Best Games of September 2018, According to Metacritic
5) Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Metacritic Score: 86
Releasing right at the beginning of the month, Dragon Quest XI set September 2018 off on the right track. Echoes of an Elusive Age is the first mainline Dragon Quest game to release in the West in almost a decade, but it’s a great throwback to traditional RPGs. You are your crew of characters set out on an epic journey full of dangerous monsters to take on and items to find, and it all takes place in a beautiful world. The design of the new characters is clearly inspired by anime, but the world of Erdrea that they inhabit is beautifully realistic.
The characters are loveable and the story is compelling, but Echoes of an Elusive Age is an RPG for those after a game that’s reminiscent old DQ and Final Fantasy games. It’s slower and more linear that many modern examples of the genre, but it’s an impressive experience that’s fun for tens of hours.
Best Games of September 2018, According to Metacritic
4) Wandersong (Switch) – Metacritic Score: 87
Wandersong is certainly the game you’re least likely to recognize on this list, but it’s a puzzle platformer unlike anything you’ve seen before. The game sees you run through the world, using song to interact with the terrain and items to unlock secrets and solve puzzles.
You have a colored wheel that plays a certain musical tone when you aim the thumbstick in its direction. Then, as your character sings certain notes, you can move platforms and give life to objects that help you get to the next part of the world. It’s a unique experience that’s perfect on the Switch. The charming world is also made from paper cutouts, so you’ll see things like paper snowflakes pass you in snowy levels, or odd looking cacti in desert areas. The characters and dialogue also add heart to the world, making Wandersong more than a platformer with interesting mechanics.
Best Games of September 2018, According to Metacritic
Tie 2) Marvel’s Spider-Man – Metacritic Score: 87
Anyone who has played Insomniac’s Spider-Man won’t be surprised to hear that it’s one of the highest rated games of the month. Exploring an open-world is rarely as satisfying as the web-slinging makes it here, and the sheer amount of stuff to see and do makes you want to spend every moment exploring.
That being said, the main story is compelling and emotional, presenting you with characters you begin to care about. It may be pretty predictable when it comes to the villains, but Yuri Lowenthal’s Peter Parker is just as fun to be as the titular hero. Whether you want to blast through the story missions or would rather clean up every little icon as you go, Spider-Man is a lot of fun. Insomniac has comfortably made the best Spider-Man game we’ve ever seen and one of the best superhero games.
Best Games of September 2018, According to Metacritic
Tie 2) Hyper Light Drifter (Switch) – Metacritic Score: 87
First coming to PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 in 2016, Hyper Light Drifter finally made its way to Nintendo Switch in September 2018. If you didn’t play it when it came to other platforms, it is 2D action RPG with beautiful 16-bit visuals and a unique world. As the Drifter, you have access to a technology that’s been long forgotten, but you’re suffering from an illness.
Hyper Light Drifter is perfect for playing on the go on the Switch, not losing the charm of the world or the emotion of the story on the smaller screen. The combat is engaging and varied, the story is compelling, and you’ll find it hard to uncover a review that doesn’t mention the beauty of the game’s visuals. It’s a great homage to the RPGs that made the SNES the success it was, but the detail and use of color makes for a world that stands out on it’s own. If you missed it before, Hyper Light Drifter is one of the best indie games of the last few years.
Best Games of September 2018, According to Metacritic
1) Dragon Ball FighterZ (Switch) – Metacritic Score: 89
This isn’t the first time Dragon Ball FighterZ has appeared on one of these lists over the last 12 months. Since the game first released on other platforms in January, it has been lauded as one of the best fighting games of the last few years, and the Switch release sees it being praised once again.
Just as they did for the PS4, PC, and Xbox One releases, critics scored Dragon Ball FighterZ highly due to phenomenal visuals that perfectly re-create that of the anime, and the gameplay that is accessible but deep. The Switch may not be the best place to play it if you’re limited to the joy-cons, but the ability to take it on the go out-weighs that issue somewhat. Rarely has the Dragon Ball license been used so well, especially in a fighting game.
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