PLAYER OF THE YEAR?
A look back at the best of 2018’s games
I T’S that time again when we cast a wistful eye over the last 12 months and try to decide on the stand-out titles.
There have been arguments, tears and tantrums, but from the ashes of burnt friendships has emerged a definitive list of the games which rocked our world last year.
1 RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 PS4, XBOX One
I WAS determined not to follow the pack by putting Red Dead at number one – but who am I to argue with near perfection?
At its most basic it’s a cowboy simulator which allows you to live out your Wild West fantasies, but it is much, much more than that.
Beginning in the frozen wilds, Arthur Morgan, and a rag-tag gang of outlaws hunker down in an abandoned mining town, barely alive and out of food. It’s a slow, but calculated start to an ambitious campaign, teaching you the skills you’re going to need to survive the next 60 or so hours.
The game’s world is glorious – bustling towns, breathtaking vistas and windswept plains. Characters are beyond lifelike, stunning attention to detail making you experience real pangs of guilt when you accidentally kill someone instead of saying hello.
Your horse requires upkeep. Food, water, shoeing – it’s almost as time consuming as caring for Arthur, who requires baths, haircuts and shaves to make him even halfway presentable. The result of all this is almost complete immersion in the game’s world.
Rockstar has created a game like nothing I’ve played before, a landmark achievement sets a new standard for all that come after.
2 GOD OF WAR PS4
THE hero of the ultra-violent, ultraslick God of War games of the early 2000s gets a coming-of-age story.
The last time Kratos graced our consoles he was an angry, womanising, wine-swilling Spartan, wreaking vengeance on the gods themselves.
Now retired to the snowy wilds of Midgard, Scandinavia, The Ghost of Sparta stands older, calmer, wiser, mourning the recent loss of his wife and now sole parent to his son, Atreus.
With his wife’s final wishes still hanging in the air, the pair set off to scatter her ashes atop a distant mountain. The Norse gods however, have very different plans.
Gone are Kratos’ signature doublechained blades, replaced with the magical Leviathan Axe which swings out and can be recalled to his hand, à la Thor’s Mjolnir, with the touch of a button.
The fixed camera perspective has been dropped in favour of an over-theshoulder free camera, and RPG elements have been introduced to mix up the hack-and-slash action.
The relationship between Kratos and Atreus, and how it evolves during their journey is captivating. The old warrior is initially cold towards his son, irked that he has no stomach for combat.
As the story unfolds, you can see Atreus develop. From teary eyed youngster to impressive fighter – his well-placed arrows giving dad a tactical advantage on the battlefield.
The close quarter combat is exhilarating, every blow feels vital. But it is the father-son relationship which is the most impressive.
3 SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS PS4
ONE of a number of remasters released in 2018, the tale of a boy driven by grief is as heartbreaking today as it was in 2005.
You journey Wander, roaming an unknown land in search of a way to resurrect a girl named Mono, the victim of an awful ritual.
Wander asks the Gods to bring her back to him, but there is a price. Sixteen colossi roam the forbidden wilderness and if Wander kills them, he will resurrect Mono.
You aren’t setting out to kill these beautiful creatures to save the world, or gain revenge for an injustice. You are selfishly slaughtering the lonely beasts to bring back someone you lost. The landscapes are barren and still – the eerily foggy and understated maps a masterclass in effective minimalism, the subdued pale sun barely lighting the paths you walk. And the colossi themselves are breathtakingly beautiful in their enormity.
Bluepoint Games has done a beautiful job in preserving the original’s identity while the artwork shines on the new generation consoles, and there’s even a 4k version for the PS4 pro. This is a game which still feels incredibly special, a poignant tale about the destructive selfishness of grief and loss.
4 FORZA HORIZON 4 XBOX ONE, PC
ROLLING hills, sheep-filled fields and changeable weather – nothing sums Britain up more.
And that is the beauty of Forza Horizon 4, which so lovingly recreates the winding lanes of the British Isles, that you do feel a patriotic rankle when you see non-Brits driving on the right.
Gone is the tired ‘festival’ feel of previous games, instead there’s a simple progression system. Each vehicle has its own perks to unlock, which give you more experience points when you pull stunts like wheelspins and corner drifts.
There’s an astonishing roster of cars available for you to take for a spin – 450 to be exact, with more vehicles being added over time.
Unlike its AI-driven predecessors, Forza 4 takes places in a synchronised shared world, which more than 70 drivers can inhabit at once. If the thought of that leaves you cold, you can take the action off-line.
As with all driving games, it comes down to the experience behind the wheel, and that is where the Forza series has always excelled.
I was determined not to follow the pack by putting Red Dead at number one – but who am I to argue with near perfection?
From the smooth ride of a Ford Focus through the lanes of the Lakes, to the bumpy, off-road, teeth-rattling thrill of taking a Land Rover across the Scottish highlands, every car you climb into gives you a different experience.
Forza 4 has made me fall in love with driving all over again.
5 INTO THE BREACH PC
THIS year finally saw a new Pacific Rim film hit the cinemas – and I think it’s fair to say it was a tad disappointing.
What wasn’t disappointing was indie gem Into The Breach, a turn- based strategy game which is everything Pacfic Rim Uprising should have been.
The action plays out on a tiny 8 x 8 grid, at your command are three mechs – huge assault vehicles – which you must move deftly around the gaming area to defeat an invading army of oversized bugs (Vek).
On the surface it seems so straightforward, even its graphics are kind of beautiful in their simplicity – but that belies the true nature of the beast.
Different mechs feature different weapons and abilities, making a the tactical combat surprisingly deep and satisfying. This tense minimalism is the key to the game’s addictive nature. Bouts can last as little as 10 minutes, there’s no saving or reloading, you play in the moment – and that moment is exquisite.
6 MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN PS4
BEING a superhero is supposed to be fun, but there are so many games out there that miss that point. That’s not the case with Spider-Man.
For the first ten minutes of the game I ignored the story in favour of experiencing the unbridled joy of swinging thorough New York.
Combat is precise and frenetic, with clear cues taken from the Batman Arkham series. Stealth also plays a key role here, webbing-up goons and leaving them dangling from rafters and steel work before they’ve realised what’s happening is especially handy.
Beautifully rendered skylines, rippling rivers and neon lights combine to create a city so real, you feel like you’ve been there.
The storyline is rich and surprisingly moving in places, with Peter and Mary Jane struggling through their recent break-up while trying to remain friends.
They say with great power comes great responsibility, and developer Insomniac Games has taken that power and created an absolute love letter to Spider-Man fans.