Well, it's finally the end of 2018. So, that means it's GOTY list time! I guess my main gaming regret this year is not playing Valkyria Chronicles 4. I'll likely pick it up when it gets a big discount.
Runners up:
Also, Total Chaos (Doom II mod).
To me, this feels like a real revelation in turn-based tactics. Despite largely being procedurally generated, the game still feels incredibly tightly designed; it makes you deeply consider every move (and their consequences) in a way that a lot of other tactics games just don't.
I loved this game so much that I ended up getting every achievement - and even then, I still wanted more...
I had low expectations for this, but I really ended up enjoying this a whole lot - despite (maybe because of?) its difficultly. Also, I'm a real sucker for its character/creature design, particularly its take on the Seven Deadly Sins.
I wasn't super into the game until I finally managed to beat it. For me, the run back to the entrance after the final boss was incredibly exhilarating. Also, not to mention its lovely pixel textures.
The reason this is so high up is because, at its core, the intricate simultaneous-turn mechanic is still great. However, the strategy layer can end up becoming pretty tedious and tiresome.
This is up there with Jackbox party Pack 3 (the one with Tee K.O.). Aside from the action-oriented Zeeple Dome, this is a very fun, slickly-designed package. Probably the biggest standout for me is Split the Room's take on the Twilight Zone - which I'd say they pretty much nail.
The closest thing to an Interplay Fallout game I've played in a long while. More exactly, to me, this feels like a combination of Krater and Fallout 1...marinated in XCOM juices...
The combat can be pretty unforgiving (in some cases, excessively so), but I really enjoyed my time with the game and I hope there's more Mutant Year Zero to come.
This game is totally up my alley, replete with all kinds of flagrant retro fanservice - you can even play the game with EGA or C64 palette filters (among several others).
The gameplay is about what you'd expect from something that's heavily inspired by Doom - colour-coded keycards; lots of secret areas; and, of course, hundreds of enemies that need killing.
However, it's also 2018 and all games are unfinished to some degree, which means the game also includes a lots of bugs. Thankfully, the developer seems to actively be trying to iron things out.
A very strong contender for 2018's "best styyyyyyyyle". The game also has some cool gameplay mechanics. Sadly, the visuals and gameplay don't always mix perfectly - there's many instances where it's not easy to differentiate between foreground and background.
You had me at cute dolphin-face boy. The concept behind the game seems like it could have ended up being very annoying, but there is a certain joy to be found in its brand of speedrun-esque task optimisation.
It still has the brilliant aesthetic, brutal narrative, and difficult choices of the previous Banner Saga Games. So, for those reasons, I enjoyed it. But let's just say that I'm glad this series is over now. I very much got tired of playing it towards the end.
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