Well, this was certainly an eventful year for gaming. We’ve had games released this year that are regarded by many as titles that will define this generation of consoles. God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Marvel’s Spider-Man all stood out as titles we’ll remember for years to come. Unfortunately, 2018 was also home to some of the worst big-name titles in a while. Metal Gear Survive, Sea of Thieves, Fallout 76, and Battlefield V failed in almost every possible way to capture gamers’ hearts this year. So with 2018 coming to a close, we at The Nerd Stash wanted to share our favorite (and least favorite) games of the year:

Taylor Cole

Game of the Year: Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 is simply extraordinary. The game features breath-taking visuals, a compelling narrative filled with stellar voice acting, gameplay that will demand your attention for hours at a time, and an impressive amount of care from the developers at Rockstar. This is truly a Game of a Generation title in my mind that has created a new standard for any future Rockstar titles…wait, scratch that. It has created a new standard for any open-world game going forward.

Runner-Up: Marvel’s Spider-Man

If it wasn’t for Red Dead Redemption 2, I feel that Marvel’s Spider-Man would be many gamers’ choice for Game of the Year. This is the quintessential Spider-Man experience. Insomniac Games nailed the freeing feeling you should have while swinging around New York City. What makes Marvel’s Spider-Man stand out isn’t its great visuals. The web-swinging. Or the free-flowing combat akin to the Rocksteady Arkham series. That lies with the game’s story. The narrative of Marvel’s Spider-Man is, for the lack of a better word, amazing. It weaves in notable villains and side characters so seamlessly that you never feel like your missing out. It helps that the game features some of the best voice acting performances I’ve ever seen from the Spider-Man franchise.

Worst Game of the Year: Fallout 76

 

Whew. Where do I begin? Fallout 76 is the biggest disappointment in 2018 in my opinion. And I’ve played Sea of Thieves. That’s really saying something.

This game is filled with unacceptable bugs from previous Bethesda games, microtransactions that would make you die a little on the inside, and less than average gameplay. If that was all this game burdened onto me, I would have probably gone with Rare’s Sea of Thieves for this coveted spot. But, and I can’t stress this enough, Fallout 76 is an absolute bore to play. At least in Sea of Thieves, you can “make your own fun” for a few hours before the tedious missions and boredom kicks in. In Fallout 76, the tedious missions and boredom hit you almost instantly. You’ll find yourself ignoring the holotapes, which is how you follow any story elements, just so you don’t put yourself to sleep by playing this god-awful game.

  • Best Indie Game: N/A
  • Best Multiplayer Game: Fortnite
  • Best E-Sports Game: Rocket League
  • Best Fighting Game: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
  • Best Sports/Racing Game: Forza Horizon 4
  • Best Performance: Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker, Marvel’s Spider-Man
  • Best Narrative: Red Dead Redemption 2
  • Best Score: Far Cry 5
  • Best Artwork/Visuals: God of War
  • Best Xbox One Game of the Year: Forza Horizon 4
  • Best PS4 Game of the Year: Marvel’s Spider-Man
  • Best Nintendo Switch Game of the Year: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Dylan Haas

Red Dead Redemption 2 is unlike any game that I’ve ever played before. It’s strange because the game itself isn’t what I would typically call “fun”. It’s filled with minutia, slow pacing, and sometimes questionably long animations; all of which might infuriate some (and it certainly did). But, Red Dead Redemption 2’s biggest success is finding meaning in all of its very deliberate actions, even though they were polarizing within the whole gaming community. Take that and add an enthralling story, impressive character performances, incomparable vistas, and you get something that is truly special. It is the most beautifully immersive game I’ve ever played and has set the bar high not only for open-world games but for future games in general. Red Dead Redemption 2 is, by far, my game of the year.

Runner-Up: God of War

God of War surprised me. I was a big fan of the original games…until they took a nosedive after the series’ third installment. The soul of the franchise was lost and I wasn’t convinced that we’d see a day where we got another great God of War game. That all changed when the “reboot” of God of War was revealed at E3 2016 and Sony Santa Monica reignited the hope within its fan base. Case and point, God of War surpassed all expectations that I had for it. A shockingly heartfelt narrative brought out a new side of Kratos that we had never seen before, transforming him into an actually likable character. The environments and art that encompassed the world were awe-inspiring. Its unrivaled combat mechanics and no-cut camera set a new standard for single-player games and cemented God of War as one of 2018’s greatest gaming moments.  

Worst Game of the Year: Metal Gear Survive

Where to start with Metal Gear Survive? I think the best way to describe this disaster of a game is that it’s pretty much made up of Hideo Kojima’s unfinished leftovers (and let me tell you, they were left over for a reason) from Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. The fact that the series could make the jump from a masterpiece like MGS V to this thing is beyond comprehension. Metal Gear Survive is, at its core, a repetitious slog where you (and perhaps the friends you tricked into playing this game) build bases and defend them against hordes of zombies. It’s a game that has been done before, except those that came before it did it so much better. Metal Gear Survive just isn’t fun and it is a shame that this title has the Metal Gear name attached to it.

  • Best Indie Game: Celeste
  • Best Multiplayer Game: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
  • Best E-Sports Game: Rocket League
  • Best Fighting Game: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
  • Best Sports/Racing Game: Forza Horizon 4
  • Best Performance: Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker, Marvel’s Spider-Man
  • Best Narrative: Red Dead Redemption 2
  • Best Score: God of War
  • Best Artwork/Visuals: Red Dead Redemption 2
  • Best Xbox One Game of the Year: Forza Horizon 4
  • Best PS4 Game of the Year: God of War
  • Best Nintendo Switch Game of the Year: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Connor Evans

Game of the Year: God of War

It is very rare for me to pick up a game with the level of hype I had for God of War and have it live up to my exceedingly high expectations. With God of War, those expectations were so extremely high that them being succeeded must mean that developer Santa Monica Studios made truly something special. God of War enraptured me in its world, made me care about every character no matter their level of importance to the story, and engrossed me in its deep combat at every moment. For a game to succeed so highly in every category without one overstepping the other is a testament to how much love and care was put into this game. As the year winds down, and I look back on the fantastic games I got to play, God of War has remained at the top of my list for the year, and one of the finest games of this generation.

Runner-Up: Red Dead Redemption 2

I have a ton of problems with Red Dead Redemption 2. I want to state this right off the bat because I think it sets the tone for everything I’m about to say. Even with all of its imperfections, it is still a game that I look back on so extremely fondly, that I can look past the parts I didn’t enjoy and see it for what it truly is. Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the most deeply enriching stories ever told in video games, with a gorgeous and lifelike world with a cast of characters I fell in love with. Arthur Morgan is a man I felt that I knew inside and out as I watched his story unravel. Even after the credits have long since rolled, I find myself thinking about the lessons learned, the hearts broken, and the incredible journey I went on in Red Dead Redemption 2. Even though the gameplay is more than lackluster, I believe that the sum of its parts makes Red Dead Redemption 2 a must play for anyone in 2018.

Now, I can’t speak too much about Fallout 76 because it didn’t take much time for me to give up on the title. But from what I did play, it’s an unprecedented disaster. Fallout 76 is a title I found myself defending upon its announcement at E3 up until official gameplay was released. How could you not be down to live in the Fallout universe with some friends and muck about!? As I saw the first previews I realized that the inclusion of multiplayer would likely not be able to save what was shaping up to be a shell of what Fallout once was. Fallout 76 is a broken, boring, lifeless, mess that should be skipped by anyone who values their time and money. A true disappointment.

  • Best Indie Game: Celeste
  • Best Multiplayer Game: Fortnite
  • Best E-Sports Game: N/A
  • Best Fighting Game: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
  • Best Sports/Racing Game: Forza Horizon 4
  • Best Performance: Roger Clark as Arthur Morgan, Red Dead Redemption 2
  • Best Narrative: Red Dead Redemption 2
  • Best Score: Marvel’s Spider-Man
  • Best Artwork/Visuals: God of War
  • Best Xbox One Game of the Year: State of Decay 2
  • Best PS4 Game of the Year: God of War
  • Best Nintendo Switch Game of the Year: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Scott Roepel

Game of the Year: Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

Pillars of Eternity II includes two of my favorite things in one; Dungeons and Dragons and role-playing. I’ll add sailing to the list as well because it’s a joy to explore the seas and open world of the game. Pillars is packed full of rich lore and detailed history. Delving into the plot felt like reading a fantasy novel. The characters you interact with on your ship, and in your party, each have their own back-story and it’s entertaining to choose who will join you on the next journey. The combat is quick and changes with each encounter. Depending on which characters you decide to bring with you, each fight will be different. While reports may show sales were low for Obsidian Entertainment’s second installment of the series. It’s got tons of content worth exploring more than once and there are enough side quests to keep you playing for hours. I feel the developers rolled a natural 20 with Pillars of Eternity II.

Runner-Up: Shadow of the Tomb Raider

I’m a fan of solving puzzles and Shadow of the Tomb Raider does not disappoint. It’s a game about exploring the unknown and delving into the past. I’m a history nerd and am a sucker for myths, legends, and lore. The main story was intriguing and engaging. With each new clue discovered I felt myself becoming more invested with the plot. Not to mention the amount of content found outside of the main story. Searching and collecting for gear and items feels like being on an actual expedition. Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal understand how to write a great narrative.

I hate labeling it as the worst game of the year, so let’s go with the most disappointed. Going into it I didn’t have high hopes, I told myself it is another Fallout game but with multiplayer. Yes, my review for the game may have shown it as lackluster, but I still enjoyed exploring the Appalachia wasteland. Walking into the unknown still feels like classic Fallout. Discovering how settlers died or why an area is full of robots is interesting, but it launched way too soon. Bethesda needed to put more time into Fallout 76.

  • Best Indie Game: Gris
  • Best Multiplayer Game: Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
  • Best E-Sports Game: Overwatch
  • Best Fighting Game: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
  • Best Sports/Racing Game: Forza Horizon 4
  • Best Performance: Earl Baylon as Jonah, Shadow of the Tomb Raider
  • Best Narrative: Pillars or Eternity II
  • Best Score: Gris
  • Best Artwork/Visuals: Gris
  • Best Xbox One Game of the Year: Eternal
  • Best PS4 Game of the Year: Marvel’s Spider-Man
  • Best Nintendo Switch Game of the Year: Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee!

Hopefully, 2019 will be an even better year for gaming. Xbox may have some slick new exclusives to showcase following the acquisitions of many independent studios in 2018. PlayStation will most likely continue their dominance in the single-player market with games like Death Stranding and Days Gone. Nintendo will also surely continue to thrive with their ever-so-convenient Nintendo Switch. Along with all of that, both Microsoft and Sony are rumored to announce their newest consoles that will definitely put a heavy dent in our wallets. It’s safe to say that 2019 is shaping up rather nicely.