Note: Wccftech isn’t doing a “Best Action-Adventure Games” list this year – games that would’ve fallen under that umbrella in the past will be split between the Action and Adventure categories. Action encompasses any title where combat is a core element you need to master to progress. Adventure games focus more on exploration and puzzle solving, with combat being avoidable, non-existent, or heavily simplified/automated.
2018 was a good year for players who would rather exercise their minds than their thumbs. Some great new episodic series kicked off this year and narrative games from big publishers like EA and Sony delivered surprisingly moving, thought-provoking experiences. On top of that, Shadow of the Colossus made a towering return, and Hitman 2 proved the stealth genre is still alive and well. Keep your wits about you as we explore Wccftech’s best adventure games of 2018!
Previous entries in Wccftech’s Best Games of 2018: Multiplayer Games, Roleplaying Games, Fighting Games
“A Way Out is an impressive achievement that definitively proves creativity matters more than bloated budgets and big-name franchises. A technically accomplished, endlessly inventive co-op masterpiece, A Way Out will surprise and excite you from beginning to end. This one deserves to be a breakout hit.”
“Detroit: Become Human doesn’t change the Quantic Dream formula that much. Instead, Detroit refines it with a narrative that takes three different stories of android servitude to create one cohesive story. While repeated playthroughs can reveal the programming beneath the surface and the failed promise of free will, even taking a single playthrough to create your own story makes Detroit: Become Human a worthy PlayStation 4 exclusive.”
The Walking Dead: The Final Season is one of Telltale Games’ best efforts in quite some time. It builds its cast of likeable new characters with uncommon skill, lets you feel a glimmer of hope, and then tears it all down in devastating fashion. I’m afraid of what might come next for Clementine and AJ, but I can’t look away…The Final Season has already sunk its teeth into me.
Shadow of the Colossus is one of the most incredible modern video games ever made -- one of the very few where every part of the game’s design work perfectly in tandem with one another. Both the gameplay and environmental storytelling still hold up after over 12 years from the original release on PS2 and the updated graphics are absolutely incredible on PlayStation 4 Pro. Shadow of the Colossus is still a majestic and compelling adventure through a gorgeous world that constantly leaves you in a state of awe.
Hitman 2 is yet another well-executed entry in IO Interactive’s killer franchise. The game lacks some of the refinement expected of a world-class assassin, but the top-notch level design and some small, but key improvements to the series’ core mechanics more than make up for a few presentation and polish issues. Hitman 2 isn’t quite the shot to the heart it could have been, but it’s close enough to count.
There you go, the best of an adventuresome year. Any good games we missed? Don’t agree with our top five? Hit the comments and hash out your own adventure favorites.