DJ’s Top Ten Favorite Games of 2018: 5 – 1
Now we get to the top five. There was a lot of mulling around on where to place everything on this list, and even at this point I’m still turning it over in my head on where things should go, but I think I can live with this. It’s not as if an irresponsibly long stretch of time has passed since starting to write this article and has given me far too much time to pause and reconsider or anything like that, but all the same, here are my top five games of 2018.
5. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch)
All right, let’s get it out of the way – yeah, it’s another Smash game, and yeah it’s suspiciously familiar to Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS. However, it is quite possibly the absolute zenith of the concept of sticking together an absolutely massive list of characters from throughout Nintendo’s history (with some others jumping on for the ride) in an absolute love letter to their fans in a single game. Considering this is the fourth time they’ve done this, one would think that it would start to get old, but somehow the overworked madman Sakurai and his team has made the most realized version of this game. Much can be said about the giant roster of characters, bolstered by the Fighters’ Pack DLC, the amazing set of music, the meaningfully referential stages and little details that pepper the entire game, but the single player mode is both the strongest and maybe most disappointing aspect of this package.
The World of Light, as it’s called, has the now pretty well-known story of how a mysterious entity has arrived and outright murdered every living being and perhaps existence itself in one fell swoop, putting Thanos to shame – except for Kirby. It falls upon the consumer-friendly icon to free his friends and enemies from the clutches of this mysterious entity and save the day, and that’s where this concept both shines and falters. Yes, it is disappointing how the long string of fights against characters from all over Nintendo’s history involves just facing a character wedged into one of the existing fighters as best as possible, but the creativity and cleverness in how they apply it is a little magical. Fighting a Charging Chuck? It’s just Wario, except one who’s in his white color swap costume that uses his Forward B Special a lot – which is a charge. The Pokémon Miltank? Jigglypuff that uses a more powerful than usual Rollout a lot. Chun Li? Zero Suit Samus, except her kicks and knee strikes hit like a truck compared to normal. And on and on and on. While yes, of course, actually using the character model would have been nice, it’s great to see all this thought and effort put into making the fights actually be meaningful uses of the character they’re trying to portray/ The map itself – besides being some pretty nice looking sets of artwork – is also filled with nice surprises for anyone who knows these games, especially for some that weren’t made by Nintendo in the first place. All that said, this mode lasts a surprisingly long time – to the point where it maybe lasts a little too long if you want to unlock as many characters as possible. More likely then not, messing around in Smash mode will net the average player everyone quicker then focusing purely on World of Light.
Other then that, most people know what they’re getting into with this game. Hey, I’ll admit it, it worked on me, it’s certainly no longer a game where I do absolutely everything possible and wring every last bit of content out like I used to, but I like my injection on well crafted and meaningful nostalgia, similar to how it worked on me with Super Mario Odyssey last year. It is what it is, and with the promise of new fighters comes new music and stages filled with their own carefully crafted details to set fans hearts’ ablaze, maybe from some out of left field sources as the recently announced addition of Joker from Persona 5 being the first of many.
4. Red Dead Redemption 2 (Playstation 4/X-Box One)
Okay, let’s get it straight right now – I actually kind of hate playing this game as much as I like it. I thought long and hard about it, and while so many of my personal negatives about this should really drive Red Dead Redemption II off of the top five, the list of details and small touches about it that I loved compelled me to keep it up here, and even put it above Smash. The thing I loved the most about the first game was hopping on your horse and riding across the plains and deserts, just a cowboy, his trusted steed, and nothing else but the open world around him. This game excels at that and then some, and it remains the one thing I love about the game the most – while also turning it into an absolute burden when placed in context of actual missions and in-game activities. The slow, deliberate pace of the game, and the way it expects you to do what it wants rather than allow you to bypass it entirely is an aspect of the game I actually enjoy and respect, and really does build character into the world, especially in a genre that so typically feels bland and generic. The hills are truly alive, with wildlife and humans alike, and even the gentle swaying of the trees on a sunny day, or the grimy, dirty feel of a torrential downpour is displayed in every way possible through a screen.
But it gets old, even if I enjoyed it immensely at first. After the first couple dozen hours, even with quite possibly Rockstar’s best written and most nuanced story in any of their games, the loop of jumping on a horse, riding somewhere, doing something, then riding again repeated ad nauseum eventually made those delightful acts and thoughtful motions lose their charm. It makes sense with how the story goes, but I’m not willing to give them the benefit of the doubt that that’s the intended consequence. The world and the systems within remain impressive and awe inspiring, and ultimately I did and am still enjoying my time whenever I boot this game up, but the mere fact that I haven’t been willing to shoulder the negatives in order to enjoy the good moments or appreciate the small details when I did so for the first game says it all to me. I want to know what happens in this story and I truly do care what happens to Arthur Morgan, and the shift in tone for his character is actually believable given the situation he finds himself in, even if it’s plenty obvious to everyone even without reading spoilers that this is all going to end poorly for him. As we see later, I usually apply myself to characters in open world games, but more often then not in Red Dead II, I find myself thinking what Arthur himself would do and react accordingly. Maybe that’s all this game needs to be, for me. A frustrating, repetitive slog through some systems that are actually brilliant and appreciated, but coming up across a hilltop on horseback just as the sun rises makes you think it’s all worth it, even if for just a moment.
3. Hitman 2 (Playstation 4/X-Box One/PC)
I loved the last Hitman game in 2016, so much so that it was my absolute favorite game of the year, beating out other worthy contenders like Doom handily in my mind. It nailed the balance of being stealthy and silent with careful preparation with the total madcap Loony Toons-esque chaos of assassinations via incredibly conveniently placed objects and structures. The best way to put it is each of the game’s worlds is essentially a clockwork world where everything runs on time and with a purpose, and every little NPC, whether it be a random crowd member, a plot important character, or the target themselves, runs on a tight, perfect schedule. You, the player, are the wrench in the innerworkings that diverts the typical flow of activities, whether it be by carefully turning this bolt over here to make people and objects move in the way you want, or to just utterly smash into the gears and pulleys and leap into the frenzy. On top of all that, put in a good dose of sharp, wicked writing that nails how silly this all is while keeping a perfectly straight and believable face, and a system that rewards learning how everything works and creativity, and IO Interactive had a winner.
So why did I spend so long writing about the last game? Because Hitman 2 is just that, except more of it – and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Carrying over all the first game’s brilliant mechanics and all the multitude of meaningful and impressive updates made to that game over the course of its season long release, this game by the now independent team delivers all of the same but in spades. It’s not as new and shiny as it was, but it continues to deliver with more of that same clever writing and putting Agent 47 into more interesting situations in varied locations around the globe. The way it keeps going with how serious and increasingly interesting the game’s main plot thread takes itself but have it intersect with how also increasingly ridiculous and goofy the details are in said world is unique and enjoyable, like how there’s a high stakes race going on in the streets of Miami at the same time as a military contractor is trying to convince a big wig general to buy into their newest robot soldiers. Or, how a secretive, well-guarded old man in the game’s version of the Illuminati is happily living in a quaint, idyllic suburb in Virginia which has secrets of its own 47 is free to discover if he so chooses. Some amount praise needs to be given to whomever decided to let our bald-headed murderous protagonist speak up more often, leading to some incredibly delivered lines that absolutely should not work, but are amazing when spoken aloud. It all leads to a finale where there is both a high stakes target to hit, but also a silent, tacit approval by the developers that maybe, just this once, to ignore the usual standing order to not off random NPC’s, no matter how garbage of a human being they may be.
It is noticeable that the cutscenes now contain still frames rather then the full motion CG they were in the last game, due entirely to now not having Square-Enix’s money behind them, but the team has managed to continue to bring it and I for one will continue to extol the virtues of this series to anyone who listens – silently, in the restroom, while wearing a goofy flamingo mascot outfit using a bomb shaped like a rubber duck.
2. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (Playstation 4/X-Box One/PC)
Assassin’s Creed Origins is a better game. But damned if I didn’t enjoy this one a little more. That previous game was helped a great deal by taking a year break from the then annual Assassin’s Creed release schedule, breaking away from the traditions set forth from the series and as a result coming across as a breath of fresh air. So, it was with a little uncertainty that this game came out a year later, looking a little too similar for my liking. Still, in the end, it ends up being a damn fun video game ass game, and it’s great for it. Honestly, stepping back and away from all the convoluted and labyrinthine AC Lore that I find an affinity for works to this game’s strengths, as you play either Alexios or Kassandra on a quest to find the family you lost long ago. It takes the twists and turns as one would expect from a Greek Tragedy, and depending on your choices can end about as well as one – which is to say, not at all. While it still takes maybe a few dips into the ancient civilization bucket that apparently got named the Isu sometime after Syndicate, it does so few and far between, and most of the time it does it works well, especially in the realm of the battle against the mythological creatures. You can ignore it if you wish, and honestly, you’re better off for it, and the part where you’re forced to acknowledge it and the modern day story of Layla the analyst is so off the wall and so completely deranged in how it has to bend so many rules for it to even make sense that you have to just stand up and applaud them for the guts it took to do so.
In some ways it’s the refinement and final form of the infamous Ubisoft Ur-Game – find a new place on the map, climb something, and find all the question marks that appear. More often than not, the actual named, stated side quests are at least entertaining enough, especially if you correctly choose to play as Kassandra, because there’s just enough of a wry acknowledgement of how this is essentially Ubisoft’s version of an old swords-and-sandals flick that you’re willing to let it slide if in a proper mood. There are some pretty good, completely optional storyline scattered throughout the Aegean Sea that have their own story arcs and goals, similar to Origins, that have the feeling of, for lack of a better term, the filler arcs in some sagas, which at least gives the impression of the world having its own issues that don’t directly affect you as the player and would occur with or without you. Ultimately, if you’re okay with a game being transparent with what it is, Odyssey is a fun romp with a decent enough combat system, and if you still insist on being sneaky, it works with that as well. It doesn’t all work perfectly, with the big battles being messy, ill fitting affairs and some of the storylines not quite nailing the landing, but as a package it’s an entertaining ride through fake Ancient Greece. And to address it – no, the game was absolutely not meant to entice you into buying the XP boosters, it was just tuned for people to go into the some might say excessively large world and do a LOT of the side quests and optional activities. This is a long game, and unless you just utterly ignore everything other then the main path, you’ll be outpacing the highest leveled area entirely by the time you get to the end of the Family Story Arc. So, while I still argue that Origins is the better game, this might be the one worth trying for people who dislike the series. It won’t win everyone over, but it’s a place where ignoring the lore is for the better.
1. Marvel’s Spider-man (Playstation 4)
Let’s not mince words – Spider-man has some flaws, but it’s the game I was most satisfied and pleased with by the end of the experience of playing from beginning to end. It has some flaws, including how those sidequests can really slow things down and take you out of it if you focus on them too much, but if you take it slowly as the story naturally progresses and do so leisurely when there’s a break in action, the main plot is just perfection from beginning to end. The story moves cleverly and cleanly just as Spidey himself does across New York’s rooftops, and you are rewarded whenever you stop long enough to look at the details scattered across the city. Whether you’re new to the Web head’s ever going hard luck stories or a veteran of the comics, the plot has some genuinely good, well written twists, and even things you see coming from miles away end up being impactful and have real weight when the time comes. A lot has been said about Spider-man’s graceful movement around the city, but it really and truly works wonders, and the rendition of Manhattan itself is a joy to go through and discover. Even silly little things, like the game’s fake Twitter, have on-going little plotlines told via fake tweets, including maybe one of my favorite moments in the game where some goofy banter between a daughter and her father turns dark and tragic in an instant.
The game is charming as all out, with a good rendition of Peter Parker, and some stand out performances from a more agency filled Mary Jane Watson and a fleshed-out Miles Morales. The former’s own personal drive to be a reporter and do something worthwhile and the latter’s actions due to personal tragedy admirably give the game more depth beyond being there to help Peter, who has his own issues and insecurities to deal with. True to form, he’s also easily relatable, but not in a way where it’s just a bullet point in the list of traits for a superhero to have like so many others present it these days. It really does suck to have to rely on your guardian for a moment when you’re trying to first stand on your own two feet, and it really is awkward and terrible to try to reconnect to a former partner after things fell apart last time, and it’s presented in an uncomfortably familiar manner. Things can be said about how those side activities can bring everything to a grinding halt if you focus on them too much too soon, and if you can avoid it, just do them as you feel like it instead. Also, Spider-man being a little too gung-ho on letting the cops invade people’s private lives is troubling, but small missteps aside, the game is really and truly the perfect Spider-man simulator. It’s also my favorite game of 2018, and for all my hemming and hawing on the other nine games on the list, this was an easy one to put on top of the pile.