It was a great twelve months for gamers.
2018 really, REALLY should us what was capable with storytelling in video games. It also showed us that sending fireballs at your opponents head, as well as old-school platformers and puzzlers, everything still has its place in today’s gaming landscape.
Here are our picks for the ten best games of the year.
ASSASSIN’S CREED ODYSSEY (PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch)
Going back, back, BACK in time… this time playing as either the grandson or granddaughter of Leonidas from 300, as you prepare to either side with the Spartans or fight against them in Ancient Greece. A big step away from the AC world we’re so used to, moving closer and closer to The Witcher III. Which is never a bad thing.
CELESTE (PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch)
What starts off as a basic platformer disguised as an old-school fairytale soon twists and warps into something profound and enrapturing. The less you know about it beforehand, the better.
Clip via PlayStation
DEAD CELLS (PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch)
Being told that you take control of a series of cells that then take control of a corpse in a dungeon, that you then must Metroidvania your way out of, sounds like either the best or worst idea for a game ever. Thankfully, the end result skews much closer to the former.
Clip via PlayStation
DRAGON BALL FIGHTERZ (PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch)
Described by many as one of the greatest fighting games in years, this should have fans of the beat ’em up genre occupied for weeks and weeks on end.
Clip via Bandai Namco Entertainment America
GOD OF WAR (PS4)
A kind of soft-reboot of the story of Kratos, taking him out of Ancient Rome and putting him into… well, Ancient Norse Mythology. An incredible action-adventure with a fantastic story and amazing set-pieces, it is actually our shout for favourite game of the year overall.
MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN (PS4)
Has there ever been a game that was this much fun to just get lost in? Swinging around Manhattan was addictive, while the comic-book plot was actually really well handled. Sure, some of the side-missions were a little silly (why would I care about pigeons??), but when the game is as entertaining as this, you tend not to care.
MONSTER HUNTER: WORLD (PS4, Xbox One)
Opening up the Monster Hunter world to make it more accessible to audiences in Europe and the US was a smart move, but it doesn’t take much convincing to win players over beyond the game description: You hunt monsters.
Clip via Monster Hunter
RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 (PS4, Xbox One)
Obviously.
SUPER SMASH BROS. ULTIMATE (Switch)
This is a fighting game that requires you to almost pass beyond the normal thought process and simply react to things on an almost supernaturally basic level. Which is probably why it’s so much fun.
TETRIS EFFECT (PS4)
Yes, it is Tetris, but not as you know it. Plus that soundtrack? Wowzerz.
Clip via PlayStation
