By: Ryan Ramakrishnan
2018 is hands-down my favorite year of the decade in gaming, even topping 2013 which was full of personal favorites in gaming. 2018 was full of titles that really stuck with me. Some of the games released that year are instant contenders across the board for game of the decade, a few even making it onto lists covering the best of all time. So it was difficult to include just five games here, given the fact that I made a top 10 list of 2018 games at the end of the respective year on YouTube. Even harder was ranking the five here.
My top 5 games of 2018 are as follows:
Rockstar’s innovative sequel/prequel in “Red Dead Redemption 2” was not only one of the best games released that year but arguably one of the best to ever hit the industry. Thanks to its technical brilliance, this was one of the most well-regarded games when kit launched in the fall of 2018. I personally was unsure how to feel at first. I found it to be slow and thought the realism was frustrating. I wasn’t sure if I was going to love it like everyone else did. I did like it a lot though still. Fortunately, after some time and progress in this game, I realized that I do love “Red Dead Redemption 2.” It is truly something special. The game was a true marvel to play through the story and characters alone. Arthur Morgan quickly became one of the best protagonists in gaming and everyone around him was compelling. The dynamics among the gang were interesting. Writing was top-notch and voice acting was as well. The story had heart and it kept me interested until the end. And “Red Dead Redemption 2” also got progressively more fun for me, as I realized the realistic systems aren’t as obtrusive over time and gunplay and violence were pretty awesome. And there were plenty of exciting missions and set-pieces. “Red Dead Redemption 2” lands at number five on this list and it is that good of a game so you can only imagine my love for the rest.
4. Celeste
I love a good indie game. I love a good story in a video game. I love a tight, challenging platformer. And I love a catchy soundtrack. Matt Makes Games developed one of the finest gamers of the generation in the form of “Celeste.” And this 2018 game checked all of the boxes for me. It was amazing. I fell in love with the game very quickly, once I felt how great the platforming gameplay was. It isn’t easy in the slightest but anyone can dive in and give it a shot. Respawns came so instantly that you never felt like the game was dragging. The platforming is top-notch in how it feels and how it is executed. It is wonderful to dash from point A to point B with dangerous obstacles everywhere and a limited amount of holding on time. “Celeste” is amazing not only because of the gameplay though. What it did even better was story. Somehow this game told a better narrative than many other triple A games. “Celeste” had a compelling and emotional tale of facing depression and anxiety. Madeline is the main character and she challenges her fears and stresses by climbing an ambitious mountain. The story's themes are paralleled with the tough gameplay. “Celeste” made me feel emotional for Madeline. Her story is interesting and it tackles mental health issues nicely. It is a special game like no other, one that never leaves my mind. I truly adored “Celeste.”
3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Nintendo and Sakurai did the impossible in 2018 when they brought together every single character ever to grace “Super Smash Bros. history” in one game. “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” had an insanely large roaster that appealed to the nostalgic fans in us all. And that alone made it super ambitious. But it only gets a whole lot better from there. The game made every fighter fleshed out. No character was just thrown in for the hell of it. Each of the vast roster's members was given their own movesets, colors and skins, intros, outros, Final Smashes and more. And all characters have the potential to be the best. “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s” gameplay is the best of its kind. The title has such refined fighting. It is simple at surface level for a casual fan or beginner alike but also gets very hardcore and deep. The massive roster is just so pleasing to look at and is complemented by a huge amount of stages too. The amazing Nintendo music and lovely tracks from publishers like Capcom, Namco Bandai and Sega, among others, make every fight all the more enjoyable. I can sit back and listen to the music all day; there are so many tracks. “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” continues to get new DLC fighters, new modes and more. The title is basically the gift that keeps on giving. It is so content heavy and endlessly fun. It is safe to say, that we as gamers don’t deserve “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.”
Licensed games are few and far between regarding actual quality. Rocksteady succeeded greatly over the decade with their “Batman: Arkham” trilogy” and clearly Insomniac Games was inspired. They shipped one of the most fun games I have ever played in 2018 in the form of “Marvel’s Spider-Man.” This was everything gamers and “Spider-Man” fans wanted and needed out of a game based on the web-crawler. It delivered on basically all fronts. Save for a few uninspired side missions and occasional repetition,. “Marvel’s Spider-Man” was an excellent video game, one that always sticks with me. I never stop thinking about how much fun it was to swing around New York City. If Rocksteady perfected being Batman, Insomniac did with Spider-Man. The combat and web-swinging alike, mainly the latter, felt awesome all of the time. And when I wasn’t fighting enemies or swinging around for fun, I was taking screenshots and messing around with Photo Mode, one of the best of its kind thanks to the many effects and filters, as well as the visuals alone of the title. “Marvel’s Spider-Man” also boasted a very fun, well-written and heartfelt story. It is one of my favorite stories i have experienced for Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Awesome voice-work and writing made it a very interesting narrative, worthy of the big screen. We got one of the best incarnations of our titular hero, with the mask on and off alike. Insomniac Games developed a super well-realized world in one of my favorite video games this decade. And now I am hyped for anything they bring to the world they created in the future.
When originally deciding on my list for my favorite 2018 games, there was always one clear winner. Sony Santa Monica had me loving the “God of War” series for years but prior to April 2018,. I never knew they’d make a masterpiece. “God of War” is one of the few games that really deserves the adjective of masterpiece in front of it. “God of War” does everything right and it is an amazing experience to have from the starting moments all the way until you roll credits. “God of War” is the perfect sequel and successor to the story and games of the past, whole spontaneously rebooting things. “God of War” is epic, it is emotional, heavy and powerful. It makes you feel things for a protagonist that was once just a masculine, violent anti-hero with little emotion. Kratos is suddenly compelling. He is interesting and he is now a father who is on a journey with his son. It is a grateful journey with a lot of heart. Things are epic and loud when you get into fights but in between, it is a low key walk across the realms to do a simple task. But the dialogue and writing are absolutely brilliant. The storytelling in “God of War” is one of my favorite I ever saw in a video game. Kratos and Atreus are wonderful. And everyone around them is too, even though there are not many characters. Kratos has a beautiful relationship with his son. And the score is epic, when it is complemented by or complements the top-of-the-line combat. Gameplay is fantastic thanks to the best weapon in gaming for many in the form of the Leviathan. And getting Kratos’s main Blades of Chaos back was an unforgettable moment. Gameplay is so good. I loved upgrading my weapons and skills and gaining new abilities. It felt awesome and was one of the best combat systems in gaming. I can ultimately go on forever about this game. “God of War” is simply a masterpiece.
5. Red Dead Redemption 2
Rockstar’s innovative sequel/prequel in “Red Dead Redemption 2” was not only one of the best games released that year but arguably one of the best to ever hit the industry. Thanks to its technical brilliance, this was one of the most well-regarded games when kit launched in the fall of 2018. I personally was unsure how to feel at first. I found it to be slow and thought the realism was frustrating. I wasn’t sure if I was going to love it like everyone else did. I did like it a lot though still. Fortunately, after some time and progress in this game, I realized that I do love “Red Dead Redemption 2.” It is truly something special. The game was a true marvel to play through the story and characters alone. Arthur Morgan quickly became one of the best protagonists in gaming and everyone around him was compelling. The dynamics among the gang were interesting. Writing was top-notch and voice acting was as well. The story had heart and it kept me interested until the end. And “Red Dead Redemption 2” also got progressively more fun for me, as I realized the realistic systems aren’t as obtrusive over time and gunplay and violence were pretty awesome. And there were plenty of exciting missions and set-pieces. “Red Dead Redemption 2” lands at number five on this list and it is that good of a game so you can only imagine my love for the rest.
4. Celeste
I love a good indie game. I love a good story in a video game. I love a tight, challenging platformer. And I love a catchy soundtrack. Matt Makes Games developed one of the finest gamers of the generation in the form of “Celeste.” And this 2018 game checked all of the boxes for me. It was amazing. I fell in love with the game very quickly, once I felt how great the platforming gameplay was. It isn’t easy in the slightest but anyone can dive in and give it a shot. Respawns came so instantly that you never felt like the game was dragging. The platforming is top-notch in how it feels and how it is executed. It is wonderful to dash from point A to point B with dangerous obstacles everywhere and a limited amount of holding on time. “Celeste” is amazing not only because of the gameplay though. What it did even better was story. Somehow this game told a better narrative than many other triple A games. “Celeste” had a compelling and emotional tale of facing depression and anxiety. Madeline is the main character and she challenges her fears and stresses by climbing an ambitious mountain. The story's themes are paralleled with the tough gameplay. “Celeste” made me feel emotional for Madeline. Her story is interesting and it tackles mental health issues nicely. It is a special game like no other, one that never leaves my mind. I truly adored “Celeste.”
3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Nintendo and Sakurai did the impossible in 2018 when they brought together every single character ever to grace “Super Smash Bros. history” in one game. “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” had an insanely large roaster that appealed to the nostalgic fans in us all. And that alone made it super ambitious. But it only gets a whole lot better from there. The game made every fighter fleshed out. No character was just thrown in for the hell of it. Each of the vast roster's members was given their own movesets, colors and skins, intros, outros, Final Smashes and more. And all characters have the potential to be the best. “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s” gameplay is the best of its kind. The title has such refined fighting. It is simple at surface level for a casual fan or beginner alike but also gets very hardcore and deep. The massive roster is just so pleasing to look at and is complemented by a huge amount of stages too. The amazing Nintendo music and lovely tracks from publishers like Capcom, Namco Bandai and Sega, among others, make every fight all the more enjoyable. I can sit back and listen to the music all day; there are so many tracks. “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” continues to get new DLC fighters, new modes and more. The title is basically the gift that keeps on giving. It is so content heavy and endlessly fun. It is safe to say, that we as gamers don’t deserve “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.”
2. Marvel’s Spider-Man
Licensed games are few and far between regarding actual quality. Rocksteady succeeded greatly over the decade with their “Batman: Arkham” trilogy” and clearly Insomniac Games was inspired. They shipped one of the most fun games I have ever played in 2018 in the form of “Marvel’s Spider-Man.” This was everything gamers and “Spider-Man” fans wanted and needed out of a game based on the web-crawler. It delivered on basically all fronts. Save for a few uninspired side missions and occasional repetition,. “Marvel’s Spider-Man” was an excellent video game, one that always sticks with me. I never stop thinking about how much fun it was to swing around New York City. If Rocksteady perfected being Batman, Insomniac did with Spider-Man. The combat and web-swinging alike, mainly the latter, felt awesome all of the time. And when I wasn’t fighting enemies or swinging around for fun, I was taking screenshots and messing around with Photo Mode, one of the best of its kind thanks to the many effects and filters, as well as the visuals alone of the title. “Marvel’s Spider-Man” also boasted a very fun, well-written and heartfelt story. It is one of my favorite stories i have experienced for Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Awesome voice-work and writing made it a very interesting narrative, worthy of the big screen. We got one of the best incarnations of our titular hero, with the mask on and off alike. Insomniac Games developed a super well-realized world in one of my favorite video games this decade. And now I am hyped for anything they bring to the world they created in the future.
1. God of War
When originally deciding on my list for my favorite 2018 games, there was always one clear winner. Sony Santa Monica had me loving the “God of War” series for years but prior to April 2018,. I never knew they’d make a masterpiece. “God of War” is one of the few games that really deserves the adjective of masterpiece in front of it. “God of War” does everything right and it is an amazing experience to have from the starting moments all the way until you roll credits. “God of War” is the perfect sequel and successor to the story and games of the past, whole spontaneously rebooting things. “God of War” is epic, it is emotional, heavy and powerful. It makes you feel things for a protagonist that was once just a masculine, violent anti-hero with little emotion. Kratos is suddenly compelling. He is interesting and he is now a father who is on a journey with his son. It is a grateful journey with a lot of heart. Things are epic and loud when you get into fights but in between, it is a low key walk across the realms to do a simple task. But the dialogue and writing are absolutely brilliant. The storytelling in “God of War” is one of my favorite I ever saw in a video game. Kratos and Atreus are wonderful. And everyone around them is too, even though there are not many characters. Kratos has a beautiful relationship with his son. And the score is epic, when it is complemented by or complements the top-of-the-line combat. Gameplay is fantastic thanks to the best weapon in gaming for many in the form of the Leviathan. And getting Kratos’s main Blades of Chaos back was an unforgettable moment. Gameplay is so good. I loved upgrading my weapons and skills and gaining new abilities. It felt awesome and was one of the best combat systems in gaming. I can ultimately go on forever about this game. “God of War” is simply a masterpiece.
Wow, what a year 2018 was, right? I didn’t even get to include titles like “Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey,” “The Messenger” or “Detroit: Become Human.” 2018 was packed. So be sure to tell me which games you loved the most. I am sure you all have fond memories of at least a couple of the most notable released from then.
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