Yoshi’s Crafted World doesn’t use its clever conceit as well as it should or weave a poignant story, but it’s still a solid and accessible Nintendo platformer.

Sekiro has the best swordfights in any video game. It leans too heavily on its mediocre stealth, but its satisfying combat will keep you going through hundreds of brutal deaths.

The Division 2 is a seriously accomplished looter shooter, with a gameplay loop that keeps on giving, and an endgame that will keep you playing for months (or years) to come.

Capcom has done it again, re-energising a classic series like never before, and pushing the genre forward in a fresh way. It looks better than ever, plays better than ever. It's Devil May Cry better than ever.

Nobody thought Fortnite would still be popular this late on, but it's continued to adapt and fight for its spot at the top of the battle royale ladder.

Even with a clumsy progression system, Trials Rising's vibrant tracks, tight controls, and excellent tutorials are some of the best in the series.

Anthem is ultimately severely flawed, and very unfinished. There's half a good game in there, but it doesn't do enough to diminish the overall feeling of emptiness and repetition.

An ambitious brawler that suffers from something of an identity crisis, Jump Force will nevertheless delight anime fans – especially those of a vintage who knows the more obscure characters included here.

Crackdown 3 is bonkers chaotic fun but also a case of wasted potential. The series deserved an iterative revival but instead, we have the tried-and-tested Crackdown backbone with remastered visuals and a touch more chaos, sadly squandering the promise of its few interesting additions in the process.

Far Cry New Dawn might be a spinoff game, but it’s sure to have a lasting impact on what we think of when Far Cry comes to mind.

A first-person survival shooter that's as engrossing as it is unnerving, Metro Exodus tells a powerfully human story in a world that's equal parts style and substance.

An immaculate battle royale that could be sold at a premium price point, but instead is one of the best free-to-play games ever.

Not the best Life is Strange episode. Dialogue choices are poor, it often feels like the outcome is inevitable, and - aside from Captain Spirit - few of the supporting characters are likeable. But the core bond between Sean and Daniel remains the key draw.

Still madder than a box of frogs, but its magical Disney charms make it worth the long wait.

A beautifully made and reverent take on the original game that works both as a remake and a completely new game.

One of the best Wii U games gets a wonderful Switch remaster that brings to life its multiplayer mayhem better than ever before.

Ashen contributes more hits than misses to the Souls formula, though the overall experience may feel too familiar to fans of FromSoftware's trendsetting series.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate takes characters we’ve played for decades and remasters them into a robust, fantastically enjoyable package.

Performance problems aside, Subnautica will rekindle your faith in the overcrowded survival genre, and scare you senseless.

Darksiders 3 feels like coming home for fans, and combat is a blast - but it can be hard to appreciate the good when dealing with a laundry list of technical stumbles.

Fallout 76 has glimmers of the trademark series’ sci-fi splendour, but they’re few and far between.

A rich and far-reaching addition to your Sims library, but may be too much for brand new Sims fans.

Pokemon Let's Go is a superb surprise, a fully-fledged Pokemon RPG with interactivity that brings the series to life in a way that's never been done before.

Pokemon Let's Go is a superb surprise, a fully-fledged Pokemon RPG with interactivity that brings the series to life in a way that's never been done before.

Not as drastic a change up as its WW1 predecessor, nor as wild or wondrous, Battlefield 5’s deliberative design sidelines its strengths as a simulative sandbox.

The quirks of what seem to be a last-minute rush out the door development strategy don’t detract from the fact that each Hitman 2 level is wonderfully crafted and full of potential for inventiveness… and silliness.

Moonlighter manages to perfectly balance the best bits of Stardew Valley, Dark Souls and Binding of Isaac for a game that just keeps you coming back for more.

Football Manager 2019 is a game that’ll get its studs into you early and you won’t be able to shake it free for some time. A must-buy for football fans.

One of the top three open-worlds of all time, and the best game Rockstar has ever made. An all-time Old West masterpiece.

The lack of campaign is sorely missed in this bold new direction for Call of Duty, but the multiplayer shines like never before.

An amazing marriage of world-class storytelling and strategic card gaming, Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales is a fantastic RPG in its own right.

At its core, Starlink: Battle for Atlas is a fantastic space exploration game, with solid flights, fights and enemies, but can be a complicated toys-to-life proposition to recommend, and understand.

A spectacular throwback to the era when wrestling games were must-own. Add live – or even quarterly – updates to 2K20 and it’ll be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Perfects everything Origins did and enhances them in ways you never thought an Assassin's Creed game could. Odyssey has it all.

By channelling community feedback into an all-encompassing package, Forsaken finally makes Destiny 2 feel essential again.

A well-written story that doesn’t quite gel together properly and a lack of actual things to do make this a sub-par start to this potentially great sequel.

Forza Horizon 4 isn’t as bombastic as its predecessor, but still a challenging and all-encompassing online racer. And the more introverted moments of driving through autumnal or snow-dusted Britain are beautiful, especially as a showcase for Xbox One X.

The Champions League expands FIFA’s exhaustive selection of licences – but thanks to lessons learned last year there’s plenty to love out on the pitch, too.

The final and strongest entry in the rebooted trilogy, this adventure sticks to Lara's strengths while embracing its dark side.

An immensely enjoyable and fun to play superhero adventure.

Two Point Hospital has a terminal case of total brilliance.

Light on features it may be, but PES 2019 shows the proof in the pudding is, and always will be, out on the (virtual) pitch.

Fleeting, forgettable fun at its most flamboyant, you’ll likely enjoy Strange Brigade for a jiffy before shortly moving on to bigger, better things.

The perfect way to pass a couple of hours, but it will leave you craving more game and a box of Krispy Kremes.

Guacamelee 2 is another champion-grade Metroidvania, provided you can handle some corny humor and retreading of old mechanics.

I'll play more polished, bigger and more bombastic blockbuster games this year, but We Happy Few will stay with me long after its quests are over.

An astounding masterpiece that reaches new heights of brilliance thanks to the Nintendo Switch.

Overcooked 2 is everything you loved from the original but with the heat turned up a centigrade or 100. Mad, manic and utterly hilarious, this is one co-op game to beat.

A stunning return to form for the annual football franchise – and one of the finest all-round Madden packages in years.

A successful sequel where it counts the most, only a few potholes slow The Crew 2 down in its drive to become the ultimate road trip.

An excellent, painfully brief piece of storytelling, with some decent characters and a lot of heart.

One of the best Sims 4 expansions packs so far, Seasons changes everything for your sim families with friendly bees, sinister gnomes and a chance to chat up Father Winter.

A bizarre coming together of Smash Bros. and Mario Tennis that strangely works, even if the Adventure mode occasionally frustrates.

Despite some opaque game mechanics and missing tutorials, turns out running a dinosaur park is brilliant fun and the best time sink you can play.

As much a detective story as a horror one, Vampyr rewards you for taking an interest in the people around you and tests your moral compass with a lack of black and white options.

A sometimes grotesque, always engrossing take on the survival game, woven together with a twisted tale, weird weapons, and giant, charging porcupine pigs.

Moonlighter manages to perfectly balance the best bits of Stardew Valley, Dark Souls and Binding of Isaac for a game that just keeps you coming back for more.

Immerse yourself in Detroit’s wonderfully realised world, engage with its characters and stories, and you’ll love this game.

State of Decay 2 confidently reaches the series’ potential as the ultimate zombie survival sim, even if it hits a few familiar bumps in the road on the way there.

An enticing (if sometimes uneven) action-adventure that will surprise you with an intriguing mystery and surprisingly deep characters.

Tropical Freeze caters to players who derive fun from overcoming adversity, which the game offers in near endless supply. If you can fall down a pit 16 times and still eagerly drift down on your 17th balloon, this is the Donkey Kong you're looking for.

One of PlayStation’s finest moments, Kratos has been reimagined for a new audience while keeping the best bits of what originally made him great.

A polished and refined instalment that values your time more than the previous games and keeps the focus on entertaining you throughout.

Sea of Thieves is bursting with potential for storytelling in a watery paradise, but doesn’t have enough to keep players coming back.

A Way Out elevates co-op gaming in a way nothing has before, bringing players together to create one beautifully told story that everyone needs to experience.

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is the RPG adventure that's like shooting sunshine right into your veins. So clear your calendar, because Level-5 is about fill it with monsters, magic, and city management.

A touching finale for Kazuma Kiryu, Yakuza 6 manages to surprise and delight in equal measure.

Despite its promising new mechanics that make conversation a game of strategy, the interaction between its characters lets The Council episode one down.

A decent survival game with a rewarding, if uninspired, grind to its resource collecting and base management.

All Fe’s colour, charm and cute make it utterly recommendable despite its flaws.

Combat could be better, but Dragon Quest Builders combines RPG structure and freeform creativity to great effect. It's Minecraft for people who hate Minecraft.

Both a great remaster and an enjoyable ‘new’ game in its own right that takes you on a journey in a way few things can.

A triumph for the series and one of this generation's greatest games yet. Monster Hunter World takes the beating heart of a vital, niche franchise and elevates it toward universal appeal.

A game of two halves: one gripping, strategic and beautifully balanced, the other dull and grinding. Unfortunately, you have to be able to to deal with both.

Dragon Ball FighterZ is not only true to its source material, but ranks among the best as a 2D fighting game. How long you stick with it might be entirely dependent on how much you love the series, though.

The Inpatient excels at immersing the player, and it looks gorgeous. Unfortunately it puts too many barriers between the player and ultimate success.

Enigmatic, visually stunning, but so far a bit lacking in substance.

Beast-hunting will test your reflexes while cooking them up will tease your brain, and Battle Chef Brigade's upbeat attitude and stylish looks will have you smiling the whole way through.

If you skipped Sun and Moon last year, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are must-buys. Sci-fi storytelling, plenty of new content and adorable critters all included, but feels too soon a release to make the most of the innovation.

If you skipped Sun and Moon last year, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are must-buys. Sci-fi storytelling, plenty of new content and adorable critters all included, but feels too soon a release to make the most of the innovation.

Motion controls add a breath of fresh air to a familiar game, with astounding results. A must-have for anyone with a Switch and a love of open world games.

A few technical hiccups and minor quibbles aside, Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 tops off a great year for comic book properties with a fun, varied adventure.

A very strong multiplayer offering tarnished by overly complicated character progression, and a lavish, beautiful story campaign lacking in substance or subtlety.

While still liable to take over your every waking hour, Football Manager 2018 takes the delicate balance of previous years and weighs it down with too many superfluous, or downright irritating, changes.

Sonic Forces is a spectacular but empty sugar rush that’s over in a blur. Once again, Sonic’s return to form falls flat.

Need for Speed Payback successfully returns to its Fast and Furious roots with aplomb, but a focus on the grind and a beautiful but empty world means it ultimately falls short of greatness.

Made for those who have devoured the whole of Horizon: Zero Dawn, this DLC isn’t just about upping your game. It’s a rich expansion of Aloy’s world, with flashes of comedic brilliance and narrative depth.

COD has a few issues in single player this year but the overall package delivers another good shooter with plenty to do and some neat new online ideas.

Wolfenstein 2 offers slick shooting, plenty of spectacle, and heaps of fun characters to interact with. The plot is far from perfect, and levels are a touch dull, but overall it’s a must-play.

Super Mario Odyssey successfully brings the series up to date and opens it up to a new audience, while still retaining every ounce of its nostalgia and retro charm.

As beautiful as it is deadly, Origins’ Egyptian playground is finally everything you wanted the Creed to be.

Rugby 18 is a dire simulation of the sport, with a paper-thin selection of modes, and relentlessly poor presentation.

Exceptional when it all works, but for the third year running launch-day gremlins prohibit an even greater score.

Some delightful scenes mix with more mundane, throw-away moments in an episode that packs an emotional punch without offering much in the way of gameplay.

There's still life in this old Rogue Trooper yet, but the limitations of its time makes Redux a fun but inessential addition to your library.

Gran Turismo Sport is a bona fide virtual motorsport and that’s awesome. But single-player modes are lacking and it’s demonstrably outshone by Forza Motorsport 7 in virtually every area.

South Park balances ample fan service with gameplay that stands on its own merits and an engaging story. It won't make you a fan if you weren't one already, but it's hard to imagine a better-realized adaptation.

The Evil Within 2 doesn't quite manage to step out of the first game's shadow - but while it may not have the same bold, unified style, you won't have to worry about frustrating mechanics or enraging difficulty spikes. If you've got a soft spot for the original game in your survival horror-loving heart, you'll surely enjoy this sequel (and get a kick out of the many callbacks to the previous plotline).