2018 in Gaming

[Moonface]

G A M I N G    2 0 1 8

THE BEST, THE WORST, AND EVERYTHING ELSE

Another year in gaming has come and gone, and while in previous years we would normally throw up about 20 polls for you all to cast your vote for what you think is the best game within each, this year we decided to stray away from that and do what a forum does best, and that's to discuss our views and thoughts rather than just simply ticking some boxes.

To keep things simple and easier to digest, I'll be dividing the year into three month blocks so that we can progressively discuss all of 2018 rather than jump right in and try to wade through 365 days worth of stuff in one hit. As the top of the post implies, we don't have to simply talk about the best the year had to offer. It can be the worst and everything else that happened too, as not everything in a year can be the best nor is it always 100% good news. R.I.P. Telltale

So let's get on with what we're here for, and that is to discuss the best, the worst, and everything else 2018 had to offer us in video-games, starting with...

January - March

Notable Releases

• Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker's Memory (PS4, PS Vita) | Genre(s): Role-Playing
  
• Lost Sphear (PS4, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Role-Playing
  
• Subnautica (PS4, XBO, Win, Mac) | Genre(s): Adventure, Survival
  
• Celeste (PS4, XBO, NS, Win, Mac, Linux) | Genre(s): Platformer
  
• Dragon Ball FighterZ (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Fighter
  
• Monster Hunter: World (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action Role-Playing
  
• Dissidia Final Fantasy NT (PS4) | Genre(s): Action Role-Playing, Fighter
  

• Shadow of the Colossus 2018 (PS4) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  
• Civilization VI: Rise and Fall - Expansion (Win) | Genre(s): Strategy
  
• Rust (Win, Mac) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure, Survival
  
• Dynasty Warriors 9 (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Hack & Slash
  
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action Role-Playing
  
• Secret of Mana Remake (PS4, PS Vita, Win) | Genre(s): Action Role-Playing
  
• Fe (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  
• Metal Gear Survive (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure, Survival
  
• Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action Role-Playing
  
• De Blob 2 Remastered (PS4, XBO, NS) | Genre(s): Platformer, Puzzle
  
• Into The Breach (Win, Mac, Linux) | Genre(s): Strategy
  
• Moss (PSVR, Win VR) | Genre(s): Adventure, Puzzle
  
• H1Z1 (PS4, Win) | Genre(s): Battle Royale
  

• Scribblenauts Showdown (PS4, XBO, NS) | Genre(s): Party
  
• Warhammer: Vermintide 2 (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action, Multi-Player
  
• Devil May Cry HD Collection (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure, Hack & Slash
  
• Burnout Paradise Remastered (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Racing
  
• Kirby Star Allies (NS) | Genre(s): Platformer
  
• Assassin's Creed Rogue Remastered (PS4, XBO) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  
• Attack on Titan 2 (PS4, PS Vita, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Action, Hack & Slash
  
• Sea of Thieves (XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure, Multi-Player
  
• A Way Out (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure, Multi-Player
  
• Detective Pikachu (3DS) | Genre(s): Adventure
  
• Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom (PS4, Win) | Genre(s): Action Role-Playing
  
• Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings (PS4, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Role-Playing
  
• Far Cry 5 (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure, Shooter
  
• MLB The Show 18 (PS4) | Genre(s): Sports
  
• The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2 (PS4) | Genre(s): Action Role-Playing
  
• Shining Resonance Refrain (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Role-Playing
  

Notable Events

• Mad Catz announces their return as a brand after filing for bankruptcy in 2017 under new ownership with newly established Hong Kong company Mad Catz Global Limited.
  
• CES 2018 is held.
  
• Yuji Naka joins Square Enix.
  
• THQ Nordic acquires Koch Media.
  
• D.I.C.E. Summit 2018 is held.
  
• GDC 2018 is held.
  
• Vivendi formally ends its attempt to acquire Ubisoft, selling all of its 30 million shares of Ubisoft to other various companies.
  

So what do you think were the best games to release in this period, either overall or within a specific genre or category (the genres in the list are what the games are generally classified as, you do not have to strictly follow them nor make your categories based on any pre-set notion), and did anything happen in this period mentioned or otherwise that you felt to be pretty impactful either to yourself or the industry?

[Moonface]

So I'm not sure if anyone just had nothing to say about the first quarter of 2018 or people forgot this thread exists, but regardless it's time to expand into the next quarter of the year with...

April - June

Notable Releases

• Minit (PS4, XBO, NS, Win, Mac, Linux) | Genre(s): Adventure
  
• Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (PS4) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  
• God of War (PS4) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  
• Nintendo Labo (NS) | Genre(s): N/A
  
• Gal*Gun 2 (PS4, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Fighter
  

• Pillars of Eternity 2 (Win) | Genre(s): Role-Playing
  
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): MMORPG
  
• State of Decay 2 (XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Survival
  
• Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (PS4, PS Vita, XBO, NS, 3DS, Win) | Genre(s): Platformer
  
• Dark Souls Remastered (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action Role-Playing
  
• Detroit: Become Human (PS4) | Genre(s): Adventure
  
• Agony (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Survival Horror
  
• Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Fighting
  
• Yoku's Island Express (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Platformer, Adventure, Pinball
  
• Pokémon Quest (NS) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  

• BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle (PS4, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Fighting
  
• OnRush (PS4, XBO) | Genre(s): Racing, Vehicular Combat
  
• Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Beat 'em up
  
• Vampyr (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action Role-Playing
  
• Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action, Hack and Slash
  
• Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido (NS, 3DS) | Genre(s): Action, Puzzle
  
• Unravel Two (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Puzzle, Platformer
  
• Jurassic World Evolution (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Simulation
  
• Paladins (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Shooter
  
• Wreckfest (Win) | Genre(s): Racing, Vehicular Combat
  
• Lego The Incredibles (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  
• Mario Tennis Aces (NS) | Genre(s): Sport
  
• Lumines Remastered (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Puzzle
  
• The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Adventure
  
• Fighting EX Layer (PS4, Win) | Genre(s): Fighting
  
• The Crew 2 (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Racing
  

Notable Events

• PAX East was held.
  
• Valve Corporation acquire developer Campo Santo.
  
• Cliff Bleszinski's studio Boss Key Productions closed down.
  
• Microsoft announced its acquisitions of Undead Labs, Playground Games, Compulsion Games, and Ninja Theory.
  
• E3 2018 was held.
  

What do you think were the best games to release in this period, either overall or within a specific genre or category (the genres in the list are what the games are generally classified as, you do not have to strictly follow them nor make your categories based on any pre-set notion), and did anything happen in this period mentioned or otherwise that you felt to be pretty impactful or notable either to yourself or the industry?

[ShiraNoMai]

I have to say, 2018 started off mega-strong. With Dragonball Fighter Z, Monster Hunter World AND Celeste just killing it in the first month alone, it was just a start for what would set the tone for the rest of the year, I think.

[Monocle]

honestly, I'm so in and out that I don't look at most posts lol. fight me.

January - March

Subnautica is amazing. The exploration is so much fun and managing your time, food, water, and all resources in general feels so good to do. When you progress, it is so rewarding.

Fighterz. yes yes yes yes yes. Everything I wanted in a Dragon Ball fighting game. I'm not a huge fan of the Xenoverse style. While it is huge, fights feel like they break down to beams, punch, teleport, repeat. Fighterz brings back actual mechanics that appeal to me.

Fatal Bullet! omg my SAO love was satisfied. Although... i still haven't beaten it yet... ha ha haaaaa....

I still need to get MonHun World. I'm just so burned out by previous MonHun games although I know this one is drastically better. One day.

Also pretty sure Shining Resonance Refrain came out in the summer. I bought it release week which was in July iirc.

April - June

I just bought God of War because my sister wanted it. I was holding off on it to play the previous games but seeing her play it. Wow. It definitely deserved GOTY. That game looks, sounds, and plays so amazing well. I had to leave so I didn't spoil the story on myself lmao

Curse of the Moon was sooo good! ugh it just made my desire for the full Bloodstained game bigger. I want it. Metroidvania is my favorite genre. ugh I need it! 

Oh wow. I guess I didn't buy shit that released during this time.

[Moonface]

Also pretty sure Shining Resonance Refrain came out in the summer. I bought it release week which was in July iirc. 

It did. I mistakenly used the Japanese release date of March.

I recall watching gameplay of Subnautica at the start of the year and remember feeling like it was a mix of No Man's Sky and Minecraft but with water.

God of War is absolutely GOTY for me. I can't think of a single negative about the game, and I can't wait for the sequel!

[Moonface]

We're over halfway through the year now as we expand into the penultimate quarter of the year with...

July - September

Notable Releases

• Red Faction Guerrilla: Re-Mars-tered Edition (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Shooter
  
• Octopath Traveller (NS) | Genre(s): Role-Playing
  
• The Banner Saga 3 (PS4, XBO, NS, Win, Mac) | Genre(s): Tactical Role-Playing
  

• WarioWare Gold (3DS) | Genre(s): Action, Rhythm
  
• Dead Cells (PS4, XBO, NS, Win, Mac, Linux) | Genre(s): Roguelike, Metroidvania
  
• Overcooked 2 (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Simulation
  
• Madden NFL 19 (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Sports
  
• We Happy Few (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  
• The Walking Dead: The Final Season – Episode 1: Done Running (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Adventure
  
• World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth (Win, Mac) | Genre(s): MMORPG
  
• Guacamelee! 2 (PS4, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Fighting, Platformer, Metroidvania
  
• Shenmue (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  
• Shenue II (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  
• F1 2018 (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Racing
  
• Donut County (PS4, XBO, NS, Win, Mac, iOS) | Genre(s): Puzzle
  
• Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate (NS) | Genre(s): Action Role-Playing
  
• Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Sports
  
• Yakuza Kiwami 2 (PS4) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  

• Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age (PS4, XBO) | Genre(s): Role-Playing
  
• NASCAR Heat 3 (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Racing
  
• NBA Live 19 (PS4, XBO) | Genre(s): Sports
  
• SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy (PS4, NS) | Genre(s): Fighting
  
• Spider-Man (PS4) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  
• NBA 2K19 (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Sports
  
• Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition (PS4, XBO, NS, Win, Android, iOS) | Genre(s): Role-Playing
  
• NHL 19 (PS4, XBO) | Genre(s): Sports
  
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  
• Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - The Golden Country (NS) | Genre(s): Action Role-Playing
  
• Valkyria Chronicles 4 (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Tactical Role-Playing
  
• The Walking Dead: The Final Season – Episode 2: Suffer the Children (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Adventure
  
• Life is Strange 2 - Episode 1: Roads (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Adventure
  
• FIFA 19 (PS4, PS3, XBO, X360, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Sports
  

Notable Events

• EA announces acquisition of Industrial Toys.
  
• Sumo Group Plc acquired The Chinese Room.
  
• The International 2018, a Dota 2 tournament with the largest prize pool in esports history, was held at the Rogers Arena in Canada.
  
• Gamescom was held in Cologne, Germany.
  
• A mass shooting occurred at a Madden NFL 19 tournament in Jacksonville, Florida with the shooter, a participant in the tournament who lost, killing two people and injuring ten others before committing suicide.
  
• Capcom Vancouver shut down.
  
• The 2018 Tokyo Game Show was held in Tokyo.
  
• The UK's largest games show, EGX was held at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England.
  
• Telltale Games announces major studio closure, laying off more than 90% of its staff and multiple games being cancelled.
  

What do you think were the best games to release in this period, either overall or within a specific genre or category (the genres in the list are what the games are generally classified as, you do not have to strictly follow them nor make your categories based on any pre-set notion), and did anything happen in this period mentioned or otherwise that you felt to be pretty impactful or notable either to yourself or the industry?

[ShiraNoMai]

Octopathhhh the highlight of the summer! The highlight of that quarter of the year for me, honestly. Wish I had gotten around to Spiderman but there were too many things happening at that time of the year for me to get around to it x.x

[Moonface]

We're in the final quarter, and with that the entirety of 2018 is open to be discussed!

October - December

Notable Releases

• Astro Bot Rescue Mission (PSVR) | Genre(s): Platformer
  
• Forza Horizon 4 (XBO, Wun) | Genre(s): Racing
  
• Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise (PS4) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  
• Mega Man 11 (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Action, Platformer
  
• Assassin's Creed Odyssey (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  
• Super Mario Party (NS) | Genre(s): Party
  
• Mark of the Ninja Remastered (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Action, Stealth
  
• WWE 2K19 (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Sports
  
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Shooter
  
• Luigi's Mansion (3DS) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  
• The Missing: JJ. Macfield and the Island of Memories (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Puzzle, Platformer
  
• The World Ends With You: Final Remix (NS) | Genre(s): Action Role-Playing
  
• Lego DC Super-Villains (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  
• NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Sports
  
• Overload (PS4, XBO) | Genre(s): Shooter
  
• Starlink: Battle for Atlas (PS4, XBO, NS) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  
• Warriors Orochi 4 (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Hack and Slash
  
• Return of the Obra Dinn (Win, Mac) | Genre(s): Adventure, Puzzle
  
• Soulcalibur VI (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Fighting
  
• Gwent: The Witcher Card Game (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Card
  
• Just Dance 2019 (PS4, XBO, X360, NS, Wii U, Wii) | Genre(s): Party, Dance
  
• My Hero One's Justice (PS4, XBO, NS, Win) | Genre(s): Action
  
• Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS4, XBO) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  
• Call of Cthulhu: The Official Video Game (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Role-Playing, Survival Horror
  
• Deltarune (Win, Mac) | Genre(s): Role-Playing
  

• The Quiet Man (PS4, Win) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  
• Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun! (NS) | Genre(s): Rhythm
  
• Moonlighter (NS) | Genre(s): Action Role-Playing
  
• The Forest (PS4) | Genre(s): Survival
  
• Tetris Effect (PS4) | Genre(s): Puzzle
  
• Hitman 2 (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Stealth, Puzzle
  
• Spyro Reignited Trilogy (PS4, XBO) | Genre(s): Platformer
  
• Fallout 76 (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action Role-Playing
  
• Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! (NS) | Genre(s): Role-Playing
  
• Battlefield V (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Shooter
  
• Farming Simulator 2019 (PS4, XBO, Win, Mac) | Genre(s): Simulation
  
• Darksiders III (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  

• Just Cause 4 (PS4, XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  
• Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (PS4, XBO, NS) | Genre(s): Platformer
  
• Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight (PS4, PS Vita) | Genre(s): Rhythm
  
• Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight (PS4, PS Vita) | Genre(s): Rhythm
  
• Subnautica (PS4, XBO) | Genre(s): Adventure, Survival
  
• Ashen (XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action Role-Playing
  
• The Last Remnant: Remastered (PS4) | Genre(s): Adventure, Role-Playing
  
• Katamari Damacy Reroll (NS, Win) | Genre(s): Puzzle, Action
  
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (NS) | Genre(s): Fighting
  
• Below (XBO, Win) | Genre(s): Action-Adventure
  

Notable Events

• Skybound Entertainment acquires the rights and capabilities to finish off Telltale's work-in-progress, The Walking Dead: The Final Season, after Telltale's shutdown.
  
• Blizzcon 2018 was held.
  
• Prima Games announces they will be shutting down after 28 years in business.
  
  
• The Game Awards 2018 were held.
  

What do you think were the best games to release in this period, either overall or within a specific genre or category (the genres in the list are what the games are generally classified as, you do not have to strictly follow them nor make your categories based on any pre-set notion), and did anything happen in this period mentioned or otherwise that you felt to be pretty impactful or notable either to yourself or the industry?

As we've now covered every quarter, what did you think of 2018 overall for gaming?

[queenzelda]

I'll have to go over this thread & all the games I played to give a full breakdown of what I liked & didn't. One game I was VERY disappointed by was Detective Pikachu tbh. I did enjoy a lot of the gameplay aspect of it & helping to solve the mystery's as they were provided in the game play.. BUT, the game wouldn't let me get to the reveal on my own, they wanted more proof & impo you don't need it when you have gut instincts; impo. I also HATED that there was basically a; 'to be continued' ending. UGH.

My favorite game's were Let's Go Pikachu & Dragon Quest XI. Yes, Octopath Traveler was great, but I had issues with it in that a lot of the story the characters could have interacted with each other better & the game could have maybeh convinced me to finish it out, cause atmo I'm kinda done with it atmo.

[Metallix]

For the final quarter I’d put Astrobot as #1. It oozes creativity and puts a whole new perspective on an old genre. Everytime I though, “this was the best level there’s no way they can top that” they do and they keep on bringing new ideas so you never feel like things get stale.

Overall I think it was a strong year but not quite as strong as 2017. Pretty close though.

[Mr EliteL]

For me, 2018 wasn't all that great for gaming I did see some cool titles that lived up to being big hits (God Of War, RDR2, MH: World DBZ FighterZ, Spider-Man, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Let's Go: P/E), but none or any of the others were for me. Is down to my own personal preferences and what I was willing to get. Only got three games form the year, Octopath which I got into late in the year, Smash Ultimate BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle. Heck, I barely touched Cross Tag but loved the concept of a crossover tag game with BlazBlue.

Metal Gear Survive, I'm only mentioning as it's the obvious candidate for the worst game of the year. Does anything beat it?