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PA Game Of The Year 2018 - VOTE NOW!
Infidel
HereticRegistered User regular
HereticRegistered User regular
Posts
And there’s an incredibly long list of games from last year that I didn’t get to.
I’d say my top 15 were all at least good games. The bottom 4 not so much but I did play them.
Don't @ me
2. Far Cry 5 (PC, PS4, XBO)
3. Monster Prom (PC)
4. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire (PC)
5. God of War (PS4)
6. Super Mario Party (NS)
7. Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! (NS)
8. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (NS)
9. Fallout 76 (PC, PS4, XBO)
10. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (PC, PS4, XBO)
11. Pathfinder: Kingmaker (PC)
12. DayZ (PC)
AC Odyssey is easily my number one. I haven't finished a game in that series since AC2, but I put about 100 hours into this one and I'll definitely be coming back for each bit of DLC.
DayZ is mostly on the list because of the great times I had years ago with the Arma 2 mod. I haven't played the game since shortly after it was released in early access.
Steam: MightyPotatoKing
Octopath Traveler is an easy #1 for me. 2-4 could be in any order, gave Celeste the nod because I frequently work to its soundtrack.
If MTG Arena was out of open beta I would have voted it just behind into the breach.
Nintendo ID: Pastalonius
Smite\LoL:Gremlidin \ WoW & Overwatch & Hots: Gremlidin#1734
3ds: 3282-2248-0453
Not the greatest year for AAA games for me. With the exception of Smash. But it did have a surprisingly big selection of jrpgs. And The Missing and The Hex were absolutely phenomenal indie works that I can't recommend enough.
Also apparently a good year for games starting with "The", considering they make up 1/3 of my list.
I really didn't play much new stuff this year. Which fits my "buy on sale" ethics and lack of time to play.
Octopath Traveller would be on the list if I wasn't still working through Smash. Mario Kart 8 and Breath of the Wild would be on it if they released in 2018.
Twitch: KoopahTroopah - Steam: Koopah
My shame is palpable. Having a mobile game as my 1 in a year with such epic releases...but I'll be damned if I haven't played Opera Omnia EVERYDAY for a year.
Some of the better games are ranked a little lower only because I haven't played much of them. Like Smash Bros will be highers, but I only played a few minutes.
1. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Truly "Video Games: The Video Game." The gameplay is as satisfying as its ever been (the slow and zoom on finishing hits is great, regardless of whether it was taken from Tekken 7), but the real highlight is the love of the history of video games on display. The new custom Classic modes pay homage to each fighter, and seeing how every new Spirit is represented in World of Light is delightful every time.
2, Octopath Traveler - This game reminds of Breath of the Wild, in that there are a ton of obvious ways a sequel could improve...but it's still so good. Yes, the individual stories don't come together until very late. Yes, the cutscenes are all written as if each character is alone and frequently don't make sense if there's a full party. But all that falls away in light of the game's amazing qualities. The battle system is superbly engaging, avoiding the usual slow wearing-down of boss HP common in JRPGs to focus on timing; combining Boosts, Breaks, buffs, and debuffs to maximize burst damage. Dramatic sound and visual effects make turn-based combat feel exciting and engaging. Visually, it looks and sounds the way classic JRPGs do in your memory, with gorgeous landscapes, amazing music, and gigantic boss sprites. Using the path actions reveals so much about the inner lives of individuals and the secret workings of the world.
3, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age - DQ XI, for better or worse, feels like it took part of my soul. A huge adventure, it takes you across the world multiple times in multiple times. I got the platinum trophy after more than 100 hours and still didn't do everything there was to do. Toriyama's monster designs have never looked better, animated with goofy vitality. The localization is a marvel, filled with (barring some unfortunate accents on a few minor characters) amazing and heartfelt vocal performances that really drive the story home emotionally. The game is held back from higher ranking by some problems: overworld mechanics feel half-baked; there is crass sexualization, particularly in Jade's Act 2 story; pep power and rarefied and monster quests can go to hell; and of course the music, which has been discussed by much more qualified persons than me at length elsewhere.
4.Celeste - Precision platforming at its finest, Celeste wisely advises you up front not to be discouraged by failure. Death is barely a punishment, putting you nigh-instaneously back at the start of a relatively short platforming challenge. What needs to be done is usually clear, and progress is a matter of execution. This structure meshes well with the story of overcoming anxiety, doubt, and depression, which nevertheless maintains positive tone without wallowing in grimness. The music is the best game soundtrack of the year, full of funky electronica that perfectly suits the mood of the challenge on hand. The bonus stages present some of the most diabolical challenges I have ever seen in almost three decades of playing platformers, and I must admit I was not able to beat all of them without the built-in assist options. The game doesn't judge you for this; we all need help sometimes.
5. Spider-Man - I won't say it made me feel like Spider-Man, because I honestly don't think about what it feels like to be Spider-Man much, if at all. I will say it feels good, with a movement system dedicated to maintaining momentum (though this makes small, precise movement feel a bit squirrely) and fighting that adapts Arkham's style to Spidey's toolset. It is harder than Arkham; you take a lot of damage even from melee attacks, and takedowns are much more precious with how long it takes for the focus gauge to fill and how you need to spend that resource on healing, too. The pacing is excellent, the best I've seen in a Western AAA action game; the final act in particular features a thrilling sense of escalation. There's the usual open-world flotsam, but it rarely feels like a chore and there's not that much compared to other games of this ilk, although waiting for crimes to spawn can be tedious. The stealth sections vary in quality; the early ones are dull, but the later ones that throw some sort of twist in are all right.
6. Kirby Star Allies - It's more Kirby, with cutesy platforming that slowly gives way to a surprisingly epic conclusion, zooming across planets to face down a giant evil god in a shmup minigame. You know how this goes. The multiple characters gimmick lends itself to some neat puzzles. The later boss battles are surprisingly tough; let down your guard and you can lose a lot of health real quick.
7. Timespinner - This is unapologetically trying to be an Igavania, and for the most part it succeeds. Crisp character and background art, intricate maps filled with place to go back to when you get new abilities or keys, satisfying combat and movement controls, and amazing music that could fit right into the Dawn of Sorrow OST. The focus on sidequests offers a new wrinkle, and the characters involved are very diverse, which is nice. The variety of items, abilities, and enemies is lower than in a genuine Igavania, but I won't begrudge that against an indie Kickstarter game.
8. Megaman 11 - Had to turn the difficulty down to Easy to get through this with any speed; I must be getting old. Enemies new and old are presented with a ton of charm and energy. The Robot Master weapons all have unique properties and feels, and each has lots of applicability in the levels. A worthy successor to the franchise.
9. Deltarune Chapter 1 - The most unexpected game this year. You can tell the Undertale system had to kludged quite a bit to accommodate a playable party, but somehow it works. The characters all grow on you, whether new, old, or both(?), and the story that ends with the final boss battle feels reasonably complete, while at the same time leaving open huge questions about what will happen next and the relationship of this universe to Undertale's...and that's before the stinger!
10, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon - I played Dracula's Curse last year, too, and while this spiritual successor is arguably less ambitious (much more linear, and probably has fewer levels overall) it's definitely a much more accessible experience. Switching characters is snappy, their powers are all useful in a variety of situations. Visually, Curse of the Moon outdoes its predecessor, with gorgeous tilesets and huge boss sprites. The final boss of Nightmare Mode I want to give a particular shoutout to, it's very rare you see a boss battle that seems so totally overwhelming at first, but that with practice you can get good enough to barely get hit in just a few tries.
11. GRIS - A beautiful metaphor about dealing with loss and grief, every screen of this game looks and sounds beautiful. The ludic elements are better than I would have expected, too; moving, jumping, and special abilities all feel pretty good, and progress involves platforming and puzzle challenges that are mildly, sometimes even moderately challenging.
12. Wandersong - A goofy adventure about someone who is explicitly not the hero and all the wacky people he meets trying to save the world at the end of the universe. The game is not strict at all with its rhythm challenges, and engagement comes more from talking with weird and wacky cast of characters and the puzzle platforming in the spirit world. The latter show surprising inventiveness, although they tend to go on for a screen or two too long.
13. The Messenger - Ranked this low because I didn't have time to finish it, only getting to where it really opens up. A tribute both loving and irreverent to classic action platformers, filled with sarcastic fourth wall-breaking jokes, cool chiptune music, and escalating challenge. There was a difficulty spike around the Glacial Peak level; the cloud-stepping mechanic, where you can airjump after hitting something, isn't crucial up to that point and you don't have to get good at it, right up until you really, really need to get good at it.
Top 3 I feel really strong about. 3-12 could probably change based on the day. Down at the bottom is stuff I need to get back to and decent mobile games.
Have to give it to spidey because I was really craving a good superhero game, and we got a great one.
Everything else is pretty great in it's own way, but RDR2 lost points with me for being so dauntingly long, and while octopath didn't really click with me I'm still glad it exists.
Six ages was my clear favourite this year. It's sequel to King of Dragon Pass. It's a clan management / choose your adventure-story with and epic story based on Glorantha and its cow stealing bronze age societies.
Pillars 2 was a clear improvement on its precedessor. Real fun pirate themed RPG.
Yakuza 6 is more of the same yakuza goodness. Yakuza 2 is better, but that's remake. Many manly tears were shed over the issue.
F1's always been the bridesmaid, never the bride - always high up on my list, certainly the last couple of years after the missteps of 2014 & 2015, but not quite on the top spot. This year, though, it takes it, and I should mention that's on merit, not just for the sake of putting it there. Given the remarkable competition this year, that is extremely high praise. That game is terrific.
2018 was a good year for video games. And this year, there isn't even a crap one that grudgingly makes the bottom of the list just because I played it. Those are all damn fine games. I feel bad for Wreckfest that it's at the bottom, it's good!
(Edited to add in Far Cry 5; resubmitted the form above and it was confirmed accepted.)
Also, seriously, did only 8 games come out for the 3DS in 2018? Casualty of the Switch's success. I know it's getting long in the tooth, but... :sad:
Steam | XBL
Octopath Traveler was just fantastic all-around. It also had the best soundtrack this year.
Smash Ultimate is the best Smash yet. Maybe it would've landed on the top spot if it came out earlier last year, but I simply haven't played it enough yet. It'll probably end up being one my most-played games in 2019.
Torna was amazing. I loved the original Xenoblade Chronicles 2, but Torna actually managed to improve on it in many ways, especially in terms of the combat. Great soundtrack, too.
I ended up liking Valkyria Chronicles 4 more than the original, but I still had a few problems with it. Most of all probably the various bosses, all of which were just plain not fun to fight.
Gameplay-wise, Yakuza 6 was actually kinda disappointing. The new engine kinda sucks, fighting isn't as fun anymore, large parts of the map aren't accessible and I didn't care for most of the side activities this. However, amazingly enough the main story was actually really good this time. It actually made me tear up a couple of times - partially because of how Kiryu's story wrapped up, but mostly because of the main theme of this game. While I'm not a father, I am an uncle and my nephew is actually around the same age as the kid in the game, so some of the scenes had a really strong emotional impact on me.
Despite being last on this list, I actually liked Let's Go Pikachu more than I expected. Playing a Pokemon game on the big screen is great, the game looks and sounds good and eliminating random battles was a fantastic idea. However, it was dumbed down way too much, there's way too much of a focus on catching Pokemon instead of battling and it's just the same old Kanto again.
These are some of the older games, ports or non-eligible games I played that are worth mentioning (I might do a more detailed writeup on them later once I have more time)
Some summaries:
Into the Breach
An incredible amount of tactical depth in bite sized portions. There's more going on here in tiny maps and half a dozen units than in most other strategy games. I've never played a game before that so often invoked a feeling of success being impossible, only for you to realise a minute later that through a specific sequence of events a flawless victory can be achieved.
I devoured this until I cleared everything with every squad and then I wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer.
God of War
It's fucking gorgeous. The writing is fantastic and the combat is satisfying. My main complaint: not quite enough enemy variety. Needed more variation in kill animations, and backtracking through the linear areas was pretty dull.
Never imagined I'd like a GoW game, let alone rank it this high. I'm glad they decided the franchise should grow up.
Return of the Obra Dinn
A delightful idea for a puzzle game executed wonderfully. I needed more, and greater variety.
Monster Hunter World
My first MH game. After an adjustment period I began to love it, but I'd like for it to rely less on grinding the same fights over and over again. Some of the environments (ancient forest..) also proved just kind of irritating to traverse and a huge PITA to do anything on in the long run.
I'd like various consumables and specialty items to mean more in terms of tactics (bouncing bombs etc.), it seemed like there was a lot of optional stuff there that wasn't really needed for anything.
Octopath Traveler
Solid JRPG, fantastic music. Needed better writing, especially for weaving the party members' stories together, to place higher.
SSB Ultimate
I don't really like World of Light, it's all easy gimmicks until it's a face stomping gimmick that requires grinding and/or specific cheese. Aside from that, it remains the only fighting franchise to ever make me care. The actual fighting is still super fun and the detail and history on display elevates it to something quite special. It's lacking as a single player game, but to me all fighters are really.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country
Not finished yet so liable to change. But XC2 was great and I didn't get to vote for it last year.
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
Also not finished yet, so it could go up. It's an improvement on the first game which I liked a lot. And this time it's pirates, multiclassing and class kits!
Frostpunk
A short but fun survival/builder. I love a good builder and this one is quite unique. There isn't a huge amount to it, but it also doesn't overstay it's welcome so it all works out quite nicely.
Hitman 2
Needs a fucking fast forward. I like these games but I'm tired of [at least] 1/3 of my playtime being just waiting for a certain point in a character's patrol route.
Fast. Forward.
Iconoclasts
Competent Metroidvania with bizarrely deep lore and worldbuilding. As a 1 man developer effort it's really quite impressive, unfortunately it's also just kinda... there? It's all very well made, it just doesn't excite you to play it.
Subnautica
I had my ups and downs with this game. It annoyed me often, but I still liked it on the whole. Kinda buggy, not really as deep (ho ho) as it might appear. Spent way too much time farming copper and lithium though. Ugh.
Noticeable misses
Battletech
What a disappointment. Samey maps, samey missions, AI that just comes straight at you in every scenario. So much potential wasted. Into the Breach's tactical depth makes this look like a game for toddlers.
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon
I hate this shit. But it's kind of my fault really, I've never liked this NES era stuff. I'm not sure I could call it a bad game, it was trying to achieve something very specific and I think it probably succeeded.
Cultist Simulator
This guy needs a new trick. Turn over random cards, collect 32 of X to make 16Xa to make 8 Xb to make 4Xc to make 2 Xd to make Xe and then that lets you win. You've been doing this for 10 years or more, figure out something else.
Bizarrely little writing in a game that is nothing but cards and writing. And for a game that has 'Talk' as one of it's 5 main actions, you can't actually have a conversation with anybody. And that about sums it up for me.
Notable games I haven't played (yet)
Spider-Man
AssCreed Odyssey
Red Dead Redemption 2
Far Cry 5
Valkyria Chronicles 4
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales
Pokémans
Celeste
1. Marvel's Spider Man (PS4)
2. Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu/Let's Go Eevee (NS)
3. Deltarune: Chapter 1 (PC)
4. Into the Breach (NS)
5. Super Mario Party (NS)
6. Assassin's Creed Odyssey (PC)
7. God of War (PS4)
8. Red Dead Redemtption 2 (PS4)
9. Donut County (PC)
10. The Messenger (PC)
I think that's correct.
Ah thanks, I hadn't actually clicked in the link yet since I didn't have time to start my voting these past few nights.
I also decided to start clearing out my backlog in reverse alphabetical order this year, which means I finally got around to playing Witcher 2 & 3, The Witness, Wildlands, Wolfenstein: New Order, Yakuza 0 and XCOM 2, so it was a pretty banger year!
1. BattleTech (PC)
Battletech is a franchise that is near and dear to my heart, despite never having had the resources (or time) to commit to its tabletop roots. The MechCommander games were a formative part of my early youth, and hearing that Battletech was returning after all these years under the guidance of the guys who made the earlier games all those years ago got me really excited.
Although turn-based and not real-time, the game they released are the same strategy principles writ large into an equally fully-realised set of systems - strategic movement, positioning, distinct ranges of engagement, and a deeper level of progression based on money and salvage that really hammers home that desperate feeling of leading a company forward on a thin financial margin, surviving from payday to payday. It's a complex, often difficult game but the most beautiful part about it is that no system feels vestigial, unimportant, arbitrary or unnecessary, and every decision made on the micro scale carries forward to decisions on the macro scale.
A triumphant return for the franchise.
2. Monster Hunter: World (PC, PS4, XBO)
I've always admired Monster Hunter but I've never liked playing them, particularly on the 3DS versions that my social circle played on so much. Truthfully I felt they handled like ass on a lazy susan and their systems could get tedious and obtuse, busywork for the sake of 'immersion' and not much else.
Trimming the fat for Monster Hunter World and rendering its environments on current-generation technology has finally helped me fall in love with the game as a whole, and not just its setting. It mostly keeps to the gathering-crafting-hunting loop that makes the gameplay fun, and its unpretentious spirit and bright-faced enthusiasm is incredibly infectious. It kept pushing me forward along its main quest path, even as I swore at bullshit stunlocks or other awful shittiness that popped up along the way.
Can't wait to see how Paul Anderson shits all over this iconic Capcom series!
3. Forza Horizon 4 (PC, XBO)
Horizon 4 is basically everything I loved about 3 and more, except with a slightly less cool setting. It's still my favorite racing series of this generation because it's less about a love of cars and more about the things people did and played in service of their cars.
To be sure, there's all the expensive supercars and street racers and all that jazz, just like the other Forzas, but its in those little "story" vignettes and a greater focus on player avatar individualism that make everything less about some weird fixation on the art of racing and more about the wacky hijinks and the games that racing fosters.
4. Dragon Ball FighterZ (NS, PC, PS4, XBO)
I barely play this game anymore but when I do I feel the love of the series dripping out of every nook and cranny of that game. It gives off that pace and feeling of the show in a way that previous games tried to do but never really did, from its masterful camerawork and signature Arcsys flash. It's so good at making me feel like a badass even though I've never put much time into any Arcsys game since Persona 4 Arena, and watching the competitive scene has been the best fucking hype thing to watch since Tekken came back. Bandai Namco are absolutely killing it for the FG scene.
Though seriously I get they're all just functions but stop with the fucking Gokus man, holy shit
5. The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories (NS, PC, PS4, XBO)
It's really hard to describe Swery65's game this time around, but I spent most of it slowly and lengthily exhaling and going "huhhhhhhhhhmygooooood whathefffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuck"
Just... if you're into sidescrolling, completely bonkers shit, and indie jank, this has some dark messages to offer and is totally worth supporting. Please go experience it.
6. Ashen (PC, XBO)
7. Hitman 2 (PC, PS4, XBO)
8. Sea of Thieves (PC, XBO)
9. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (NS)
10. Shadow of the Tomb Raider (PC, PS4, XBO)
11. Battlefield V (PC, PS4, XBO)
12. Below (PC, XBO)
13. State of Decay 2 (PC, XBO)
14. Overcooked 2 (NS, PC, PS4, XBO)
15. Unravel Two (PC, PS4, XBO)
16. Soulcalibur VI (PC, PS4, XBO)
17. Lethal League Blaze (PC, PS4, XBO, NS)
18. Return of the Obra Dinn (PC)
19. Mega Man 11 (NS, PC, PS4, XBO)
20. Guacamelee! 2 (NS, PC, PS4, XBO)
A few words on some others:
I dropped off in the end because I was playing it casually at best, but I don't regret my purchase for a minute.
I'm still wrestling with my enjoyment of Battlefield V, because it is a good game, albeit hamstrung by a generally bleh multiplayer experience. Progression and challenges are fun, but the actual act of winning and losing can still feel just as disappointing as always.
More granular customisation is incredibly welcome and bringing some sense of ownership to the player avatar helps keep me invested, but here's hoping that the content keeps on rolling and someday we find the games actually being close.
Unravel 2 is fucking adorable holy shit
Some of the games lower down on my list I haven't necessarily played to completion or for long enough to the extent I could put it down and definitively say I liked them better than the others further up
We sank hours and hours into the first Kingdom game, and there's just something about its atmosphere and pacing and style that I absolutely love. It feels like a fairytale or a daydream condensed into videogame form.
Regarding the latter, my wife and I got ambushed by a kraken today in our little sloop, and in the midst of our furious battle a friendly galleon sailed by and offered to help. We took it down before they got the chance to do much, but we found this on our map after they left:
GOTY material right there.
I voted:
Weirdly I tried to tag you in the original op, but it didn't pop up with your username so I took it out. Thanks for starting
I need to get mine submitted, just trying to finish God of War and then give Detroit a try before voting!
PSN: SirGrinchX
Oculus Rift: Sir_Grinch
I like this system because it allows me to just pick out games I played and whittle them down. It helps me to remember which games I played at all.
edit: Why is Darkest Dungeon on the list? Didn't that come out a while ago?
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
Looks like that one got missed in the nominations thread. The original list included a bunch of remakes/ports/etc. and we went through and removed what we could.
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
PM'd you your link. It went through.