5. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (Xbox Series X|S)

The first time we saw Space Marine 2 running, like actually being played in front of us, well, we said a lot of words that aren't really printable here, especially at Christmas. However, the general gist was that we were very excited, aroused even, to play it.

And we were right to feel thusly, as Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is absolutely phenomenal stuff. It's hard to see how they could have nailed it any better than they nailed it in nailing it the way they nailed it here, in fact (eggnog). Think Gears of War but faster, harder and with some truly stellar swarm tech on hand to deliver the alien hordes of your worst (or best?) nightmares.

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As we said back in our whopper of a 9/10 review;

"Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a spectacular achievement that gives Warhammer fans everything they could possibly have wanted when it comes to roleplaying their favourite chonky space boys. Saber's swarm tech is deployed to dazzling effect, and with purpose and context, too. This is the Tyranid swarm of your nightmares, and you've been given all the slick melee moves, sick finishers and great big shooty guns you'll need to stave it off. Think Gears of War with hundreds of enemies onscreen at once, with the cumbersome cover system removed and the speed dialled up and you're in the right place. And what a place to be, whether solo or with pals online, this is one of the best action games we've played in a long while."

4. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 (Xbox Series X|S)

Now, we (and by "we" I mean me) might have given Stalker 2 a 4/10 back at launch, but that doesn't mean it hasn't made it to our top ten list of 2024 and, honestly, we couldn't be happier.

It's great to see this game being supported, and to see some players willing to take the not-insignificant amounts of rough with the smooth, as it gives GSC Game World the time and support it's gonna need to get things right. Thankfully, in the short time since our review went live, the game has already seen a few hefty patches. We still want to wait for the A-Life feature to get fully sorted before we dive back in for a re-review or updated thoughts, but things are moving in the right direction - AI spawning and player detection has been fixed to a degree - and we've no doubt we'll be playing this one for a long time to come as it slowly morphs into the game it ought to be.

Now let's look back at what we said at launch with a hope that we'll have much more positive things to say very soon;

"S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is a pretty big mess. In its current state, this is a badly-judged game in almost every way. The new zone is incredible to behold at times, for sure, but it's a world at odds with itself; full of gear and guns, but with precious little in the way of enemies that challenge you to use them. The story is terrible, the A-Life system is AWOL, and the acting and writing is atrocious. Stalker 2 is cheap in how it kills without warning, is packed full of bugs and performance issues on Series X, and is devoid of mostly anything that makes it feel worth playing for very long."

3. Senua's Saga: Hellblade II (Xbox Series X|S)

We might have given this one a 7/10 (again, this was actually me, I'm afraid) but there's still plenty to enjoy about Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, and it's certainly landed well with you lot, coming in at an unexpectedly high spot in our top ten for the year!

We declared a lack of focus, and a dilution of Senua's character were the biggest flaws here, alongside some weak puzzles and scraps. However, it's hard to deny the shock and awe this one still manages to pack, thanks to incredible technical work and some amazing performances. As we said in our review;

"Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 is the best-looking video game we've ever played. It sounds incredible, Melina Juergens acts herself inside out, and on a purely technical level this is just next-level stuff all round. However, we still don't feel as though extending Senua's plight into a Saga is a good idea. We remain unconvinced, and it's because this sequel feels like diminishing returns, as we had worried it might. It's not as vital or as unique in 2024, and it goes for bombast as a means of smoothing things over, resulting in a good game, an interesting eight hour romp, but nothing that screams must-play. Weak combat and dull puzzles are just more salt in these wounds, unfortunately."

2. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Xbox Series X|S)

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 being really bloody good came as something of a surprise to us here at Pure Xbox. We were looking forward to it, for sure, but the past few miserable campaign experiences didn't leave us with much hope of this one being great.

However, as we said in our 9/10 review, a strong campaign and top-notch MP combine to create the best CoD in ages! So who looks stupid now? It's us (or, more specifically, me);

"Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a massive success for Xbox. This year's COD is packed with content across its three main modes, and Game Pass players will be able to enjoy this one for months - especially when additional seasonal content starts to release. Raven Software's campaign mode is a blast, multiplayer is the best it's been in years, and while Zombies isn't what it once was in our book, it's still a fun third mode to mess around with. If Call of Duty can continue to remain this high-quality each year, Microsoft has a winner on its hands, but for now let's just enjoy Black Ops 6 for what it is - a cracking COD game and a fine example of a console FPS."

1. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (Xbox Series X|S)

Well now. There is a large cat amongst the pigeons here, and it's wearing a fedora hat and whipping people.

Yes, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has triumphed in our reader's vote and becomes Pure Xbox's Game of the Year for 2024. HOW DARE YOU!

We gave it a 6/10, which classifies as "Not Bad", and you people have the GALL to make it #1? Unbelievable! And that's the thing, innit. Different strokes for different folks. Perhaps there's a nice Xmas lesson to be learned here, after all.

In fact, while some of the team didn't particularly get along with the vibe of Dr Jones' latest adventure, there were those of us who enjoyed it immensely (this writer included) and it's not hard to see how its mix of top-notch writing, perfectly suited mechanics and enjoyable exploration have landed so well with so many.

There's an attention to detail in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, in how they've nailed Spielberg's camera movements and cuts at points; in the way the light catches a character's face in just the same way as the movies during cutscenes, in how the reds here are the exact shade as that found in Temple of Doom. You can feel the love in every scene, really. Combine this with a jaw-dropping performance from Troy of the Bakervilles, and gameplay that allows you time and space to experiment (I beat the game without shooting my pistol more than once or twice!) and you've got yourself an Indy epic that outdoes all but three of the movies!

Congratulations to everyone involved at MachineGames and Bethesda on making our Game of the Year for 2024!

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And that, as they say, is that. Thanks to everyone who took the time out to vote this year! We know it's been a little divisive at points, some of this year's big releases on Xbox disappointed as many as they impressed, but needless to say there's been a smorgasbord of incredible experiences to dig into once again this year.

Before we nip out to walk off the turkey here, let us finally wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year, if you're into that sort of thing. May you all have a nice break filled with good food and mucho gaming time. See you soon!