Cole Carver’s Game of the Year 2018 List

What a year for videogames! 2018 was a rough year, but at least the games were good?
I’ve always wanted to make a Game of the Year list because I spend a pretty fair amount of my free time playing games, and I’ve always enjoyed the celebration of the year-in-games that Game of the Year lists provides, and it’s also a good way for me to flex my long-ignored writing muscles.
However, I had a strange year, and that definitely affects this list. I made an effort this year, in what I colloquially call ‘#NoGames2k18’ to buy no new videogames - with some notable exceptions. I managed to go this year only buying myself three videogames, which I had made clear from the beginning of the year - Monster Hunter World, Spider-Man, and Super Smash Bros. The rest were either gifts or bought using giftcards and steam funny-money. I’d say it was a successful experiment in money-saving, and I’ll try to continue the mindset into 2019.
So, with that, my list. This is my top 10 list of games that I played in 2018.

Honorable mention - puyopuyo tetris

I wanted to include PuyoPuyo Tetris because I think it is a damn-near perfect videogame. I have spent a significant amount of time playing any variation of this game since it’s release in 2017. However, I do not feel like I could in-good-faith add this to a 2018 list, even though it’s one of my most played games this year.

PuyoPuyo Tetris is just a perfect game for a party, especially on Nintendo Switch. Being able to play it with a single Joycon, pro controller, or the set of Joycons makes it so easy to pass anyone a controller and engage them in the timeless classic.

Everyone knows how to play Tetris - knowing how to play it well is a different story, but that’s neither here nor there. Most people I introduce PuyoPuyo Tetris to seems to have the same story as me - they want to play Tetris but have no idea what PuyoPuyo is, and that’s totally fine. This game allows for fun multiplayer playing either PuyoPuyo or Tetris while the other players can choose their prefered game. The balance of having a Tetris vs a Puyo player works surprisingly well and even if you think you are the next Tetris Grandmaster an incredible Puyo chain from another player  is still going to ruin your day.

There are countless modes, such as Swap, where you have to manage both a PuyoPuyo board and a Tetris board on timed cycles. There are marathon modes where you are racing to points instead of sending each other lines and junkPuyo. There are some insane party modes that I won’t get into because explaining those rules can be hard enough to explain when looking at it. Plus there’s even a serviceable story mode that offered unique challenges in both PuyoPuyo and Tetris. This is definitely my favorite party game of 2017, and will probably continue to be so for a long time. Tetris is a perfect videogame and I still see the falling blocks in my head.

#10 - Artifact

I have a confession - I like Dota.
Okay hear me out. I like the idea of Dota, but after racking up near 200 hours (those are rookie numbers!) on my Dota2 account, I’ve practically sworn off ever playing it again.
I have a second confession - I like digital card games.
So with the lore and ‘game design’ behind Dota built into a card game designed by Richard Garfield (creator of Magic the Gathering) and backed by the Steam Marketplace for card shopping and selling? Sign me up. While the reaction to the announcement was pretty poor, I was pretty excited about it.

The game plays very differently from any other TCG out there. Like Dota, you manage three different lanes, deploy 5 different heroes of varying colors (Red, Green, Black, Blue) to those lanes, manage gold for shopping phases by killing Creeps and Heroes, and work your way towards destroying multiple towers or the Ancient. Each lane has a 40 HP tower that is replaced by an Ancient once it is destroyed, and you win by destroying either two towers or the ancient. Pretty easy, yeah? Come to find out, managing a hand of cards, and heroes across 3 separate playing fields is very difficult. You can also only play spells of a certain color if there is a hero of that color in that particular lane - leading to even further lane management. Because of the complex nature of the game I rarely find myself in matches where I am steamrolling my opponent or being steamrolled - they almost always come to close nail biting games, and I can usually track backwards to the decision I made that caused my to lose.

The game is not without flaws, especially upon first launch, but a recent update dropped where Valve introduced player progression, card pack rewards, and most importantly re-evaluated their philosophy on balance and game design. I look forward to playing more Artifact in the future - and I desperately need that iPad version to drop soon

#9 - Pokemon let’s go eevee

Eevee is the best pokemon. Okay. Done. Moving on.

Seriously, though - Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee really pushed the envelope forward on Pokemon games. I’m very excited to have a “near-mainline” game on a console capable of playing on the TV instead of exclusively mobile, and I can’t wait to see what Game Freak brings for the future. I was worried I would be tired of going through Kanto again, especially after recently playing through Pokemon Red’s release for the 3DS, and after countless run throughs of Red/Blue/Yellow. Still, exploring this world in beautiful 3D environments on the big screen really changed the game. I also thought I would dislike the inclusion of the Pokemon Go mechanics for capturing and ‘battling’ wild pokemon, but ultimately I found it to be a welcome inclusion. By spending less time going through the battling motions outside of trainer battles and gym leaders, I found that my progression was faster and more entertaining. I enjoyed repeatedly capturing the same pokemon while leveling in an attempt to chain those Excellent Throws and work towards capturing Shiny or rarer pokemon. I don’t know how I would feel about including the Go mechanics in a mainline Pokemon RPG, but I do not think I would be opposed to it - I was genuinely surprised by how much I loved this change to the formula.

Plus any game I get to pet Eevee for hours is a plus. Nugget is perfection and I love her. Look at how happy she is!

#8 - Fallout new vegas

I’ll be honest - Fallout never really hit with me until I learned that they are my fiance’s favorite games. It was at her encouragement that I tried Fallout 3 a few years ago, and with her infectious enthusiasm it finally clicked - I fell into that hole and learned just how much Tunnel Snakes Rule. After spending many hours in Fallout 3 and then immediately jumping into Fallout 4 upon released, I had to take a break. Finally, I got to ‘the best one’ and committed to playing Fallout New Vegas this year.

And man, what a game it is. There’s really not much I can say about this game that hasn’t already been said by those my proficient with words, but I want to note on some of the wonderful things that stuck out to me: the writing and my choices. I really felt like my choices made a difference in this world, whether I was mercilessly destroying Caesar’s Legion or assisting the Boomers in their weird secluded life, it seemed like I was leaving an impact on this world. And even then, nothing ever felt right. The whole game is full of Grey Area choices. I ended up assisting the NCR in protecting Hoover Dam from the Legion’s assault, and even murdered Mr. House in a horrifying and grotesque scene, and even after the credits rolled I looked to Meaghan and asked, “Did I do the right thing?”.

Even with all the Bethesda Gamebryo Engine Jank, I can easily say that New Vegas is the best Fallout game this year. I never finished all the DLC, and I hope to go back to it sometime soon, as Meaghan and the internet assures me that these DLCs are the best parts of the game.

#7 - jackbox party pack 5 & 3

Every party, wedding weekend, or gathering of friends this year has led to the same place - “Let’s play Jackbox!”. Jackbox Party Pack 5 actually released this year, and I think it is full of some of the best games they have ever created. These games live and die by the creativity and social-outward levels of your friend group, but I am fortunate enough to have friends who excel in these fields. Whether we’re dropping sick rap battle burns on each other, or creating the funniest patents for our everyday problems this game will break your ankles with laughter.

It also helps that you don’t need controllers, or even videogame experience, to play this game. Anyone with a smart phone can play right out of your browser - you don’t even need to download an app. Even if someone’s phone dies mid-session you can use a tablet, a computer, anything that can run a browser - hell, I’m sure some smart refrigerators could even play this game. The games are simple to explain and anyone can play them. You know it’s easy when I can even get my family to sit down and play with me - my mother even liked Fibbage!

I included 3 in the title here as an honorable mention, because even though 5 came out this year, every party ends up going back to end the night on 3 because Trivia Murder Party is just too good.

#6 - Super Smash bros. ultimate

EVERYONE’S HERE!

No really, everyone is here, and more are still coming.
Smash Bros Ultimate is the best Smash since Melee on the GameCube. It is a wonderful collection of previous Smash games, bringing the entire roster history along the greatest hits of stages and music for a great party-game or competitive romp. This game, releasing late in the year, was a part of every gathering I attended this holiday season, and will probably continue to be so as time goes on. I am always down to smash in whichever way the group wants - I like Items, I like stage morph, I like playing competitively, I just wanna smash. On release day my friends and I played items on, with stage morph and final smashes on the wild and moving levels. Over Christmas, Meaghan’s cousins wanted to play no items on Omega Stages (flat levels) only. The great thing about the Smash series is that it’s fun either way, and this one is no exception.

The new characters and stages are also an excellent addition. Meaghan has never been a big Super Smash Bros. fan, but with the inclusion of Isabelle we got her hook, line, and sinker, just like her incredible fishing rod special. Now Meaghan and I casually play together, which is my ideal way to play.

Still, if you’re looking for a solid single-player experience, this is the first Smash to nail it in a while. I absolutely adore the ‘Monster Raising’ experience the Spirit Board and Adventure Mode provide. The way Nintendo has created ‘additional’ characters as the spirits is such a love letter to the entire Nintendo world. An early Spirit you encounter in the Adventure Mode is a ‘Guardian’ from Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Since Guardian is not a playable character, they emulate that by fighting a R.O.B. that is constantly in Giant mode that has a marked propensity for using his neutral special - the eye laser. This is such a clever way to emulate other Nintendo properties and discovering how and why they chose to design spirits a certain way is almost equally as fun as fighting them.

I do not have a lot of experience playing online because I’ve been fortunate enough to play in person with friends, but I am still undefeated except for one time playing duos with Ben - but we totally beat those guys again 3 times in a row ‘just to make sure they know.’ My Smash Tag collection continues to grow.

#5 - assassin’s creed origins

I’m late on this one, but man what a game. I think the last Assassin’s Creed game I played was Black Flag, but somehow Ubisoft manages to pull me back in. I have always loved the RPG genre, and as time goes on more and more things move towards one large uber-genre with RPG elements, and Assassin’s Creed is no exception. Still, I love watching the numbers go up. The new combat system along with the loot and stat increases got me to give Origins a shot, even after watching Meaghan play through the whole thing.

Being a not-new-game, most things have already been said regarding this one, but I want to focus on a few things: Egypt was an absolute pleasure to explore. Ubisoft has won numerous awards for their dedication and accurate portrayal of historical locations, even with their slight reworkings to fit their world - but I was blown away yet again. To climb, jump, and ride all through the dunes of Ptolemaic Egypt; almost always being able to see the Pyramids of Giza in the distance, or climbing a sand dune to see beautiful Memphis right over the crest is absolutely breathtaking.

I also want to highlight the story. Bayek’s is an incredible protagonist, probably my favorite since Ezio. His tale is a story of exclusively tragedy and heartbreak. The story is strictly a revenge plot for the death of his son, with most of the Brotherhood’s Origins being incidental to his cause, but that is hardly a disservice to the game because of Bayek’s portrayal throughout, and how his son’s death affects him. Bayek has many scenes with children throughout the game, and you can see how he is a stern but absolutely caring father who wants to see the children of Egypt thrive. I do not think I will ever forget Bayek screaming ‘SHADYA!’ to The Crocodile - a dark and powerful moment. His relationship with his wife, Aya (a playable character during some segments), is also drastically impacted by this tragedy, and watching how their relationship evolves is both touching and heartbreaking. I love the tie ins to the greater story across the series, seeing how the brotherhood is formed, why the symbol is an eagle, and the rad tie in to the Amunet mention of Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood.

Plus, one of my favorite moments in a videogame this year is a segment where the Creed’s logo is revealed/determined and Jesper Kyd’s “Ezio’s Family” swells in. It is an emotionally destroying scene, while also being so full of power.

#4 - Overwatch

We play so much Overwatch.

It’s not this year’s game by any means, but it is an ongoing game that continues to shift and change, and we played an absolute mess ton of it this year, so I’m including it. There are so many new characters and maps compared to launch, and it really feels like an entirely different game now. A new character this year, Brigitte, changed the game so much upon her release, slowing down some of the Dive characters while also just being incredibly fun to play. Wrecking Ball, another new character in 2018, is a hamster inside of a rolling ball with a grappling hook, allowing you to swing around any object to disrupt the enemy team. These wacky new additions that redefine the meta keep the game fresh and fun. Honorable mention to Ashe, the newest character to this year, who doesn’t shift up the metagame as much, but is just a blast to play, and she’s voiced by Jennifer Hale, which is a huge plus.

The game definitely has a polarizing community. The nature of a team game leads to toxic behaviour in others, and plenty of people will tell you to kill yourself because you missed that one shot as McCree, but I find that if you just keep light hearted about it and want to play because it’s fun, and not to exclusively win, it’s always a good time.

Meaghan and I continually make sure we play each competitive season enough to get our rewards (high gold for life!) and make sure we play each Event to unlock new skins, sprays, and voicelines. Almost every time we play after an extended absence we vocalize, “I forgot Overwatch is this fun.” and we get roped right back in.

And Tracer is still best girl. And hype for Atlanta Reign!

#3 - monster hunter world

They did it, they got me to complete a Monster Hunter game! I have been enjoying the Monster Hunter games since MH3U on the 3DS, but World is the first game that I have consistently enjoyed all the way through to completion. The streamlined nature of the game brought serious quality of life improvements that made reinvesting in the series so much more pleasant. Between gathering plants, mining ores, and collecting bugs no longer require holding on to special, breakable, equipment in your inventory, and being able to do these actions on the move makes each hunt far more enjoyable. Plus, playing in fully rendered HD environments is such an excellent change for the series that I do not think I can go back to playing a mobile version. The monsters, the environments, the weather effects, the computer-destroying particles of Teostra - it all looks absolutely incredible.

The combat is where it’s at though. Each hunt is basically a boss fight against the monster you’ve chosen to hunt, and each unique monster is just fun to go after. Of course there’s always going to be the monster you hate fighting, (I’m looking at you Kushala Daora) but the sense of accomplishment upon slaying it is an incredible rush. The (14!) multiple weapon types, with their multiple branching upgrade trees, make for thousands of different playstyles when tackling hunts, and for every weapon I’ve tried there is always a ‘that combo’ that feels so satisfactory to pull off, every single time. As a longsword player, the Spirit Helm Breaker combo looks, sounds, and feels amazing any time I manage to nail it, while also being a devastating slicing attack on the monster.

I played through most of this game with friends, and I think that is the ideal way to play this game. There are some hurdles you have to jump through to play through the plot missions together, but honestly I found so little of my playtime being these story hunts that this was hardly a problem for my group. Any time I was playing solo, I could also hop into hunts with random players online and found that to be an equally pleasant experience. I’m definitely going to continue to hunt into 2019, especially with the Icebourne expansion just announced! I’m hopeful to see my favorite monster, Zinogre, make an appearance!

#2 - Marvel’s Spider-man

Woah, woah, woah, Cole. What are you doing? Spider-Man at #2? That can’t be right! I know, I know.

Marvel’s Spider-Man is easily my most enjoyed game this year. It’s also probably my most played game this year, even though it didn’t realize until September. For those who may be reading this that don’t know me particularly well: Spider-Man is pretty much my favorite thing ever. I have been reading and watching Spider-Man since I was a toddler, I have continued to devour Spider-Man media since then, and I cannot think of a single character that I identify with more. Spider-Man means so much to me, as a person, and I am absolutely thrilled at what Insomniac has created here. This is my absolute favorite adaptation of Spider-Man and Peter Parker in any media ever.

They do so much right. It’s a relatively simple story, but what makes it so special is the absolute dedication to the character work and the most passionately crafted love-letter to Spider-Man fans. Not only is it a good game - it’s a good Spider-Man game. This is a game about Peter Parker just as much as it is about Spider-Man. Between juggling his responsibilities as the Webbed Wonder, his relationship with Aunt May and his ex, Mary Jane, his job doing Scientific Research, and the additional responsibilities and relationships he takes on as the game progresses - they really nail the dedication to the Spider-Man motto that everyone has heard a million times. The relationships in this game are established so well, and with the incredible performance of Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker you can see just how torturous every decision Peter is forced to make is. I bawled my way through the last hour of this game.

There are segments in the game where you play as other characters besides Spidey, and most people have panned the game for those segments. I understand the criticisms of ripping control away from the fluid and fun Spider-Man to play as a slow moving civilian for linear poorly-designed stealth segments. However, I feel like those missions, with the exception of one really poor Mary Jane segment, fleshed out the world for the greater story to exist in, and some of the more positive Mary Jane sequences were chock full of Spider-Man history easter-eggs I loved to track down. I was also very impressed with another character’s sequence towards the end of the game that forced you to see how large a threat certain members of the Sinister Six really were to non-super-powered civilians. I think there is something Insomniac could do differently for these parts in the story, but I would sorely miss them if they were removed in future titles.

So let’s get down to the meat of it - Swinging. That’s all anyone cares about in a Spider-Man game anyway. Spider-Man 2 revolutionized traversal in videogames, and this game definitely upped the ante. I know it’s a meme, and I know I’m repeating everyone else - but you do really feel like Spider-Man. It feels so good to be let loose in the city and to just ‘go’. And I’ve done it for hours at a time! I can put on a podcast, or spotify, and just swing and stop petty crimes all around the city, and it is a totally relaxing and cathartic experience. Swinging, Zipping, Perching, Launching, Diving, whatever - it feels spectacular to be Spider-Man.

I’ve also really enjoyed the small DLC campaigns. They are short and sweet, so I don’t want to talk too much about the plot, but I’ve been especially impressed with the Black Cat and the Silver Sable content. I just need an IV dripping of Spider-Man content constantly plugged into me, and I’m bummed to know the DLC roadmap is finished. A sequel cannot come soon enough.

Finally, the photomode is the greatest I’ve ever used in a videogame. I normally do not care about photomodes in games at all, but anyone who is friends with me on facebook is probably tired of the literal hundreds of photos I’ve taken of this game. Between dressing up in different suits, catching sweet combat moments, or just getting that perfect recreation of the Into the Spider-Verse dive, I can spend hours taking pictures of my favorite hero.

#1 - god of war

So we’ve come to the top of the mountain. God of War joins Spider-Man in the pantheon of my favorite games of all time. It is a hard decision to choose between the two as number 1, and I have honestly gone back and forth. I have equally enjoyed Spider-Man and God of War this year, but I think God of War is a better game.

God of War is a wonderful game about grief, loss, parenting, and what it means to tackle problems that cannot be solved by killing it. I had never played through the God of War games before, and I played through the entire Greek Saga earlier this year, as well, and to watch the evolution as Kratos changes from ruthless, killing machine to thoughtful, struggling father was a wonderful experience. The dynamic between Kratos and Atreus throughout the entirety of the story is exceptionally crafted. Upon completing the game and restarting it, you’ll begin to notice so many smaller details that you couldn’t have noticed on the first pass - such as the exact wording of The Stranger’s first visit to Kratos. To talk in any further detail about the story would be a disservice to those who have yet to play it, but ‘the boat ride home’ may be one of the most chilling and exciting moments in gaming this year.

The shift to Norse Mythology was a brilliant decision. I became so invested in the story and these Gods that I picked up Neil Gaiman’s ‘Norse Mythology’ in order to learn more, and to see how they decided to form fit it to the world Kratos lived in. Having Atreus and potential Character of the Year, Mimir, involved in explaining the wonders of this world to both Kratos and the player is one of the greatest ways to handle the world-building. I would set the controller down just before I had reached a destination as to not interrupt Mimir, so I could hear the rest of his tales.

Visually and auditorily I think God of War takes the cake this year. It is the most visually stunning game I’ve ever seen, and it is not afraid to use a wide color palette to really flesh out the tone of each realm. Switching realms with the Bifrost looks absolutely incredible, and it would make me forget that these were extensive loading screens, because there was so much to take in. The sound design is also some of the best of any game I’ve ever played. Any interaction with the World Serpent sounds guttural and deep, and the noises your axe makes as it is recalled to your hand is a satisfying THUD every time.

Speaking of the axe, it is probably my favorite weapon in a videogame. No matter how you’re using it, it is satisfactory to wield. Heavy attacks feel visceral and damaging, light attacks feel mobile and safe, while throwing it feels like you are a god of thunder yourself. Using the axe, not only as a weapon, but to solve puzzles is also a brilliant touch, and adds to the importance that the plot places on the weapon as well. When showing off the game to friends I would simply teach people how to throw and recall the axe, and that is enough to keep people entertained for a while.

God of War is a masterpiece and I cannot wait to see the studio has in store for us next. I’m ready to hear that old, familiar, ‘BOY!’ once more.