Top 10 Games of 2018

I played 22 games in 2018, which is almost half as many as last year. Did I fall out of love with video games? Far from it. But I did double down on IRL games like Gloomhaven and D&D, as well as video games with no ending like Fortnite and Dead Cells.

Last year was perhaps one of the best years of gaming in my life. Just check out my list of games I played. So how did this year compare? Not nearly as well, but not because it was bad. Last year was just that good. However, the top 10 from this year is still an amazing list, and one I feel fortunate for having experienced.

The 12 games that did not make this list are: N++, Tetris Effect, Monster Hunter, Super Mario Party, Mario Tennis Aces, Into The Breach, Megaman X, Super Smash Ultimate, Banner Saga 3, Dark Souls Remastered, Magic The Gathering: Arena, and Until Dawn. Most were good. Some were terrible.

But without further ado, here are my top 10 games I played in 2018.

10. Pyre

Pyre is a great game that totally went over my head. I didn’t appreciate what it was offering me until I was at the end and realized the massive amount of player choice it had offered me in my adventure. If I wasn’t so dense it would be near the top half of my list, as it tells an interesting story with great characters in a beautiful world.

9. DiRT Rally

Have I owned any real racing games since Cruis’n USA on N64? No. Do I consider myself a racing game fan? No. Did I love the heck out of DiRT Rally? Yes.

Having a mild curiosity about rally games I decided to give DiRT Rally a shot when it was on sale, and boy did I love it. Learning the ins and outs of rally racing was a really rewarding adventure, and one that was complemented by the realistic experience delivered by the game.

8. Life is Strange

I know it’s old but they just don’t make a lot of games like this anymore. I’m a sucker for a relatable story with gut wrenching decisions to make, and Life is Strange delivers both. Although I only played 4 of the 5 episodes, I feel comfortable placing this at number 8 because of how much I looked forward to playing each time I sat down.

7. Yakuza 0

It’s no Persona 5, but it’s still a dang good JRPG. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, has an epic soap opera-like story, and delivers a fun 1980s version of Japan to explore. I didn’t finish it because of it’s length, but also felt like I didn’t need to in order to enjoy the experience. If combat wasn’t so terrible, it’d probably be top 3 for the year.

6. Towerfall

This is the game I’ve played the least on this list, but holy crap is it fun. It’s a simple last-person standing local multiplayer game, but actually has quite a bit of depth to its fast paced combat mechanics. No game on this list created more screaming and laughing than this one, and it was a 10 out of 10 every time I fired it up with friends.

5. Spiderman

In my review you’ll see that Spiderman let me down, but that’s not because it’s a bad game. There’s a lot to enjoy, like the fact that you’re freaking Spiderman web slinging around Manhattan. With a few small tweaks it could be at the top of this list, but the missed opportunities place it in the middle of the pack.

4. Dead Cells

I had heard Dead Cells was great but I’m not into roguelikes so I stayed away. Then it came to Switch and like every other re-release on the platform I felt like I had no excuse not to play it. Then I did and became obsessed.

It’s hard to explain why I had so much fun other than it’s extremely good at putting me in a state of flow. The combat is fast, fun, and nuanced with all the options you have. It creates a Souls-like tension since the further you progress, the more you have to lose. It also perfectly paces your rewards and has a ridiculously good soundtrack to accompany your adrenaline-filled adventure.

3. Celeste

At the time of playing this I thought it would be my number 1 for the year. I just couldn’t get enough of the tightly designed levels, beautiful pixel art, and entrancing soundtrack. I felt compelled to find all of its secrets and unlock all of it’s hardest challenges, that is until it got too hard and I gave up on the C-sides. Celeste definitely wins platformer of the year and has earned a spot in my top 3.

2. Hollow Knight

Hollow Knight is the best Metroidvania ever made, and that includes Super Metroid. It perfectly tapped into my intrinsic motivations to explore its wonderfully vibrant yet desolate world, and packed in so many secrets and so much lore that it’s impossible to experience everything without a guide. Hollow Knight was an addiction of the best kind as I couldn’t wait to see a new area, fight a new enemy, and see what I had missed by backtracking. It’s long, but oh so worth it.

1. God of War

I wrote a review for God of War but never published it because I felt like I couldn’t find the right words to describe how good it is. Should be no problem to sum it up in one paragraph.

Kratos had become a caricature of his original self, and Sony somehow completely overhauled him into having a heart-wrenching and believable relationship with his son. Bravo. The story was told masterfully and the beautiful, semi-open world was a perfect playground for his ax-wielding antics. The production values are the highest I’ve ever seen, from the graphics, animation, and soundtrack, to the writing and voice-acting. I thought about this game weeks after I finished it, and can’t wait to see where they take us next.