Top 5 Best games of 2018

As we reach the business end of 2018, we reflect on a year that has provided plyers with another formidable line up of top games packed with beat saver, Pokemon let's go etc That is if you can tear yourself from Fortnite of course.

Beat Saber 

Platform PS4 (PSVR) Developer Hyperbolic Magnetism

What is it? A heart-thumping rhythm-action game that has you sweeping lightsaber-esque blades to whack coloured boxes in time to a thumping electronica soundtrack.

Why we love it You duck, spill and swing, crossing your arms in an almost clockwork snap. It feels brilliant, even though you assuredly will look daft to anyone on the outside.

Pokemon let's go Pikachu & Revert

Platform Nintendo Switch DeveloperGame Freak

What is it? The perfect stepping stone for new Pokemon trainers drawn in by the phenomenal success of Pokemon Go, this full-fledged RPG has you travelling the colourful world of Kanto. Catch ‘em all, or battle to be the Pokemon champion.

Why we love it Let’s Go is accessible and fun, drawing on the catch mechanics of Go and streamlining some of Pokemon’s more idiosyncratic traits. But it is a pleasure for veterans aswell, the reimagining of Pokemon Yellow making for a breezy nostalgia trip with enough challenge in the end-game to keep you busy.

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Hitman 2

Platforms PS4, Xbox one, PC Developer Io Interactive

What is it? Fully formed sequel to Io's successful reboot of its classy assassin series.

Why we love it Hitman 2 continues the fine work of 2016's episodic series. In many ways this is more of the same, particularly when you get a generous helping of that game included as legacy content. But when the business of being an assassin is this inventive, exciting and deliciously twisted, business as usual is fine by us. 

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Tetris Effect

Platform PS4 Developer Monstars Inc/Resonair

What is it? Tetsuya Mizuguchi's synaesthetic spin on the classic puzzle game.

Why we love it The timeless, block clearing core of the game remains fully intact, but Tetris Effect somehow builds gorgeous landscapes around those falling blocks; whizzing between space, sandswept dunes, swimming with dolphins and beyond. Despite the beauty of the surroundings, Tetris Effects keeps you in the zone with stunning soundscapes that react to your moves, with the speed of the falling blocks dictated by the tempo of the track. On the TV, it's brilliant. In virtual reality, it is utterly transporting. And, yes, all this from a 35 year old puzzler.

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II-II Memories Retold

PlatformsPS4, Xbox One, PC Developer DigiXart/Aardman

What is it? Not your usual bombastic war game, but a delicately told tale of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances on both sides of the war effort. Elijah Wood's Canadian photographer Harry naively joins the war effort to impress his love, while Sebastian Koch's more grizzled German engineer Kurt is searching for the fate of his son.

Why we love it It is an intriguing melancholic tale, underpinned by gentle puzzling and action sequences, similar to Life is Strange or the erstwhile Telltale's line of narrative adventures. But perhaps most arresting, certainly at first glance, is that gorgeous painterly art style; a dreamy, melancholic tableau of smudged paint and ink.

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