10 Best RPGs Of 2024

Metaphor: Refantazio is the proud owner of many of gaming's "bests". To name a few:

The best Esperanto rap track.

The best Liverpudlian likely lads.

The best villain you flip between wanting to fight and f**k.

Let's go through those superlatives one by one. First up, the aforementioned Esperanto battle rap exemplifies Metaphor's unique sense of style - a stylishness that permeates every aspect of the game, from the iconic character designs to the game's thumping soundtrack (this writer's personal favourite is the Gauntlet Runner theme, possibly the best steampunk track ever made).

The Liverpudlians? A pair of dog-eared lovable rogues whose journey marks one of the game's many emotional high points. Yet even they are but two players in one of the greatest casts ATLUS have yet assembled - a rogue's gallery of foodie knights, gentlemanly man-bats (yes, it's meant to be that way round) and shapeshifting songstresses.

And of course there's Louis Guiabern, the game's regicidal antagonist. From the moment Louis' flowing locks first enter the picture, Refantazio's resident villain is a magnetic presence for the game's 80-hour duration. ATLUS did a superb job creating someone whose natural charisma (and impossible good looks) make it all too easy to see why a nation would fall behind him, despite his obvious megalomania and disdain for the very people who worship him.

There are other bests that haven't even been mentioned (best turn-based combat, best political narrative), but there's only one that truly matters: Metaphor: Refantazio is the best RPG of 2024.