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Best Platformer of 2018

Best Platformer of 2018 - Article

by Evan Norris , posted on 31 December 2018 / 8,257 Views

With so many interesting platformers emerging from the independent game space, it doesn't seem like the genre will want for great games any time soon. In 2018, indie titles mixed with a brand new Kirby campaign and an inventive PSVR adventure with great results. Fans of all platforming stripes were satisfied. Titles like Guacamelee! 2 and Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom scratched the itch for platform-adventure; indie darling Celeste satisfied the need for a McMillen-esque tough-as-nails platformer; GRIS delivered a thoughtful, contemplative take on the ancient genre; Kirby Star Allies leaned into cooperative play; and Astro Bot Rescue Mission pushed platforming into a new dimension.

 

 

The Shortlist:

 

Astro Bot Rescue Mission

Best Platformer 2018 Astro Bot Rescue Mission

 

Celeste

Best Platformer 2018 Celeste

 

GRIS

Best Platformer 2018 GRIS

 

Kirby Star Allies

Best Platformer 2018 Kirby Star Allies

 

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom

Best Platformer 2018 Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom

 

 

 

The Winner:


Celeste

Best Platformer 2018 Winner

Celeste provides almost everything you'd want in a platformer: lovely pixel art; heavenly music; a meaningful story about doubt, anxiety, depression, and reconciliation; and, most importantly, accessible and flexible controls. Across several sites on a towering mountain named Celeste, players guide a young woman across hundreds of bite-sized platforming rooms. Some are straightforward, some devilish. One of the many beauties of Celeste is that players who wish to enjoy the sincere story can take the path of least resistance while battle-hardened platform fans can tackle optional "strawberry" rooms and B-sides—more punishing remixed versions of classic levels. Challenging, beautiful, and relevant, Celeste is our pick for best platformer of 2018.


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22 Comments
Errorist76 (on 01 January 2019)

I’d definitely have given it to Astro Bot, but I’m biased.

  • +1
Lucca (on 01 January 2019)

Why is Kirby Star Allies even on the shortlist? Isn't it like universally considered really average? Iconoclasts, Dead Cells, Dandara, Yoku's Island Express, there were so many great platformers/metroidvanias this year that should get some recognition!

  • +1
SuperNintend0rk Lucca (on 01 January 2019)

I agree about Kirby. Don't Metroidvania's fall under Action/Adventure though?

  • 0
Lucca Lucca (on 01 January 2019)

Pure Action, maybe, but Action/Adventure no. That category is for very different games (AC Odyssey, RDR2, GoW and Spider-Man are Action/Adventure, Dead Cells for example has nothing to do with them). Since VGChartz has both a “Best Action/Adventure Game” and a “Best Shooter”, I'm gonna guess there's no “Best Action Game”, and so metroidvanias should be on the “Best Platformers” list.

  • 0
SuperNintend0rk Lucca (on 01 January 2019)

I personally wouldn't consider them pure Action or Platformer games so Action/Adventure is the best fit for them IMO.

  • 0
Lucca Lucca (on 01 January 2019)

If VGChartz considers metroidvanias Action/Adventure games, they completely snubbed those games I mentioned.

  • 0
SuperNintend0rk Lucca (on 01 January 2019)

Oh right I forgot they already did that category. At the very least Dead Cells deserves to get a nomination somewhere.

  • +1
Sixteenvolt420 (on 01 January 2019)

Haven't played any of them, but i definitely want to check out Celeste.

  • +1
Rogerioandrade (on 02 January 2019)

GRIS should be on this list.

  • 0
ARamdomGamer (on 01 January 2019)

Kirby is such a nice boi that he allowed Celeste to win, just a wholesome award.

  • 0
Azuren (on 01 January 2019)

Well-deserved, though I feel Dead Cells is a better platformer (albeit a slightly different genre).

  • 0
VAMatt (on 31 December 2018)

Having not played any of these games, my opinion probably ain't worth much. But, Celeste seems like it could have been made 25 years ago. That's not the kind of thing I'd be voting for.

  • -9
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VAMatt VAMatt (on 31 December 2018)

You're right that there's no problem to "have" this game. But, bestowing "best platformer" honors it is hard for me to wrap my head around.

  • -8
KLAMarine VAMatt (on 31 December 2018)

Spoken like someone who has not played Celeste.

  • +2
SuperNintend0rk VAMatt (on 01 January 2019)

You need to play Celeste. Seriously. Then we'll talk...

  • +2
Slownenberg VAMatt (on 01 January 2019)

So you hate retro games. which has nothing to do with how amazing this game is. Definitely deserves to be best platformer of the year. Loved this game.

  • +1
JWeinCom VAMatt (on 01 January 2019)

This comment is exactly two sentences too long.

  • -1
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VAMatt CaptainExplosion (on 01 January 2019)

Game is several years old

  • -3
Masked_Muchaco CaptainExplosion (on 01 January 2019)

Ports and remasters are excluded from competing for obvious reasons.

  • 0