10 Favourite Games of 2018



 Last week I saw my Xbox year in review, showing me my stats from the last 12 months of my gaming life. The amount of hours I spent on Xbox alone is frankly too embarrassing to put on this blog but it made me sentimental about the past year in games. So here's an inconsequential list of my favourite games of the year. Also, this list will definitely change as I catch up on releases that I missed throughout the year.

10) The Gardens Between


 There aren't many games like The Gardens Between, it's more about the feelings the game conveys through everyday, domestic imagery and minimal, ambient music. A short ride about lost childhood friendships that'll make almost anyone nostalgic (AKA slightly depressed.) Utilising a cool time control mechanic, The Gardens Between offers simple, creative and increasingly tough puzzles in levels that are essentially abstract recreations of two friend's memories together. It's unlike anything else that came out this year and if you want a satisfying, bite-sized, relatable story, The Gardens Between is perfect.

9) Shadow of the Tomb Raider


I already have a lengthy review of Lara Croft's latest outing, but to sum it up here's my summary:
"While it's easy to nitpick with 'Shadow of the Tomb Raider', mechanically, it's undeniable that this is one of the most refreshing and odd AAA action games of the year. It's rare for a blockbuster like this to put such an emphasis on solving puzzles, exploring and raiding tombs, opposed to shooting things in the face every corner you turn. And despite some of it's problems 'Shadow of the Tomb Raider' is never boring; controlling Lara is consistently fun. While this might not be a revolution of the structure established in the last two games, it might just be the perfection of it."

8) Onrush


 It's heartbreaking that Onrush was such a commercial failure, leading to layoffs at developer Evolution studios, because Onrush is genuinely one of the most under-appreciated, joyous and innovative racing games ever made. In fact, it's so creative that it's almost misleading to call Onrush a racing game. It's more of a hybrid between an arcade racer and a hero shooter. There are several different car classes with unique special moves, passive skills and ultimate abilities. Another departure for the genre, winning races doesn't depend on you coming first; it depends on your entire team's contribution toward different objectives like controlling points, or collectively passing through more checkpoints then the enemy team. Boosting at break neck pace and smashing through enemies in the process will never get old.

7) Into the Breach


 Into the Breach is the definition of 'easy to learn, hard to master'. Set on a 8x8 grid, Into the Breach initially seems simple but more than 20 hours into this strategy marvel, I'm still discovering new ways to deal with giant monsters and defend the last of civilisation. New teams of mechs, all with different abilities, are unlocked frequently, opening up new possibilities for battles. At this point the game feels endlessly replay-able as I experiment with different combinations of mechs between playthroughs, while still progressing in small ways like keeping squad members between playthroughs. Into the Breach's bite-sized battles alleviates any frustrations that could come from the game's difficulty. Something that's really impressive about the game is how it forces you to make sacrifices. You can't save everyone all the time or always complete objectives but compromises need to be made just to succeed. Straightforward and dense at the same time, Into the Breach is fundamentally flawless.

6) BELOW


 This long awaited dungeon crawler hits all the right notes for me, tonally. It's moody, unflinching and more mysterious than just about anything. The aim of the game is to take control of a wanderer and discover what lies below a dangerous island. And that's all the context you have. Every time you die, a new wanderer travels to the island from the beginning, but BELOW's brilliant, interconnected island stops this process from getting too annoying, because you're going to die, a lot. BELOW is tough as nails but I was always enticed to come back and try again since every death was my own fault. In true Souls-like fashion, dying is just as important as progressing since it teaches you an important lesson about the rules of the game. In fact death is BELOW's only form of teaching as the game's completely void of any tutorials. Experimentation and exploration are what make the game so rewarding since they're also the only way to survive and learn the game's systems. BELOW builds its unrivalled atmosphere through heavy, ambient music and a pulled back camera angle (that is genius in the way it makes you feel isolated and the ways it plays into BELOW's cryptic story.) Also it has the best ending of the year (fight me) and probably the most WTF ending since 2016's INSIDE.

 5) Florence


 Short but sweet, Florence tells an utterly unique story following a bittersweet relationship from the very beginning. It's a game that marries its gameplay to the touch screen controls of a phone perfectly; it might be simple but the way it puts you in the shoes of this couple is both charming and heart-wrenching. Simple mini-games turn mundane, everyday actions into relatable storytelling devices and cleverly subverts your expectations with them. If the story doesn't get you close to tears, beautiful, expressive hand-drawn art and a sweeping score will hit you with all the feels. Running at 45-60 minutes of playtime, Florence gets its message across comfortably: a poignant tale of independence, love, heartbreak and what it all teaches us. Florence is just about as universal as a video game can get with simple gameplay and a story about falling in love for the first time that anybody can relate to.

4) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate


 The most ambitious crossover in entertainment. The series that started as a Nintendo all-stars fighting game has evolved into a brawler that's essentially a museum celebrating almost every corner of gaming history. A game where you can make Mario, Sonic, Pac Man and Ryu battle to the death should be impossible, but somehow Nintendo pulled it off. 74 fighters, over a hundred stages and countless music tracks ensures that Smash Ultimate really does live up to its name, but it's a rare game that is just as concerned with quality as it is with quantity. Varied move-sets, high skill ceilings and manageably fast movement make Smash Bros. Ultimate the definitive game in the series. A must-play for anyone who's just a fan of fun.

3) Forza Horizon 4


 There's not a single moment in Forza Horizon 4 that feels wasted, grindy or dull. Even when you're simply cruising around the game's beautiful version of Great Britain, FH4 still manages to stay interesting and exciting with an arcade-y skill points system that rewards you for chaining together high speeds, sick drifts and so much more. The game rewards you for just practicing and naturally getting better. A map that alternates between the four seasons every week will keep you coming back as the entire map changes along with tire physics, new races and an entirely new aesthetic: the game is always stunning. Along with being an amazing racing game, Forza Horizon 4 is also an impeccably well-designed open-world game with tons of varied activities and tightly made tracks, including four races that are essentially boss fights in racing form (including a special Halo themed event race that has to be one of the most epic moments of the generation.) Forza Horizon 4 is the epitome of fun.

 2) Celeste 


 My face is inches away from the TV, sweating, I've been stuck on the same frame for 20 minutes and have died approximately 153 times on this level alone. But I kept coming back to Celeste, actually, "coming back" isn't the right phrase because I barely let go of the controller until the credits rolled. This is because every time I died, I knew it was my fault, there are no unfair deaths in Celeste. For a fast-paced platformer like Celeste, it's rare for problem solving to be just as important as reactionary movement. But that's what every room in Celeste is, a problem that's gonna need impeccable timing and skill. I've talked about Celeste before on this blog, so if you want to find out how it masterfully weaves a sensitive story about mental health with its brutal difficulty, check that out. But ultimately that's why Celeste is so special, it has something to say; it's positive, uplifting and important. One of the best soundtracks in any game, tons of extra content and neat pixel art is only icing on the cake for this indie gem. 

 1) Red Dead Redemption 2


 What Rockstar accomplished with Red Dead 2 can't be overstated. A game this big, this dense, this complicated shouldn't be able to feel so focused and thematically cohesive throughout its 60-70 hour story. Sure, there are a couple side missions that feel traditionally 'Rockstar', with wacky characters and cynical writing. However the majority of this western epic is laser focused on Arthur Morgan and the descent of the Van Der Linde gang as the age of the outlaw is dying in 1899. The game's biggest achievement is that for an open world game of this magnitude it never pulls you away from its story and central themes. Forgiveness, morality, the effects of civilisation and (obviously) redemption are present everywhere you go in the game. From main quests, side missions and, most impressively, random open world events; these themes are explored and unpacked everywhere in this gorgeous recreation of the brutal Wild West, slowly being tamed. A stirring, understated soundtrack, thrilling mission design and incredible character work mix with countless, tiny details to create Rockstar's magnum opus. I could go on about the game forever. It's my favourite game of the year. It's a masterpiece in every sense of the word. 

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