The year is slowly coming to a close, which means that the battle for the 2018 Game of the Year has officially begun. So far, the first half of 2018 brought us some phenomenal games… One notable release, which is the top contender for the 2018 Game of the Year, is God of War. However, while God of War may be towering above many of its opponents at the moment, it could face some major contenders… Some which have not even been released yet.
As we are heading toward the end of the year, there are still a number of games that could potentially dethrone Kratos and “Boy” from the top spot. That’s right, God of War is going to have one hell of a fight this year as the following games could potentially sneak in and steal the spotlight.
Red Dead Redemption 2
One of the biggest threats to God of War is Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2. Earlier this year, Rockstar released gameplay footage of this highly anticipated title… and to be honest, it looks spectacular. The game places the player in a beautiful open-world setting that follows Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang.
After a robbery goes badly in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him.
From a story and gameplay point of view, it looks as though Red Dead Redemption could potentially knock God of War out of the top spot.
Marvel’s Spider-Man
Marvel’s Spider-Man is looking like a mighty fine game. Everything from its vast open-world to its absolutely incredible combat system screams game of the year contender. As stated by the developer, it will receive frequent DLC content in order to keep things fresh. To add to this, it will also be packed with some very familiar villains as well as a number of challenges to keep players entertained for quite some time.
For those that don’t know, Marvel’s Spider-Man is the first licensed game to be developed by Insomniac Games. It is also a game that follows an alternate timeline. That’s right folks, Peter Parker, this time around, is a scientist and not the crime-fighting photojournalist we all know and love. Thankfully this is not an origins story as well, as Parker has been Spider-Man for eight years, within the plot, and has settled into his role as protector of New York City quite comfortably.
With a beautiful open-world setting, fantastic combat mechanics, and gorgeous visuals… Marvel’s Spider-Man is a big contender for this year’s Game of the Year. Marvel’s Spider-Man launched on September 7, 2018, on the PlayStation 4.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Lara Croft is back and even more brutal than before. Released on September 14, 2018, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the sequel to the rather excellent Rise of the Tomb Raider. Developer Eidos Montreal has gone from strength to strength when it comes to the Tomb Raider games, which definitely places Shadow of the Tomb Raider in a fantastic spot to swoop right in and steal this year’s title of Game Of the Year Award.
This time around, Lara must master a deadly jungle, overcome terrifying tombs, and persevere through her darkest hour. As she races to save the world from a Maya apocalypse, Lara will ultimately be forged into the Tomb Raider she is destined to be.
From what we have seen, Shadow of the Tomb Raider sets to kick things up a gear when it comes to combat, graphics, storyline and its open-world setting – which looks absolutely gorgeous. To add to this, it looks as though Lara and the franchise have moved into a more mature space in order to make Tomb Raider the game it was meant to be.
Detroit: Become Human
Quantic Dream surprised us all with the release of Detroit: Become Human. Not only is this one of the best games we have had the pleasure of playing this year, it is also one that we would recommend as a “have to purchase” title.
Originally released on 25 May, 2018, Detroit: Become Human follows the stories of three androids… Kara who escapes the owner she was serving to explore her newfound sentience and protect a young girl; Connor whose job is to hunt down sentient androids; and Markus who devotes himself to releasing other androids from servitude.
While Detroit: Become Human has already released, it is a title that features a powerful narrative and truly interesting characters as well as gameplay mechanics. While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea… it is a worthy contender for Game of the Year.
The rest of the pack
While Red Dead Redemption 2, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Detroit: Become Human, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider are some of the biggest contenders looking to beat down God of War for the top spot… we cannot exclude excellent titles such as: Monster Hunter World, Far Cry 5, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and Fallout 76 from the list.
Do you have a Game of the Year contender? Let us know if the comments section below.
By: Darryl Linington
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