Cubed3's Most Wanted 2018 Games Page 1

2017 was quite an extraordinary year in terms of the sheer volume of high quality video games - especially those crazy first few months. The launch of Switch and two incredible entries in two of Nintendo's biggest franchises elevated that calibre above and beyond, so 2018 has its work cut out if it wants to top or even get close to last year. There are some tasty treats on the horizon, though, so here are some highlights of what the Cubed3 team is looking forward to playing in 2018.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes

With EA's reluctance to give Nintendo a Star Wars game, and 2K putting out a shocking WWE title, Travis Strikes Again might be the only chance for a decent "lightsaber wrestling" experience on the Switch. The pedigree of the first two instalments should be enough to reassure gamers that this title is in safe hands. It will be great to see all this gore, violence and foul language in HD for the first time!
- Neil

Red Dead Redemption 2

I am hoping that some lessons from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild have been learned. Open world games will now forever be compared to Nintendo's masterpiece until someone comes along and betters it. Red Dead Redemption 2 has a chance of doing this. It's crazy to think that RDR1 launched all the way back in 2010, and after many delays, RDR2 is finally due to launch sometime in 2018. Given the slew of outstanding games released in 2017, it was probably just as well that Rockstar delayed it. This Wild West-themed cowboy gunslinger should be at the top of everybody's list this year!
- Neil

Spider-Man

Spider-Man's E3 2017 showing was probably one of the most memorable parts of Sony's presentation. Skip through the year and the tantalising Paris Game Week trailer gets my spidey sense tingling. Hopefully the web-slinging superhero will finally get an outing that could be held in high regard, like the Batman Arkham series. Having to go back to Spider-Man 2 on PS2 is a bit of a stretch in 2018.
- Neil

Monster Hunter: World

Monster Hunter sees some fairly large changes for its new Western-appealing entry. Monster Hunter: World takes an open world format that has its enormous and realistic-looking creatures using unpredictable behaviour to really keep hunters on their toes in what could well be one of the greatest games in the franchise.
- Az

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

With Konami seemingly having abandoned classic Castlevania games, it falls upon one of the series' icons, Koji Igarashi, who worked on the acclaimed Symphony of the Night, to keep it alive through his spiritual successor, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. With Iga at the helm, this already looks like it could be the start of a promising new Metroidvania series.
- Az

Shenmue III

Very few games made the impact that the original Shenmue games made back at the turn of the millennium. They are so notable that, for many people, they define the ill-fated Dreamcast, but, realistically, they only garnered a small cult following, and both games didn't sell what they needed to given the cost of development, which, even 20 years later, still ranks as two of the most expensive video games ever made. Shenmue was well ahead of its time back in 1999, introducing new innovative game changing mechanics, but the landscape of open world games has somewhat changed since the original titles. It doesn't help that the teaser trailer released last summer for Shenmue III didn't reassure the doubters who criticized its dated graphical style and character models, despite developers saying that this was an early build. I hope that PS4 console exclusivity doesn't stop it from performing well, especially as this will be the series' debut on a Sony platform, but as a fan of the first two games, I am keeping the faith that it will deliver.
- Neil

Dragon Ball FighterZ

Arc System Works' visual splendour comes to Dragon Ball FighterZ, a 2.5D fighting game that lets fans pick a team of three to square off against another group, unleashing all kinds of crazy special moves that the franchise is known for. Expect some incredible-looking battles with the anime style switching from 2D to 3D to enhance the frantic action.
- Az

Kingdom Hearts III

Goodness knows how many loose ends are waiting to be resolved in this series now, but with the long-awaited arrival of Kingdom Hearts III, how much of it will be cleared up in Sora's new adventure? Hopefully all of it, but knowing Nomura, it'll probably just confuse matters even more. At least the Toy Story world looks good.
- Az

SoulCalibur VI

The ultimate weapons-based 3D fighter finally returns, going back to its roots by revisiting the original game's storyline. After a let-down in the form of SoulCalibur V and its removal of so many iconic characters, SCVI already has the attention of series fans, promising to bring back many of the faces we know and love, including Nightmare, Xianghua, Kilik, Sophitia, and Mitsurugi.
- Az

Detroit: Become Human

David Cage's games and writing might not be everyone's cup of tea, and people have already had plenty to say about where Detroit: Become Human is going, but you cannot fault the man's dedication. A story with many player-made choices that supposedly affect various outcomes tells what happens when androids designed to work for humans try to break free in an attempt to live their own lives.
- Az

God of War

Many years after Kratos felled the Olympian gods and defeated his father Zeus, the God of War has matured and now lives in the Nordic lands, attempting to raise his son and teach him how to survive in this harsh reality, featuring Norse gods that are fully aware of what Kratos has done in his dark past, refusing to let him do as he pleases. God of War is an all-new entry in many forms, with rebuilt gameplay and mechanics that will set it far apart from the series' past games.
- Az

Secret of Mana

Square Enix may have left its Seiken Densetsu series to wither away following its lead, Koichi Ishii, leaving the company to form Grezzo, but at least it has no qualms dipping back into the past to resurrect some of the classics. Following the Seiken Densetsu Collection on Nintendo Switch in Japan, and the remake of the original in the form of Adventures of Mana, now the legendary SNES Secret of Mana returns with a completely new lick of paint for the new generation. Some question marks still remain on whether or not some of the charm will have been lost in transition, but the heart that everyone so loved in the past will no doubt still be beating strong.
- Adam

Days Gone

It does feel like there have been many days gone since this game was first revealed way back at E3 2016. Days Gone is a zombie apocalypse survival horror exclusive for the PS4, and based off of its E3 2017 showing, it looks set to impress. The PS4 looks like it can handle hoards of zombies (otherwise known as "freakers") all at once. Sony has an action packed 2018, with some largely anticipated titles hitting the shelves, but while Days Gone looks magnificent, it may get left behind with the large number of anticipated games for the platform coming this year. That said, those looking to fulfil their lust for zombie killing are most likely better off with Days Gone than games like Metal Gear Survive.
- Neil

Project Octopath Traveler

Given that Nintendo is handling the worldwide publishing to this game, it will most likely stay exclusive to the Switch. Those who have downloaded the demo from the eShop will know that Project Octopath Traveler boasts hi-res backgrounds and effects combined with SNES style 16-bit character models. The journey can be played with one of the eight protagonists, each having different decisions to make, play styles, and end goals. Square Enix is a master at creating turn-based RPGs, and given the company's ability to continually evolve the genre, we can only hope this turns out to be as great as something like Bravely Default did for Nintendo 3DS.
- Neil

Dragon Quest XI

Dragon Quest IX on Nintendo 3DS was sublime, and 3DS fans have also been treated to remakes of Dragon Quest VII from the PS1 and Dragon Quest VIII from the PS2 in recent years. However, sadly, the newer, online-enabled Dragon Quest X - which landed on Wii, Wii U and PS4, as well as on 3DS eventually - never made it Westwards, despite rumours of a French release being planned. Now, with Dragon Quest XI available for PS4 and 3DS, it is undoubtedly going to make its way over in some form or other. The greatest excitement stems from the 3DS iteration, though, which includes not just 3D visuals on one screen, but a NES-style 2D version of the RPG action on the other. There is still uncertainty about the planned Switch version, but it is hoped to be a mix of both the modern PS4 and retro element of the 3DS versions. Whatever the case, an expansive new Dragon Quest adventure is enough to get any RPG fan salivating profusely!
- Adam

Shadow of the Colossus

In an industry full of studios slapping better textures on a game and putting it out as a "remaster" for a quick buck, 2018's Shadow of the Colossus looks to be a breath of fresh wild—er, air. Developer Bluepoint Games (known for their top-notch Xbox 360 port of Titanfall) chose instead to build this remake the same way Wander triumphs over most of his colossal foes: from the ground up.
- David

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom

Hundreds of years after the original Ni no Kuni story took place, young King Evan of the world's cat tribe is usurped by the opposing mouse tribe, and quests to restore his place on the throne. Some Studio Ghibli developers return to work on this sequel project, aiming for a game that looks to achieve the goals of the first title, with deeper stories and even more gorgeous anime-like visuals.
- Az

Vampyr

An ambitious project featuring a doctor-turned-vampire torn between helping the citizens of London - all of whom can supposedly be killed or saved - and eating them for his own survival, Vampyr has some pretty big shoes to fill to follow developer Dontnod's surprise smash hit Life is Strange.
- David

Indivisible

Inspired by Valkyrie Profile, this Metroidvania-like action RPG follows Anja, a girl that journeys to uncover what her mysterious powers truly are. Lab Zero Games' 2D hand-drawn style was a fan favourite in the fighting game Skullgirls, and this crowdfunded title is looking to go better again, even featuring Secret of Mana composer Hiroki Kikuta to ensure the audio side matches the quality of its striking visuals.
- Az

Darksiders III

The Darksiders series is one that is refreshing to still see make the light of day, especially after its shaky start when THQ filed for bankruptcy. We have not heard much of Darksiders III since the initial reveal back in May last year, which didn't really show any gameplay. This will be following a new protagonist, Fury, who will be out in the world to restore "peace," and will follow its hack and slash roots. Not much else is known, however. There hasn't been any mention of a Nintendo Switch version, but given that Darksiders II and Darksiders Warmastered Edition made it to the Wii U, there is a slither of hope of a Switch port in the future.
- Neil

Fire Emblem (Switch)

Fire Emblem's resurgence has been met with both praise and criticism over the past few years. Many of the older fans of the series have criticised the option to turn off permadeath and easier difficulty to be a large gripe with the series' newfound popularity. Others have been clamouring for Intelligent Systems to start showing some love to Advance Wars - or, uhhh, "Switch Wars?" - but instead have seen six Fire Emblem related games in the past few years. Shadows of Valentia perhaps launched at an awkward time for the 3DS, when many Nintendo die-hards were stuck to their new Nintendo Switch systems, so may have missed out on last year's fantastic remake. It will be interesting to see what new mechanics and gameplay styles could be added to this entry. Hopefully the developers haven't started running out of ideas on how to take Fire Emblem forward.
- Neil

Code Vein

Escape your living nightmare. In a dystopian future where the world has collapsed, the Vein have given up their memories in exchange for immense power. These revenants fight to survive, fending off the bloodlust ghouls known as the Lost, devoid of humanity. Being compared to Dark Souls is commonplace at the moment, but Code Vein is another action RPG on the list that has those same challenging vibes.
- Az