From the time a developer begins production on a game, it can be several years before the project is played by the public. While many studios can not predict exactly when their game will come out at the time they start development, every now and again it seems like several studios met up to plan an incredible year of game releases.
Although each year has its share of incredible titles, 2018 stands apart from the rest as the best year of gaming in the past decade.
10 Sonic Mania Plus (91)
When the first Sonic game hit store shelves, the lovable blue hedgehog was immediately accepted by gamers. Created as a competitor to the Mario series, Sonic quickly became the mascot of Sega in the 1990s. For many years, however, Sonic games have been lacking in quality. While a few of the recent titles took the hedgehog in some interesting directions, Sonic Mania was the return to form that many of the fans of the titular character needed.
Although the original title released in 2017 digitally, Sega rereleased the title as a physical game named Sonic Mania Plus in 2018. In addition to all of the previous content, fans of the 2018 game unlocked a new character, a new stage and new modes.
9 Inside (91)
Inside is a beautifully crafted independent puzzle game. The story focuses on a boy as he travels through the strange environment around him. Although the original title released back in 2016, the game was later ported to the Nintendo Switch on June 23, 2018. During the initial launch of the title, Inside was able to grab several awards including The Game Awards and Game Critics Awards' 2016 Best Independent Game.
8 Bayonetta 2 (92)
Four years after the original Bayonetta, PlatinumGames released the follow-up. While the original title was playable on several platforms, Bayonetta 2 was released worldwide as a Nintendo Wii U exclusive. Since then, Bayonetta 2 has only been released on one other platform. On February 16, 2018 the game was released on the Nintendo Switch. While the original version of the game holds a score of 91 on Metacritic, the 2018 Switch version was able to capture a score of 92.
7 Divinity: Original Sin II - Definitive Edition (92)
Divinity: Original Sin II - Definitive Edition collects everything from the original title, as well as, all of the downloadable content released after. When Larian Studios' game first launch, it was able to sell over one million copies within its first month. While the game was nominated for Best Role-Playing Game at the 2017 Game Awards, it ultimately lost to Atlus' Persona 5.
6 Forza Horizon 4 (92)
When it comes to online racing games, it is hard to compare to Playground Games' Forza Horizon series. Building off the previous installments in the franchise, Forza Horizon 4 took what fans loved about the Xbox Games Studio title and refined it. Although the entire series is known for its remarkable visuals, Forza Horizon 4's graphics made Great Britain one of the greatest looking settings in the video game medium.
Over the course of 2018, Forza Horizon 4 won several awards, such as Game Critics Awards' Best Racing Game, Gamescom Awards' Best Racing Game, Golden Joystick Awards' Xbox Game of the Year, The Game Awards 2018's Best Sports/Racing Game, Titanium Awards' Best Sports/Driving Game and Australian Games Awards' Sports, Racing or Fighting Title of the Year.
5 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (93)
Although Super Smash Bros. started as a crossover of famous Nintendo characters, the series has gone on to become one of the best celebrations of videogames. Along with the several Nintendo characters in the game, Super Smash Bros Ultimate allows fans to fight as Pac-Man, Cloud, Ryu, and several other non-Nintendo videogame characters. While the game did exceptionally well at launch, selling three million copies in the United States in the first eleven days, Bandai Namco Studios has continued to release amazing downloadable content.
4 Undertale (93)
Undertale is an independent role-playing game set beneath the earth's surface. While many video games are created by several developers, Undertale is the creation of one man, Toby Fox. Throughout the story, players are given the opportunity to make decisions that will alter the game's narrative. Although the original title released back in 2016, the game was later ported to the Nintendo Switch on September 18, 2018.
3 Celeste (94)
When Matt Makes Games released Celeste, the indie platformer took the video game community by storm. Throughout the first year, Celeste won multiple awards including The Game Awards' 2018 Games of Impact and Best Independent Game.
Although the game's art style is nothing that stands out for an independent platformer, the message within the story has made Celeste one of the most memorable platformers to date. While many games serve an impactful message, the themes of discussing depression, anxiety, and overcoming failure made Celeste's story stand out.
2 God of War (94)
While many games, movies, and TV shows are revived, rebooted, and reimagined each year, not many are as successful as 2018's God of War. While the series up until this point focused on Greek mythology, God of War centers its story firmly in Norse mythology. Although the premise of the game is simple, accompany Kratos' son Atreus to the top of a mountain to spread his mother's ashes, the complications they meet along the way lead to the incredibly rich character development of both main characters.
1 Red Dead Redemption 2 (97)
Eight years after the original Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar Studios released the follow-up to the beloved Western. Set at the turn of the twentieth century, Red Dead Redemption's Wild West setting is arguably the most captivating world ever created in a video game. More importantly, however, is the remarkable story Rockstar created in that world. Led by protagonist Arthur Morgan, Red Dead Redemption's story focuses on a man trying to atone for his sins while the world he knows begins to fall apart. With an amazing cast, story, and setting Read Dead Redemption 2 quickly became the second-highest-grossing launch of any entertainment in history, just behind Rockstar's other videogame Grand Theft Auto 5, and Metacritic's top-rated game of 2018.