Supply: Ubisoft Montpellier / Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown / 2024 Video Recreation Wrap-Up
2024 has come to a fast finish. It has been a rollercoaster of 12 months in video video games; we break down the great, dangerous, and ugly in our wrap-up.
2023 was a 12 months to recollect, because of releases like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Alan Wake 2, Lifeless Area, Resident Evil 4, El Paso, Elsewhere, and extra, however don’t get it twisted. 2024 was no pushover as a result of so many strong releases.
There was additionally some shaky information within the gaming business, and we’ll talk about all that and hand out our award for Recreation of the Yr.
So let’s wrap up 2024.
The PlayStation 5 Lastly Goes Professional
Supply: PlayStation / PS5 Professional
Sony’s worst-kept secret, the PS5 Professional, lastly arrived after a 12 months and a few change of hypothesis and data leaks. The reveal of Sony’s highly effective console refresh landed with a thud with information of the console’s $700 price ticket, and that’s and not using a stand and disc drive as a result of each equipment are non-obligatory, leaving many asking, did play have limits?
Many then requested if this console was even needed, regardless of the corporate knowingly advertising it to a extra area of interest gamer who prioritizes graphics and body charges.
The consensus on the console on the finish of the day was that it offers gamers with a major enhance in efficiency and constancy, however it’s not one thing it’s essential to rush out and purchase.
We will see how the PS5 Professional fares in 2025 and if it was genuinely value Sony even making it. Our prediction: we count on it to fare effectively within the new 12 months as builders focus extra on the PS5 and Professional fashions and not must wor optimizing video games for the PS4.
The PS Portal Was A Win For Sony
Supply: Bernard Smalls / iOne Digital / HHW Gaming / PS Portal / PlayStation
The PS Portal was an enormous shock win for Sony. When it was first revealed, the fast query was, why? It didn’t run natively, had no Bluetooth functionality, and was primarily only a companion accent for the PS5 console, solely working off the console’s Distant Play characteristic.
When information of the gadget began circulating again in 2023, and images started hitting the online, we instantly felt that Challenge Q, because it was referred to as on the time, was Sony’s means of testing if they need to get again within the nonetheless sizzling handheld market, Nintendo very a lot dominates that.
That turned out to be the case, with PlayStation boss Hideaki Nishino saying that the PS Portal gross sales have been a “big success” story for the corporate and including that the gadget would proceed to “evolve.”
With the addition of Cloud Streaming (Beta), we have now seen indicators of Sony actively growing a local handheld gadget that won’t require you to be tethered to your PS5 console.
Sony isn’t alone; Xbox can be engaged on a handheld gadget however has but to drag the lid off what has provide you with.
Retaining it a buck, when you’ve got been on the fence concerning the PS Portal, now could be a greater time than any to think about getting your self one; this gamer really appreciates how clutch it’s when being in entrance of the tv and console shouldn’t be an choice.
Simply guarantee that the web and Wi-Fi are as much as snuff.
Nearly Every part Is Now An Xbox
Supply: Xbox / Xbox Gaming x Amazon Fireplace TV
As we approached the top of the 12 months, Microsoft made its plans for the longer term abundantly clear: nearly your entire units, not simply the black field, are Xboxes.
Since Xbox’s mission was clear after its shaky begin following the Activision /Blizzard/King acquisition, it was capable of regroup after its epic failures.
Determined for wins, Xbox lastly bought some, however not the standard means. As an alternative, they launched console exclusives like Hello-Fi Rush and Pentiment, adopted by Sea of Thieves and Grounded on the PS5 and Nintendo Swap. These titles turned greatest sellers within the PlayStation Retailer regardless of lackluster console gross sales.
The extremely anticipated Senua’s Sacrifice: Hellblade II, one other technical masterpiece from Xbox studio Ninja Principle, was additionally launched in 2024. Nevertheless, it was additionally a polarizing recreation, with critics divided on whether or not it was well worth the wait and whether or not it ought to have been thought of an enormous unique for the Xbox Sequence X.
Two large wins for Group Inexperienced needed to be Name of Obligation: Black Ops 6, Indiana Jones and the Nice Circle coming to Xbox Recreation Move to excessive reward.
2025 could be an attention-grabbing 12 months for Xbox. Sure, many individuals are nonetheless skeptical concerning the firm’s plans shifting ahead, primarily as a result of they really feel their loyalty has been taken as a right. Nonetheless, Xbox was dropping, and so they realized they wanted to pivot.
They nonetheless have their mid-level refresh console, codenamed Brooklin, the aforementioned native handheld within the works, and loads of video games within the pipeline, so we’re nonetheless very intrigued.
Layoffs & Studio Closures
Supply: Microsoft / Xbox
Sure, it was cool to debate all the good issues that occurred in 2024, however we might not be trustworthy if we didn’t point out the layoffs and the shuttering of quite a few online game studios.
At the start of the 12 months, Microsoft introduced it was shedding 1,900 Activision Blizzard and Xbox staff. This was not look for a corporation that had simply spent $69 billion to accumulate the Name of Obligation developer. It continued the development from 2023 when an estimated 10,500 recreation business staff misplaced their jobs.
Xbox additionally shuttered 4 of its studios: Tango Gameworks, which delivered the shock hit Hello-Fi Rush; Redfall developer Arkane Austin; Alpha Canine; and Roundhouse.
PlayStation additionally bought in on the act as effectively, shedding 900 staff in February 2024 and struggling what the most important miss of the 12 months with its hero shooter, Harmony, which by no means actually bought to see the sunshine of day following a really poor reception and ultimately shuttering the studio behind it, Firewalk was was.
Gaming journalism additionally suffered after Gamestop shut down Recreation Informer journal after 33 superb years and lots of hearth cowl tales and exclusives.
Gamestop didn’t even give the journal the correct sendoff it deserved, choosing a lame touchdown web page once you go to the now-defunct publications touchdown web page.
What a tragic means for the long-lasting journal to finish. Former Recreation Informer staff talk about the unceremonious finish on the FPS Podcast beneath.
HHW Gaming’s Recreation of The Yr
Supply: Ubisoft / The Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown
In a 12 months that noticed loads of bangers like Closing Fantasy VII: Rebirth, Astro Bot, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Helldivers II, Tekken 8, and extra, there can solely be one HHW Gaming Recreation of The Yr.
However figuring out which recreation would win our prestigious Recreation of the Yr award wasn’t onerous. The winner is Ubisoft Montpellier’s Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown.
There was little doubt that The Misplaced Crown was a particular title from the primary time we booted it up in January. In our overview of the sport, our resident gamer, Beanz, wrote:
The Final Crown is a masterpiece; I used to be hard-pressed to seek out something fallacious with this recreation. The fight is snappy and enjoyable to make use of because of the combo system and Sargon’s acquired talents, permitting for fashionable, quick gameplay.
Whereas Ubisoft Montreal is difficult at work on the Sands of Time remake, Montpellier’s The Misplaced Crown is not only a placeholder; it’s the proper pivot for the franchise, placing it on a refreshing path to newfound greatness.
Sadly, Sargon’s journey will seemingly not proceed as a result of Ubisoft disbanded the Montpellier crew, leaving the sport in limbo. This growth is disheartening as a result of Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown was a novel recreation with the potential to change into a brand new hit chapter within the iconic online game franchise.
We are going to hold our fingers crossed that Ubisoft will acknowledge the error of its methods with The Misplaced Crown, however we’re not holding our breath.
Effectively, that’s it for 2024, onward to 2025. Maintain it locked on HHW Gaming for the video games we’re trying ahead to in 2025, and hit the gallery beneath for different video games we thought have been bangers in 2024.
