Play time! 'Red Dead,' 'Spider-Man' among top 10 video games of 2018

In 2018, the global video game industry continued to expand, leading analysts to predict that by the close of the year it will have generated well over $130 billion in revenue. But while much of this growth is driven by well-known titles such as “Fortnite,” some are worried that the market has become oversaturated.

The battle-royale trend that PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds started last year showed no sign of slowing down as “Call of Duty: Black Ops 4” followed suit. After it was announced that this year's entry in the series would be foregoing a single-player campaign, the are-single-player-games-dying conversation was reignited. Yet, as this year's list shows, we were preoccupied with enough incredible single-player experiences that we didn't give much thought to that discussion.

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“Red Dead Redemption 2” (PlayStation 4, Xbox One):</b> The new standard-bearer for open-world game design is a lavishly detailed Western set at the tail end of the 19th century. “Red Dead Redemption 2” tells the story of a gang who finds its outlaw lifestyle increasingly difficult to maintain as representatives of government and private industry consolidate power. At the center is Arthur Morgan, a pillar of the gang who, over time, comes to question his values. Watching him interact with his comrades is as interesting as partaking in a shootout. If you can come to grips with game's byzantine controls then nothing should prevent you from enjoying one of the finest games ever made.

<b>“God of War” (PlayStation 4):</b> Even for a god, the old cliche holds: becoming a parent changes everything. No longer the brash, psychopath he once was, Kratos, aka The Ghost of Sparta, has mellowed since he exterminated the gods of Olympus. Having left his native Greece for the land of the Norse, Kratos embarks on a quest with his young son to scatter the ashes of the child's mother from the highest peak in the realm. Along the way they meet the World Serpent, befriend a severed head and slay monsters. Kratos's struggle with his past, as he tries to steer his son onto a better path, gives this stellar action game a welcomed bit of emotional friction.

<b>“Gorogoa” (Android, iPhone, PC, PlayStation 4, Mac, Xbox One):</b> This beautifully constructed point-and-click puzzle game was released just outside of the window for consideration of 2017's best games. “Gorogoa” secures its place on this year's list because few games before or since have offered such a fascinating meditation on spiritual growth. “Gorogoa” unfolds across a four-tiled grid over which players rearrange illustrated panels alongside or over top of each other. Doing so teases out new connections between places and phenomena that otherwise are separated by time and space. If you're interested in video games as art then this is one to be studied.

<b>“Tetris Effect” (PlayStation VR):</b> This game should come with multiple warning labels such as: “May cause hours to slip away in solipsistic bliss.” Designed by the visionary Tetsuya Mizuguchi, “Tetris Effect” takes Alexey Pajitnov's classic puzzle game and wraps an audiovisual experience around it that's psychedelic enough to put you in touch with your inner shaman. Playing Tetris amid swimming dolphins or at a celebration in the desert is distracting enough to push all other distractions aside.

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“Dead Cells” (Mac, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One):</b> The premise of “Dead Cells” is as hackneyed as any in video games - guide a faceless dude through dungeons and other inhospitable places where murderous creatures lie in wait. But if you have a fondness for the side-scrolling, hack 'n' slash games of the '90s, then “Dead Cells” may feel like a natural endpoint. It channels the energy of an arcade experience by tasking the player with completing it in one go. However, a series of permanent unlocks means that a failed run need not end in vain. And randomized environments lessen the annoyance of repetition. A range of randomized equipment encourages a number of playstyles. Everything about it is polished to a sheen.

<b>“Marvel's Spider-Man” (PlayStation 4):</b> Excelsior! It's your friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man, loftier and fancier than you've seen him in 37 other games from the past 36 years. Sure, Insomniac's often-thin narrative foreshadows way too much, but there's some of the world's finest, movie-like action ensconced within this Marvel-inspired New York City. The best web-swinging feats through Manhattan feel like a mesmerizing fever dream.

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“Where The Water Tastes Like Wine” (PC, Mac):</b> The excellent indie “Where The Water Tastes Like Wine” isn't full of tricky, new methods of gameplay. Rather, it's a compelling road trip on U.S. soil circa the Depression Era. The events encountered during this hardscrabble life on foot feel like they could well have happened. The musician Sting is here to do voice-over for a devil-like, philosophizing protagonist who wants to control your life. But it's the smaller characters you meet on the side of the road that haunt you. And that's what this narrative-heavy game does. The rich American myths presented here stay with you.

<b>“Moss” (PlayStation VR; Oculus Rift; HTC Vive; Windows Mixed Reality):</b> Moss the mouse. Just three stark words. But when you add a fighting personality to a female, sword-wielding rodent and inject some of the best virtual reality we've seen on Sony's PSVR system, the result is a puzzle-oriented platformer that nears the level of masterpiece. Graphically, too, Moss shines with verdant, bucolic forests and dimly lit dungeons.

<b>“Florence” (Android, Mac, iOS):</b> Forget the very idea of angst. This short, emotion-filled experience made for mobile phones presents the ideal picture of a young relationship circa 2018. Everything here is a cut above. The mundane nature of the everyday gives way to the floating feeling of attraction when Florence first hears the cello played by what will become the object of her affections. The music tugs at your heart without becoming cloying.

<b>“Monster Hunter: World” (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One):</b> This is for the core gamer. If you haven't logged at least 100 hours in “Monster Hunter: World,” you haven't really played this lush, action-oriented RPG. Yes, you kill or trap dragons. Yes, you're on a mission to vanquish the awe-inspiring dragon Zorah Magdaros. But the world is so varied it's difficult to stop playing, especially since Capcom has added events that include heroes and enemies from other games. So, set aside some serious time. This monster of a game is worth the indulgence.