2018 promises to be another great gaming year. Our colleagues from Gamer.nl have listed no fewer than 100 games that will be released in the coming year. The top 10 can be found here.
Want to read the whole list? Here you will find the collector's article with the links to all parts of the list.
10. Anthem
Developer: BioWare – Electronic Arts
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One | Release Date: Fourth Quarter 2018
The makers of Mass Effect and Dragon Age are coming in 2018 with a brand new game: Anthem. Like the aforementioned games, Anthem is an open-world action RPG, but that's where the similarities with BioWare's previous work stop. Anthem uses a 'shared' world, in which up to four players carry out assignments as Freelancers. This can be done together, but also alone.
The great asset of these Freelancers is their exosuits, called Javelins. These mechanical suits give players the powers of an average superhero. You can fly, dive, run faster and of course you are also resistant to a beating if you end up in a (fire)fight. The suits are fully customizable, so players can add their own touch to their Freelancer.
Good to know is that Drew Karpyshyn writes the story of the game. He previously wrote the story of games like Mass Effect 1 and 2 and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic; not BioWare's least work!
9. Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom
Developer: Level-5 – Bandai Namco
Platforms: PC, PS4 | Release date: March 23, 2018
After the enchantingly beautiful first part, we can again enjoy an rpg from the Japanese Level-5 next year. Although the studio has to do it this time without the help of Studio Ghibli, which so emphatically left its mark on the first Ni No Kuni, this second part seems to lose little of its magic.
That's not so crazy either. Studi Ghibli may not be involved in this second part, but the animation studio's former character designer, Yoshiyuki Momose, and composer Joe Hisaishi are collaborating on Ni No Kuni 2, and that shows in both the drawing style and the music. .
The lead role in Ni No Kuni 2 is for the young King Evan, who has been kicked out of his castle and is therefore building a new kingdom. You do this mainly by completing quests, but you also manage how you organize your kingdom and wage war with neighboring kingdoms.
8. Age of Empires 4
Developer: Relic Entertainment – Microsoft Studios
Platforms: PC | Release date: 2018
After the closure of Ensemble Studios in 2009, it seemed for a long time that there was no more Age of Empires in it. However, Microsoft Studios has found a new studio in Relic Entertainment to continue the series. And not just any studio, because with games like Warhammer 40,000 and Company of Heroes on its resume, the studio has enough experience making strategy games.
However, little is known about the return of the Age of Empires series. In the reveal trailer, shown during the last Gamescom, we see several empires rise and fall, including that of the Romans, the Spaniards and warring Indians.
7. Shadow of the Colossus (Remake)
Developer: Bluepoint Games – Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platforms: PS4 | Release date: 2018
Shadow of the Colossus was released on the PlayStation 2 in 2006 and that version was also released, in HD resolution, on the PlayStation 3 in 2011. However, on the PlayStation 4 we get more than just a jacked-up resolution; the game is really recreated this time around.
Bluepoint Games, which previously provided the HD reissue, has remained very close to the original. However, by recreating the game, the power of the PS4 is better harnessed with more beautiful assets. On the PS4 Pro, the game can also be played in 4K at 30 frames per second, or at 60 fps at 1080p. The controls have also been thoroughly overhauled so that Shadow of the Colossus plays more like other third-person games, although the classic configuration is also available.
In Shadow of the Colossus, you travel as a young Wanderer with your horse through a forbidden land, inhabited by a number of gigantic creatures. You have to defeat these colossi one by one to save a girl. Each colossus is, in fact, a puzzle in itself, with weaknesses that you must find and use. There is also the necessary climbing involved. Its setup, controls and ambiance made Shadow of the Colossus a unique game in 2006, and it looks like it will still be in 2018.
6. Far Cry 5
Developer: Ubisoft – Ubisoft
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One | Release date: March 27, 2018
Far Cry 5 takes place in a less exotic, but no less interesting location than the previous parts. In America's northwest, Hope County is run by the far-right religious family that calls itself Eden's Gate. At the head of the family is preacher Joseph Seed, who terrorizes the area with his radical thinking. As a new sheriff in the Montana area, the player must put things right and bring Joseph Seed to justice.
In Far Cry 5, that is of course not a matter of knocking on your door with an arrest warrant. Players will be given a variety of vehicles, including airplanes, to battle Eden's Gate. You are not all alone; the entire campaign can also be played in co-op.
5. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Developer: Moon Studios – Microsoft Studios
Platforms: PC, Xbox One | Release date: 2018
Ori, who didn't fall in love with the special first part? In Ori and the Will of the Wisps, the story of the white guardian spirit Ori continues as he explores the world beyond the forest of Nibel to discover his true destiny.
Like Ori and the Blind Forest, the second part is a true Metroidvania, in which unlocking new skills also unlocks new areas. Ori and the Will of the Wisps can be played (on Xbox One X) in 4K, further enhancing the game's beauty.
4. Spider Man
Developer: Insomniac – Sony Interactive Entertainent
Platforms: PS4 - Release Date: First Half 2018
Insomniac, known for Ratchet & Clank and Sunset Overdrive, has the honor of working with Marvel's Spider-Man. It is the first time that the studio is working on a licensed game, although the game is completely separate from the films and comics and Insomniac still enjoys quite a bit of creative freedom.
In this Spider-Man, Peter Parker is already a little older and more experienced than in, for example, the most recent film. He takes care of crime in the streets of New York, which you explore as you swing, crawl or run. New York has recently been ravaged by a group called the Inner Demons, so Spidey has plenty of work to do. In the game you also get Peter Parker without a costume under the controls, and his girlfriend Mary Jane Watson is also playable at certain moments in the game.
3. Detroit: Become Human
Developer: Quantic Dream – Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platforms: PS4 | Release date: First half 2018
Detroit: Become Human is visibly and palpably a spiritual successor to Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls. Quantic Dream's signature controls and storytelling are not to be missed. However, Detroit: Become Human is the studio's first game on the PlayStation 4, and therein lies its greatest asset. This time we really go in search of humanity.
In futuristic Detroit, robots have become commonplace, although they do not enjoy the same prestige as 'real' people. The robots – Androids – are victims of discrimination, although not all suspicions are equally unfounded when an Android occasionally goes haywire and does a lot of damage.
In Detroit: Become Human you play as different Androids in this world, and you enjoy a lot of freedom of choice. Not in what you do or where you go and stand, but in how you react to the world around you. For example, when confronted with domestic violence, there are many ways to confront or avoid the perpetrator, and as a hostage negotiator, you may choose to fully investigate the crime scene first and then analyze the information gathered. use it in the negotiation, or do you start the conversation right away and see where the ship runs aground.
The way in which it is played is therefore well-known, but the greatest progress is made in the field of graphics. The beautiful graphics and realistic (facial) animations naturally benefit a story game like this one. However, it remains to be seen how much influence all your actions and choices really have on the total story, because Quantic Dream does not have an unblemished reputation in that area.
2. God of War
Developer: Santa Monica - Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platforms: PS4 | Release Date: First Quarter 2018
Forget everything you know about Greek mythology, for we are leaving it destroyed and well behind us. God of War is really a fresh start for the series. Kratos has entered Norse mythology and is now accompanied by his son, Atreus.
God of War is not only very different from what we are used to in terms of setting, but also in terms of combat system. The Blades of Chaos are no longer chained to Kratos' wrists. This time, Kratos is armed with a large axe, which can be loaded with nature's elements, such as ice. Atreus also assists Kratos, for example shooting arrows to help his father. The collaboration between the two can be compared to that between Joel and Ellie in The Last of Us.
Despite all the changes, we do see one familiar face in the development of God of War. Cory Barlog is at the helm of this soft reboot and that's good news. He also led the development of God of War 2, arguably the best entry in the series.
1. Red Dead Redemption 2
Developer: Rockstar Studios – Rockstar Games
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One | Release Date: Second Quarter 2018
In our opinion, the most promising game of 2018 comes from the Rockstar Games stable. No new GTA this year, but a new Red Dead Redemption and gamers may seem even more excited about that. After all, it has been almost eight years since we were last allowed to play a virtual cowboy.
Just don't attach too much importance to the numbering. After all, it is already the third installment in the Red Dead series and it is also a prequel to the original Red Dead Redemption. That doesn't matter much. In Red Dead Redemption 2 you play as Arthur Morgan who, together with the Van der Linde gang, makes the west wild. They raid, loot and fight their way through the vast landscape, which includes swamps, forests, prairies and snowy mountains. A salient detail is that gang leader Dutch van der Linde was already in the first Red Dead Redemption. We are therefore very curious if John Marston will also make an appearance.
In addition to the single player adventure with Arthur Morgan, Red Dead Redemption 2 also has a multiplayer mode. That can hardly come as a surprise after the success of Grand Theft Auto Online. Details have not yet been announced, but as the release of Red Dead Redemption 2 is rapidly approaching, it may not be long in the future.
Despite the fact that the multiplayer is still shrouded in mystery, and we have also seen relatively little of the single player, Red Dead Redemption 2 is very promising. Rockstar rarely makes childish games anyway (both literally and figuratively), but their last game, Grand Theft Auto 5, dates back about four and a half years and was also developed for the previous generation of game computers. That game was later also brought to the PS4, Xbox One and PC, but only with Red Dead Redemption 2 Rockstar will really show their muscles on the current generation of consoles. This towering anticipation makes Red Dead Redemption 2 number one in the Top 100 of 2018!
The Top 100 of 2018 has been compiled by the entire Gamer.nl editorial team. The lyrics are written by Erik Nusselder, Arthur van Vliet, Erwin Vogelaar, Michel Musters and Lars Cornelis.
