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God of War

Nick’s Best of 2018


A year of filler and very little killer


This year, the Doublejump Management decided to use Game of the Year time to allow each of its writers to shine individually by producing a short article containing their Game of the Year selection for 2018 along with up to two honourable mentions and up to five things that they’re looking forward to seeing in gaming in 2019. As always, we more than welcome your thoughts and opinions as well; head on over to our Discord server or our newly-created Facebook Group to discuss gaming’s past year with our team and our community!


My Game of the Year: God of War (2018)

For 2019, the Academy needs to make an awards category for Best Video Game. Sure, we have The Game Awards (for which every game seems incomplete until its developer releases a Game of the Year edition) and now the Australian Games Awards, and God of War polled well in both of those, but this phenomenal game deserves even more. It simply deserves every accolade available.

From the art direction to the acting, the gameplay to the sound design, God of War gave me a feeling of pure awe on a scale that no other game has matched. The closest comparison would be the first time I watched Martin Scorcese’s The Departed, which is fitting given that both masterpieces deal with family, redemption, making the best of a bad situation and ultimately, becoming the person you swore you’d never become again.

God of War is well worth the full retail price, but I have seen recently that it has been discounted more and more frequently, to as low as AU$25 in stores like Target, EB Games and JB Hi-Fi. At AU$25, this game is a steal; I would give it a perfect rating if it wasn’t for a few insignificant nitpicks.

Honourable mention: Persona 5: Dancing Star Night

Being the filthy weeb that I am, an anime dancing game based on my favourite game of 2017? Sign me up! Persona 5: Dancing Star Night is a rhythm game that features some of the smoothest animation and fun gameplay you could hope for while watching your favourite characters dance to jazzy and funky tunes. If I had to describe this game with one word, I would absolutely say it’s “relaxing”. A fun, relaxing game that lets you choose to either play, or just watch your favourite character(s) dance to your favourite songs off the soundtrack.

Honourable mention: Marvel’s Spider-Man

It really makes you FEEL like you’re Spider-Man. Memes aside, this game was an absolute pleasure in a sea of mediocrity and cookie cutter installments to EA and Ubisoft franchises. Insomniac really outdid itself with the swinging mechanics, reminding me of the hours I spent swinging around Spider-Man 2 as a kid. This game would’ve been put higher if it didn’t become so repetitive in the second half. Other than that, Insomniac really swung into action.


What I’m Looking Forward to in 2019:


Devil May Cry 5: I have waited days and nights for the original Dante to come back to me. DmC was alright, but the campy, mid-2000’s stylised edge-lord monster hunter is my everything. Spending my youth chopping and blasting monsters left and right with a sense of light hearted action hero fun was the best. Now to see him in HD, I might actually have an aneurysm of excitement when the time comes.

Crackdown 3: When people ask what my favourite Grand Theft Auto clones are, three games come to mind: Saints Row, True Crime: Streets of L.A., and Crackdown. As you can see, I like my realistic GTA clones to be absolutely bonkers and not realistic at all. Adding Terry Crews, the internet’s golden boy and Sergeant of the 99th precinct of the Brooklyn Police Department, to the mix simply ensures that this game is sure to be a riot and a half.

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order: This will be more of a vested observation than a balls-to-the-wall hype train that I am known for. We don’t know much about this game just yet, but if it’s anything like Jedi Outcast or Jedi Academy (fantastic third person action adventure games from 15 years ago), then I will be keen to see what EA can muster. If I see even a single loot box, though, so help me… I will boycott the game entirely.

Resident Evil 2 Remake: As the resident rewind boy here at Doublejump, I cannot ignore a remake of a classic game like Resident Evil 2. My interests were piqued early on when a promo portrait of my favourite boy Leon S. Kennedy was released in all his high definition glory, and cemented when we learned that the game would ditch the original tank controls and trade up to Resident Evil 4’s much more accessible “over-the-shoulder” third person perspective. I am so keen.

Catherine: Full Body: I am a dirty weeb. Catherine was one of my favourite games of 2011, with addictive gameplay, rage-inducing puzzles and a fear of going any higher in difficulty. Catherine: Full Body appears to double down with the appearance of a third love interest to make Vincent’s life much harder. Bring on the moral allegories, classical music and lewd anime visuals.


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