Best PS4 Games of Q4 2018
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
With Assassin’s Creed Odyssey the series goes back the furthest it’s been in history yet, taking place in Ancient Greece during the Peloponnesian War and it was among the best PS4 games during the back end of Q4 2018.
Odyssey uses the same systems and stylings of Assassin’s Creed Origins, advancing the formula with a more robust combat system, more meaningful choices, romance options, and more.
In truth, Odyssey feels like the full realization of what Origins got started, tightening and refining almost each and every aspect from the previous game. You play as Kassandra or Alexios a Misthios, or mercenary, with a dark past and powerful bloodline.
Odyssey has three main stories that it weaves together, one involving finding your lost family, one about hunting down the devious Cult of Kosmos, and one about discovering the secrets of the lost city of Atlantis.
The brilliance of the game is how it lets you tackle nearly anything and everything in nearly any order you want.
The main story, while interesting on its own, encourages you to get out and explore the world of Ancient Greece. Bolstering this are more diverse sidequests that oftentimes tell outrageous or hilarious stories.
Odyssey consistently has great humor, with Kassandra and Alexios being two of the most likable characters Assassin’s Creed has ever seen.
Odyssey is a bold new entry for the franchise one of the best Assassin’s Creed games in years, if not all time. It’s a massive adventure in a year already packed with plenty of those, but it’s definitely one worth taking.
Best PS4 Games of Q4 2018
Red Dead Redemption 2
Ever since experiencing John Marston’s story in Red Dead Redemption fans have been absolutely dying to jump into Rockstar’s Wild West once again.
Undoubtedly among the biggest games of 2018, Red Dead Redemption 2 certainly didn’t disappoint, with a fascinating and massive open world, absolutely gripping main story, and frantic shootouts.
Red Dead Redemption 2 functions as a prequel to the first game, telling the story of the Dutch Van Der Linde Gang, and their downfall. While John Marston is a major character, the real star of the show is the grizzled main character, Arthur Morgan.
As badass as he is likable, Arthur’s story arc is incredible, with the character going through massive growth and introspection across the experience.
Rockstar has doubled down on immersion for Red Dead Redemption 2, putting an emphasis on hunting and keeping up Arthur’s appearances.
The game’s control scheme is still that familiar but somewhat clumsy Rockstar style, however, shootouts in the game are so hectic and grandiose that they feel like an amazing experience, regardless of controls.
Outside of the main story, there are plenty of stranger missions to tackle, and a ridiculous amount of mysteries and easter eggs to uncover.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the most ambitious games ever made, and most of that ambition paid off in one of the best open world experiences we’ve ever seen.
Best PS4 Games of Q4 2018
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Call of Duty has received some flak over the last few years for changing very little between releases, and truthfully that criticism is justified.
Black Ops 4 looked to change that, however, bringing one of the most unique experiences we’ve seen from the franchise in years.
The real standout, of course, is the massive new battle royale mode, Blackout. Bringing the gunplay of Call of Duty to a battle royale experience feels like a revelation, and as big as the mode is, it manages to run extremely well.
Blackout’s map is packed to the brim with iconic locations from the series’ past, like Firing Range, along with some interesting new sights like an abandoned asylum.
The real novelty of the mode’s map is how you build memories with each and every location, learning what locations work best in certain situations.
Of course, while Blackout is the big centerpiece of Black Ops 4, there’s the franchise’s traditional multiplayer and zombies to dig into, both of which are meaty modes in their own right.
Multiplayer feels more like a hero shooter this time, with Specialists that each play very different. Zombies is also larger than ever, with three massive maps to play through.
Black Ops 4 is the iconic franchise as its very best, and Treyarch has already shown they are dedicated to updating and expanding Blackout. It’ll be interesting to see how the game changes throughout the year.
Best PS4 Games of Q4 2018
Tetris Effect
Tetris is a name synonymous with the very idea of video games, and its puzzle gameplay is known the world over.
Tetris Effect is what happens when you combine that classic gameplay with the genius of Tetsuya Mizuguchi, the mind behind games like Rez and Lumines.
It may seem odd at first, but Tetris Effect’s trippy psychedelic style makes for one of the very best Tetris experiences ever made.
The game is actually named after a phenomenon by the same name, where after playing for hours on end players would see the visual outline of Tetris blocks falling even after they quit.
Tetris Effect takes this inspiration by adding visual and musical themes across 30 stages, creating an auditory experience while you play through rounds of Tetris.
It also introduces some smart tweaks on the formula, like a zone skill that lets you place several blocks at once, in the effort to clear multiple lines at once.
Both a nostalgic walk through the past and a modern take on a classic, Tetris Effect is an experience that’s hard to describe and has to be played to really understand just why it’s so good.
If you have a PSVR as well, it’s one of the standout experiences for the headset in 2018.
Best PS4 Games of Q4 2018
Spyro Reignited Trilogy
2017 brought us the return of Crash Bandicoot in a gorgeous updated and reworked remake, and not long after that, platformer fans begged for Spyro to get the same treatment.
2018 delivered on that in a big way with the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, a fantastic update to three classic 3D platformers.
In truth, remaking Spyro simply works better than Crash because its gameplay just feels less dated, and is more in line with a modern games.
Developer Toys For Bob did an astonishing job with Spyro’s visual update, making each and every world feel vibrant and unique.
The Reignited Trilogy almost feels like a playable Saturday morning cartoon, and the rerecorded soundtrack and voice lines help bring the quality up even higher.
Despite being nearly 20 years old, all three Spyro games still play incredibly well. Minor updates have been made to the controls and camera to make everything smoother, but jumping, flaming, and flying all still work exceptionally well.
The Spyro Reignited Trilogy is easily one of the best remakes we’ve ever seen, even in a year filled with great remakes like Shadow of the Colossus and Yakuza Kiwami 2.
Whether you’re already familiar with the purple dragon or playing for the first time, the Reignited Trilogy is a must-have for any platformer fan.
That does it for the best ps4 games of Q4 2018. What were your favorites for the end of the year? Let us know in the comments below.
Published: Jan 7, 2019 02:28 pm