top 5 games

Just Cause 4

I’ve been a fan of the Just Cause games for a long time, and I’m aware there are some issues with the latest installment of the series. Still, Just Cause 4 is the best blowing-stuff-up simulator I’ve ever experienced. Like all the previous games, Just Cause 4 is unapologetically fun and nonsensical. I love ripping fuel tanks out of the ground with balloons and launching them at enemies with tiny rockets. I love parachuting onto a jet as it streaks by in order to hijack it. I especially love flinging enemies a hundred meters through the air with a grappling hook. Just Cause 4 is just fun. (Buy on Humble Store)


Dead Cells

I don’t usually like roguelike games, but Dead Cells sucked me in. I hate it, but I love to hate it. This is a “Metroidvania” side-scroller with retro graphics and modern flair. You start in a dungeon and have to fight your way out through an ever-changing maze of levels crawling with danger. You will die a lot, and you always start over at the beginning when you do. However, you can slowly unlock new weapons and items that make you a bit more powerful each time. The limited progression mechanics help sooth my inevitable rage when I get splattered by a trap or unexpected foe, and the tight gameplay keeps me coming back. (Buy on Humble Store)

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

I feel torn about the latest installment in the Assassin’s Creed series, but I can’t deny it was one of the best games of the year. I miss some of the stealth elements from older AC games, but the combat in Odyssey is fantastic. It’s an absolute delight to explore ancient Greece, and I appreciate the inclusion of some of the piracy mechanics I grew to love so much in Assassin’s Creed 4. The gameplay is good enough that I sometimes forget that Ubisoft is trying to get me to drop more money on microtransactions every five minutes. I also have some issues with the storytelling, which is unreasonably ham-handed at times. Still, it’s the best Assassin’s Creed game in years. (Buy on Humble Store)


Diablo III: Eternal Collection

Diablo III is not a new game, but it’s new on the Nintendo Switch in 2018. It’s the same dungeon crawling experience that launched in 2012 with all the DLC bundled together. Diablo III has character classes to suit every play style — wizard is the only correct decision, though. Blizzard knows how to keep you engaged with lots of loot drops, leveling, and new enemies to defeat. It’s still one of the best action RPGs available, and it runs well on the Switch. (Buy on Amazon)

Forza Motorsport 7

While Motorsport 7 isn’t new for 2018 (and it was on my 2017 list), that doesn’t mean it hasn’t changed. Forza has elected not to try to pump out an entirely new version this year, but scads of new vehicles have been added, as well as new types of racing like the Experimental Drag Racing feature. The visuals are still plenty impressive, and you have a lot of flexibility configuring the driving experience from an almost Mario Kart like extreme to a fairly sophisticated simulation of actual vehicle dynamics. (Buy on Amazon)