Top 10 Best Video Games of 2018

The latest entry in this long-running Ubisoft franchise wasn’t just a really fun experience; it changed up it’s open world format for the better. There’s enough optional quests and tasks, high-powered weapons, vehicles and enemies in the fictional Hope County, Montana, to keep gamers returning long after the story missions are done – and then some. While critics seemed divided over the story, claiming that the main antagonist was a bit flat and dull, the real charm to the “Far Cry” series has always been about liberating outposts, messing with the local wildlife and blowing shit up! Check, check and… check. Man, we love “Far Cry.”

This game’s mixture of a roguelike dungeon crawler and a Metroidvania action/adventurer made a lot of gamers take notice during its time in early access which helped make its release very successful. For fans of the “Dark Souls” series and those looking for a challenge, this is a 2D actioner that just cannot be missed. As a literal collection of DEAD CELLS, gamers explore procedurally-generated levels, fighting the undead within, while collecting cells that are used as an in-game currency to level up one’s character similar to the Souls games. And, yup, you guessed it, upon dying you lose your cells and have to start over again. Sounds like a frustratingly great time!

This is an open world adventure unlike many found in the overcrowded genre nowadays, with a focus on survival, managing resources and of course: Exploring a vast alien ocean. There are no towers to unlock or bad guys to shoot, but there’s a lot of cave sulfur to collect! Not to mention the game’s story is surprisingly engaging and compelling, especially given how it’s conveyed to the player. Trust us that this game is a rare example of a truly fun survival game that’ll have you both excited and terrified of what’s just beyond the next reef.

With the reboot of the “Assassin’s Creed” series last year in “Origins,” the franchise took a leap forward in terms of gameplay and visual upgrades that fans of the series wanted for some time. “Odyssey” moves even more toward role-playing than its predecessor and does it in a way that feels crucially important to the story and environments. Sure, some upgrades come by way of grinding, but the feeling we had building our versions of Alexios or Kassandra, and how that empowered us to move about this huge open world, was a unique highlight in 2018. Also, the game’s fictional retelling of the Peloponnesian War; How cool was that?!

At long last we have THE definitive Spider-Man game that fans have wanted since the days of “Spider-Man 2.” Swinging through the streets of New York City as Spidey has never felt better; and, playing as Peter Parker was also surprisingly satisfying due to his relatable story, and addition of puzzles that greatly switches up the pace. Not only that, but the edge of your seat boss battles provided some of the games most climactic moments. Sure the side-activities could have been better, but with traversal and combat THIS GOOD, it’s the game that Spidey Fans have been waiting for. Now… Get out there and save the city!

Capcom’s long-running monster hunting series finally came to current-gen platforms and it was everything that its fans wanted: a deep, satisfying loop of chasing down grizzly beasts, looting their corpses, upgrading gear and weapons, and then tracking down even nastier beasts. Rinse and repeat. No longer divided into regions or zones, this “Monster Hunter” is a fully open world that feels truly alive with all types of monsters within but, as long-time fans know, success in this world still comes with a bit of a learning curve. The difficulty of jumping into the game for the first time has been scaled down for newcomers this time around, however. Even so, expect a challenge.

The newest version of Nintendo’s hit crossover fighter is not only a celebration of all things “Smash,” but as a celebration of gaming as a whole. The roster is absolutely huge and contains every returning character as well as a good handful of new ones. Returning home to this fighter feels great four years after the last game, and it feels even faster and more technical than before, making it great for competitive play. With the return of great single player content though, this series is no longer just for competition and multiplayer, and we loved going mono e mono with the game to unlock more characters and neat items. All hail “Smash Bros!”

Who says graphics are everything? There’s always plenty of room for super-tight gameplay, a fantastic soundtrack and a deeply original story; and, luckily, “Celeste” checks off all three boxes to become one of the best 2D platformers ever made. Madeline’s struggle to climb Celeste Mountain, while dealing with her own anxiety issues and inner demons; is an emotional journey that we weren’t expecting to be handled so incredibly well for such a tricky subject. Plus the challenging, yet well-designed stages really nail the game’s themes of overcoming adversity. It’s one thing to have a fantastic story and gameplay; it’s another to have these elements compliment each other so well. Thus Celeste sets a new high bar for future indie games.

Sony’s reboot of the acclaimed “God of War” franchise was nothing short of miraculous: after all, it made us fall in love with Kratos, after many years of making him a highly unlikeable, angry character. Backed by Norse mythology this time around, this game tells a tender, dynamic tale of Kratos’ and Atreus’s emotional journey about fathers and sons, loves and losses and new beginnings. All backed up by tighter combat, and a jaw dropping Norse world to uncover. And who didn’t get overwhelmed with excitement when Kratos retrieved his iconic Blades of Chaos? This game wasn’t just an epic adventure; it has us hungry for more. Now bring on Thor.

What would a best of the year list be without the latest offering from Rockstar Games? We don’t know nor would we care to find out! This game is everything that “Grand Theft Auto” isn’t: slow paced, realistic, and highly precise. But, it’s also everything we’ve come to love from Rockstar: grand in scope and structure, incredibly innovative, and it’s a ton of fun to play. The story of Arthur, Dutch and Company is also one of the best gaming has to offer, with an incredible cast of characters that had us laughing, loving and cursing our way through its 60+ hour narrative. Which reminds us: it’s time to be getting back to camp to do our chores!