Best new video games of 2024: FFVII, Helldivers, Infinite Wealth

The video game industry is in a state of flux: Studios haven’t eased off mass layoffs that began in 2023, nonsensical microtransactions continue to exist (adding unnecessary additional costs to already full-priced games), and the future of physical game media is unclear. (I’m the kind of gamer who buys as much physical media as possible, for the record.)

On the flip side, though, are the games themselves. For gamers, the first three months of 2024 have been bountiful. From a much-anticipated return to the world of Final Fantasy VII to a surprise hit that can only be described as a video game homage to “Starship Troopers,” gamers have plenty of worthwhile options to spend their time (and money) on.

Here are highlights of some of my favorite titles so far this year.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Price: $69.99

Rated: T for Teen, for blood, language, mild suggestive themes, use of alcohol and tobacco, violence

Available on: PlayStation 5

This massive sequel to 2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake (the second part in a planned trilogy) continues taking players on a journey both familiar and fresh as protagonist Cloud and his companions race to save the world from the malevolence of Sephiroth. Much in Rebirth is similar to Remake: the combat, the visuals, the exploration, the music (which is so, so good!). The new draw here is the story. Remake’s conclusion set Cloud and Co. on a different path than the one they took in the original game from 1997. Rebirth continues down that path, and while many story beats will be familiar to FFVII fans, there’s so much more that will delight and surprise, making the dozens of hours of gameplay worthwhile. What comes next for Cloud in the final...