The Best Games of August 2018
Honorable Mention: Overcooked 2
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Assistant Editor Tom Hopkins: The first Overcooked game proved that a simple cooking game could be more stressful than anything else you could play. Cooking some burgers alongside some family members would lead to fighting, screaming, and a lot of laughing, and the sequel takes that up a notch.
It adds a load of new, complex dishes, such as sushi and cakes, and the chaos is amplified by ever-changing dynamic levels. The sequel even adds online multiplayer into the mix, allowing you to play with or without the vital ability to communicate. Overcooked 2 is a lot of silly fun, even if you’ll be re-creating that Gordon Ramsey ‘Idiot Sandwich’ meme in no time. Make sure you’ve got some friends of family members to play with though, because it can be a punishing and frustrating experience on your own.
The Best Games of August 2018
Honorable Mention: WarioWare Gold
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Reporter Greysun Morales: WarioWare Gold truly pushes the series to its limits with the biggest collection of microgames that the series has ever seen. With the addition of voice acting for the entire cast of kooky characters, it really adds an extra layer of depth to their personalities and stages. Even after completing the fairly short campaign, we kept going back for extra challenges to unlock all of the little unlockables that WarioWare Gold has to offer, which there are a lot of. The worst thing we can say about this zany microgame collection is that it’s unfortunately stuck on the 3DS, and not on the Switch, but fortunately, this game is a strong reason to pick up the handheld system once again.
The Best Games of August 2018
Honorable Mention: Madden NFL 19
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Editor in Chief Ed McGlone: Yes, yes, I know what lots of you are thinking. “Madden NFL 19 is just another yearly sport game, it’s the same thing every year”, blah blah blah. Listen the yearly sport release model has its issues, that’s for sure, but all the developers, EA Tiburon, can do is work within these non-ideal confines, and try to put out a competent football game year after year. Madden NFL 19 doesn’t fix what isn’t broken, and adds valuable content in all three of its popular game modes: Longshot, MUT, and Franchise.
In brief: Longshot despite my reservations, actually had an entertaining second season thanks to Colt Cruise. MUT found a way to make useless cards helpful finally, and dramatically improve the grind, and Franchise got a much needed short in thanks to the player archetype system.
Until a revolution in the sports video game genre happens, all you can realistically expect developers to do is provide a little something for every type of player, and Madden NFL 19 delivers in that regard.
Game of the Month for August 2018: Dead Cells
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Assistant Editor Tom Hopkins: Roguelike games have seen a resurgence over the past few years, with varying degrees of success. Dead Cells, the new game from Motion Twin, combines incredibly satisfying gameplay with roguelike and metroidvania design to create one of the best entries in the genre in years.
Everything in Dead Cells is beautifully seamless. The combat is often intense and challenging, but within minutes you’ll be jumping and rolling through the stunning levels with ease due to the traversal’s fluid and forgiving nature. In each ever-changing run, you’ll also be faced by a variety of enemies. Each one requires a different approach, adding a tactical element to the game beyond the construction of your load out. Then, as you defeat them, you spend Cells between levels to improve and help you on your next run.
The compelling loop of kill, upgrade, die, and improve, mixed with the incredibly satisfying combat and traversal, make for a wonderful experience that’s so difficult to put down.
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That does it for our August 2018 Game of the Month. Congratulations to Dead Cells! What do you think were the best games from last month? Let us know in the comments.
