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

[CerealEnthusiast]

1. God of War - I just loved every single second of the journey. The last game taking me with the feels like this was The Last of Us.
2. Marvel's Spider-Man - It was just so damn fun.
3. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Incredible on the technique, but too damn long.
4. Shadow of The Colossus - One of my fav game of all time became even hotter

That's when I realize I only played 4 games this year, what is happening to me.


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[Vela]

1. Battletech - Excellent tactical strategy game that succeeds in transposing the Battletech/Mechwarrior universe into an X-Com style game design.
2. Into the Breach - Such an addicting, amazing game that is so rewarding.
3. Thronebreaker - Such a great take on the Witcher universe. The CD Projekt RED's visual aesthetics perfectly transposed to a 2D game with beautiful concept art and an engaging story. Absolutely recommended
4. Banner Saga 3 - Beautiful art style and music. The trilogy comes to a close
5. Unavowed - Great PnC story once again from Wadyet
6. Shadow of the Colossus remake - an amazing game only re-imagined for contemporary hardware.
7. Red Dead Redemption 2 - impressive production values. I wasn't that captivated by the game, but I appreciate that it wasn't as generic as other AAA games.
8. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Haven't finished it yet, but it's a good JRPG
9. God of War - beautiful graphics in this Sad Dad Murder Simulator
10. Where the Water Tastes Like Wine - I liked the aesthetics and worldbuilding of this game

Still need to play Astrobot, Frostpunk, Tetris Effect, Moss, Celeste, Return of the Obra Dinn, A Way Out, Forgotten Anne, and Spiderman. Next year I might try out Assassin's Creed: Odyssey if I want to try out a dumb AAA game.


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[bender]

1. Monster Hunter World - Monster Hunter is a series I always dabbled with on handhelds and fell off of because of the controls and lack of portable gaming time. I appreciate how the series was streamlined and it is nice to see the monsters rendered using more modern hardware. It is certainly the game I've spent the most time with.
2. Tetris Effect - I've always loved Tetsuya Mizuguchi's games. Rez ranks as one of my all time favorites. Combine the synesthesia sensibilities of his work with the best puzzle game ever created and you have the video game form of peanut butter and chocolate.
3. Return of the Obra Dinn - I like the comparison's to sudoku. The game oozes style and is a helluva mystery.
4. WarioWare Gold - I'm probably cheating including a greatest hits version of the WarioWare series on my list, but taking bits and pieces from one of my favorite series ever is my gaming comfort food.
5. Dragon Quest XI - This should probably be higher on my list. I've still working my way through it. If only there were more time in the day.
6. 428 Shibuya Scramble - It's made me a firm believer in visual novels
7. Shadow of Colossus- Cheating again. A remaster of one of my favorite games of all time. It needs to be on my list.
8. Into the Breach - Thank you for reminding me how bad I am at video games.
9. Hitman 2 - Hitman was wonderful This is more Hitman which is also wonderful. It just feels less special this time around. I feel bad for having it this low on my list.
10. Marvel's Spider-Man - It's not without problems most open world games have (repetitive combat), but it nail web swinging, add a layer of depth and challenge to the combat introduced in the Arkham games and presents a thoroughly enjoyable story.

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[Linus815]

1. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Hands down the best game I played all year, but also very possibly the entire generation, and perhaps up there with the all time greats. Masterclass in narrative design, storytelling and presentation. Amazing living, breathing open world that finally doesn't follow all the overdone modern tropes.
2. Forza Horizon 4 - Sometimes a sequel is just everything that the previous game was, but slightly better. And I suppose that applies to FH4. In all of its aspects, a slight improvement on FH3, aside from the PVP multiplayer. A varied, gorgeous sandbox that is truly transformed by the seasonal changes. A ridiculously big list of cars. Immaculate presentation. Tuned to perfection driving. Dozens upon dozesn of events. It's hard to imagine FH5 at this point, because I feel that the current formula has essentially been maxed out.
3. Assassin's Creed Odyssey - AC Origins was a successful retooling of the AC formula, and Odyssey further iterates on that. The combat is fast and fun, the map is ridiculously big and loaded with hundreds of quests, and the return of naval gameplay as a core part of the game is VERY welcome. It was also refreshing to see the modern day actually have an actual connection with the historical story, even if that aspect of the game still needs to be improved.
4. Far Cry 5 - Honestly, I'd be lying if I didn't place this game up this high. The game I enjoyed playing the most on a mechanical level is probably this one. A lot of people were annoyed by the constant mayhem, but I'm not one of those people. I fucking loved it. Even going from A to B in this game can lead you into the craziest, wackiest and most ridiculous action movie moments. Don't forget to bring a friend either.
5. Shadow of the Tomb Raider - This forum has a hate boner for this game, and I can sort of see why. Tomb Raider's narrative really doesn't work for most of it, and there's a lot of fluff in the game (Xp bars, upgrades) that seem to serve no purpose aside from spamming the screen with text. However, at its best moments the game recaptured those magical moments that I last felt when I played the first 3 or so games. And that's a pretty nice change from all the shooting that you usually did in the reboots.

I decided to only post 5 in the end. There's a few games that i REALLY enjoyed this year (God of War, Battlefield 5, Spider-Man) that I honestly struggle figuring out where I'd put. They're all fine 7-8/10 games (on my scale) but they didn't really leave a lasting impression on me the way the afformentioned 5 games did.



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[Terrell]

1. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - While it's still a very bloated game with a lot of attention paid to things that maybe don't need it in my view, there's no denying it's the best the series has ever been since Melee and may be the game that finally puts Melee in the grave where it belongs.
2. Octopath Traveler - I didn't expect this game to be as great as it is. The visual style was something I feared was designed purely to grab the nostalgics by the short-and-curlies while having no substance, merely a ghost of RPG past. And then you give it a once-over and opinions change. Glad I did.
3. Tetris Effect - Tetris is almost always good, Puyo Puyo Tetris is recent proof of that. But it's a great achievement to take an established game like Tetris and make it transcendent. And also, the fact that this game could exist but Ubisoft couldn't release a basic version of Tetris that didn't have framerate dips and crashes goes to show how badly Western devs will try to phone it in whenever possible.
4. Dragonball FighterZ - What Dragonball fighting games were meant to be. Everything else is a cheap substitute at this point. Shame that it took the anime franchise so many years to get to this point, though.
5. Fighting EX Layer - Now that Pullum Purna is in, my fighting game fix is sated for another decade. I only hope it sells as well as it should and we will continue to see Arika rewarded for their great work.
6. Megaman 11 - I never thought it would happen. It's not perfect by any means, but it's really something special. Hopefully, Capcom does the same with the X series at some point.
7. Super Mario Party - Sometimes, revamps/reboots really do work out for the best.
8. The Jackbox Party Pack 5 - Jackbox knows how to make games that engage me and this year's installment is possibly the best they've ever been.
9. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon - It definitely scratches the Castlevania itch. Stay losing, Konami.
10. Iconoclasts - Aside from some re-releases on new platforms, not much in the indie world really wowed me in 2018 quite like this one did. A true standout.

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[SirNinja]

1. God of War - The measuring stick by which all gameplay-reboots will be measured going forward. It is at once a sequel and something extraordinarily new, and makes us care for a protagonist who was previously as one-dimensional and unsympathetic as things got. An incredible journey.
2. Shadow of the Colossus - Gaming's best remake; an absolutely stunning update of Fumito Ueda's masterpiece, told through the technical wizards at Bluepoint. A game unmistakably made by those whom the original clearly left an indelible mark upon.
3. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Control and pacing issues aside, Rockstar's latest open world is their greatest yet, and filled with characters you'll come to care deeply about, even if you know how it all ends.
4. Dragon Quest XI - Sometimes you just need a good old-fashioned JRPG, and Dragon Quest is there when you do. This one is a particularly strong outing, however, with one of the series' stronger cast members and storylines.
5. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Gaming's greatest, craziest crossover; a seemingly boundless feast of content and characters, with a strong singleplayer mode and an impressive compilation soundtrack.
6. Celeste - A melancholic, metaphoric Meatboy, and a deeply affecting one at that. A challenge to overcome our own mountains, and accept our demons as a part of ourselves.
7. Tetris Effect - Tetris produced by Mizuguchi! File that one under "Games You Didn't Know You Wanted". Play it in VR if you can, but it's an incredible (and weirdly profound) experience either way.
8. Return of the Obra Dinn - A murder-mystery unlike no other, with an inspired graphics style and an incredible feel of progression. You need to play this, seriously.
9. Octopath Traveler - An RPG that will hopefully kick off many more games in "HD 2D", with eight wildly different stories and styles of play. A strong score from Yasunori Nishiki ties everything together wonderfully.
10. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux - A solid remake of one of the best dungeon crawlers (and SMT games, full stop). A classic from the DS's library, infused with tons of QoL improvements and an extremely generous helping of extra content.

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[Ultimadrago]

1. God of War - Kratos returns more triumphant than ever before in a title with the best combat or story yet in the series. The effort required to structure a story that long lost its sympathetic rules in place of solely gruesome action scenes is herculean to say the least. God of War (2018) introduces a new camera angle while not sacrificing satisfying combat. The story of a father and his son venturing through dangerous lands to honor the wishes of their absent, loved family is also performed with excellence. The voice acting and script are top-shelf making engagement with the material all the easier. The main detractors would be that the optional content of a certain maze-like area turns repetitive very quickly and can really take the wind out of a full completion run. On the other hand, the final optional boss was a highlight confrontation of 2018 requiring many of your skills to conquer while having an understanding of the newly acquired camera angle like no other brawl does. Not a single title released this year sanctioned the marriage of presentation, narrative and play effective to this level. God of War (2018) is nothing short of a treasure.
2. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Rockstar yet again tackles the open-world genre with great fervor. The story of Arthur Morgan is the best this year. It weaves through crime, interpersonal demons, romance and absolution (vain or otherwise) with a most powerful execution. The voice acting, script and music are fantastic. The level environmental detail is wonderful. Reading through Arthur's journal as he interprets events, mainline and optional, in his own words is a joy and had me checking to read new entries regularly upon discovery. However, it has a very unique problem. It has nothing to do with the controls or combat and has everything to do with how the in-game world reacts to the player. Red Dead Redemption 2's learning curve and the amount of options you have to interact with items and people come at odds with the characters of the West who are ever at the ready to retaliate. I found moments where I mistakenly took out my gun or threw a man off of his horse (again in player error), shortly after having to run out of town until my mistake was forgiven in a few minutes. The outstanding sidequests, story, visuals and combat encounters trump this, but it is an issue nonetheless. The player must always be aware of their environments to a point where you subconsciously walk on eggshells to make it from one place to another. I eventually learned the interaction sequences and the lesson of waiting out animations well. However, Red Dead Redemption 2 is as unforgiving an adventure as it is a gorgeous one. Despite contextual sensitivity in an open-world being one of the most unique issues I've ran into a game ever, it is completely trumped by the positive elements described. As one of Rockstar's best games in their entire catalog and one of the best realized open-world titles in the medium, I am overjoyed to add Red Dead Redemption 2 very high for the year.
3. Shadow of the Colossus - Bluepoint Games took on the extremely demanding task of recreating a modern classic and succeeded. The PS4 release of Shadow of the Colossus is beautiful, simple and yet meticulous in execution. The attention placed into actions such as riding with Agro into abandoned fields and ancient ruins all while improving the technical performance is astounding. This release easily trumps the HD edition released on the PS3 and even the original in several aspects. Having the choice between a more cinematic mode and a performance focused mode for tackling colossi makes the legendary challenges feel as if I'm approaching them for the first time. I am proud to announce that Bluepoint Games has made the definitive Shadow of the Colossus for the modern generation. It is with a clear respect for the originating material and an intelligent knowledge of game design that masterpieces such as these may be properly preserved.
4. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age - The console Dragon Quest title I've been waiting for since Dragon Quest VIII on the PS2. It delivers in entertaining characters, a full-length story, and a serviceable voice cast sporting a strong localization. The additions of voice acting and a run button in the release following Japan's original are very welcome and make this title better off. However, side quest content is often mundane and simply not nearly interesting enough to support the strong Dragon Quest cast. The main story at least was enjoyable to go through and, even with some back tracking, the Dragon Quest XI postgame is one of the betters from recent JRPGs. It is a shame that the disappointingly substandard music selection, sidequest quality and optional content (something akin to Dragon Quest VIII's Monster Arena would have been an excellent addition) drag down Dragon Quest XI enough from being the full package it truly deserved. Nonetheless, it still manages to pull itself up as one of the most charming RPG experiences this generation and the most impressive Dragon Quest title to date.
5. Hitman 2 - IO Interactive returns with another great free roam assassination title. The approach is similar to their previous title, Hitman (2016), but comes with improvements regarding difficulty, weaponry and level design. I prefer to approach kills in a much sloppier manner than intended. Engaging in play that satisfies my style while forcing me to find a path where I must still survive after completing the objective remains thrilling. This balance makes returning for multiple attempts while trying a variety of new pathways and items to execute targets with all the better. The title is made up of several new locations which are rather quick to complete, but are made with replays in mind. In another stroke of quality, the original Hitman stages are also made available to those who purchased the original 2016 title from IO with new Hitman 2 mechanics made available to update old favorites. Unfortunately, "Elusive Targets" are still in effect as far as modes go, allowing for potential targets to be made unavailable forever to those who miss out on their real life calendar dates. On top of this, the story cutscenes have been downgraded from pre-rendered CG animations to awkwardly paced digital comics, likely for budgetary reasons, making an already unimaginative story all the more so. This docks some points, but they are thankfully a minority of the content on display. IO is planning on adding expansions to this title for the future, but the base game is enough to earn a spot on the list of this year's most deserving games.
6. Monster Hunter World - I present the first Monster Hunter title I've been willing to spend more than a few hours with. Monster Hunter World introduces many quality additions to make playing the game less antiquated with visuals to match compared to its predecessors sported on handhelds and weaker console hardware. On the downside, fighting to create new weapons to fight even more recolors of monsters faced in the same (or different) locations gets very dull. On the upside, the joy you share with friends and random companions alike as you down mighty beasts makes this process all the sweeter. You gain new equipment and farm materials in the lands you explore for items to aid in future adventures. You also have a little hut all to yourself that is a place to store items and decorate to your liking as the main story progresses. The story itself is nothing more than a vehicle to introduce new beasts, but a couple of fun cutscenes avoid it from being an absolute loss. It's an ultimately tiring title after facing many similar monsters/locales endlessly, but the options and a number of the behemoths you face are a joy to behold and slay. For this reason Monster Hunter World earns a spot on this list and I look forward to Capcom's next fully featured installment in the series to follow-up this solid addition.
7. Marvel's Spiderman - Swinging through a city as the super spider hero has been my favorite method of traversal this year. Constantly ignoring the fast travel method of trains, I instead opted to swing for hours to the swelling (and honestly standard) heroic tunes that we typically attribute to Marvel heroes on the silver screen. Combat offers many web-based and technological tools at Peter Parker's disposal as enemies are dispatched throughout the city. Unfortunately, key stealth segments forced into the story and an inevitably recycled laundry list of inner city activities leave much to be desired. The human models, while not bad, are also slightly uncanny. This left a personally feeling of uneasiness as I watched them attempt to emote during a number of story sequences. The story overall, while nothing stellar, is enough to carry one through the end while it never quite does enough with the great playground and fun web-swinging mechanics it has to offer aside very standard fare. To reach the admittedly moderate bar of being the best Spider-Man game title to date is still an accomplishment that deserves recognition.
8. Valkyria Chronicles 4 - When I played the original Valkyria Chronicles on the Playstation 3 I was enamored by a charming cast and simple yet focused narrative. It was all of the strategy I loved from titles like Fire Emblem or Disgaea, but with a different perspective on combat and weapon options. However, what truly won me over was how it handled party customization. Each soldier has their own personality quirks, voices and unique design to set them apart from a generic class unit. With Valkyria Chronicles 4, a console-made continuation to this outstanding strategy series has finally taken root. However, it comes with major drawbacks. First, the story drowns itself in poor tropes of the JRPG genre with pacing that handles more themes and actions than it can properly handle. This makes for a story with a great cast that starts off strong, but marches on weakly to an ending that even has trouble rivaling the aforementioned series I've raised here. Secondly, the presentation is far too romanced with the original game that debuted in 2008. The storybook selection and user interface were novel and, in ways, still hold up now. However, noting the years made available to think on the series and several titles in-between, it is a great disappointment that little was done to groom the series for its console return. There are new classes, new ways to interact with commands and a slightly noticeable increase in character model fidelity. But Valkyria Chronicles 4 mirrors the original predecessor with puny deviation enough to dock points for such a painfully unambitious reunion. Despite these flaws, it still earns a mention on this list because of the powerful emotional footnotes offered through its optional stories. The warm writing given not only to the cast of the main story, but to the side characters you simply select for the battlefield is one of the few areas where Valkyria Chronicles 4 truly soars compared to its predecessors. Later in the game, you have access to "Squad Stories" that allow you to enjoy fully voiced mini-stories between the minor soldiers on your team. These are well voice-acted, well-localized delights that are worth collecting to know more about Squad E as a collection of individuals. Unfortunately, you must continuously expend or grind "AP" among your squad to obtain them making the addition slightly less impressive. Yet, the episodes give a feeling of acceptance and camaraderie that even match the main story's (few) strong points in effectiveness. If it wasn't for Squad Stories, this game wouldn't have been presented as it's lacking in several departments with a primary story that doesn't match up. The effort displayed in the Squad Stories, creating newfound chemistry with the lesser known characters, shows that the Valkyria Chronicles series can still show the wealth of humanity behind the anonymous faces of war.

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[Sayers]

1. God of War - When it was first rumored, I thought it was a mistake to return to this franchise again. I was very wrong; it's the best game in the series.
2. Guacamelee 2 - Pretty similar to the first one but I really didn't want anything more from a sequel.

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[Cantona222]

1. Marvel's Spiderman : The story was interesting and the game play was top notch. I loved the swinging mechanism and the new abilities/power ups your are getting while you are progressing. The combat is really fun with the jumping and swinging mixed with punches and kicks.
2. God of War : This game is really entertaining with a great story. My gripe is only about the upgrade mechanism. It could've been simpler and less time consuming.
3. State of Decay 2 : This type of game play is new to me and I loved it. Managing your team and inventory kept me on the edge all the time. Especially that there is a possibility of your characters dying. It was a unique and entertaining experience.
4. Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! : I am a casual fan of Pokemon and this game suited me well. There are a lot of improvements that made this game for me not a chore to play compared to previous iterations. It was fun choosing a team of Pokemon and levelling them up.
5. A Way Out : I played the full game co-op with my friend. It is also a unique and entertaining experience. The game play and coordination needed between me and my friend was innovative. Also the compelling story was the cherry on top.
6. Far Cry 5 : Nothing new here and it is the same Far Cry formula that was there for the last 3+ games. However, the formula of capturing bases and shooting bad guys with a variety of weapons still holds up and is still entertaining.
7. Forza Horizon 4 : It is also the same as FH3 with minimum improvements. However, FH3 was so good so with such little improvements for FH4 is enough to be one of the best racing games. Also the developers put so much love and details on each car.
8. Overcooked! 2 : Overcooked 1 was one of my most fun I recently had playing a video game. So I couldn't ask for more than new levels and some new mechanics. The new mechanic of throwing ingredients really fits the franchise and should stay.
9. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon : This game was a simple 2D action platformer that came in the right time for me since I haven't played a game like that in a while. It was fun and simple.
10. Into the Breach: My only PC game of the year and I loved the challenge and strategy of each level.
11. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate : I played it a little with some of my friends and it was fun. However, this is a game that I believe can only be enjoyed with a minimum of 3 of your friends that have the same level of enthusiasm for it. That's not the case with me so that's why it ranked lower.

Games that I haven't played yet and will play soon and that can be in my top 10 are Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Celeste.


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[modiz]

1. God of War - The best game of the year and my favorite game of the generation, you very rarely see such a fantastic blend of strong story telling with fun gameplay and gorgeous art and the fantastic sound track. it all combines together to something even bigger than the sum of its parts to one of the best overall packages out there in gaming.
2. Marvel's Spiderman - A fun open world game where i feel the gameplay is nearly perfected, swinging in this game feels like a dream a game and makes you (ahem ahem) feel like spiderman ;p. The writing and acting was surprisingly powerful and made it feel like a fantastic marvel film.
3. Monster Hunter: World - My first entry to the series (as it is for many), and what joy this was to play! hunting the monsters is exciting and the attacks look very cool, getting to use the environment to damage the monster or see them fight one another like actual animals grounded this game a lot and made it look really awesome. Super fun game.
4. Red Dead Redemption 2 - The game with the most production values ever, a fully realized open world that shows how far can games go, the sounds, the beauty of it all, it feels alive in the best way.
5. A way out - can you make really make a game that is both narrative based and have the game be fully playable in co op? many will tell you it is impossible, but Josef Fares has proved them wrong with A way out, a fun game with a friend, fun story (if it wasnt disconnecting always haha but that is problem with our internet), and surprising twists to the story that makes it feel like a real hollywood film.

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[everyer]

1. Astro Bot Rescue Mission - after this game, everything changed. It changed my feeling of VR, of future, and of all 3A titles... This it the first time a game in my lives made me wowed so much and it is purely joy.
2. God of War - a masterpiece of this gen. The one camera made it unstop for me. I can play it all along, combat, exploration, story, acting, music, world building, graphic... all perfect level!
3. Marvel's Spider-man - better than the film for me. and it's the most fluent combat in 30fps games. I really love this Spider-man, his character is designed so great!
4. Dragon Quest XI - if Persona 5 is a cool JRPG, then this game is the true master piece JRPG. It is so polished, well designed, with the most lovely characters of the year.
5. Read Dead Redemption 2 - The game is a library and museum of western US. So many details in this master piece. And it has really great story and music.
6. Yakuza Kiwami 2 - My favorite series from Japan and this is the second my favorite episode from the series, only after Yakuza 0.
7. Assassin's Creed Odyssey - Ubisoft's open world building into a new level! And the gameplay is full of joy too.
8. Divinity Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition - best CRPG for years. It also has the best local/online coop system for RPG.
9. Monster Hunter World - It is a surprise for Q1, So much joy to share with friends.
10. Resident Evil 7 - The series' second biggest change. Someone may not like it. But I admire their courages on this. And RE7 VR is really good for VR Horror games.

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[Xenoblade 3]

1. Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna the Golden Country - A smaller sized prequel to my favorite game from 2017. It was excellent and gave even more great story/character development to some interesting characters. The new re-vamped battle system was really fun to learn and the music was so good.
2. Super Smash Bros Ultimate - Great fun Smash Bros as always. A joy to play local with my brothers.
3. YS 8 - My first game from the YS series. The action combat was great and challenging. The characters and story were enjoyable.
4. Labyrinth of Refrain - This dungeon crawler was good treat. Especially while we while for Etrian Odyssey on Switch. Loved all of the different game play systems when it comes to character/team building. The English dub was a lot better than I expected too.
5. Octopath Traveler - I wanted more from the story and characters, but the combat was still really fun.

 

[Nakadai]

1. Marvel's Spider-Man=As a big fan of the original Stan Lee Spider-Man run, I loved this game. The ending was devastating and 110% true to the character in a way that did Stan proud. The final boss fight was my favorite of this gen, and
   Spoiler

   Vulture+Electro
   was really great as well, loved getting to play a big budget AAA game with QTE's again. My favorite Sony first party title for PS4. That said I'm not really looking forward to the sequel with what it looks to be setting up, but I'm more than satisfied with what I got.
2. Super Smash Bros Ultimate=Finally getting a worthy sequel to Melee. It was worth getting a Switch for. Nerf King K. Rool.
3. SoulCalibur VI=Seeing SoulCalibur really come back since it's death (SoulCalibur IV) has been a huge treat. The online is fantastic, and the combat is perhaps the best I've ever played in a fighting game. I even really liked the two story mode types a lot. Long live Siegfried!
4. Detroit: Become Human=Quantic Dream's best work yet, even though i played the wrong way (never thought of the androids as alive) and got the worst ending in history, I really dug it, and will play through again trying to be a little nicer.
5. Dragon Ball FighterZ=A beautiful, addictive game, that makes me so damn pissed whenever i go online. As much as I love it, I can't help but sort of hate it for forcing you to play a certain way (juggle juggle combo combo, rinse, repeat).
6. Nobunaga's Ambition: Taishi=As Sphere of Influence's biggest fan, I enjoyed many of Taishi's changes, but I'm really looking forward to the PUK to get the full sequel experience, as it is something of a half-measure.
7. Banner Saga 3=A great end to the series, strange, and perhaps even more punishing than any of the others. It came together superbly, and I was very happy with my ending. Especially how I took out
   Spoiler

   Rugga.
8. God of War (2018)=I enjoyed it far more as part of the dying breed of single player AAA gaming, than I did as a God of War game. It was good. I'm hoping for much better from the sequel.
9. Mario Tennis: Aces=While I don't enjoy the special moves, I'm thankful you can turn them off. It feels great, not the same as Mario Tennis 64, but maybe better. I need to play more!
10. Onrush=As a Burnout fan, I really enjoyed Onrush, shame it seems to not have worked out.

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[jakomocha]

1. Red Dead Redemption 2 - An absolutely phenomenal masterpiece. This game has truly evolved the gaming medium, as an artistic entity, further. The attention paid to detail is insane. I know some are bothered by the cumbersome animations and the monotony inherent to the game's desire to accurately replicate reality, but honestly it came across to me as a breath of fresh air and incredibly impressive. I am thoroughly enjoying RDR 2. Not to mention that Arthur is one of the best, most well-written characters in all of gaming.
2. Detroit: Become Human - While certainly not my favorite of the choice-making game subgenre (that title would have to go to either The Walking Dead S1 or Life is Strange), Detroit certainly is the most impressive when it comes to actually making those choices matter. The shear multitude of branching in this game is insane. At best, the game's plot is heartwarming, engrossing, and tragic, and at worst it's hammy and melodramatic, but either way, it's quite the ride and one of the most memorable gaming experiences ever. Now, Quantic Dreams, can we please get Connor + Hank buddy cop DLC?
3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Well, it's more of Smash, and that's never a bad thing. While I'm a bit letdown based on how small of a leap it feels compared to previous entries, Ultimate is still a blast and I'm sure my friends and I will pour hundreds of hours into it over the next few years.
4. Life is Strange: Before the Storm Farewell - After being somewhat letdown by the final episodes of both Life is Strange S1 and Life is Strange BTS Episode 3, Farewell proved to be an amazing "farewell" to Max and Chloe, two of the best protagonists in gaming. If it weren't for the fact that this was a single, brief piece of DLC, I'd rank it higher on my list. This is fan service perfected. I also played this just as I was getting ready to move out for college, so it was super timely which made it all the more special (and depressing) to me.
5. A Way Out - Have great memories playing this with my best friend.
6. Vampyr - I'm a sucker for AA games, so when a game like Vampyr comes along that is so clearly a labor of love and trying really unique things, I'm all over it. Vampyr is a flawed, but fun game that has a super intriguing plot and central gameplay premise (much like Dontnod's other classic, Life is Strange) that kept me hooked. I also actually kind of enjoyed the combat, not sure why that aspect was so poorly received.
7. Life is Strange 2: Episode 1 - Yes, two Dontnod games in a row. Honestly, like Farewell, I'd rank this higher if this were not one single episode. Life is Strange 2's first episode is oozing of promise and is courageously committed to tackling politics in a way no major (yes, by major, I'm referring to whatever "level" of popularity the first Life is Strange hit) game has before. I seriously related to and care about the protagonists, and am sure the game will be topping my GOTY list in 2019 much like its predecessor did a couple years ago. Seriously guys, give this a chance, it's fantastic!
8. Celeste - Celeste is super engrossing, and a lot of fun too. The game makes me so damn mad though, but there is nothing more satisfying than clearing a room after countless failed attempts.
9. Fortnite: Battle Royale - While I'm not a huge fan of Fortnite, there's no denying it is a massive cultural phenomenon that will shape the gaming tastes (and therefore medium as a whole) of the next generation and that it's a good deal of fun to play with friends.

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[Unknownlight]

1. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - There is not a single game I have more fun playing than Smash, and Ultimate is the greatest the franchise has to offer. I think it's easy, as people tuned into the gaming industry, to get caught up in ambition and spectacle. We can walk away from an event like E3 2018 impressed with a lot of games, but overlook Smash because its core gameplay is familiar to us. Super Smash Bros. is a known quantity, sure, but there's a reason there isn't any other game like it. Compliments to the roster size and options have saturated forums and reviews, so what I want to focus on, and get across to anybody reading this, is the sheer polish to the core gameplay. You could take out a lot of what Ultimate offers, and it would still be amazing. The gameplay is that good.
   
   Smash Bros. has a camera further away from the fighters than nearly any other fighting game, but that doesn't stop every fighter and every move those fighters are equipped with from being clear and FEELING good. There are few mechanics not perfectly clear after demonstration and, even so, the game has unimaginable depth. You can learn Smash by watching because its design is good enough to communicate every idea it necessary to its players and audiences. That camera I mentioned earlier, it accounts for an enhanced distance between fighters, combine that with a focus on movement options and Smash encourages creativity. When I play Smash, I don't feel like I need to know all the perfect strings and special inputs, I easily step into the shoes of a character and do what I want to with them. It's wild. It accomplishes this feeling better than most games in any genre, for me.
   
   Ultimate is my #1 this year. Pile on a 74 character roster, endless stages and music, and a cute side mode in WoL/Spirits designed to evoke memories of other games (it's essentially over 1000 inside jokes) and I don't think anybody can deny that this is a masterpiece.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. God of War - Sometimes you can really tell when a creator has a passion and executes on their vision for a product. I don't feel like there is any filler in God of War. The game does more than respect my time, it cherishes it. I am just as enthralled with God of War when I'm sidling through a crevice in a cave as I am in the midst of combat. I care about what the characters have to say because I care about them, not simply the information they hold. There's an artist's touch here. It's obvious, but hard to pin down every single way it touched and affected my journey-- I was just IN it.
   
   A lesson learned in the game is something along the lines of the mindset one must possess to be a God. There's a kind of confidence there and it's present in the gameplay. Being Kratos isn't just about being strong. It's about being strong-willed and decisive. I found that the games challenges were not as dexterous as they were methodical. I needed a plan and, once I understood my enemy, I would triumph.
   
   All that said, there is an inherent joy in the world and systems that Sony Santa Monica created. It's visually interesting, varied, and the simple act of throwing Kratos' axe and watching it fly back is as fun as it is useful. This is a game full of intention without any pretension. God of War represents the future of cinematic video games and I cannot wait to see more.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Marvel's Spider-Man - It's funny, I'm not in love with the web-swinging in this game. For my tastes it's too hard to fail, too directed, and just plain easy. I don't feel like I have room to be creative and the game would rather I just "figure it out" for the best result, and I did pretty quickly. As far as my critiques of this game go...That might be it?
   
   So, what did I love in this game? Okay, first you've got Yuri Lowenthal getting in there and voicing Peter Parker and THWIP wouldn't you know it, it's not weird for even a second! Second, you've got this relationship-plot going on in the background between Peter and MJ the entire game and BLAMMO I'm feeling it. There's so much power in what is unsaid between the two and I feel for the maybe-love-maybe-not situation. There's one particular scene mostly done through texts that I think is genius. Third, that's the combat. Insomniac went above and beyond and said "hey, you can do everything a Spider can and WAY MORE HERE ARE SOME GADGETS ARE THEY REAL IDK HAVE FUN!!" Fourth, the city. God damn. Do they need to change a thing? If THIS is what they have to build off of going forward then it's hard to even imagine what will come next.
   
   I love this game, I love Spider-Man, I don't even care that I didn't like the swinging.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Celeste - Celeste did this beautiful thing and merged the structure and style of their game with the player's experience playing it. The game talks to you and expects you to open up and talk back. It's special, it wears its heart on it's sleeve, beneath which is an amazingly fun platform game. Celeste is an easy game to recommend, hell, I'm ready to write essays on it. I don't know if this will be true for any other game on this list, but I can easily say that Celeste is a game everyone should play.
   
   Rather than ramble on about its emotional resonance I'm just going to say this: play it. Experience it. You won't regret it.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! - I like Pokemon, and I loved this game. Let's Go is funny because, more than any other Pokemon game, it lets you just do whatever it is you want to do. Want to catch Pokemon? Okay, there they are! Want to ONLY CATCH Psyducks, go for it! Want to run around all of them and just battle trainers, sure, that's totally fine. It's the most directed Pokemon game to date and, and this is why I say it's funny, people aren't seeing the forest through the trees. I don't miss wild battles, I can do nearly the exact same thing elsewhere whenever I want to. I don't miss the excluded Pokemon because I know they're coming and, thanks to the Gen 1 restriction, a large group of my friends were more than happy to jump in. I don't even miss the online functionality of past games because, if I want to trade or battle, I'm supposed to actually TALK to another human being.
   
   Pokemon Let's Go is a perfect, updated remake of Yellow because it's trying to achieve the same goals that game did. It's welcoming new players with open arms and supplying them with the means to go on the Pokemon adventure that they want to go on. For me, this is the definitive version of Kanto.
   
   Plus, did you see the way you can ride Snorlax!?

Click to shrink...

I don't have anything to say here, I've just been reading everyone's posts as they've come in and I want to highlight this one as a particularly well-presented ballot.


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[CloseTalker]

list

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FYI, list isn't formatted correctly. It won't count

 

[Ultimadrago]

So how do we get Votebot to check our posts? Should I get a PM automatically?

Edit: Okay I finally got it.

 

[Mr. Fantastic]

[*]Shining Resonance Refrain ; I like how there's a model viewer where I can look up girls' skirts and check out how fancy their panties are.
[*]Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ; I am so sad about Zero Suit Samus. I miss her tiddies. She got dem leg muscles now tho. WEW.
So unabashedly anime ~

Click to shrink...

also, avatar quote has never been more necessary

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Edit: BAD VOTEBOT BAD

 

[Deleted member 45614]

1. Octopath Traveller - One of the most beautiful, fun JRPGs to ever exist. I loved ever second of this game.
2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - a great game to play with friends and probably the best party game of the generation.
3. Pokémon: Let's Go Eevee/Pikachu - made me fell like I was 5 years old again, loved the Pokémon in the overworks and how gorgeous the character models are.
4. Celeste - a game with a great message and intertresting mechanics that correspond with the story very well.
5. Florence - a short well worked experience that more people should play.
6. Super Mario Party - another fun game to play with friends, although not all of the mini games are as great as I'd like.
7. Marvel's Spider-Man - handling the traversal and combat as Spider-Man is greatly but a little too story heavy with long cutscenes for my liking.
8. Gris - absolutely stunning, however I have yet to finish it so can't have it higher.
9. Mario Tennis Aces - enjoyable game, especially swing mode, the story mode is painful though.
10. Dragon Ball FighterZ - fun and awesome but too repeatative and too many similar characters.
11. Donut County - good time waster.
12. God of War - the game deserves all the praise it is getting, but it unfortunately doesn't work for me. It's too long, too RPG and not epic enough compared to its predecessors. I much preferred the old God of War games. The art and camera work in this game are great though and I'd love to see more of it across the industry.

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[Bugalugs214]

1. Forza horizon 4: Best looking game ive ever played and it can be played in so many ways. Good for a casual 20 minute play or a three hour grind session. A real joy to play.
2. Sea of Thieves: Beutiful game, so unlike any multiplayer I've played. Gave me the most hours this year and with its randomness with every play session, will play it for awhile yet.
3. Red redemption 2
4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
5. Monster hunter world.
6. Dead cells.
7. Ashen.
8. Below
9. Tetris effect
10. Assassin's creed odyssey

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[Snormy]

1. Monster Hunter World - Monster Hunter is my favourite series. While MHW is not perfect the return to consoles is much better than I expected and continues to look promising in the future. Ultimately I am very happy with where it is at even if I still have some grievances with it as a long time fan. I'm also very much enjoying the burst of new fans as it reaches new audiences.
2. Yakuza 0 - My first Yakuza game. Disappointed I didn't get into the series sooner. There is so much to like about this game in particular, I don't even know where to begin. The setting, the over the top combat and flair of it all. The game is just enough of a mix of serious and silliness for me.
3. Super Smash Bros Ultimate - Now my favourite Smash game. I don't know what I expected, in fact I'm pretty sure I wasn't even particularly hyped. My holidays coincided with its release, I spent a few too many hours couch play with some friends from school. I was quickly reminded of how old I am and yet how much fun Smash with friends can be. For the first time ever we also played entirely with items and stage hazards. Instead of it being frustrating like I imagined it was somewhat hilarious and much more enjoyable than I expected. I think I had some of my best gaming of the year here, tears of laughter as I watched my friends struggle with some of the Adventure mode fights.
4. Assassins Creed Odyssey - I fell AC since Unity. Between open world fatigue and general AC fatigue even Black Flag was tough for me to get into. ACO however reignited my interest. Kassandra is a good character and while her story isn't exactly mind blowing it was simply and pretty nice. Exploration Mode is fantastic change, while I don't know what was there recently before it but this is how I'd like to see future games play going forward. The mercenaries, cultist hunts and so on were a lot of fun if a bit much. All in all it was a great game that I am still enjoying, god it is long. So much content.
5. BattleTech - Slower than I liked but the writing and setting carries it through for me. I look forward to seeing what HairBrained Schemes does next.
6. CrossCode - A lot better than I expect, kind of blew me away actually. Also very cute and charming.
7. Iconoclasts - Been keeping an eye on this for some time during its development and I finally got a chance to play it recently. Haven't finished it but it is already enough for me to vote for it here. I really like some of the mechanics and puzzle like nature of the game with its mechanics. This game and CrossCode are my favourite indie games this year.
8. BanG Dream! Girls Band Party - I like to try different gacha games and am usually F2P. In this case I am still entirely free to playing this game. I'm taking a break somewhat but this is probably the most inoffensive gacha I have played.
9. Attack on Titan 2 - This isn't the most amazing game but this is my favourite Musou type game I played this year. Orochi 4 is also quite fun but AoT2 is a much better package and standalone, unique product. The 3D movement through the air is glorious and while it is not as snappy and free form as, say, Spiderman it is still exceptionally good and has fitting limitations. The side kick nature of the story mode keeps things fresh while allowing you to take favourite characters as allies. The character creator is basic but decent.

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[Demon-69]

Monster Hunter World The game that keeps giving.

 

[Premium Ghoul]

1. Monster Hunter World - I was dead set on Into the Breach being my game of the 2018 for almost the entire year... but then Monster Hunter came along during a sale and threw my entire list into chaos. This game clicked with me almost immediately in a way that previous Monster Hunters simply haven't. The wide open and incredibly vertical maps are so much nicer to explore than the segmented, load-screen-laden ones you saw in the previous games. I really hope that Capcom uses this game as the model for Monster Hunter games to come because they've really got something special here.
2. Into the Breach - One of the most approachable strategy games I've played, and probably the only one that I've truly loved. It took me 57 hours to get all the achievements but then I've managed to tack on another 184 hours on top of that because I just can't stop playing it. This is the game I play a bit of every day between other games and I won't stop playing it for a long time.
3. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age - This game did a very important thing this year: It relaxed me. Other games on this list are intense, or have frustrating puzzles, or too many enemies on screen – not this game. DQXI is without a doubt the best JRPG I've ever played and I couldn't wait to get back into it each day during my 70-odd hours with it. The only knock against it is the music; even with the orchestral mod on PC it was just too repetitive.
4. Dead Cells - Maybe the best 2D combat game I've ever played, with an absolutely frenetic pace that still gives you a perfect amount of options and control no matter what fucked up situation you find yourself in. I cleared all of the content and loved it, but haven't found myself coming back to it at all. I have come back to the soundtrack though, because that thing is lush!
5. Celeste - Celeste is a banger from top to bottom. Crisp controls (with lots of assist options!), memorable music, and characters and a story that resonated with me. One of the most 'complete' experiences I've had with a game this year.
6. Yakuza 0 - This was my first Yakuza game and while I had a really good time with it, I think it's very unlikely that I'll play other games in the series. Loved the plot, locale, music, and all the sub-stories, but I got tired of the combat really quickly and there's a LOT of it.
7. The Messenger - A great mashup of familiar genres that absolutely nails the artistic side while also feeling great to play. The game gets a bit uneven in the latter half but strong writing and excellent music makes it worth seeing through to the end.
8. Puyo Puyo Tetris - This might sound weird, but I've never actually played Tetris before. I've always admired it from afar but I've never owned a decent version of the game and taken the time to get good at it. While everyone else was going crazy for Tetris Effect, I bought this during a Steam sale and had an absolute ball with it. The Adventure mode was solid and had a shocking amount of story in between the challenges.
9. Yoku's Island Express - This game is bright and sunny, and is definitely the only pinball-based Metroidvania I can think of. It was a joy to play from start to finish with only a handful of frustrations when the physics didn't do what I wanted them to.
10. Far Cry 5 - Definitely not an overhaul of the well-trodden Far Cry formula, but I still had a lot of fun with the game and also enjoyed the story - even if I didn't like how it was presented.

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[Professor Beef]

1. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Honestly the only good fighting game released this year.
2. The Messenger - This game blew me away. From the premise of shifting genres to the humor in the writing, as well as the INCREDIBLE soundtrack. This game deserves far more attention than it is currently getting.
3. Marvel's Spiderman - I was prepared to not like it since it's an open-world game, but I was pleasantly surprised to find myself falling in love with it.
4. Monster Hunter World - A Monster Hunter game with good controls? Finally!

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[Kaswa101]

1. God of War - Never been a fan of the series before, but this game absolutely blew my mind. Gameplay was fluid and fantastic and the story, world design and characters kept me engaged all the way through. Phenomenal game and easily one of the favourites of all time. Cory and team, take a bow.
2. Assassin's Creed Odyssey - My favourite in the series. Huge, engaging open world with a charismatic lead character in Kassandra and a well-written story. Greece was a joy to explore and the combination of full naval exploration with the AC formula was just so much fun.
3. Marvel's Spider-Man - Incredible game. Super fun mechanics, great story and characters. Enjoyed this way more than I thought I would.
4. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Amazing technical achievement wrapped up in an open-world that is a joy to explore, filled with characters that had me captivated all the way through. Gameplay mechanics and mission design were a miss for me though, but this deserves to be in my top 5 nonetheless.
5. Spyro: Reignited Trilogy - Some of my favourite childhood games remade really well an updated for the new generation. What more could I ask for?
6. Far Cry 5 - One of my favourite gaming series and this entry was just so much fun, with a crazy twist ending to boot. Loved the time I spent in Hope County and I look forward to returning for New Dawn.
7. Detroit: Become Human - Enjoyed this one quite a bit, despite some issues along the way. Really fleshed out the story-driven make-your-own-narrative genre of games, and Bryan Dechart is a treasure.
8. Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! - Enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. It was a lot of fun revisiting Kanto and the partner system was quite enjoyable, as was the Go catching mechanisms. Great update to a classic game.

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[CloseTalker]

list

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Did you draw these yourself, or just do the coloring? Either way, they look incredible. As someone with no artistic talent whatsoever, I'm incredibly envious

 

[NLCPRESIDENT]

1. Dragon Quest 11- Its a certain point in the game where a couple of kids tries to convince the group into quest after trying to deceive them. You can feel the passion in their voice trying to plead with them for help... it's when the game got real for me and hit home, from then it's been an incredible journey. Best graphics in an jrpg to date, great story and localization and fun battle system...If you dont find the hard mode, it can be too easy tho... and just when you thought the game was wrapping up, it just wrap you up even more.To me it's a 10/10.
   
   
2. God of War- This game had moment of the year for me. A dad, a son and a new bottle of ancient mead. Best weapon of all time in a game with a ridiculously good battle system. God of War is the RE4 of action games, genre defining.
   
   
3. Astro Bot- There is no way to explain how AMAZING this game is! Utterly stunning, great gameplay, secrets only revealed by your imagination. Easily one of the best platformers ever made.
   
   
4. Call of Duty: Black ops 4- Blops 4 is the most addictive shooter I've ever played. Ive never liked shooters like that, but I cant get enough of it. It has taken the best elements from other popular shooters and simplified the mechanics; each class has it's own special abilities, and games are a constant chess match.
   
   
5. FarCry 5- I love Far Cry and this was the best one ever too me. Huge open playground for you n a buddy to mess around in. Get money and blow shit up.. love it.
   
6. MHW- Great multiplayer game.
   
   
7. Detroit- Detroit is immersive with a great cast of characters. Scale is very important to me in games and QD nails it. The feeling of a character walking down a street and it feeling believable is what grew on me with Detroit... I felt for the characters cause they were believable.
   
   
8. Assassins Creed: Odyssey- I hated Assassins Creed. Origins changed up the gameplay and Odyssey took those changes and revamped the quality of their quests and it is just great. ...It definitely has a bit of jank, but fun jank.
   
   
9. Blazeblue: Cross tag battle- Very fun fighter that's easy to get into. I went hard into this game for a while.. until more games started coming out.
   
   

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[Deleted member 1656]

1. Into the Breach - Mechs are the fucking shit, man. And this game fixes most of my gripes with XCOM and Darkest Dungeon and does it in an artfully brusque package. I've played it all year, and with a modding community and prospect of an enhanced edition, I don't think I'm going to stop any time soon. Not only is this my favorite game of the year, it could end being one of my all-time favorites.
2. Roof Rage - Ninjas are the fucking shit, man. And this is a tight, satisfying platform fighter with very fun AI opponents. It's a beautiful, straightforward thing that I've always wanted to enjoy on PC and I can't ask for much more from it.
3. The Missing: JJ Macfield and the Island of Memories - I think one of my favorite things about Swery is that he's directed a game in so many different genres. Stealth action, open world driving, cinematic adventure, and now a surreal puzzle platformer. And this is a great, brutal puzzle platformer with such a positive, progressive message that I don't think anyone expected from the developer, and that is very much worth commending.

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[Philtastic]

1. Assassin's Creed Odyssey - This was a huge surprise to me as I'm not much of an Assassin's Creed fan. I liked the 2 trilogy; thought 1, although novel, was very repetitive; hated 3 and 4; and hadn't played any AC games after those until Origins because they completely revamped some of the worst aspects of the series, namely the combat. Origins was a significant step up from the previous AC games that I had played, making combat more engaging and challenging than just counter-attacking, and allowing you to lose pursuers more easily so that you could go back to stealth game play. The game, however, felt a bit simple compared to other action games with its rudimentary combat system and talent tree. Odyssey took the prototype of Origins and fleshed it out by fully embracing its video game nature. Rather than limiting itself to the more realistic, Odyssey introduced super human abilities and mythical creatures in an exquisitely rendered version of ancient Greece. By shedding the series' more realistic roots, Odyssey became a more entertaining video game packed full of open-world content to play with the game's systems. Combined with Ubisoft's excellent post-launch support, this is a game that I can see myself playing for many months to come.
2. Monster Hunter World - I have never owned a handheld console, thus I have only ever read about the wonders to be found in a Monster Hunter game. When a console/PC version was announced, I knew that I would have to sink my teeth into this entry, and I was not disappointed. With its myriad of monsters with unique fighting styles and its wealth of weapons that completely change how you play the game, there was never a dull moment in spite of its grind.
3. Warhammer: Vermintide 2 - While Vermintide 1 felt like a reskin of Left 4 Dead, Vermintide 2 assumed its own identity by developing its classes, talent trees, and equipment choices that impact game play. With these many additions, Vermintide 2 became one of the best co-op games currently available.

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[reid23]

1. God of War - The ending to 2010's God of War III begs you to wonder where the hell Kratos -- and the series itself -- could go from here. It makes me so happy to say that the end result is nothing like I imagined. There is no better feeling than to play a video game that legitimately surprises you, especially in this age of repeat sequels and multiplayer copycats. 2018's God of War is magic.
2. Red Dead Redemption 2 - I probably enjoy this game for different reasons than most others. I think Red Dead Redemption 2's open world is completely inconsequential, the mission structure far too predictable, and moment-to-moment gameplay borderline archaic. But it is so incredibly beautiful to listen to, look at, and live in. This is the most believable video game world ever made. It's impossible not to marvel at the audacity of this thing.
3. Monster Hunter: World - It's Monster Hunter, it's on powerful hardware, and it kicks ass. The best 'pure gameplay' experience of 2018.
4. Marvel's Spider-Man - In terms of gameplay, aside from the brilliant swinging mechanics, Marvel's Spider-Man is just good enough. Thankfully, it bears the incredible production and polish of a Sony first-party game, making for a visual feast and one of the best Spider-Man stories ever.
5. Celeste -
6. Assassin's Creed Odyssey -
7. Guacamelee! 2 -
8. Shadow of the Colossus -
9. Detroit: Become Human -
10. Shadow of the Tomb Raider -

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[Tyrant Rave]

1. 428: Shibuya Scramble - Even after beating 428, I'm still kind of shocked it came out here in the West. Like many others, my first and only memory of this game was that it got a perfect score from Famitsu back in the day when we still took note of that sort of thing. It was always kind of mysterious. Looking at screenshots, I didn't really get it (there are... real people?). When it was first teased at coming over though, I knew I had to try it. And while it most certainly bombed here, I'm over the moon that Spike Chunsoft took a chance with releasing it as it ended up being an amazing experience that lived up to the hype. While most of Chunsoft's VNs tend to incorporate puzzles and minigames that do nothing to improve the game, 428 forces you to frequently make decisions and swap between multiple character timelines to reach the end. This makes the story itself the puzzle for once, and it's a blast to try and uncover the secrets and twists it hides. The game itself follows multiple people in Shibuya who all get roped up into kidnapping case. Each character has their own unique storyline with their own quirks and tone (Tama's is fairly comical while Osawa's is styled a bit like a thriller for instance), and the photography for each of them is all color graded differently to really make them stand apart. The character stories frequently overlap with one another, and choices you make for someone (something as simple as tossing some garbage for example) will have dramatic effects for others. This leads to a lot of experimentation by the player, and really keeps the game from becoming dull. The most noticeable element, however, is the game's use of photography and film to create its world and characters. Every single scene uses real photos/videos, and they're all acted out by real people. This creates a visual style like nothing else out there, and helps for you to really connect to it. 428 is a really special game that keeps you on your toes, and we're lucky to have it release here. This is a must play if you enjoy narrative-heavy games, don't sleep on it.
   
   
2. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age - I've been a Dragon Quest fan for years now, and I've been eagerly awaiting this game since it was announced. While it was a rather lengthy wait, it was absolutely worth it. The gameplay formula itself is still pretty much what you'd expect from the series (a whimsical and fun JRPG adventure) and there's nothing really wrong with that. The characters are all extremely lovable and interesting, and some of my favorites in the series. Sylvando and Veronica ended up being my favorites thanks to the sharp writing and great voice acting. The combat isn't terribly complex compared to a lot of modern games, but it remains fun and strategic. The skill system for your characters really lets you experiment and fine tune everyone to your liking. And if you don't like it? Pay up and respec them when you wish whenever you want, and enjoy yourself. It's not a stressful game, and it feels like a classic RPG with all the bells and whistles of more modern games. DQXI is also the first HD mainline game in the series, and the visual improvements do wonders to enhance the experience as a whole. Being able to see Toriyama's characters and monsters in such clean visuals with great animation is really the best thing, and added far more to the experience than I ever expected. And I still play the old ones! I spent a ton of hours playing this game (easily my most played new release of the year), and I loved every minute.
   
   
3. SoulCalibur VI - I initially wasn't very interested in this game. The last game I played in the series was SoulCalibur IV and that was before I really took fighting games seriously. Since then I've been exposed to so many other games in the genre that I've studied, played, and competed in tournaments for, and I kind of just forgot about the series. Earlier in the year, I was at an arcade that happened to have a SCIII cabinet up. My friends and I sat down and played and instantly I remembered why I loved the game as a kid. Following this, I played the demo for VI at EVO this year and well, I knew I had to get it. SoulCalibur VI is a great return to form for the series and my favorite fighting game of the year. Coming from years of Tekken, it's immediately noticeable how easy the movement is here, and honestly? I loved it instantly for that. The movement feels snappy and free, and it does wonders for the feel of the game. The new Lethal Hit mechanic is a nice addition as well, as it really encourages you to play your characters in certain ways to get big rewards. I've had so much fun just playing this game with friends and random people online. SoulCalibur remains incredibly simple to pick up and do cool things, but there's a very interesting game below and learning how to play is immensely rewarding like all great fighting games.
   
   
4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Growing up, I always loved the series as it was great fun with my friends and as someone who is a big fan of many Nintendo series. I didn't play much of Smash 4 due to the timing of it, and the fact that Mario Kart 8 really took up my multiplayer time on the Wii U, so playing Ultimate has been a bit like meeting up with an old friend. While there's nothing too new for the way it plays, the gameplay here feels polished to perfection. The roster ensures anyone who has ever enjoyed a Smash game will also have their favorite here, and well, it has everything. I've already spent a few dozen hours playing with friends into the middle of the night already. I can't even tell you the last time any game has provided so much fun and laughter to me. While I don't plan on playing this game competitively, I still plan on sinking many more hours into this playing with friends and random foes online. Smash Bros. has really evolved into feeling like a celebration of video games now, and it's pretty great to see. It also has Bayonetta from the Bayonetta series, who makes every game better instantly.
   
   
5. Celeste - I kind of blind bought this game after having friends recommend it in the first half of the year. It took me a while to beat it, but I'm really glad I did. Celeste is a really wonderful platformer with a lot to love. The controls feel really quick and responsive, which is perfect for the level design here. It's filled with all sorts of spikes and hazards to avoid that require some quick reflexes and coordination to overcome. Similar to something like Super Mario Bros. 3, or many other greats of the genre, Celeste also frequently introduces new toys to play with. You fly through tunnels inside bubbles, bounce off clouds, turn into a ball of energy that moves on its own, and more. This keeps every level from becoming too similar, and really helps to keep things moving. The OST here is also incredible, and probably the best of the year. It matches the game's atmosphere perfectly, and many of the songs will be stuck in your head long after your done. It also features a surprisingly enjoyable story focused on mental health, which I ended up liking more than I expected.
   
   

Keeping my list short this year, as I'd rather just have games I really loved rather than just fill out a list just to fill one. There are a few other games I enjoyed or need to spend more time on:
Spider-Man
The Missing
Tetris Effect
Dead Cells
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon
Dragon Ball FighterZ
BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle (big surprise for me)
Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII
Death Mark

But mostly, this year was primarily about playing older releases for me and replaying old favorites. Including:
Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth
Hollow Knight
Umineko
The House in Fata Morgana
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Trails in the Sky Second Chapter
Bayonetta 1+2
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze
Okami
Castlevania Requiem
And more.

Overall, even though I mostly played/replayed older games, I quite enjoyed this year. I stayed busy thanks to my backlog and it helped fill up any gaps in releases. I have a few more games I'd like to get through, but I'm taking my time and I'm happy with that.


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[SuperShadow271]

1. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - I love Smash. And this particular entry is an exciting, fast-paced, content-rich game. It's filled with passion and it reinvents a lot of things that I wouldn't have thought about. Though it just came out, I do believe that it will have a long and exciting legacy.
2. Marvel's Spiderman - Spiderman 2 on the GameCube is one of the few games I've beaten multiple times. That game made Spiderman my favorite superhero and every game since then disappointed me. When they announced this game, I was skeptical. Even right up until release, I doubted it could be anywhere near as good as Spiderman 2. But when I played it for myself, it blew my mind. This game is better in nearly every way and I am so happy to be wrong
3. Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee! - Pokemon Red was one of the only games I had on my Gameboy back in the day. I played that game to death. I knew that game so well. The thing is: I kept buying and playing Pokemon games. And though I enjoyed going back to it, there are parts and aspects of the game that are a complete slog. Pokemon Let's Go Eevee is the kind of remake that don't get enough credit. They streamlined a lot of the aspects that made the original obnoxious while still maintaining the spirit of the originals. It's not perfect, but it's the exact game I would recommend to anyone who liked the originals and haven't played them in a while. And why Eevee over Pikachu? Eevee is more cute
4. Sonic Mania Plus - Sonic is a character and series very close to my heart. My username is based off of Shadow after all. I like to think that I can watch people of any skill level play games. But I've played the classics so many times that I can't watch people play them. And that, combined with the horrible reveal event, made Sonic Mania look DOA. Especially because Sega has been claiming for years that they were going to take inspiration from the classics. But Sonic Mania ended up being the true Sonic 4. The levels, the physics, the sprites. All perfect. And Mania Plus being so cheap, bringing back characters with unique gameplay additions, and coming on a physical medium is the icing on the cake.
5. Octopath Traveler - This one is honestly more for the significance than the game itself. A third-party Switch exclusive that looks beautiful, plays up older-style jrpg ideas, and ends up being successful is a huge deal in my book. The game itself may have a few issues, but I am so happy it exists.
6. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - The soundtrack, the art, and the gameplay are all beautiful. Even aside from the memes, I think Funky is a great addition to the game to make it more accessible without ruining any of the levels or challenges
7. Bayonetta 2 - Since I saw that this was eligible, I wanted to give it a few points. I know that the initial concept of it being Nintendo exclusive was difficult for a lot of people, I do feel that it was ultimately the right move. It's the kind of game that has the same priorities that Nintendo has been showing lately and it's an incredible experience. Wonderful game
8. Luigi's Mansion - Another that I wanted to give points to since it was eligible. The 3DS port might not be perfect or ideal, but the game itself is such a weird concept and executed well enough that I am really happy to see that a third entry get announced
9. Mario Tennis Aces - Admittedly, this is my first Mario Tennis game. I know a lot of people were really down on this game for the lack of content, but I feel that what was there was some of the best gaming I've played in terms of sports games. The ideas of breaking rackets and slowing time seem really weird, but they created an experience that hooked me so well, I had to force myself to stop playing because I would get mad at lag and mistakes. I haven't gotten this intensely into a game since I was very young.
10. Megaman 11 - So I admit that I'm not much for Mega Man games. I never played them growing up and playing them now is very difficult for me to understand. My brain just doesn't seem to like the jumping and shooting patterns. Nevertheless, I wanted to give at least one point to MM11 for reviving a franchise that many people thought was dead. This one in particular is pretty good because of the simple, but not game-breaking, mechanics to introduce new players to the format and put a neat twist on old scenarios. Hopefully they can continue to make Mega Man games.

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[B4mv]

1. Celeste - GOTY. I loved it so much. It was hard putting it above Smash, but IMO it just deserves it. The gameplay is so clean and crisp, no platformer has ever felt better than this to me. I love how unforgiving it is, while still always being just one room away from accomplishment. The soundtrack is 100% my favorite video game soundtrack of all time. Lena Raine came up on my Spotify wrapped most listened to artists this year. What she did elevated it to an experience like no other. Something from Celeste will be my next tattoo. I'm obsessed with this game.
2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Easily my favorite thing to come out this year. I'm already at 55+ hours. I can't put it down. I enjoyed the grind of story mode. I like the spirit board. I like completing the challenges. I like playing with friends. I love having so much music, everything sounds so good. Fair warning, I haven't touched online. From what I've seen online, that's probably what lets it be so high on my list.
3. Spyro Reignited Trilogy - I wasn't sure about this one up until release. I wasn't sure if it was just nostalgia goggles clouding my memory, or if this really was one of the best things from my childhood. Turns out that it holds up! My only real complaint with the game is the lackluster boss fights, and the jank underwater controls. Otherwise, I had an amazing time with it. I still need to finish up the last of the trilogy.
4. Timespinner - This one felt like it was in development forever. I had been waiting for it since the kickstarter all the way back in 2014. I had watched development streams, and would get excited about updates whenever they were posted. I can gladly say that it lived up to the expectations. I know this one is relatively unheard of compared to everything else on the list, but everyone should give this a shot. My only complaint is that it could have been longer. If it was, it may have been higher up my list. I still clocked 11 hours, but those hours just flew by.
5. Marvel's Spiderman - This is the best superhero game of all time. I'm not going to write much about it, because I'm sure everyone else has already said everything I can say and more.
6. Guacamelee! 2 - This was such a fun game. I played through it straight singleplayer in about 2 days. It was a blast all the way through. I need to get around to that new DLC
7. Puyo Puyo Tetris - I feel like it's cheating putting this on my list, but technically I did buy it this year.. for the 3rd time on Steam. I first got this game back in 2014, and it's simply my favorite Tetris game to play. Between my Japanese copy for Xbox One, that i got back in 2014, picking it up for the Switch when it launched there, and on PC - I've sunk 200+ hours into it. If I haven't had it for 4 years, I'd have it higher on the list. I also haven't played Tetris Effect yet, but I feel like it would have taken it's place.
8. SoulCalibur VI - I was scared that I wasn't going to be a big fan of IV. I really hated VI, and V wasn't really for me either. VI is a real return to form for the series. A very satisfying game to play, it just feels right. I enjoyed the laid back story mode that was just full of lore. I'm excited for 2B coming soon!
9. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon - Although a small side game to a bigger project, I had a lot more fun with this than I would have expected. I probably wouldn't have ever played it if it wasn't given to me for free either. There is a lot here. Definitely worth a shot if you're a fan of OG Castlevania gameplay.
10. Kirby Star Allies - As we get to the end of the list, Kirby Star Allies is a Kirby game. I like Kirby games. That's pretty much how I feel about it.

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[Shini42]

1. Red Dead Redemption 2 - who would've thought it could be so fun to fish, pick up flowers, eat, shave and bathe in a video game. My Arthur led more healthy life, than me for a couple of weeks after that game released. GOAT.
2. God of War - Never was too big of a fan of this series, but new one changed up old formula so dramatically that I just couldn't put it down. Oh BOY, it is so good!
3. Marvel's Spider-Man - Almost perfect game about one of the best comic book characters in the world. It would've been GotY almost any other year, but this year was just way too Amazing.
4. Shadow of the Colossus - This game looks exactly as I remember it to look more than ten years ago. And while my memory is flawed, this remake is flawless.

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[Aarglefarg]

1. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age - The first new mainline entry in my favourite series after it became my favourite series, back in 2014.
2. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom - The worlds in this game and Wonder Boy 3: The Dragon's Trap are a joy to explore, with a sense of fun that sets it apart from many similar exploration platformers.
3. Astro Bot: Rescue Mission - A rewarding VR platformer with great ideas in many levels, that benefits significantly from being VR. The final boss is very satsifying.
4. God of War
5. Spyro Reignited Trilogy - The gameplay holds up very well, and the modernised visual style is among the best of the year.
6. Hitman 2 - If it released earlier in the year, and had more elusive targets already rather than ones to come in the future, perhaps it would be higher in the list.
7. Marvel's Spider-Man - Great traversal, but it began alternating between Spider-Man missions and stealth missions with other characters. I was looking for it to finish by the end.
8. Return of the Obra Dinn - Now we're getting into games I think are wonderful but I wish to have played more. I've played several sections, but I have much more to play and have struggled with it. It's a wonderful concept, and has excellent execution.
9. Celeste
10. Hollow Knight

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[TheIlliterati]

1. Return of the Obra Dinn - The most original game I played this year. I don't care to justify anything else.
2. Celeste
3. Into The Breach
4. Dead Cells
5. Assassin's Creed Odyssey
6. Red Dead Redemption 2
7. God of War
8. Guacamelee 2
9. Marvel's Spider-Man
10. Cross Code

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[Borowski]

Francokid1 Nakadai NLCPRESIDENT

Read OP and fix your votes, or they won't be counted

 

[Loadout]

1. Divinity: Original Sin II - Defininitive Edition - When I first played DOS2 on PC it quickly became one of my favorite games of all time. Experiencing it again a year later on PS4 felt just as magical. The Definitive Edition further improves on what had already been a near-perfect game in my eyes, a masterclass of an RPG and masterpiece of video-game design. It was my 2017 GOTY and I can't help but nominate it once again since it is eligible.
2. God of War - Incredible. Breathtaking. I never liked God of War, but saying that this one is different would be putting it lightly. What an awesome experience. Amazing combat, great pacing, good gameplay diversity, a beautiful world that is a joy to explore and insane direction and production. The only shortcomings are the lack of enemy variety and it could've used more meaningful side content instead of some of the grind, but still, a masterfully crafted piece of work that belongs in the highest caliber of gaming.
3. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Time and time again I found myself baffled by the meticulousness of RDR2. It did not only manage to overcome the absurd expectation I had of it, but also serves as a benchmark for video game design in general, as it challenges the player's expectations over and over again, and redefines the boundaries of video game immersion. It tells a wonderful tale executed with grace, an amazing cast of characters each backed with top-notch voice acting. The world is breathing with life with unmatched detail, with every small thing seeming to have a meaning and depth. Despite so, I don't think RDR2 has what it takes to be an all-time great, as it often feels sluggish and even unfun.
4. Celeste - I'm not a fan of platformers but it's hard not to fall in love with this one. With its colorful vibes, amazing music and relatable, charming story and characters, it's hard for me to even call this a platformer at the end of the day, it's an experience, and an extremely fun one at that.
5. A Way Out - Another great experience and a very unique one indeed. Great storytelling and puzzles, and boy did the ending hit us. Could've easily been a 9/10 if it wasn't for some cringey writing and a few padded, overly cheesy sections, but overall, it's hard not to appreciate the effort, because A Way Out might just be the single greatest Co-Op adventure out there.

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[hobblygobbly]

1. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire - Direct sequel to my favourite RPG of 2015, with continuation of existing great companions as well as new ones, and a better stream lined combat system. My favourite RPG of the year.
2. BattleTech - My favourite strategy game of the year, really addictive gameplay from working your lance up from nothing and micro managing resources to being the most formidable lance among the stars. A faithful adaption.
3. Tangledeep - The best traditional (turn-based) roguelike of 2018, at first the art style wasn't to my liking, but it grew on me, the game design overall is fantastic, and breaks away from many traditional roguelike clichés.
4. Armored Brigade - Best wargame of 2018 for me, set in the cold war, plethora of units but the game mechanics are very tightly designed, authentic sound design, and damn good AI.
5. Kingdom Come: Deliverance - While I have qualms about the scope of its RPG design, I find it more akin to an immersive sim, but a good one at that at least, and the landscape and architecture are very well designed, because everything about it is designed how it looks like in Europe, the way the wooded areas are designed, the slopes of the landscape - having been to that part of Europe it is very familiar.
6. Into the Breach - Just an all round well designed game, I always call these "coffee break strategy games" because they're great in short bursts, because of how tightly the mechanics are designed.
7. Subnautica - Best survival game I have ever played, and I hate survival games. It has a narrative, clear goals, and now you must survive while working to achieve them - most other strategy games are too sandbox-y or have lousy goals.
8. Frozen Synapse 2 - Squad-based turn-based cyberpunk tactical game. Enough said (if you don't mind the bug
9. Frostpunk - A city-building game that that focuses a lot moral decisions you have to make throughout the game, like policies and laws, in the context of survival of the populace as a whole.
10. Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden - Gorgeous aesthetic, and I am not one that is usually a fan of anthropomorphic characters, but is very well done here, with a great narrative, and XCOM-style gameplay (even if it is not replayable/procedural like XCOM).

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[ron_bato]

1. God of War - I must confess, I tried multiple times to like the God of War games in the past. Playing them on the PS2, then trying the remastered games on PS3, trying God of War 3 on the PS3 and again on the PS4. I just couldn't get into it. I think it was in large part because I really did not care for Kratos as a character. I enjoyed the combat, but I just couldn't get invested in the game. In contrast, God of War (2018) completely sucked me in from the beginning and got me so invested in Kratos and Atreus' journey, that I played it nonstop for a week. The combat is spectacular, controlling Kratos in combat is responsive, smooth, deep, intuitive and just very satisfying. The narrative draws you in, and keeps you invested until the end. The performances are excellent. The score is absolutely amazing. The visuals are up there with some of the best this generation. This really just an excellent package, and the culmination of years of work of Sony Santa Monica, that paid of wonderfully.
2. Marvel's Spider-man - Insomniac absolutely nailed this. First, from a gameplay perspective, this really gives you the feeling of being Spider-man that no game in its storied history has come close to replicating (i did play Spider-Man 2 on the PS1 - but it's been so long that I've forgotten how good that felt). Web swinging is fun, and ultimately removes the chore of traversal that is present in most open world games. The combat is excellent and makes good use of existing mechanics in the super-hero genre, but Insomniac adds enough of its DNA to lend a more unique feeling character in their take on Spider-Man. The story is excellent, culminating in a very emotional final act, that leaves a strong impression. Performances are great, and the score captures the feeling of being a Marvel superhero. I think the game falls flat in the structure of its side content, and falling prey to too many open world tropes. Otherwise, the 30 hours or so I spent with the game was an absolute blast, so much so that it was the first platinum trophy I've ever completed. Insomniac did the character justice, and I can't wait for the next steps in the franchise.
3. Red Dead Redemption 2 -Between Spider-Man, God of War, and RDR 2, RDR 2 was probably my favorite game from a narrative perspective. Rockstar did an excellent job building the world and the characters in RDR 2, crafting a very strong narrative, and making me care about Arthur Morgan probably more than any other character I've played in a video game (Joel from The Last of Us comes close). The game is impressive from a technical standpoint, with a richly developed world, filled with all these intricate gameplay systems, that when they work, it's successful in giving the player the illusion of a living breathing world - more so than any other open world game that came before it. However, where the game falls short for me is in the gameplay side. Where I absolutely hated the shooting in this game (at best you can say it works - at worst, the game's controls are a detriment to your success in the shooting). I think it's unforgivable that the core combat experience feels this terrible, and I hope that Rockstar addresses this in future games.

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[ManUtd]

1. God of war - Best story of the year, and a great comeback for the franchise.
2. Detroit: Become Human - Best Cage game this far, also a great story. You should all play it :-)
3. Assassin's Creed Odyssey - Even though it isn't as great as last years Origins it is still a really good game.
4. Marvel's Spider-Man - Best Spider-man game ever.
5. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Good game, Arthur Morgan's story is a good one.
6. Shadow of the Tomb Raider - Good action, a little to shallow sometimes but still good.
7. Hitman 2 -
8. Shadow of the Colossus -
9. Far Cry 5 -
10. Call of Duty: Black ops 4 -

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[MickZan]

1. God of War - For me not only the best game of the year, but probably a defining game of the generation
2. Hollow Knight - Only came to play it this year, and my god what a game. It's one of those 'special' games that only come along once every few years or so
3. Assassin's Creed Odyssey - I can't really explain why, but something kept pulling me back until i saw everything it had to offer. Probably the best minute to minute gameplay this year.
4. Monster Hunter World - Addicting as f*ck. Played this a lot of hours at the start of the year.
5. Red Dead Redemption II - Production values galore. Solid script. Now if they bring some actual fun gameplay next time around then they have something really special.
6. Shadow of the Colossus - A good remake of one of my favorite games of all times. I didn't put it higher because it feels a bit like cheating.
7. Ni No Kuni II - Wasn't that good really. Was fun mindless entertainment.
8. Moonlighter - A good gameplay loop that was addicting for an afternoon.

This is the first year in a while i haven't played a lot of games. Just the big ones. Normally my list is full of indies and JRPGs, but didn't have the time to play them this year. I'm sure Obra Dinn and DQXI would have been in my list if i'd have played them.


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[Kuldar]

To be clear, do we have to use the correct writting of the game name or the one present in the spreadsheet? Cause the name for Marvel's Spider-Man is incorrect in the spreadsheet and if it's the reference that'll be used to count vote...

 

[Nightfall]

1. God of War - Being seriously burned out after God of War 3 and all the meaningless killing happening there I wouldn't have thought that a new God of War game could peak my interest. But this breathes new life into the franchise in a way I never thought possible. It's such a vast departure but still feels so familiar, it's almost scary. The whole story is a perfect metaphor for the journey from God of War games of old to this.
2. Marvel's Spider-Man - The best Stan Lee cameo ever in the best Spider-Man game ever. Perfect execution hindered by some repetitive tasks.
3. Dragon Quest XI - Peak JRPG in every single way except for the music. It drives me insane at times but not enough to not love this.
4. Tetris Effect - Or Lumines X Tetris. Perfect in every single way and worth every penny. Best and most addictive puzzle game.
5. Return of the Obra Dinn - The unique visuals and gameplay elements make for an amazing detective story that's amazingly compelling even though if it can feel like work sometimes.
6. Monster Hunter World - Oh the outcry when people thought this would be some dumbed down casual Monster Hunter spinoff. And the payoff when it turned out to be the modernization the series so desperately needed.
7. Dragon Ball FighterZ - The wet dream of every Dragon Ball fan.
8. Into the Breach - Bite sized strategy with awesome music and a sense of thrill.

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[Borowski]

1. God of War - I must confess, I tried multiple times to like the God of War games in the past. Playing them on the PS2, then trying the remastered games on PS3, trying God of War 3 on the PS3 and again on the PS4. I just couldn't get into it. I think it was in large part because I really did not care for Kratos as a character. I enjoyed the combat, but I just couldn't get invested in the game. In contrast, God of War (2018) completely sucked me in from the beginning and got me so invested in Kratos and Atreus' journey, that I played it nonstop for a week. The combat is spectacular, controlling Kratos in combat is responsive, smooth, deep, intuitive and just very satisfying. The narrative draws you in, and keeps you invested until the end. The performances are excellent. The score is absolutely amazing. The visuals are up there with some of the best this generation. This really just an excellent package, and the culmination of years of work of Sony Santa Monica, that paid of wonderfully.
2. Marvel's Spider-Man - Insomniac absolutely nailed this. First, from a gameplay perspective, this really gives you the feeling of being Spider-man that no game in its storied history has come close to replicating (i did play Spider-Man 2 on the PS1 - but it's been so long that I've forgotten how good that felt). Web swinging is fun, and ultimately removes the chore of traversal that is present in most open world games. The combat is excellent and makes good use of existing mechanics in the super-hero genre, but Insomniac adds enough of its DNA to lend a more unique feeling character in their take on Spider-Man. The story is excellent, culminating in a very emotional final act, that leaves a strong impression. Performances are great, and the score captures the feeling of being a Marvel superhero. I think the game falls flat in the structure of its side content, and falling prey to too many open world tropes. Otherwise, the 30 hours or so I spent with the game was an absolute blast, so much so that it was the first platinum trophy I've ever completed. Insomniac did the character justice, and I can't wait for the next steps in the franchise.
3. Red Dead Redemption 2 -Between Spider-Man, God of War, and RDR 2, RDR 2 was probably my favorite game from a narrative perspective. Rockstar did an excellent job building the world and the characters in RDR 2, crafting a very strong narrative, and making me care about Arthur Morgan probably more than any other character I've played in a video game (Joel from The Last of Us comes close). The game is impressive from a technical standpoint, with a richly developed world, filled with all these intricate gameplay systems, that when they work, it's successful in giving the player the illusion of a living breathing world - more so than any other open world game that came before it. However, where the game falls short for me is in the gameplay side. Where I absolutely hated the shooting in this game (at best you can say it works - at worst, the game's controls are a detriment to your success in the shooting). I think it's unforgivable that the core combat experience feels this terrible, and I hope that Rockstar addresses this in future games.

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[Legacy]

1. Red Dead Redemption 2 - An amazing open world game, with rich dialogue, fantastic random encounters and characters. An absolute marvel to play. The second open-world game I've played where I actually want to collect everything (first was Witcher 3)
2. Monster Hunter World - A fantastic RPG with loads of new additions. I enjoyed the story and characters. Also loved how a lot of the weapons felt, the game got even better when you learned to master techniques. Very friendly online community as well.
3. Smash Ultimate - The best fighting game of this generation. Tons of characters, content and a meaty single player mode.
4. Octopath Traveller - A brilliant RPG, only let down somewhat by the thin connections between each character. Had plenty of charm and overall a great ode to the JRPGs of yesteryear.
5. Hollow Knight - Finally got to play this on the Switch and was thoroughly impressed. I think the story could have been told more clearly but the combat was top-notch and characters were memorable.
6. Celeste - Yet to complete but this is a great platformer with a good story.

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[E.T.]

1. God of War - A brilliant game with stunning visuals and an exceptionally deep combat system intertwined with a narrative and story that will stick with me for a long time. Potentially my game of the generation depending on how The Last of Us 2 plays out.
2. Marvel's Spider-Man - Fun is the name of the game with a well told story and gameplay mechanics that make this the most enjoyable adventure with ease. No game personifies moment to moment fun more than this game.
3. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age - A call back to simpler times in regards to classic RPG design yet this also represents the best the genre has to offer when everything comes beautifully together. Pacing, characters, locales, story are all outstanding, with graphics also impressing. Music issues aside this is for me the go to game if somebody wants to play a great RPG.
4. Shadow of the Colossus - A flawless classic makes a comeback in a remake that needs to be experienced.
5. Yoku's Island Express - Pinball and platforming combine to create a very unique game and I place this at number five with no hesitation.

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[Mister X]

1. God of War - Maybe best game of the gen
2. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Great game and probably best western game ever, maybe also best game of the gen :p
3. Dragon Quest XI - Return to the classis jrpg forumla and it's still great, love it
4. Detroit: Become Human - Cage's masterpiece, underrated imo
5. Yakuza Kiwami 2 - Remake of the best Yakuza game? Yeah can't go wrong with this one
6. Ni No Kuni II - Charm overload, great simple jrpg, a joy to immerse in the world
7. Monster Hunter World - My first MH game and fell in love instantly
8. Divinity: Original Sin II - Defininitive Edition - What to say? Best CRPG since BG2 imo
9. Marvel's Spider-man - The best superhero game on par or even a bit better than Batman Arkham Asylum
10. Kingdom Come: Deliverance - A refreshing take on the rpg genre with a focus on realism

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[kowalski]

1. God of War - BOY this game is my GOAT *side by side with MGS 1 and GoW II* the story is simple but with complicated characters and that's my favorite kind of stories in gaming. The combat is the best this gen (along with Bloodborne) and one of the best of all time.
2. Red Dead Redemption 2 - As always with Rockstar games, the open world genre standard has been raised. And man, the story! it has some of my best scenes of all time, and i'm not only talking about video games here!
3. Shadow of the Colossus - A timeless masterpiece.
4. ASTRO BOT Rescue Mission.
5. Marvel's Spider-Man.

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[The_Ultima]

1. Super Smash Bros Ultimate - An evergreen title that I will continue to play in decades to come. Also a labor of love from Sakurai.
2. Hollow Knight - I am not that deep into metroidvanias but Hollow Knight managed to hook me from beginning to end.
3. Sonic Mania Plus - since this is basically a new release, Sonic Mania Plus deserves this spot solely for being the saving grace in Sonic´s recent history. It´s also one of the best plattformers of the generation.
4. Mario Tennis Aces - despite being barebones in content, I have so much fun playing the game due to it´s great core mechanics.

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