We’re never going to be able to play every single game that comes out in a year.
There are just too many! From indie developers, to large scale development teams and
even some random Joe making a new and improved Pac-man on his laptop at home,
there are a lot of games that fluctuate throughout the media. This list is not listing off the
best games that were released in 2018, but more looking at what is still trending today
and attracts large audiences. Needless to say, that doesn’t mean anything released in
2018 or 2019 won’t be on here! I’m going to be looking at the popularity, content
released, gameplay and how the games keep players reeled in; always coming back for
more.
5) PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS
You won’t be surprised to see that Battle Royales are going to be making a bit of
an appearance on this list, because no one can deny that the genre of Battle Royale is
the fastest growing and expanding genre, with a constant inflow of new games being
released that have all been very successful from launch and have dominated the
gaming scene. PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS, or more commonly referred
to as “PUBG” was the first game that really sent Battle Royale into motion. Created by
the same creator as H1Z1 “King Of The Hill”, PUBG was the first ever attempt at
creating a game specifically designed for Battle Royale, and it took off with a bang. With
a large map, scattered with all different kinds of weapons, attachments and vehicles
players were able to curate just how they wanted to approach every game. Although
PUBG is not one of the top charting games anymore, no one can deny that it was a big
stepping stone in creating what Battle Royale is today.
4) Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4
“Call of Duty” has been a game that has a very inconsistent fanbase. On account of
their wide variety of different development teams, some people will only come around to
play a “Call of Duty” every few years. If you could only choose one development
company to play their “Call of Duty”, Treyarch has to be the choice. Dishing out some of
the best Call of Duty’s to date, Treyarch has always shined as the best of the bunch.
“Call of Duty: Black Ops 4” is the perfect representation of how one game can satisfy
such a wide variety of different players. There are the hardcore multiplayer fans; always
wanting that 10 vs 10 deathmatch with custom classes and rewards for playing well.
The small, but still well designed maps are orchestrated well to give the player a sense
of never being out of the fight, but like you’re not being crammed into a small area with
too many people to fit. They also released a Battle Royale gamemode, known as
“Blackout”, which was one of the best decisions they could have made. Implementing a
GUI and first person mechanics that has been tested and improved on by Treyarch
through tons of released games, they were able to release a very smooth Battle Royale
with a map that sends the players on a nostalgia trip, implementing maps from their
older titles. With better diving mechanics and a bullet drop mechanic that actually
understands physics, their Blackout mode is satisfying to play and feels like you were
put into a Hunger Games with guns. As well, zombies has not failed to please yet again
with Treyarch’s famous zombies gamemode, with a story that has been slowly unfolded
throughout their past 5 games, all roping back into each other. The zombies fanbase of
Treyarch is probably the most hardcore, always thirsting for more and be dedicated to
zombies like none other. “Black Ops 4” was a wonderful release that will be popular
even after new Call of Duty’s release, keeping players all the way until Treyarch
releases another game.
3) Fortnite Battle Royale
Ah, yes, “Fortnite”. Probably the most well heard of game of 2018 and it’s one where
you either love it, or hate it. Personally, I don’t enjoy this game. Maybe that is because
it’s way too mainstream and you can’t seem to escape it anywhere you go, or maybe
just all those tik tok videos of kids doing “Fortnite” dances has tainted my opinion.
Needless to say, it can’t be denied that “Fortnite” has been one of, if not the most
popular game of 2018 and 2019. Still in Beta, the game was not very popular when it
first released, but immediately inflated to the most popular game on the charts when
people started to get bored of “PUBG”. with easy to learn mechanics and a very
cartoonish style, it’s a Battle Royale game that can be played by younger audiences
and older audiences together, unlike “Call of Duty”, which is not suitable for younger
audiences. The constant addition of new cosmetic items that provide no real advantage,
and a building system that rewards the player for not just having the best aim, but being
able to build better, has created a game with it’s very own knack that has made it stand
out to other games. Easy to learn, hard to master. That is fortnite, and being just in its
beta release still, it has a lot of kicking left to do.
2) Overwatch
“Overwatch” is a game that blew up when it first released, lost some popularity
for a while and then shot right back up when the “Overwatch League” was introduced.
“Overwatch” was a beautifully articulated game with a catalog of heroes that will suit any
playstyle, with constant new additions to keep the game in a never ending cycle of
constant evolution. With easy to pick up mechanics, “Overwatch” is a strictly multiplayer
game that teaches the player to use communication and teamwork to win their games.
The game does no waiting around, it throws you into the mix of things and lets you
figure things out for yourself; it never feels like you don’t know what’s going on, because
there are very clear objectives that is displayed on the GUI. With a competitive
gamemode that can be accessed by any player, it has attracted a lot of competitive
players who are trying to “climb the ladder” and be the best. The golden weapon system
was a smart way of attracting players to keep playing competitive, as that is the only
way to receive tokens for those rewards. The system of using a number rating (referred
to as SR) gives the player a sense of being able to track their progress through the
ranks and see just how far they are from their goal. The Overwatch League, a pro scene
that has a very intricate system created that indulges the viewers and lets them follow
their favourite teams, players and coaches from the comfort of your home has really
stamped Overwatch as one of the games that is here, and is here to stay.
1) League Of Legends
“League Of Legends” is a game that is notoriously known for being one of the
most toxic communities, while also bolstering the biggest and longest lasting
communities of gaming, outliving that of even “CSGO”. “League Of Legends” is an
MMO, meaning Massive Multiplayer Online game that has one map, and over 100
different champions to choose from to represent you on the summoner’s rift. Each game
feels different, with five different roles to be played that have very specific tasks to play
in the game. “League Of Legends” is a game that will scare any player who first tries to
play it, because there is so much to learn that it can’t all be learned in one game, not
even ten games. When the game in its entirety is understood, you can never go back.
The replay value and lack of repetitiveness as each game has to be played differently,
you can never expect to do the same thing over and over again with the same results.
With a highly improved ranked system that lets the player track their progress
and feel like they can always keep climbing, “League Of Legends” can cater to both
casual players and competitive players at the same time. A pro scene that has been
built from the ground up for over 10 years since their release in 2009, “League Of
Legends” has stamped itself into the gaming community as one of the biggest and
greatest, and will keep holding its title, dominating the viewer charts; “League of
Legends” still has the most popular pro scene in gaming. With all sorts of champions
with different stories, abilities, looks, and interactions “League Of Legends” is a game
that has created an entire universe around its game, making it feel even cooler when
you’re playing as the war hero Garen, who has defended again unbearable odds. The
lore in “League of Legends” is one that will draw in the player and make them thirst for
even more, as they have blended both the game and its mechanics, and the kit that
each champion has and how they are executed always portrays who the champion is as
a person.
Written by Cameron McLean
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