Heyyy so i wrote this back in December of last year but never posted it. Anyway here's my Top 10 Games of 2018.
10 Octopath Traveler
Octopath Traveler came out mid summer and really hit home with those SNES final fantasy feels! It’s a great old school RPG with stunning visuals. It is absolutely gorgeous! It has this really cool 2D 3D vibe going on! You’ve gotta see it to know what I mean! The whole thing glistens! The combat system is sorta similar to bravely default you can stack attacks and unleash them all in one go to do increased damage which really adds a new layer to battles. The music and voice acting is insanely good. I genuinely felt lost in this little world when I played it. My only main issue with the game is the grinding. To advance the story you’ve gotta grind out levels and it’s the only reason I’ve fallen off. I’m hoping I can find some time in the not so distance future to return to Octopath Traveler and finish it.
9 Call of Duty Black Ops 4
Blops 4 hit with mixed reactions. I remember watching that reveal event and thinking yeah this seems more like blops 3 which I wasn’t a fan of. We were also hit with no single player campaign this yeah which was a real major bummer for me as playing through the call of duty campaign is something i look forward to every year. Then they dropped that Battle Royale announcement. Fast forward to the release of blops 4 and it has my favourite Battle Royale mode to date. Black out really gets the great mix between what I love about Fortnite and pubg. There’s some great locations on the blackout map and the mix of weapons and vehicles make for some intense battles. At first glance the inventory system feels fiddly but after a couple of games it’s super comfortable and easy to use. Unfortunately I haven’t played as much blackout and blops 4 as I want to. This mainly falls down to less time these days and the fact that red dead came out and ate up all that time. I haven’t even talked about the competitive multiplayer or zombies. To be honest I’ve barely touched zombies but it seems like a solid addition if you’re into that sort of thing. The competitive multiplayer is super fun. This time around there’s named hero characters each with their own sets of abilities. Each of these characters really mix up the multiplayer. Load outs and levelling still works as you’d expect from a call of duty multiplayer player. Blops 4 is a solid package even without the campaign. However blackout mode is what stands above from the other modes.
8 Marvels Spider-Man
Spider-Man is one of those games that just feels good. The swinging is insanely fun add some of that batman Arkham combat we all know and love and a super well written set of characters and you’ve got an incredible Spider-Man game. My major issue with the game is that it’s wrapped up in an open world game. Everything other then the main story felt unimaginative and boring. Fortunately the game didn’t make you jump through a bunch of hoops to see the main story other then tutorials. Aside from the open world side stuff I loved the story arch and where the game takes Spider-Man and the villains he faces.
7 Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Shadow of the tomb raider is definitively the best of the three games. The only elephant in the room with it is we’re 100% hitting diminishing returns. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing because it’s not everything about it is excellent. But it isn’t doing anything new everything is super familiar. I absolutely adored my time with Lara and seeing her story finally come to an end. If you liked the previous 2 games I recommend you picking this one up and seeing her story through to the end.
6 Vampyr
If you’d have asked me when I first started playing vampyr what it was like I would have told you it’s a bad video game and you should steer clear. I’m still not saying it’s a good video game but what I am saying it does some really interesting stuff. I’m a sucker for vampires and Victorian turn of the century era so this game was gonna be in my ball park whatever. Vampyr is a hack and slash RPG with skill trees however the bulk of your xp doesn’t come from slashing dudes. You gain majority of xp from killing off major characters in the game. By killing them you suck their blood (obviously). This is what makes the game super interesting. Each time you kill someone off in a sector it affects the stability of that sector and if you get too thirsty the whole sector descends into chaos and theirs monsters and vampire slayers to fight popping up all over. In my play through my character got a little too thirsty and there was barely anyone left alive in London. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Vampyr and although it’s sorta a bad game it’s really good and I 100% recommend people check it out and see it though to the end.
5 Monster Hunter World
Monster Hunter World hit back in January back when I had a whole bunch of time on my hands. Somehow I managed to smash about 100 hours into it over a couple of weeks before my son was born. MHW really gelled with me. Going out and killing huge monsters with friends is super fun and looting parts from monsters to make cool gear and weapons is a never ending rewarding grind. MHW really hit that sweet spot of an mmo without all the hassle and bullshit that comes with it. Grab some friends agree on a target and head out and have fun. I wish I’d played more of it but intend to return with the expansion.
4 Shadow of the Colossus
I finished shadow of the Colossus the day before my son was born. Me and my dog sat of the sofa high fiving every time I killed a boss. My time with shadow of the colossus is super bitter sweet because I loved every moment of that game. The world is stunning and the story is beautiful. But this game is the last memories I have spending time with my dog before things go crazy and we had to re home him. If anyone missed the original for whatever reason back when it was released on the ps2 I recommend this remaster as it’s excellent!
3 Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu
Pokemon let’s go hits you right in the nostalgia. I’ll be honest with you I swayed back and forth on let’s go a lot before it’s release. I was dead against it and then dead excited for it. Let’s go changes up the formula of what you think of conventional Pokemon games and gives it the Pokemon go treatment. But in a really cool way. There’s no longer random battles with wild Pokemon instead you see Pokemon roaming about the world you run into them and bam start throwing poke balls until you catch it. I’m sure that on the surface this would put old Pokemon fans off but it’s actually super intuitive and just makes sense! Everything else you know and love about Pokemon games is there, battles with trainers, gym leaders (none of that trial shit, I’m looking at you sun and moon) typings etc. Okay so there’s no breeding but that’s okay because if you wonna get Pokemon with good ivs you just chain them. After catching over 31 of the same Pokemon in a row you start to find Pokemon with higher ivs and increase your chance of catching a shiny. Also the higher your chain the more xp you’ll earn. It’s quality of life improvements like this that really make let’s go great. Not only that but you return to kanto. Exploring those towns on your tv is crazy. Like if I could go back 20 years and tell 9 year old me about it I’d probably lose my mind.
2 God of War
I’m 100% sure that when I finished god of War I said this is the best game to be released this year and it’s going to be my goty. It almost made it. God of War is a phenomenal game. I never really got on with the original games they just didn’t hit with me. I think one because it came out towards the end of the ps2s life and at this time I was too busy replaying jrpgs and getting drunk on a weekend and two it wasn’t edgy enough for me. I was an emo kid and if I was gonna play any hack and slash action combat game it would be with my boy Dante. Fast forward to that e3 reveal and I was on-board with the new direction. God of War hit at a time that was prefect for me. My son had just gotten into this routine of having a 3 hour nap in a morning usually about 9ish. On my days off the minute he fell asleep I’d dive straight on my PS4 and load up god of War. The story of a father and son journeying to scatter ashes of their wife/mother really resonated with me at the time probably because I was a new father and in some sort of weird way I found similarities in my struggles with parenthood and kratos struggles. The story takes the two of them on a crazy journey. I was hooked with the story and wanting to see its conclusion. The combat feels super nice. I took great pleasure in driving my axe through giants faces. God of War hits some pretty serious beats but it’s also pretty funny too! There’s two dwarfs who act as the comic relief throughout the game. The game is super smart in letting you explore the world. There’s a lake which acts as a hub to different locations. Depending on your actions the lake rises and falls which opens up new areas. There’s a bridge which leads to a gate which you use to travel to different parts of the world. Everything is intricately woven together and makes an incredible game. God of War looks stunning and is an incredible game. It’s a must play.
1 Red Dead Redemption 2
Red dead redemption 2 is the best game I’ve ever played. In terms of gameplay, mechanics and open world it’s fantastic. The story telling in RDR2 is the best I’ve ever seen in a video game. I’ve never cared so much about a protagonist. I’ve genuinely thought about Arthur Morgan every day since I finished RDR2. As a child I have found memories of spending Sunday afternoons with my dad watching cowboy films. Clint Eastwood cowboy films have always been my favourite. As a result of this I’ve always enjoyed cowboy games the two previous red dead games, call of Juarez and so on. But these games have always felt like a playground. You’re peeking in and messing with stuff. They’ve all felt like video games. Red dead redemption 2 feels so much more then that. It gives you the opportunity to role play a cowboy in the west. The world it creates feels real and the characters your meet feel like real humans. Some of my favourite moments were the strangers you’d meet exploring the world and the crazy stuff that would happen. An example of this was when I was riding down a path and some guy fell out of a bush in front of me clutching his arm asking me to take him to a doctor. I picked him up threw him on my horse and rode him to a doctor. The guy paid me for my help and then the doctor informed him that his arm would have to be amputated. Right in front of me the doctor injected the guy knocking him out and began sawing his arm off. Crazy moments like this make up what I love about red dead redemption 2 but For me to really go deep on RDR2 I need to talk spoilers. So here’s your spoiler warning!
Okay so you’re aware there’s spoilers up ahead. Before I get into the nitty gritty I need to talk about a specific mission. The assault on the Braithwaite manor. About half way ish through the game you’ll come to heads with a family called the Braithwaites. The family have been at war with another family for years and Arthur and the gang have been meddling to try earn some money out of it. As a result of this the Braithwaites have kidnapped Jack Marston which if you remember rdr1 is John Marstons son. Dutch the gang leader gathers the gang to assault the manor. As you leave camp you and the gang all start to rid in formation and the sort of music you’d expect from your favourite western movie starts playing. Upon arriving at the manor Arthur and the gang jump off their horses and approach the manor. Again in a formation like something you’d see in the magnificent 7. The scene design in this part of the game is incredible. The moon in the sky and the lighting! What follows as you’d expect is an amazing fun fight between you’re gang and the Braithwaites. Everything about this mission made me feel I was apart of my favourite western films as a kid. I wasn’t just watching it but I was living it. Red dead redemption 2 really makes you role play and feel the life of Arthur Morgan.
On the surface red dead redemption 2 is a game about Arthur Morgan and his out law gang life. But actually it’s a story about a man coming to terms with the decisions he’s made in his life and when he realises death is round the corner how he can make good on the wrong he’s done. Very early on in the game you have to complete a mission for the gangs debt collector. You’ll visit a man who is sick and beat the money out of him that he owes you. A little later you’ll return to the house to find the man has died and he wife and child are leaving. Every so often after this point you’ll notice Arthur starts to cough and as you progress it gets worse and worse. A little over mid way in the game you’ll return to the major city in the game Arthur starts to cough and collapse. A man pulls you to the doctors for you to find out you’ve contracted tuberculosis and that you’re going to die soon. This comes at a pretty important part in the gangs life. Every plan they’ve ever had to get money and escape has failed and Dutch the gang leader is starting to show signs of instability making reckless decisions. From This point onwards Arthur starts to come to terms with his life style and question his decisions and if he’s doing the right thing. What really pulled on my heart strings was his utter devotion to get John marston and his family out of the gang and get them safe. Knowing the outcome of the original red dead redemption really hurts. Arthur is a genuinely kind hearted guy who got picked up by Dutch when he was a kid and carried along in this crazy outlaw life.
As the story progresses towards its conclusion Arthur is able to wrong some rights. One example of this is when the debt collector asks you on another mission when you go to the people to claim their money back you’re able to squash their debts and give them additional money. It all ends with Arthur throwing the debt collector out of camp. During the campaign Arthur’s ex girlfriend Mary writes for Arthur’s help if you choose to accept these missions and help her she’ll tell you she still has feelings for you and Arthur says that once he’s got the big score and the gangs safe he’ll leave with her. Throughout the whole game I wanted this to happen. I wanted Arthur to leave and run off with Mary. The whole quest line ends with her sending him the ring he’d given her when they were younger. She didn’t want his life and he could never leave the gang his family. Arthur’s story comes to an end when another gang member weasels in on Dutch and pushes Arthur out. It all comes to a heart breaking conclusion on top of a mountain and Arthur dies to tuberculosis as the sun rises. I desperately wanted Arthur to get out of the gang life and run off with Mary. When he got tuberculosis I wanted him to tell Mary. I 100% feel humbled by Arthurs actions at the end of red dead redemption 2 and I hope that the decisions I made for him were right. Red dead redemption 2 is genuinely the best video game story ever told and everyone should experience it!
Octopath Traveler came out mid summer and really hit home with those SNES final fantasy feels! It’s a great old school RPG with stunning visuals. It is absolutely gorgeous! It has this really cool 2D 3D vibe going on! You’ve gotta see it to know what I mean! The whole thing glistens! The combat system is sorta similar to bravely default you can stack attacks and unleash them all in one go to do increased damage which really adds a new layer to battles. The music and voice acting is insanely good. I genuinely felt lost in this little world when I played it. My only main issue with the game is the grinding. To advance the story you’ve gotta grind out levels and it’s the only reason I’ve fallen off. I’m hoping I can find some time in the not so distance future to return to Octopath Traveler and finish it.
9 Call of Duty Black Ops 4
Blops 4 hit with mixed reactions. I remember watching that reveal event and thinking yeah this seems more like blops 3 which I wasn’t a fan of. We were also hit with no single player campaign this yeah which was a real major bummer for me as playing through the call of duty campaign is something i look forward to every year. Then they dropped that Battle Royale announcement. Fast forward to the release of blops 4 and it has my favourite Battle Royale mode to date. Black out really gets the great mix between what I love about Fortnite and pubg. There’s some great locations on the blackout map and the mix of weapons and vehicles make for some intense battles. At first glance the inventory system feels fiddly but after a couple of games it’s super comfortable and easy to use. Unfortunately I haven’t played as much blackout and blops 4 as I want to. This mainly falls down to less time these days and the fact that red dead came out and ate up all that time. I haven’t even talked about the competitive multiplayer or zombies. To be honest I’ve barely touched zombies but it seems like a solid addition if you’re into that sort of thing. The competitive multiplayer is super fun. This time around there’s named hero characters each with their own sets of abilities. Each of these characters really mix up the multiplayer. Load outs and levelling still works as you’d expect from a call of duty multiplayer player. Blops 4 is a solid package even without the campaign. However blackout mode is what stands above from the other modes.
8 Marvels Spider-Man
Spider-Man is one of those games that just feels good. The swinging is insanely fun add some of that batman Arkham combat we all know and love and a super well written set of characters and you’ve got an incredible Spider-Man game. My major issue with the game is that it’s wrapped up in an open world game. Everything other then the main story felt unimaginative and boring. Fortunately the game didn’t make you jump through a bunch of hoops to see the main story other then tutorials. Aside from the open world side stuff I loved the story arch and where the game takes Spider-Man and the villains he faces.
7 Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Shadow of the tomb raider is definitively the best of the three games. The only elephant in the room with it is we’re 100% hitting diminishing returns. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing because it’s not everything about it is excellent. But it isn’t doing anything new everything is super familiar. I absolutely adored my time with Lara and seeing her story finally come to an end. If you liked the previous 2 games I recommend you picking this one up and seeing her story through to the end.
6 Vampyr
If you’d have asked me when I first started playing vampyr what it was like I would have told you it’s a bad video game and you should steer clear. I’m still not saying it’s a good video game but what I am saying it does some really interesting stuff. I’m a sucker for vampires and Victorian turn of the century era so this game was gonna be in my ball park whatever. Vampyr is a hack and slash RPG with skill trees however the bulk of your xp doesn’t come from slashing dudes. You gain majority of xp from killing off major characters in the game. By killing them you suck their blood (obviously). This is what makes the game super interesting. Each time you kill someone off in a sector it affects the stability of that sector and if you get too thirsty the whole sector descends into chaos and theirs monsters and vampire slayers to fight popping up all over. In my play through my character got a little too thirsty and there was barely anyone left alive in London. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Vampyr and although it’s sorta a bad game it’s really good and I 100% recommend people check it out and see it though to the end.
5 Monster Hunter World
Monster Hunter World hit back in January back when I had a whole bunch of time on my hands. Somehow I managed to smash about 100 hours into it over a couple of weeks before my son was born. MHW really gelled with me. Going out and killing huge monsters with friends is super fun and looting parts from monsters to make cool gear and weapons is a never ending rewarding grind. MHW really hit that sweet spot of an mmo without all the hassle and bullshit that comes with it. Grab some friends agree on a target and head out and have fun. I wish I’d played more of it but intend to return with the expansion.
4 Shadow of the Colossus
I finished shadow of the Colossus the day before my son was born. Me and my dog sat of the sofa high fiving every time I killed a boss. My time with shadow of the colossus is super bitter sweet because I loved every moment of that game. The world is stunning and the story is beautiful. But this game is the last memories I have spending time with my dog before things go crazy and we had to re home him. If anyone missed the original for whatever reason back when it was released on the ps2 I recommend this remaster as it’s excellent!
3 Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu
Pokemon let’s go hits you right in the nostalgia. I’ll be honest with you I swayed back and forth on let’s go a lot before it’s release. I was dead against it and then dead excited for it. Let’s go changes up the formula of what you think of conventional Pokemon games and gives it the Pokemon go treatment. But in a really cool way. There’s no longer random battles with wild Pokemon instead you see Pokemon roaming about the world you run into them and bam start throwing poke balls until you catch it. I’m sure that on the surface this would put old Pokemon fans off but it’s actually super intuitive and just makes sense! Everything else you know and love about Pokemon games is there, battles with trainers, gym leaders (none of that trial shit, I’m looking at you sun and moon) typings etc. Okay so there’s no breeding but that’s okay because if you wonna get Pokemon with good ivs you just chain them. After catching over 31 of the same Pokemon in a row you start to find Pokemon with higher ivs and increase your chance of catching a shiny. Also the higher your chain the more xp you’ll earn. It’s quality of life improvements like this that really make let’s go great. Not only that but you return to kanto. Exploring those towns on your tv is crazy. Like if I could go back 20 years and tell 9 year old me about it I’d probably lose my mind.
2 God of War
I’m 100% sure that when I finished god of War I said this is the best game to be released this year and it’s going to be my goty. It almost made it. God of War is a phenomenal game. I never really got on with the original games they just didn’t hit with me. I think one because it came out towards the end of the ps2s life and at this time I was too busy replaying jrpgs and getting drunk on a weekend and two it wasn’t edgy enough for me. I was an emo kid and if I was gonna play any hack and slash action combat game it would be with my boy Dante. Fast forward to that e3 reveal and I was on-board with the new direction. God of War hit at a time that was prefect for me. My son had just gotten into this routine of having a 3 hour nap in a morning usually about 9ish. On my days off the minute he fell asleep I’d dive straight on my PS4 and load up god of War. The story of a father and son journeying to scatter ashes of their wife/mother really resonated with me at the time probably because I was a new father and in some sort of weird way I found similarities in my struggles with parenthood and kratos struggles. The story takes the two of them on a crazy journey. I was hooked with the story and wanting to see its conclusion. The combat feels super nice. I took great pleasure in driving my axe through giants faces. God of War hits some pretty serious beats but it’s also pretty funny too! There’s two dwarfs who act as the comic relief throughout the game. The game is super smart in letting you explore the world. There’s a lake which acts as a hub to different locations. Depending on your actions the lake rises and falls which opens up new areas. There’s a bridge which leads to a gate which you use to travel to different parts of the world. Everything is intricately woven together and makes an incredible game. God of War looks stunning and is an incredible game. It’s a must play.
1 Red Dead Redemption 2
Red dead redemption 2 is the best game I’ve ever played. In terms of gameplay, mechanics and open world it’s fantastic. The story telling in RDR2 is the best I’ve ever seen in a video game. I’ve never cared so much about a protagonist. I’ve genuinely thought about Arthur Morgan every day since I finished RDR2. As a child I have found memories of spending Sunday afternoons with my dad watching cowboy films. Clint Eastwood cowboy films have always been my favourite. As a result of this I’ve always enjoyed cowboy games the two previous red dead games, call of Juarez and so on. But these games have always felt like a playground. You’re peeking in and messing with stuff. They’ve all felt like video games. Red dead redemption 2 feels so much more then that. It gives you the opportunity to role play a cowboy in the west. The world it creates feels real and the characters your meet feel like real humans. Some of my favourite moments were the strangers you’d meet exploring the world and the crazy stuff that would happen. An example of this was when I was riding down a path and some guy fell out of a bush in front of me clutching his arm asking me to take him to a doctor. I picked him up threw him on my horse and rode him to a doctor. The guy paid me for my help and then the doctor informed him that his arm would have to be amputated. Right in front of me the doctor injected the guy knocking him out and began sawing his arm off. Crazy moments like this make up what I love about red dead redemption 2 but For me to really go deep on RDR2 I need to talk spoilers. So here’s your spoiler warning!
Okay so you’re aware there’s spoilers up ahead. Before I get into the nitty gritty I need to talk about a specific mission. The assault on the Braithwaite manor. About half way ish through the game you’ll come to heads with a family called the Braithwaites. The family have been at war with another family for years and Arthur and the gang have been meddling to try earn some money out of it. As a result of this the Braithwaites have kidnapped Jack Marston which if you remember rdr1 is John Marstons son. Dutch the gang leader gathers the gang to assault the manor. As you leave camp you and the gang all start to rid in formation and the sort of music you’d expect from your favourite western movie starts playing. Upon arriving at the manor Arthur and the gang jump off their horses and approach the manor. Again in a formation like something you’d see in the magnificent 7. The scene design in this part of the game is incredible. The moon in the sky and the lighting! What follows as you’d expect is an amazing fun fight between you’re gang and the Braithwaites. Everything about this mission made me feel I was apart of my favourite western films as a kid. I wasn’t just watching it but I was living it. Red dead redemption 2 really makes you role play and feel the life of Arthur Morgan.
On the surface red dead redemption 2 is a game about Arthur Morgan and his out law gang life. But actually it’s a story about a man coming to terms with the decisions he’s made in his life and when he realises death is round the corner how he can make good on the wrong he’s done. Very early on in the game you have to complete a mission for the gangs debt collector. You’ll visit a man who is sick and beat the money out of him that he owes you. A little later you’ll return to the house to find the man has died and he wife and child are leaving. Every so often after this point you’ll notice Arthur starts to cough and as you progress it gets worse and worse. A little over mid way in the game you’ll return to the major city in the game Arthur starts to cough and collapse. A man pulls you to the doctors for you to find out you’ve contracted tuberculosis and that you’re going to die soon. This comes at a pretty important part in the gangs life. Every plan they’ve ever had to get money and escape has failed and Dutch the gang leader is starting to show signs of instability making reckless decisions. From This point onwards Arthur starts to come to terms with his life style and question his decisions and if he’s doing the right thing. What really pulled on my heart strings was his utter devotion to get John marston and his family out of the gang and get them safe. Knowing the outcome of the original red dead redemption really hurts. Arthur is a genuinely kind hearted guy who got picked up by Dutch when he was a kid and carried along in this crazy outlaw life.
As the story progresses towards its conclusion Arthur is able to wrong some rights. One example of this is when the debt collector asks you on another mission when you go to the people to claim their money back you’re able to squash their debts and give them additional money. It all ends with Arthur throwing the debt collector out of camp. During the campaign Arthur’s ex girlfriend Mary writes for Arthur’s help if you choose to accept these missions and help her she’ll tell you she still has feelings for you and Arthur says that once he’s got the big score and the gangs safe he’ll leave with her. Throughout the whole game I wanted this to happen. I wanted Arthur to leave and run off with Mary. The whole quest line ends with her sending him the ring he’d given her when they were younger. She didn’t want his life and he could never leave the gang his family. Arthur’s story comes to an end when another gang member weasels in on Dutch and pushes Arthur out. It all comes to a heart breaking conclusion on top of a mountain and Arthur dies to tuberculosis as the sun rises. I desperately wanted Arthur to get out of the gang life and run off with Mary. When he got tuberculosis I wanted him to tell Mary. I 100% feel humbled by Arthurs actions at the end of red dead redemption 2 and I hope that the decisions I made for him were right. Red dead redemption 2 is genuinely the best video game story ever told and everyone should experience it!
