Nintendo Switch
Nintendo has had its share of ups and downs in Q2 2018, and introduced a multitude of enjoyable Switch titles. But while the system has received plenty of games in general, none of them were the blockbuster hits fans have been clamoring for over the last few months. Earlier this year was a relatively quiet period for the system, with April introducing exclusives in the form of Mario Tennis Aces and Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition.
The most intriguing part of the Switch’s lineup for the quarter also included Nintendo Labo, with both its Variety and Robot Kits debuting in April. The construction toy platform, which utilizes a series of kits featuring cardboard cutouts, rubber bands, grommets, and other parts for users to assemble various items, caught on like wildfire. It was widely hailed as one of the coolest things Nintendo has come up with yet, especially as it was a win for STEM learning and a great way for parents to spend time with their children.
But aside from these big hits, and including the fact that Dark Souls Remastered’s Nintendo Switch port ended up being pushed out from its initial May release, the Switch didn’t have the same oomph as months past. Without big exclusives like Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the Switch’s lineup tends to pale in comparison to prior, more varied and exciting times in the system’s life cycle. While we got a nice selection of different games over the last few months, they’re unfortunately not enough to elevate the Switch to become the winner of Q2 2018.
Xbox One
Xbox fans got a decent selection of titles in Q2 2018, including State of Decay 2, NieR: Automata – Become as Gods Edition, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and a host of other exciting releases that felt right at home on the system. Unfortunately, many of them, minus State of Decay 2, were actually ports of other titles released at other times on systems like PC and PlayStation 4, or multi-platform games. With that in mind, there wasn’t really one standout experience that made the clear-cut statement that an Xbox One definitely had to be on the agenda for those looking to buy a console.
It’s true the addition of Dark Souls Remastered helped to bolster the console’s popularity, since folks were looking to get back into the series with its high definition return to form, but just like with the case of the Nintendo Switch, there wasn’t enough in Q2 for Xbox One owners to get their “breakout” moment. There just wasn’t that “A-ha! This is why I should own an Xbox One” epiphany, nor any games that really resounded with audiences outside of State of Decay 2, which launched to a cacophony of frustrating bugs as well.
It wasn’t exactly an exemplary few months for Microsoft fans, but that’s to be expected going into the summer months, it seems.
PlayStation 4
April was a shining moment for PlayStation 4 fans, with one of the biggest months yet in terms of blockbuster games. Both God of War and Yakuza 6: The Song of Life made their debut as console exclusives, a one-two punch of excellence that gave the system something of a boost over the others. For the entire month of April and even May that followed, the 2018 reboot of God of War was a system-seller, and the talk of the gaming community.
While May was relatively quiet, it did bring us Quantic Dream’s blockbuster adventure game Detroit: Become Human, as well as a swath of other smaller releases. The fantastic-looking and introspective adventure forced players to make some harrowing decisions, and catapulted the PlayStation 4 once more into the public eye with another system-seller for the month.
June was fairly bereft of console exclusives and big games, but folks were still reeling from the previous few months. With three huge exclusives that could potentially take weeks to get through if you were to see everything they had to offer, it was undoubtedly the console to have if you wanted triple-A experiences in Q2 2018.
Final Winner
It’s easy to see the clear-cut winner here for Q2 2018: PlayStation 4, of course. The last few months have certainly been kind to Sony fans, and the typical summer drought seemingly just didn’t come for the console or its devoted fan base.
A selection of blockbusters helped keep the system in the public eye even during months when it would be time for gamers to spend some time going through the backlog, and elevated the PlayStation 4 over the rest, plain and simple. If the combination of Detroit: Become Human, God of War, and Yakuza 6: The Song of Life don’t move you to pick up a PlayStation 4 after all this time, well, you may hate great games. Congratulations, PlayStation 4!
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