Year in Review - Games

Videogames in 2018 this time and I have to admit that there aren't many worthy of remark. Not because there weren't many good games released this year, just that I simply haven't had time to play much.

First up, we have Kingdom Come: Deliverance. An action role-playing game set in Bohemia in 1403, KC:D offers an open world experience with period accurate weapons, architecture, clothing and politics. I picked this one up as it had been reviewed with a tag-line of "like Skyrim, but without the Dragons". That got my interest. That it is also as historically accurate as it can be in an entertainment medium also piqued my curiosity. What it delivered was a decent, though not spectacular experience that was a bit rough around the edges, had more than a few bugs and a god-awful save system (there were conditions required for you to save your game and you could die a lot!). It did deliver on the history and the developers must be applauded for that. It just felt right and if you have even a passing interest in the period, give it a try.

We Happy Few was one of the most anticipated titles for me in 2018. Set in an alternate 1960's England where we lost World War 2, people are controlled by a substance called Joy, WHF is steeped in English history and Shakespeare in particular. With a unique art style, intriguing story and three playable characters, I took to this game immediately. Then stopped. The melee combat is practically broken, there are game-breaking bugs, general graphical and sound issues and even the story left so much up in the air, it kind of made me question why I had bothered at all. I suppose if you can pick it up on the cheap, then give it a go, but for a full-price title, it's disappointing.

The Shenmue Collection brings two classic Sega Dreamcast titles that surely deserved a greater audience back in the day to modern gaming consoles. Whilst not true re-masters, the Collection is a welcome return of Yu Suzuji's seminal due ahead of the much anticipated Shenmue 3 due in 2019. The lack up much of an update to the graphics isn't that bad a thing, they're still functional today but it's the character animation that really is showing its age. However, despite being nearly 20 years old, they still deliver the goods. What has dated are the gameplay mechanics. There really are from a different era and the slow, nay glacial pace at the very beginning of the first game does draw you into the story if you give it time. The gameplay can be a tad unforgiving and there is a lack of polish in some areas that younger gamers may not be used to but even now, the Shenmue Collection is evidence of a master of the trade showboating a technical and story-telling ability that even with the passage of time, astounds today.

Oh Strange Brigade, I so wanted to like you. With your 1930's pulpy story and funny characters, you promised to be a shooter that would be just the bill for a Saturday afternoon session. And you almost were, but with gunplay that was a smidge too loose and the game really needing co-op play (I know it was advertised as an up to four player co-op experience but you still permitted single players), it snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. True, you have a likable swagger and the premise is worthy of Rebellion Studios continuing it with it's comic or movie/TV wing, but as a game, this lacked that vital spark to make it a must play.

Similarly disappointing was Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The final part of the most recent re-boot's trilogy, SotR is a polished and enjoyable experience with a couple of issues that stop it being a truly great game. The base story is decent and most of the performances are good, with just Camilla Luddington as Lara Croft coming across as a bit bored of it all (which is a shame as her previous two appearances have been excellent). The exploration sections are challenging enough and the shooting is as good as the series has had, but the key fault in the game lies in the silly turns in the story makes to keep it moving. One example is Lara donning a disguise and questioning the Peruvian locals in her plummy English accent and no-one realising it's Lara. Hmmm...

Next up, Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse. Not a new release per se this year, but it was ported over to the Nintendo Switch and it was on this format that I revisited the game since originally purchasing it on the X-Box One a couple of years back. This is point and click adventuring in the true Revolution Studios style and sees the welcome return of George Stobbart and Nico Collard. The move to switch suits the slow pace of the gameplay and the port is well handled. The story is intriguing and the puzzles are mostly sensible (but all point and click adventures throughout the years have suffered from weak puzzling at one point or another. The quality of the voice acting, animation and artwork make the fifth of the Broken Sword series feel like a comfy blanket, to be enjoyed and savoured. I'll honestly say it's not the best in the Broken Sword series (that would be the first game), but The Serpent's Tale shows the series still has what it takes and is well worth purchasing. Hopefully, they'll get round to number six at some point.

Finally, we have Forza Horizon 4. Another sequel, yes, but one that continues the drive (see what I did there) of the Forza Horizon franchise to become the most polished and fun driving series available anywhere. Moving to an idealised Britain after number three's Australian tour, FH4 introduces seasons, changing on a weekly basis, more enhanced weather effects and what I can only describe as amazingly accurate facsimiles of British geography given the limitations of storage and playability. Derwent Reservoir is identifiable by shape, Bamburgh Castle is correct and present, as is the car park opposite it and the village is pretty spot on. Ambleside is a bit smaller than I remember but the bits that are there are correct, and Edinburgh is Edinburgh (well, at least the city centre bit). It's one of those kind of cool things when a videogame developer aims to recreate the real world and does so with such a degree of fidelity that being there in-game brings back vivid memories of being there in the real world. I will add that real world beats computer world every time (just in case anyone was wondering :-)) The driving remains sublime and there is enough freedom and challenges to keep you occupied for weeks, if not months. The first of the DLC packs, Fortune Island, adds even more and I eagerly await the second DLC pack in January 2019. Are there any issues? Some, maybe a hint of slowdown in really busy sections, but they are few and far between. That and the wheelspin prize function which, as it brings in clothing and accessories alongside the traditional credits and cars, tends to give you a fair bit of unwanted crap. However, there are no micro-transactions and that should be applauded.

Well, only one more to go, so next time, it will be books for 2018.