20 Best Video Games Of 2018 (So Far)
8. Kingdom Come: Deliverance
A staggeringly detailed and nuanced, historically accurate first-person RPG, Kingdom Come is the first game from Warhorse Studios, headed up by ex-Mafia 2 coder, Daniel Vavra.
Telling the ragged revenge tale of one Henry, the son of a blacksmith from a small invaded town in 15th Century Bohemia, Deliverance's most unique aspect is how real-world accuracy carries through to gameplay.
Want to learn how to use a bow and arrow? You're literally not given an aiming reticule, and must instead "get a feel" for where your shots will go over time. Hunting is as simple as crouch-advancing and looking for scurrying rabbits in the undergrowth, whereas combat requires specific attack and block directions - plus hours of training and weapon sharpening.
The reward for surmounting so much challenge is like nothing else. Nailing a stealthy headshot from the brush because you "knew" where your arrow would fly is fantastic - and that's before you see Henry's story through; a very well acted tale of rubbing shoulders with nobility and turning the tables on those who wronged you.
An alternative to Elder Scrolls in terms of world detail and player agency? Remarkably, Warhorse pulled this off.