Destiny 2: The Final Shape #

Destiny but make it good finally (finally ðŸŠĶ).

I've been a casual Destiny enjoyer off and on ever since D1 came out in 2014 so it was nice to see everything really come together after a decade. I dropped off hard after finishing the campaign though and don't expect I'll be coming back.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree #

Elden Ring but even more.

Consort Radahn was BS. 10/10

Metaphor ReFantazio #

Persona but make it fantasy and extremely relevant to our current moment.

Only half way through but having a great time. Has been more consistently compelling to me than Persona 5 (which took forever to finish). Better story pacing, refined job system, and unique world building helps a lot. Also doesn't hurt that I "get" persona-type games better now after having played a few.

Factorio: Space Age #

Factorio but make it space.

Automation games in general and factorio in particular are extremely my jam. I'll be playing this one for a while. I'm taking my time, sixty hours in and I've only managed to get to one of the new planets so far (Vulcanus).

UFO 50 #

Retro games but make them modern and alt-history and 50 of them.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this since I'm not usually much of a retro gamer. My nostalgia goggles aren't corrective enough to look past the frustrating game designs of the past.

But modern game designers interpreting the games of old through the conceit of alt-history works really well. While a few of the games in the collection are intentionally frustrating in the style of actual 80s games, most are a clever injection of modern sensibilities under 8-bit constraints. Party House, Pilot Quest, Campanella 2, Rail Heist, and Avianos are particular standouts for me.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​