With the GOTY time of the year now here, I was eager to dive into the most notable releases of 2018 and separate the wheat from the chaff. It was a year of hotly anticipated sequels, bold new IPs, and indie darlings that soared to mainstream success. Rockstar aimed to set a new benchmark for open-world games with the gritty wild west epic Red Dead Redemption 2, Sony Santa Monica revived the God of War franchise to critical acclaim, while smaller studios like Motion Twin slew AAA Goliaths with the breakout roguelite hit Dead Cells.
After playing through this year’s most talked-about titles and weighing their highs and lows, I’ve compiled a personal top 5 list along with in-depth commentary on what made these games great as well as where they fell short. From the unparalleled level of detail in Red Dead 2′s frontier world to Spider-Man’s exhilarating web-swinging to the addictive hack-and-slash action of Dead Cells, these are the cream of 2018’s crop—though not without some bugs and blemishes. So strap in for a wild ride through the Old West, realms of Norse gods, war-torn fantasy kingdoms, and the skyscrapers of New York City as we break down the year’s most unforgettable gaming experiences.
Red Dead Redemption 2
I love Westerns, outlaws, and grimy and gritty portrayals of that wonderfully violent period in American history. My favourite book of all time is Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, and my favourite television drama of all time is Deadwood. Suffice to say, Red Dead Redemption 2 is right up my alley. On the other hand, I love tight, fluid gameplay and quick, responsive controls in my video games. Rockstar created an absolutely stunning and incredibly well realized world with Red Dead 2.
Arthur Morgan kicks way more ass and is much more relatable and likeable than his fellow gang member John Marston, and the sheer amount of content, characters, and dialogue is nothing short of epic. However, and I know I’m not alone in this, actually playing the game was…well, tedious. The input lag, clunky movement, and sluggish controls really plagued the whole experience. Because of this juxtaposition of industry-leading scope and depth and strangely outdated controls, Red Dead Redemption 2 is the lowest game on my personal Game of the Year list. It’s pretty incredible, but it’s far from perfect.
God of War
You know what’s way cooler than Greek Mythology? Norse mythology. Despite being somewhat co-opted by racists and bikers, the Norse Pantheon and their brutal, violent ways have inspired films, television shows, and music for decades. There are even sub-genres in the metal scene dedicated specifically to the myths and legends of Scandinavia. So when Sony announced the next iteration in the God of War franchise would be leaving the played-out feuds of Olympus and moving Kratos up North, my interest was piqued.
My interest was further kindled upon actually playing the game and finding myself engaged and somewhat addicted to the revamped and more visceral combat mechanics. Add to that a huge, gorgeous open world scattered with secrets and collectibles, and baby, you got a stew going. Even the addition of a sidekick character, a gameplay trope I normally loathe, was implemented well. Atreus may have been an annoying child most of the time, but damn if that bow of his wasn’t incredibly useful in a tough situation. If you’ve not played it yet, grab a copy, throw some Amon Amarth on your sound system, and go crack some skulls.
Divinity Original Sin 2: Definitive Edition
I loved the original Divinity Original Sin. I grew up on games like Baldur’s Gate and Nox, so when a Kickstarter project promised a return to the bygone days of CRPGs but with a robust and tactical combat system, I was stoked. Unfortunately, lacking a proper gaming PC, I was unable to participate in the fun when the sequel dropped last year. But as they say, good things come to those who wait, and eventually us console peasants got our own version—with all the tweaks, upgrades, and changes that players had been clamouring for. Loading times were a bit long, and there were definitely some bugs here and there, but when a game is this good, and this deep, those minute flaws can be overlooked. There is so much to do in this game it boggles the mind.
My girlfriend and I began playing at the same time, and within a few days our paths had completely diverged and it was almost like we were playing a totally different game. The tactical combat, endless list of side-missions, deep crafting, and often hilarious dialogue made for one hell of an engaging experience and I am definitely excited to see what Larian Studios has in store for the franchise.
Spider-Man
No game released in 2018 made me feel such childlike glee and
To say that Insomniac nailed this would be an understatement. Traversal in Spider-Man for the PlayStation 4 is as good as it gets. It’s fast,
It made you aware of just how much faster, stronger, and more agile he is than the average joe. Unlocking all my
Dead Cells
If you haven’t gathered by my list so far, or if you’ve never read any of my reviews, I’ll make it perfectly clear right now: in order for me to really rate a game, it has to play well. Tight, fluid, responsive controls that feel like an extension of my own movements are paramount to making a game a
Dead Cells has all of these in spades. Spider-Man excluded, it’s the best playing game of the year in my opinion. The combat is initially
Simply put, Dead Cells does what you want it
Just when you think it’s getting easy or you’ve done all there is to do the game throws another curveball your way. A storyline that’s never in your face but there for those interested adds another layer of depth… and why not add some cheeky Dark Souls references? I am a huge fan of this game, and I love seeing a smaller studio absolutely crush the design of a game from top to bottom without requiring millions of dollars and hundreds of employees. This is the closest to a 10/10 for me in 2018.
