Predicting The Game Of The Year Shortlist For 2018
This generation's best year for games, but who rules the roost?
From Spider-Man's rejuvenation as a video game icon to God Of War ditching the blockbuster action for quiet character moments, 2018 has been an exceptional year for gaming. We've seen notable studios put out some of the best work of their career, watched future-classics take form, and have witnessed exactly what the modern generation of consoles are capable of when pushed to their limits.
There's no doubt it's been a year of great achievements, but as we reach the end of 2018, we have to ask which ones will come out on top?
Regardless of which game receives the momentous honour of being crowned the top dog of arguably this generation's best year for games, it's worth seeing what the lineup for 2018's biggest prize will look like.
Although we've not had the chance to play them all yet, we now have a wide enough scope of this year's biggest names to be able to make a solid guess at who could be holding that trophy come December.
10. Monster Hunter: World
When Monster Hunter World released earlier this year, many didn't expect it to catch on as quickly as it did. The Japanese franchise's first worldwide entry on modern consoles picked up fans with ease due to its crazy combat, addictive upgrade systems, and grand boss fights. It's the definitive Monster Hunter game and definitely should be considered as one of the best titles of the year.
Everything in this much-anticipated sequel is given a giant bump in scale, whether that be the size of its terrifying beasts or the intensity of your battles with them.
It's simply the natural next step for a sequel, and with the ability to go to war with monsters online with your friends, this sequel turns the core experience of the series into a social experience like no other while simultaneously retaining all the complexity which made fans fall in love with the franchise.
It pulled in incredible scores from critics, sitting with one of the most impressive Metacritic scores of the entire year, while it also managed to find ground with fans. Looking at the games that have endured throughout the year, Monster Hunter World is easily one of the biggest trends of 2018 and easily deserves to be called one of this year's best.