Support NeoGAF

[adamsapple]

​

Time has called on 2024, but one more treat is being served in the name of another year gone and games we may have enjoyed. My top 8 best Technology/Graphics/Art list of 2024 is ready for your enjoyment. As always, a tight affair to put things into some level of order and the list will always be subjective. That said, this covers my Top 8 for the year now done and also includes an extra Retro Bonus. Looking back to my childhood and the best games I enjoyed in 1984 between Arcade and home with my ongoing 40 years of Pixels, is there anything on or missing from this list that you agree or disagree with? Be it 2024 or 1984 or VR, leave you comment below and let me know.

Chapters

0:00 Number 8
4:40 Number 7
7:00 Number 6
10:09 Number 5
13:25 Number 4
16:17 Best VR game
20:33 Number 3
23:45 Best Graphics/Tech 1984
30:19 Number 2
33:16 Number 1
37:12 Honorary Titles


Rankings:

8. Helldivers 2
7. The Plucky Squire
6. Stellar Blade
5. Space Marine 2
4. Astrobot
3. Black Myth Wukong
2. Hellblade 2
1. Indiana Jones And The Great Circle

Best VR: Alien Rogue Incursion

 

[Thief1987]

Any guess why adamsapple suddenly remembered that NXGamer exist?

 

[adamsapple]

Any guess why adamsapple suddenly remembered that NXGamer exist?

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Damn I need to finish Indy

 

[adamsapple]

Damn I need to finish Indy

The finale is probably one of the most impressive visual set piece in any game this gen I've played. The character rendering goes a long way.

Though I gotta say, personally I'm surprised both DF and NX gave Indy the nod over Hellblade 2. I thought HB2 would be the shoe-in.

 

[ReBurn]

Saying that 1984 was the beginning of the end for arcades is a silly take.

 

[skyfinch]

Indy and Hellblade both on Series S. Those Wukong developers need to put some respect on Series S name.

 

[Senua]

The finale is probably one of the most impressive visual set piece in any game this gen I've played. The character rendering goes a long way.

Though I gotta say, personally I'm surprised both DF and NX gave Indy the nod over Hellblade 2. I thought HB2 would be the shoe-in.

They're both wrong

 

[adamsapple]

They're both wrong

What would you have put?

 

[Senua]

What would you have put?

I meant both DF and NX got it wrong. HB2 is #1, no question.

 

[Ainem Enamas]

I like id Tech engine so much!

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

No silent hill 2?

 

[Shaki12345]

No silent hill 2?

It's only an opinion.

 

[adamsapple]

No silent hill 2?

Surprisingly, no. Not even in the honorable mentions, where he at least charitably put in Rebirth.

 

[StereoVsn]

Damn I need to finish Indy

Same. Got about halfway through but got distracted by some other stuff.

 

[SirTerry-T]

Saying that 1984 was the beginning of the end for arcades is a silly take.

Yep

Outrun - 1986
Street fighter - 1987
R-Type - 1987

...and that's just three examples.

Why do many of them these online "experts" get so much simple shit wrong.


Edit- he was clearly a C64 owner. That explains it.

 

[Thebonehead]

Edit- he was clearly a C64 owner. That explains it.

What do you mean? That c64 owners thought it was arcade quality?

Zaxxon / Spy hunter / commando were the only games that came closer due to their simplicity.

1986 had games also like Nemesis (Gradius) / gauntlet / wonder boy and one of my personal favourites Hyper Dyne Side Arms, all of which the c64 couldn't get close too

 

[BigLee74]

Not often an NXGamer thread doesn’t get pages and pages of responses!

Arguably the top 2 are the wrong way around…

 

[nkarafo]

Saying that 1984 was the beginning of the end for arcades is a silly take.

He probably prefers single screen games. I know some people slightly older than me who think the same. They prefer games like Pac-man or Space Invaders over scrolling games like Ghosts n Goblins or (let alone) sprite scaling games like Space Harrier.

Both Ghosts n Goblins and Space Harrier were released in 1985. That year was the turning point where scrolling/scaling took over single screen games.

For me it's the opposite. I don't like single screen games at all. Other maybe than Bubble Bobble. For me 1985/86 is the era when arcades really took off.

 

[BennyBlanco]

Saying that 1984 was the beginning of the end for arcades is a silly take.

Legit one of the dumbest takes Ive ever read. Street Fighter 2, Mortal Kombat, all those Capcom brawlers, all those Namco lightgun games, etc were all in the 90s. NXGamer stinks.

 

[gerth666]

The finale is probably one of the most impressive visual set piece in any game this gen I've played. The character rendering goes a long way.

Though I gotta say, personally I'm surprised both DF and NX gave Indy the nod over Hellblade 2. I thought HB2 would be the shoe-in.

Because the criteria is the best looking game. Not interactive movie.
Hellblade as gorgeous as it looks, is just a glorified tech demo. I don't care what anyone says, I'll fight em

 

[DenchDeckard]

Xbox studios had one hell of a year for visuals. Great single player content with indy too.

Bring on this year

 

[GymWolf]

Indy over hb2 or wukong is ridicolous.

Also stellar blade and astro but no sh2r?

Remilk2 in the honorable mentions?

Lmao.


Hard to chose what list sucks more between this one and df list, graphic authorities my filthy ass.

 

[Fess]

Just glanced at the video so maybe he explained it. But I’m surprised to see him run Indy at max path tracing on a 4080 Super considering it then goes above 16GB and pull the fps down to like OoT figures.

 

[ReBurn]

Legit one of the dumbest takes Ive ever read. Street Fighter 2, Mortal Kombat, all those Capcom brawlers, all those Namco lightgun games, etc were all in the 90s. NXGamer stinks.

He gets ahead of himself with some of his takes. I like his technical analysis work, but his personal takes often come off as pompous.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Never a fan but I like this result

 

[Pedro Motta]

Though I gotta say, personally I'm surprised both DF and NX gave Indy the nod over Hellblade 2. I thought HB2 would be the shoe-in.

One is a full fledged game, the other is not.

 

[SlimySnake]

Best looking game of the year everyone.

 

[VolticArchangel]

This is probably a hot take, but at first glance, Indy doesn't even look close to being as good as Hellblade 2, and I will die on this hill.

Yeah, the tech might be superior, baked-in RT and all that.

HB2 PC version in motion on a 75" OLED made my jaw drop on how insane it looked. One of the very few games with a generational leap in real time 3d graphics.