The year is coming to an end, with us closing the door on 365 days of new games and finally deciding on the best games of 2018. It’s been a spotty year for the industry, with the occasional stone cold classic being interspersed with a bunch of disappointing games or releases that didn’t quite hit the mark. However, there were plenty of titles that still impressed us greatly, and as GameRevolution always wants to go one step further, we devised the most comprehensive Game of the Year list you’re going to find.
In this year’s extra special top 50, we wanted to balance the big hits with the under-the-radar gems, providing an unparalleled overview of the year in video games. These games were selected by the GameRevolution editorial team, with us carefully considering the placement of each entry in order to best reflect our staff’s top picks. It turns out that we run a pretty democratic Revolution over here.
While our number one choice was a lock-in this year, there were plenty of movers and shakers throughout this list and a great number of games that you probably wouldn’t expect to see. Read on for GameRevolution’s top 50 best games of 2018.
- Best Games of 2018: 50 – 41
- Best Games of 2018: 40 – 31
- Best Games of 2018: 30 – 21
- Best Games of 2018: 20 – 11
- Best Games of 2018: 10 – 1
Best Games of 2018: 50 – 41
50. Gris
Gris is a treat for the eyes and the soul. The visuals evoke a watercolor painting and tell the story of a girl who has lost her voice. Gris must travel through a mysterious world full of ruin to find her voice and overcome her personal trauma.
This platformer isn’t challenging, but it’s not quite a walking simulator either. There are puzzles to solve, some light jumping, and at times the path splits into multiple routes. The real attractions are the excellent visuals and soundtrack, though. If you want a game to chill out to Gris is a great addition to your library.
49. Pokemon Let’s Go
Nintendo always loves a bit of nostalgia but never has a trip to the good ol’ days been as fun and as accessible as Pokemon Let’s Go. Taking the core elements of Pokemon Yellow and bolting on a few cool Pokemon Go features, Game Freak has managed to create a nice stopgap between the seemingly stagnating series and the promise of a fully-fledged Pokemon RPG next year.
For new fans, too, there’s no better time to jump in and catch ‘em all. There’s a surprisingly engaging co-op mode, the ability to transfer ‘Mon between Let’s Go and Go, and even the chance to feel like you’re actually unleashing your inner Ash Ketchum (or Red, if you’d prefer) with the Poke Ball Plus accessory.
48. WWE 2K19
WWE 2K19 finally delivers a proper story mode, replacing the tedium of previous entries with a rags-to-riches tale that sees players transforming from an indie darling into a bonafide WWE Superstar. With several wild twist and turns that fell in line with some of WWE’s wackier storylines, 2K19‘s MyCareer is stuffed with fan service.
2K Games also introduced the series’ largest roster yet, filled with grapplers from sports entertainment’s past and present. Then there’s its robust creation suite, allowing players to create everything from their own wrestlers/unholy abominations to belts, match types, and more. While old-school fans will continue to fly the flag for the Nintendo 64 classic WWF No Mercy, WWE 2K19 surely grabbed the heavyweight title this year.
47. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Instead of diving into a bale of hay like usual, Assassin’s Creed dove head-first into the RPG genre with Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. This tale set in Ancient Greece may have been overly stuffed with a ton of missions and side content to explore, but it was at its best when it scaled down and focused on its narrative.
Odyssey stripped away much of the series’ baggage in favor of an intimate story about a family. Whereas most Assassin’s Creed stories are about the bigger picture, Odyssey keeps its central characters in the forefront at all times. Its mashy swordplay and glut of content may not be high points for the series, but its commitment to character sets a new standard for all future assassins.
46. Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology
A re-release of a 2010 Nintendo DS RPG may not set the motor running straight away, but if you walk on by Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology you’re missing ou on one of the best JRPGs of a generation. Taking a page (more like a whole book) from Chrono Trigger and laying on a charming graphical style and a more nuanced combat system than even that 1994 classic, Radiant Historia serves as proof that reports of the Nintendo 3DS’ demise are greatly exaggerated.
45. Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Closing out Lara’s rebooted trilogy, Shadow of the Tomb Raider doesn’t stray too far from what made her recent series such a success: Tombs are there to be raided, gear upgraded, and various locals are disposed of (are we sure she’s an archaeologist?) as Ms. Croft fights to recover a treasure even her father couldn’t get his hands on before his untimely death.
Sure, it’s a case of treading old ground in places, but Shadow of the Tomb Raider keeps things fresh in other ways. There are more settlements and public places, for one thing. These bustling areas create a better sense of place and space than perhaps any other Tomb Raider in history as you make your way deep into the jungles of Paititi. The challenge tombs, too, are some of the best in the series and will have you wiping the sweat from your brow before you’ve even got close to nabbing any treasure. A fine goodbye, to be sure – until next time, Lara.
44. Into the Breach
This indie mech strategy game plays out a lot like Advance Wars. Your team of three has to take down aliens before they can kill the cities containing the last of humanity. The challenge in Into the Breach comes with mastering your team’s movement and attack abilities and using the small number of resources at your disposal most effectively.
43. Bomb Chicken
A chicken pooping bombs isn’t a particularly exciting idea, but somehow Bomb Chicken made it into one of the most fun little puzzle games of the year. Bomb Chicken is an adorable, fat hen, and you’ve got to keep her from becoming food by bombing your way through a fast food factory and creepy temples.
42. Jurassic World Evolution
When Planet Coaster creator Frontier Developments announced it was developing a Jurassic Park sim, we knew it was going to be good. While Jurassic World Evolution didn’t match the quality of the studio’s previous release, watching dinos wreak havoc on your park patrons is wonderfully chaotic. You’ll chase down a T-Rex in a chopper after it has headbutted its way through its enclosure, desperately attempt to lock your raptors away after a power outage, and occasionally let a carnivore freely roam its surroundings mowing down tourists just for funsies.
Its relatively simplistic park management mechanics may make it lot more fun to approach the game like the power-hungry Dr. Henry Wu rather than the peaceful John Hammond, but being able to breed and monitor a variety of unique dinosaurs is also rewarding in its own right. Though the Jurassic World film series may be a pale imitation of the original Jurassic Park, Jurassic World Evolution was a great spiritual successor to 2003’s Operation Genesis and a must-play for dino fans.
41. Far Cry 5
Far Cry 5 presents players with more of what was seen in Far Cry 3 and 4, only cranked up another notch. The fictional Hope County in Montana, USA is the playground this time, and offers many unique opportunities for zany missions and high-octane antics.
It is more of what makes Far Cry so great, only now with co-op fully supported within the story. This is a huge step in the right direction, as having fun with a friend makes the chaos of Far Cry even more intense and exciting. Main villain Joseph Seed is yet another fantastic big bad, who successfully follows Vaas and Pagan Min. Then there’s the Far Cry Arcade mode, which allows players to build their own maps using assets from various Ubisoft games, before playing them in PvP or co-op.
- Best Games of 2018: 50 – 41
- Best Games of 2018: 40 – 31
- Best Games of 2018: 30 – 21
- Best Games of 2018: 20 – 11
- Best Games of 2018: 10 – 1
