The 24 Best Video Games of 2024
PopMatters’ 24 Best Video Games of 2024 highlight achievements in game design and the risks creators take to lure gamers into the magic circle.
Games
The 24 Best Video Games of 2024
PopMatters’ 24 Best Video Games of 2024 highlight achievements in game design and the risks creators take to lure gamers into the magic circle.
Phoenix Springs’ Journey to Nowhere Is Worth It
Phoenix Springs‘ streamlined gameplay and inventive point-and-click adventure has the pacing of an art-house psychological drama.
‘Silent Hill 2 Remake’ Is a Dark Gem in the Horror Game Renaissance
Humble Polish game developer Bloober Team was near death until they created the dark gem in the horror game renaissance, Silent Hill 2 Remake.
Neva’s Emotion-Engine Gameplay Is a Beautiful Crowd-Pleaser
Neva‘s emotion-engine gameplay, inspired more by Disney’s Bambi than the works of Miyazaki Hayao, is the most sentimental game I’ve played in a long time.
Video Games Set in the 19th Century and Their Literary Allusions
It’s fitting that these video games set in 19th century England transform reading into a form of socializing, as reading in the 19th century was communal.
‘Five Years Old Memories’ and Naïve Art in Video Games
Japanese visual artist, Komitsu’s newest work “Five Years Old Memories” is a colorful interactive documentary. It reimagines old CD-ROM software for the digital era.
The 5 Best Video Game Hip-Hop Soundtracks
Fresh off hip-hop’s 50th birthday PopMatters looks at some of the best hip-hop video game soundtracks. These games boast soundtracks fit for classic status.
Horror Puzzle Video Game ‘The Exit 8’ Is an Inescapable Meme
The horror puzzle video game The Exit 8 is peak capitalist art, or if you prefer, content farm. Either way, it’s also an inescapable meme.
No Such Thing as Failure: Nintendo’s Failed Virtual Boy
Nintendo’s failed Virtual Boy followed the tradition of wondrous human inventions made to trick the eyes, like a diorama. “Retro collecting” gamers love it.
1000xResist’s Magnificent Operatic Heterotopia
Set in the politically significant year of 2046, sci-fi game 1000xResist evokes Michel van der Aa’s operatic music and Hou Hsiao-hsien’s heterotopia-like films.
Cuban Video Game ‘Saviorless’ Subverts the Revolution’s Narrative
Cuban video game Saviorless joins Lillian Guerra’s scholarship and Tomás Gutiérrez Alea’s film The Last Supper in subverting the Cuban Revolution’s narrative.
‘Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’ Represents
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, depicts its setting and characters with care and arguably more seriously than any commercial game produced outside of Iran.