Welcome back! I am so excited to be back with you all again this year to write about the 12 Best of everything in Movies, Music, Video Games, and even Podcasts this year! However, I am going to start this year with a category that combines genres, art direction, visual effects, production design, and pure imagination. I am going to start by discussing the very best worlds created by any medium this year. Now, I personally give a little bit more credit to the worlds created in live action, but it doesn’t mean that we are going to leave out some of the animated worlds. This year took me to some of the most wonderous worlds that ever existed or have been imagined! So, if you have not experienced any of them yet, I strongly advice you take a trip into the following 12 Best Worlds of 2024!
12. 3 Body Problem (Season One), on Netflix
This story takes it’s characters into an imaginary VR game world that spans generations and probes scientific possibility. In order to bring this to life, series creators D.B. Weiss and David Benioff needed some impressive artists. Production Designer Deborah Riley and a brilliant team of 8 art directors used a giant sum of Netflix cash to bring Cixin Liu’s award winning book to life. And what we got was one of the most fascinating combinations of worlds on television this year.
11. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season Two), on Amazon Prime Video
We may have seen a whole lot of Middle Earth at this point. However, a Season 2 of The Rings of Power showed us that there is no shortage of different lands we have yet to see. It took over a hundred production designers, art directors, set directors, costume designers, and makeup artists to bring this world to life. And what we got was a feast for the eyes. I especially enjoyed the expanded elvish realm of Eregion. We finally got to see where the rings were forged this year and it did not disappoint.
10. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, on MAX
If part of this desert world had not already been shown on screen, I would have put this a bit further up the list. Still, it is impossible to deny that the world of Mad Max has always been fascinating and never more than it is in Furiosa. Finally getting to see places like Bullet Town in all its glory was something that only a butt load of money, George Miller’s imagination, and a brilliant team of artists could have made happy. Sadly, this movie was not much of a box office hit. So, you may have missed it when it was in theaters. If so, then I strongly advice you to go watch it as soon as you can. It is currently streaming on Max.
9. Astrobot, on PS5
Sony has been searching for a mascot for some time. They needed a character that could compete with Mario or Sonic. Well, I would argue they finally got one with Astrobot. Yet, that would not matter if the world’s he inhabited did not compare to the classics. Luckily, the world’s he inhabits here are phenomenal. Everything from casino planet’s to recreations of Playstation’s greatest games fill this unforgettable adventure. If you needed a reason to buy a Playstation, the world’s of Astrobot are it!
8. Black Myth: Wukong, on PS5 & XBOX
Chinese culture has long been know for it’s rich and creative history. However, the country has not dived very deeply into the world of video games until now. Game Science has changed that in 2024 and we are the better for it. Wonderous and unforgettable lands literally lie around every corner. Boss battles are epic in scope. And the different worlds are so beautiful that your protagonist stops at every temple to take them in. If you are patient enough to work through the difficulty level, the game rewards unlike many others.
7. Arcane (Season Two), on Netflix
The world of Arcane is like a steampunk punch to the chest. It is filled with rich character design, experimental art styles, and a world that keeps changing. Whether the characters are in alternate realities, lavishly original cityscapes, or evolving slums, there is always something to gawk at. If there was one thing negative I could say about this world, it’s that I will never get to see another season of it. So, go out and enjoy it right now!
6. Fallout (Season One), on Amazon Prime Video
Post-apocalyptic worlds are a dime a dozen nowadays. Yet, the world of Fallout has been particularly unique since it came out back in 1997. This only got more dark and wickedly creative over the decades. Trying to take this video game world and make it real was a tall order. So, my hat is off to creator Jonathan Nolan and the massive team that built this unforgettable world. Everything from the mutated fish to the Brotherhood of Steel are brought to life in formidable fashion. Luckily, another season has been greenlit because there are eleven games to pull from and you ain’t seen nothing yet!
5. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, on PS5
Recreating one of the most beloved world’s in video game history was always going to be a tall order. Then the team at Square Enix decided to expand it so much further. The world’s are lush, dense, and wildly varied. Everything from Cosmo Canyon to the Temple of the Ancients has been more than just enhanced to modern standards. They have been vividly brought to life in ways that will have you stopping and taking screenshots until your wife tells you to move on.
4. Dune Part II, on MAX
Exploring the world of Dune was a big part of 2024! In fact, I am still watching Dune: Prophecy as I write this. However, it was the e Dune Part II that set the bar. It took us deep into the sandy world of the Fermin and far into the world of the Imperials. We got to watch Paul Atreides ride a sandworm and Feyd-Rautha fight to the death in colorless colosseum. Denis Villeneuve has taken one of the greatest sci-fi books and brought it to life in the most convincing way imaginable. My hat is off to him and the entire production team that constructed this masterwork of world building.
3. Shogun (Season One), on Hulu
Shogun is the only story on this list that is not a fantasy. Yet, it is easily one of the most fascinating worlds created for audiences in 2024. Many representations of feudal Japan have graced screens, but never in such a pragmatic fashion. Everything, even down to a single blade of grace, was considered in this world. Beyond just the sets, Shogun has a breathtaking since of the history it embodies. Every room feels lived in. The street feel walked on. Even the costume’s feel like they have been worn for years. This show aimed to take us back to the time of the Shogun and let us live it. Well, I feel like I lived in Edo with Toranaga, Mariko, and Blackthorne this year. And I cannot wait to go back!
2. Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, on PS5 & XBOX
It would have been so easy for the team at From Software to have just given us something simple in this DLC. It’s just an add on to an existing game. It would have been simple to deliver some fun bosses, cool costumes, and abilities in the same world. The gameplay mechanics are so good that people would have paid for more of that. Instead, they gave us an entirely new map and world called the Land of Shadow. This map was bigger than most brand new open world games. Most importantly, the map in this game is filled to the brim with some of the most awe-inspiring vistas I have ever seen. I will never forget seeing one of the most spectacular views I’d ever witnessed in a game and I could go there. This game is truly a sight to behold.
1. Wicked, In Theaters
Out of all the amazing worlds in 2024, none were as unforgettable as Jon M. Chu’s vision for the land of Oz. Wicked has been a cultural phenomenon for decades, but it was dreamed up as a movie from the start. Why wouldn’t it be? It’s the other side of the classic 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. Everyone and their dog knows the wonderful world of Oz. But it has never been seen like this! Not by a mile.
Chu had his brilliant team of artists plant, brick, and build this entire world from scratch. They used thousands of flowers to make the fields the munchkins run through. There were sets so big and meticulous that they were like small cities. This team even laid every brick for the yellow brick road. There is not a single thing, from the costumes to the make up, that is not world class! Yet, all this could be true and it would not be enough. What makes this best of the year is how imaginative all these things are. Chu’s team has crafted the most magical world of Oz we may have ever seen. That is quite the achievement.
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