One of Telltale Games’ best efforts in quite some time. It builds its cast of likeable new characters with uncommon skill, lets you feel a glimmer of hope, and then tears it all down in devastating fashion. I’m afraid of what might come next for Clementine and AJ, but I can’t look away…The Final Season has already sunk its teeth into me.

In a year brimming with amazing JRPGs, FANTASIAN Neo Dimension stands out as one of the best, thanks to its charming characters with well-developed backstories and interactions, emotional story moments, solid combat system, and a very distinctive visual style. While these elements are the evolution of what Hironobu Sakaguchi did with the Final Fantasy series, their execution makes the game a must-play for both longtime fans of the genre and newcomers alike.

Pokémon Pokopia isn't just possibly the best spinoff this series has ever seen, it also captures the spirit and fulfillment of those classic early entries in the franchise better than anything that's come our way in some years. This game is mechanically sound, technically rock-solid, and has a pinch of genuine creative inspiration and joy that you don't always get from modern Pokémon titles. While the game may start a bit slow for some tastes, I think most folks who give Pokopia a chance will find they Kanto get enough.

The Phantasy Reverie series also offers an Easy mode that cuts the damage you receive in half and gives you infinite lives to retry the more challenging sections of the game. Once you complete either of the games, you also gain access to a Hard mode which essentially is a "zero hit challenge" mode where any hit you take is lethal, and you only have one life to play with.

With its excellent trippy horror story, memorable characters, amazing atmosphere, and some of the best visuals in gaming to date, Alan Wake II is a game like few others and Remedy Entertainment's best. It took 13 years for the acclaimed writer to come back, but the long wait was worth it. We could have hardly wished for a better sequel, despite the derivative survival horror gameplay holding the experience back a bit.

With a gripping and often disturbing story, a setting unlike anything seen before in the franchise, and gameplay that blends new ideas with a familiar framework, Silent Hill f shows that the series is not only back, but stronger than ever. While performance issues and a short runtime do impact the experience, they in no way diminish what is a triumphant return for one of the most important survival horror series ever.

Life is Strange 2 Episode 2 shows exactly how interactive narrative games can be so powerful. By focusing on your responsibility for two characters and their actions, players can enjoy the heartbreaking story they accidentally unfold.

Hob is an action adventure with a stunning visual style, engrossing world and enjoyable combat. It is a standard bearer for what the genre can achieve at this level.

Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon’s restrained tone and quirky dual-character mechanics won’t immediately connect with everyone, but you owe it to yourself to give the game a chance. Bayonetta Origins eventually comes into its own in a big way, delivering escalating action, compelling character development, and expertly-executed fan-pleasing moments en route to a satisfying finale. This tale of friendship is the perfect companion for Bayonetta 3 and may even win over those who haven’t been bewitched by the franchise in the past.

Afterparty blends genuinely thought-provoking depictions of growing up, working, and the afterlife with great comedy and fantastically awkward conversations. While technically it has a few hiccups, the story and tone they strike are near flawless.

Bayonetta 3 is the series’ best entry yet, offering an engaging universe-hopping story, bombastic cinematic moments, and refined action that’s both accessible and deeper than ever before. The game can feel slightly hemmed in on the Switch, but Platinum pummels every bit of possible performance out of the hardware. Whether you and Bayonetta have history or not, this is an engagement not to be missed.

Command & Conquer Remastered Collection is, simply put, an amazing value for money at only $19.99. Containing two legendary strategy games that have been masterfully touched up, looking great and also including the ability to see the old view for comparison, the games have also been touched up with new modern features as and when required, without sacrificing what made the games the iconic titles that they are. There are ever so slight issues with pathfinding at times and the difficulty can ramp up at an insane level, with the AI almost seeming like it's cheating, but overall this is the best remaster I've ever had the pleasure of playing and one that I can't help but recommend to anybody and everybody, even those brand new to the series.

Outside of these minor issues, Valkyria Chronicles 4 is undoubtedly the best game I've played so far in 2018.

Watch_Dogs 2 is a textbook example of a great sequel. It takes what was so much fun from the first game, expands it and cuts away most of what the players didn't enjoy.

With its intricate and well-realized setting, engaging story, compelling characters, and well-implemented RPG mechanics, Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong is a truly groundbreaking game that no fan of narrative-driven games should pass on. Some aspects could and should have been better, such as facial animations, but there is no denying that Big Bad Wolf has done a terrific job creating what is not only one of the best Vampire: The Masquerade games, but also one of the best narrative-driven games seen in recent years.

With an engaging story, well-developed characters and lore, and a huge amount of meaningful content, Starfield is one of Bethesda's finest games and one of the best role-playing games released in the past few years. The lack of seamless exploration and real innovation of the typical gameplay formula from the studio are noteworthy, but those willing to forego these issues will find a reactive and sprawling sci-fi universe to lose themselves in for hundreds, if not thousands, of hours.

With Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition, Paradox Arctic managed to do make a computer RPG playable on consoles with little frustration, thanks to the cleverly redesigned UI and controls. For the rest, Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition is just as great as it is on PC, with excellent writing, world-building and characters, an involving and challenging battle system, and true roleplaying.

Unity of Command II makes for one of the most tactically engaging and challenging strategy games ever, enhancing an already excellent original with new features such as special attacks, a headquarters system which adds a levelling up system - working with the myriad of side objectives - and a very different type of war found on the western front to the east. It has quite the learning curve and may seem as impenetrable as the Maginot Line, but with a little time you'll come to love exactly how it works.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses might be the best Fire Emblem game yet, and the best strategy JRPG I've played in years. Whether you're totally new to the series or a lapsed fan, this is an essential Nintendo Switch game for any JRPG fan.

With its excellent detective story, extremely likable characters, and welcome improvements to combat and investigation mechanics, Lost Judgment won't disappoint any fan of the original, of the Yakuza series, or anyone looking for a very mature story. The game doesn't try to shake up the original formula, which may definitely put some players off, but this is hardly a problem when quality is as high as it is in the latest game from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio.

Streets of Rage 4 doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but honestly, that’s okay. The game’s dazzling visuals, silky-smooth action, varied level design, and sexy sense of cool more than make up for a few minor old-school irritations. Veteran Bare Knuckle brawlers will get the most out of Streets of Rage 4, but it should provide a satisfying thumb workout for players from all eras.

Hi-Fi Rush is a fantastic game that combines two very popular genres and makes a wonderful and innovative game with a low skill floor but a high skill ceiling. The game is both accessible to newcomers to rhythm games and very challenging for veterans looking to be tested in several other areas that don't necessarily have to do with just rhythm games. The combat is varied, the combos you learn are great to execute, and the music is a joy to listen to. Overall, a great success.

V Rising may not have the deepest survival game mechanics around, but that is hardly a problem. The game crafted by Stunlock Studios masterfully weaves mechanics from very different genres to provide an experience like any other on the market. While solo players may find the experience becoming a little stale over time, everyone else will find plenty of reasons to remain in this world, whether it's to perfect their characters or build the most haunting vampire castle ever seen.

Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition is the only, true definitive edition of the Square Enix Japanese Role-Playing Game, thanks to the superior graphics quality and several gameplay and story enhancements, which are also included in the consoles' Royal Edition.

Spellbreak deserves a place among the other Battle Royale greats. It breaks away from the others in the genre and does so with amazing polish, thoughtful design, and is most importantly just so much fun to play.

Not one to overstay his welcome, Juan's return adventure in Guacamelee 2 is another short and sweet Metroid-like with new abilities will test both his brains and brawn (plus the adventure can be shared with friends!).

Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order is yet another excellent game developed by Respawn. With its excellent story, charming characters, engaging platforming and combat mechanics, the game is a must-buy for any self-respecting Star Wars fan, despite a lack of innovation which doesn't truly harm the experience as a whole.

Hitman 3 is the definitive case for careful refinement over needless reinvention. While not that fundamentally different from its predecessors, Hitman 3 has been polished to a high sheen, offering up fantastic frictionless stealth gameplay and an eye-catching array of unique, exciting stages. At times it's felt like luck was against this trilogy, but Agent 47 would be proud of how IO Interactive’s well-laid plans have come together in the end.