- 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: 30 – 21
30. FIFA 19
Yawn. Another FIFA, right? Not so fast. EA Vancouver has pulled out all the stops to bring about a genuinely unique soccer experience, and one that reins in the simulation and settles on the unabashed pace and frenzied style of the beautiful game instead.
Sure, the Career Mode is still pretty much the tried-and-tested formula we’ve gotten used to over the past decade, but Ultimate Team is as compelling as ever, and now has a greater lease of life thanks to its Division Rivals feature. Whether you want to lose a whole weekend to Weekend League or just fancy a handful of games in a week, you’re guaranteed to have some bonuses and packs waiting for you at the end of it. Less reliance on microtransaction, more of a focus on fun. Perfect. Fancy another game?
29. Dusk
A late entry into our GOTY list, Dusk has popped up at the tail-end of 2018 and surprised us with its faithful but original spin on ’90s first-person shooters.
Throwing players into a Doom-esque battle for survival against a host of nameless monstrosities, Dusk is a fast-paced thrill ride in a gloomy world of violent enemies. It’s also an excellent revisitation of a genre that’s receiving an unexpected resurgence as of late, though developer David Syzmanski’s take is surely the frontrunner in this nostalgic revival.
28. Minit
Minit is one of those games that sucks you in right from the get-go. The gimmick of only being able to stay alive for sixty seconds at a time is brilliant, forcing players think about the paths they take and what to prioritize. The minute-long lives are used to create various time-based puzzles, as well as humorous encounters with friendly and enemy NPCs. Though it’s clearly inspired by classic top-down Zelda games, Minit carves a niche for itself with a mechanic that elevates the gameplay beyond what has come before.
27. Warhammer Vermintide 2
Warhammer Vermintide 2 improves on everything that the first game brought to the table, providing a fantastic four-player co-op adventure through hordes of enemies. Warhammer fans will be pleased by the story elements, though in-depth knowledge is not required.
A generous pool of weapons and solid progression system keeps the gameplay fresh. The loot system is also better than most, helping to give a boost to replayability. It’s this kind of gameplay that made Left 4 Dead such a hit, combined with a loot system that fuels that “Oh, just one more time!” addiction.
26. Ni no Kuni 2
Ni no Kuni 2‘s adorable kingdom building and great action RPG combat made it one of the top games of 2018. The world of Ni no Kuni 2 is deceptively cute, though. Regicide, intrigue, and betrayal are hallmarks of its story, and you’ll find yourself becoming more and more involved in Evan, Price of Ding-Dong Dell’s story as you play.
25. Hitman 2
A lot of games let you murder people but few let you murder people while wearing a pink flamingo suit. Or a dancer completely decked out in denim. Or someone who looks like the pope of Scientology. Whatever your preferred murder outfit, Hitman 2 offers an impressive amount of ways to assassinate your targets.
And while the series has always been an open playground of nearly limitless possibilities, Hitman 2 is the most refined version of it. Large levels haven’t lost their luster nor have the opportunities that still gleefully ride the line between sadistic and hilarious. Agent 47 has been everyone’s favorite barcoded hitman for almost two decades and Hitman 2 shows that he is still at the top of his game.
24. Just Cause 4
Just Cause has always been about dumb fun but Just Cause 4 is the most dumb and the most fun. Rico Rodriguez’s upgraded grappling hook now also comes equipped with balloons and boosters that give you an unprecedented amount of control over your environment.
Slapping a few balloons and boosters on a car and watching it cartoonishly spin around is always worth a chuckle, but using those same tools to create a flying death tank is not only hilarious but practical too. Its large sandbox gives ample opportunities to engineer different contraptions and, combined with the agility of the wingsuit and parachute, make for one of the most liberating open worlds out there.
23. Dragon Ball FighterZ
Dragon Ball has received multiple game tie-ins over the years of varying quality, though Dragon Ball FighterZ drops a Spirit Bomb on all of them. Lifting the art style straight from the anime series, Arc System Works put together an extraordinarily fast-paced fighter that doesn’t overlook accessibility in favor of flashiness.
FighterZ makes it easy to pull off flashy moves, allowing players of various skill levels to replicate the over-the-top Dragon Ball action. An original story guides players through conflicts with various fan favorites, while its roster presents a who’s who of Dragon Ball heroes and villains both new and old.
22. Tetris Effect
Who knew that regular ol’ Tetris could feel so fresh in 2018? Tetris Effect doesn’t reinvent the wheel, though by providing a take on the block-busting puzzler that leans heavily into the audiovisual element of the series, it’s as addictive as it has ever been. Weekly challenges and a variety of game modes shake things up considerably, giving players even more reasons to keep returning to an excellent spin on a classic game.
21. Pillars of Eternity 2
It’s Obsidian making an isometric RPG. What more could you want? Pillars of Eternity 2 brings a cocksure confidence that few games from 2018 can match thanks to its stellar combat, which vastly improves on the original, a real strategy bent that’ll test even the most hardcore of RPG vets, and plunder. Lots and lots of plunder.
Even if this doesn’t look like the game for you at first glance, Pillars of Eternity 2 is something you’re going to want to check out. It’s endlessly addictive and is filled with generous helpings of content that’ll keep you amused, entertained, and enthralled right until the final credits.
- 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
