10 Best RPGs Of 2024

Bloated; overlong; overstuffed; unwieldy; ridiculous; inexplicably ugly; downright baffling - yes, these words and more are the perfect way to describe this opening sentence. They also, by astonishing coincidence, describe Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth. And yet, you can't help but love it (the game, not the sentence).

Yes, Rebirth is far too long and padded with dull collectathon sidequests, but by God it has heart. When looking back on the game, it's not the time spent climbing up towers like an Ubisoft protagonist that sticks in the memory but the lovable weirdness that permeates the game and gives it an identity unlike anything else released this year.

What other game would transform your characters into tabletop miniatures to engage in turn-based skrimishes with an inter-dimensional samurai? Or indulge in a paean to baldness? Or have your party members straight up call you an a**hole for honoring the time-honored JRPG tradition of rooting through other people's cupboards and wardrobes?

And as the cherry on top of the surrealist pudding, Rebirth is blessed with the best real time combat of any Final Fantasy to date. A welcome evolution of Remake's systems, Rebirth is an utter joy to control on the battlefield. Square Enix did a great job crafting the game's seven unique fighters, to the point where each one feels like a more fully fledged combatant than Final Fantasy XVI's sole protagonist.

Despite its flaws, Rebirth is a strong step back towards the light after the disappointment of Final Fantasy XVI and a welcome show of strength for the struggling Final Fantasy franchise.