VGChartz's Evan Norris: "It's easier and often more profitable to focus on the negative in the video game industry, but there's enough gloominess in the world. Let's focus instead on all the happy surprises that 2024 gave us. First, there's Balatro, the little indie-that-could that made a bigger splash than most AAA games. Second, there's Bakeru, an unassuming action-platformer with style and creativity approximating the giants of the genre. Third, there's The Plucky Squire, an outside-the-box (and off-the-page) action-adventure that constantly breaks the rules. Fourth, there's Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, which against the odds delivers both an outstanding Metroidvania and a game worthy of the legendary franchise. Finally, there's Silent Hill 2, which, despite months of hand-wringing, turned out to be one of the best remakes of the year."
TNS: The game industry loves solo dev success stories, but the reality rarely mentions teams of artists, testers, and musicians.
Localthunk: "The honest reason I don't have microtransactions/season pass/ads/100 DLCs/etc in Balatro isn't just about the ethics of those practices but because when I play other games that have those things it makes me want to put my computer in the dishwasher and set it to pots & pans."
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