My Top 10 Games of 2018
By DyingHonor 0 Comments
The end of the year is near and it’s time for me to once again take up the digital pen and tell you all about the games I loved! As previous years have suggested, my taste in the types of games I play has changed throughout 2018. In the past, the vast majority of my time was taken up by a variety of indies and one very particular MOBA, which I could never seem to shake. Instead, this year saw my tastes return to their roots, where strong AAA titles--both old and new--became my muse. I also rekindled my completionist ways, via trophies on PS4, something that I have not cared about since my high school years, when the introduction of Xbox 360 achievements were all the rage. This year alone I earned four platinum trophies, something that I can say I am proud of!
The following list entails a wide swathe of genres from studios both big and small, all released within this calendar year, and each with their own little award given by me. Before my top 10 list will be an overview of games I wish I would have spent more time with, followed by my favorite old game of 2018. I hope you enjoy!
Games I Wish I Would Have Spent More Time With:
Artifact is a game that I found myself playing strictly out of curiosity because of its lore-building connections with my favorite MOBA of all time, DOTA 2. Unfortunately, despite its rather deep CCG mechanics, I found myself turned off by the initial lack of features the game had at launch, namely any sort of progression system to obtain more cards outside of the initial purchase or opening unreliable packs for a fixed amount of money. The only other way to get more cards was to turn to the ever volatile Steam marketplace, which often found rarer cards more than doubling the game’s price point. Most of these problems have since been resolved, but it has left a sense of distrust for me and many other players going into the new year. Which is the exact reason behind my low playtime.
From the little amount of time I spent with this game, I sure did enjoy it. The look of the game is everything I could hope for, despite not currently owning a 4K television. But the most striking aspect of this soft-reboot is how somber Kratos has become, and how the dynamic between him and his son is so different from every interaction he has had with any other character in this long-running series. Granted, I have only just unlocked the more open-world aspect of the game, but in any case, the story and characters have me intrigued to go further. The setting and characters all relating to Norse mythology is also exciting. My favorite thing so far though is just how good the gameplay is compared to the older titles, the weight and feel of throwing Kratos’ axe makes you feel like an absolute badass. I hope to be continuing Kratos’ journey in early 2019.
This game is such an odd combination of part dungeon crawler, part store management simulator, and I love it! The whole concept of delving deeper into the mysterious maze-like ruins, only to gather up and sell the various trinkets and artifacts that the monsters who inhabit those depths drop, is fascinating. I only just purchased the game this week, but I am completely enraptured in trying to figure out what the right selling price is for every item in the game. The soundtrack is charming, much like its pixelated graphics, and the story bits that I have seen so far adds to the overall enjoyment for me. I’m just sad that I didn’t find out about this game sooner.
Best Old Game of 2018
The game that never seems to stop. I spent a lot of my year in a world that me, my wife and a friend made in Minecraft. Whether it was just adding on to our already huge base of operations, exploring underground caverns, or just waxing philosophically about life in party chat as we fished off the docks; everything was so relaxing. Minecraft is one of two games this year that really made me realize just how effective this medium can be at relaxing an individual. There were often nights where we ended up in our Minecraft world purely out of the necessity to de-stress from the day’s hardships. Trophy collecting was a particular obsession for our little group when it came to Minecraft, due to its large amount of post-launch updates that have brought along an abundance of new trophies to unlock. We even managed to “beat the game” by slaying the Ender Dragon!
Top 10 Games of 2018
10. Donut County (Best Short Game)
There is very little I can say about this game without giving too much away, but everyone should play Donut County. Its quirky, simple concept of navigating a small hole in the ground throughout each level, devouring all sorts of items in the process with the ultimate goal of growing your black pit to a size big enough to swallow up houses and mountains, is addicting. The characters and story are charming, and despite it being a relatively short game, it does a great job of distracting the player with its use of clever dialogue and social commentary about gentrification. Also, duck stickers!
9. Stellaris: Distant Stars (Best DLC)
Rarely does a piece of DLC have such a positive impact on the base game. Enter: Distant Stars, the third story pack created for Paradox's space-faring 4X game, Stellaris. The entirety of the add-on redefines the way the early game is played by giving the player access to a plethora of randomly generated discoveries. Most of which is found through the revamped anomaly system. No longer is there a risk of you losing your valuable scientists for the sake of research. Instead, you sacrifice time, which varies depending on the experience of your unit. Other changes involve adding a special isolated system that can only be accessed via a space gate, more unique leviathans to fight, as well as various other quality-of-life improvements that came with the DLC's accompanying patch. This new add-on isn't the hottest thing to hit the gaming market this year, but it kept me engaged throughout the summer nevertheless.
8. Dead Cells (Biggest Surprise)
Dead Cells is finally out of early access and to the surprise of myself and everyone else in the gaming community, it rocks. A pixel roguelike that impresses with some of the tightest controls you will find, coupled with a world of mystery hidden behind some of the toughest bosses you will find outside of the Souls series, and you have yourself one hell of an indie game. The weapons are engaging, running the gambit between your standard swords and shields, to more creative tools such as boots that allow you to kick your way to victory in an almost fighting game-like manner. The entire loop of pushing forward in the game and collecting cells to unlock more upgrades for your future self, all the while trying to mix and match the weapons and upgrades you find to figure out what will best serve your playstyle, is fun and addicting. The game is brutally hard and can really knock the wind out of you after falling short on what looked to be a masterful run. But the game also has so much going for it that there is always enough reason to pick the controller up once again.
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (Best Multiplayer)
You are reading this correctly. The year is 2018 and I both played a Call of Duty game and enjoyed it enough to put it in my best games list. The series has long since become something that I have enjoyed hating on. Not since Call of Duty: Black Ops (the OG) have I felt the series had something of interest to offer. But this game is vastly different from those times. I'm no longer trying to find out what the numbers mean with Mason--in fact, Treyarch decided to forego the single player experience altogether. Yet, in its place are three strongly designed multiplayer modes that each has its own flavor. For the sake of my list, I will focus on the main attraction for the franchise this year: Blackout. The series’ first attempt at the battle royale genre evokes PUBG, while possessing the polish the pioneer game so sorely lacked. The mode even adds some flavor of its own, such as allowing players to replenish their armor after firefights with the use of armor plates, instead of just permanently destroying your one safeguard from death. I have yet to get my first win in Blackout, but playing duos with my wife or dropping down into the madness with three other friends in squad games has been a blast!
6. Destiny 2: Forsaken (Best Ongoing Game)
I was originally not too happy with what Forsaken did as an expansion to what I already considered a disappointing sequel, but over time and after much thought I am happy with what the add-on did, despite some flaws. Forsaken is a game that fixes so much of what I disliked about the base game from last year. The weapons system has made logical improvements over what was considered to be an uninspired attempt at doing something new from the original game. My time with the new abilities for the hunter has been enjoyable, I particularly like the Spectral Blades super for the new Way of the Wraith subclass (because who wouldn’t like being an invisible dual-bladed killing machine?). Even the revamping of the drop system feels more rewarding on the occasion that an exotic engram does pop out of a dead enemy, instead of the unending stream of rarities that was associated with the base game. While I do find the story a little on the tripe side, mainly because of Bungie’s killing of its most beloved character for shock value, the gameplay loop is still top notch. Also, Gambit is by far the best addition that they have added to the competitive multiplayer since the inception of the franchise too! I have since fallen off the game, mainly due to the grind that is required to enjoy the vast majority of end-game content, but I have promised myself, as well as my wife that I will eventually jump back in. I do need to beat the Last Wish raid after all.
5. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (Best Characters)
Odyssey is the first Assassin's Creed game that I have fully completed since the second iteration and it is without a doubt the strongest title from Ubisoft's storied franchise thus far. While the majority of the gameplay and design borrows heavily from the changes developed in last year's Origins, Odyssey's strongest asset lie in the characters that fill its world. Kassandra, one of two main characters that you can choose from, is one of my favorite protagonists, ever. She is a strong character, both physically and mentally, but it is the dialogue and voice actor that really brings her to life. I enjoyed navigating her dialogue trees in this game just as much as I did fighting. Kassandra interacts with historical figures such as the ever-inquisitive Socrates, to the half-political, mostly sex-crazed Alkibiades, all of which bring about entertaining moments. I found myself invested in seeing what came of these characters, helping me slog through to the end of a game that could have benefited from an editor to trim the game time down by twenty hours or so (137 hours to 100% that game, by the way).
4. Overcooked! 2 (Best Cooperative Game)
You can finally play online with friends! That is the biggest feature added to the already solid foundation of the original Overcooked. The sequel doesn't do much different aside from that. The new story of helping the Onion king to once again defend his kingdom from enemies is a simple, yet whimsical experience. But all the fun is had through playing this game with friends, and the moments that are created due to the intended chaos of the gameplay. I often found myself in tears of laughter, for example, a friend once knocked me off of our water raft kitchen after throwing a piece of chicken at the back of my chef's head. Kitchen fires are still hilarious and extremely detrimental, but it's all in the name of fun. I'm a big fan of cooperative experiences, and despite the fact that Overcooked 2 does not do much to reinvent the wheel, it is still one of the best games I played this year.
3. Tetris Effect (Best Music)
Beautiful catharsis; that is the best way to describe this game. An updated take on one of gaming's oldest concepts, Tetris Effect combines a stunning soundtrack with hypnotizing visuals to deliver a sensory experience unlike any other. The object of clearing lines is nothing new to Tetris fans, but the new “Zone” mechanic is a tremendous addition to an excellent foundation. Activating the Zone requires you to fill a meter of sorts. Once the meter is filled, time stops, allowing players the chance to form lines as quickly as possible. All cleared lines go to the bottom of the board until the Zone ends, awarding players with a bulk of points before continuing the action. It's a great feeling, and often can help you get out of a bind on some of the speedier levels. The presentation is what makes this game shine though. The wholly new soundtrack is the best music I have experienced since the mainline Kingdom Hearts games. A wide array of genres from EDM to jazz piano, each stylistically fitting into levels where flashes of color blend seamlessly with the matching background scenes. The music picks up and slows down in tempo with the changes in the speed of dropping tetriminos, providing musical feedback loops when rotating said pieces. All of it is done so perfectly, that it creates cohesive moments of beauty and wonder, all the while giving me a way to unwind after a long day via a simple puzzle game with a cathartic loop. Tetris Effect is an excellent example of how games can help positively impact issues of stress and anxiety. Give it a try, you would be doing yourself a disservice otherwise.
2. BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle (Best Fighter)
This year I really wanted to play a fighting game, mainly to help fill the gap left by my exit from DOTA 2, but also because I hadn't played a fighter since 2015’s Mortal Kombat X. I spent about a month researching the most popular fighters released this year and ultimately chose BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle. I don't regret my decision at all. The roster boasts over forty characters from BlazBlue, Persona 4 Arena, Under Night In-Birth, and RWBY battling in 2-on-2 fights that are both stylish and fun. Usually tag games feel messy--especially when multiple franchises, with their own unique fighting systems, are involved in one game--but Cross Tag Battle manages to blend the gameplay seamlessly here. My favorite part of the game is the auto-combo system that allows me and my friends to duke it out without feeling bad about any sort of skill gaps between each other. The levels, music, and animation are all expertly crafted, as is standard fare with ArcSys games. It is the one game that I have continued to play throughout the year and I cannot wait for the second season of DLC to drop!
1. Hitman 2 (Best Game)
The way that IO Interactive continues to bring the Hitman franchise to new heights fascinates me. This sequel could have been terrible considering that Square Enix decided to drop the studio altogether, forcing IO to not only buy the IP from their former publisher, but to move their entire place of operations too. Despite their obstacles, IO has hit another home run. The gameplay remains as tight and emergent as ever, but it's also managed to craft a much better story this time around. Hitman 2 also excels over its predecessor with the genius of level design. There was not a single mission that felt weak. From the stormy beach of Hawke's Bay, through the packed areas of both Miami and Mumbai, to the quiet suburbs of Whittleton Creek, IO shows their mastery in the art of meticulous detail. IO has also embraced their self-serious, yet bombastic absurdity to the fullest, offering little moments of comedy ranging from the homing briefcase, to the flamingo suit exit. Hell, the best moment in gaming this year involved Agent 47 becoming a realtor and selling a house to his would-be target by describing each room as if an assassin were looking to buy it. All of the comedy is balanced out with the more serious, sleek mission intros that are beautifully rendered and possess some of the best style you'll find in the industry. Overall Hitman 2 is a class act in the stealth genre; no one else even comes close.
So there you have it, another year of gaming is in the books! I hope you enjoyed my list! Maybe I'll get back to writing more in 2019!