February saw the release of some of the best-scoring video games of the year. Games like Balatro and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. February also had many other massive moments in the game industry. Walt Disney Company invested over a billion in Epic Games and unfortunately, both Sony Interactive Entertainment and Electronic Arts laid off over 600 staff each. Sony laid off nearly 1000 employees across various studios. As we look back on this pivotal month of the year, let’s remember the best games of the month that everyone forgot about.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink
©RPGFan
- Released On: February 1, 2024
- Available On: Windows, PS4, and PS5
- Metacritic Score: 81
- Metacritic User Score: 8.3
- All-Time Peak Steam Player Count: 113,179
- Average Steam Player Count: 2,572
Granblue Fantasy: Relink is a spin-off of the Granblue Fantasy fighting games. Instead of a fighting game, Relink is an action RPG similar to the Tales of series titles. The story follows the player character and their crew after monsters attack their airship. The game sold well and was received well by critics as well.
While it did suffer a massive but expected drop off of players, the Relink community is still going strong. If you’re looking for a colorful, vibrant action RPG full of style and character, look no further than Granblue Fantasy: Relink.
Helldivers 2
©Helldivers II promotional image - Original
- Released On: February 8, 2024
- Available On: Windows and PS5
- Metacritic Score: 83
- Metacritic User Score: 7.4
- All Time Peak Steam Player Count: 458,208
- Average Steam Player Count: 46,817
Helldivers 2 was a phenomenon when it was released at the beginning of the year. With its hilarious branding and solid gameplay loop the game gathered a very loyal following. However, the game was not without controversy. The game was originally a PS5 exclusive and when it came to PC many players felt tricked by Sony.
To play Helldivers 2 on PC you must have a PSN account which isn’t that big of a deal, maybe annoying but not that big of a deal. The problem is that the PlayStation Network isn’t available everywhere so those who live in countries like Afghanistan, Cuba, Morroco, and over 120 more, are just locked out from enjoying Helldivers 2.
If you’re interested in enjoying one of the best games of the year, might make more sense to purchase the title on PS5 instead.
Banishers: Ghost of New Eden
©RPGFan
- Released On: February 13, 2024
- Available On: Windows, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5
- Metacritic Score: 78
- Metacritic User Score: 7.8
- All Time Peak Steam Player Count: 3,779
- Average Steam Player Count: 149
Dontnod Entertainment, the developers of titles such as Remember Me and the original Life is Strange title, released a new IP in February. Banishers fuse action and mystery in this title, which is perfect for fans of the studio. While Remember Me was ironically forgettable, there was fun to be had in its combat. Life is Strange’s mystery is the best part of it. So Banishers gives you the best of both worlds.
It tries to do something different and with current gaming trends feeling a bit samey, this might be the perfect game for those who might have overlooked it. The story is dark and intense but coalesces into something beautiful. Every gamer should give it a try, at least once.
Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story
©RPGFan
- Released On: February 21, 2024
- Available On: Windows and Nintendo Switch
- Metacritic Score: 76
- Metacritic User Score: 7.4
- All Time Peak Steam Player Count: 1,356
- Average Steam Player Count: 10
Riot Games has been having a great year despite the two layoffs they had this year. Arcane season 2 has just aired, and the first act is just as good as the previous one. They just had a very successful world championship where the Korean team, T1, has just won their fifth championship, and we are very close to the release of their anticipated fighting game, 2XKO.
Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story is a farming sim game where players create their own Yordle and try to fix malfunctioning portals connecting to sky islands in Bandle City. The game has been praised for its graphics and atmosphere however, it was criticized for being repetitive. Farming sims tend to be a bit more on the repetitive side so it really just depends on whether you like the core gameplay loop.
With such a large drop in players since the game released, this game is definitely an acquired taste, but if you’re a fan of Farm simulation and are looking for something different and niche, maybe you’ll find a new favorite in Bandle Tale.
Pentiment
- Released On: February 22, 2024
- Available On: Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PS5
- Metacritic Score: 90
- Metacritic User Score: 7.6
- All Time Peak Steam Player Count: 1,250
- Average Steam Player Count: 49
Pentiment actually released a few years ago for Windows and Xbox consoles but this year it made it to other consoles. This title is definitely one of the best games of the year and even won a Peabody Award in 2023 which is given to the most powerful stories in media. Pentiment is a narrative adventure game where the player has to solve a series of murders.
Murder Mystery video games are some of the best in the medium because of their emphasis on great writing. Pentiment is a great entry point into the genre of mystery for gamers and it’s niche enough that fans might have missed it. Pentiment is almost universally loved by gaming publications and while I’m not saying we’re always right, maybe this game deserves all of the praise it has gotten.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©CheatCC/Jazz Stewart.