8. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Nintendo’s most anticipated release of 2018 mostly lived up to the hype, but it wasn’t without some bugbears. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate absolutely delivered on the promise of its “Everyone Is Here” tagline while dishing out the expectedly fluid, ludicrously addictive central combat.
Things get a little muddier, though, with the details; the World of Light mode proved initially fun but quickly over-burdened itself with excessive gameplay systems and repetition, online play continues to be a laggy mess weeks after release, and unlocking every single fighter feels like more of a chore than it ever should.
But again, if you’re here for the stacked roster and local multiplayer mayhem, Smash Ultimate basically brings home the bacon. It’s just a shame that it fails to move with the times in other areas – and that so many (critics and players alike) gave it a free pass for this.
7. Forza Horizon 4
Forza Horizon 4 just might be the best racing game of this generation, once again delivering the heightened, slightly surreal sense of fun that the mainline Forza series couldn’t dare muster if it tried.
It goes without saying that Horizon 4 is a peerlessly ravishing game, but Playground Games also deserves credit for not merely giving fans a re-skinned, dolled-up retooling of its predecessor. With slicker online functionality, the welcome addition of changing seasons and a barmier selection of set-pieces than ever before, Forza Horizon 4 reaches a seemingly insurmountable peak for both the franchise and the genre.
And if you’re still not sold, you can give it a go for cheap on Xbox Game Pass (and if your PC’s up to it, it even boasts Play Anywhere support).
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