Another great year for games! I had a bit of trouble deciding on an order for my favorite games of the year, and I am pretty sure if you asked me on any given day these past couple of weeks I would give you a different answer. Nevertheless, I have decided to try to put this list in order if for no other reason than to try to provide my future self with a snapshot of what I really enjoyed playing in 2018. Here we go:
Not the deepest game in terms of design or story but damn if I didn’t have the best time swinging through New York and beating up baddies.
How the hell is a Smash Bros. game this high up on my list?!? To be honest, it might be because I never really played Smash before. But the deeper answer is that Nintendo put so much ridiculous fan service into the single-player content that every Classic match and every encounter in the World of Light had me smiling.
If I had more time to spend with this game it may have made it to my number one spot. The three locations I played through were tons of fun, and the weapons, costumes, and ridiculous situations Agent 47 could get into still have me chuckling to myself.
One of the more innovative gaming experiences of the past year, the Return of the Obra Dinn had me scratching my head and loving the turn-of-the-19th-century insurance adjuster life.
Although I had played Tetris a lot on the NES and Gameboy, it wasn’t a regular part of my gaming life beyond my early childhood. Until now. Tetris Effect inspired me to try to improve my Tetris skills and although I don’t yet have PSVR, I loved this game's synethetic stylings and good vibes.
Not only did I have a blast with every minute of this short and sweet delight but I also managed to get most of my non-gaming family to play through it as well. My nieces giggles seemed to capture my own giddiness perfectly.
My first time returning to the Forza Horizon series since its debut was amazingly fun. Sliding through stone walls and tearing up the British countryside couldn’t have been a better escape from a stressful Fall.
Yes, AC probably didn’t need another release this year, but playing as a wonderfully strong, brutal, and unflappably confident greek woman slashing and spearing my way through the Peloponnesian war was so much fun! This is another game I look forward to playing more of in 2019.
What about this strategy gem is not awesome?! Time traveling mechs engaged in chess-like battles with city-destroying bugs in a high-tension but low-stakes run-based game. Sign me up, again, and again, and again, and again, and again...
Although I only made it through a fraction of this game in 2018, it remains one of my fondest gaming memories of the past year. The enemy design is the real star here and never failed to put a smile on my face.
My first ten hours with Red Dead 2 were utterly captivating. I was filled with nostolgia and wonder as I rode through landscapes that looked like the animated realization paintings of an old west that never existed. And yet, the further I played, the less I wanted to engage with the actual game mechanisms and story. That said, I still look forward to giving Red Dead 2 another shot in 2019.
I only played 40 minutes of this game in 2018...hoping to play more soon!
