IGN SEA Mid-Year Review
2018 has been a year of up and downs.
The first half of 2018 has been moderately calm despite some blockbuster games sparking some hype in the early months. So far, it has not achieved the momentum of 2017 where we saw big hits releasing throughout the year spoiling gamers for choice and extending many of our backlogs.
The year saw the usual debates over loot-boxes, the rise of the battle royale genre and even hip-hop artists breaking records on Twitch. We even heard the first industry mentions of the next generation of consoles and witnessed an abundance of leaks on the road to this year’s E3.
We at IGN SEA thought that it was a good time to have a quick look back at some of the biggest games that blessed our gaming systems this year along with a look at the games releasing later this year that we can’t wait to get our hands on.
Staff picks for first half of 2018
While this year hasn’t been the most memorable, there definitely have been some gems that are worth mentioning alongside others that disappointed many of us.
Here are some of the games that the IGN SEA staff have had the chance to play:
Detroit: Become Human
Detroit: Become Human (PS4) - Quantic Dream (May 25, 2018)
"Although the premise is intriguing and the trailers were exciting, I did not expect much from David Cage's next project. The game is mechanically more diverse than Quantic Dream's previous titles and the story is more engaging that the past. Detroit significantly improved the narrative through actual consequential choices, but at the end of the day the game does not contribute anything revolutionary to the genre." - Alzaim Hassan
The Swords of Ditto
"An adorable dungeon crawling roguelite that feels like an ode to the classic Legend of Zelda, The Swords of Ditto did not settle with the dark and gritty settings of conventional roguelites and made its world vibrant and innocent with a simple good-versus-evil plotline. The Swords of Ditto’s appeal and charm comes from its cartoony art and sound design that you’d expect from a kids’ show, however, it still preserves the challenges of a roguelite with puzzles and monsters. This game definitely stands out amongst its peers in the indie game scene. I advise playing with a friend in the two-player co-op, it’s all the more exciting." - Jian Wei Khor
God of War
"Santa Monica's revival to a series that will be the envy of developers for many years to come. Building everything from the ground up, God of War delivers an amazing spectacle of an adventure shared between father and son taking on ever increasing odds from an unfriendly world. You have to admire just how much detail was put into crafting the overall experience from the rich Nordic lore in the story, the photo realistic environments and most importantly, the satisfying combat. Each facet of the production feels so amazingly unified and relevant to telling the tale of an aging Kratos as a father and his continuing internal struggle with his past actions as the God of War." - Calvin Khan
A Way Out
"The game is very unique compared to numerous co-op titles out in the market right now. The dynamic between the two main characters really drives the whole story to a T. Personally, playing this game with someone you care about is an experience." - Natasha Hashim
Monster Hunter: World
"The latest Monster Hunter is truly a phenomenal success. As of mid May, the game has shipped more than 8 million copies worldwide, and it’s THE best-selling game in Capcom’s history. With countless rave reviews from critics and players alike, if the PC version of Monster Hunter: World (which is scheduled to release this Fall) can retain the quality performance of its PS4 counterpart, it is on to a smooth sailing route to break more records. Ultimately, incredible gameplay and rich endgame content is what propelled the game to the pinnacle of its genre." - Freddy Tan
Moving AWAY from E3 2018
E3 2018 was itself a bumpy roller-coaster ride that featured some exciting reveals despite a few lackluster presentations. One thing’s for sure, the latter half of 2018 looks far more busy than before and will surely pick up the momentum as we progress towards 2019.
2019 will be seeing some exciting releases including Anthem, Days Gone, and Resident Evil 2, but there were plenty at the show revealing what we can expect in the upcoming months. Square Enix unveiled Just Cause 4 along with our first gameplay look at Eidos Montreal’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Many have agreed that Microsoft had the best conference of this year with Crackdown 3 confirmed for a 2019 release, Cyberpunk 2077 hacking in a new trailer, FromSoftware revealing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice as well as Microsoft announcing the acquisition of not one, not two, not three, but four studios and the formation of a brand new one.
Sony themselves unveiled brand new gameplay for the four games that headlined their conference, the reveal of Remedy Entertainment’s new project, another FromSoftware trailer for a PS VR title and a surprise trailer for Nioh 2.
We were also blessed with more Battlefield V news including a Battle Royale mode, lots of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey gameplay, and Star Fox in Starlink: Battle for Atlas. Of course, none of us will forget Nintendo’s lengthy reveal of the new crossover fighting game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate which will feature every single character that has ever been in the series.
Staff picks for the second half of 2018
But besides that, there are plenty more releases scheduled for the rest of the year that has us vibrating in anticipation.
Here are few that we at IGN SEA, are extremely excited for:
Fallout 76
"Bethesda’s upcoming multiplayer Fallout title is their first in-house online game for a franchise that is perfect for the setting. With the map being 4x the size of Fallout 4, return of settlement building that is possible almost everywhere, and the option to play with your friends in a large, dynamic open-world. Fallout 76 has a lot of potential and the fact that the game will include the narrative aspects that drive the single-player Fallout titles, seals the deal for me." - Alzaim Hassan
Octopath Traveler
"Octopath Traveler has me excited for the future of RPGs. Right from the trailers, I am already in love with the visual presentation and musical scoring which transports me into a whole other world. The combination of 16-bit graphics with polygonal environments in high definition is a massive plus point in my book and has me itching to explore every nook and cranny of this world. The option to choose one of eight protagonist’s with turn based combat harkens back to memories of old school Square games like Legend of Mana and Final Fantasy VI, both of which I have spent countless hours on. Having both Masaki Takahashi and Tomoya Asano from the Bravely series producing gives me confidence that this will be the game I buy a Nintendo Switch for." - Calvin Khan
Red Dead Redemption 2
"Red Dead Redemption 2 is Rockstar’s first original game in five years, and the first it’s built specifically for the current generation of consoles. Rockstar revealed that the environment and the people around you will be more realistic and interactive. In other words, the sequel not only demands you to observe the wild west world but for the players to truly immerse, interact in new ways, and create nuanced relationships with all NPCs. I personally hope that Red Dead Redemption 2 will live up to expectations and will transport us to the world of cowboys and outlaws in a holistic manner." - Freddy Tan
Telltale's The Walking Dead - The Final Season
"Telltale’s The Walking Dead started off strong in season 1 and 2, easily becoming one of the most iconic decision making games out there. It went downhill for me in season 3, the story had too many plotholes, Clementine didn’t feel like Clementine among other things. Here’s hoping that Season 4 of TWD becomes as amazing as it was in the first two seasons!" - Natasha Hashim
Of course, these are merely a tiny fraction of the 2018 games that all of us has played. There are undoubtedly many that has yet to be revealed (as was recently proven) and many more that we have been unable to try. This year has been a decent year for video games and we are excited for what the next few months have in store for all of us.
Let us know what other games we should check out before the year ends.
