I thought 2018 was a bit of a humdrum year for the video games that I really enjoyed (which is also evidenced by my list at how high up Dark Souls: Remastered and the Destiny 2: Forsaken expansion are.)
That said, the few games I really liked, had me spending dozens of hours with and plenty of late nights to explore everything they had to offer. Red Dead 2 took me probably 100+ hours alone. Lessgo.
I've never really been a big fan of Tetris. So much so, that when I started playing Tetris Effect I chalked it up in mind, "Yeah, that's Tetris. Same as it ever was since the 80's." But the more I dug into the Journey mode, I started to be consumed by the game. When I wasn't playing the game actually experienced this titular, so-called "Tetris Effect" for the first time in my life. And I couldn't get enough.
I thought about this game constantly for months, and it was the reason I eventually splurged on a PSVR bundle as well. Playing Tetris Effect in VR for the first time was probably the most memorable moment of the year in a video game for me.
I think it speaks to how far a singular aesthetic and vision can propagate a game to become more than the sum of it's parts. Yes, it is Tetris (damn good Tetris one might add) and yes the entire presentation of the game is fantastic so far as graphics and soundtrack are concerned, but they all come together in such a fantastic way I can't really describe in a way that totally does it justice. Tetris Effect had me coming back more than any game of 2018 and it is by far my game of the year.
I played a lot of Read Dead Redemption on the Xbox 360 and would go so far as to give it a shout for the best game to come out during the last generation of consoles. John Marston was such a likable and endearing character, I wasn't really sure that dredging up his past would be all that interesting as I already know when and where he ends up ultimately. But make no mistake, this game is not John Marston's story, this is without a shadow of a doubt the tale of Arthur Morgan.
Red Dead Redemption II has one of if not the best story's of any game I've ever played, due in no small part to how well crafted the Dutch Van Der Linde is portrayed, let alone Arthur Morgan himself. There's a single member of the gang that I found uninteresting in the slightest way. Dutch, Hosea, Sadie, Micah (what a dick), and Arthur are the real heavyweights, but even the smaller characters like Lenny, Mary-Beth, and even Pearson, have something to offer in the story. But even though I'd posit that it's the gang's story, it's Arthur Morgan's eyes we see it through, and I believe he is the greatest Rockstar protagonist ever created. (Sorry Jimmy Hopkins, you are no longer #1)
I can't imagine having played the story as a renegade and not seeing just how far Arthur can go to not really redeem himself, but just do the right thing and protect those around him from coming to harm.
And that's just the story itself, making no real effort yet as to describe how fascinating the actual game portion is as well. I don't really think I ever used fast travel at until the last chapter. Plenty people have taken umbrage with how slow the game is in the early goings both mechanically and regarding it's pacing, but it didn't really bother me after a while as I was immersed wholeheartedly into the game. Plenty of Rockstar kookiness in the side missions as well. Would be an easy GOTY choice if not for Tetris Effect.
Dark Souls Remastered
I enjoy a lot about Pokémon: Let's Go, but dislike quite a bit too. Playing the
No year end list is complete for me without FIFA. Finally playing this on a 4K TV was a big highlight this year.
