2024: Year in Review

A random collection of events and peculiar moments that shaped my 2024

December 31, 2024

Pencil sketch of a still life featuring a human skull resting on a book, with a flower in a cylindrical vase positioned next to it

Another year has flown by—it feels like it ended before it even began!

As the final day of 2024 arrives, let’s take a moment to chill, and review the events and oddities that defined my year. ✨

✨ Push Golf and Unreal Engine 5 Petit Contest 21

After finally building my new workstation PC, I decided to dive into learning Unreal Engine 5. What better way to put my newfound skills into practice than by joining a UE5-based game jam?

Unreal Engine 5 Petit Contest 21 was a unique experience that pushed my creativity and technical skills. The contest ran for about seven weeks, from February 16 to April 7. This relaxed timeline allowed participants to brainstorm, prototype, and build their projects at a comfortable pace.

Having mostly been accustomed to shorter game jams, adjusting to a longer format was a learning curve. Still, it gave me the chance to push my limits (pun intended 😂) and explore new ideas, culminating in Push Golf.

Participating in this competition was a lot of fun and a valuable opportunity to deepen my understanding of Unreal Engine. That said, Push Golf ended up being my only serious gamedev project this year—which, looking back, feels a bit disappointing. 😞

If you’re curious about the journey, I’ve documented the entire process in a two-part blog series:

Push Golf and the Unreal Engine 5 Petit Contest: From Nostalgia to a Game Jam (Part 1)

Push Golf and the Unreal Engine 5 Petit Contest: Creating the Game (Part 2)

🎮 Metaphor: ReFantazio

I haven’t played many games this year, but I’m glad I made time for this one. I spent a big chunk of my winter break on Metaphor: ReFantazio, and after finishing it, all I can say is—wow. It made me feel like a kid again, playing PS2-era JRPGs in the best way.

As a longtime SMT/Persona fan, I’ve been waiting 8 years for this (it was first announced as “Project Re:Fantasy” back in December 2016), and I’m so happy it finally came out. Aside from a few early teasers and promo art, I went in almost completely blind, which made the whole experience even more memorable.

I cleared it on hard mode, which provided a solid challenge. The reduced EXP meant I was underleveled for a lot of the game, which kept the tension high in battles. The turn-based battle system actually reminded me of Digital Devil Saga.

The story, art direction, and soundtrack are all fantastic. This is a game with real heart; you can feel the passion from ATLUS/Studio Zero pouring out of every corner.

Character More from Metaphor: ReFantazio in a dialogue scene. This portrait shows him as pale-skinned with long, straight, light blonde hair, wearing a dark beret with small metallic horns. His eyes are closed, and he has a slight smile

I don’t have a lot of time for gaming these days, but when I do, I love getting completely immersed in a long RPG like this. Metaphor was exactly what I needed: something rich, thoughtful, and full of soul.

From what I’ve seen online and in Steam stats, it seems to be doing well commercially, which honestly warms my heart. This game truly deserves it.

🎵 Hikaru Utada’s SCIENCE FICTION TOUR 2024 at Saitama Super Arena

Hikaru Utada on stage, smiling warmly while dressed in a white outfit, surrounded by vibrant red and orange lighting. The crowd in the foreground raises their hands in admiration, contributing to the energetic and emotional atmosphere

One of the biggest highlights of my year was attending Hikaru Utada’s SCIENCE FICTION TOUR 2024 in Saitama. Seeing her live again after six years was an incredible experience.

The setlist was a perfect blend of nostalgia and new hits, celebrating her 25th anniversary with classics like First Love, Automatic, and Simple & Clean.

Utada’s playful and humble MC moments reminded me why she’s not just an incredible artist but a truly special presence in the music world.

Her music has been part of my life since my high school Kingdom Hearts days, and seeing her live is always something special to me. ✨

Hikaru Utada’s HIKARU UTADA SCIENCE FICTION TOUR 2024 at Saitama Super Arena

🎵 BRA★BRA FINAL FANTASY 2024: A Night with Nobuo Uematsu

The BRA★BRA FINAL FANTASY 2024 concert cast stands on stage, holding hands and celebrating as the audience cheers

Attending BRA★BRA FINAL FANTASY 2024 in Shibuya was an unforgettable experience. Seeing Nobuo Uematsu in person and hearing the Siena Wind Orchestra bring Final Fantasy’s iconic music to life felt surreal.

Hearing these legendary tracks live reminded me just how powerful video game music can be. It was a night of collective nostalgia, stunning performances, and pure joy.

Every piece was performed with incredible energy, and the concert’s interactive elements–like audience participation and spontaneous cheers–made it even more special.

Here’s hoping for another BRA★BRA in the future! 🎵✨

BRA★BRA FINAL FANTASY BRASS de BRAVO 2024: A Night with Nobuo Uematsu and the Siena Wind Orchestra

📺 For All Mankind

Super late to the party, but I finally got around to watching For All Mankind on Apple TV+ this year.

Back in the day, I was a huge Battlestar Galactica (2004 remake) nerd, and as soon as I saw that For All Mankind was created by the same guy — Ronald D. Moore — I instantly knew I had to give it a shot.

Somehow, I completely missed this show until I stumbled across an article praising it (I feel like Apple TV+ really has a visibility problem in Japan).

The premise is interesting as hell: What if the space race never ended?

I managed to binge all 40 episodes (four seasons!) in about two months.

It’s a beautiful blend of sci-fi, alternate history, and human drama.

The first five minutes of the pilot episode feature one of the best story hooks I’ve ever seen.

Quick review of each season:

Season 1 and 2: pretty amazing.
Season 3: still gripping, but starting to show some cracks.
Season 4: not bad, but definitely more formulaic. Some great characters disappeared, new ones weren’t as compelling, and a few old ones overstayed their welcome (just because they’re fan favorites, I guess?).

In Seasons 1 and 2, the tensions felt organic, growing naturally out of the story. By Season 3, it started feeling like straight-up contrived conflict.

But still — can’t wait to see where Season 5 will take us.

Also, it’s great to see that Marv from the Wet Bandits finally got his act together and went to work for NASA. 🚀😂