The Best Games from the First Half of 2018

June is over, which means we’re officially halfway through 2018. There are still plenty of highly anticipated games to look forward to in the second half of the year, but let’s take a moment to acknowledge some of the best games to come out of the first half. In coming up with this list, I looked over each of the games that we at Attack of the Fanboy have reviewed in 2018 so far and included the games that got a numerical score of 4.5 out of 5 stars or higher and also received a “loved” rating from reviewers. Also, I’ll be leaving out games that are either ports or remasters of games that originally came out earlier than 2018. Complete remakes, however, will be permitted. In order of release, here are the best games from the first half of 2018.

The Red Strings Club

The Red Strings Club is an indie adventure game that takes place in a cyberpunk setting in which corporations are trying to control the masses. The game presents the player with difficult decisions that often encompass interesting moral conundrums, and how the player makes these choices will affect how the game plays out. Our review of the game states, “The Red Strings Club is a true cyberpunk classic. Pixel-art visuals and a cyberpunk world make way for fascinating gameplay and a truly compelling, well written story. The game will force you to make tough decisions while questioning your own thoughts about important, current day topics. This is an indie title you won’t want to miss.” Read our full review by clicking here. The Red Strings Club is available for PC, Mac and Linux.

Celeste

Celeste is another indie game, but one that takes on the style of a retro 2D platformer. Aside from the fun yet painstakingly difficult gameplay, Celeste also tells an emotional and relatable story about a young girl struggling with her inner demons. “Celeste blends old gameplay ideas with progressive story telling and the results are nothing short of amazing.” Read our full review by clicking here. Celeste is available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Mac and Linux.

Monster Hunter: World

Monster Hunter: World is the latest installment in the notoriously difficult Monster Hunter series. However, this time around Capcom streamlined the game’s various mechanics, making this new game more accessible to newcomers, while also making various quality-of-life improvements to keep series veterans happy. “Monster Hunter: World is a revelation, taking a series that was once reserved for all but the most hardcore of fans and tweaking it enough to make it appeal to a new generation of gamers while still keeping its core perfectly intact.” Read our full review by clicking here. Monster Hunter: World is available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Shadow of the Colossus

A remake of the 2005 classic, Shadow of the Colossus retains just about everything that made players fall in love with the original thirteen years ago while also making various improvements to modernize the game. There are bound to be fans who don’t care for some of the changes made, but for the most part this recent remake stays faithful to one of the PlayStation 2’s best games. “Shadow of the Colossus is one of the best games of all time and it has now received a truly worthy remake on PS4. There aren’t any major shifts in the gameplay or content additions, but the game needed neither. Instead Bluepoint has taken the original classic, upgraded the visuals, and only touched what needed to be touched. Fans will want to have this on day one, and if you’ve never experienced the magic of Shadow of the Colossus before, this is the way to do it.” Read our full review by clicking here. Shadow of the Colossus is available exclusively for PlayStation 4.

Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom

Several years ago, players fell in love with Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, a JRPG made in collaboration with the renowned animation studio Studio Ghibli. This year, its sequel came out, which continued to build upon everything that was great about the first game. “A great cast of characters and a wonderful story, it’s tough not to fall in love with Ni No Kuni 2.  If you’re looking for a world to get lost in this is a game that will provide you with many hours of enjoyment, amazing you at every turn with a barrage of beautiful imagery, incredible music, and gameplay to match.” Read our full review by clicking here. Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom is available for PlayStation 4 and PC.

A Way Out

From the director of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons comes A Way Out, a co-op game about two men who have to work together to break out of prison to exact revenge on the criminal who landed them there. The game mixes unique gameplay elements with an engaging story that’s sure to keep both players invested. “A Way Out takes some of the very best ideas from action adventure gaming and mixes them with the story telling of a great film.” Read our full review by clicking here. A Way Out is available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

Far Cry 5

The Far Cry series has become known for its charismatic villains, and its latest installment delivers. Far Cry 5 brings improved gameplay to the fictional Hope County in Montana, where a deranged cult leader has taken over and threatens citizens unwilling to join him with various forms of torture. “We didn’t get it with the last two entries in the series, but Far Cry 5 feels like the generational leap that fans have been waiting for. This installment certainly feels like the biggest in terms of content and it just might be the best Far Cry game to date.” Read our full review by clicking here. Far Cry 5 is available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

Batman: The Enemy Within

This game is episodic and saw the majority of its episodes release in 2017, but the last episode in particular was in fact released this year and even managed to get a 5/5 star rating from us. This finale sees the conclusion of a story that was built around the player’s relationship with the Joker, and can turn out significantly different depending on the choices you made throughout the game. “Batman: The Enemy Within – Episode 5 “Same Stitch” is a near-perfect finale to an already fantastic series. Storytelling, voice acting, art design, and every other aspect of the series has come together here and delivered one of the best episodes in Telltale’s history.” Read our full review of the episode by clicking here. Batman: The Enemy Within is available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Mac, iOS devices and Android devices.

God of War

Having left the world of ancient Greek mythology decimated, Kratos now lives in the world of Norse mythology. However, Kratos is a changed man; he has a son to look after now and is remorseful of his violent past. This brings a whole new tone to the God of War series, supplemented by many gameplay changes. “God of War has seen considerable changes from previous games in the series, but they almost all feel like they were for the better.” Read our full review by clicking here. God of War is available exclusively for PlayStation 4.

Detroit: Become Human

The year is 2038 and androids have taken over most of the workforce. This has caused many humans to hate androids, just as the machines are starting to become sentient. As a result of their newfound self-awareness and abuse from human owners, androids start a revolution to demand rights and equality. “Detroit: Become Human is a social revolution simulator, where most of your choices actually matter, the story and characters are engaging and moving and the amount of narrative content is incredibly massive.” Read our full review by clicking here. Detroit: Become Human is available exclusively for PlayStation 4.