Favorites from 2018 (which had a lot of games)! My criteria is primarily the games which I remember liking the most overall. Currently I'm limiting to original titles (e.g., no remasters) "fully" released (e.g., no early access) in the U.S. in 2018.
2018’s honorable mentions are Subnautica and Celeste.
Favorites from 2017 or before include OneShot, Long Live the Queen, Shovel Knight and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy.
Capcom has streamlined their brand of hunting monsters, making it widely accessible. Monster Hunter: World is a great package from the challenging combat to the fun aesthetic, to preparation for a hunt and the many ways to play. The level of polish, free DLC and event content are even more icing on the cake.
God of War executes on its story well, balancing a thoughtful father-son story with its trademark over-the-top moments. It didn't always nail its loot progression or decide whether it was a beat-em-up or a more measured action game, but the core gameplay still felt great with worthwhile challenges and new mechanics.
A challenging city-builder with real constraints and meaningful options. Scenarios add welcome structure to a sandbox-oriented genre, and highlight different ways to progress. The gameplay also fits well with the themes of desperation and hope.
A great combination of smart level design, deliberate controls and atmosphere. Bloodstained is short enough to be replayable, but has enough gameplay choices to stay varied and interesting.
A JRPG for JRPG fans. Dragon Quest XI has classic, fun gameplay with a lot of polish. The story and presentation also weren't quite as cut-and-dry as I expected. I didn't love the pacing -- the strongest story was toward the middle, while a lot of progression was locked towards the end.
The Banner Saga manages to stay interesting through its third entry. The character writing and storytelling are still its main strength, but there are a few new gameplay and progression elements to keep things fresh and thematic.
Even though it feels familiar at times, Spider-Man executes its core gameplay well. The incredible polish and fun elements like the suits, photo mode, quips and setting also give it a unique feel. It's guilty of filler and mini-games, as many AAA games tend to be.
This one's tough. At its best, it captures the unique niche created by Left 4 Dead and adds RPG elements along with its own flavor of combat and banter. At its worst, it wastes your time with technical issues and balance problems. It has both unique highs and painful lows -- an incredibly frustrating combination which felt like a huge missed opportunity for a sequel.
A snappy 2D action game with some unique rogue-like elements and pretty cool music. A lack of build variety and a negative feedback loop both hamper the game's progression layer, while the difficulty ramp proved a bit less satisfying than I'd like.
Into the Breach checks a lot of the same boxes as FTL -- it's smartly balanced, with clear information and unlockable squads which gently point out the game's variety and depth. I occasionally felt a little puzzle fatigue playing Into the Breach, but it's a great game overall.
