It’s not just a loving restoration but a temple built on newly solid foundations, with emotional beats that genuinely resonate. It sets a new bar for what a video game remake can be, masterfully marrying nostalgia with modernity without quite being a slave to one or the other. And so barely a month into 2019, we have our first front-running contender for Game of the Year.

The game is a stunning achievement, so far ahead of any racing title or driving sim on the market, it’s bordering on obscene.

It’s amazing...In a sea of LOL imitators, its refreshing to see so many smart design ideas on display here. Thanks to the game’s gleeful disregard of genre conventions, Battlerite feels like something that few free to play games manage — refreshing and dynamic.

This is the best Devil May Cry yet. Each character has enough depth to fill a game by themselves, the story does exactly what it needs to, the twists and turns keep you on edge and the combat sets a new benchmark for action games as a whole. Capcom has made a masterclass in stylish combat gaming here, and there’s enough content to keep players happy — even if it takes another 11 years for a sequel.

Mario’s first Switch outing is not only one of the best releases in an unusually brilliant year, but arguably one of Nintendo’s greatest gaming achievements ever. With refreshingly varied kingdom designs that offer a playful mix of the old and the new, Super Mario Odyssey is a game where you never really know what to expect next. We could tell you more about the individual moments that make this game such a magical experience, but honestly, to reveal too many of its secrets would simply spoil the fun.

This is truly Tetris like you’ve never played or felt before, and the blissful escape we all need in 2018. Because when the real world is full of chaos, Tetris Effect, much like the psychological phenomenon the game takes its name from, is about finding order in things, and taking back control.

Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition is a worthy purchase for anyone that enjoyed the original or simply anyone that enjoys heartfelt, compelling RPGs. There’s enough new content — weaved in with remastered visuals and remixed locations — to appease even the most stingy of Remaster skeptics out there.

Thanks to both its shocking cruelty and its awe-inspiring potential, this stunningly well-realised recreation of the Wild West is the first game world that truly mirrors our own. Rockstar’s latest playground is a place that’s equal parts brutal and beautiful, and somehow, like in our own reality, the weight of your decisions in this game world have just as much potential to delight you as they do to terrify.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is one of the most compelling video game experiences to come out in years. That its stood out in a year filled with some of the best games ever is a testament to how brilliant it really is. It’s the sort of game I talk about in excited, quick bursts with friends, the kind I think about when I’m not playing it.

There are no two ways about it: this is one of the most impressive games on the Nintendo Switch, and represents some of the best value for money we’ve seen in video games in years, whether you’re into single player or multiplayer. Buy this game, you will not regret it.

It is the best SoulsBorne game since the original Dark Souls, a tremendous victory lap for the genre that pushes the series in a fascinating direction, revitalizing its most stale features and introducing bold new ones.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a game that will resonate with you deeply if you have a wanderer’s heart and the patience to understand the game’s many intricacies.

This is a big win for Assassin’s Creed. Just about every aspect of the game is better from combat, to hunting (thanks to Senu), to stealth play with a sense of consequence. Top it off with the memorable yet vulnerable duo of Aya and Bayek, and this sequel managed to go back in time while taking several steps forward.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm has so far been consistent in its delivery of a heartfelt story with lots of wiggle room for players to craft their own emotional journey. The final episode can’t come soon enough.

Monster Hunter: Generations Ultimate has some of the best kineticism and game feel of any game you can play on handheld consoles right now. Its graduation from 3DS to Switch is nothing short of mind-blowing.

It’s this sense of streamlined player experience that really defines Destiny 2. Where the first game had you grinding for hours just to experience increasingly diminishing returns, this is a sequel that trims away its processor’s frustrations, firmly putting fun first.

While there's still gore and violence by the corpse-load, this cinematic adventure feels far more reminiscent of the father-daughter relationship in The Last of Us than the testosterone-soaked Devil May Cry challenger the franchise started as.

Quite simply, this game is gorgeous. With huge and beautifully atmospheric landscapes for you to hunt and gather across, the new graphical grunt afforded to the devs has resulted in a brilliantly immersive world. Little plants retreat when you walk near. Colourful insects flutter and glisten across the horizon. It’s a functioning ecosystem designed with love and care and the locales you find yourself exploring are every bit as memorable as the monsters themselves.

No matter which way you prefer to play, Subnautica is an incredibly engaging experience. It’s one of those games that you can play for 10 minute chunks, or lose four hours without noticing.

The Switch version of Okami HD – with its portability, its motion controls, its touchscreen paintbrush and its compact charm – is hands own the definitive version of Okami. If you’ve never played it before, we’re happy to go as far as saying this is an essential purchase for your system. It’s a timeless classic.

This is the Shadow of the Colossus that you thought you played over a decade ago, unfolding before your eyes. Every second as sad, as spectacular, and as exceptionally unique as it ever was. And worthy, indeed, of creating more memories with.

It may lack the mechanical variety and elegant sophistication of say, What Remains Of Edith Finch, but despite that, Before The Storm still manages to be one of the finest gaming experiences in undoubtedly one of the medium’s best years.

Basically, it’s George R. R. Martin rules here. The stakes are stupidly high and no character is safe. You may be paying for a full front-row seat to watch one of the most well-realised worlds since the original Mass Effect trilogy, but you’ll only ever need the edge of your chair.

These are two of the most enjoyable and finely crafted action games ever released. While the lack of meaningful new content or resolution bump is a bit disappointing, if you’ve yet to experience these bats–t crazy but beautiful brawlers, this is the perfect time to discover what makes the Bayonetta series so bewitching.

Thanks to its masterful sense of flow, knowing nods to the world of Marvel and refreshing sense of mission variety, there was rarely a moment in its 20 plus hour playtime where we didn’t have a sh*t-eating grin plastered across our faces. Quite simply, it’s consistently a joy to play. And while it may not push interactive entertainment into a bold new realm, it’s a superhero sim that fulfills your every web-slinging fantasy.

It’s a brilliant game that blends survival and horror into one terrifying, tense experience. The story it weaves is well-written, the gameplay — particularly the progression — is perfectly refined, and there are few games as hilariously engaging in their co-op.

Dead Cells is an example of how to do things right in so many ways. How to do Early Access. How to listen to your community. How to take inspiration from games while growing into your own style. It also happens to be the best time to jump in and ride the content train that’s sure to keep rolling for a long time to come.

Battlefield 5 has nailed the sort of gameplay that drew us into the series in the first place. When you and your crew are clicking, when you’re all playing the objective, taking fights at the right time, popping smokes to cover advances and retreats, resupplying mines for one another in the backfield, and back-capping under the enemy’s noses, Battlefield 5 is unstoppable. Untouchable even.