20 Best Video Games Of 2018

20. Octopath Traveller

A snappy as hell JRPG throwback to the mid-90s heyday of the genre, Octopath opens with some fantastically written segments, setting up each of your eight characters with defined motivations and placements in the world.

Combat is just as forthright and engaging, letting you build up damage multipliers by using specific attacks, only to let loose after a few turns with some screen-shaking specials. Graphically it's a head-turner thanks to meshing 2D sprites with 3D backgrounds too - a style that connotes the old-school, but keeps the pace of gameplay, merchant interactions and dialogue rolling by at a solid pace.

Sadly, the second half dissolves into busywork and grinding to get everything moving again, though that doesn't detract too much from an overall package loaded with care, charm and great script ideas.