Top 5 Games of 2018

Merry Christmas, everybody! After almost a year of inactivity, I finally published a blog post. This time, it's a countdown of my favorite games of the year, something that I haven't done since 2013. I wanted to do one for last year, but I saved all of my energy for my Top 10 Films of 2017 instead. That changes this year.

I can't say 2018 offered a great quantity of titles like 2013 did, but from what I experienced, I think it's worth talking about. It had its share of highly-praised AAA titles, but also some good indie games as well. I haven't played them all due to my busy life, but the ones I did definitely inspired me to take up making this Top 5 list. Without wasting any time, I present my favorite games that have come out this year.

5. Spyro Reignited Trilogy

I haven't played the Spyro trilogy for the PS1 until this year, and I had a blast with all of them. The collecting is addicting, the gameplay is rewarding, the music is catchy and atmospheric, and the games are just overall charming that the nostalgic value is well-deserved. It was there that I looked forward to playing them again, remade (not remastered) from the ground up, like the Crash Bandicoot trilogy.

This is a faithful recreation of the first three Spyro games. The environments are all familiar, but a lot more detailed and filled with vibrant colors that enhanced the overall sense of wonder. The character redesigns are all spot-on and appealing, especially with characters like Elora and Bianca. The music by Stewart Copeland is nicely redone. There's even an option to switch to the original recordings if the player wants to, something which the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy should have done.

The collection even went out of its way to make a few minor improvements. For example, you can detect gems with Sparx across all three games and not just in Year of the Dragon. You can rotate the camera with the right analog stick instead of the shoulder buttons, which is a plus. Heck, the additional playable characters like Bentley and Agent 9 in Year of the Dragon are a bit more fun to play as.

If you have never played the Spyro trilogy, I say give the remake a go. You get three great games with great graphics, more expressive and playful animations, and addicting gameplay. Hopefully this will pave the way for a much brighter future for everyone's favorite purple dragon.

4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

With how huge the Super Smash Bros. series is these days, it is quite inevitable that Ultimate was among the most anticipated titles of this year. After all, everybody (and I mean "everybody") is back for some fun and nonsensical mascot fighting. And what's that: even more characters like Simon and Richter (Castlevania), Isabelle (Animal Crossing), and Ridley (Metroid) are joining the roster? Count me in!

I had a blast with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and I can easily say the same with this one. The mechanics are familiar and easy to pick up on. You even start out with the original fighters like in the first game, meaning you have to earn the rest, which I thought was welcome. It was a bit tedious to unlock all the fighters, but it was worth it. In case anybody is wondering, my mains are Bayonetta, Captain Falcon, Cloud, Simon, Richter, and Corrin.

The amount of single player content is pretty good, from Classic Mode to World of Light. I haven't finished the latter story mode (which I hear will take a while), but I can say that it's a nice change of pace, with the Spirits offering a good amount of strategy. And of course, the multiplayer is definitely fun with friends. The online aspect could use some work, but maybe later updates will fix that.

This is pretty much a great celebration of the nearly twenty years of entertainment that the series has brought to us. Everything from the character roster, single player content, and multiplayer really does make this the ultimate Super Smash Bros. experience.

3. Red Dead Redemption II

Red Dead Redemption is one of my favorite games of the decade. The story is epic and engaging, the characters are memorable, and the open world gameplay rivals that of the Grand Theft Auto series in terms of content. With that, I was pretty excited for a follow-up in the form of a prequel, set years before it. Despite a few hiccups that prevents it from being a 10/10 game like many journalists say, this was a satisfying entry.

I will say that it did have a slow start, which made me dread that the rest of the game was like this. Thankfully, that wasn't the case, as the game does open up after an hour of gameplay and the freedom of exploring the Wild West is just as enjoyable as before. The amount of content in the game's map is phenomenal, resulting in hours of play.

The story, for the most part, is gripping, filled to the brim with good characters, both new and returning. We see Dutch's gang in its prime and (since it's a prequel) its eventual downfall that will then set things in motion for the first game. It also talks a lot about trust, family, and the rise of civilization that contribute to the fate of the gang.

What keeps me from loving it more than its predecessor, though, are some pace breaking moments. Did we really need to pick up weapons from our horse every time we get off of them? Did we need extra animations for looting bandits? Did the Guarma chapter have to happen? Despite those gripes, Red Dead Redemption II has a lot going for it, not just for its story and gameplay, but other aspects like the score, lighting, and cinematography. The praise is well-deserved and I'm glad I played it. Hats off to Rockstar for another excellent open-world game.

2. Spider-Man

We've had our share of good Spider-Man games this century. Spider-Man 2 alone was a great indication of what you can do with the web-slinger in the video game world. However, as great as it is, it does leave room for improvement. After many years, Insomniac Games gave us their take and knocked it out of the park. This is hands down the best Spider-Man game ever made and one of the best superhero games of all time (Arkham what now?).

It's easy to compliment the gameplay, which I will. This is an open-world Spidey game that is easily perfected. Navigation by web-swinging is absolutely intuitive; by the first minute of playing, it's easy to pick up on it. The combat, once you get past the learning curve, is varied and satisfying. The amount of side activities is numerous that not just adds an incentive to collect stuff, but makes the world of this game come alive and add lore. Also, unlocking various costumes is awesome and I want to thank Insomniac Games for recently adding the Sam Raimi suit as part of an update.

The story is thoroughly engaging, filled with action, comedy, drama, and suspense. The characters and villains are all well-written and fleshed out that makes this world come even more alive. Along with Yuri Lowenthal's breathtaking performance, this interpretation of Peter Parker is endearing and funny and captured the struggles of balancing his double life.

Need I go on? This is the best Spider-Man game ever made. If more sequels are happening, I'm totally on board, so long as they have the same amount of heart and passion put into this one. Without a doubt, this, as well as the movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, made it a great year for Marvel's most down-to-earth superhero that will continue to endure for years to come.

1. Celeste

Ever had a game that came out at just the right time for you? That's Celeste for me.

Like Spider-Man (PS4), this was a game that I could not put down, even after beating it once. The amount of precision platforming made this a tough, but fair game. You'll die a lot, but you respawn just as fast, making death feel like a slap on the wrist. Very rarely have I ever played a difficult game that made me say "I can do this." There's even a good amount of content to go through after finishing the main game, like collectables and unlocking harder versions of the main levels, giving it a great amount of replay value.

The presentation is also spot-on. The score by Lena Raine is among my favorites of all time. It's not only for its instantly memorable tunes, but also the atmosphere it provides. The sprite-based art direction helps give it a retro but ultimately timeless feel, having a look that it can call its own.

Best of all, the story is simple but very effective. The minimal amount of characters it does have are nicely fleshed out and compelling, from Madeline's character arc to the comic relief of Theo. It also tackles the themes of depression and anxiety and how to cope with it. As I got further, I saw myself in Madeline's shoes. This game was released at a time when I came to the realization that I have depression and anxiety, and playing this only just touched me on a deeply personal level.

If you haven't played Celeste yet, you owe it to yourselves to do so. It's challenging, rewarding, heartfelt, and therapeutic. It is one mountain-climbing journey that I will never forget. And that's one for the favorites list:

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas. Tell me in the comments on what your favorite games were that came out this year. Stay tuned as I cap off the year with my Top 5 Films of 2018. In the meantime, I'm gonna think about having to wait a month for Kingdom Hearts III.