As the office’s resident gamer, I was asked to write about the best games of the year for holiday gift giving. Happily, it was a very good year for exceptional game releases.
God of War
Winner of this year’s Game Awards for Game of the Year, Best Game Direction and Best Action/Adventure Game, this reboot of a much-loved action franchise took the frankly one-dimensional Spartan god-slayer Kratos, aged him, moved him to Scandinavia, and gave him an emotional storyline. Wonderful acting features Christopher Judge (Stargate SG-1) as Kratos and Sunny Suljic (Mid-90s) as his troubled son Atreus. Acclaimed for its engaging combat and beautiful art direction, it is a must-play title of this era. (Playstation 4 exclusive)
Red Dead Redemption 2
The long-awaited sequel to the 2010 western adventure also did well at this year’s Game Awards, winning for Best Narrative, Best Score, Best Audio Design, and Best Performance for lead actor Roger Clark. Certainly the best looking game this year, Rockstar Games’ designers created truly stunning vistas and landscapes that would rival any western artists’s work. If you’ve ever wanted to rob a train, get in a fight in a saloon, or face down the local gunslinger in the street, this game gives you plenty of opportunity. Following just the main story in the game clocks out at 65 hours! (Playstation 4, Xbox One, PC)
Marvel’s Spider-Man
Spider-Man has been the subject of countless video games over the years, the most of any superhero character. The quality of these have been a mixed bag for varied reasons. This latest Spider-Man game however, gets everything right. Excellent story, gameplay and mechanics. Nominated in several categories at the Game Awards, though not winning a single award, often beaten out by the games previously mentioned in this article. Not just one of the best superhero games ever made, it’s one of the best games ever. Play it in memory of Stan Lee. Excelsior! (Playstation 4 exclusive)
