Hey now everybody, hope you’re all doing well, and thanks for joining me for part three of my Best Games Of 2018 List! Gaming has always been my favorite hobby, ever since I was a little kid playing the NES. Throughout the years it’s had many ups and downs, but this generation, for me personally, has been one of the best I’ve ever seen. I know for a lot of people out there it’s hard to keep up with all the new releases, or to find the time to play those really long games that go on for a hundred plus hours. So as another amazing year in gaming comes to an end I like to take a look back at all the fantastic titles that came out, to show my appreciation for all the hard work these developers put in to provide us with endless hours of entertainment. This is part three of my list, and it will cover from September, through October, which had a very busy release schedule. Now let’s get things started, and continue on with the Best Of 2018.
Spider-Man - September 7th, 2018
Spider-Man is an action adventure game developed by Insomniac, released as a PS4 exclusive. It tells a completely original story that doesn’t tie into any other comic book, movie, or game. As the player you not only get to experience Spider-Man’s adventure, but you also get to know Peter Parker, and see how he balances both sides of his life. The game begins with Spider-Man finally capturing Wilson Fisk, aka The Kingpin, putting him behind bars for good. Even though that’s a good thing, it now leaves an opening for someone else to take control of New York’s streets. A mysterious new villain called, Mr. Negative, steps up to take Kingpin’s place, bringing with him a whole new set of problems for Spider-Man to try and deal with. After a prison break Spidey’s situation gets worse, as The Rhino, The Shocker, The Scorpion, and The Vulture are now free to terrorize the city. On top of all this Peter Parker is dealing with his own set of issues that could also affect everyone’s safety.
Over the years there have been quite a few Spider-Man games for various consoles, unfortunately none of them have been very good. This is the first one I’ve played that has really done the character justice. For starters the open world New York City environment is so beautiful, and richly detailed. Everywhere you go there are people going about their business, and so many real time events happening that it makes the city feel alive. The way Spider-Man handles as you swing around from building to building is executed perfectly, making traversing the city an enjoyable experience. Combat is fast and fluid, providing you with many gadgets and abilities giving you a true sense of the power a superhero would have. The icing on the cake is the incredible story that unfolds around you, keeping you engaged in what is happening, and always wanting to see what comes next. I had high hopes for this title to be something special, and it didn’t disappoint. One of the best games of the year, definitely deserving to be on the list.
Mega Man 11 - October 2nd, 2018
Mega Man 11 is an action-platform game developed by Capcom, and it’s the first new entry in the original series in eight years. It features a wonderful 2.5D art style with bright, vibrant colors that really stand out. The gameplay style is just like a classic Mega Man title with all the difficulty you’d expect to find in this series. Dr. Wily is back with some new tricks up his sleeve, and it’s up to the Blue Bomber to put a stop to him once again. You get to choose from eight brand new levels, each with their own Robot Master that must be defeated at the end. Every level has it’s own theme that dictates the type of enemies and obstacles you’ll find there. Once Block Man, Fuse Man, Acid Man, Blast Man, Tundra Man, Bounce Man, Impact Man, and Torch Man are dealt with, and you acquire all their weapons, you then move on to Dr. Wily’s Fortress for the final end game stages. A brand new mechanic this time around is the Double Gear system, which can be used to give Mega Man extra power, or extra speed.
Mega Man is a legendary series that has been around for thirty years or more now, and it’s always been one of my favorites. When I heard that a new game was being released I was so happy to see it back in the spotlight again. Not only does Mega Man 11 have everything you’d want in a classic Mega Man game, it also features the brand new Double Gear system that gives even long time fans like me something we’ve never seen before. The Double Gear has many different advantages depending on how you use it, and it adds another layer of depth to the tried and true system that’s been around for decades. This is also one of the only Mega Man games I’ve played where every one of the new weapons you earn from defeating the Robot Masters has a practical use, making each one feel worthwhile, instead of just being a novelty. It was great to see this beloved series make a strong comeback, and I’m happy to put it on the list.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey - October 5th, 2018
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is an action RPG developed by Ubisoft, it’s the eleventh major installment in the series, and the twentieth overall. Set in the year 431 BC, four hundred years before the events of Origins, it puts the player in the middle of the events of the Peloponnesian War that was fought between the city-states of Greese. You take on the role of a mercenary that must choose to fight for either Athens, or Sparta. At the beginning of the game you have the option to choose to play as either Alexios, or Kassandra. This is the first Assassin’s Creed to let you decide what gender the protagonist will be, adding to the role playing element of the series. The game features dialog options, branching quests, multiple endings, and lots of other new mechanics that further evolve the standard formula. You get to explore a beautiful, massive open world environment, that’s packed full of incredible things to discover, with some impressive mythical monsters to battle with.
As a series that was famous for annually releasing new titles there was a point in time where I became burnt out, and kind of lost interest in the same old thing over and over again. A little while back Ubisoft took a year off for the first time, and when they came back with Origins I was happy to see the franchise heading in a fresh new direction, while keeping most of the things I enjoyed in tact. With this years release of Odyssey I could tell that they put a lot of effort into making the game as good as it could possibly be, creating the best open world environment they’ve done so far, and giving the player more choice than ever before. This is a game that provides you will so many hours of amazing content, at the same time telling a fantastic story with compelling characters. It’s great to see this series continue to evolve, instead of playing it safe, and I think it definitely deserves to be on the list.
Red Dead Redemption 2 - October 26th, 2018
Red Dead Redemption 2 is a western themed action adventure game developed by Rockstar Games. Despite having a 2 in the title it's actually a prequel, telling the story of the events leading up to the original. Set in the year 1899 you play as Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang who is on the run trying to survive while being hunted by the government, and other rival outlaw gangs. It's the turn of the century, and the world is changing. People are embracing a more civil way of life where you must obey the law or pay the price. Your gang is one of the few that still remain, and it's clear that you're not going to last much longer. The game takes place in a beautifully detailed, realistic open world environment, that is absolutely packed with things to discover. There's an amazing set of main missions to take part in that tells the best story Rockstar has ever created. In addition to the lengthy main game content there's even more side quests and activities to experience that you won't want to miss out on.
I remember playing the original Red Dead Redemption last generation, and it was a great game, but it didn't really blow me away. So when this one was about to come out I wasn't that hyped for it. Then I started playing it, and I couldn't believe what an incredible masterpiece this turned out to be. The story and characters were so well done, with such fantastic voice acting that I was instantly hooked. I felt completely immersed in this massive open world, getting lost for dozens of hours just running around exploring, and doing side activities, that it took me forever to finish the main story. The level of detail that was put into every aspect of the game is something I've never seen before. Most games feel like they revolve around your character, and things only happen when you're there to witness it. Red Dead 2 has a living, breathing world that you really feel a part of, in such an impressive way it's hard to explain. Many fantastic titles were released this year, but this is one that's on a whole other level, and definitely belongs on the list. That's going to do it for this one, but stay on the lookout for part four of the list coming soon.
Thank you for checking out my Best Games Of 2018 List, I hope you enjoyed it!
I think this year was such an overload of good games that every game had to have at least one negative review 4 balance and that's why we're all confused about that.
Yeah, it's always strange when I have such a great experience with a game, then I hear someone else talk about it negatively. I know not everyone will agree with my picks for this list, but I always try to have a positive message, and just hope people enjoy reading it. Thanks for the support btw, much appreciated!
I didn't actually play any of these releases, the only one that is up my alley would be Spiderman, which I just didn't get around to. With Megaman I was always more a fan of the X series.
I was actually rather let down by this year in general, though there were some solid releases.
I love the Mega Man X series, hopefully Capcom will make X9 soon. If you have the time you should maybe try playing some more games. You're missing out on some incredible stuff!
WHen I made my own list, I'd actually played 23 new releases from this year, so I've played a lot of releases. :p
I also played Hallow Knight, though that was the PC version, and not the Switch one that came out this year. I tend to play a lot of RPGs, so a few games like Dragon Quest XI and Octopath Traveler take up a huge amount of time.
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Thanks a lot guys, your're the best!