Games

The concept of an expansive video game universe requiring substantial time commitment from the player can be intimidating, given the multitude of games vying for your focus. Yet, the lure of such an offering is hard to resist. This year, numerous games have provided just that – immersive experiences ranging from open-world adventures to those with unique structures yet boasting vast realms for players to traverse. Here, we’ll discuss some exceptional games that left a lasting impression on us.

As a gaming enthusiast, I must say that even though The Game Awards ran for quite some time, it didn’t feel long at all given the spectacular lineup of reveals! From whispers of The Witcher 4 and the comeback of Okami and Onimusha, to Elden Ring: Nightreign venturing the Souls-like genre into a standalone multiplayer realm, and Split Fiction promising another mind-blowing co-op adventure by Hazelight Studios – it was all simply thrilling! To top it off, the rumored Virtua Fighter reboot was officially confirmed with an amazing new trailer. What a night for gamers like myself!

Fresh updates often re-engage players who may have grown tired of or moved on from games. This is definitely true for the recent “Palworld Feybreak” update, which surpasses the previous record for new content with Sakurajima. Not only does it introduce a vast, unexplored island in Palpagos, but it also introduces over fifty new creatures, or Pals, to the game.

2024 saw some surprising hits among the top-rated Nintendo Switch games, with many coming from less established developers rather than Nintendo’s usual lineup. While Nintendo has traditionally dominated the Switch market with titles like Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, 2024 bucked this trend.

2024’s Christmas Day witnessed a variety of films competing fiercely at the box office. However, there could be just one ruler, and it was none other than Disney’s prequel film, Mufasa: The Lion King, that claimed the throne, grossing $14.7 million on Christmas. In second place, we find the much-awaited horror movie, Nosferatu, which made a powerful debut with $11.5 million on its opening day. At number 3 was Sonic 3, raking in $10.3 million for its video game trilogy movie. The Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unkown (starring Timothée Chalamet as the main character), took the fourth spot with a take of $7.2M, boosted by $1.4M from Christmas Eve previews. Lastly, Wicked rounded off the top 5 with $5.4M, demonstrating its impressive box office presence, having secured Top 5 spots during both Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays this year.

For players of Dead by Daylight, developer Behaviour Interactive often provides codes throughout the year that you can redeem. As we approach the end of 2025, there are two such codes available now for redemption this month. In keeping with the style of Dead by Daylight, one code is for Bloodpoints which are relatively common, but the other offers exclusive cosmetics that are harder to come by. Keep in mind these codes do have expiration dates, so if you’re a fan of Dead by Daylight, it’s best to redeem them as soon as possible.