Posted January 1st, 2019
Once upon a time, I said I was going to make a Top 10 list. Things happened, and it never came to fruition. The End.
OR IS IT?
Yes. For the first time ever, I’m making a Top 10 list! I finally going to break the mold and do something no other person on the internet has ever done! Let’s just jump right into it, like that one guy who jumps. Red Luigi I think his name was? I don’t know. I don’t play these garsh darn video simulations that these kids are into! Jk
For my first list, I want to focus on games that came out in 2018….. that many people even forgot came out this year. No seriously- these games came out this year. Yeah, I know. It’s crazy, huh? Whether they were just mediocre, or just released at a weird time, here’s 10 games that actually came out in 2018. Prepare to go “Huh. That was thing?”
10. Flashback
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One
Yeah. They ported a classic 25 year old PC/SNES/GENESIS game to the PS4 and the Xbone. They even put out physical copies of it! Don’t get me wrong- Flashback is a classic game of the “Cinematic Platformer” genre, along with other games like “Another World/ Out of this World” and the Oddworld games- it just seems weird porting a game this old to newer consoles with a full physical release. Who knows- this version could very well become a collector’s item, in the near future!
9. RBI Baseball 18
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Switch, iOS, Android
These entry goes on the list of “Wait- this series is still around?” Indeed, RBI Baseball, which started way back on the NES (or more specifically, the Family Computer) is still around today! In fact, they have been around since 2015 it seems. It even has the MLB’s blessing with actual licensed teams! Pretty crazy, huh?
8. Guacmelee 2
Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
This one’s kind of sad, really. Guacamelee 1 was a great Metroidvania where you played as a ordinary hombre who just so happens to get mixed up in a plot involving the land of the dead and magical luchodore masks- easily one of my favorite indie games from the last few years! And yes, a sequel was made… and apparently, its every bit as good as the original! However, I feel like a lot of people don’t know about it, sadly. Another game that flew under the radar. I have to look into this one- and you should too!
7. V-Rally 4
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Again- this was a thing? This one surprised the hell out of me, to be honest- V-Rally used to be one of the top tier rally racing game series, with great attention to detail, as well as boat loads of content, including a track editor in 2 that was just ahead of it’s time! No seriously- V-Rally 2 is easily one of my favorite rally games of all time! Jump forward to 2018, and lo and behold, V-Rally 4 was announced…. and no one seemed to notice. Hell, it even got a Switch release! Based on the reviews I’ve seen, however, it seems that it’s just “meh”- making it perfect for this list, I suppose….
6. Darksiders 3
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Ah yes. Darksiders. A game that blends GoW style combat with some witty Zelda-esque exploration and puzzles. A series that a lot of people like! Well, did you know that the third entry even came out this year? Yep, Darksiders 3 really did come out this year! From what I hear, the game has more emphasis on combat more then exploration, but eh, I heard it’s alright. Just seems like no one seems to care…
5. The Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Ah yes. Bard’s Tale. Wait…. am I starting to repeat myself here? Well anyways, The Bard’s Tale is a series of old-school dungeon-crawlers that go all the way back to 1985, in which the game used “3D” dungeons and animated character portraits, to name a few of it’s noteworthy contributions to the dungeon-crawling genre. Well, we got a new entry in 2018 and it’s, you guessed it- “okay, I guess”. An alright dungeon-crawler, according to steam reviews. So there you go!
4. Grip: Combat Racing
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
Remember Rollcage? In case you don’t, it was a very unrated and overlooked racing game back on the PC and PS1 where you drove this big-wheeled vehicles all over the place, sometimes seemingly defying gravity and what not. A cult-classic, through and through. Well, it looks like someone liked it so much that they made a spiritual sequel to it. Indeed, Grip: Combat Racing is a a send off of Rollcage, with flat vehicles with huge wheels flipping and flopping everywhere- with varying results. It has some good reviews on Steam, but other outlets were not as nice. Still worth looking into if you are a fan of the original!
3. Valkyria Chronicles 4
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
If your’re like me, your asking a few questions when you see this title. “Where did 2 and 3 go?” “What the hell was Revolutions then?” “This came out?” Yeah, VC 4 came out this year, and despite decent reviews… no one seems to care! It just sort of, you know, came out. Its up to you, the reader, to decide if this entry in this strategy RPG is worth playing!
2. Underworld Ascendant
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
Yet another “Spiritual Successor”, Underworld Ascendant was supposed to be the chosen one! Meant to be a sequel to the excellent Ultima:Underworld games, which revolutionized first person dungeon crawling way back in 1992, the game even had the original devs (Paul Neurath, Warren Spector) on board! Sadly, it seems that the game failed to meet expectations, with poor reviews across the board. You can find on various “Worst games of 2018” lists, but I put on this one because I don’t think a lot of people even realize it exists!
1. Fighting EX Layer
Platforms: PS4, PC, Arcade
I chose this as number 1 for a myriad of reasons. You see, Arika, the makers of this game, are actually pioneers in both 2D and 3D fighting games, as the companies founder, Arika Nishitani, helped create Street Fighter II. Yes- THAT Street Fighter II ! They also made hits like Street Fighter EX and the Endless Ocean games back on the Wii. They also made a somewhat obscure 3D fighter called Fighting Layer, which EX is pretty much a sequel to. This has to be the most left-field sequel/ spiritual sequels of all-time- did anyone expect such a niche company to resurrect such a niche title? It’s good thing, though, as the game seems to have decent reviews across the board. Worth looking into if your itching for a 3D fighter!
So there you have it! The overlooked! The obscure! The “why does this even exist” worthy games of 2018! Which are hidden gems, and which deserve to be forgotten? I’m going to let you decide!
So what did you think? Are these Top 10’s any good, or should I just stop? Let me know!
Gamer's Edge 