ResetEra Games of the Year 2018 - Voting Thread (READ THE OP) [Ends Jan 20th 8:59am EST]

[OneAndOnly]

1. God of War - Without a doubt the best game this year or maybe even this generation. When I heard about 1 shot camera didn't think it would work but it did.
2. Red Dead Redemption 2 - One of the best game this year, a technical marvel, replaying other open world games will be a hassle now.
3. Marvel's Spider-Man - One of the most fun game to play in the last several years, it was pure joy.
4. Monster Hunter: World - Such a fun and challenging game.

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Please bold the game titles.

 

[MRORANGE]

just a heads up n this thread is stil up that there is a PC Gaming Era GOTY as well going on:

https://www.resetera.com/threads/pc...c-gaming-era-goty-awards.90529/#post-16434073

Read the rules in post 2 first and send MRORANGE a PM to ask for a link to the Google form.

The categories for voting:

• Game of the Year Award
• DLC of the Year (Optional)
• Early Access of the Year (Optional)
• Turd of the Year (Optional)

............................................................................

- Deadline: Sunday 20th January at 00:00 GMT / 19th January at 19:00 EST[/QUOTE]

 

[Deleted member 9327]

1. Dark Souls Remastered - First time for me and I can't say enough how much I love the atmosphere, lore and it's focus on pure gameplay.
2. God Of War - Marvelous reboot of a beloved franchise. As a dad myself I loved how they portrait the dad-boi relationship.
3. Little Nightmares - While a bit shallow gameplay-wise I absolutely love it's deep lore delivered mostly through brilliant environmental storytelling.
4. Celeste - Nearly perfect platformer gameplay. Very challenging yet never unfair. And a great story lies underneath all of it, too.
5. Shenmue I & II Remastered - Finally back after all this time. The first one is still brilliant and I finally could wrap it up with Shenmue II.
6. Pokémon Let's Go - One of the few Nintendo IPs I've never got into, but this one finally managed to (no pun intended) catch me.
7. Sonic Mania Plus - Didn't play the original last year so this is hands down the best Sonic game in decades!
8. Marvel's Spiderman - While lacking in it's open world design and quests the gameplay is pure fun and the story knows how to entertain.
9. Octopath Traveler - Yes, it's repetitive, but still it managed to catch me thanks to its great classic JRPG gameplay. Art is brilliant and OST is GOAT.
10. Astrobot Rescue Mission VR - Truely Nintendo-like gamedesign meets the best VR implementation I've experienced so far.

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[gabeish]

1. God of War - I was surprised to be so swept away by the story, combat was great and visuals and audio astounding. A truly great game.
2. Red dead Redemption 2 - I love being in this world, with all of its stories and beauty.
3. Tetris Effect - It's a new way to play Tetris and it is mesmerizing.
4. Astro Bot Rescue Mission - A very charming platformer that is eye-opening as to what VR can add.
5. Marvel's Spider Man - Swinging is great and New York feels magical in this the best superhero game ever.
6. Into the breach - Small in size but extremely fun and engaging
7. Gris - I just love beautiful journeys like this
8. Yakuza Kiwami 2: It still makes me happy the Yakuza-games now have a presence in the west, and Kiwami 2 is just as good as the last couple of games in the series.
9. Shadow of the colossus - One of the most memorable games ever, updated to feel like it belongs in 2018
10. The Banner Saga 3 - More viking goodnes it this atmospheric strategy gem.

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[Bushido]

1. God of War – This is my RE4 of this generation, taking the foundation of an established series but elevating it to a whole new level. An enthralling journey from start to finish.
2. Astro Bot Rescue Mission – Truly a Mario 64 moment for VR, so creative, charming and well designed, involving and immersing the player in so many cool ways…an absolute joy.
3. Hollow Knight – Might be the best 2D metroidvania I've ever played. This gloomy, morbid atmosphere, tons of secrets, great bossfights, tight platforming…apart from some issues with player guidance/backtracking I love everything about it.
4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Pure gluttony. The amount of content in this game is staggering and I can spend hours just browsing through the soundtrack. The ultimate celebration of everything Nintendo and video games per se.
5. Subnautica – Exploring this beautiful, alien underwater world, losing your sense of direction and experiencing pure horror in its threatening, breathtaking depths is so much fun that I had to double-dip this year. Fantastic audio design and incredibly atmospheric as well. Fantastic game.
6. Marvel's Spider-Man – Good mix of action, story, exploration and humor, fluid movement and animation system, good writing and an interesting take on Spider-Man overall. Apart from some open world clichés I enjoyed every second of it.
7. Celeste – Tight platforming, truly impressively profound and emotional story for a platformer, amazing soundtrack, challenging but accessible…alongside Rayman Legends and Tropical Freeze my favorite 2D platformer of the past couple of years.
8. Assassin's Creed Odyssey - Caught me by surprise that I even bought it, but exploring ancient Greece and its history/mythology as badass Kassandra ended up being a blast. Best AC since Black Flag for me.
9. Valkyria Chronicles 4 - I'm currently playing through it (about 17 hours in) after getting it in the New Year's Sale and oh boy, does this game have its hooks in me. Love Squad E, the story and of course its tactical gameplay. I wanna play it RIGHT NOW.
10. Dead Cells – My favorite roguelite since Rogue Legacy. No matter if I have 15 minutes or 3 hours to spare, it's always a blast and at the end of the run I've always earned/learned something new. Kinda lost me after failing twice in a row at the Clock Tower, but I'm sure I'll return.

11. The Messenger – Really enjoyable Metroidvania with a neat gameplay twist and great mechanics, some challenging bosses and platforming sections and sprinkling some weirdness here and there for good measure, backtracking got a bit excessive in its second half though. Nevertheless a cool game.
12. Tetris Effect – "We need Tetris in VR" is probably the last thing anyone would have stated, but here we are and it's such mind-boggling, psychedelic experience that I totally lost track of time while playing it during my first couple of sessions. Great without VR, but an absolute trip in VR.
13. Moss – Or: "Go on an adventure with Fievel Mousekewitz in VR". Extremely cute and charming, a touch of Zelda here and there, brilliant storytelling, one of the best VR games in general…can't wait for chapter 2.
14. Yoku's Island Express - Just jolly. Rayman meets Ori meets Pinball, so charming, unique and entertaining. Everyone, play this game.
15. Mutant Year Zero – The combat system is straight up XCOM, but with its additional (and strong) focus on stealthy approaches and exploration of open areas it's a refreshing take on the renowned formula. Really enjoyed the dense atmosphere and characters too.


Special shoutouts to Return of the Obra Dinn, Hitman 2, Octopath Traveler, Onrush and Forza Horizon 4, which I haven't played enough (yet) but really enjoyed (so far).


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[Pierru]

1. Monster Boy and The Cursed Kingdom
2. Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
3. The Messenger
4. Valkyria Chronicles 4
5. Octopath Traveler
6. Into The Breach
7. Mario Tennis Aces
8. The Bug Butcher
9. Gris
10. Dragon Quest XI

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[mxbison]

1. Astro Bot: Rescue Misson - My game of the generation because we finally got something truly next gen after all these years. It's magical and made me feel like a child again.
2. God of War - Presentation, story, combat, exploration, everything was just spot on in this game. I still like the old games a tiny bit more though.
3. Celeste - A Wonderful Journey.
4. Marvel's Spider-Man - Simply fun from beginning to end. One of the rare games I got platinum on.
5. Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tale - Such a relaxing and beautiful game with a good story and some smart puzzles. It could be higher on my list if the difficulty were better balanced.
6. Detroit: Become Human - I always enjoy these games and this was the best one yet.
7. Dead Cells - Not a fan of this genre but I had a lot of fun with this for about 8 hours. Movement and combat felt very good.
8. Red Dead Redemption 2 - An amazing world that actually felt alive, but I just didn't enjoy the game. Still couldn't get myself to finish it.

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[Tusken77]

1. Astro Bot: Rescue Mission - Game Changer. No hyperbole, this game is one of the best experiences I've ever had in gaming, it gave me a sense of wonder and had me smiling from start to finish in a way I haven't done since I was a kid. It's an astounding experience that brilliantly showcases how platformers not only work wonderfully in VR but, for me, are the way to play future platformers. Being inside the game and controlling Astro, physically looking up as he runs above you, looking directly down as he falls great distances below you, or spinning around (ideally, I found, in an office swivel chair) to look behind you or to your left or right as he wanders off into the distance left or right, plus the sheer SCALE of everything are things so incredibly fresh and new for the genre. Everything is just so much fun. Here's an example: I've never been keen on water levels but the water levels in Astro Bot are among my favourite in the game! Not only do they look gorgeous but also because of the way they make you feel as you guide Astro above and below the waves. Incredibly polished, an excellent catchy soundtrack, fantastic use of the controller gadgets that are continually introduced, loads of charm, some brilliant bosses (the penultimate boss being one of my favourite boss fights ever), finding and collecting all your robot friends/the rewards that come with it, and how the game manages to build upon itself with every World more impressive than the last, it's just wonderful. ASOBI Team will have learned so many valuable things during the game's development and I really can't wait to see how everything is expanded upon in the sequel on new hardware. I'm hoping for an Uncharted to Uncharted 2 leap, but whatever it brings, one thing's certain, it'll be an absolute joy. The future is exciting.
   
2. Marvel's Spider-Man - I really thought this was an absolute lock for my GOTY until a little white robot immediately hover-jumped its way into my heart. Spider-Man was always in the safest of hands with Insomniac and they've managed to deliver my favourite ever superhero game. Quite the compliment as I've played many in my time, Batman on the Spectrum way back in 1986 being my first. Supremely executed with the highest of polish, the incredible amount of love and care poured into this game is clearly evident in all departments. Traversal, combat, story, gadgets, animation, acting, score, a plethora of suits and collectibles, easter eggs, brilliant and satisfying in equal measure. Then there's the city itself. I've always loved photo mode in games, but my use of it here has surprised even myself. At the last count, I've taken over 400 photos and I can't see myself not taking many more shots during my NG+ playthrough. An absolute joy to play and platinum, I didn't want it to end. But, I still have my NG+ Ultimate difficulty run and all the DLC ahead of me. Even when all that is completed, I'll still drop in now and again for the pure pleasure of swinging through the city, stopping random crimes, being Spidey. I can't wait to see, as teased by the end credit scenes, what the inevitable sequel (trilogy?) will bring.
   
3. God of War - I always wanted the next God of War to be in Norse mythology. Not only did I get that wish, I got so much more. A new perspective, a companion, crafting, a single shot adventure, an excellently written heartfelt story and a re-energised series. With Cory Barlog returning, I always knew this game would be something special. Brutal as ever yet thoughtful like never before. Among all the gloriously satisfying violence, stunning environments, interesting characters and formidable foe, there's a journey that's both memorable and impactful. A brilliantly designed and executed game, it's a technical showcase with pure quality oozing from every pixel. Most definitely one of PS4's finest achievements, the bold decision to reimagine the franchise has paid off incredibly well, producing a critical and commercial triumph that's one of the generation's finest titles. It makes me very excited about the future of the series.
   
4. Detroit: Become Human - Previously, my favourite QD title was Heavy Rain, a game I thoroughly enjoyed. It's now been replaced by David Cage's stylish neo-noir story of androids dealing with their own deviancy in a near future. As a fan of the genre, I knew I'd enjoy it but I wasn't expecting to be so utterly impressed that it would place so highly in my list. Detroit: Become Human fascinates me. I stayed away from any potential spoilers and it was only after completing my story that I looked into the number of possible endings. I watched a video on youtube detailing the 99 endings in the game. Ninety nine. A staggering amount that boggles my mind, the construction of this compelling story is phenomenally impressive. But it's not just its design that so impressive. It's everything. The high quality of the acting, the performances of the main protagonists and their supporting cast, the number of choices and how meaningful they are, the superb soundtrack, the moments of humour (I adore Conner and Hank's relationship), the flow charts and their associated stats, character models, the beautiful visuals and the atmosphere it creates. I thought it was exceptional, it's easily QD's best work to date and five years is a long time to wait until the next game arrives. So, how about some Conner/Hank DLC in the meantime, David?
   
5. Tetris Effect - Tetris Effect is my new favourite Mizuguchi game. If you told me way back in 1990 while I was playing Gameboy Tetris that not only would I be playing Tetris 30 years from now, but I'd become emotional while playing it, I wouldn't have believed you. While excellent played flat, when you enter Tetris Effect's world in VR, it becomes something indescribably even better. The combination of its fantastic soundtrack (seriously, it's so good, I listen to several songs outside playing the game), its themes and styles all presented in surrounding dazzling neon visuals and bold imagery absorbs and sometimes overwhelms you in a way the standard version simply can't. Mizuguchi's transcendent reimagination is a triumph and the game's euphoric final level in VR is one of my most memorable gaming moments of 2018.
   
6. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Rockstar return with an extremely confident, graphically stunning, well-written, mature story full of interesting characters living in a beautiful, sumptuously detailed and dense world that's a complete joy to explore. As with many open world games, I get distracted very easily with the simple things, of which this has MANY: exploring, hunting, collecting, buying/selling, photography, generally taking in the world, so I haven't yet made as much progress in the story as I'd like. That means I haven't formed a complete opinion on where the game definitely stands in my list. It's possible it may ultimately finish a spot higher or settle right here, that remains to be seen.
   
7. Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise - Fist of the North Star is everything I wanted it to be. Huge fun. It's true to say it's a little rough around the edges and certainly not as polished as the mainline Yakuza games, but that isn't an issue for me. Importantly, I wanted this to have that 80s feel, enjoy ridiculous, satisfyingly over the top combat, be able to upgrade and unlock more of Kenshiro's undeniable ultra-strong powers and get involved in large amounts of side-stories and mini-games. It more than delivers with a cabaret club, bounty hunting, treasures, arena fighting, bartending, wasteland racing, clinic healing, casino/arcade gaming, and 'baseball' among the things you can lose yourself in. As with all Yakuza games, the platinum is a grind but it's a grind of which I'll enjoy every moment.
   
8. WipEout VR - WipEout VR is what I've always dreamed about. Imagine being IN the ship and racing those tracks. Surely it would be too much to take in VR though, right? No. The answer is no. WipEout is absolutely brilliant in VR. It sensibly provides a wide range of comfort and viewing settings that make sure almost all players are catered for. The feeling of being in the cockpit, the surrounding world, the thrilling sense of speed, the vertical sections of track, overtaking ships, ships passing you, everything you know and love about the franchise, it takes to new heights. Beautifully, being in WipEout VR is playing an icon of PlayStation's past in one of PlayStation's futures.
   
9. Shadow of the Colossus - An undisputed classic receives a full 'from the ground up' remake treatment from the masters at Bluepoint Games. It doesn't matter that I've played this masterpiece before. The feeling of exhilaration of taking down these majestic beasts across beautiful, desolate landscapes remains the same, but now enhanced with the benefits of today's technology. Fidelity and performance have both been hugely improved with the game offering Cinematic and Performance modes. There's new art assets, new lighting, newly created animation, and new controls to enjoy, all while impressively retaining the intended atmosphere of the original. I keenly await Bluepoint's reveal of the project that they're currently working on.
   
10. OnRush - I was rather hesitant about Onrush's concept before actually playing it. But, after receiving the game via PS+, I was surprised at how much fun it is to play. Part MotorStorm, part Burnout, part Mad Max: Fury Road, its simple modes encourage mayhem and destruction rather than racing for a finishing line, resulting in a hugely enjoyable and addictive experience. While not reaching the high bars set by MotorStorm and DriveClub before it, the former Evo team have still produced an exceptionally fun arcade racer that I'll continue to return to for sessions of colourful carnage.
    

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[Tailzo]

1. Shenmue 1&2 - My two favorite games got an HD port. It's still two amzing games and an incredible story.
2. Dragon Quest XI - Traditional jrpgs aren't as common as I'd like. Some try too hard to be flashy, others try to much to be action games. What I love about DQXI, is how traditional and at the same time refined and polished it is.
3. Valkyria Chronicles 4 - I was surprised when I heard Sega would make another real Valkyria game. And I loved it, best gameplay in the series.
4. Octopath Traveler - old school jrpg with an awsesome style and great battles.
5. Yoku's Island Express - Catchy music combined with fresh gameplay made this game a winner.
6. Sid Meier's Civilization VI - This Switch release made an old wish come true, easy, real civ-gaming in bed
7. Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana - Ys is an awesome series. The Switch version was nice, although the framerate was not always solid.
8. Ni No Kuni 2 - Big rpg in a nice style with a traditional world map you can explore
9. Sonic Mania Plus - If I didn't already vote for it pre-dlc, I'd given it a higher spot on my list this year. I absolutely loved the dlc though. Great new characters, cool new mode and nice stage remixes.
10. hyrule warriors definitive edition - best musou game of the year. Huge game with a colorful Zelda cast.

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[Bosh]

1. God of War
2. Marvel's Spiderman
3. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
4. Shadow of the Colossus
5. Monster Hunter World
6. Iconoclasts
7. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
8. Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
9. Forza Horizon 4
10. Into The Breach
11. The 25th Ward: The Silver Case
12. Dead Cells

---

2018 - 64 games beat , 20 games eligible under my criteria (Must be released in 2018 in NA for first time)

1. God of War

This was the first "Next Gen Game" from this generation I truly felt was polished in every single department. Its level of detail is astonishing and wowed me throughout the entire game.

2. Spider-Man

This game definitely has some flaws but at the same time was the funnest game I played in 2018. Traditionally I am not huge into the super hero genre, I liked Batman & Joker, from a movies have seen most of the Batman's and one Iron Man & the first Avenger movie (It was alright). From a video game prospective the only super hero game I have played is Arkham Asylum. The reason I bring this up is because I played Spider-Man and then immediately read Spider-Man Ultimate (160ish issues), Amazing Spider-Man 441-581 so far, Spider-Man Blue. Then I watched Spider-Man homecoming and Into the Spider-Verse. The game, Spider-Man, feels free. Webbing around the city, interacting with the world, fighting enemies... I loved it all. The story was also well done with some excellent voice acting. I am hooked on Spider-Man and it is because of this game. Take that for lasting power!

3. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life

Yakuza 6 is a fantastic ending to a sensational series. Bringing the series into a new engine that pushes the game not only in visuals but also audio. The game is an emotional roller coaster to the end.

4. Shadow of the Colossus

Never played it originally on the PS2. The remastered (re-made) version takes what I always heard was a great game and lived up to the hype. I had never felt so small in a game before.

5. Iconoclasts

I am so fond of this game. While its 5th on my list for this year it entered my top 10 of all time which is only the case for one other game above (Personal ranks and ranks based off my rating scale can be weird). Its a huge platformer adventure, with a large story and variety of bosses and enemies. I don't replay games normally and this game is one I am looking forward to go through again.

Honorable Mentions

Games still playing that could of been in top 10

Earth Defense Force 5 - Not new to the series but EDF 5 takes what made the series great and made it even better. With over 40 hours into this game currently it is easily a top 10 worth mention (but I have not beat it yet unfortunately.) Ton of content and ton of fun.

Red Dead Redemption 2 - This is a game I could see sneak into the latter half of the top 10. Its one of the oddest games I have ever played. The games detail in all areas (gameplay, graphics, story, sound..etc) can be 10/10 as well as 7/10 and its pushing through the lower scored areas to see the real gems in the game.

Games beat but released originally outside of 2018

Hollow Knight - One of the greatest games I have ever played. It never grows old and after 50 hours you can still discover new areas.

The Silver Case Series (Silver Case, Flower Sun & Rain, 25th Ward) - A series that has seen new ways of playing these gems. I have played games with better production value, more content...etc but for what these games are they are fantastic. Taking the smaller scale of Grasshopper these games have a lasting power with me that many AAA games cannot. They are unique and smartly made.


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[klauskorp]

I purchased a fair number of the big games this year and then only played a couple hours of them before putting them down. Specifically, I felt no desire to continue playing Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War, or Monster Hunter World, even though I knew/suspected I would enjoy them. I also barely played Destiny 2: Forsaken even though I've spent a lot of time playing Destiny in the past. Something about the nakedness of the grind really put me off and I have no interest in it. Also, its performance on my Xbox is hot garbage, and that's where my friends play.

Despite not being able to bring myself to play some of the games that are going to do extremely well in this site's voting, I found great enjoyment in a number of other games.

1. Into the Breach - As much as I appreciated the idea of FTL, I didn't play it, and it was one of those games I always sort of wanted to go back to. If FTL is anywhere near the level of quality of Into the Breach, I can see why people thought it was so great. Into the Breach provides immense satisfaction through simply looking intently at the board and trying to plot a move. I can scarcely think of anything more satisfying in games than looking at a turn for a good 5 to 10 minutes before figuring out a move that not only takes out an enemy or two, but also prevents an attack that you had anticipated would land. At least as often as not, however, this victory will be followed by some enemy action or environmental event you didn't notice because you were so focused on trying to craft the perfect move. Maybe you overlooked some buff the enemies have. Or that some tile will be on fire at the end of the turn. Or whatever. But that's ok, because unexpected events simply remind you that you need to be more mindful.
   
   
2. Dead Cells - I spent enough time playing this game that it could be number one. I don't have any good reason for why this is number two and Into the Breach is number one, other than this has to be an ordered list. In my heart, though, these games are both number one.
   
   Dead Cells tries to get you out of your comfort zone and using items you usually wouldn't use. It normally didn't work with me - I almost never use shields, and there are only a handful of weapons I realistically use - but I respect the hell out of the game for trying, and for making so many different playstyles viable. If I had one complaint about the game, it would be the spike in difficulty of the last boss, and I question how viable all builds would be in that fight. Despite that minor criticism (if you can even call it that), I played this game for over 60 hours, which is not something I typically do for run-based rogue-likes. Spelunky is probably the only other one of those sorts of games that captured so much of my time, and Spelunky is one of my favorite games of all time. So if I'm comparing Dead Cells favorably to Spelunky, Dead Cells must be doing something right.
   
   
3. Marvel's Spiderman - I thought the stealth sequences were garbage (each one was short, thankfully) and the various QTE sequences were tedious and lame. Despite that, it's a great game, and those minor quibbles couldn't detract from the enjoyment I got from swinging around the city or the fun of the longer and more difficult combat sequences. I'm typically very skeptical of licensed games because slapping a recognizable name on something offers no assurance as to its quality. What this and Rocksteady's Batman games have shown, though, is that a talented studio, when given a license that isn't married to some other specific release, can create a quality product, and I sincerely hope the Activisions of the world take notice.
   
   Nearly as important as the gameplay, though, is the story. Not the specific beats of the story, which are pretty standard, but how it's delivered. I have never played an open world game where I was as compelled to play main story missions as I was in this game. It may be because moving through the world is so fast and easy that it was as easy for me to go do the next story mission as it was to explore and do a bunch of side content, so I would often opt for the story mission simply because of where the previous mission had left things.
   
   
4. Celeste - I love a good 2D platformer, and Celeste takes its place among the best I've played. If I hadn't spent so much time playing other superb platformers over the last few years, this would probably be higher. It is extremely well made, and unlike pretty much every other game in the genre I've played, it actually tells a coherent story that isn't there to simply manufacture a reason for the game to exist. I can't find any fault with it, but I can't quite nudge it higher because it wasn't so revelatory to me. But it's great, and if you have any fondness for 2D platformers, you should absolutely play it.
   
   
5. Hitman 2 - This sure is more Hitman. And that's not at all a bad thing. In fact, playing this has made me realize I didn't wring nearly as much out of 2016's Hitman as I should have - I simply played through each area, and once I completed the objectives, I moved on. This time, I've played through each area at least twice and I've specifically gone for different objectives each time so I can see them play out. And although I haven't gotten into them yet, I can see the appeal of escalation missions and I fully intend to do a couple once I've gotten a bit more mastery in each area.
   
   
6. Forza Horizon 4 - The only Forza games I've played are this and Horizon 3, and those are sort of the only sim-ish driving games I've played in the last 10 or so years. I'm not even sure if I do or don't enjoy games like Forza Motorsport or Gran Turismo - I'm just not interested in them, so I don't even give them a chance. I've enjoyed the Horizon games tremendously, though, and I can't quite put my finger on why. I think it has something to do with offering a bunch of bite-sized challenges that are relatively low stakes and offer you the chance to feel yourself get better at something over time. And while I typically prefer to drive the fastest cars, it is fun to swap to different types to see how well they're able to portray the differences between driving a Ferrari or a pickup or a WRX or some old Civic. Also, the changing seasons offer a chance to try different types of cars, or, at the very least, tweak the parts of the car you're currently driving, because that rear-wheel drive Mustang with racing tires you're rocking isn't going to handle so well once winter rolls in.
   
   
7. Guacamelee! 2 - At this point, Metroid-ish games have practically become a biological need for me. I enjoy Guacamelee because it has fantastic art and music, and I find the combat to be more interesting than, say, Super Metroid. It isn't reinventing the wheel, but if you find yourself jonesing for some Metroid in your life, Guacamelee has you covered.
   
   
8. State of Decay 2 - I didn't play the first game, so I can't speak to any significant improvements this game made over it. I'm also not even sure it's a good game, but I enjoyed it because it scratched an itch I have where I enjoy searching an open world, looting, and bringing that loot back to base. Beyond that aspect of the game, I don't find anything else particularly remarkable, although I know there are people who really get into the base building/team management.
   
   
9. Donut County - This is a charming game that I wish became more complex as it went on. I'm sure that's not what Ben Esposito was going for - it seems the game's relative simplicity was a conscious choice, but nevertheless, I would have liked more challenge. That being said, I thought the game was funny and I thoroughly enjoyed using the duck emoji over and over again.
   
   
10. Yoku's Island Express - The more removed from this game's release I get, the more I sort of forget it exists. It was an enjoyable time and I applaud the game for its novelty, but I don't have much else to say about it.

The two games I suspect would make this list, if I had gotten to them, are Dusk and Return of the Obra Dinn. Alas, there's only so much time in a day.


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[Lightningboalt]

As a general rule, I don't include remakes or remasters in my lists except for certain circumstances (this year's Resident Evil 2 is a remake along the lines I'd actually include on a list, for example - there's so much changed and different that it's functionally a new game despite being based on a prior game). So unfortunately, as much as I adored both Katamari Damacy ReRoll and Spyro Reignited Trilogy, neither is on my list. It's a shame because they're both extremely good, but that's just my personal policy.

1. Guacamelee 2 - This is gonna be a weird pick for a lot of people. I'm not sure why Guacamelee has quite the stigma it does - I always see "all these MEMES" etc, but frankly neither 1 nor 2 ever had quite as many memes as people say. And seriously, that game came out at a time where I just didn't want anything to do with memes, and 95% of it didn't bother me at all. They're usually just relegated to background details that you can completely ignore (and in the case of Guacamelee Super Turbo Championship Edition, many of them are just painted over and aren't even visible anymore), with really the one groaner stand-out for me being Flameface shouting TROLOLOLOL. That's the one that I remember and hate, and beyond that... it's all so minimal and not intrusive. The game itself is fantastic, a Metroidvania with a genuinely fun combat system with tons of combos and good challenging segments, but somehow it's just the background details that people groan about. Guacamelee 2 is a pretty iterative sequel, but in a good way - it expands upon what Guacamelee did right, and adds more of that. It has excellent level design, the combat system is even better, and while I think the cast of characters isn't quite as memorable as the first game's, they're still fun and make for some great boss battles. It's not the freshest or most unique game this year, but it was my favorite.
2. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle – Donkey Kong Adventure - This game would've been my #1 if it was just a bit longer. That's all it needed for me, it felt like it ended just a bit too abruptly, if we had even just half of one more world added in, it would've been my favorite. That's not to say that I think it was lacking or not worth the money - as it stands, it's some of the best expansion pack content I've ever played, especially considering it was only half of the season pass content. I'm a huge Donkey Kong Country fan, and Kingdom Battle was one of the most pleasant surprises of 2017 for me. A tactical strategy DKC game exists, and it absolutely rules. Rabbid Cranky was a super pleasant surprise as well - Ubisoft only announced one new character, so getting a second was really nice. My only other disappointment is that you can't mix and match DLC characters with main-game characters for challenge maps. Beyond that, though? The tactical options Donkey Kong and Rabbid Cranky bring are a ton of fun and add some fresh ideas to a game that already was incredibly fresh and different.
3. Donut County - An exceptionally charming game that doesn't last long, but stays on a high throughout that entire quick burst. I loved it and it also got me to finally try out Katamari, which became one of my all-time personal favorite games ever, so it will always have a special place for me. I was always looking forward to Trashopedia entries whenever I beat a level, and there's just a special feeling when you get to be a massive hole sucking up the world (which is part of why I finally tried out Katamari, as well).
4. Marvel's Spiderman - This is the only game on this list I didn't complete. That's largely because I moved while I was in the middle of playing it, and then just never had the time to get back to it. I'm probably just going to restart it at this point because it's been several months, but honestly I don't even mind doing that because Spiderman was just that much fun. This is the best Spiderman game ever made, basically what I've always wanted out of a Spiderman game, with its own unique Spiderman universe to boot. This may have been higher up if I got to beat it - potentially even my GOTY honestly, but unfortunately circumstances got in the way of that. As it stands though, it was good enough to be my #4 without me even experiencing the complete package, so I think that does say something about its quality. (please though Insomniac, don't become just a Spiderman studio, I would love to see another Ratchet please)
5. God of War - I've never played a God of War game before this one. I've always wanted to give them a try, and now I'm wary about playing them simply because this one was so good yet so different from what the others are that I'm not sure I'll enjoy them in quite the same way. It was basically a brutal combat focused Zelda, and honestly that was amazing. There were a few things about it that bumped it down a few spots, early 2018 I felt it was my easy GOTY candidate, but some of the optional content just wasn't fun for me and felt a bit like a chore. "But it's optional content", you say? Listen, I'd prefer trimming the fat to having filler, that makes for an overall better quality package in my mind. "You don't have to play it", you say? Listen, if I like a game enough, I'm going to want to play as much of it as I can - and I'm not an obsessive completionist, I can pick or choose which games I want to complete. I wanted to play this to 100% completion because it was that good... and the optional stuff soured me just a bit too much. I'm very excited for the inevitable sequel though - I think it'll surpass this game and learn from it, and THAT game is really going to be something to behold.
6. Bomb Chicken - The spritework in this game is phenomenal. It's a joy to watch the animation, that fat little chicken is a ton of fun. It has an incredibly unique style of risk and reward platforming that also manages to feature zero jumping whatsoever. The puzzles are interesting and diverse and the bomb explosions feel great. My only problem with Bomb Chicken is sort of a double edged sword - I feel like I wanted a little bit more to it, but some of the late game levels were getting to be just a bit too frustrating, so I don't know what "more" would actually entail. That aside, I had a lot of fun with what this game had to offer, enough that I had a genuine debate with myself over whether God of War or Bomb Chicken should be #5 on my list.
7. Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion - Yet another incredible Nintendo DLC expansion. They've had some missteps (BotW expansion pass comes to mind, personally), but most of their DLC has been absurdly high quality. This is no exception, and it's an incredibly bold choice too - a multiplayer focused game getting a paid single player expansion? I find Splatoon's single player content to be crazy underrated, there's so much variety in the level design, and the way Octo Expansion presented itself allowed for a ton of additional unique ideas. The levels themselves were great, but that's not the full story with this DLC - the story was actually really compelling, and on top of that there was both the "explore the subway lines" aspect and the final gauntlet of really good, sequential levels leading up to two great climactic boss fights. As much as I like the multiplayer, I'm there for any single player Splatoon content Nintendo wants to put out, and I think I'm almost more excited for the single player stuff now.
8. Minit - An old-school top down Zelda-like adventure game with what is essentially the Majora's Mask time-loop pushed to its extreme. There's quite a few segments in this game that utilize this gimmick so impressively well, like the old man whose speech takes up the entire timer... I was consistently intrigued by the weird little minimalistic world I was in. I played this game for about an hour and fifteen minutes and I was captivated the entire time, and the best part is that I didn't even manage to see or experience everything the game has to offer. This is a game I'm going to be revisiting quite a bit in the future, both because it lends itself well to replays and because it was fun enough to warrant a return.
9. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon - An excellent faux-Classicvania that nails the style of old-school Castlevania while bringing in some fresh new ideas on top of it. The character swapping from Castlevania 3 (my personal favorite Classicvania) is at its absolute best in this game, and the boss fights throughout the game are some of the better 2D action game boss fights I've seen in a while (though I'd put them at #2, after Hollow Knight). I'm still pretty optimistic about Ritual of the Night, but if it manages to be a dud, at least it brought us this game.
10. Warioware Gold - It's basically just a greatest hits of Warioware games... and honestly, that's more than enough for me. Extreme bonus points for allowing Charles Martinet to go wild with some Wario voice acting - when the man is given the opportunity to go above and beyond, boy does he. Hopefully the Switch doesn't take as long to get a Warioware game as the 3DS did.

Some honorable mentions and runners up: Katamari Damacy ReRoll, Spyro Reignited Trilogy, Detective Pikachu

My favorite non-2018 games I played:
#1: Katamary Damacy
#2: Horizon Zero Dawn
#3 (tie): Spyro 1 and Spyro 2 (have yet to play 3)
#4: Wario World
#5 (tie): Castlevania Rondo of Blood/Castlevania Bloodlines

And finally, my top 3 disappointments of 2018:
#3: Kirby Star Allies. Listen. It's fine. It's just... the ally system takes out SO much of the gameplay, the levels are pretty uninspired and repetitive (my god world 3 was such a slog to get through), and on the whole it's just a HUGE leap down from Robobot's extremely high level of quality. I didn't expect this game to surpass Robobot, but I hoped it would be at least similarly inspired and fun. It just... wasn't. It's not a bad game, but it didn't reach the relatively low bar I had hoped it'd surpass, and for that reason it's disappointing to me.
#2: Shantae: Half Genie Hero Definitive Edition. Wow. I just. Hated this game. I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't. The gameplay wasn't fun, the level design was garbage, and to top it all off I had to repeatedly play the same levels over and over again simply to progress to the NEXT shitty level. That does not make for an even remotely compelling gameplay loop - do the same boring gameplay on the same boring levels with less stuff in them each time you visit, all so that maybe you'll unlock the next crappy level. It genuinely feels like they were more interested in making a cartoon than a game, but even then they don't have nearly enough substance or quality. I get that it's a kickstarted game with a relatively low budget, but even then the quality is just so much lower than I expected. It's about a 4 to 6 hour game and I couldn't even finish it.
#1: We Happy Few. Oof. Absolutely nothing about this worked for me. Nothing at all. The game feels like what it is - a bad survival horror crafting game with procedural generation retrofitted into the Bioshock game people thought it was going to be based on its early trailers and presentations. Just uh... couple that with some broken gameplay that rarely works, and also a story/writing that I personally found laughably bad. I can't believe I spent as much time with this as I did - frankly, much as I hated Half Genie Hero, at least I could've said I beat that game in that time. I got about halfway through the second character's story and I just. Really regret giving this game that much of a chance.


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[vertti]

1. God of War - The original GoW games are not very good. They tried too hard to be cool while having lackluster combat compared to something like Devil May Cry. Also, original Kratos is probably one of my least favourite video game protagonists ever. So I was really happily surprised with the God of War. Just top notch stuff from beginning to end. It is cool how they made Kratos a likeable guy. The combat and exploring is fun. There are some small things I did not care but the good outweights the bad easily.
2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - I have always liked Smash. They made it bigger and better. What else can I say? It is love letter for Nintendo from Nintendo for players. I just want to play it more with my friends!
3. Shadow of the Colossus - The original is classic but a flawed one. It does some things amazingly well but not everything works as it should. So as a whole it feels frustrating which is a shame. I am happy to say that the 2018 version fixes most of my gripes and makes this experience that I can truly recommend to everyone. It's absolutely beautiful and plays so much better than the too ambitious 2006 version for its time.
4. Dusk - Guy who thinks that the original Doom is one of the best FPS campaings if not the best ever (the guy is me) can not praise this game enough. Dusk starts slowly with simple level desing. But it becomes so much more and rewards the player immensely. It got better and better and in the end I could not but smile. Play this if you like old-school shooters. Because there are not many better than this if any.
5. Splatoon 2 Octo Expansion - There are times when I doubt my love for Nintendo. Nobody can argue that they have made some of the best games of all time. Then comes something like Octo Expansion and I can not but remember why I love Nintendo in the first place. Some really innovative ideas and great level desing. And this game is not easy! Fortunately the challenges are tough but fair. And the ending is really sweet. I had a huge grin on my face.
6. Return of Obra Dinn - This is why I love indies. Bold ideas with innovative appearance. Truly grabbing murder mystery that really challenges you. I do not want to say more. You just have to play it and see what's it all about.
7. Celeste - I am a huge platformer fan so it is a bit surprising that Celeste is just 7th best game of the year. Because this is a top notch stuff. The level desing is interesting and the characters are really likeable. I like the pixel art and the soundtrack is fun too. It just shows how great year 2018 was.
8. Red Dead Redemption 2 - RDR2 only in 8th place? Well tbh I think it is a technical masterpiece with some really good writing and great characters. But gameplay is the king and that is where I find RDR2 lacking. Samey missions, slow controls and story that dropped the ball in the end. Half of the time I was in awe while the other half I was scratching my head.
9. The Messenger - Fast paced platformer with really enjoyable movement options. And the writing is really fun too! Too bad that level desing is not always as good as it could be. Beginning is really easy while the backtracking in the end felt chore at times. I still heavily enjoyed my time with The Messenger and I hope there is more to come.
10. 428 Shibuya Scramble - Tough battle between this and Yoku's Island Express. But I already had two 2D platformers in the list so 428 it is. Very enjoyable visual novel with crazy twists and turns. The plot is pretty good even though it had to resort for too many VN cliches. I liked most of the characters and the everybodys decisions affect to everyone story was pretty cool.

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[Skyplans]

Here's my list:

1) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate:

The amount of detail this game has is incredible. When you think there can't be a better Smash title, Sakurai proves you wrong. Not only is the biggest crossover in gaming history (one could argue that is the biggest crossover in pop culture): the game is fun, the gameplay is great. You can spend hours just listening to the music or collecting spirit. You can play with friends for fun or more competitive 1-1. I could go on and on. One of the best games of the decade.

2) *Monster Hunter World*:

This was my first Monster Hunter. You have a limited time to slain a monster, so you have to think before going into battle. I loved that: you know that you are going to be playing between 25 or 50 minutes. Some encounters are fun, some are epic. It does not have an important story but that's not the point of this game. Monster Hunter World reminded me the joy of playing a game just for fun.

3) *Forza Horizon 4*:

The feeling of driving any of the cars in Forza with headphones is one of the most immersive experiences I had outside last year. The game is also gorgeous to look at.

4) *God Of War*:

I don't think GoW 2018 is a perfect game. It did suffer from the lack of bosses and enemy variety (so many trolls reskined). The game takes itself too serious sometimes and the writing is far from a masterpiece. But there are some many good things to enjoy: some moments do work (although more in line with a cinematic perspective, which I'm not fond of in videogame) but the controls are great and that's the most important thing. And when you put in perspective, there are many elements that work even when in "theory" they should not.

5) *Dragon Ball Fighter Z*:

It's one of the best fighting games of this gen and maybe the best 2D fighting games in years. The game feels responsive and the artwork is superb. It is certainly the best Dragon Ball game. A long and grindy story mode, some lack of fighting style variety, or some DLC practices are not enough to overtrown everything this game got right.

6) *Fortnite*:

One of the few real sandbox games. The key to Fortnite success is that the game is fun. It has improved a lot. I suspected is resented among some serious gamers only because it's so huge in popularity. At the end of the day the concept is simple: you play what you like and what is fun.

7) *Marvel's Spider-Man*:

The web swinging around NYC is the best thing this game has. And it has a lot of things right. It's not enterily original (Batman: Arkham City/Asylum did everything best in the past) but it is solid. It paid well to balance the story around Spider-Man and the daily chores of Peter Parker.

8) *Shadow Of The Colossus*:

One of the three best PS2 games is still a crowning achievement of videogames. A simple concept (slain some giant colossus) and simple controls: you have to play it to experience it. Also: the way it tells a story is much better than the "Hollywood cinematic style" that most AAA titles tries nowadays.

9) *Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze*:

One of the best 2D plataformers out there. I didn't play it back on the Wii U era. But it has aged really well. The level design is splendid and beautiful. The only thing it lacks are some memorable bosses.

10) *Detroit: Become Human*

I think there will be always a natural places for this type of interactive stories in videogames. Detroit it's way more interesting than something like Bandersnatch: because it allows the player to have (some) control of the situation and invest in the story.

Note: I have not played Red Dead Redemption 2 or Celeste yet.

 

[Alucardx23]

1. Astrobot Rescue Mission VR - This game was a truly memorable experience for me. Pure happiness and joy from beginning to end. It just keeps getting better and better as you play it. Mario 64 VR moment indeed, buy or borrow a PSVR to play this game.
2. God Of War - Awesome story and gameplay. My number 1 God Gf War game in the franchise.
3. Red dead Redemption 2 - Incredible world and characters. This is the best open world simulation out there.
4. SoulCalibur VI - This one surprised me. I have been a Soul Calibur player from a long time, but I was not expecting a lot from this one, but they nailed the gameplay.
5. Beat Saber - Best rhythm game I have played in a long time. Super addictive and you actually loose weight while playing.
6. Marvel's Spiderman - This one almost took the place of Arkham Knight as my favorite superhero game. It's really fun to travel from one place to another using the swing mechanics.
7. Wipeout Omega Collection VR - Best DLC of 2018 for me. The experience of playing this game in VR is like making your childhood dream of driving an F Zero vehicle come true.

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[JayBee]

1. Red Dead Redemption 2 - It's basically a dream game for me. A western game that couldn't have been done better. I personally enjoy every moment just being in the setting, which rockstar has done such justice with the effort and detail they've put into it.
2. Celeste - Excellently well made and touching platformer. The music combined with atmosphere and the subtle story makes it a very touching game. I can't explain it but the game triggers my emotions in ways just from it's presentation and that's on top of the amazing gameplay.
3. Phantasy Star - Always loved how the game played. First time I played it was somewhere around 1996, but the mazes without maps made it unplayable for me. The AGES version on switch added maps and it allowed me to see the brilliance through the whole game till the end. I friggin loved it.
4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - It's for me the best smash brothers that has come out. I love the way it controls and feels. Subtle but also big improvements from Smash 4 which I thought was kind of meh.
5. Sonic Mania - I'm(was) a sonic fan through and through. I always wanted a sequel to the classics but then they lost me with Sonic 4. That game angered me as a fan so much that I was pretty much done with the franchise forever. Sonic Mania came out and rekindled my love. I love you christian whitehead.
6. Pokemon Let's go - It was a great nostalgic ride for me. Them streamlining the experience was only a good thing because I would never finish a 1:1 version of the original mainly because of wild battles
7. Shenmue I & II - Games dear to me and replaying this despite some awful conversions (mainly music) still proved itself one of the greatest games ever made for me.
8. Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - Great expansion which did a lot of things better than the original game.
9. Diablo III - First time playing it. Still think diablo 2 is better but it was enough to scratch an itch.

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[ieandrew]

1. God of War - Didn't know a gameplay reboot could improve a series this much. Jaw-dropping moments.
2. Astro Bot: Rescue Mission - A VR centerpiece that makes having the device feel worth it. Sparks joy.
3. Marvel's Spiderman - I've wanted a Spider-Man game to be good for so long. The costumes!
4. Shadow of the Colossus - One of my all time favorites got a full remake treatment. And from Bluepoint!
5. Florence - Completely changed what I think of iOS as a gaming platform. "Feels."
6. Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age - Only a couple of the characters resonate me but the world and the battle system are divine.
7. Moss - Playing this right before going into a giant redwood forest was special. Amazing diorama feel.
8. Unravel Two - So glad to be able to do these physics puzzles alongside my SO this time.
9. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Feels way more fun than the last iteration. I'm just missing Home Run and Break the Targets.
10. Into the Breach - Not a game I need on a deserted island, but it's definitely a respectably great turn-based-strategy title.

 

[Bundy]

Here's my list:

1) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate:

The amount of detail this game has is incredible. When you think there can't be a better Smash title, Sakurai proves you wrong. Not only is the biggest crossover in gaming history (one could argue that is the biggest crossover in pop culture): the game is fun, the gameplay is great. You can spend hours just listening to the music or collecting spirit. You can play with friends for fun or more competitive 1-1. I could go on and on. One of the best games of the decade.

2) *Monster Hunter World*:

This was my first Monster Hunter. You have a limited time to slain a monster, so you have to think before going into battle. I loved that: you know that you are going to be playing between 25 or 50 minutes. Some encounters are fun, some are epic. It does not have an important story but that's not the point of this game. Monster Hunter World reminded me the joy of playing a game just for fun.

3) *Forza Horizon 4*:

The feeling of driving any of the cars in Forza with headphones is one of the most immersive experiences I had outside last year. The game is also gorgeous to look at.

4) *God Of War*:

I don't think GoW 2018 is a perfect game. It did suffer from the lack of bosses and enemy variety (so many trolls reskined). The game takes itself too serious sometimes and the writing is far from a masterpiece. But there are some many good things to enjoy: some moments do work (although more in line with a cinematic perspective, which I'm not fond of in videogame) but the controls are great and that's the most important thing. And when you put in perspective, there are many elements that work even when in "theory" they should not.

5) *Dragon Ball Fighter Z*:

It's one of the best fighting games of this gen and maybe the best 2D fighting games in years. The game feels responsive and the artwork is superb. It is certainly the best Dragon Ball game. A long and grindy story mode, some lack of fighting style variety, or some DLC practices are not enough to overtrown everything this game got right.

6) *Fortnite*:

One of the few real sandbox games. The key to Fortnite success is that the game is fun. It has improved a lot. I suspected is resented among some serious gamers only because it's so huge in popularity. At the end of the day the concept is simple: you play what you like and what is fun.

7) *Marvel's Spider-Man*:

The web swinging around NYC is the best thing this game has. And it has a lot of things right. It's not enterily original (Batman: Arkham City/Asylum did everything best in the past) but it is solid. It paid well to balance the story around Spider-Man and the daily chores of Peter Parker.

8) *Shadow Of The Colossus*:

One of the three best PS2 games is still a crowning achievement of videogames. A simple concept (slain some giant colossus) and simple controls: you have to play it to experience it. Also: the way it tells a story is much better than the "Hollywood cinematic style" that most AAA titles tries nowadays.

9) *Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze*:

One of the best 2D plataformers out there. I didn't play it back on the Wii U era. But it has aged really well. The level design is splendid and beautiful. The only thing it lacks are some memorable bosses.

10) *Detroit: Become Human*

I think there will be always a natural places for this type of interactive stories in videogames. Detroit it's way more interesting than something like Bandersnatch: because it allows the player to have (some) control of the situation and invest in the story.

Note: I have not played Red Dead Redemption 2 or Celeste yet.

Click to shrink...

Wrong format. You have to change your post :)

 

[gaiadyne]

1. Assassin's Creed Odyssey - I got the opportunity to play this through Google's Project Stream beta test and boy am I glad I did. Exploring Ancient Greece was a blast! Feels like a Bioware game in terms of dialog trees and quests. Combat is fun and enjoyable. The character is likeable and the quests are good fun.
2. Detroit: Become Human - I played through Indigo Prophecy, Heavy Rain, and Beyond Two Souls in anticipation of this. Quantic Dreams successfully outdoes themselves and manages to achieve the lofty narrative goals attempted and failed previously. This was an impactful emotional journey where the choices you make finally matter and as a result every person's journey will be a little different. Visuals are also top notch to boot.
3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Every one is finally here in this greatest hits release. Tons of characters, stages, and music options give you a ton to play with. The spirits system also adds a lot of variety to battles and gives you something to collect. A little to focused on delivering for the hardcore smash enthusiast and as a result suffers a little from higher difficulty in areas and poorly explained controls for newcomers. The story mode while being rich in content is also kinda weak in narrative and becomes repetitive just fighting gimmick fights over and over again.
4. Detective Pikachu - Does a great job showing how Pokemon could be integrated into a modern human society more than even the mainline games; something I hope the movie will also be able to accomplish. The titular Detective Pikachu is also a great constant companion and the voice actor puts in a good performance.
5. Yo-Kai Watch Blasters: Red Cat Corps - I have mixed feelings about the battle system in the standard Yo-Kai Watch games so having a change-up here was more than welcome. The action battle system is more enjoyable than the passive system in the main games. It has the same kind of addictiveness for me as the Pokemon Rumble games. Simple quick combat with the joy of collecting Yo-Kai.
6. Pokemon Quest - As a Pokemon fan I was incredibly disappointed by 2018's announced Pokemon games. However, while I would have written this off as a cheap mobile game. I found in to be really fun and it gave me the Pokemon fix I needed before 2019's as of yet unannounced title. Would love for them to add more Pokemon beyond the original 151 so I can jump back in.
7. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux - Having played to original version of this game on the DS, I would have to say Redux is an improvement. Plenty of quality of life improvements and the additional content spices things up enough to prevent this game from being a simple retread. Oddly enough though I stopped playing in the exact same dungeon I stopped playing in the original release.
8. Hollow Knight - Great Metroidvania finally released on consoles for more to enjoy. A little more challenging than I would like, heading into Dark Souls territory with some of the fights.
9. SoulCalibur VI - The return of the legend! I haven't had as much time to play this as I would like but from what I have played the story content seems decent.
10. Marvel's Spider-Man - Looks amazing graphically on my 4K TV but the controls didn't click with me right away. I ended up getting swept up with other releases, but I'll give this game a good play-through some time this year I'm sure.
11. Life is Strange 2: Episode 1 - Special mention to this game. I don't think it reaches the heights of the original but then again as of now it also has only one episode released, so it will be difficult to judge it in comparison. Shame that more episodes didn't come out last year.
12. Fate/Grand Order - I included this game in my GOTY for 2017, which was when it finally got it's English release. However in 2018, the first act of it's story saw it's conclusion for English speakers. The last chapters leading up to the end are glorious and show how good a mobile game's story can be. I probably haven't put more hours into a single game in 2018 than what I gave to this one.

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[Blizniak]

1. Chuchel - It's pretty much perfect. It's dumb and funny and for an adventure game has a really good flow to it. Length-wise it's also a nice ride that doesn't overstay it's welcome but if you want more you can go back to any location for all the interactions you might've missed. It's the most positive game I've played all year.
2. Paratopic - The sense of dread this game evokes without using cheap jump scares or really being all that scary is astounding. Surprising, innovative and uncommonly structured Paratopic will keep you on your toes for a short burst it takes to play.
3. Monster Hunter World - Somehow didn't love this one as much as 3U but it's still an amazing game and handles the transition to powerful hardware very admirably. It looks amazing, simplifies some of the busywork and plays just like any Monster Hunter fan would expect it to.
4. Donut County - A very garbage story about friendship and doing what's right. Filled with garbage characters, each with their own garbage level where you put a hole under their garbage to make the hole bigger so bigger garbage fits in. Have a garbage day!
5. The Haunted Island, a Frog Detective Game - It's very short and simple but incredibly cute and well written.
6. Marie's Room - It's a short walking simulator telling a touching story in the vein of Gone Home, very nicely made and it's completely free. Check it out.
7. BLACK BIRD - Spiritual successor to Fantasy Zone! In 2018! From the crazy people over at Onion Games! It's awesome

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[Deleted member 12352]

1. God of War - What's to say that hasn't been said already? GoW is a masterful action game with rewarding combat, great world design, top notch writing, voice acting and music in addition to being the prettiest game this year. A top notch reimagining.
2. Marvel's Spider-Man - A beautiful, polished game that offers some extremely satisfying gameplay mechanics and creatively designed combat coupled with a great story. It might not do anything especially new with regards to open world design, but it doesn't need to when the base gameplay makes the whole experience so much fun to play regardless.
3. Yakuza Kiwami 2 - What's better than another round of Yakuza?...
4. Yakuza 6 - ...TWO MORE ROUNDS OF YAKUZA IN ONE YEAR! Both of which were top notch as always but Kiwami 2 was the slightly better game to actually play.
5. Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna the golden country - I only played XBC2 this year and really enjoyed it despite a few design flaws hampering the experience, but this standalone prequel pretty much fixed every issue I had with the combat system at least and delivered a satisfying (if brief) experience on all counts.
6. Super Robot Wars X - What it lacks in depth it more than makes up for in ridiculously OTT fanservice.
7. Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise - Yakuza-lite, but still a ludicrous, OTT & fun game.
8. Valkyria Chronicles 4 - A great follow up to the series after the mess that was Revolution.
9. Detroit Become Human - Has some gameplay shortcomings but puts an interesting enough spin on the age-old "are robots alive?" sci-fi trope and has some superb performances from the likes of Clancy Brown and Lance Henriksen.
10. Shadow of the Colossus - Still a damn good game all these years later.

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[T.Rex In F-14]

1. Red Dead Redemption II - There are many criticisms that can be leveled at this game (most I would agree with!) but the quality of characters and writing, the detail, the beauty, the music, and the slow burn all ended up pulling me in hard. Had tears in my eyes at multiple points. Arthur Morgan shooooore is one of the best characters of all time.
2. Shadow of the Colossus - Third time is the charm. After bouncing off this game in both previous iterations, this remake finally was able to break through. Absolutely gorgeous and an all-time masterpiece.
3. Assassin's Creed Odyssey - The best Assassin's Creed to date and the game I have always wanted from the series. The move to full RPG, the giant beautiful world, and Kassandra put it at the top.
4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - It just has everything. Love the themed Classic modes of each character and World of Light is a great, creative use of all the features.
5. GRIS - A playable piece of art. Every frame is a painting, every note of music holds meaning, and it's journey through grief is an emotional, meditative one with a heartfelt climax.
6. Octopath Traveler - Gorgeous visuals, wonderful music, and a battle system that remained interesting and fun the entire way through. Some structural and story changes will make the sequel even better.
7. God of War - Stunning visuals and the Leviathan axe is an all-time weapon. Through a tragic coincidence, I actually played this game with my recently-deceased mother-in-law's ashes on the table in front of me. Add it to list with The Last of Us of games I liked but didn't love nearly as much as the general accolades.
8. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle - Donkey Kong Adventure - A fantastic expansion to last year's surprise hit. Brought lots of new mechanics and the same charm.
9. Onrush - Got on PS+ late in the year. Interesting take on the arcade racer, part Burnout, part Motorstorm.

2018 was not the banner year that 2017 was, especially since God of War didn't resonate with me that much. I only played 7 new games for my list (plus a remake and expansion) and most of them had issues that would have had them place lower in any other year. A good chunk of my year was spent playing remasters of past classics (Dark Souls, Burnout Paradise) or ports (Tropical Freeze, Bayonetta 2) that would have dominated my top 10 had I included them.


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[saltine161]

1. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - One of the most content rich games ever, with amazing multiplayer gameplay. A great single player and music mode and so much more
2. Monster Hunter World - amazing game with great gameplay, and with friends it becomes an absolute blast, one the most fun and unique multiplayer games I've ever played with my friends.
3. Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII - another great entry in the call of duty series, blackout is a great addition to the franchise, with the rest of multiplayer gameplay feeling great
4. Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! - very fun and easy game that is great throwback to the old days. A couple things hold it back like motion controls but an overall fun game
5. A Way Out - a very interesting game that is alot of fun with a friend, it couldve been great game but the gameplay and length hold it back
6. Fortnite: Battle Royale - wow they sure did add alot to this game, even it was wasnt game changing, still lots of fun over hours of playing
7. Dragonball FighterZ - a very fun fighting game that is almost as good as the old mvc, I'll probably play this more in 2019, but I did not get as hooked as wanted to in 2018

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[Curufinwe]

1. God of War - I never played any of the old games, but I really liked this one. Not enough to platinum it, though.
2. Marvel's Spiderman - Might be my #1 game released in 2018, but I haven't had time to finish it yet.
3. Dragon Quest XI - My first Dragon Quest was a chore at times, but ultimately very rewarding.
4. Forza Horizon 4 - I think I preferred 3.
5. OnRush - I played this in the last week of my one month GamesPass trial and it was a good podcast game.

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[Griestatus]

1. God of War - Great story, great technical achievement.
2. Subnautica - My dream come true, only it's an underwater nightmare, but still.
3. Marvel's Spiderman - Greatest superhero game ever.
4. Hollow Knight - Best metroidvania, don't whine about the map, you'll be fine.
5. Shadow of the Colossus - Classic greatness.
6. Megaman 11 - Simple, short, and great.
7. Valkyria Chronicles - Still haven't played 4, but 1 was the best strategy I played.
8. Street Fighter V Arcade Edition - I understand it's cool to crap on this game and Capcom's attempts to make it viable for e-sports, but still it's way more fun to play than any other fighting game out there for me.

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[SuperBoss]

1. God of War - I loved the original trilogy of this series. I even loved God of War Ascension. This game, without need for comparison to the older games, stands in its own right as the best game of the year, and really one of the best games of all time. It has immensely satisfying combat mechanics, with depth that is in your control. The gameplay systems and encounters are designed so well, that I was continuously entranced with fighting enemies beyond my level. Because I knew that if I just played smart enough, I could beat them. This enriching gameplay foundation is surrounded by stunning environments, graphics, music, characters, and a gripping story. Kratos is one hell of a character, and I can't wait to play through his next journey.
2. Spider-man - This game was incredibly addicting to play, and for me it's become one of the best superhero games of our medium. The traversal and fighting systems are so fluid, the enemy encounters were fast and fun, the boss battles surprising (in how plentiful they were and the characters portrayed). The story in Spider-man was exceptional as well, with some amazing voice acting performances, mainly Spider-man himself. There were surprises along the way, and this is the one game I platinum'd the entire year. It's actually the only game ever I went out of my way to platinum because it was fun as hell to just keep playing.
3. Red Dead Redemption 2 - RDR2 may be the third entry on my list, but make no mistake it's still a 10 out of 10 game. I wouldn't fault other people for picking it as their favorite. I've not been the biggest fan of Rockstar releases, I always thought games like GTA4, GTA5, and RDR1 fell short of the immense praise I would see for them. But not this time. This game deserves its accolades. It has a compelling story rich with meaningful characters and dialogue. The world is so masterfully crafted, with every detail put into this game feeling important. This game also had variety, player agency, and immersive gameplay and gunplay. I absolutely do not agree with all the detrimental comments about how the controls are clunky or movement is slow, or boring. I think those mechanics are deliberately designed, and they feel cohesive with the rest of the game. Not every game needs to feel the same or have the same design decisions. Its just a matter of getting used to it and getting immersed, which I found easy to do with this one.
4. Detroit: Become Human - I loved Quantic Dream games ever since I played Heavy Rain, and while I think Beyond Two Souls had some missteps, this game is a true return to form for QD. I hope more games like this keep being made, where player choice immensely affects the outcome of the story. Where stakes are high, characters can die and the game keeps going. The graphics for this game were outstanding, along with the tense and engaging decision based gameplay.
5. Super Smash Bros Ultimate - I haven't even finished this game and I'm having a blast. I never got into the smash series before, but this one was compelling and fun from the very moment I started playing. The fighting is fun no matter which character you pick, the stages are varied, and the music is wonderful. I look forward to unlocking the rest of the roster and playing much, much more.

That's all I got for 2018 GOTYs. Unfortunately I was insanely busy and didn't get to even play much more beyond what's on my list. I'm trying to catch up this year (have yet to play Odyssey, Yakuza, Monster Hunter, etc) and hopefully will get a chance to play a lot of 2019's games as well.


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[Rowsdower]

1. God of War - I was never into the series (I only had played the first one) but I fell in love with this one. The combat might be my favourite in a long time, the story was amazing, and the OST sublime. I still think about this game even in 2019, and my only regret is there is no DLC.
2. Marvel's Spiderman - I haven't had this much fun with a Spider-man game since the Neversoft PS1 title. Game also brought back feelings of playing Infamous; I have missed these open world superhero games.
3. We Happy Few - I adore this game. It's janky and buggy, but the characters, world building, and voice acting are some of the best this year. I can't truly say why this game stuck with me, but it gave me the same feeling I had when playing Bioshock for the first time.
4. Tetris Effect - The perfect game to relax to. I play this before bed and it helps me sleep.
5. Forza Horizon 4 - I love this series, I love this game. This is what a racing game should be for me. I think 3 is better, but 4 is still *chefs kiss*
6. Far Cry 5 - Another entry in the "I love this series". Far Cry 5 does a lot of things right, and is the most enjoyable FPS I played this year. It gives me that ol Far Cry 2 feeling (best in the series). Also helps it was the game that helped me get through being in chronic pain in for a month but taking my mind off it.
7. Monster Hunter: World - My first Monster Hunter; it finally get me realizing why people love the hunting genre. Having Palicos is an automatic 10/10 though.
8. Dead Cells - One of the best roguelikes I've played. Beautiful art style as well. Bought it for two platforms (PS4 and Switch) due to having fun with it.
9. Moonlighter - Coming in right under Dead Cells for me. Provided hours of fun. Also bought for PS4 and Switch. Need those portable versions.

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[Voras]

1. Into the Breach
2. God of War
3. Marvel's Spider-Man
4. Red Dead Redemption 2
5. Celeste
6. Hitman 2
7. Subnautica
8. Assassin's Creed Odyssey
9. Frostpunk
10. Return of the Obra Dinn

Into the Breach - FTL was easily one of my favorite games of all time and Into the Breach actually surpassed it in a lot of ways. In some ways this game plays almost more like a puzzle game than a traditional turn based strategy game. The biggest reason for this is that you know ahead of time what every enemy will do on the next turn and where new enemies will appear from. The trick is figuring out how best to mitigate damage to buildings while keeping the number of enemies at a manageable level. My favorite things about this game is how drastically gameplay changes between different squads. Each squad has a different specialty and different synergy between the three mechs. Figuring out all the little quirks of each squad was a joy.

God of War - God of War was a franchise I had largely written off. I had enjoyed the first game when it came out but the rest of the series didn't do a lot for me. This game blew me away. The game looks gorgeous, the writing is surprisingly solid and well acted. The axe does a great job of mixing up the combat while also having some creative uses for puzzles. All around a great experience.

Marvel's Spider-Man - For all the hype that the Spider-Man 2 game always had I've never actually gotten around to playing it. I did play a ton of the Ultimate Spider-Man game though. The new Spider-Man game really nails the web swinging, which a few more recent games have unfortunately gotten away from, while also improving the combat. The combat is admittedly Arkham-like but does a good job of capturing the agile nature of Spider-Man. The story was probably the biggest surprise here though, it's one of the best Spider-Man stories I've seen in a while, though not quite as good as Into the Spider-Verse. Also there are a ton of great costumes, some really nice deep cuts.

Red Dead Redemption 2 - Red Dead Redemption 2 is a strange game. It is heavily committed to capturing the feeling of a different era. It's slow, sometimes too slow. But it also has some great characters. Rockstar really stepped up their writing on this one. Whereas RDR1 was largely filled with western cliches and (sometimes racist) stereotypes, much of Dutch's gang in this game feel like complex people. RDR2 still has its writing stumbles. It lacks subtly at times, particularly around Dutch in the early and late parts of the game. The control scheme is also a mess, there were a lot of times that it got in the way. Despite all of this the game does such a great job at building atmosphere. It really feels like nothing else. Also Rockstar is full of bad workplace practices, that shouldn't be ignored regardless of the quality of their games.

Celeste - In Celeste you climb a mountain. But really you're just climbing your anxiety. The story of this game really resonated in a big way and everything from the excellent soundtrack to the challenging platformer gameplay adds to the way that the game tells that story.

Hitman 2 - Hitman 2 is more Hitman in the best way possible. New additions like the suitcase add to the possibilities of what you can do on these clockwork levels. The new levels are all great and have thrown in some objectives that really mix things up. Also the first Elusive Target was already one of the best.

Subnautica - Subnautica has a really satisfying loop of exploration to gather resources and then base building to open up new ways to travel and gather to expand your ability to gather resources. It has a great visual style and it continues to deliver the further in and deeper you go. It's also got a pretty solid story to it, which was not something I would have expected from this style of game.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey - Origins felt like a fresh reinvention that the series really needed and Odyssey builds on top of that success. The new ability system adds another layer to the improved combat system. This game also gets moving a lot quicker. One of the few flaws of Origins was it's slow start. Odyssey has you out in the world and progressing the story in meaningful ways in the first few hours. Kassandra is great character and the new dialogue system works pretty well.

Frostpunk - Frostpunk is such a unique take on city builder. It utilizes despair as a mechanic. Every time you make some improvements, like upgrading your generator to cover a wider area, something new comes along to throw another wrench in your progress. It always gets colder. The way the game builds atmosphere does a lot for getting you in the head space of the town you are trying to keep alive. It really forces you to make tough choices to survive.

Return of the Obra Dinn - I love games that have you play detective, Her Story scratched a similar itch a few years ago. Obra Dinn has a fantastic visual style and an even better soundtrack. The story gets weird in all the right ways and kept me engaged all the way to the end.

Honorable mentions:
BattleTech - I wish I'd had more time to play this game last year. A turn based mech strategy game about managing finances to stay afloat while doing mech mercenary work is totally up my alley. Unfortunately I'm only about 4 hours in so far and I feel like I still haven't quite hit the meat of this game yet. A really cool concept with some great art that I look forward to finishing this year.

Florence - Florence is a wonderfully touching story with some really creative mechanic and a great soundtrack. It's less than an hour long and only costs a few dollars so there really is no reason you shouldn't go play it.

Dragon Ball FighterZ - It really was tough cutting this from my top 10. As someone who isn't a big fighting game fan I was surprised by just how much this game pulled me in. It got me hyped enough about the series that I went back and watched Dragon Ball Z Kai. Once again Arc System Works knocked it out of the park. This game does such a great job of capturing the feel of the show while translating it into 3D.


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[Deleted member 671]

1. Celeste - Quite simply put one of the most powerful video games I've played in a long time. I don't want to spoil anything for people who haven't played the game yet, so I highly recommend everyone give it a go. Madeline is one of the most relatable protagonists in a very long time and the themes about anxiety, depression, etc. the game explores hits hard for anyone who experiences them. That's saying nothing of the top - tier platforming that the game is based around. I haven't had this much fun with such a challenging platformer in ages. And the soundtrack. Oh how the soundtrack was amazing. Absolutely loved this game. PLAY THIS GAME.
2. Dusk - A throwback to the FPS of the 90's and I absolutely loved it. Whether it be because of the emphasis on movement and positioning, being able to hold more than the now standard two weapons, the heavy soundtrack, the level design, I COULD GO ON ALL DAY. It was such a breathe of fresh air much like Doom 2016 was.
3. Deltarune Chapter 1 - I'm actually really glad that Toby Fox is trying to go for something different to Undertale. As it stands, Undertale is one of my favorite games of all time, and Mr. Fox was correct in the assumption that he'd never be able to recatch the feelings I and many other fans felt when playing it for the first time. It was so unexpected and so lovely. That being said, Deltarune is in no way a lesser experience, just different. The Soundtrack is absolutely fantastic, the humor is spot on, the battle system still as fun and snappy as ever,
4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - What can be said about this game that hasn't already been said. Everyone is here, and it's a damn good time just like always.
5. Soul Calibur VI - After being disappointed in both the 4th and 5th entries, I didn't have much hope. Well, I can happily say that I was pleasantly surprised. The story mode leaves quite a bit to be desired in terms of writing and direction, but the gameplay fundamentals are so fun that I find it hard to care. I've spend a good amount of time just playing online.
6. Shadow of the Tomb Raider - Probably the weakest entry in the new trilogy, but still tons of fun nonetheless.

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[ashtaar]

1. Assassin Creed: Odyssey: I've been a fan since AC2, it's pretty much my favorite franchise but I think this is my favorite, they've transformed from an open world 3rd person stealth/action game to a action RPG and I love it. It was just a fun rump through ancient greece, it had some great boss battles, tons of exploration, funny and interesting side quest. I spent so much time enjoying this game, just playing as Kassandra in the world, righting wrongs, avenging the disenfranchised.
2. Into The Breach: I absolutely loved this one, this really took me back to playing as a kid and pulling off epic moves. Sliding a mech to save a building, punching a bug onto an erupting bug, being stuck in a seeming impossible situation and somehow pulling it off. I even double dipped on mac and Switch.
3. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Wow I didn't expect for this game to have this much of an effect on me. Although I found it slow and at times unwieldy, I couldn't help but fall in love with the story and see the parallels with a charismatic leader on an increasingly insane plans. A real treat to playthrough.
4. Marvels Spider-Man - Let's just face it spider is the best super hero of all and now we have the best spider-man game of all time, although it cribs a lot from Arkham games just the feeling of swinging through New York was sensational, the story really hit me as well.
5. God of War - Of course a game focusing on an overbearing father and his son would hit me in the feels. Exploring the world, meeting the serpent, fighting the trolls were all great moments. Kratos was such an ass to begin the game but as he gradually opens up to his son shows a pretty good character arc
6. State of Decay 2 - a big fan of part 1, but this improved on the OG in several ways, gasoline for cars was a game changer, when I was out looting and pushed past a reasonable limit and was stuck with low ammo and one my favorite survivors and he was brutally ripped apart by a juggernaut, or when my leader was picked up and about to be killed and saved by my AI partner. IT was also fun to watch my wife play and get over run by zombies .
7. Divinity Original Sin 2 - The sequel to one of my favs that gives me a ton more options, better writing and the same great tactical combat as part1 but with even more options for combat. I wish I had more time to spend with it
8. Hitman 2 - I didn't get to spend as much time with this as I wanted to but another excellent stealth game/ rube goldberg machine of murder. It's just as fun as Hitman 2016.
9. Dead Cells - Just a fun run based game that is really rewarding, when you get a decent build and you've got things humming you're dodging, dropping torrents freezing this game was really fun.
10. Hollow Knight - The first souls like game I've ever beaten, a really rewarding and fun game to play, also the first souls game I've ever beaten

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[Limabean01]

Best games of 2018!! The year of indies and catching up on past games that I missed.

1. Celeste - My first and only 10/10 in any medium, I struggle to put into words how emotional and enjoyable this game was. Never has the medium of video games been fully utilised to produce such a singular, cohesive, driven experience. To me, there are three key pillars to single player games like this: narrative, soundtrack, and gameplay. This game achieves 10/10 in all three. The music is EASILY the best I have heard in years, meticulously constructed to suit every aspect of the unfolding narrative. It changes with the change in mood and environment, yet utilises one beautiful synth as the skeleton of each melody, packaging every soundtrack into one big flowing creature of feeling. The gameplay is frankly the best platforming I have ever played. But what really makes this game special is how the two aforementioned categories bolster the narrative itself, positioning players to feel (through masterful audio and gameplay techniques) what Madeline feels in her journey. The narrative has a surface layer (the story of a girl climbing a magical mountain) and a much deeper, emotional layer (an honest struggle with anxiety and mental illness in general). Through such combination of sensory input/gameplay/story, the developers have created a work that finally depicts mental illness with accuracy and authenticity that not only may help the world understand the issue better, but also resonates strongly in those with such conditions. However, this game is not content with merely being the most heartfelt depiction of a common struggle or just being the best platformer of all time. Celeste also made me feel something truly special: a sense of hope. The ending sequence was so momentous and hopeful that I didn't stop crying until a while after the credits rolled, some weird blend of sad and happy tears that can only be defined as hopeful. Having played this game in January, I strongly believe I would not have made it through 2018 without receiving such an important and hopeful experience at the start of the year.
2. Iconoclasts - a game harbouring so much darkness that it's joyous SNES-platformer-appearance almost makes it even scarier. To me, this is a horror story about institutionalised religion and what it can bring. Some very needed commentary about the way humans treat the environment/how we are bringing around our own demise, too. The boss battles are incredibly well designed, and the the themes and dramatic timing are expertly implemented. This game is fun platforming turned chilling apocalyptic tale and I enjoyed every second thoroughly. The ending - on the more personal level, between elro and Robin - was perfection.
3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - I don't even need to explain this. The literal perfect party game and absolutely filled to the brim with content. The sheer effort and talent present here is insane, and as a smash super fan I couldn't have asked for more. It's actually been a tradition since the Wii u game with 20 or so of my high school friends to catch up every week or so for a smash bros night, and once this game came out you can imagine how much fun we all had. Needless to say it's everyone's favourite game of 2018 in my circle. Spent 4300+ hours in the last one and expect to spend even more in this superior instalment.
4. Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA - okay, this game has been out a while, but I played it for the first time this year on switch. Fantastic combat and a surprisingly good plot that kept me engaged for the duration of the game. Some very memorable characters and environments too. Scratched my action JRPG itch as a massive Xenoblade fan and probably was my biggest surprise of this year.
5. Transistor - played the switch version this year, I think the original came out a while back. I'm genuinely shocked this game doesn't have more buzz or awards/high scores (maybe the original did??) because it's an absolute gem. Great characterisation, super interesting story, beautiful environments, deep combat, and a level of polish that simply shouldn't be possible for a non-AAA developer. Not to mention that fucking soundtrack, only thing this generation to rival Celeste. Want a sequel so bad.
6. Into The Breach - strategy perfection. The sleek and super informative UI should not go unnoticed, it's a very streamlined and pleasant experience which is rare for this genre. I spent plenty more hours in this game than I expected and have found each play style to provide endless depth and fun. A true marvel of game design.
7. Hyper Light Drifter - probably wins greatest atmosphere building in a game this year. This is cheating again because it's a game that's been out for a while, but recently got a switch version. Fun legend of Zelda inspired gameplay and even better storytelling and soundtrack. The use of colours and setting construction with a very futuristic, blade-runner-esque soundtrack creates a wondrously unique atmosphere, and I'm a big fan of the no-words, ambiguous storytelling that still has great emotional impact.
8. Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition - similarly to smash bros, this is a Nintendo game absolutely bursting with content. I actually played some of the Wii u version, but the amount of new content makes it a brand new game. There's nothing like using mystical legend of Zelda characters to ruthlessly hack and slash your way through hordes of enemies.
9. Kirby Star Allies - a disappointment for many, but for some reason I really enjoyed this game. Mostly because it was a needed stress reliever in a year of hardships, I think, and that's where I found the easiness of the game to actually be a strong point. And it's SO DAMN CUTE. Who knew you could buy a Package Of Pure Happiness for only 80 Australian dollars?
10. GRIS - this game could have been one of the best games of the generation imo, and only fell short through slight missteps in gameplay. The platforming is alright, but not really goty worthy, and gets kinda dull. However - and it's a big however - the art direction in this game is mind blowing, ohmygod. The animation and art is aesthetically pleasing on a whole new level, I really can't explain it, you just have to see for yourself. Every restoration of colour had me sitting there with my mouth open, and the ending sequence left me reeling in awe for hours. Utterly breathtaking.

Honourable mentions, in order:

Super Mario party: like smash, another very polished party game that has offered me endless fun with friends. Somewhat light on content, but not a major issue as some would have you think. Easily my favourite Mario party to date.

Monster hunter world: just a bigger, better, flashier version of monster hunter's tried and true formula.

Captain toad: treasure tracker: so much better as a portable game! Really cute and fun packed puzzle game :)

Owlboy: fantastic graphics, intriguing lore/story, pretty good gameplay.

Octopath traveller - stunning and completely original graphics, but I haven't actuallt played much of it because I found the levelling system and narrative system to be a bit of a bore. Still a great game but I can't really give a complete opinion.

Pokémon let's go: Pikachu: it's not the Pokémon switch game I've always wanted, that's for sure, but it turned out to be a surprisingly pleasant and very calming experience. We are hopefully getting the new generation game this year anyway, so I see this game as a nice bonus.

God of war - not my favourite game, but I feel like I have to put it here because of how much work hasn't obviously gone into both the writing and graphic design/animation. Traversal and combat aren't bad too.

Side Note!
Three other games I played this year would theoretically be in my top three:

• Xenoblade torna (haven't finished it so it's unfair for me to put it here)
• Bayonetta 2 (though switch version is viable, I already played the whole thing on Wii u so this would feel unfair)
• Axiom Verge (came out for switch last year, played it this year. Would easily be my #2 game this year were it eligible)

And that's it. The amount of 'old' games that are here because of a switch version speaks to how much I'm enjoying this console. Hopefully 2019 has more new releases that will love!

Edit (hopefully my only one): finished the very last bit of iconoclasts I had left. That entire ending sequence and the multiple revelations/bosses just propelled it up to number two. Also, after thinking about it like all day, I have decided to put smash bros above ys viii.


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[OwensboroEsq]

1. Tetris Effect - When I'm playing Tetris Effect, I'm sucked into it. On the slower, more chill levels I'm rotating pieces to hear the extra music notes, shifting pieces left and right for no reason other than to adjust the song, and admiring how HDR makes the backgrounds POP as if composed of actual glitter. I grin like an idiot when I get a Tetris and dolphins made of sparkles jump past my screen. While the background zips down a virtual neon street I marvel at how each piece I rotate, move, and drop not only makes a car sound but that all those insane noises actually sound like music. I mess up on accident rotating a piece over and over because... this level... are the pieces now making NASA Astronaut radio chatter sounds? I begin to feel tense when I realize the "fire" that I've been building in the background is now 10 fire-people sitting cross-legged worshiping the flame as it goes higher...and faster. Men made of light riding horses made of gold dust prance around the background to tribal chants. They move faster. Faster. Faster. I laser focus on the playfield and scramble like mad to survive speed 11, 12, 13... I get tense. I curse. I'm in control. I start seeing where pieces go and scramble like mad. Crap, a hole. Damn, another one. I'm out of control. I'm losing it. Shit, I'm not going to make it. I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE IT..... relief. Victory. Disbelief. I don't think I can take much more...what's this? A prompt from the game? Hell yeah lets go to the next level. *BOOOOOOM*. While I haven't actually fallen victim to the real "Tetris Effect", I feel like I'll start seeing it soon. Tetris Effect is going to be the kind of game that I come back to over and over again simply because of how it makes me feel. Much like Rez, I seriously think this game will be timeless. While I realize I've played more "epic" games this year , it's the simplicity of the game ("it's just Tetris") vs the complexity of the emotions it creates ("how the hell is Tetris making me feel this way!") that makes me realize how wonderful that simplicity can be.
2. God of War - I still cannot believe that I cared about Kratos or his adventures in 2018. I've always been a fan of the God of War series, but never once for the story or characters. It was always just about meeting and killing as many mythical creatures/figures as you could, as brutally as possible, while Kratos screamed about revenge. (Oh, is that Medusa? Cool! *rips head off*. Neat, it's Helios! *rips head off*). It is honestly nothing short of a miracle that they took that and made a wonderful father/son journey story where I actually cared about the characters, their relationships with each other, and actively wanted them to be happy. I still love how the BOY changes through the story, with them using game mechanics to show what he's thinking. The bonus in all of this is, of course, it was a blast to actually play.
3. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age - I'm honestly amazed I'm typing this, but this may actually be my favorite Dragon Quest game. I never thought anything could top Dragon Warrior IV and how it really introduced me to the RPG Genre, but there's just so much in DQ11 that makes me really love it. The majority of the characters are wonderful and I have a new favorite character in the entire Dragon Quest series (Sylvando). The localization is downright impressive in that it manages to be horribly "punny" and get snickers out of me while also making me care about the people making said "dad" jokes. (Also, can we talk about the entire town that speaks in Haiku? It's freaking impressive.) The story, while simple, hits some real dark notes I haven't seen since Dragon Quest VII (I was honestly shocked at how major stories resolved....and then thrilled at the third act of the game). The game is downright gorgeous to watch. I found myself purposefully fighting everything I could find just to see the monsters, their names, and how they animate (the Hatchet Man and Cruelcumber's death animations are great, I love the demon slot machines!). The only downside is the music and it's horrible "midi-ness", but after the first 3 hours of game (and setting the volume lower in the settings) it isn't an issue. I seriously hope they take this exact same engine and just make another game, because I don't think I can wait another 14 years to play a proper DQ Game. (But I know I'm just going to buy whatever special "Switch" version gets released in 2019. Please god have orchestral music!)
4. Astro Bot RESCUE MISSION - Man, I never thought a platformer would elicit a sense of wonder from me ever again. At first I thought all the comparisons people were making to Mario 64 were bonkers. How could this piddly little VR game based on a demo be that amazing? While not as truly revolutionary as Mario 64, I get where the comparisons are coming from. Astro Bot made me remember all those emotions I felt the first time I played Mario 64. I giggled with joy each time I though "there's no way I need to do this....holy crap! It worked!" I was amazed that I actually enjoyed using the touch pad during gameplay (no look hookshots!). I actually enjoyed not only a minecart level but also an underwater level. (No really, an underwater level.) I was happy each time a new enemy / friendly appeared because the characters look silly/goofy/suitably cartoon-menacing (and also at how you deal with/finish them, notably the soccer-ball robots and most bosses). If you happen to have a PSVR, you really should play this. It's just a joyous game that can't help but make you smile. (Side thought: This game makes me desperately want Nintendo to make a VR Mario platformer.)
5. Monster Hunter World - When I was making my list I thought "Holy crap, this came out in 2018?!?" I loved getting sucked into an honest to god "modern" version of Monster Hunter, and it kept it's claws... (ha ha)... in me for a solid 3 months. I had a blast doing everything I've done in previous MH games, but with much more quality of life improvements and way less "what the hell does this item do?" nonsense.
6. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life - Another great Yakuza game. I had a blast from start to finish. Good story, great new engine, great side missions and games, and the best baby-tossing scene in the series.
7. Into the Breach - Strategy bliss with absolutely no RNG number BS during turns (Although a spawn can screw you very rarely. Most of the time my own positioning was to blame). It's crazy to think that even if you know exactly what the enemy is going to do next turn and what order they're doing it in, you're still going to spend 15 minutes staring at the screen planning your next move.
8. Hollow Knight - Blew me away with not only how large it was, but how each play-through can be so incredibly different. I'm always on board for Metroid-esque games. Doubly so when they can make me feel just as lonely, confused, and scared as Super Metroid did.
9. Valkyria Chronicles 4 - More Valkyria Chronicles 1, but with more interesting / diverse missions and (unfortunately) a slightly worse cast. The new units (Grenader and APC) are a little OP, but beating missions in one turn the first time you play will always be super satisfying. I honestly only ever wanted more VC1 and the sequels left me super disappointed. It was so good to get one of my favorite games back in proper form.
10. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon - retro Castlevania goodness. Great fun swapping characters on the fly and taking multiple paths through each level. Hopefully this bodes well for the upcoming game.

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[Burning Justice]

1. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Without a doubt the best Smash Bros. game. It has a staggering amount of content, and the gameplay tweaks they made were all for the better.
2. Celeste - Managed to finish this just before the deadline. An excellent platformer with just the right amount of difficulty. Also has an interesting story and amazing music.
3. Valkyria Chronicles 4 - A return to form for the series after the mediocre VC2.
4. WarioWare Gold - Been waiting years for a new WarioWare game, and this one delivered.
5. Mario Tennis Aces - Was originally a couple spots lower, but the recent addition of online doubles tournaments moved it up my list. The game is a great time with friends.
6. Splatoon 2 – Octo Expansion - Much better than the single-player in the base game. I mainly play Splatoon 2 for the multiplayer, but had a good time with this.
7. Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!/Let's Go, Eevee! - Liked this more than I was expecting. Though I'm still not happy about them not including all of the Pokemon, they did make some smart QOL changes that I hope carry over to the next games.
8. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle – Donkey Kong Adventure - This DLC was an enjoyable follow-up to the base game.
9. Marble It Up! - Loved Marble Blast Ultra, and this was a worthy follow-up to that.
10. Detective Pikachu - A solid game, though I was hoping to like it a little bit more than I did.

I didn't play a whole lot of games this year. For me personally it was a pretty weak year overall, coming off of a stellar 2017. The two overall front-runners for people's Game of the Year lists, God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2, are both games that I have zero interest in. And my GOTY pick, SSBU, wouldn't have even made my top 5 had it released in 2017.

EDIT: Finished Celeste and added it to my list. Also, I forgot DLC was eligible, so I decided to add Octo Expansion and Donkey Kong Adventure.


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[JudgmentJay]

1. Hollow Knight - I don't typically vote for re-releases for GOTY but I didn't vote last year so I feel obligated to include Hollow Knight. High risk unguided exploration in beautiful mysterious environments is basicalliy how you get near the top of my GOAT list and Hollow Knight is up there. Beautiful art style and soundtrack, simple but satisfying controls and combat, challenging and fun boss encounters, good character customization, and interesting lore that I still think about. This game has everything I love most in video games.
2. God of War - The best game actually released in 2018. It was hard to choose between this and Red Dead Redemption 2, but in the end I prefer a fantasy setting over a western one. This was my first God of War game so I had no vested interest in the series, but the combat and setting alone kept me enthralled to the very end. I can't wait to see where they take the story.
3. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Amazing story, world, characters, and writing. People complain about the slow, heavy movement, but I enjoyed it. I liked taking things slow and just enjoying the atmosphere/vibe of the game.
4. Shadow of the Colossus - An improved version of an already timeless masterpiece.
5. Dragon Quest XI - The second best JRPG I've played since the PS1 era. It felt a little generic at first, but once I got all the characters and the story got going it just got better and better. Really charming art style/enemy design. Looks amazing at 4k60. Music wasn't bad with the orchestral mod.
6. Dead Cells - I was super into Dead Cells for about 20 hours. Really satisfying combat and a top-tier soundtrack. For some reason I lost all interest after beating the game on the base difficulty and seeing all the different areas/bosses the game had to offer.
7. Celeste - Super challening platforming, interesting story, best soundtrack of the year.
8. Subnautica - Really good exploration/surival in a dangerous environment. Satisfying progression. It was a lot of fun to uncover the world's mysteries. It might have been higher but there were rather severe hitching issues on PC.
9. Monster Hunter World - The only game in my list that I didn't finish. I played about 35 hours and decided I had had enough. Still, it was good while it lasted especially since I played it with a group of friends.
10. Far Cry 5 - My first Far Cry since 2. Nothing amazing, but I enjoyed my time with it. A game that's all about zany chaos is fun every once in a while.

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[Deleted member 3017]

1. Into The Breach - This is truly one of the best games I've ever played. It's probably the best turn based strategy experience I've ever had. Every squad is completely unique from the next and the gameplay possibilities feel endless for a game of this type. An absolute treasure and the best game I played that released in 2018.
2. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom - The best game in the Wonder Boy franchise and a huge surprise for me. A really special game.
3. Dead Cells - The best roguelite I've ever played. I put almost 100 hours into this game in a little less than a week and loved every minute of my time with it.
4. Mega Man 11 - Far better than it has any right to be. A really great return to form for the long-running franchise.

I played many other games in 2018 (God of War, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Red Dead Redemption 2, Monster Hunter World, among others), but these are really the only four that made enough of an impact on me to bother voting for. I also played Hollow Knight and absolutely adored it, but it's really not a 2018 game. I'm aware it's technically eligible for voting, but as far as I'm concerned, it's a 2017 release.


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[Shairi]

1. God of War - I have played all previous God of War games in preparation for this game over the last 2 years. It was so worth it. God of War grabbed me from the first second. The story is so well written, every line of dialogue just feels right. Each character is complex and relatable. Gameplaywise there was probably nothing more satisfying this year than to recall the Leviathan Axe. This game just had so many "wow" moments that for the first time after playing a game, I went to YouTube and just watched other people's reactions to those moments. It's my GOTG.
2. Fortnite - According to Sony, Fortnite is my most played game with over 700 hours. It's incredibly fun to play with friends and we've often played until late at night because we've had a winning streak going on even though we had to get up early the next morning. I've played a lot of multiplayer games like LoL and C&C with friends in the past, but Fortnite is the game that made me addicted to multiplayer games on console.
3. Marvel's Spider-Man - Waited so long for a good Spider-Man game, and it's finally here. Fantastic gameplay, great story, excellent graphics, amazing music. The game shines in almost all categories. The side quests were unfortunately forgettable and not on the level of the main story. But I'm looking forward to playing the DLC episodes soon. Unfortunately, I didn't have time for them yet.
4. Monster Hunter World - My first Monster Hunter game. I didn't know what to expect, but if I'd had expectations, I'm sure they'd be surpassed. It's a great game. I still play it and it's a lot of fun. But some frustrating elements like the party system and how cumbersome everything is just to do a few quests with your friends, brings the experience down a bit. Still, it's one of the best games this year and a game that gets better the more you play it.
5. Hollow Knight - What an incredible game. I already had an eye on it , but wanted to wait for the PS4 version. It looks fantastic, it plays fantastically and the atmosphere is so tight. At first I thought it was just a little few hours long indie game. But after a few hours the game opens up and gets bigger and bigger. And it feels so satisfying to clear an area and to turn every stone for secrets. Though, I ran into a boss too early and it was really frustrating because I usually don't stop and walk away until I beat the enemy. It took me 4-5 hours to finally defeat him. But the game is really, really good.

Unfortunately I didn't have much time to play games this year, so my Goty list is rather short. I also finished some games from my backlog that are not eligible for this year. 2018 was for sure a fantastic year and i'm looking forward to playing some of the games on other people's lists. Shadow of the Colossus, Detroit, RDR2 and Dead Cells are at the top of my to-do list.


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[Blue Ninja]

1. Red Dead Redemption 2 - The Wild West, realized superbly. Sure, the game has its issues, but what it delivers is greater than the sum of its parts. It's a world to get entirely lost in.
2. God of War - Only a narrow second, God of War is an amazing story-based experience only somewhat hampered by a needless RPG-lite system. The Leviathan Axe is the coolest videogame weapon ever.
3. Spider-Man - 2018 was a great year for videogames, and Spider-Man is one of the main reasons. This game combines fantastic gameplay, great characters and an intriguing story and tells it all without endlessly bloating it with needless mechanics.
4. Assassin's Creed Odyssey - Odyssey takes the great template from Origins (my GOTY from last year) and expands upon it in many ways... But doesn't really push it further. Odyssey presents a great, beautiful world with smooth, fluent gameplay, but is held back by steep level requirements and the presence of a lot of filler content.

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[NHale]

Another year where I played more 2016/2017 games than new games despite buying most of them already... so my definitive 2018 GOTY list will be ready on 2020. Oh well.

1. MLB The Show 18 - My GOTY by default because of the amount of time I spent playing it and how I keep enjoying it year after year despite Franchise Mode not seeing any massive improvements for a while because of Diamond Dynasty focus. Still the new hitting mechanics make it fresh enough to make the previous game obsolete.
2. F1 2018 - The tweaks to career progression make it less of a chore to improve the car, gameplay feels more grounded, AI is a lot more realistic than before which overall makes for a much better driving experience.
3. Marvel's Spiderman - Combat and traversal are fun, fast and fluid. Still not deep enough into the game to make a final conclusion but if it keeps this pace until the end it would be my GOTY.
4. Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII - As a total package it definitely feels incomplete, even the menus seem rushed but the game shines at the gameplay. Best COD multiplayer this generation, helped by specialists and boots on the ground despite having some deep flaws that make it a lot worse than games like COD4 or Black Ops. Blackout is a great PUBG clone that delivers a stable and fun experience.
5. Laser League - Fantastic strategic twitch multiplayer experience that lacks a little simplicity to be the next Rocket League. Thumbs up for having bots in online multiplayer if nobody is playing.
6. Battlefield V - A big disappointment. Game filled with bugs and some strange design decisions that someone has to wonder if anyone is really leading the development of the game or is if they rotate on daily basis. Still it delivers exhilarating moments that only Battlefield offer and that makes it worthwhile.
7. FIFA 19 - Once again EA Sports delivered a fun experience at launch only to keep tweaking it to please the FUT crowd while ruining it for everyone else (which is clearly the minority). Career Mode is a debacle in so many aspects but FUT keeps being the best Ultimate Team type of mode in the market.
8. Celeste - I wish I was good at this game but I can still have a quick session of dying while having fun.
9. NBA 2K19 - I feel dirty having this game on my list because of the Virtual Currency scheme and the core design that forces you to spend money to be barely competent in MyCareer. It's the worst microtransaction scheme in the entire industry but people have forgotten about it after some backlash after 2K18. On the other hand, I can't forget how good the core gameplay actually is and how Association keeps being improved (best sports Franchise mode by a big margin).
10. NHL 19 - As someone that haven't bought a NHL title since 16, this look as a big improvement (because of World of CHEL and Threes) while being stale at the same time (core gameplay).
11. Red Dead Redemption 2 - My most anticipated game of the year and I wanted to love it but the game made me sleep 2 out of the 3 times I've tried to play it. I know it's my problem because I'm going through a phase where I want action and I want it now but the game really goes deep into the opposite spectrum of being fun.

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[n00bp]

1. Astro Bot: Rescue Mission - My first ever VR experience and it absolutely BLEW MY MIND. One of the best gaming experiences I've had during my three decades worth of playing video games! Astro Bot himself is an adorable character and the platforming is really fun and innovative thanks to the unique perspective. Before this game I thought that VR would be best experienced from a first person perspective, but I've changed my mind; this is the best way to experience VR, and I can't wait for more games like this!
2. Marvel's Spider-Man - Finally, a game featuring everyone's favorite web slinger that isn't just good, or passable or "has great web slinging mechanics but otherwise it's quite crap" but actually GREAT! Best Spider-Man game ever made with the best web slinging. Sure it has some parts that are less than perfect (taking over bases gets repetetive and predictable, for example) but as a whole, this package delivers and excellent experience.
3. Beat Saber - Friggin' exhausting! But the feeling of slicing up little cubes with your LIGHTSABERS is too good for this world. Now to get into better shape so I can manage more than a couple of songs before I have to take a break...

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[HennyGingerale]

1. Assassin's Creed Odyssey - Seriously carried away by this game. Loved the theme, and there's so much to do
2. God of War - Who needs multiplayer?
3. Parkitect - Oh the nostalgia. RCT is back.
4. Overcooked 2 - THE ULTIMATE PARTY GAME! NOW CUT THOSE ONIONS!
5. Super Smash Bros Ultimate - Did I already mention I liked party games?
6. Hitman 2 - Seriously underrated.
7. Spyro Reignited - I also love nostalgia btw. Good to be back.
8. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Not the best, but should be in the top 10. Hoped to be #1
9. NBA 2k19 - That 1 game you buy every year.
10. Shadow of the Tomb Raider - More of the same, but the same was pretty good
    

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[NightOnyx]

1. God of War - This game excels in every way imaginable for what I'm looking for in a game. It has interesting characters, a wonderful story, graphics are top notch, gameplay and combat are a ton of fun, and the world is a joy to be in and explore. GOW made me care about Kratos, something I never thought possible. It's also a wonderful father and son tale wrapped in a world of Norse mythology which I found super interesting. I get the complaints about the way the woman in the game could have been written better, so I don't think the game or the story is perfect. However, it's easily my game of the year because I think it completely nails so many other things and is just so great across the board.
2. Marvel's Spider-Man - This game like God of War is such a well-rounded package. It does so many things so well and it's very impressive. Web swinging was a thing they had to nail and they did. It's such a blast swinging around NYC. Storywise, I love this version of Spiderman and Peter, which is another thing they needed to do well, and they did. The relationships that Peter have with MJ and Doc Ock were particularly strong parts of the story. Really the only issues I had with the game was the repetitiveness of the combat scenarios, especially as I went for the platinum trophy. Getting all the trophies is optional of course, but really showed how similar all the combat is when clearing out all the districts. That really isn't a big complaint though and I did truly love the
3. Assassin's Creed Odyssey - I did not want another AC game after Origins so soon. I was frustrated by the announcement but once I started to see more of it, I realized that it just looked like a ton of fun. It's a really entertaining and enjoyable AC game, but we got that last year too. However, the reason why it's so high on my list is because of Kassandra, the main character. She's my character of the year, and that's really saying something in a year of this new Kratos. Kassandra though is such a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed every second I got to play as her. I was constantly smiling or cracking up at her sass, her dumb jokes, or at the way she would so obviously be completely through with dealing with some of these idiots or assholes in the world. Obviously, you can choose to play as Alexios, and I've gone back to watch some of him, and he's fine, but the voice actress for Kassandra just takes it to a much higher level imo and completely nails it out of the park with her performance.
4. Hitman 2 - It's more Hitman 1 and guess what, that game was awesome, so this game is awesome.
5. Monster Hunter World - My first time playing a MH game. Fighting the monsters in this game is a blast, and mastering your weapon of choice is a very rewarding experience. Online play was frustrating, especially trying to get people into the game that didn't really seem that interested to begin with. Adding another level of frustration to that barrier to entry was rough. I also found myself done with the game after that first endpoint of beating Zorah the Elder Dragon. I just felt like I had my fill of the game at the point, which is cool, but I would like to go back eventually because I've seen what else is left and it looks fun. It was just a weird thing to happen, where it felt like a soft ending to the game and a good stopping point. The last thing I will say about the game is that watching the monsters interact, fight you, fight each other, is one of the coolest things I witness in games this year.
6. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 - I hate how this game doesn't have a campaign. I despise Zombie's mode and I really don't care about Blackout, it's just not my thing. However, the multiplayer is a blast! I've played most of the COD's and I usually enjoy the multiplayer but this one is the best it's been in years. I was really surprised by that too because I didn't particularly care for BOPS 3 multiplayer. It really works this time though. It was my multiplayer game of the year and I've added it to this list because of that, even if I wish I cared more about the rest of the game. Bring back the campaign and especially spec ops mde already!
7. Detroit: Become Human - This is a David Cage game, so it has its bad moments and terrible writing. I still usually like his games though. Detroit was a good example of the good and bad parts of a Cage game. There are many parts of the story that is way out of his depth to write about, and therefore are really bad. However, one thing I think Cage does well is the detective stories, which is why I liked Heavy Rain so much. In Detroit, by far the best part of the game is playing a Connor. He's a really fun character and his storyline is definitely the best thing in the game. His relationship with Hank is also well done. Honestly, I just want a game with those two and I think it would be really good. No more robot racism stories that miss the mark, and more odd robot detective who licks everything.
8. Dragon Ball FighterZ - Finally a Dragon Ball game that really captures the look and fighting of the series. It's a stunning game to look at, that really nailed the look of the show. It's also a blast to play. As a casual fighting game fan, it was easy to use, but I also found it easy to improve and learn how to fight better. The story mode was disappointing, which sucked to see, but if you just want a fun fighting game that looks incredible, this game is definitely that.
9. Super Smash Brothers Ultimate - I've always enjoyed Smash as a party game because it's a fun game to play with a group of friends. Ultimate thankfully did more than just that though with the introduction of the World of Light single player mode. The game would have been just more Smash without it, and that's fine, but adding the single player turns the game into so much more than just a party game now. I love the thought that has gone into World of Light. Tapping into the vast library of Nintendo with the spirits was genius. Not only was it cool to see so many random obscure characters, but how they are used as modifiers for the fights is so impressive. The time and care it took for the developers to so smartly create a theme or fighting style for a character based on the spirit is really awesome and turns the single player fighting into way more than just unlocking characters.
10. Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!/Eevee! - As I patiently wait for the next mainline Pokemon game that is coming to the Switch, Pokemon: Let's Go was a nice walk down memory lane in a lot of ways. A lot of the new additions to the game like the motion controlling catching of the Pokemon, the tie-ins with Pokemon Go, and the petting of Eevee are not really things I want or need in a Pokemon game. However, battling Pokemon is still fun and going around a remade Pokemon Yellow world was nostalgic. It's an enjoyable package that allowed me to scratch that Pokemon itch, and it was better than I had originally thought it would be.

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[CrocodileGrin]

So, this is going to be a disappointing list for me. I was making a Top 10 and I realized that barely played ten new games all year, and the ones near the end of the list probably don't deserve to considered. Some games I didn't even finish because I had a lot going on or I was playing games from previous years in my backlog.

1. Monster Hunter World - I've never played a MH game before. I've played games with similar mechanics, like Toukiden and Freedom Wars, and put many hours into them. All I knew was that MH was Granddaddy of them all and it coming to PS4 was a huge deal. So I played the Beta, and guess what? I didn't like it at all. Roll around to after release, one of my friends I played the Beta with was telling me all about the mechanics and the more he talked about it, the more I was curious. I eventually bought it and 350+ hours later, it's my GOTY. I like that you aren't limited to a particular style. The game doesn't hold your hand and I feel there is a major learning curve with each weapon type, but each one is so different and unique that it brings a new experience each time you play.
2. Marvel's Spider-Man - Insomniac should be applauded for their effort. They did an amazing job. As far as superhero games, I think the Arkham games are better with combat, but as far as storytelling, it did a few things I wasn't expecting with certain characters that I can't say without giving spoilers, so I won't. A fun game with great character models. Everyone wanted that Spider-Man 2 movie suit, yet I still want my Ben Reilly Spider-Man suit to be added to the game :(
3. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age - I really wanted a DQ game to play and my first experience was probably the wrong one, which was DQ Heroes. It was less RPG than I was expecting and a stupid grind post-story. Even though I didn't care for it, I still wanted to give the new mainline DQ title a shot. I'll be honest: I'm still playing this. I'm over 50+ hours in and it's the first JRPG in years to hook me for that long. The game has many mechanical and presentation flaws that make the game feel extremely dated, but the story and cast of characters are strong enough to make me overlook the issues I have with it.
4. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life - I heard everyone praising this game when I was still getting through the main story chapters. Here's the thing, the first half of the game is great. It introduces so many wonderful, memorable characters, and the storyline involving Haruka and the baby is definitely a mystery that had me hooked. But then when all gets answered, the game didn't know when to put its foot on the brakes and stop. It keeps going, and going and going. "This town has a secret. Wanna know its secret?" Not really. Wait, that's the secret? All this killing over the years....for that? Uh huh. Then you have a storyline with "Bio-dad" and his kid. Another of a guy that looks like he could be a K-Pop idol with anger issues and he could be super interesting for a future Yakuza title, but is ultimately wasted in this game. Even Kiryu's conclusion didn't do it for me. I think they tried so hard to tie a pretty little bow on the ending, that it still left me wanting something different, especially involving the relationship he has built with Haruka. Damn, just writing this made me realize they Dark Knight Rises this game's ending with Haruka. Wow. You're a bad dad, Uncle Kaz. Ugh. Anyway, I need to also mention the fighting is....not good. I think the freestyle of it is boring because I felt like I was doing the same moves over and over. I know they fixed it in Kiwami 2, but it's a mere shadow of how good Yakuza 0 was in combat. Speaking of Kiwami 2, I played that later in the year and I realized as much as I was conflicted with Y6, I enjoyed my time with it over Kiwami 2. I found the New Japan Pro Wrestling stuff, the Live Chat, and side stories more entertaining that what ended up in Kiwami 2.
5. God of War - Originally I had this in Yakuza 6's spot, but I realized a lot of the post-game stuff (side quests, ravens, Muspelheim challenges) isn't fun and was a chore to get through. The only redeeming post-game stuff were the Valkyrie and fighting all of them. Overall, as a person that hated GoW1, somewhat liked GoW2, and went back to hating Kratos after GoW3, this the best GoW story in the series and I think it's a good discussion of a parent realizing they come from a history of abuse and wanting to stop the cycle violence. To "be better." The idea of humanizing Kratos is cool and a positive step forward.
6. Hitman 2 - So this is funny. I played Hitman 1 in January after finally opening up the Season One steel book that was sitting on my shelf for months. I thought I would like some things about it, I mean, I did like Absolution after all. Hearing Giant Bomb's love for the game on podcasts is what made me give it a try, and boy, that first Hitman game was the best thing I played all damn year! It's a Top 5 game of the generation for me. So Hitman 2 had me very excited. The end result? It's fine. It's more Hitman, if anything, an expansion and I'm fine with that. Am I $60 fine with that? Not really lol. The most disappointing part of the game is that it doesn't really introduce anything that innovative outside of the briefcase. The weapons and items you unlock are just "MK.2" versions of objects from Hitman 1. Very lame. I had a hilarious time with it but I don't know when I'll touch it again. I want to delete it off my system but it's a whooping 80GB+ thanks to the previous maps and I really don't want to re-download that again.
7. Hollow Knight - The reason this is so far back on the list is because I'm still playing it and not even close to the end. I believe it still deserves a nomination. I had the choice of playing this or the sequel to my 2013 GOTY, Gucamelee 2. I bought Hollow Knight instead and it's really cool. Everyone says it's like Souls, but it feels like a good mix between Salt & Sanctuary and Guacamelee to me.
8. Yakuza Kiwami 2 - After hearing so many positive things over the years about Yakuza 2, I finally got to play it and honestly, it's my least favorite. Maybe it's because I've played so much freaking Yakuza that the story beats and twists don't surprise me anymore.
9. Fire Pro Wrestling World - It's not bad, but not what I expected either. The learning curve kind of turned off my enjoyment. I do like to watch the wrestlers fight each other in sim mode and that's about it.
10. Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise - I'm still pushing through it. In the beginnning it was a chore, but now it's gotten good. The game is definitely appealing, but not a standout either. I think I prefer Ken's Rage over it, but that's just my preference.

So that's it. I would have stopped at #6, but I would like to see those other games further down make it somewhere on the overall Resetera GOTY list.

Games I wish I played that I think would have made it on the list:
Shadow of the Colossus - I've had this since day one and never touched it.
Celeste - I really wanted to try it, but was never at a price I wanted to jump on. I want to play
Iconoclasts - Unfortunately, I won't have enough time to play it before the GOTY deadline.
Mega Man 11 and the MMX Collection - I grew up as a MM kid, so I would have loved to played these but the input lag on PS4's MMX Collection soured me from touching it. I actually forgot about wanting to play MM11 this year until it was brought up on Giant Bomb's GOTY discussion. So both games were a missed opportunity.
Spyro Trilogy - I want to play that more than the Crash trilogy. Looks good.


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[DionardoLicaprio]

1. Red Dead Redemption 2 - I had almost no hype for this game, and ended up crying by the end of it. The world, characters, story and graphics are some of the best every created. Possibly the game of the generation (at least until The Last of Us 2 arrives).
2. God of War - This was my GOTY before Red Dead and one of the best of the generation. I still think it's one of the best games of the generation. Dad of Boy is incredible with its story, characters and amazing combat.
3. Marvel's Spider-Man - Spider Man is not even close to being my favorite Marvel character but this game surprised me so much, I even platinumed the damn thing. That final scene was really emotional.
4. Detroit: Become Human - Still haven't finished the game but it's already one of my favorites of the year, which was expected for me since I loved both Heavy Rain and Beyond.
5. Assassin's Creed Odyssey - Barely touched this game but it's more Assassin's Creed and it's one of my favorite franchises. Amazing graphics and fun gameplay as well.
6. Astro Bot - Still playing it but it's incredible whit it's music and it is the VR killer app (along with Beat Saber).
7. Spyro Reignited Trilogy - Still playing through the first game but I already love it, it's beautiful and still incredibly fun to play.

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[sdijoseph]

1. God of War - I only played 2 games that were released in 2018, but I felt so good after playing God of War that I wanted to show some support for it. Combat was super fun, especially while fighting the valkyries (and even on balanced difficulty), the story was great, and the graphics amazed. I played through all 3 mainline GoW games in 2010, and seeing how SSM grew Kratos as a character was impressive to say the least.

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[kami_sama]

1. Celeste - Such an awesome game. It is hard as fuck but not punishing, and makes you better at the game all the time. The story is very emotional. And the music is the best OST of the year.
2. Monster Boy - One of the best metroidvanias ever. A game made with care and pretty lengthy to boot. Price is 100% justified.
3. Exapunks - I really like programming-puzzle games, but this one is the best that Zachtronics has made to date, and is the first one with a really interesting story.
4. Deltarune Chapter 1 - Toby FOx is back, and more powerful than ever! Completely surprising everyone, he released the first part of his new game. Really similar to Undertale, but makes it better in almost every possible way., changes to the battle system are welcome, and the music is awesome as always.
5. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Who doesn't like the greatest crossover of gaming's history? The ultimate fighting game. So many fighters, so many stages, so many songs. WoL is so meaty, too much I dare say.
6. Hollow Knight - I played it on switch, and damn what I missed last year. Also one of the best metroidvanias ever. Really difficult though.
7. Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! - The old game, with new mechanics and some QoL changes that new entries of the franchise should copy.
8. The Room: Old Sins - The newest entry of the The Room franchise, takes what it did before and makes it even better.
9. Cube Escape: Paradox - Similar sotry to The Room: Old sins, it is the latest iteration on Cube Escape/Rusty Lake's series, but it is a meatier game than previous ones.
10. Gris - Really, really beautiful game, with an awesome soundtrack. A little short though.

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[TrueBroLapp]

1. Hitman 2 - Improving on every aspect of the previous game, Hitman 2 features some of the best levels in the series, and some of the best sandboxes to explore and play around in video games. It also has a DLC with every level from the previous game, so you can play 11 huge levels in one game, 9 of which are excellent. The briefcase is back and it now works as a slow homing missile, what's not to love?
2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Smash the the most fun party game, and now with 70+ characters everyone can find a character with a move set they enjoy, and there is enough variety for the game to never get old.
3. Deltarune Chapter 1 - Toby Fox is back and his music is better than ever, this game has the soundtrack of the year, by far. It's also a great rpg.
4. Return of the Obra Dinn - A good story told in an great way, and puzzles that will make you feel like a true detective. It could definitely do with a few quality of life improvements, but the overall experience is unlike any other game before, it's a must play.
5. Kenshi - Kenshi is an rpg about doing whatever you want in a post apocalypse world, with weird aliens and robots. I chose to get rich by mining iron and cooper, I hired mercenaries and tried build my own outpost. It got invaded by bandits, my party was easily defeated and hero almost got killed. So I got richer, got stronger and tried again. Kenshi is quite addicting once you give yourself an objective, but it can be just as boring if you lack one.

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[Adam15]

1. Super Smash Bros Ultimate - EVERYONE IS HERE
2. Celeste - great art, story and music
3. Hollow Knight - artiscally crafted
4. Fortnite: Battle Royale - Will be game of the decade for sure
5. Yoku's Island Express - pinaball metrodivania, like what?
6. Minit - Zelda we all needed
7. Lumines Remastered - bumpin soundtrack and easy to learn gameplay
8. Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze - old port still impresses
9. Mario Tennis Aces - great tennis gameplay at launch, post content gave more to do
10. Overcooked 2 - cooking co-op madness

 

[cyba89]

1. Celeste - 2D-Platforming perfection. Beating those B- and C-Sides was the best gaming experience I had this year. I introduces new platforming mechanics throughout the whole game and every mechanic feels different and fun. It also has a great story to boot with wonderful characters and challenging boss fights. My Game of the Year.
2. Return Of The Obra Dinn - I love Detective murder mysteries and this is one of the best I played yet. The concept is innovative. This doesn't feel like anything I played before. It got a nice visual style and a great soundtrack too. It comes with some true WTF moments and the story has lots of surprising turns. The core of the game are the deductions and these are executed perfectly. There's so much attention to detail and every time you correctly decipher three different clues and the jingle plays it feels so rewarding.
3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - What is there more to say about this game other than this is the ultimate version of Smash? The character and stage roster is insane and almost each character plays different. With World of Light and revamped Classic mode it also has the best singleplayer ever in a Smash game. Biggest dent in an otherwise great title is the limited online experience.
4. Astro Bot: Rescue Mission - I took the dive into VR this year. Astro Bot was the killer app for me and it did not disappoint. It's the best non-Nintendo 3D Platformer I've ever played and VR feels so integral to the experience. It's incredible how every level brings something new. The whale level was a trip.
5. Yakuza 0 - Played it on PC this year. It's my introduction to the series. Best videogame story I've experienced this year and the amount of stuff you can do in this game is crazy.
6. God Of War - The best God Of War game yet. I enjoyed the small open hub world structure and the combat felt really good. Kratos is actually an interesting character now and I can't wait for the next chapter in his story.
7. 428: Shibuya Scramble - Great visual novel. It's entertaining from the very beginning. The cast of characters is so good and the game strikes a nice balance between hilarious gags and intense serious moments. What's especially noteworthy about this game is the fantastic localization.
8. Iconoclasts - This game feels kind of overlooked. It's one of my favorites in the very crowded genre of 2D Metroidvanias and features imo the most memorable boss fight of the year.
9. Batman: The Enemy Within - Biggest surprise of the year for me. The best Telltale game since the first season of The Walking Dead but sadly only few will notice. Tells a gripping Batman story with choices that actually completely change the whole game like never done before in a Telltale title. It's sad to see this company go while their newest titles (this and TWD S3) were so a high quality wise (after I already got a bit sick of the formula).
10. Shadow Of The Colossus - This remake was my first time experiencing this game. I get why people love it but it did not resonate with me as much as The Last Guardian did. The structure of the game and the empty open world make for an unparalleled atmosphere but it actually felt a bit repetitive to me after a while. Still was a wonderful experience and I don't regret finally having played it. It's a visually outstanding remake.

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[DevilMayGuy]

1. God of War - Hands down the best game I played this year. The combat was immensely satisfying, and I greatly enjoyed the well-paced, well-acted narrative. I don't have much to add beyond what's already been said time and time again.
2. Monster Hunter World - My favorite MH game yet, minus the small roster. I had a blast with my friends taking down monster after monster for over 130 hours. I eagerly await the expansion.
3. Path of Exile: Betrayal - Grinding Gear Games has solidified themselves as one of my favorite devs, much like Digital Extremes did with Warframe. I have pumped hundreds (if not 1000) hours into this game over the years, and GGG keeps me coming back again and again with meaty expansions that provide dozens of hours of new experiences each league. I can't wait for the next league to do it all again!
4. Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII - Perhaps the subject of some contention on this forum, Black Ops IIII is the most fun I've had in a competitive shooter since Black Ops 2. The removal of random lootboxes in favor of a Fortnite-esque rewards stream and a return to mostly boots on the ground gameplay is personally welcome, while not reverting all the way back to the relatively sluggish WWII controls. Something about this entry just clicked with me, resulting in me putting many more hours into it despite many of my friends abstaining from a purchase. In WWII, I got halfway through my 2nd prestige then basically fell off of playing it. I'm in my 5th prestige on BO4 with a 3.5+ KDR (well, EKIA/death, anyway), and I log a few matches every day after work. This is the first Call of Duty in years that makes me feel that daily desire to get a few matches in. Sure, there are some straight up bullshit Operator abilities, but beyond that I feel that this game has the most balanced and varied arsenal yet. Rather than relying on one or two "old faithful" create-a-class slots with whatever the 1 or 2 best-in-class meta weapons are, I find that I use all of my 11 (for now) create-a-class slots, mixing and matching guns based on how I feel at any given moment or what map I'm on. I haven't even touched Zombies or Blackout yet. It's strange... for all of the signs that this game was an absolute rush-job (no SP, recycled maps, trash-tier cosmetic rewards early on), the moment-to-moment gameplay is among the best in the series.
5. Marvel's Spiderman - I was delighted with traversing through the city, and loved the combat and story. I hated the forced stealth segments and the repetition of some of the side activities. Despite its flaws, it's still one of the best games I've played this year.
6. Assassin's Creed Odyssey - Though this game was mired in microtransaction controversy, I never felt like the game was hindering my progress to push an XP boost. I spent over 60 hours running, riding, and sailing around a gorgeously realized game world, filled with great characters and well-acted story and side content. I enjoyed the hunt for cultists, and many of the new RPG elements. I think that melee combat was nerfed too hard to fell great, but made up for it with some assassination abilities that smoothed it out some. The mercenary system needs work, when you have 4 super high level arrow-sponge dudes after you at a time. A bit rough, but still a fantastic entry, and my favorite in a long time.
7. Dead Cells - Fantastic music, great graphics (though cluttered at times, with so many explosions), tight gameplay, and a steep challenge, Dead Cells kept me coming back for punishment for over 20 hours. It's my favorite independent game that I played this year (though I haven't played Celeste yet).
8. Red Dead Redemption 2 - At the start of the year, I expected this to be at the top of my list. Now that I've played it, I feel that because of the sluggishness of how it actually feels to play along with the uninspired mission design, it belongs near the bottom of my GOTY list. The world Rockstar built is absolutely stunning in its realism and beauty, and the first 2 chapters that I've actually completed have had an excellent narrative as well. It's a shame, then, that I haven't been able to force myself to play it more, given what I've heard about the following chapters. I enjoy hunting, fishing, and just generally roaming around causing mayhem with the O'Driscolls. I don't necessarily enjoy riding my horse 5 minutes to a quest giver, 5 minutes on the trail to the objective, a short shooting gallery, 5 minutes of laboriously looting each and every person for 5 seconds minimum per corpse, staring at a can of beans in a drawer that's in front of the item I actually want, putting the beans down by accident, having to pick them back up, etc., etc., and repeating that process with short, brilliant narrative beats in between. Rockstar's game design needs an overhaul, but their narrative and world design is just fine. The excellence and polish in every aspect of the game outside of the horrible mission design and sluggish controls keeps this game on my list.
9. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - A great game that's packed with content. I enjoy playing this with my friends, though I wouldn't touch the shit online unless someone else paid for it.
10. Detroit: Become Human - A gripping narrative with great characters (but also with the requisite David Cage plot holes and WTF stuff, too). Easily Cage's best work, and the most engaging QD game yet. I can't wait to see what they have in store for next gen.
11. Spyro Reignited Trilogy - Sort of a dark horse game for this list, but honestly, I didn't play that many games from this year. Spyros 1-3 provided the perfect stop-gap game while I was waiting for Path of Exile: Betrayal to release. It's well polished, and Spyro 2 and 3 have aged pretty well. At least 1 was short.

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[RDreamer]

1. Octopath Traveler - Octopath was a delight from the first minute to the last. The battle system was one of the best in any JRPG. Just complex enough to hold my attention throughout the 100 hours but not overstuffed or confusing at all. The music was sublime, and the art style was unique. I loved every time I came to a new town to explore. The main characters and their stories were pretty well told, and I loved the variety. By the end of the game I also really loved a lot of the side characters that popped up throughout. Overall one of my favorite JRPGs in a long time.
2. Dragon Quest XI - Another solid JRPG masterpiece. I had to put Octopath ahead because the battle system handily beats DQXI's, but other than that they're both superb game. And I suppose the music. Non-orchestral was a pretty poor choice, but I don't hate the music like others here seem to. Moving on, I loved the storyline. It had some really interesting twists I really didn't expect from a Dragon Quest game. The characters were all solid. One of my favorite JRPG experiences in a long time. The game really showed you can do an old school JRPG that still feels good in the modern world with gorgeous graphics.
3. God of War - A worthy re-tinkering of the God of War formula. The story and atmosphere were great, along with the combat. I really liked the choice of wide linear for the world. I was a bit disappointed in the bosses and puzzles compared to some former God of War games, but it's the first in what is likely to be an amazing trilogy.
4. Valkyria Chronicles 4 - VC is one of my favorite strategy series, and I was so glad to get another entry. Overall it has some of the same flaws as other VC games but manages to overcome them in the grand scheme of things. I really liked the broad strokes of the story, and the battles were pretty unique. The script needed some work, and the skirmishes could be disappointing if you cheesed them (and the game really encourages this). But overall I really enjoyed this game a ton.
5. Ni No Kuni II - Sequel to what I consider to be an absolute classic. Unfortunately it doesn't live up to NNK1, but overall I did have a lot of fun with the game. The base building thing was a bit better than I thought and the action combat was pretty good. The graphics and music had a lot of charm.
6. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - I don't like fighting games terribly much, but this was so packed with content I had to purchase it. Don't have much to say except it's pretty great for a Smash brothers game.
7. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Torna The Golden County - Still technically working my way through this and it's a solid piece of add-on content. Still has some big flaws and feels a bit padded, but the combat is nice and exploring the world is as good as Xenoblade has been in the past.

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