NOTE: The nominees and winner were decided by an internal vote held among the entire GamingBolt staff.

THE NOMINEES ARE…

MEGA MAN 11

Mega Man is one of the old guard of the video games medium, a progenitor of so much of what we look at staples today. Bringing back this legendary and hibernating franchise and doing it well must have been an intimidating task, but Capcom took it in their stride. As a result, what we have with Mega Man 11 is exactly what fans of the series have been clamouring for for years. A gruellingly challenging yet thoroughly entertaining gauntlet of platforming and action, Mega Man 11 doesn’t exactly set the world on fire, but it does do one thing perfectly- it’s a reminder of why the Blue Bomber is an industry icon.

THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU: FINAL REMIX

The World Ends With You is often regarded as one of the best Nintendo DS games ever, which is saying a lot, considering the handheld’s legendary library. So when Square Enix and Nintendo announced that the innovative RPG would be making its way to the Switch, there was an eruption of excitement in its dedicated fanbase- which paid off, of course. The World Ends With You: Final Remix is a reminder of why the 2007 title is as deeply beloved as it is, with a unique combat system, an engaging story, and characters that are easy to invest in. Here’s hoping this port means that Square Enix is finally looking into making a sequel.

DEAD CELLS

No amount of praise is enough for Dead Cells. It’s not often that you come across a game where everything just clicks, but that is exactly what Dead Cells is. It mixes elements of roguelikes and metroidvanias with brilliant ingenuity, leading to some excellent level design, and a core loop of “just one more run” that ends up being dangerously addictive. Combat and progression are what define Dead Cells more than anything else, and they’re almost flawless in their execution. Each year, we get at least a handful of indie titles that proudly stand tall and reaffirm the fact that indies can be just as good as high budget AAA releases, if not better, and in 2018, Dead Cells is undoubtedly one of those titles.

POKEMON LET’S GO, PIKACHU! AND LET’S GO, EEVEE!

Pokemon Let’s Go might not be the core console Pokemon sequel that we’ve been waiting for since it was first announced in 2017, but it’s still a game that managed to exceed all expectations. Journeying through a lovingly recreated and charmingly beautiful Kanto is just about as much fun as you would expect it to be, and the experience is, predictably enough, further heightened thanks to heavy doses of nostalgia. Many of the most controversial changes Let’s Go made also surprisingly turned out to work much better than anyone could have expected. Though it doesn’t quench our thirst for a proper Pokemon experience that is tailor made for a console, Let’s Go still manages to capture that quintessential feeling of adventure that Pokemon is so famous for.

MOONLIGHTER

On face value, Moonlighter is a distillation of the dungeon crawling action RPG niche of games. And while the dungeon crawling and roguelike aspects of Moonlighter are certainly no damp squib, it’s how it makes use of them and contextualizes them within its larger scope that truly makes it shine. Go into dungeons, progress as much as you can, get the best loot possible, and come back to your shop where you can sell that loot to grow as a business. A business simulator disguised as a dungeon crawler? It’s an idea that seems totally out of left field at first, but once you get into it, there’s no getting out.

RUNNER3

Runner3 is a game that has no qualms with being as challenging as it can be. Not worried about wanting to be accessible to as many people as possible, Runner3 puts players through the wringer almost constantly. And while that can at times lead to moments of frustration, more often than not, it feels like an immaculately crafted experience. Sporting some truly genius level design and a charming visual aesthetic, playing through Runner3 when it is at its absolute best is a blast. With a ridiculous amount of content on offer as well, it’s well worth the price of entry.

VALKYRIA CHRONICLES 4

Valkyria Chronicles 4 is a pure distillation of everything that makes the franchise – especially the first game – as good as it is. Though its narrative and writing are nothing to write home about, where its strengths truly lie is in its long, thrilling, engaging tactical battles. Strategy is paramount in Valkyria Chronicles 4, where every battle can be as much as 90 minutes long, and every move you make can make or break an entire encounter. It’s not a gruesomely difficult game by any means, but manages to strike just the right balance, where constant strategizing and forward-thinking can lead to some very satisfying victories.

MONSTER BOY AND THE CURSED KINGDOM

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a game that will have you smiling through the entirety of your playthrough. From its charming and vibrant visuals and art to its classic platforming, this is a game that smells of childhood. Monster Boy also boasts of some genuinely smart level design, which makes making use of all your different powers in some truly wonderful ways. Though it’s practically a love letter for fans of the Wonder Boy series – to which it serves as a spiritual successor – Monster Boy is also a game that is good enough to stand on its own two legs.

SUPER SMASH BROS. ULTIMATE

Super Smash Bros. games are pretty much always guaranteed to be among the best games in whatever year they come out- and when a Smash game promises to be the culmination of everything the franchise has ever been about, that guarantee turns into a dead-set inevitability. This is a game that is teeming with undying love for not just Nintendo, but the entire medium as a whole, and it shows that love through an ocean of content, all of which is built with unbelievable love and care, and a characteristically obsessive attention to detail. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is exactly what its name suggests- Smash Bros, but bigger, better, and shinier than ever before.

DONKEY KONG COUNTRY: TROPICAL FREEZE

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was one of the very best games in the Wii U’s entire library. It is, in fact, one of the best side scrolling platformers ever created. Due to the limited instal base of the Wii U, however, it never got the recognition and love that it deserved. This year, Nintendo brought over the excellent platformer to the Switch, and we were reminded of just how excellent it is. Level design is the thing that defines most games, if not all of them, and in this area, Tropical Freeze has no peers. It also provides a proper challenge to its players, which rarely ever feels like it’s achieved cheaply. With better visuals and some neat new content added on top, Tropical Freeze on Switch is the best version of an already excellent platformer.

HYRULE WARRIORS: DEFINITIVE EDITION

Hyrule Warriors is a game that is very easy to recommend to both, fans of the musuo genre, and fans of the Zelda property. Definitive Edition brings all the content associated with the game neatly into a single package, buoyed by shinier visuals, and though it’s not a compelling purchase for someone who may have already played the original game when it released, on its own two feet, it’s a great experience. It blends the best elements of the action packed and adrenaline fueled gameplay of the Warriors franchise with a great deal of love and respect for The Legend of Zelda, and ends up as an experience that is, all in all, a fun and satisfying romp.

MARIO TENNIS ACES

Mario Tennis isn’t exactly one of Nintendo’s premier franchises, but thanks to years of consistently solid entries, it’s managed to endear itself to the masses. After a couple of years in the slump with a less than stellar entry on the Wii U, Mario Tennis Aces brought the series back to form. Its core gameplay is exactly as addictive and unabashedly fun as you would expect from a Mario Tennis title, which translates excellently to multiplayer, both online and local. The game’s campaign leaves something to be desired, and it’s lacking in some other areas, such as customization tools, but for those who’re simply looking for a good time, Mario Tennis Aces delivers.

SUPER MARIO PARTY

Some might say that in attempting to bring the Mario Party back on track, Super Mario Party delivers an experience that is a bit too conventional- and while that is true, the fact that it is, at its core, a very well made game that can be an absolute blast when played with friends simply cannot be denied. Super Mario Party removes many of the annoyances that had been plaguing the series for some times, and goes back to the roots by doing what the series is best known for. It’s got a large assortment of some extremely enjoyable mini games, and though it’s not a game without flaws, when it comes to something as pure and simple as fun, Super Mario Party’s appeal is undeniable.

CELESTE

We’ve praised Celeste to the skies and back ever since it launched at the beginning of 2018, but it’s just that sort of a game- it cannot be praised enough. From a gameplay perspective, it is a tight, challenging platformer with crisp controls, excellent level design, and a surprising amount of replay value. From a narrative perspective, it tells a surprisingly moving and personal tale that sticks with you long after you’re done with the game. Things such as an excellent soundtrack and a gorgeous visual aesthetic serve as cherries on top of an already decadent sundae.

OCTOPATH TRAVELER

Octopath Traveler is a dream come true for fans of classic JRPGs. But while it’s a throwback to an era of the genre that is little more than a memory now, it never hides behind that facet of itself. Rather than trying to pander to a particular audience, Octopath Traveler carves out a solid identity of its own, with a beautiful, striking aesthetic, incredible art design, an addictive combat system that encourages tactical and strategic thinking way more than you’d expect, an excellent soundtrack, and so much more. Flaws in the game’s narrative structure and the general story itself are undeniable, but those things ultimately play second fiddle to its many, many strengths.

AND THE WINNER IS…

SUPER SMASH BROS. ULTIMATE

Over the years, Super Smash Bros. has stopped being a celebration of Nintendo, and grown far beyond that, to the point where it’s just a celebration of video games in general. When Masahiro Sakurai proclaimed during the reveal of Ultimate that “everyone is here”, we couldn’t have guessed that that wasn’t the game’s end goal, but rather simply the base that it would build on. Because yes, everyone is here- but that is just the beginning. This is a game that is teeming with a ridiculous amount of content- all of which would have counted for little if the game itself wasn’t as brilliant as it is. The mechanics of Smash have been honed to perfection in Ultimate, and with over 70 characters, 100 stages, 900 music tracks, a bevy of modes, and so much more, Smash Ultimate is a game that has something for everybody.

NOTE: The nominees and winner were decided by an internal vote held among the entire GamingBolt staff.

THE NOMINEES ARE…

WRECKFEST

In an era of racers where classic franchises such as Burnout and Need for Speed have either perished or become mere shadows of their once great selves, Wreckfest is a dream come true for those who’ve been yearning for a a good, solid arcade racer. Wreckfest is all about speed, and damage, and it’s extremely good at what it does. Watching vehicles crash and get wrecked is just delightful, and never gets old, and its destruction-centric mechanics are implemented wonderfully, making for an experience the likes of which have become increasingly rare as time has gone by.

THE CREW 2

With The Crew, Ubisoft Ivory Tower put a foundation into place that they could maximize on with future instalments, and while whether or not The Crew 2 fully realizes that potential is debatable, what isn’t debatable is that it’s still a damn fine game. The ability to switch between land, air, and water vehicles literally at the press of a button makes for an excellent mechanic that opens up free-roaming open world gameplay in The Crew 2 to a vast array of opportunities, and also leads to some excellent moments in event racers. There are issues with the game that hamper the experience, sure, but The Crew 2 is still a game you can sink dozens of hours in, issues and all.

FORZA HORIZON 4

Forza Horizon games have only been getting better with each successive instalment, to the point where a large number of people would even argue that the Horizon subseries is better even than the main Motorsport line of games. Forza Horizon 4 continues that upward trajectory, impossibly enough, and delivers not only one of the best games of this generation, but quite possibly one of the greatest racing games of all time. In Forza Horizon 4, there is never a shortage of things to do, with new racers, events, and challenges constantly popping up at a healthy rate, without ever getting repetitive or boring. Simple open world gameplay is also nothing short of blissful, while the mechanics of changing seasons, and how that changes the world itself as well, adds way more to the game that any of us could have imagined.

RIDE 3

Italian studio Milestone has had a dominance over motorcycle racing games for a number of years now, but with RIDE 3, they might just have put out one of their best efforts yet. RIDE 3 is a marked improvement over its predecessors, thanks to its switch to a different engine, which it leverages to improve upon areas that needed improving, and also refine others that worked well enough before. RIDE 3’s love for motorbikes is something that shines through in every aspect of the game, driving the different kinds of bikes, participating in its vast array of activities throughout its career mode, and customizing every vehicle in your garage with the game’s deep customization tools, makes for an overall experience that spells some incredible things for the future of this franchise.

ONRUSH

Made by the same team that has brought games such as MotorStorm and DriveClub to the masses, Onrush looked like a very different beast from the get go. By combining squad play with combat racing, Onrush is unlike anything the racing genre has ever given us, and its drive to do something new and different is commendable. What’s even more commendable is that it puts its money where its mouth is, and executes most of its outside the box ideas very well. Onrush hasn’t received nearly as much success on the commercial side of things as many feel it should have, and though the game didn’t launch without issues of its own, but in spite all that, it remains one of the better racing games we’ve played all year.

NASCAR HEAT 3

In a genre dominated by the likes of Forza Motorsport, Gran Turismo, and F1, a racing sim has to make a pretty huge splash to be able to make its mark. Year on year, the NASCAR Heat series has been making gradual improvements in a bid to do just that, and in its third year, it’s come closer to doing that than ever before. NASCAR Heat 3 still has a lot of room for improvements, from physics and collisions to visuals and sound design, but it stands out as a marked improvements in a number of areas, such as the addictive challenge mode, and the heavily improved and engaging career mode. If the franchise can continue this upward trajectory, it would spell very good things for its future.

F1 2018

As is the case with most annual franchises, it’s hard to pinpoint any particular thing that F1 2018 does that sets it completely apart from its predecessor, but playing it at length reveals that with a combination of smart tweaks, minor improvements, and design changes, racing sim masterminds Codemasters have successfully delivered what is possibly the best game in a franchise full of excellent games. F1 2018 is a blissful experience on the track, with driving mechanics and simulation better than you’ll experience in most other games, and a suite of progression systems and other ancillary systems in the career mode that will keep you thoroughly engaged for a long, long time. It might not be a revolution in the racing genre, but it’s very nearly a perfection of everything that the F1 series has been about for the past few years.

GRIP: COMBAT RACING

GRIP Combat Racing is a title that you have to commend for trying things that have become less and less common in the racing genre as time has gone on. It is, true to its name, pure arcade, chaotic fun, and in an age where hyper-realistic racing simulators are a dime a dozen, there’s something refreshing about that. Issues arise with faulty online and technical deficiencies every now and then that cannot be denied, but at its core, GRIP is a game that can time and time again provide players with thrilling, memorable, and intense moments like few other racing titles have been able to do in recent years.

MOTOGP 18

For the average person who doesn’t have a fanatical love for bikes or two wheeler motorsports, MotoGP 18 is a hard game to recommend, but for aficionados, there’s a lot to like here. It makes significant improvements over its predecessors by improving things such as physics and handling, which immediately makes for a much more enjoyable experience, while the career mode and its progression have also been improved significantly. There’s surely still a lot of room for improvement here, and even Milestone’s own RIDE 3 is an easier game to recommend to most people, but MotoGP 18 is a step in the right direction for the franchise.

GRAVEL

Gravel is put fast-paced, arcade racing fun. When it’s at its best, it delivers solid and extremely enjoyable off-road racing gameplay the likes of which isn’t easily found in most racers these days, and for the many, many fans of that particular kind of racing games, Gravel has a lot to offer. There’s an argument to be made that Gravel isn’t nearly as full-featured as it should have been, and that it has issues with a lack of players to play with online, but a variety of racing types and events in single player, combined with solid driving mechanics make for a game you can still get plenty of enjoyment out of.

AND THE WINNER IS…

FORZA HORIZON 4

Playground Games have only gone from strength to strength with each new Forza Horizon game that they’ve created, and with Forza Horizon 4, they’ve taken the entire Forza franchise to unprecedented heights, and in the process made one of the best Xbox exclusives of all time. It exhibits a thorough understanding of what makes for an excellent open world game, and an excellent racing title, and combines those two things perfectly for an unforgettable experience. The sheer and simple act of driving around is fun, filling up your garage and decking out your cars with upgrades makes for excellent progression, there’s a vast variety of enjoyable and memorable events and races to participate in, and every time the season changes, a whole world of new gameplay opportunities opens up within the Horizon 4’s open world. Forza Horizon 4 isn’t only the best racing game of 2018, but also quite possibly one of the greatest racing games ever created.

NOTE: The nominees and winner were decided by an internal vote held among the entire GamingBolt staff.

THE NOMINEES ARE…

TETRIS EFFECT

How do you improve something like Tetris? How does one make a Tetris game and do something that similar games haven’t already done before? It’s Tetris- it’s mechanically complete and, arguably, perfect. The answer to those questions lies in Tetris Effect. You turn it into a game that is as much about the music as it is about the puzzle. Every moment of Tetris Effect is intrinsically tied with its sound, and for a game that relies as heavily on music as this does, having a bad soundtrack would be pretty much a game-breaker. The fact that Tetris Effect is one of the best games of the year should, as such, tell you all you need to know about how good its music is.

GOD OF WAR

Much like all of God of War (2018), its music is completely different from what we’ve seen (or heard) from its past six entries- but still very much the same. But while it’s the same in that it consists of epic tracks that convey the series’ famous sense of scale to absolute perfection, it’s also much better than it’s ever been. That’s because the new God of War has an emotional range that extends far beyond “angry” and “angrier”. It is, unlike its predecessors, also a deeply character driven game, wrought with a vast range of emotional beats, and its soundtrack does justice to every one of those moments every step of the way.

SUPER SMASH BROS. ULTIMATE

The soundtrack is often cited as one of the core pillars that any Smash Bros. game is built on- as a celebration of the medium at large, Super Smash Bros. games have a responsibility to represent all of its best aspects as perfectly as possible, and as a culmination of the series, Smash Ultimate’s responsibility in that regard is even weightier. Unsurprisingly, it lives up to those lofty expectations. On top of an excellent soundtrack of its own, it also brings together music from a large number of franchises from across the industry, presenting their tracks both, in their original form, and in the form of typically amazing remixes. The sheer ambition of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s soundtrack is staggering – there are over 900 tracks in the game – which is something that it leverages very impressively, by also doubling as your go-to music player for video game music. And then there’s the World of Light theme song- we just can’t get it out of our heads.

POKEMON LET’S GO, PIKACHU! AND EEVE!

As a series, Pokemon has come to be associated with some of the best music you can get in games. Every single game in the franchise has head excellent soundtracks- but it all started with Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow, games that, to this day, have some of the catchiest tunes you will ever hear in a game. Living up to those high expectations as remakes of those titles must have been a heavy burden to bear for Pokemon Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Eevee!, but it’s a burden it bore like a champion. Remixing classic, beloved tracks can go wrong very easily, and very often does, but the soundtrack of Let’s Go is an aural treat for Pokemon fans, and the perfect blend of nostalgia and modernization.

YAKUZA KIWAMI 2

Yakuza Kiwami 2’s soundtrack is a perfect representation of how ambitious of a remake it is. While the game brings with a few tracks from the original Yakuza 2 and remixes them excellently, a large portion of its selection of music was composed entirely just for Kiwami 2, which is well above and beyond what most remakes would do. And while whether or not Kiwami 2’s soundtrack is better than the one in Yakuza 2 is simply a matter of taste, on its own, the remake’s soundtrack, with its mix of jazzy tunes and adrenaline-charged tracks, is undeniably excellent.

SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS

The importance of music is keener in a game like Shadow of the Colossus than it is in most other kinds of games. As a game that is by design about the absence of stuff as much as most other games in today’s day and age go for the complete opposite, Shadow of the Colossus relies heavily on visual and aural communication to deliver a massive chunk of its experience, both of which are, of course, intrinsically tied to each other. The soundtrack of Shadow of the Colossus is, just as it was in 2005, the perfect foil for the game’s solemn, desolate world and gloomy atmosphere. Not only does it work very well to uplift those parts of the game, it’s also just an excellent composition in and of itself, when several memorable tracks that have stood the test of time, and will continue to do so for a long time.

OCTOPATH TRAVELER

In the build up to Octopath Traveler’s launch, there was a lot that players were excited for- its combat, its beautiful visual style, how it was a throwback to classic 16- and 32-bit RPGs. And while all of those things were excellent, as expected, not many people could have expected that its soundtrack would end up being one of Octopath Traveler’s best aspects. The music in this game changes gears constantly, opting for a unique flavour for different characters, different situations, and different locations, and it’s rarely ever off the mark. When a soundtrack consists of half a dozen tracks – at the very least – that you just can’t stop humming along to, you know it’s done something right.

RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2

Like the rest of the game itself, Red Dead’s Redemption 2’s soundtrack can best be described as ambitious. It takes many forms throughout the course the entire playthrough- sometimes upbeat, sometimes melancholic, sometimes furious, and sometimes peaceful. The game and its composer Woody Jackson deserve endless praise for the fact that all of it always lands perfectly. Moments of action are punctuated by confident tracks of drums and guitars, rising and falling and rising again perfectly, kicking in at just the right moments, and fading away just as the dust after a shootout settles down. Pivotal moments in the story are accompanied by some of the best music we’ve ever heard, making you feel like a badass and unstoppable gunslinger one moment, and then making you break down into tears with a sombre, introspective track the next. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game that shoots for the stars constantly, and is always taking bold and unexpected turns, especially with its narrative, and its music is always there to propel it through the stratosphere.

NI NO KUNI 2: REVENANT KINGDOM

It’s fair to say that Ni no Kuni 2 isn’t as widely beloved as its predecessor was, and their are many staunch lovers of the first game that feel that the second, in spite of all its strengths, fell a little short in some ways. But one of the ways in which Ni no Kuni 2 meets all expectations, and then some, is with its soundtrack. While the OST isn’t without inconsistencies of its own, there are several standout tracks that will be stuck in your head the entire time you’re playing the game, and the majority of it is a perfect companion for Ni no Kuni 2, its colourful world, its charming characters, and its beautiful visuals. 

CELESTE

Celeste is the kind of game where all moving parts work in conjunction to deliver a solid, cohesive whole. It’s a game with a moving and emotional story, but it’s also a game with entertaining and challenging platforming- somehow, its music suits both those sides just perfectly. From setting the tone for vital story beats to providing excellent and catchy tunes for when you’re actually playing, Celeste’s soundtrack is amazingly consistent. It’s good enough to function as an album in and of itself, contributes to the game’s overall experience immensely. 

AND THE WINNER IS…

RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2

What can we say about Red Dead Redemption 2’s soundtrack that we haven’t said already? It succeeds in so many ways, and does it so convincingly. No matter what mood or emotion the story is portraying, no matter what new sight the world takes us to see next, no matter how funny, how tense, or how sombre a situation is, Red Dead Redemption 2’s music is always there to punctuate it all perfectly and in the boldest way possible. If the purpose of a soundtrack is to enhance the core essence of a game’s DNA in every way possible – which it is – then Red Dead Redemption 2’s plaudits deserves all the plaudits it can get, because that is exactly what it does, and does it better than most soundtracks we’ve ever seen in a game.

NOTE: The nominees and winner were decided by an internal vote held among the entire GamingBolt staff.

THE NOMINEES ARE…

EPIC GAMES

When a studio is associated with names such as Unreal Tournament and Gears of War, not to mention the Unreal Engine, without which half the industry probably wouldn’t even existed, of course they’re going to be very well respected. A year ago, if someone had told us that a studio as large and as prestigious as that would go on to become even larger, we would have not have thought it possible- because where do you go when you’re already at the top? But then Fortnite happened. The explosion of Fortnite was something no one was ready for- it has become literally the most popular video game in the world, and continues to break records left, right, and centre. Which is why the way Epic Games have handled it is that much more commendable. From the way they keep finding new and exciting ways to change up the game and keep players engaged, to the way they’ve managed to find the perfect way to monetize a free-to-play game without slighting a single soul, to the overlooked fact that Fortnite, in spite of being as widely played as it is, always runs so well- Epic Games cannot get enough credit for how impressive they’ve been with nearly everything they’ve done this year.

PLAYGROUND GAMES

Playground Games had been establishing themselves as experts of the open world racing genre with every new Forza Horizon game that they had made. With Forza Horizon 4, they proved themselves to be absolute masterminds. Because not only is Forza Horizon 4 a much better game than the already masterful Horizon 3, it may even very well be one of the best Xbox exclusive titles of all time. What’s even more exciting is that with them having been acquired by Microsoft, they’re now only going to get bigger, and will have access to more resources than ever before. When you consider the potential room for improvement that this studio with an already excellent track record has, you can’t help but be excited about whatever it is that they go on to do in the future.

INSOMNIAC GAMES

When the logos of Spider-Man and Insomniac Games flashed on screens together for the very first time 2016, the entire industry took a collective gasp. It was a combination that no one could have thought of before, but when we all saw it, it just clicked. As it turned out, it clicked for a reason. Insomniac Games’ undying love for the famous wallcrawler is plain to see in every nook and cranny of Spider-Man, which is something that they did more than enough justice to in all the ways that mattered. From the surprisingly excellent and well acted story, to the slick and thrilling combat, to the amazing soundtrack, and, of course, the web-swinging, Spider-Man is a dream come true for every fan of the property, and Insomniac simply cannot be praised enough for getting it as perfectly right as they did.

ROCKSTAR STUDIOS

For the first time in the history of Rockstar, the development of a game wasn’t segregated between studios- rather, all nine of Rockstar’s studios came together to work on Red Dead Redemption 2. That scope of development is staggering, and when you look at the product those thousands of people ultimately put out, it absolutely shows. Red Dead Redemption 2 has an unprecedented obsession with detail and quality, and a drive to achieve a very particular kind of experience that it makes no sacrifices for. It knows exactly the kind of game it wants to be, and exactly the kind of story it wants to tell, and not for one second of the entire experience does anything feel like it doesn’t belong.

SIE SANTA MONICA STUDIO

Sony’s Santa Monica Studio has been a giant among its impressive lineup of first party developers for over a decade now. So the fact that in spite of their pedigree and legacy, they managed to outdo themselves as thoroughly as they could with God of War in 2018 should tell you just how impressive the work that they did was. As a studio, they had the guts to not only bring back a franchise that had been waning in popularity and relevance, but also to potentially alienate its massive fanbase by going in a completely different direction. What’s even more impressive is that they did that with resounding success, and where lesser studios would have found it easy to wipe the slate clear and start fresh, they made sure that God of War respected where it came from, both in terms of narrative and gameplay.

MATT MAKES GAMES

It is, sadly enough, never easy for an indie studio to be able to stand out in a market where massive developers and publishers with eye-watering budgets rule the roost, so when a small team does come along and do just that, you know that they have done something very, very right. Years ago, during a game jam session, two passionate developers by the names of Noel Berry and Mott Thorson created a small yet exceedingly impressive platformer within the span of 4 days. The work that they produced clicked with them, and they decided to expand it even further- in the beginning of 2018, we all got to play that game, called Celeste, which is a title that by now needs to introduction.

RYU GA GOTOKU STUDIO

Sega’s Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio saw a massive surge in popularity last year with Yakuza 0, when their long-running franchise finally started getting the attention in the mainstream that it had always deserved. This year, they capitalized on that newfound popularity in all the right ways. Releasing two games from a franchise within a single year (or four in two years, if you consider 2017) could easily be considered as milking, but when all of the games that are made are as excellent as Yakuza has been recently, all that work deserves nothing but respect. 2018 was an incredibly important year for the franchise, too. From delivering the finishing chapter in the story of Kazuma Kiryu, to successfully implementing the excellent new Dragon Engine, to releasing Yakuza Kiwami 2, probably the best game in the series to date, the Yakuza studio was on fire this year, and went only from strength to strength.

HELLO GAMES

Hello Games were on the receiving end of vitriolic spite and hate from a dishearteningly large number of people when they first launched No Man’s Sky, a game that undoubtedly buckled under its own ambitions. In response to that massive backlash, rather than giving up or retreating back into their shell, this small indie team quietly went back to work, putting out one update after another to deliver on their original promises. With No Man’s Sky NEXT this year, they successfully turned it into the game it was always meant to be. Supporting games post-launch isn’t something that developers always get right, and yet somehow, Hello Games, a studio much smaller and with much fewer resources than most of the big names out there, showed a level of stubborn commitment to their game that simply cannot be lauded enough.

SORA LTD AND BANDAI NAMCO

Masahiro Sakurai, the creator and director of Super Smash Bros., said quite recently that every new Smash game that gets made is nothing short of a miracle. And it certainly feels that way too- and not just because of all the licensing work that must go on behind the scenes. Every character and franchise that you see represented in Super Smash Bros. receives the maximum amount of love and respect possible. This is a series that prides itself on being deeply knowledgeable about the entire industry at large, and then putting that knowledge to use with excellent, accessible, and riotously enjoyable mechanics. As the culmination of the franchise, that is truer in Ultimate than it has ever been in the past.

UBISOFT QUEBEC

Ubisoft Montreal has, up until now, dominated the top of most favourite Assassin’s Creed games lists for years, having put out games such as Assassin’s Creed 2, Brotherhood, and Black Flag. This year, their counterparts in Quebec came along and stole the show with the amazing Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Taking what is probably the biggest change in direction in the series’ history, Odyssey ambitiously turned Assassin’s Creed into a full blown RPG, and did it very, very well, with excellent combat and progression, choice and consequence mechanics, and a large and beautiful world that ranks as one of the best open world settings we’ve seen in years.

AND THE WINNER IS…

ROCKSTAR STUDIOS

Red Dead Redemption 2’s ambition is staggering. Open worlds have been a thing for years, and story-focussed games have been a thing for years, while there have also been several titles in the past that have delivered insanely polished experiences that are brimming with details that many others would deem unimportant- but very rarely have we ever played a game that attempts to do all of those things – and succeeds. Even if one were to poke flaws in the actual mechanics of the game, the amount of painstaking attention and the dedication with which every single nook and cranny of Red Dead Redemption 2 has been created is something that, honestly, defies description. From the music, to the visuals, to the writing, to the world itself, and so, so much more, everything in the game is in service to a larger whole, and seeing such a harmony and such a stunning clarity of a singular vision is simply astounding to see- even more so when the game in question is as massive and expansive as Red Dead Redemption 2 is.

NOTE: The nominees and winner were decided by an internal vote held among the entire GamingBolt staff.

THE NOMINEES ARE…

DARK SOULS REMASTERED

Dark Souls is the perfect argument in favour of the adage “good game design never ages”. FromSoftware’s giant took the industry by storm when it first launched in 2011, building on the success of Demon’s Souls and then going on to pretty much create and entire genre. A game with that sort of a legacy would be a masterpiece no matter how old it is, but 2018’s remaster did just enough to make it that much better. Higher resolution and better performance made for a smoother and more visually arresting experience than ever, while fixes made to some egregious errors, such as Blighttown, of course, smoothed out the entire experience to make it even more consistent and memorable. “Dark Souls, but on current gen systems” might not sound like much on paper, but that is actually very high praise indeed.

SHENMUE I & II

Barring a few eternal optimists, fans had all but given up hope that Sega’s ambitious Shenmue series would ever see the light of day again. In 2015, creative genius Yu Suzuki stole the show at Sony’s E3 press event when he announced that he story of Ryo would indeed be completed, and this year, in anticipation of the upcoming Shenmue 3, Sega released HD ports of the two original Dreamcast titles. Rather than trying to modernize the experience, these ports simply touched up the visuals, and brought the two games onto modern systems as is- and it was glorious. Shenmue isn’t for everyone, but for those who’ve been steadfast fans of the series since the days of its inception, getting the chance to experience these classics once again was nothing short of a dream come true.

HYRULE WARRIORS: DEFINITIVE EDITION

Hyrule Warriors was not an essential The Legend of Zelda game when it first launched, and it’s not one now. It is, however, an incredibly enjoyable hack and slash title that combines the Zelda property with the tried and tested and extremely popular design style of the Warriors games. The Definitive Edition on the Switch is all of that, but on top of it all, it’s also a great package, especially for those who haven’t tried the game yet, because not only does it bring the original game to the Switch with improved technical aspects, it also combines all the content related to the game on both the 3DS and Wii U versions to deliver a truly definitive experience.

SPYRO REIGNITED TRILOGY

Crash and Spyro were Sony’s two platforming icons back in the golden days of the PS1- last year, we got treated to beautiful, ground-up remakes of the original Crash Bandicoot trilogy, and in 2018, it was Spyro’s turn to receive the same treatment. Toys for Bob showed immense love and respect for the iconic purple dragon, keeping the entire experience intact, exactly as we remembering it, but recreating it from the ground up to also make it a treat for the eyes. On top of all that, the fact that the entire package, for two-thirds of the price of a regular release, contained all three Spyro games made by Insomniac on the PS1, made it an absolutely irresistible package.

POKEMON LET’S GO, PIKACHU! AND LET’S GO, EEVEE!

This isn’t the first time Game Freak has revisited Kanto to remake the very first generation of Pokemon, and even outside of remakes, Kanto is a place we’ve revisited quite often. But Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Eevee! were shaping up to be controversial games in the build up to their launch, removing some core aspects of the Pokemon experience, and making decisions that veteran fans balked at. Skepticism was high, but when Let’s Go finally launched, all of that was swept aside. Pokemon Let’s Go isn’t ambitious by any means, but it’s a jolly, charming experience that successfully delivers on some of its most controversial decisions, while also being a compelling experience thanks to heavy doses of nostalgia. If nothing else, it’s at least enough to whet our appetites until Pokemon 8 rolls around next year.

THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU: FINAL REMIX

The World Ends With You was a veritable classic when it launched on the DS originally, being an imaginative, innovating RPG with a beautiful aesthetic and some excellent ideas that it actually executed very well. There’s been a lot of demand for a sequel for over about a decade now, and though we didn’t get that, we got the next best thing. The World Ends With You: Final Remix was the perfect opportunity for Switch owners to try out an excellent game- those who’d played it and wanted to get back into the instant classic again, and those who hadn’t but, by all accounts, should have. Here’s hoping sooner or later Square Enix finally greenlights a sequel.

MEGA MAN X LEGACY COLLECTION 1 AND 2

Capcom have done some incredible work to satisfy Mega Man fans over the last few years. This year, notably, they released Mega Man 11 as they looked ahead to the series’ future, but they also looked to its past to bring back a few beloved classics. Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 and 2 brought back the beloved reinvention of the franchise to modern systems. All games had great emulation and loads of cool content for long time fans, as well as concessions made to newcomers that didn’t compromise the experience. Best of all, it was all Mega Man X games in one single package- that’s incredible value for money.

SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS

Shadow of the Colossus is widely considered as one of the greatest games ever created, so the fact that its remake, developed by Bluepoint, managed to live up to those incredibly lofty expectations – and then some – is extremely impressive. The vast, desolate world of the Forbidden Land was recreated with stunning beauty in the remake, while all the unique and sombre strengths of the original were kept perfectly intact as well. Some of the biggest flaws that the PS2 classic had – such as its finicky camera and controls – were also fixed to a great extent, making for an experience that was, impossibly, just as breathtaking as the original.

YAKUZA KIWAMI 2

The Yakuza series hit the mainstream outside of Japan for the first time with Yakuza 0 last year, and since then, it’s only gone from strength to strength. Including Yakuza 0, we’ve had four incredible Yakuza games in the past two years, but Yakuza Kiwami 2 is probably the best this series has ever been. With a story full of grim intrigue and memorable characters, powered by the same addictive and flashy combat that the series is known for, Kiwami 2 is the peak of everything that the series tries to do. Every second of the experience is pure bliss, while the Dragon Engine is also put to great use to deliver a visually stunning experience as well.

DONKEY KONG COUNTRY TROPICAL FREEZE

Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is platforming perfection. It’s not the most revolutionary game you’ll ever play, and it doesn’t have a lot of ideas that will knock the wind out of you, but it takes the core tenets of what makes for a great platformer and executes them with perfection. Excellent level design, balanced but challenging difficulty, beautiful visuals, an amazing soundtrack- Tropical Freeze is a combination of a variety of amazing elements all coming together to deliver what was, in 2014, one of the Wii U’s best games, and in 2018, is one of the Switch’s best as well.

AND THE WINNER IS…

YAKUZA KIWAMI 2

Given the amount of incredible Yakuza games we’ve played in the past couple of years, especially Yakuza 0, the fact that Kiwami 2 is perhaps the best this series has been in years is no easy feat. And yet it is something that the remake does with great confidence. Yakuza 2 is regarded as one of the best stories in the series, which is made even stronger in Kiwami 2 thanks to changes and additions made to writing and voicework, but the game also takes into account all the improvements the series has made over the years. Whether it’s in terms of combat, or world building, or side missions, or mini games, Kiwami 2 is just peak Yakuza in every way possible. It’s not only the best remake/remaster of the year, it’s also one of the best games of 2018, period.

Without further ado, then, these are GamingBolt’s nominees and winner for the Best RPG of 2018.

NOTE: The nominees and winner were decided by an internal vote held among the entire GamingBolt staff.

THE NOMINEES ARE…

MOONLIGHTER

Games that can back their unique and interesting concepts with solid execution of those ideas are a rarer breed than they should be, but Moonlighter is exactly that kind of experience. It’s got elements of roguelike dungeon crawling and grinding for loot, which should have inherently been addictive and engaging in and of themselves, but it goes above and beyond and ties that in which with the concept of managing your own store. “One more run” is something that has defined roguelikes for a long time, but Moonlighter’s DNA adds greater meaning and value to that, giving you even more of an incentive for wanting to dive into its dungeons for the sake of progression.

CROSSCODE

At first glance, it’s easy to think of CrossCode is little more than a throwback to classic action-RPGs, but hiding beneath that admittedly attractive exterior is a game that is extremely inventive in more ways than one. Set, essentially, in a game within a game – or an MMORPG within a single player RPG, to be more precise – CrossCode exhibits bold ideas constantly, and does them justice by executing them confidence. Its combat system is inventive and addictive, and its blend of MMORPG style gameplay with a classic single player RPG structure makes it one of the most surprisingly innovative and enjoyable games of the year.

VAMPYR

Dontnod Entertainment’s Vampyr is very different from the kind of games they usually make, but it’s fair to say that it’s a very successful experiment on their part, in spite of its missteps. Vampyr’s gothic setting of a post-World War I London is immediately arresting, and the emphasis it puts on player choice makes it a game that is very easy to get invested in. The residents of London are all crucial to the fate of the city in their own unique ways, and deciding which of these excellently developed and voiced characters live and which ones don’t, and balancing that with the needs of budding vampire Jonathan Reid himself, makes for a captivating experience.

NI NO KUNI 2: REVENANT KINGDOM

Expectations were high from Level-5’s Ni no Kuni 2 in the build up to its highly anticipated launch, and it’s fair to say that it delivered in spades. While it doesn’t match some of its predecessors biggest strengths quite as well as some would have hoped, it surpasses it in several other areas. Ni no Kuni 2’s world, the people who inhabit it, and its core cast of characters are utterly charming, and the 40-50 hours-long journey the game takes you on is consistently brimming with that same charm. When it’s not being a JRPG to be loved by both traditional and newcomer fans of the genre alike, Ni no Kuni 2 a surprisingly engaging kingdom builder and management game on the side. The fact that it manages to coherently bring all of its distinct parts together makes it a joyous, wholesome experience that is a must-play for all JRPG fans.

THE BANNER SAGA 3

The Banner Saga 3 is not an innovative game- but it doesn’t need to be. It knows exactly what made its predecessors some of the best strategy role playing games of the last few years, and it plays to those strengths as much as it can. The tactical combat of the first two games is as strong as it has ever been in The Banner Saga 3, the visual aesthetic is just as beautiful as ever, but most importantly, the world, the story, and the characters that the series has built up till now shine brighter than ever. Immaculate writing and some truly weighty player choices elevate the narrative to unbelievable heights, and by the time you reach the conclusion, you can’t help but applaud the flawlessness of its execution.

POKEMON LET’S GO, PIKACHU! AND LET’S GO, EEVEE!

There was no shortage of cynicism surrounding Pokemon Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Eevee! in the build up to its launch, and on paper, it all seemed justified, but we’re glad that Game Freak proved us completely wrong. Let’s Go is a breezy, delightful trek through the origins of the series. It brings Kanto to love with charming HD visuals, and rides the nostalgia wave hard, but even when viewed on its own merits, its qualities are undeniable. Just as an example, the absence of random encounters and being able to see wild Pokemon in the overworld are huge plus points that make the entire experience infinitely better. With Generation 8 coming out on the Switch next year, Let’s Go is an exciting sneak peek at what the future of Pokemon on consoles holds for fans of the series.

OCTOPATH TRAVELER

Octopath Traveler is a dream come true for fans of classic 8- and 16-bit JRPGs. It banks hard on the core hook of being a throwback to a very particular style of games, but it does so very successfully, and in a manner where it never feels like a gimmick or like its pandering to anything or anyone. It has a completely open ended structure that encourages freeform progression, and an excellent turn based combat system that involves actual strategy and nuance, not to mention an absolutely gorgeous diorama-esque aesthetic and an amazing soundtrack. The game makes some concessions in the narrative department to allow other, more central parts of its premise to shine through, but as a whole, Octopath Traveler is a game that absolutely should not be missed by any JRPG fan.

MONSTER HUNTER WORLD

Any time a series tries to appeal to new audiences through greater accessibility, no matter how many promises it makes about not wanting to alienate existing fans, there is always a healthy amount of skepticism surrounding it. Monster Hunter World’s vision to do the same was no different, but Capcom well and truly blew all doubts to smithereens. This is Monster Hunter through and through, but it’s smarter, slicker, better, and more beautiful than ever before. The ridiculously addictive loop of grinding for better gear is still at the core of the experience, but supporting mechanics are executed with the kind of polish and smart design that, until now, had been missing in Monster Hunter games. With hundreds of hours of gameplay wrapped up in a fantastic overall package, Monster Hunter World is undoubtedly one of the best RPGs of this year.

DRAGON QUEST 11: ECHOES OF AN ELUSIVE AGE

The progenitor of the RPG genre as we know it today, Dragon Quest returned to limelight in 2018 after a long absence, but Echoes of an Elusive Age was well worth the wait. Rather than trying to wow players with forced innovations or bold new mechanics, Dragon Quest 11 focuses on the essence of what makes this genre and this series so great, and doubles down on those elements. The world of Erdrea is vast, varied, and gorgeous, the game’s cast of main characters is charming and loveable, and throughout its runtime, Dragon Quest 11 keeps delighting players with excellent new sights to behold. Though this is a game that can take anywhere between sixty to eighty hours to finish, by the time you’re done with it, you can’t help but crave for more.

ASSASSIN’S CREED ODYSSEY

When Assassin’s Creed went to Ancient Egypt in 2017, it started veering into RPG territory, and upon its visit to Ancient Greece this year, it went all in on that front. With dialogue choices, multiple endings, romance options, skill trees, and a deep loot system, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey boldly declares itself as a full fledged RPG, and executes its vision with great aplomb. The choices you make as a player define the story of Alexios or Kassandra in interesting ways, while the amount of control the game affords over your progression makes sure that you are always invested- and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey does it all while still feeling very much like an Assassin’s Creed title. Ubisoft took a risk with this new approach for the series, one that could have alienated its fans, but it’s fair to say that, in the end, it is a risk that paid off spectacularly.

AND THE WINNER IS…

ASSASSIN’S CREED ODYSSEY

Ten years ago, “Assassin’s Creed as an RPG” would have seemed like a bizarre concept, and when Ubisoft revealed that that was the direction they were taking with Odyssey, there was certainly plenty of skepticism from fans of the franchise. But you know what? It works. It works very, very well. The huge, quest-driven open world structure that the series established last year continues in Odyssey, and it works as the perfect foil for its role playing mechanics. The meaningful progression and skill trees empower the heavily improved combat to give a great deal of freedom for players to approach objectives in a variety of manners. The dialogue choices feel like they actually serve a purpose rather than just being there for show, and not only do they allow you to define the character of Alexios and Kassandra in important ways, they also let you shape the outcome of the story and where and how it ends. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey proves that this is a series that can work wonderfully as an RPG, and we couldn’t be more thrilled that Ubisoft decided to take this franchise in this direction.

NOTE: The nominees and winner were decided by an internal vote held among the entire GamingBolt staff.

THE NOMINEES ARE…

SUBNAUTICA

Subnautica isn’t your typical survival tile. That’s not to say it doesn’t have the kind of mechanics you would normally expect to see in survival titles. Collecting resources and building up your base are very much part of the gameplay loop- but where other games in the genre tell you to, first and foremost, collect resources in harsh environments and unforgiving circumstances, Subnautica allows you to pause, take a knee, and look at the view. And, boy is it a view worth looking at. Its deep, vast, open seas are ripe for exploration, and full of beautiful things to gawk at.

INTO THE BREACH

A passing glance might give you the impression that Into the Breach is yet another tactical turn based strategy game, an indie take on the likes of XCOM. But you know what they say- never judge a book by its cover. Because while it certainly is an indie take on the likes of XCOM, it is, in many ways, better than this genre has ever been, with a strong and unforgettable identity of its own. Its battles are short and engaging, yet full of opportunities for thinking up and executing tactics. On top of that, powered by the writing of the legendary Chris Avellone, and an excellent, mood-setting soundtrack, it comes out as an extremely well-rounded experience that absolutely should not be missed.

DEAD CELLS

The random procedural generation of a roguelike should not meld well with the meticulous level design and developer determined progression of a metroidvania game at all. And yet, against all odds, logic, and game design common sense, developers Motion Twin have managed to make it work, somehow. Dead Cells is a deft blend of two genres that are entirely at odds with one another, and in the process, delivers one of the most memorable games of the year, not just on PC, but in general.

MONSTER HUNTER WORLD

Monster Hunter has technically released on PC before (though never in the West), but Monster Hunter World was, if we’re not splitting hairs, the introduction to Capcom’s popular franchise for many PC players. And what an introduction it was. Releasing a few months after its console launch earlier in 2018, Monster Hunter World on PC was defined by the same strengths that took the world by storm on PS4 and Xbox One in January, while the added benefits of buttery smooth performance and shinier visuals added to the experience even more.

CELESTE

Celeste is a game that takes you by surprise when you first play it- it’s not that you don’t expect it to be good, but just how good it is, and in how many ways, is frankly surprising. Its inch perfect platforming and smart level design, both of which combine to make for a challenging experience that prods players to keep on trying again and again even in the face of constant failures, makes for a compelling experience that is hard to get out of. But even if you’re not one who cares for platformers all that much, Celeste is still a game with a lot of heart, propped up by excellent writing that delivers a moving story.

FORZA HORIZON 4

The Forza franchise continues to move from strength to strength, and Playground Games continues to show that the Horizon offshoot can be just as engaging as experience as the Motorsport mainline- if not even more so. Forza Horizon 4 is a stellar experience, where the simple act of driving around is utterly blissful, and is leveraged excellently by its variety of things to do, excellent open world, and infinite replayability. This is also a game that looks absolutely stunning, and if you have a system that can run it on the highest possible settings, it delivers a visual experience like no other.

FROSTPUNK

Frostpunk’s premise as cross between a survival title and a city builder is something that immediately sounds interesting on paper. When you play it, it puts its money where its mouth is. Frostpunk is a harrowing yet utterly compelling experience, which uses its beautiful visual aesthetic to pull you right into its fascinating world, its consequential decisions to keep you consistently engrossed, and its storytelling chops to deliver a strong narrative where you might not be expecting one. It’s not a breezy experience, but if you’re looking for something different, and something that you will remember for years to come, Frostpunk is the perfect fix for you.

THE BANNER SAGA 3

The Banner Saga is a series that found its footing from the very first second of its very first outing, and these were strengths that it continued to build on constantly. With The Banner Saga 3, the conclusion to this epic story, the series reached its absolute zenith. An excellent story that served as a satisfactory conclusion to an engrossing tale, mature and thoughtful writing, weighty choice and consequence mechanics, and an engaging tactical combat system are strengths that have defined Stoic’s RPG series since its inception, and with the conclusion to their saga, they have honed their craft to near perfection.

THE FOREST

After several years in early access, Endnight Games’ survival-slash-horror title The Forest received its much-awaited full release this year. The progress it had made while it was in early access had convinced one and all that it would be a stellar experience- which, as it turned out, it was. The Forest’s desolate and haunting setting is one that will immediately pull you in, but what will make you stay is its completely open ended structure, that puts you into a harsh environment full of dangerous and mysterious things and people, and tells you to survive as best you can. It’s a gruelling and compelling experience, and one that stands as one of the best and most imaginative survival titles ever made.

HITMAN 2 

Take Hitman’s 2016 reboot, which finally brought the series back to fan adoration, and make it bigger and better in every possible way. It’s a simple mandate that Hitman 2 followed, and it executed it flawlessly. It could have gone wrong in a lot of ways- there are many sequels that have failed in doing just that. But Hitman 2 delivers a staggeringly fine crafted stealth game, possibly the greatest one of this generation, with its sandbox providing infinite possibilities for emergent gameplay, and making it perhaps the best game in the series since Blood Money.

FOOTBALL MANAGER 2019

You know exactly what you’re going to get with Football Manager 2019 if you’ve played this series before- it’s a good thing, then, that what you get is a solid, dangerously addictive, and obsessively detailed management sim that oozes love for the sport of football and everything to do with it. Developers Sports Interactive have been at the top of their games for as long as anyone can remember, and Football Manager 2019 is probably the best the series has been in years. It does, of course, bring over the same compelling structure the series is known for, while significant improvements made to key areas make it an even deeper and more tactical experience.

BATTLETECH

Given how crowded the turn based strategy genre is with excellent releases (even in 2018, as the previously mentioned Into the Breach illustrates), it’s hard for any game to be able to stand out. And yet Harebrained Schemes’ BattleTech manages to do just that. It’s an incredibly challenging yet deeply addictive game that you might not expect to think much of at first, given its admittedly uninspired presentation, but the more you play it, the more you fall in love with it. A lot of the credit for that also goes to its incredible setting, its captivating narrative, and a surprisingly amazing soundtrack.

UNAVOWED

Though disguising itself behind the veil of a simplistic looking 2D point and click adventure, Unavowed is one of the tightest and most compelling experiences to have been released on PC this year. From its strong visual design to its excellent writing, from its incredible atmosphere to its compelling narrative, from its memorable cast of characters to its imaginative and captivating setting, Unavowed is an unforgettable ride from start to finish.

RETURN OF THE OBRA DINN

Return of the Obra Dinn screams originality with every fibre of its being. It’s instantly apparent the moment you first lay eyes on its monochrome yet oddly attractive visual design, and becomes even clearer as you play more of it. Its twisting and turning narrative keeps throwing curveballs at you, but everything feels earned, intelligent, and merited. Its characters are solidly written and excellently developed, making the already strong narrative that much more compelling. Its puzzle design is intelligent and creative, so much so that you look forward to the next one even while you’re wrestling with whatever the game has just thrown at you. Return of the Obra Dinn is a very unique experience, and one that imprints itself in your memory with its constant excellence.

NI NO KUNI 2: REVENANT KINGDOM

Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch on the PS3 has one of the most devoted and dedicated fanbases, so any game following up to it would have had to live up to immense expectations. Whether or not Revenant Kingdom is as good as or better than is predecessor is up for debate- what is inarguable is that on its own two legs, its a wonderful game. On a superficial level, its beautiful visual aesthetic and immediately attractive art lends the game immeasurable life, while on a deeper level, its charming cast of characters and fantastical setting make your stay even more memorable. With an improved combat system and a surprisingly full-featured and addictive kingdom building and managing mechanic added on top, Ni no Kuni 2 becomes that much more compelling as an experience.

AND THE WINNER IS…

THE BANNER SAGA 3

Stoid Studio’s Banner Saga is a franchise that crept up out of nowhere and took our breath away with two excellent outings. Given the quality of the first two games, expectations were high for The Banner Saga 3, and these were expectations that it delivered on in spades. When a franchise is as story-focused and reliant on player choice as The Banner Saga is, reaching a satisfactory conclusion is no easy task – as several examples over the years will tell you – so the fact that The Banner Saga 3 delivers a conclusion that is more than satisfying, while also retaining and improving upon the core strengths that made its predecessors so great, should tell you all you need to know about just how spectacular it is. Though The Banner Saga 3 is dwarfed by industry heavyweights in terms of visibility or budget, it stands toe to toe with the best of the best in terms of sheer quality.

NOTE: The nominees and winner were decided by an internal vote held among the entire GamingBolt staff.

THE NOMINEES ARE…

A WAY OUT

Couch co-op is something that has, sadly enough, become increasingly rare in today’s day and age, but Hazelight Studios’ A Way Out was a reminder of just how great such experiences can be. Narratively, A Way Out was a solid and engrossing ride, aided by strong acting and writing, but what really helped the game stand out was its co-op nature.A Way Out constantly leveraged its core DNA of a splitscreen co-op experience, by putting both players into situations that always seemed to know just how to deliver the most enjoyment to both parties.

UNRAVEL TWO

Coming as a totally unexpected release with a shadow drop at EA’s E3 press event this year, Unravel Two was a gift we had no idea we were going to receive. But it really was a gift. Imbued with the same charming personality and visuals that made the first game so memorable, Unravel Two was a joyous ride from start to finish. More of an evolution of the first game than anything else, Unravel Two translated the gameplay of Unravel to two player co-op with surprising ease, with enjoyable puzzles that were just the right amount of challenging, and just as varied and thoughtful as you could want them to be. It might not have set the world on fire, but Unravel Two was an experience full of heart and charm that is absolutely worth experiencing.

FIFA 19

Year on year, EA Sports’ FIFA franchise continues to be one of the most actively played games, but once you jump online and get into the rhythm of matches against other players, it’s not hard to see why. Competing against other players, whether that’s in standalone online matches, or in Ultimate Team, or against people in the same room, is always a blast in FIFA 19, just as it has been in many of its predecessors, thanks to its strong mechanics and presentation.

WARHAMMER: VERMINTIDE 2

Looter games have a knack for being dangerously addictive, at least when they’re done right- and Vermintide 2 is absolutely done right. Its combination of an addictive lootgrind and brutal, visceral combat gel perfectly with its co-op action, giving players the tool to spend countless hours in its world, while a deep and rewarding progression system makes sure that you’ll keep coming back to the game. Add to that the fact that its multiplayer offerings are completely bereft of any microtransactions or similar shady undercurrents, and it becomes that much more of a compelling experience.

STATE OF DECAY 2

State of Decay 2’s disappointing launch is something that is well documented, but as is so often the case in today’s day and age, the open world zombie survival title has managed to turn things around quite well since its release thanks to patches and content updates. Forming a group of survivors with your friends, or taking on other players’ groups, can be a thrilling experience, one that captures the tone of the game’s setting quite well, while venturing out with a group of friends into the harsh open world to scrounge up resources for your survival is also tense and exciting.

CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 4

That Call of Duty would be among the best and most popular multiplayer experiences of the year is something anyone could have predicted, but that it would only be a multiplayer experience came as a bit of a shock- at first. Because once we got our hands on it, we cared very little about what was missing, and very much about what we were being given. Black Ops 4 continues the tradition of Treyarch delivering the Call of Duty multiplayer experiences out of all three developers of the franchise, striking the perfect balance between the speed the series had veered towards in recent years (barring WW2), and the slower and somewhat more methodical gameplay it used to be known for. With a slew of content on offer, all of it stupidly enjoyable and dangerously addictive, Black Ops 4 proved that it could stand very firmly on its own two legs without having to lean on a single player campaign.

BATTLEFIELD 5

Battlefield may have finally started to get single player right in recent years (for the most part, anyway), but as always, it’s in its large online arenas where the real fun is found. Battlefield 5 is, essentially, an evolution of 2016’s Battlefield 1, but thanks to a number of minor yet vital additions and some really smart balancing changes, it ends up being a much more enjoyable experiences. With a stronger emphasis on squadplay than ever before, a handful of excellently designed maps, and the same, solid gunplay and vehicular combat that the series has always been known for, Battlefield 5 is an incredible multiplayer experience. With the co-op mode Combined Arms and the battle royale mode Firestorm slated to be rolled out early next year, it’s bound to get even better.

FORZA HORIZON 4

Forza Horizon 4 is a game that you can get just about as much enjoyment out of if you were to play alone as you would while playing with and against other players, but there’s no denying that if you do play it as a multiplayer title, it provides an experience unlike any other. The simple act of racing against other players is pure bliss, thanks to the game’s immaculate driving mechanics. Shared world features, though not revolutionary, add a lot of interesting things to the game, while things such as challenges and leaderboards also add an extra bit of flavour. With

SEA OF THIEVES

To say that Sea of Thieves launched in a substandard state wouldn’t be an exaggeration, but developers Rare deserve all the credit in the world for having turned the tide as quickly and as drastically as they did. Thanks to a steady stream of excellent and meaningful content, Sea of Thieves quickly became a much, much better game within just a few months of its launch. Roaming the high seas and being a part of the pirate crew of your dreams is something that, thanks to said improvements, Sea of Thieves makes a reality very convincingly.

MONSTER HUNTER WORLD

The best multiplayer experiences are the ones that lend themselves to that structure seamlessly, rather than trying to force it in. While Monster Hunter World is a game that can be played solo entirely without ever sacrificing anything, it’s also a game that gives you so, so much more when you play it co-operatively with other players. It pits you against the most daunting and intimidating enemies, and while you can take on them yourself, the sense of accomplishment in working with a group of other hunters, with teamwork and cooperation, to fell that fearsome beast is unmatched.

SUPER SMASH BROS. ULTIMATE

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s online component is far from perfect (in fact, many would even say that it’s well below average), thanks to a number of baffling issues- but above all, Super Smash Bros. has always been a party game, meant to be enjoyed with a group of friends locally. In that area, this truly is the Ultimate Smash Bros. Whether its tournaments, four-player smashes, eight-player smashes, or just good old fashions 1v1s, with mechanics that have been refined to perfection and a plethora of options in both stages and characters, Smash Ultimate is a game that you can enjoy with your friends endlessly.

PES 2019

For many, the fact that Pro Evolution Soccer is lacking in licenses doesn’t amount to much, because Konami’s series delivers strongly in the areas that matter the most- the on-pitch gameplay. And that’s not an argument without merit, which is something that becomes even clearer as you play with or against friends, or against strangers online. PES 2019 is the most refined and enjoyable the series has been in years, which automatically makes matches against other players that much more enjoyable.

FAR CRY 5

The pure and simple fact that Far Cry 5’s entire campaign is playable in co-op – which sees some much needed improvements over Far Cry 4 – would have been enough to assure a place in this list for Ubisoft’s latest open world shooter, given just how good the campaign is by itself, but Far Cry 5 goes far beyond that. It’s versatile map editor, which is tied with objective based multiplayer gameplay, is a blast, while its competitive online offerings can also be quite enjoyable in their own right.

SOULCALIBUR 6

It was a long time coming, but Soulcalibur finally made its comeback this year- and boy was it worth the wait. Featuring the brand of weapons-based fighting mechanics that the series has made famous over the years, Soulcalibur 6 is a perfect reminder of just how good Bandai Namco’s fighting franchise can be when it really tries. Putting those strong mechanics to use in tense and thrilling battles against other players is, of course, an absolute treat, too.

DRAGON BALL FIGHTERZ

Dragon Ball FighterZ has garnered a massive and devoted audience for itself in a very short time, and while a large part of that is because of its art style and because of how true it is to its source material, like any other fighting game that does well, the main reason is its mechanics. For competitive players, Dragon Ball FighterZ immediately became a crowd favourite almost immediately after its launch, with versatile gameplay that encouraged players to experiment and find whichever style they liked best. Even if you’re looking something more accessible though, thanks to how incredibly enjoyable it is and how amazing it looks, it’s ridiculously easy to find a ton of fun in a round of casual fights against friends.

AND THE WINNER IS…

CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 4

While it would be inaccurate to say that the Call of Duty franchise had been floundering in recent years, it’s undeniable that the series had plateaued to some extent. Last year’s trip back to the Second World War was a breath of fresh air, and this year, Treyarch’s Black Ops 4 bought it back kicking and screaming right where Call of Duty belongs- at the very top of the pile. Multiplayer is typically strong, with some great maps and changes made to make the experience more balanced; Zombies is more over-the-top and chaotic than ever before, and is probably one of the best renditions of the mode we’ve seen in years; while Blackout, Call of Duty’s own take on the wildly popular battle royale, is perhaps the most polished version we’ve seen of this mode yet. Combined, Black Ops 4 is a game that you can easily sink dozens upon dozens – if not hundreds – of hours into. Not since the days of Modern Warfare 2 and the original Black Ops have we seen this franchise in such good shape, and we’re glad to see this behemoth back at its absolute best.

NOTE: The nominees and winner were decided by an internal vote held among the entire GamingBolt staff.

THE NOMINEES ARE…

SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS

Shadow of the Colossus proves that good game design is timeless. This was a title that, back in 2005, stunned the industry with its unique vision and gargantuan scale. In 2018, in an industry that has changed drastically, Shadow of the Colossus is just as good, if not better. The sombre, melancholic experience of traipsing through a desolate land to find and kill sixteen of the most majestic, humongous figures you will ever lay your eyes on is still as captivating an experience as it ever was. It is, in fact, made even more memorable thanks to do the incredible work done by the masterminds of Bluepoint. We can think of no praise higher than that.

A WAY OUT

Hazelight Studios and Josef Fares’ A Way Out is an ambitious game, an experience that stubbornly places its focus on couch co-op, and couch co-op only. Thankfully, it puts its money where its mouth is. A Way Out is a unique experience, one that places a focus on cinematic storytelling and character-driven narrative, but also on thrilling set pieces and exciting encounters. Best of all, it continuously finds ways to make that all work within its splitscreen framework. Teamwork in A Way Out isn’t just a feature, it’s a mechanic that the game and its story are built on, and it works wonderfully well.

DEAD CELLS

Dead Cells had generated plenty of excitement among a dedicated fanbase in the time leading up to its launch thanks to the strong impression it made while it was in early access, and when it launched globally, everyone got to see what all the hype was about. Motion Twin’s metroidvania-cum-roguelike title is an ingenious blend of genres that is defined by challenging combat, a rewarding progression system, excellent level design, and all around addictive gameplay that will keep you coming back to it again and again and again.

MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN

This game is a dream. It’s a blissful experience- moving as Spider-Man feels slick and smooth, combat feels fast and fluid, and everything just flows naturally. The narrative goes to places you would not expect, but none of it ever feels unearned. Traversal is so strong, it makes the fast travel system look redundant and pointless, which is a very rare thing in an open world title. A few months before its launch, we’d been hoping for the game to be what Spider-Man what Arkham was to Batman– it turned out to be that, and so, so much more.

YAKUZA 6: THE SONG OF LIFE

The Dragon of Dojima returned for his final hurrah this year with Yakuza 6, and we could not have asked for a better send off. Yakuza 6 is a culmination of this incredible, long-running franchise, and it perfectly encapsulates everything that makes this series so damn good. Things such as its incredible over-the-top combat, immersive setting, an engaging narrative, stylish cutscenes, and addictive side activities are all here, while the Dragon Engine is also used to excellent effect in its debut outing to produce a visually stunning experience as well. Yakuza 6 ensure that though Kazuma Kiryu has taken his last bow, he will never be forgotten.

STRANGE BRIGADE

If you have a hankering some some solid co-op shooting fun that taps into the Left 4 Dead nostalgia, look no further than Strange Brigade. What’s really good about Strange Brigade, though, is that though it clearly borrows from Valve’s co-op shooter, it also throws in twists of its own, such as its fascinating setting, its visual aesthetic, and solid customization and upgrading mechanics, and its campy humour. It’s also got some genuinely well designed levels, which break up frenetic action every so often with enjoyable puzzles. With Score Attack and the horde mode, it’s also got more than enough replay value to justify the price of entry.

LEGO DC SUPER-VILLAINS

LEGO games are like comfort food- they’re nothing fancy, and you know exactly what you’re getting with them, but they have an undeniable charm that can’t quite be replicated elsewhere. LEGO DC Super-Villains is exactly what you think it is- more LEGO. But you can find a lot of comfort in its familiar mix of slapstick humour and simplistic yet extremely enjoyable gameplay. Exploring its environments is as fun as ever, combat is shallow and yet a ton of fun, and the basic concept that the game is built on – that you play as a team of super-villains – proves that sometimes, it’s good to be bad.

GOD OF WAR

God of War is a stellar achievement in so many ways. It is a rare and shining example of how to radically reinvent a series, but do so in a way that it still respects its legacy. Everything from its tone to its combat to even the camera perspective is wildly different from what God of War fans were used to, but at the end of the day, it still feels like a core God of War experience. A strong story, brilliant characterization, brutal and satisfying combat, and best-in-class visuals are just a few of the things that make God of War one of the best games of this entire console generation.

ASSASSIN’S CREED ODYSSEY

Through all of its ups and downs, Assassin’s Creed has still delivered a number of truly amazing titles. And for a series that has done that over the years to come out with one of its best ever entries is always a big deal. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey builds on the foundation that was put in place by last year’s Origins, and takes the franchise further into this bold new direction. Its vast open world is as good as you would expect from an Assassin’s Creed game (which means it’s excellent), while improvements made in other areas, such as combat and progression, make even the moment-to-moment gameplay better than ever before. With some very well executed RPG mechanics added on top, this is well and truly an odyssey worth taking.

RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2

Red Dead Redemption 2’s ambition knows no bounds, but while lesser games would buckle under the weight of all that ambition, Rockstar’s latest expertly executes its vision with something that is very close to flawlessness. The open world of Red Dead Redemption 2 is vast, beautiful, and intricately detailed, housing a sandbox of emergent mechanics and riotously enjoyable activities that immerse you into the world like few other games do. It tells a story that sinks its hooks into you right from the very second, and thanks to smart pacing, tight writing, and absolutely stellar characterization, refuses to let go till the credits have rolled. There are flaws in the experience, sure, but Red Dead Redemption 2 is the flag bearer of the phrase “greater than the sum of its parts”.

HITMAN 2

Hitman is perhaps the last of the classic stealth franchises that is still alive and kicking, and Hitman 2 proves that it’s got more than enough life left in it. Essentially, all it is is more of Hitman (2016), but better and more refined. That is something that works in its favour, because it takes the series’ trademark brand of emergent gameplay and pushes it further than ever before. Every level in Hitman 2 is a sandbox of endless opportunities, where you are the engineer of every second of your experience. Going back to replay any one of the game’s six episodes never leads to an experience that is even slightly similar to your last, and a game that does that this successfully deserves nothing but praise in our book.

JUST CAUSE 4

We all knew what we were getting into with Just Cause 4– a ton of mayhem, and a whole lot of mindless fun. The series has built a reputation for itself for putting players in large, beautiful environments, and providing them with the tools to basically wreck it all in the most imaginative ways possible. Excellent physics mechanics and a imaginative tools come together in Just Cause 4 to make for a sandbox where the possibilities for making your own fun are nearly limitless. Does it have its issues? Sure it does. But when you’re having as much fun as you do in Just Cause 4, in that moment, it’s hard to care about that stuff.

WARRIOR’S OROCHI 4

Musuo games provide a sort of experience that very few other kinds of games do. Getting to play as an overpowered one-man army and killing enemies by the dozens every second is an inherently cathartic experience, and Warriors Orochi 4 delivers that in spades. New gameplay mechanics and a mammoth roster are mixed with the series’ tried and true adrenaline-fueled action to deliver a flawed yet immensely satisfying experience.

FAR CRY 5

Far Cry 5 attempted to take the series away from the highly structured approach it had settled into since its revitalization with Far Cry 3 in 2013, and ended up delivering an excellent open world experience. Built around systemic-based emergent mechanics, Far Cry 5 was constantly engaging. Exploration was much more organic than ever before, so that players were exploring the world not to go down a list of endless checkboxes, but simply to feed their own curiosity. Mixed with Far Cry’s iconic brand of action and mayhem, that made for a perfect concoction that we hope to see taken even further with future instalments.

YAKUZA KIWAM 2

Every time we think we’re out, they pull us back in. Yakuza 6 may have been the canonical end to the franchise, but thanks to Sega’s admirable efforts to bring the entire franchise to the modern generation, Yakuza Kiwami 2 reimagined what is perhaps the best story in the entire series. In fact, not only is Kiwami 2 the best Yakuza story, it may very well be the best Yakuza game as well. And in a series that has been as impressively consistent and top-notch as Yakuza has been over the years, that is very high praise indeed.

AND THE WINNER IS…

MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN

Looking at the list of nominees, you would have probably figured that arriving at a single winner in this category was incredibly hard- it was a tough fight between many games, but there is something that Insomniac’s amazing Spider-Man does that not a lot of games do quite as well. It is ridiculously, dreamily fun. Swinging through the island of Manhattan is an absolute blast, to the point where you can spend literally hours on end doing nothing but aimlessly zipping from one end of the map to the other. Combat is much better than anyone could have ever expected- it is fast, agile, thrilling, and incredibly flashy. Even more surprising is the story, which is one of the best Spider-Man stories we’ve seen in years, propped up by incredible writing and acting performances. Insomniac’s latest is not only a dream come true for fans of Spider-Man, it is also an excellent game in its own right.

NOTE: The nominees and winner were decided by an internal vote held among the entire GamingBolt staff.

THE NOMINEES ARE…

DEAD CELLS

Dead Cells is an incredible game. It’s a mixing pot of a host of ideas that would stand tall even by themselves, but Dead Cells brings them all together in an unforgettable experience. The excellent level design of metrdoivanias and the inherently addictive design of roguelikes combine with slick combat, a rewarding and inventive progression system, and challenging difficulty to deliver one of the best games of the year.

MONSTER HUNTER WORLD

Monster Hunter World was the franchise’s debut on the Xbox One, and Xbox owners could not have asked for a better introduction to this extremely popular franchise. It struck almost the perfect balance between retaining the core complexities and intricacies that have always defined Monster Hunter games, and also streamlining it and making it more accessible for those who are not too familiar with the series. Boasting of excellent maps, an addictive lootgrind, and an amazing combat system that encourages ridiculous levels of experimentation and variation, Monster Hunter World is a game that you can sink dozens upon dozens of hours into.

HITMAN 2

“More of the same” can often be a bad thing, but in the case of Hitman 2, it turned out to be its biggest strength. The 2016 reboot was a return to form for the franchise, and as a game that expands and improves upon those strengths, it’s hard for any fan of the series or the stealth genre not to fall in love with Hitman 2. Not only does it boast excellent emergent gameplay and open-ended level design that lets players loose in sandboxes of endless opportunities, it also eschews the episodic structure that what, perhaps, the gravest sin committed by its predecessor, making for a package that you can’t help but be immensely satisfied with.

ASSASSIN’S CREED ODYSSEY

You never quite know just what level of quality to expect from a series as inconsistent as Assassin’s Creed, but one look at Odyssey was enough to clue us into just how incredible it was going to be. Thankfully, not only did it meet those expectations, it surpassed them. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is a staggeringly huge open world game with one of the best maps we’ve ever seen, and almost an infinite amount of content that can keep you engaged and hooked for over a hundred hours. It also improves upon its predecessors in some key areas, such as combat, while adding excellent new progression mechanics and choice and consequence systems. All in all, not only is it an amazing game, it might even be the best Assassin’s Creed game ever.

Well, it’s at least in the top 3.

CELESTE

Every year we get new, amazing titles that stand as proud flag bearers of what the indie side of our industry is capable of, and in 2018, Celeste was one of those gems. To call it a masterpiece would be an understatement. Playing Celeste is as much of a joy as experiencing its story is, and it’s not very often that a game can make such a bold claim- especially when both those aspects are as immensely strong as they are in Celeste.

RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2

Rockstar have often been cited as the kings of open world game design, and with Red Dead Redemption 2, they cemented their claim to that throne. But while Red Dead Redemption 2 is an incredible open world title, full of details and interlinked systems that make its vast, beautiful map a pleasure to simply exist in (not that there isn’t an abundance of meaningfully enjoyable activities to otherwise engage in), its accomplishments go far, far beyond just that. Because Red Dead Redemption 2 is also a storytelling masterpiece, ingeniously paced, maturely written, and told through some of the most well-developed and compelling characters we’ve ever seen in a game. The single-minded manner in which Red Dead Redemption 2 strives to achieve its ambitious vision in every single aspect of the experience is nothing short of stunning.

FORZA HORIZON 4

Forza Horizon 4 pretty much did the impossible- it delivered on all fronts, giving us exactly the kind of experience we wanted, accomplishing lofty goals in all the key areas, and then going above and beyond to add on stuff that made the entire experience even better. Forza Horizon 4 belongs to that rare breed of games that you can play endlessly, for dozens upon dozens – if not hundreds – of hours without ever really getting bored of it. A lot of that is down to its structure as an open world racer, sure, which inherently encourages replay value, but Horizon 4 displays a mastery over open world design – as well as the content that world should be populated with – the likes of which has rarely been seen in similar games in the past.

BELOW

Capybara Games first announced their roguelike action adventure Below back in 2013, but after multiple delays and five years of anticipation, we finally got our hands on it at the tail end of this year. Was it worth the wait? We definitely think so. Below isn’t the kind of game that can be picked up and enjoyed by anybody, and certainly targets a very specific kind of audience, but if you do get into it, it’s an absolute treat. From its gruellingly challenging difficulty to its beautiful visuals and immersive atmosphere, Below is an entrancing game that you can’t help but love. Repetition and occasionally frustrating difficulty are flaws, but not nearly bad enough to bring down the experience in any meaningful way.

SEA OF THIEVES

The video games industry is in a place where a game’s launch is by no means the end of the road for developers- in many cases, it’s merely the beginning. Sea of Thieves, for example, was universally criticized for not having enough content, and basically having launched as an incomplete title, but since then, with constant content updates and expansions, Rare have completely turned the ship around. It is now a pirate utopia, where exploring the high seas is a blast, engaging in battles is as exciting as you’d want it to be, and going out on hunts for treasure and booty with your pirate crew makes for one of the most engaging activities in all games on the Xbox One this year.

ASHEN

The Soulslike subgenre has seen a massive surge in popularity over this past decade, but Ashen is perhaps one of the best takes on it that we’ve seen in years outside of FromSoftware’s own work. Ashen is a beautiful, desolate game set in a stunning and open environment that isn’t too large, but always a joy to explore, which combines with the typical strengths of the genre – such as solid, meticulous combat and rewarding difficulty – to deliver an unforgettable experience. A44’s game also manages to set itself apart from the games it takes inspirations from by implementing some unique co-op mechanics, as well as a metagame of sorts that revolves around your ever-growing home base. As such, Ashen is unique, yet very familiar, and all around one of the best games to have launched on the Xbox One this year.

AND THE WINNER IS…

FORZA HORIZON 4

It’s very hard to improve upon a game that was already as excellent as Forza Horizon 3 was, but time and time again, Playground Games have proven themselves to be masters of their craft. Building on the core strengths of previous Horizon titles – from their expert driving mechanics to strong open world design and a slew of varied and interesting activities to take part in – Horizon 4 adds a whole new twist of changing seasons to the mix, which completely changes the game in so many and absolutely stellar ways. Forza Horizon 4 is not only better than its predecessor, it’s flat out one of the greatest racing games of all time, and definitely among the very, very best first party games Microsoft has ever produced- and quite possibly the best Xbox One exclusive to date as well.