Oct 26
Red Dead Redemption 2 2018
Why it still holds upA world that answers what you do, from the weather to the law, still keeps it worth playing today.
2018 games that still hold up
Games
Oct 26
Red Dead Redemption 2 2018
Why it still holds upA world that answers what you do, from the weather to the law, still keeps it worth playing today.
Apr 20
God of War 2018
Why it still holds upThe combat still carries it today, with the axe thrown and called back while a second fighter works beside you, so each fight has several things going on at once.
Sep 7
Marvel's Spider-Man 2018
Why it still holds upCrossing the city by web is still fun before you do anything else in it, which is the reason to play it now.
Oct 18
Return of the Obra Dinn 2018
Why it still holds upIts deduction holds up today because nobody tells you who anyone is, so you piece together who was where and when.
Jan 25
Celeste 2018
Why it still holds upEach chapter revolves around a different environmental mechanic and the game keeps adding ideas, so it stays fresh today, with Assist Mode letting anyone set their own difficulty.
Dec 7
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 2018
Why it still holds upEvery fighter from the earlier games is there and rulesets can be saved, so it still offers more than one way to play today.
Feb 6
Shadow of the Colossus 2018
Why it still holds upAn empty world with a single task each time, where every colossus is its own climbing puzzle, keeps it worth playing now.
Jan 26
Monster Hunter: World 2018
Why it still holds upA hunt is a loop of tracking, fighting and crafting in living ecosystems, and that loop still carries the game today.
Sep 20
CrossCode 2018
Why it still holds upFights and puzzles built from the same launch still give its dungeons two kinds of challenge today.
Oct 17
RimWorld 2018
Why it still holds upA story that comes from moment to moment play, with events matched to how the colony is doing, still means no two colonies play out the same today.
Apr 24
Frostpunk 2018
Why it still holds upWith one heat source at the centre, every layout and law is still a trade between warmth, resources and morale today.
Jan 23
Subnautica 2018
Why it still holds upAs you go deeper the sea grows more dangerous, and upgrades such as a submarine give you a reason to keep exploring, which still drives the descent today.
Aug 7
Dead Cells 2018
Why it still holds upRuns that change inside a template you come to know still pull you into one more today.
May 25
Detroit: Become Human 2018
Why it still holds upA flowchart that shows what you missed, and choices that change which scenes open, still give a replay a reason today.
Nov 9
Tetris Effect 2018
Why it still holds upRotating, clearing and scoring trigger audio cues, and the music sets the pace of the falling pieces, so learning how each song changes the pace still gives every stage a rhythm to master today.
Jan 26
Dragon Ball FighterZ 2018
Why it still holds upOne button attacks are part of real combat, basic combos are easy to land and advanced combos take practice, and shared basic inputs across the roster still let new players start without long tutorials today.
Jul 26
The Banner Saga 3 2018
Why it still holds upTwo caravans, with a clock ticking on one of them, make every choice a decision about how to spend your time, and that pressure is still there for a new player.
Sep 25
Pathfinder: Kingmaker 2018
Why it still holds upEven now, a kingdom you run through advisors, and combat you can pause or play turn by turn, give you two kinds of decisions to make.
Feb 27
Into the Breach 2018
Why it still holds upEach battle is still worth working through, as the Vek show their next attack and every turn becomes a puzzle of where to move and what to hit.
Oct 2
Forza Horizon 4 2018
Why it still holds upThe same roads still look different through the year, in a world that turns through four seasons.
Aug 8
Unavowed 2018
Why it still holds upCompanions who change what you can say and solve make each mission worth replaying with a different party today.
Nov 29
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth 2018
Why it still holds upDrawing your own map and steering around visible Shadows make each floor a small puzzle of routes, worth working through today.
Oct
Lethal League Blaze 2018
Why it still holds upA ball that keeps speeding up, and a match that ends when only one player is left, make each rally a test of nerve today.
Dec 10
Dusk 2018
Why it still holds upMoving fast, with no health coming back, still keeps each room tense today.
Sep 27
Wandersong 2018
Why it still holds upIt is easy to pick up now: you sing with a wheel of eight notes and every puzzle is a small piece of music you play.
Dec 13
Judgment 2018
Why it still holds upThe pace is still varied, as detective sections like tailing and lock picking give the brawls a reason to stop.
Oct 5
Assassin's Creed Odyssey 2018
Why it still holds upChoosing what to say and which side to fight for still shapes the story, and that is a reason to replay it today.
May 8
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire 2018
Why it still holds upA party that can be built and fought in many ways, at sea and on land, still makes it worth playing today.
May 29
Yoku's Island Express 2018
Why it still holds upGetting around the island is still fun, because a hero who cannot jump has to use flippers, bumpers and ramps, and every route is worked out with the ball.
Dec 6
Kenshi 2018
Why it still holds upEvery outing across a map this large is a story you write yourself, and it absorbs you today.
Dec 4
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom 2018
Why it still holds upExploring is still a matter of trying each form: five forms each open a different path and dying costs nothing.
Dec 13
Gris 2018
Why it still holds upThere is nothing to fail at, since there is no combat or game over and abilities arrive as the story goes on, so it plays relaxed today.
Dec 11
Kingdom Two Crowns 2018
Why it still holds upEvery spend is a risk to weigh, since coins are both your army's wages and the crown's safety, and the tension holds today.
Sep 27
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV 2018
Why it still holds upNobody should start the series here, since it closes a story that began long before.
Nov
Spyro the Dragon 2018
Why it still holds upOpen levels with something to find in every corner make each world worth clearing in full today.
Nov 13
Hitman 2 2018
Why it still holds upYou still find something new in a map on a second visit, because there is always another way in.
Oct 12
Luigi's Mansion 2018
Why it still holds upStunning a ghost and then pulling against it turns every capture into a short tug of war, and a second player can now join in as Gooigi.
Dec 19
Atom RPG 2018
Why it still holds upA Soviet wasteland after a nuclear war gives the journey a flavor of its own today.
May 31
BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle 2018
Why it still holds upWith the same simple options across the roster, a new character costs little to learn, which still makes the whole mixed cast easy to try.
Aug 21
Guacamelee! 2 2018
Why it still holds upCombat and platforming share the same moves, so exploring and fighting still feel like one thing today.
Dec 4
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden 2018
Why it still holds upYou still choose where a fight begins, which makes every encounter a planned one.
Mar 13
Ghost of a Tale 2018
Why it still holds upToday, because hiding is both your defense and where you save, each stretch of the map is a plan from one hiding spot to the next.
Mar 21
Valkyria Chronicles 4 2018
Why it still holds upPoints spent on a turn, and then taking aim yourself, still make every move a choice today.
Jul 13
Octopath Traveler 2018
Why it still holds upEight stories and a party you assemble let you decide the order of your journey, and that freedom still shapes how you play.
Nov 29
Parkitect 2018
Why it still holds upHiding the work behind the fun still gives each park a backstage to plan as well as a front.
Jul 10
Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption 2018
Why it still holds upA school by day and a dungeon by night, where classmates remember what you said, still gives every day a plan today.
Oct 19
SoulCalibur VI 2018
Why it still holds upToday, a defense that turns into a slow motion exchange gives each fight a moment of reading your opponent.
Jan 25
The Room 4: Old Sins 2018
Why it still holds upThe one house still feels like a small connected place, because its puzzles connect from room to room.