The Obligatory GOTY 2018 Post

Since 2019 has rolled around (Happy New Year!), it's now time to reflect on the year in gaming that was 2018.  I didn't play many brand new titles, and there are definitely a few that came out this year that I'm waiting to go on sale (The Return of the Obra Dinn and Shadow of the Tomb Raider), but there were a couple of standouts that come directly to mind--Assassin's Creed:  Odyssey and Two Point Hospital gave me many enjoyable hours of gameplay.  (My full reviews for boh games--Assassin's Creed: Odyssey Review and Two Point Hospital Review)

Runner-up:  Two Point Hospital
In the summer of 2018 the news I had been waiting for since 1997 (not really, but we can pretend) finally popped up--someone was doing a remake of one of my absolute favorite games!  For many, many years Theme Hospital was my go-to game when I didn't have the money for anything new or there just wasn't anything else that I wanted to play,  Theme Hospital offered up a blend of somewhat crass, goofy humor and legitimate management skills all in in the strange world of hospital administration.  I cautiously held my breath that its 2018 reiteration would be able to encompass that same sense of humor and enthralling, but still enjoyable style of gameplay.

Two Point Hospital offers up management with a humorous twist.

Upon booting up Two Point Hospital, it was obvious that the developers had worked hard to make a game that was inspired by the classic Theme Hospital but was unique.  Designing and managing hospitals feels much the same, but much, much improved.  Each level presents a different hospital with a specific set of challenges and also offers the ability for personalization--dog paintings everywhere (that's how you should do it)!  The massive roster of new diseases in Two Point kept me chuckling throughout the game--naked patients strolling through the hospital with the Emperor Complex or weirdly pixelated blobs for unfortunate souls suffering from 8-Bitten.

One of the things that I like best about Two Point Hospital is the ability for players to choose how they play each level.  There is a star rating system that requires that specific goals be met to move up to the next rank.  In order to advance the story, players simply have to manage each hospital to a one-star level.  The other possibility is that players can choose to continue playing the same hospital and face new, more challenging sets of goals.  Each hospital can be raised to a three-star level and there are special rewards for each improvement in star rating.

Sure, there's definitely some nostalgia in my love for Two Point Hospital, but I think that any gamer could find something to enjoy.  The management aspect is challenging but is still fun and there's a goofy sense of humor that prevails throughout the game.  I would encourage anyone who wants a lighthearted, funny management game to pick it up....stat!

My GOTY 2018:  Assassin's Creed:  Odyssey

Even the countryside is breathtakingly beautiful in Odyssey.

Strangely, my first ever foray into the long-running Assassin's Creed series was the ancient Greek themed Odyssey.  I knew of the series but took it as a console staple that probably wasn't worthy of the attention of PC gamers.  Honestly, I probably wouldn't have picked it up if I hadn't have received it as part of a free game bundle that came with my graphics card upgrade.  It's here that I will reiterate that I was completely wrong; Assassin's Creed:  Odyssey is a great game and I had 143 fun (*mostly!) hours exploring ancient Greece.  Playing Odyssey made me a fan of the AC series and now I'm working my way (with mixed success) through the various games.

The thing that awes me the most about Odyssey is the massive world filled with fictional realizations of historical locations.  I could easily hop my character on a horse or boat and marvel at wandering around the Parthenon or stand beneath the towering statue of Zeus at Olympia.  Way too often I found myself smiling like an idiot at a stunning fictional world.  It says something that a game managed to evoke that reaction.  Plus, you can't deny that Ubisoft strives to make beautiful, captivating worlds.  They are constantly drawing you to high vantage points so they can draw your attention to the world around you.

Kassandra is one of my *new* favorite characters.

Besides gushing about the beautiful world, I also enjoyed playing as Kassandra--one of your possible character choices (something new to the series).  Kassandra was everything I wanted in a female character and is extremely well-acted.  As a female gamer, I think it's encouraging to see more characters like Kassandra who are well-written and who are clearly trying to break old-school stereotypes of what female characters in video games should be.

I'm in no way trying to say that Odyssey is perfect--it's definitely not on the level of The Witcher 3, and there are improvements needed.  I loved the world, but it's just too big--to the point where many tasks and locations get repetitive.  There were aspects of the world and story that were novel at first, but turned out to be completely pointless (nation power and conquest battles, I'm looking at you!).  I think the game could be improved by more focus on creating memorable storylines and exciting, chaining missions.  The combat can also feel oddly unresponsive at times.  Having played an older game in the series (Black Flag) it's obvious that AC is changing to become more RPG-like, and I'm excited about this fact.

I hope everyone out there played some memorable games in 2018 and that the games of 2019 bring us even more to play and love.