TOP 10 games of 2018 – The Magnificent Ten

OPINION – EVERY DAY we will update this article with TWO games a day, which is about the countdown of the TOP 10 games of 2018! Was 2018 a great year? Which were the best games in this year? Which deserves to be in the TOP 10? Here’s OUR opinion! Yours’s differing? Tell us about in the comments!

 

Gaming-wise this year was rather strong with excellent titles, still, perhaps there were few surprise hits. Here’s our top list of 2018 which will we be updated by two games a day…

1. Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)

“The West was never so much wild than it was in the first Red Dead Redemption and after about 100 hours of gameplay I can guarantee you that it goes even wilder in Red Dead Redemption 2. Once again, we are in the hard cowboy boots of an outlaw: this time around we ride with Arthur Morgan, another member of the Dutch van der Linde gang, in which John Marston, the hero of the first game was also part of.  In true Rockstar fashion, you are entering into a fascinating world of western mayhem, full of bank and train robberies, gang wars and clashes with the Pinkerton Agency’s men. Always on the run, always outnumbered, always outgunned.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is an absolutely amazing video game in every way. There are few reproaches to make an adventure that leaves us a hero to remember, Arthur Morgan, and one of the best written and most exciting groups to discover: the Dutch van der Linde band. Rockstar once again sets a high bar for the open worlds, and not only in the playable facet, but also in the narrative and in the sound and visual. In short, an outstanding in any section imaginable.?”

-BadSector-

You can read our full review of Red Dead Redemption 2 here.

 

2. Spider-Man (Sony Interactive Entertainment)

“Peter Parker, alias Spider-Man comes alive again in this latest iteration of the adventures of the web-slinger superhero. While the open world action-adventure of Insomniac takes many cues from other similar games, like the Batman Arkham titles, it’s still the best Spider-Man game ever made – and there were 35 of them so far. We’ll explain, why…

At a time when video games increasingly go towards the concept of the game as a service, and a time when it seems inexcusable that any release of Triple-A character does not have multiplayer; some major publishers such as Sony or Bethesda remain as bastions of individual experiences. The Japanese manufacturer, also, is doing exceptionally well in this regard. This same year he has already launched the essential God of War, a courageous radical change in the formula of the adventures of Kratos, and also the outstanding Detroit: Become Human, a very personal work by David Cage that drastically distances itself from what can often be found in the market. Where is Marvel’s Spider-Man in the phenomenal conglomerate of internal studio productions of PlayStation 4? Precisely at the core.

Marvel’s Spider-Man is a success in many ways. The Marvel license of this hero of the well-known superhero factory has become an exclusive PS4 exclusive before even going on sale and now, with the game over, I can tell you that it is outstanding. Some element could have been improved a little here and there, but with cusps as outrageous as their brutal combat or care swinging through the streets of Manhattan we have much and very good to do within its formula.”

-BadSector-

You can read our full review of Spider-Man here.

 

3. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft)

Assassin’s Creed is back once again, this time in the land of myths and prophecies Ancient Greece, during the war between Sparta and Greece. Meanwhile, a conspiracy is afoot, and it is up to the player to uncover the mysteries of Ancient Greece. As a lone mercenary, you are thrown into this world of constant war, epic choices, millions of loot and quests.

Assassins Creed Odyssey is a spectacularly looking game, with dynamic day/night and weather to elevate the player’s experience. The weather even affects the waves in the sea and makes battles more difficult. At night if you have the right skills, you will do more damage when assassinating. The textures are high in the big cities, and the sea water looks unbelievably detailed. The main character and the main NPCs are also high quality, and even the mercenaries have their unique designs. The game is stunning to look at, most of the times.

Odyssey is a fun game to play, but there is so much content, and information for a player to take in that you end up wishing it was actually a bit less, and more focused.”

-Dante-

You can read our full review of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey here.

 

4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Nintendo)

Masahiro Sakurai assured that doing each Smash Bros. is a miracle. What we have clear in the case of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is that it is quite an achievement. Abundant contents, innovative modalities, spirits and an iconic combat system, with an unmistakable Nintendo aroma. The ultimate Sakurai Smash is for Nintendo Switch.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a paradigmatic example of how much content a game of fights can support. The work of Masahiro Sakurai and his team is a real festival of licenses, forming the most ambitious crossover ever designed. The mime set at every moment of the game is brutal, and this is accompanied by a number of game modes, in addition to the genius that incorporates the mechanics of spirits, which further strengthens the traditional gameplay of Smash Bros. If you have a Switch, you can not miss it, even though the genre is not your strong one. It is more than a simple fighting game.

 

5. God of War (Sony Interactive Entertainment)

“Kratos, the Spartan demi-god warrior, the anti-hero of the God of War series is back, gruff as ever, but much older and father of a young son, Atreus. He left the Greek lands as the story is a new direction for the series, as it is loosely based on Norse mythology.

God of War is an excellent game, especially when you learn to appreciate the gripes of the rather well-made combat system (when Kratos is high level enough) and the compelling story with Kratos and son and the interesting NPC. Still, the RPG system is rather functional and a bit too overloaded with skills, – which those you will likely never use – and also a bit bland, with only two weapons for both Kratos (the War Axe) and his son (the bow). The Norse universe, the monsters, the world presentation are great when you are roaming the land, but the semi-open world system is a bit clumsy, especially, when you have to backtrack your way.

So it is a bit “Unforgiven”, that a God of War game, which was meant to be so epic, like almost all the other titles in the series is “just” excellent (8.1/10) in our book, especially with so much anticipation.”

-BadSector-

You can read our full review of God of War here.

 

One of the game’s and the story’s strongest points is how you gradually grow attached to its main characters – even if you play differently.

6. Detroit: Become Human (Quantic Dream)

“After hunting a serial killer in Heavy Rain and running from the CIA with a dangerous girl with supernatural gifts in the Stephen King-like Beyond Two Souls, David Cage and Quantic Dream are back again with a tale of androids revolting against humans in the futuristic city of Detroit.

Cage’s latest game owns a lot to android movies like Blade Runner (2049), AI, Terminator 2 or Ex Machina, but it also found its own story and mesmerizing, futuristic world. Welcome to Detroit: Become Human, where you will lead three different androids with the three different paths and three different goals, but living in the same world of Detroit.

Detroit: Become Human is still a 100% Quantic Dream game, so it has all the manners and tics of the David Cage games and it will not deter those who accuse them of lack of interaction. However, it is difficult to find something as powerful in its genre as what it has achieved this time. This PS4 video game is fascinating and it’s almost movie quality, but I do not think that it neglects at all an argument full of hard decisions to make either, while it approaches difficult issues with seriousness and good work. In my opinion, it is the best game so far by the creators of Heavy Rain.”

-BadSector-

7. Monster Hunter World (Capcom)

“After nearly a decade of not being on a home console, and with many fans clamoring for a high-resolution version of Monster Hunter to be enjoyed by fans of Xbox and PlayStation users.It was not just about the graphics though, as Monster Hunter needed a revival of sorts. As ever since the 3DS era there has not been many refreshing ideas within Monster Hunter, and the franchise while boasting Dark Soulsian difficulty never became a cultural phenomenon since it was limited to the handheld. It is also an obscure game, that does not like to inform the player outright on how the mechanics work within Monster Hunter’s world.

This has all changed with the release of Monster Hunter: World, and after playing nearly thirty hours of it, capturing, killing, and surviving monster battles I can safely say that this is the point to jump into the franchise for those interested. As while Monster Hunter: World is streamlined, it is by no means a simplistic, or dumbed down game. Capcom has gone above and beyond for World, and the four years it was in development definitely shows, the question remains though if the player base from Xbox and PlayStation is up for this monster slaying game.

Monster Hunter: World is probably the most friendly entry of the franchise and a great starting point for newcomers. Yet that does not mean it is easy to play, or not difficult. Instead, it provides enough explanation for players to understand the basic mechanics and not to get stuck on the first monster attack.”

-Dante-

You can read our full review of Monster Hunter: World here.

 

8. Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Eidos)

“The trilogy of the survivor has returned us lately to a Lara Croft in top form. However, it is time to close it. In the analysis of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, you will find our opinion on the debut of Eidos Montreal in one of the series of the moment. It’s the time for the truth.

When the restart of Tomb Raider was announced in 2013, many raised their eyebrows. It was not my case. I do not intend to turn this into an exaltation of my good judgment because I usually count more mistakes than successes, but at that time a more adult treatment of the character and a major change in the formula seemed to me a success.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is based on the foundations set by Crystal Dynamics and extends them in some directions to, without exploring new horizons, to achieve something more in-depth than we already knew. So the debut of Eidos Montreal is not a revolution, much less, but a game of action and adventures really remarkable. It has things to improve, of course, and it lacks something of the spark of Crystal Dynamics; however, it is an exciting start to this company, and a good closing for the trilogy of the survivor adventure of Lara Croft.”

-BadSector-

You can read our full review of Shadow of the Tomb Raider here.

 

9. Soulcalibur VI (Bandai Namco Entertainment)

“The game where even Geralt of Rivia appears from The Witcher. We’re talking about one of the fighting games that can be catered towards beginners, and which is usually offers just the bare basics. Still, it does its job well, and in reasonably good quality, too.

SoulCalibur (Soul Calibur… I got used to writing the title as two words, not one…) VI seems to have done the right thing by going back to what it should have been after the previous instalments: a fast-paced, three-dimensional fighter where we can find our pace easily, regardless if you are neck deep into this game genre or not.

While we don’t know if Bandai Namco will end up making SoulCalibur VII, they should consider it. Even the guest characters (yes, I use the plural here intentionally – aside from Geralt of Rivia, they already announced a new character, namely 2B, from NieR: Automata!) are promising. SoulCalibur VI deserves a round of applause – it’s the type of the game that will end up in your PlayStation 4 often during some home championship tournaments, mainly because the frame rate seems to be a stable 60 frames per second.”

-V-

You can read our full review of Soulcalibur VI here.

 

We can understand skipping Ishin; that was based on Japanese history.

10. Yakuza 6 (SEGA)

“Yakuza has never had it easy in the West. Even less with the late arrival of some episodes, but above all, to follow the thread of a story that has been told since the end of the generation PlayStation, a platform that saw the series born. Luckily, the release of Yakuza 0, the remake of the first game with Yakuza Kiwami and the future Yakuza Kiwami 2 are getting many new players to approach this release from a new perspective.

Yakuza 6: Song of Life is a before and after in this saga so loved by its fans. The Dragon Engine graphic engine is undoubtedly a big change to thank, which leaves us a recreation of its two open areas without equal. However, this visual change does not come without sacrifices, which can be seen in the other aspects of the game, equally or more important: combat, exploration and secondary content.

Still, Yakuza 6 was an excellent action-adventure and a well-done closure to Kazuma Kiryu’s adventures.”

-BadSector-

You can read our full review of Yakuza 6 here.

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BadSector is a seasoned journalist for more than twenty years. He communicates in English, Hungarian and French. He worked for several gaming magazines - including the Hungarian GameStar, where he worked 8 years as editor. (For our office address, email and phone number check out our impressum)

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