Many games have presented a "go anywhere, do anything" structure, but few have been filled with places, challenges and mysteries as intriguing and charming as Breath of the Wild. The massive land of Hyrule, from beautiful grassy plains and craggy mountains to marshy swamps and long-forgotten ruins, is rife with wildlife, monsters, villages and all manner of suspicious landmarks that tug constantly at your curiosity, and demand to be investigated.

Mario Odyssey is an inventive, playful and incredibly polished experience that pays constant homage to the storied series' past while never feeling redundant or old. From the creative way classic characters and styles of play are inserted into the worlds to the brand new capture mechanic that gives a new perspective on what an open-world Mario game can be, this is a timeless journey I'll keep coming back to for a long time.

No other game provides such rich atmosphere or better blends exciting action with sublime storytelling. It is much more than a science-fiction shoot-'em up: the adventure has convincing characters with great emotional depth and thrilling cinematic set pieces providing astonishing spectacle.

A relentlessly gripping ride that assaults the senses.

The epic scale astounds, with dazzling scenery including space stations, war-torn cities, temples, snowy wastelands and ruins. The audio is equally extravagant.

Imaginative and masterfully designed, Twilight Princess is every bit as good as the best Zelda adventures. It is hugely rewarding and absolutely essential for new Wii owners.

Like Tomb Raider before it, God of War has managed to keep something of its heritage while grounding its previously inaccessible main character and filling the whole experience with depth and feeling.

As long as you're not too distracted by the superb graphics, you will discover that Gears of War is a classy, imaginative shooter with plenty of gritty action.

The most captivating first-person role-playing game yet. This is essential gaming.

The most captivating first-person role-playing game yet. This is essential gaming.

Visually spectacular and hugely rewarding.

Every lap is terrifying...Polished to perfection, Burnout 3 is faster and more thrilling than any previous racer.

The game's stunning locations include a war-torn Athens, a storm-swept desert and a temple chained to the back of an awe-inspiring titan. The approachable controls allow players to instantly feel thunderously powerful, performing dazzling strikes, blocks, grapples and jumps.

It is infinitely replayable, incredibly balanced and faster-paced. Combat has been improved, with the addition of both depth and simplicity, while peacemaking and cultural supremacy are more viable options.

The focus on opponent "takedowns" was a smart, natural evolution for the series. The gorgeous environments and detailed cars whiz past at amazing velocity, and the fender-bending carnage is spectacular.

One of the best strategy games yet: intense, atmospheric and tactically deep.

With terrible violence and stunningly realised characters, The Last of Us Part II is a singular game that blends cutting edge technology and silky big-budget design with stellar cinematic and literary storytelling, with breathtaking results.

Few games are as successful as God of War II in making a player feel like an invincible warrior. This is an absolutely thrilling adventure and a clash of the titans you are unlikely to forget soon.

The game is epic in scale and length, but its fascinating plot, characters and dialogue (impeccably translated from Japanese) ensures players will devour every second.

More than any previous game in the series, Ultimate seems to have taken into account the needs and desires of all players, and made it possible. Ancillary content like Spirits may not quite live up to pure fun of the main Smash mode, but then few things in video games do. And that main mode is the biggest achievement here. It's bigger and better than it ever has been before, and somehow incorporates just about everything that's come previously.

The new Resident Evil 2 is everything the original was; tense, scary, brilliant and filled with secrets and additional content to find. But it's also a game perfectly suited to 2019, not just because of its cutting edge look and sound; but because we don't get games like this anymore, and that's a shame.

Considering the complexities of building this type of game, it's nothing short of a miracle that World of Warcraft and its land of orcs and goblins has been launched so successfully.

Stunning and consistent as ever, this is more of the fantasy racing festival we know and love, but this time in a shared online world with even more driving diversity thanks to the regularly shifting seasons.

Incredibly thoughtful and mechanically near-perfect, Celeste marries impeccable game design with a touching and relatable story in a way I've never experienced before. It's simultaneously an excellent platformer and an engaging meditation on the perils and methods of tackling depression and anxiety, and the fact that those two aspects are so naturally integrated is amazing.

Car handling is demanding, but beginners can instantly have fun, thanks to helpful driving assists and generous early prizes.

Beautiful, involving, impeccably designed and outstanding value, this is a grand game that is difficult to fault. It will captivate even those who have been immune to Final Fantasy's spell.

Every couple of years a game is released that is so well crafted, so perfectly made, that it sets a benchmark for gaming quality. Rome: Total War is one of those games. We couldn't find a fault.

Game visuals might need overhauls every few years to stay relevant, but good game design is timeless. So is Demon's Souls.