What is the MOST IMPROVED game of 2018 and why?

[a Master Ninja]

Tell me what you believe to be the MOST IMPROVED game of 2018 and give a short explanation why.

Some guidelines:
-The game does not need to have released in 2018.
-The post launch support that you believe made a huge difference does need to have been released in 2018.
-The impactful update/new content doesn't need to have been FREE. If you can explain why some paid DLC was a game changer, then go for it.
-Fan/community mods and patches don't qualify. I'm looking for official support here.

Games like Fortnite, No Man's Sky, and Star Wars Battlefront II could absolutely qualify. Heck, you might even be able to make a case for the backwards compatible Xbox 360 version of FFXIII.

I'm going to kick things off with an admittedly dark horse candidate that I think this community has largely written off:

Sea of Thieves
Release date: March 20th, 2018

Rare's "shared world adventure game" launched in a functional but very bare-bones state earlier this year. It has had 4 major content updates since launch, and a complete list of what was added can be found here. All of this content has been 100% FREE, and there isn't even a way to spend real money on anything inside the game. I've been checking in on the game after each major update and finally, with the most recent "Shrouded Spoils" update, the game finally feels like it's in the state it should have launched in. The world feels much more alive, dangerous, and dynamic. Post-launch there are now new islands to explore, new sea monsters to fight, AI ships roaming the seas, new ways to interact with other players, and the alliance system that was added has unquestionably made the game more cooperative.

Of course the game's fundamental structure hasn't changed. You aren't making your weapons more powerful. There is no deep, story-driven singleplayer campaign. You are never completely safe from other human players. If these were deal-breakers back in March, I'm here to report that these things haven't changed. It's just not that kind of game.

Bottom line: 9 months after launch, Sea of Thieves is a much more interesting and exciting game to play thanks to a series of free updates. It's in a good place now and I'm looking forward to continued free updates in 2019 and beyond.

 

[Mitsurugi]

Rainbow Six: Siege. This game is like a whole different new one since launch

 

[fanboi]

DayZ?

 

[Potterson]

It's a shame exploration in SoT is so boring.

I mean, just add... something to collect. I go to an interesting looking island. Oh, a hidden cave! Wonder what's inside! Wow, look at this creepy skull - I would love to take it to put it on my captain's table... Of course I can't take it. This summarises my feelings while I was playing this while back. I don't need new weapons or upgrades, really.

 

[Dusk Golem]

The honest answer is probably some indie games most here haven't played, there's some indie games that provide updates to their products long after release as they're passion projects and add and improve it more and more. Not all indie developers, but there's definitely few of these, and I follow a few games like this.

Currently I'm playing through DUSK, which got updates all through the year, but some might not count it as it was in Early Access until a few days ago. Since I follow the horror game scene, while I still have issues with it, the previous chapters of Bendy and the Ink Machine were improved a lot through 2018 as free updates which overhauled the earlier chapters. I 100% know there's been more, but I'm terrible with names and own so many games, I'd need to dig through my memory a bit.

 

[Wace]

No Man's Sky. It's an absolutely new game from what it was on release date, and lots of gameplay improvements came in 2018.

Stellaris. Several major updates rehauled the already-good-game, confirming the status of the best space 4x out there.

War Thunder. F2P combat sim added ships and helicopters to the roster of the military vehicles available to players, and supersonic aviation is scheduled to release next week.

 

[RestEerie]

No Man's Sky perhaps? I've refunded my copy during launch period but all the release videos i've watched so far about their updates seems to have major improvement....all for free too.

 

[DocSeuss]

I don't know how anyone could say it's anything other than Destiny 2. Game had good reviews but lost players incredibly fast, to the point where Activision was stressing about it in stock calls. Forsaken has addressed nearly all complaints--I wrote about this for USGamer this spring, Bungie's updates addressed almost everything I said they'd need to do--and lo and behold, the game is doing amazing now. Activision's s till not super happy, but their biggest issue is that they're not attracting new players; actual retention is really good. There's no real way for Bungie to get back to this without relying on nostalgia (import all your D1 guns! go do D1 raids!) or some massive free updates (like entire new planets and raids for free).

 

[Neptonic]

Every 8 months Warframe just gets better and better so that's my choice

Fortuna is wild

 

[SneakersSO]

Destiny 2 Forsaken is the winner of this category without a shadow of a doubt.

The delta between where the game was when it launched in terms of content and activities and rewards, the DLC & support it would then go on to receive over the next 9-12 months, to what it currently is now since the Forsaken drop and the quality of the content it has continuously received since Forsaken shipped, is nothing short of miraculous.

it is hard to believe the same company that produced D2 could, 12 months later, perfect the formula in such a drastic way.

 

[Bold One]

No Man's Sky

Destiny 2 FORSAKEN

 

[Deleted member 12352]

Toss up between Destiny 2 and No Man's Sky.

 

[Deleted member 2172]

Its a 3 way battle between Destiny 2, No Mans Sky and Warframe.

All 3 vastly improved from where they were at in 2017... If I had to pick one I would probably go No Mans Sky though.

 

[Slammin_Hammon]

It's Destiny 2 for me. They finally made it a game worth playing for more than just the week of a new content drop. The only trouble is that this improvement was due to Destiny 2 being mediocre for a year because of some pretty bad design choices.

While I haven't been interested in the updates to No Man's Sky I will give them credit for the continued support much of which seems to have been received well.

 

[SuikerBrood]

It's a shame exploration in SoT is so boring.

I mean, just add... something to collect. I go to an interesting looking island. Oh, a hidden cave! Wonder what's inside! Wow, look at this creepy skull - I would love to take it to put it on my captain's table... Of course I can't take it. This summarises my feelings while I was playing this while back. I don't need new weapons or upgrades, really.

Click to shrink...

While I agree that they should improve this, there are things to be found on islands. Different kinds of silverware, cursed cannonballs and messages in a bottle.

 

[SirNinja]

Destiny 2.

Forsaken really did turn things around, addressing a number of the base game's biggest issues while also injecting some crazy new elements that no one saw coming. I really hope other devs take ideas from Gambit and run with them, because hybrid PvE/PvP is great stuff. Also, combat bows are the best thing. (And as is traditional for Destiny, they feel amazing to fire.)

Runner-up: No Man's Sky continued to improve from last year's Atlas Rises update with an even bigger overhaul in NEXT (and then The Abyss, then Visions...), all for free. Virtually every promise they made at or before the game's initial launch is now fulfilled, along with ton of other new features.

 

[Deleted member 2254]

Rocket League it is for me. This year it added excellent passes, the Xbox One X update that not only increases the resolution and adds HDR but also improves the general colours and designs, there's a new progression system, new items, better trading options, even better events than usual with double XP and such. This felt like the strongest year for a game that was already amazing from launch, and I've never been more addicted to it than this year.

 

[Elvin Atombender]

I think Gran Turismo Sport has basically added everything that reviews complained about.

Single player stuff + lots of cars and tracks.

 

[SuikerBrood]

I think Destiny 2 and No Man's Sky deserve this title. But as I both don't really play those, I'd have to go with Sea of Thieves.

Launched as a barebones game with new and divisive mechanics, the game has really improved in the last couple of months. They started with smaller updates like The Hungering Deep and Cursed Sails. Those additions added content to the game, but didn't make the game very different.

In september we got Forsaken Shores, an update that added a new area to the map and added some cool new features to the game, such as rowboats, it really made the world feel more filled.

But for me, Shrouded Spoils was the best update to date. Not because of the added content, the fog is cool but not that extensive, but because they've polished every aspect that they introduced in prior updates. The krakens, megalodons and skeleton ships give loot and spawn everywhere on the map, the mermaid statues add a nice underwater aspect to the game and the gems as loot is a great idea. The constant activity at skeleton forts made sure there is always action going on.

I'm looking forward to next year. With The Arena coming and Craig Duncan, studio head at Rare, saying that 2019 is going to be even more exciting for Sea of Thieves than 2018, I'm ready for the ride.

 

[leng jai]

I think Gran Turismo Sport has basically added everything that reviews complained about.

Single player stuff + lots of cars and tracks.

Click to shrink...

Any weather yet?

 

[Deleted member 36622]

Splatoon 2 - they added new everything and brought a far better single player experience which was the main complain at launch.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - the game was already very good but they went full fan service with returning blades from Xenosaga and previous Xenoblade games, plus NG+, the new quests, and Torna (which removes things like the gacha system some people didn't like)

 

[xICHIGOx]

Gran Turismo Sport: Free DLC, tons of patch that have balanced the physics and the net code is almost perfect. The best racing online experience you can get on consoles.

 

[Ravelle]

Oxygen not Included and Subnautica, both were pumping out big content updates every few weeks.

 

[CaviarMeths]

Ah I thought this thread was going to be about games released in 2018 that were better than the previous entry in the series. I was going to say Insomniac's Spider-Man, which is light years ahead of Beenox's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in quality.

 

[Asbsand]

which is light years ahead of Beenox's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in quality.

Click to shrink...

That's kind of a low bar, still. TASM had decent mechanics and overall it was just decent. But it had the sense that Beenox had no vision for it and the story seemed babbling and confused about itself.

It was a very low bar IMO and Spiderman PS4 you can see as an improvement on it, but to me it's a downgrade from Spiderman 2 at the same time just in its swinging system. Overall it's the best amalgamation of other Spiderman games and superhero games though. They have a ways to go if they wanna make it the masterpiece series that the Arkham games were IMO other than in how they are capable of presenting a story with great production values.

 

[SuikerBrood]

Ah I thought this thread was going to be about games released in 2018 that were better than the previous entry in the series. I was going to say Insomniac's Spider-Man, which is light years ahead of Beenox's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in quality.

Click to shrink...

We live in a world with ongoing games now, more than ever.. :P

Now I'm saying this, I was checking out the release dates of the biggest Twitch titles. It's quite astonishing.

1. Fortnite 2017
2. League of Legends 2009
3. PUBG 2017
4. Hearthstone 2014
5. Dota 2 2013
6. IRL
7. Overwatch 2016
8. Counter Strike: Go 2012
9. World of Warcraft 2004
10. GTA V 2013

 

[Nameless]

NEXT
Abyss
Visions

It's No Man's Sky. I was looking back at my 2+ years of screenshots and it's absolutely incredible game how far that game has come just visually, nevermind all the QoL, gameplay, economy improvements and added content. The game has gone from a flawed gem to a straight up gem.

 

[Mitchman1411]

No Man's Sky.

 

[Aztechnology]

Destiny 2 Forsaken is the winner of this category without a shadow of a doubt.

The delta between where the game was when it launched in terms of content and activities and rewards, the DLC & support it would then go on to receive over the next 9-12 months, to what it currently is now since the Forsaken drop and the quality of the content it has continuously received since Forsaken shipped, is nothing short of miraculous.

it is hard to believe the same company that produced D2 could, 12 months later, perfect the formula in such a drastic way.

Click to shrink...

I can't wait for Destiny 3 to be the most improved game of 20XX.

 

[Guaraná]

No Man's Sky without a doubt.

 

[TheZjman]

Destiny 2 Forsaken is the winner of this category without a shadow of a doubt.

The delta between where the game was when it launched in terms of content and activities and rewards, the DLC & support it would then go on to receive over the next 9-12 months, to what it currently is now since the Forsaken drop and the quality of the content it has continuously received since Forsaken shipped, is nothing short of miraculous.

it is hard to believe the same company that produced D2 could, 12 months later, perfect the formula in such a drastic way.

Click to shrink...

It's the same as the step between Destiny 1 and the Taken King though. They were poles apart in their quality, i hated Vanilla Destiny but played close to a thousand hours in once Taken King came out. But i guess that's the swing of these games, you just don't know how well it will work until players get into it.

 

[Deleted member 31873]

It's Wipeout Omega Collection with the VR update. Not even a contest.

 

[SP.]

It's got to be No Mans Sky.

 

[Barry Sandwich]

Fortnite has come a long way.

No Man's Sky must surely be the most improved - I've not played it yet but the updates sound incredible. Game is basically it's own sequel.

 

[Loggjaw]

I agree with all of these but let's not forgot Path of Exile every "league/Expansion " they game got better added more content, and when it didn't always work Beast league they tweaked it till it did. Now with 3.5 all the systems work so well together. Plus the ascendancy reworks and now the master reworks which were some of the major complaints about the game. 3.6 and especially 4.0 is gonna be fucking nuts

 

[a Master Ninja]

I should play No Man's Sky.

 

[Couscous]

Rainbow Six: Siege. This game is like a whole different new one since launch

Click to shrink...

Yeah, the game is much better now. The fact that they changed a few maps completely and changed the lighting though holes is awesome. I still play it weekly.

 

[Bold One]

Yup, it has to No Man's Sky and Destiny 2 FORSAKEN

 

[AegonSnake]

Destiny 2 forsaken is that game.

Aside from the light level grind, the content was great. Great Raid, great weekly missions, great shattered throne mini dungeon, and some pretty decent exotics.

 

[JamboGT]

WipEout and GT Sport for me.

 

[MrS]

Definitely Destiny 2. Fortnite, to me, is a worse game than it was in 2017 because its simplicity is what made it great and it's moved away from that. There are too many bells and whistles now imho.

 

[Demacabre]

No Man's Sky though I am still pissed we will never get a VR version.

 

[Riderz1337]

GT Sport for me. Tons of new content has come out in a consistent basis for the game which is such a surprise considering this is Polyphony we are talking about. On top of that it's all been free.

Also the GT Sport tournament they had was top notch as well.

 

[ZeoVGM]

It really can't be anything other than Destiny 2. Destiny 2's first 8-10 months were without question, the lowest point in the franchise. Not only did they rebound from that, it is arguably at the best point in the franchise.

 

[Kenjovani]

Fortnite. What a big change graphically and gameplay wise with all the addition of continuous new weapons and items. Epic is doing a great job.

 

[Holundrian]

From the outside no man's sky. Maybe I look in the wrong places but I think the insanely high toxicity around that game has gone down. Now time is of course a factor but I also think the constant improvements are part of it?

 

[Mitsurugi]

Yeah, the game is much better now. The fact that they changed a few maps completely and changed the lighting though holes is awesome. I still play it weekly.

Click to shrink...

And way way more than that. I play it daily, at least 3-4 games.

 

[Elandyll]

Easily No Man's Sky for me.
The latest updates made it almost into a whole new game, and the mix of bases, fleet management and under water exoration is pretty great nowadays.
Also not really into mp, but that is also a long awaited update.

 

[Flipyap]

Fortnite has come a long way.

No Man's Sky must surely be the most improved - I've not played it yet but the updates sound incredible. Game is basically it's own sequel.

Click to shrink...

No Man's Sky's most significant upgrades didn't come out this year and 2018's graphical overhaul caused the visual variety to fall far behind what the game had at launch. I don't think people would be pleased if that were any kind of sequel.

 

[Dylan]

It really can't be anything other than Destiny 2. Destiny 2's first 8-10 months were without question, the lowest point in the franchise. Not only did they rebound from that, it is arguably at the best point in the franchise.

Click to shrink...

What's different about it? I played the campaign at launch and then uninstalled. If I reinstall will it be more fun?