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The gaming scene in Japan focuses mostly on mobile gaming, due to the massive popularity of smartphones. The second place is taken by consoles, as Japan is the birthplace of Nintendo and Sony, and only about 10% of the whole video gaming market is taken by PC gamers. You’d expect those video game companies there would focus only on mobile games, but to everyone’s surprise, Japan has managed to make some of the highest-ranking non-mobile games in 2024.
Top 4 Games Made in Japan in 2024
In this article, we have singled out four games coming from Japan that have incredibly high review scores (90+ on Metacritic) and were well-received by fans and critics everywhere.
1. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree – Metascore 94/100
The highly-anticipated expansion for the incredibly popular Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree added a ton of content to the base game, with new areas, quests, weapons, mechanics, enemies, and more. It takes about 25 hours to beat the game regularly, and about 70 hours if you want that 100% completion, both of which are quite a lot for an expansion.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree scored 94 on Metacritic, which is a tad worse than the base game, which has a score of 96. Critics generally praise it for being like a standalone game, more than an expansion. “The Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expansion had a lot to live up to, but gorgeous vistas, superb boss fights, and a range of fun new gear sweep you through a massive expansion that feels half as long as it is,” said GamesRadar+.
2. Astro Bot – Metascore 94/100
A recent addition, Astro Bot has won the hearts and minds of PlayStation fans all over the globe. It is a simple 3d platformer, where you play as an adorable robot named Astro Bot tasked with rescuing other Bots scattered all over different galaxies. The best part is that there are so-called VIP Bots, that look like cute bot versions of characters from other famous PlayStation games.
Astro Bot managed to score 94 on Metacritic as well, with critics like Dot Esports saying: “Across the 10-15 hours of Astro Bot I gratefully lapped up, I had an immovable grin on my face. I smiled and laughed (unironically) from start to finish—Astro Bot is ridiculously fun and makes gaming fun”
3. Metaphor: ReFantazio – Metascore 94/100
Okay, this is a cheeky addition since it releases tomorrow, October 11, but Metaphor: ReFantazio is already praised by the critics. The game follows a young boy with magical abilities, on his quest to secure the throne for his friend, the crown prince of Euchronia. It is made by a group of people who worked on Persona games, so the game does feel a lot like Persona.
Metaphor: ReFantazio scored 94 out of 100 on Metacritic in the preliminary reviews. “Somehow, Metaphor: ReFantazio is even greater than the sum of its parts, yet each piece of the game is masterfully crafted. I found the whole experience transcendent and was impressed by how it felt both novel yet familiar–elevated and modern, yet so reminiscent to the fantasy RPGs I sunk countless hours into on my little grey PlayStation.” said a critic from GameSpot.
4. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – Metascore 92/100
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second game in Square Enix’s plan to remake Final Fantasy VII from 1997. The game takes place on “The Planet” and centers on the journey of Cloud Strife and other characters as they seek to end the tyranny of the Shinra Electric Power Company. Final Fantasy games have always been well-received by PlayStation fans, and the same goes for the latest remake.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth managed to score 92/100 on Metacritic, with Dexerto saying: “This is Game of the Year material and an exceptional follow-up to a revered first entry. It handles the beloved material with care while still establishing its own new voice, making for a stellar sequel.”