2017 was the best year for video games I have ever lived through, and even though 2018 doesn’t look to have the breadth and variety last year did, plenty of good games are still being released.
The Nintendo Switch will look to expand its library with some more exclusives, like new Yoshi, Kirby and Fire Emblem games possibly releasing this year. The Nintendo Switch will most likely see more ports and indie games this year to tide over the fan base until bigger games like the new Pokemon and Metroid Prime 4 release in a couple years. The PlayStation 4 has a variety of exclusives out this year as well, such as “Yakuza 6: The Song of Life,” and will get all of the multi-platform games that usually come out every year. The Xbox One will have a couple games release exclusively to the system, like “Sea of Thieves” by Rare, but the meat and potatoes of the year for the system will be the multi-platform games.
One of the few fighting games releasing this year is “Dragon Ball FighterZ,” and it looks gorgeous. Coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC Jan. 26, the game features many characters from the famous Dragon Ball franchise like Cell, Goku and Frieza. The game is developed by Arc System Works, the renowned developers of fighting game franchises like Guilty Gear and BlazBlue. Arc System Works is a well-regarded fighting game developer, so if you are a fan of the genre, be sure to keep this game on your radar.
“Monster Hunter World” looks to bring the series finally into the realm of the West when it releases Jan. 26 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and later in the year on PC. The franchise has had releases in Japan before, but this game is the biggest and most accessible to possibly bring more fans to the franchise. The crux of the game is that the player hunts monsters, and after defeating these monsters, uses parts of their body to make new armor and weapons. The series is known for having a lot of content, and many creatures to defeat, so look to be able to spend a lot of time in this game.
One of the best games of all time, “Shadow of the Colossus” is getting a remaster for PlayStation 4 on Feb. 6. The remaster does not include any new colossi, but the game looks significantly better than the PlayStation 3 remaster. The only enemies in this game are the colossi, but the colossi are basically puzzles. It is a puzzle game in a way, where players try to find out how to hurt the colossi that are in front of the player. This game will hopefully be the best version of one of the best games of all time.
A sequel to a cult hit is coming to PlayStation 4 and PC on March 23 titled, “Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom.” The original game was lauded for its story and visual style, the latter having been created by the famous Studio Ghibli. However, the combat of the original was the worst part of the game. The sequel brings back the gorgeous visual style and interesting story, and changes up the combat to become more hands-on, giving the player more control in the battle. If you love role-playing games, then “Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom” is the game for you.
Video games are not always just products of big companies anymore. Sometimes it is the result of a few people making a game they want to make. That is the story for “Agony,” a horror game set in Hell. Coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC on Mar. 30, “Agony” puts the player in control of someone that is trapped in Hell and has to make their way through the land of the afterlife to escape. Similar to the Outlast series, there is not much combat in the game, so the player has to hide from the enemies. If you like horror games like “Outlast,” then “Agony” has to be something to look out for.
The God of War franchise has gotten a reboot, with the new game, just titled “God of War.” Coming exclusively to PlayStation 4, instead of focusing on Greek mythology, this installment will focus on Norse mythology. It also changes how the combat of the series works. Instead of the hack-and-slash the series is known for, the game’s combat requires some thought which series loyalists may not be excited for. Players cannot button mash and hope to win. The series looks to have changed enough to make this installment seem to be a whole new game, and that’s exciting.
One series that has not had a new entry in a while is Mega Man. There has not been a new entry since the release of “Mega Man 10” in 2010. “Mega Man 11” will change that. Releasing on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, it brings the series back to its roots. Just like the games on the old Nintendo Entertainment System, “Mega Man 11” will have players face a group of robot masters, then take their powers and use them on the other robot masters. If you’re a fan of classic video games, “Mega Man 11” is for you.
“Red Dead Redemption 2,” the sequel to one of Rockstar Game’s best games, releases later this year on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. “Red Dead Redemption 2” is a prequel to the original game and is the first game released by the acclaimed developer since “Grand Theft Auto V.” After a ridiculous year for video games in 2017, if the new game is to the standard of “Grand Theft Auto V,” then “Red Dead Redemption 2” should easily be the Game of the Year for 2018.
