Red Dead Redemption 2

As previously stated in our review, RDR2 offers so many cool things to do in the core game, like robbing trains, hunting animals and shooting any cowpoke within your vicinity, all to supreme satisfaction. And that’s without mentioning Red Dead Online. It truly feels like a next gen title. However, for everything the game offers, it does very little to explain each function’s highly-detailed intricacies. And the rightly-acclaimed hyperrealism developer Rockstar Games’ achieved here can become a hindrance in some instances, making situations feel like a chore. But don’t let any of that scare you off from playing Rockstar’s Magnum Opus, there’s a reason it walked away with four TGA trophies and backlash from fans when it didn’t win Game of the Year.

God of War

God of War redeveloped one of gaming’s most bloodthirsty icons into a wise and mature father who only rips into flesh when provoked hard enough. This soft reboot reintroduced former Greek god Kratos to the world of Norse mythology with his young boy Atreus, alongside a brand new fighting system and buddy mechanics never before seen in a God of War title. It’s mature approach to storytelling was also a standout. Sure, the franchise has always been cinematic, but Sony took cues from acclaimed titles like The Last of Us to ensure emotional weight would be at the forefront of this game. We all knew Red Dead 2 would be amazing whenever it’d arrive, but nobody expected God of War 4 to be God of War, which is way it walked away with Game of the Year.

Dragon Ball FighterZ

This is truly the first Dragon Ball fighting game aimed at the fighting game community and not just all the fans from the television/manga series. As such, the title has been embraced at major events like EVO, replacing the classic Marvel vs Capcom slot in the process. This 3v3 tag-in/tag-out fighter sees our favorite Saiyans, aliens, and androids do battle on a 2.5-D plane. Every attack, from normal to super, is unique and a direct action pulled from the series, manga, or movie. As previously stated, the game is easy to pick up and play but not at the sacrifice of making it a complex fighting game able to stand toe-to-toe with the likes of Street Fighter and Tekken.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the culmination of every Smash game before it, down to the characters, stages and embracement of the Melee metagame carved out by the fighting game community. So of course it’s the best Smash game thus far. The title’s approach to satisfying its core crowd is to offer everything you’ve loved about Smash so far and discard the rest, if you so choose. The game’s settings are very customizable, intricate and made to cater to every kind of player, except for the newcomers. For them, it can be a bit hard to navigate everything and grasp the inner-workings of every character in the game. But you won’t find a more fun, polished celebration of a brand and franchise like this anywhere on the market.

Marvel’s Spider-Man

Marvel’s Spider-Man is the greatest Spider-Man game ever made–by default. It’s the latest Spidey game to come out and the first to be helmed by a AAA studio, already solidifying itself as one of the franchise’s greats in light of a huge oversight. Swinging mechanics have all but been perfected by previous games, leaving Insomniac little to do but improve upon what’s already been established. Even his combat mechanics are heavily inspired by the Arkham Asylum games, but tweaked slightly not to be a complete rip. However, the story of a long-in-the-tooth Spider-Man was great to behold, and the title itself is so much fun to play that 100% completion never feels like a chore. Marvel’s Spider-Man was a layup for the already superhero prevalent InFamous creators at Insomniac Games, but it was still a winning shot up there with the best releases of 2018.

Pokémon Let’s Go: Pikachu & Eevee

A nostalgic return back to Kanto is just what developer Game Freak needed after the cultural boom Pokémon GO was in 2015. Let’s Go: Pikachu & Eevee caters to all fans of Pokémon, whether they’re the newcomers from GO, the hardcore who stuck by every main game release, or folks who haven’t picked up a Poke title since Red/Blue/Yellow. It’s also the first traditional Pokémon game to make its way to consoles. Sure, the title holds players hands with overpowered starters, but for all the combined mechanics of the app and main games, Let’s Go feels very much like a Pokémon game that was made to prepare newcomers for the next generation title done proper.

Forza Horizon 4

Forza Horizon 4 is the culmination of constant refinement, and it has resulted in one of the genre’s most refined arcade racers yet. The title is as fast and gorgeous as ever, but its Challenges can now be tackled however or whenever you choose–which allows for a certain amount of freedom unseen in previous installments. There’s also a bevy of vehicles to choose from that can now gain performance perks individually instead of for the player; a reward for devoting time to your favorite cars. Most of all, the seasonal changes in the UK-based settings are gorgeous and keep gameplay fresh, not only visually but in how it also affects gameplay.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

On the topic of celebrated franchises, Treyarch decided to discard having a tacted-on campaign and focus on its much celebrated Multiplayer and Zombies mode. They even made the bold move to get in on the Battle Royale craze, creating what arguably could’ve been PUBG if it had AAA backing. The real meat for true CoD players has always been Multiplayer, and luckily it’s here as polished as ever, and without all the futuristic wall-running Titanfall mechanics from the last game. With various Specialists to invest in, a broadened Zombies mode, and a top notch Battle Royale mode, the Call of Duty franchise has produced one of its most exciting offerings in years.

Monster Hunter World

The Monster Hunter series has always intimidated folks curious enough to jump in, with its unique playstyle and difficulty. However this entry welcomes newcomers with streamlined equipment creation, tutorials, and fantastic graphics. The tedious controls the franchise is known for are smoothed out while still retaining its demanding gameplay and classic mechanics. There’s a significant amount of hunting and looting to keep veterans occupied and to get newcomers acclimated to the title. It’s an action RPG with a vast world to explore, landscapes to admire, and monsters to slay for days.

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom

Ni no Kuni II utilizes classic JRPG gameplay and various systems in harmony under an overarching building sim mechanic that becomes addictive the more you get used to it. It contains a time-consuming 50-hour campaign, much to the joy of RPG enthusiasts, and features a charming cast of characters to get attached to. It’s also a gorgeous-looking title that retains the visuals of Studio Ghibli, the studio involved in making the original game. This is a title that flew under the radar this year, and in terms of RPGs, it only had the acclaimed Dragon Quest IX to compete with