Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is a work of genius. I'm planning to immediately replay it, simply because I don't want it to be over yet. The story is absolutely captivating, the world is filled to the brim with detail, and the characters and their motivations are remarkably well thought out. It made me laugh at absurd moment, made me gasp with the twists in the story, and I've developed an attachment to the main character's partner, Kim Kitsuragi, and his endless patience with me shooting finger guns at him as much as possible. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is a masterwork and you are doing yourself a disservice if you miss it.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition is as essential now as it was seven years ago. Whether you're looking to play the game for the first time or have been waiting for this free upgrade (and bonus quest) before revisiting, then this is the perfect time to start. It's a masterpiece and still stands at the top of its genre.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a beautiful experience that excels in almost every area – the combat and character skill customisation is some of the most intricate I've seen, the storyline is routinely surprising and emotional, characterisation and performances are immaculate, and it both looks and sounds absolutely stunning all the time. It's a stunning accomplishment for Sandfall Interactive's first game, and with a core team of around 30 (with outsourced help). It's sure to be in contention for Game of the Year awards, and anyone not playing it is seriously missing out.
For fans of fast-paced, over the top twin stick action, complete with bullet time and a score system that awards perfection, Bleed 2 is excellent. The only real issue is its length, which is remedied to an extent by additional characters, weapons, and modes. If arcade, Contra/Metal Slug action is your thing and you've been missing it, you could do much worse than Bleed 2.
Far Cry 5 is another improvement to a series that hit its stride quite a long time ago. It gets a recommendation not because of any of its individual features, but because they all combine together into a game that becomes paradoxically funny and horrifying, occasionally at the same time.
Marvel's Spider-Man does a spectacular job of making you feel like the ultimate Spider-Man. From swinging through the city at high speed to fighting off legions of enemies by zipping between them and pulling them into the air, its gameplay looks like a scene from the films. It's remarkably well realised in terms of its world, design, and even technically, with short loading times and a rock solid framerate even on the base PlayStation 4. If Spider-Man is your thing then this is an essential purchase.
Paper Beast is a beautiful experience that's only really possible in VR.
Dungeon of the Endless combines the roguelite and tower defence genres in a way that makes it deeper than the sum of its parts. It's challenging, but rewarding, and if you're a fan of the roguelite genre, then this is one of the most interesting ones from the last few years.
Going Under is an excellent roguelite that is challenging, rewarding and hilarious at the same time. It takes a little while to get going, but once it does it's a delight. As a scathingly satirical look at tech startups and culture it's likely unmatched, helping it to stay fresh and funny for a long time.
One Finger Death Punch 2 is as fully realised as it can be. It's taken the concept of a two button action game and wrung every last drop out of the concept. What results is a game that is hilariously fun, yet heart pounding at its most intense. It's repetitive, sure, but incredibly playable and varied enough that things are just fresh enough to keep you thinking "just one more go."
Solar Ash is one of the best games of the year. It looks gorgeous, its story is pretty unique and surprising, and its set-piece moments get really intense, as you might expect from skating along the back of a black goo and bone dragon. It's a nice surprise to end the year with that any "skating combined with combat and gigantic monsters" enthusiasts, which is definitely already a thing.
Moss: Book 2 expands and improves on its predecessor in every way. Whether it's the emotional attachment you develop with Quill, the surprising twists the story goes through, or the inventiveness of the combat and puzzles, Moss: Book 2 is creative in a way that delights at every turn. If you've got PSVR, it's pretty much essential.
Diablo IV is almost shockingly refined, with an absorbing story and addictive gameplay. The shift to always online and connected play might turn some away, and the level scaling can make combat a little same-y, but on the whole, this is still Diablo at its best. It plays very well, offers tonnes of options for tailoring your character and acquiring that all important hunt for better and better loot will keep you coming back for more.
Baldur's Gate 3 is a masterpiece and a true next generation RPG. Sure it has a handful of small issues, but they pale in comparison to the quality of the writing, the depth in character creation, the sheer wealth of options available to players, the voice acting, the gorgeous world, which are all just exemplary. There's no wonder it has sent ripples through the industry and gathered more attention than even Larian expected, it's got quality and creativity leaking out of every frame.
Ghostrunner 2 is undoubtably excellent. While it's a tough and challenging game, the quick reloads help alleviate frustration and replace it with the "just one more try" drive to overcome it. There's a handful of small control niggles that might annoy, and if repeatedly dying is a pet video game peeve of yours, it might not be for you, but if the game gets its hooks into you, it's a sheer, visceral delight of dude slicing, shuriken flinging, laser dodging, taking a bullet to the face, reloading, and trying it all again.
Vendetta Forever is a new contender for my favourite VR game. Its high speed, intense, but relatively short levels are always somewhere between very cool, very over the top, and quite funny. It's a game that's in love with old school action movies and did it darnedest to let you shoot your way through countless classic set pieces.
Maestro is an addictive and satisfying experience. You have a selection of legendarily good music to conduct, from Ride of the Valyries to Duel of the Fates, and there's plenty of challenge once you've grown familiar enough to move onto Hard difficulty, though you may need to pick up your actual controllers for that.
The Beast is the Dying Light sequel I always wanted. It's dark, literally and tonally, focuses on zombies instead of warring human factions, and expands on some of the more outlandish and interesting ideas hinted at in the original. If this is indicative of what to expect in the franchise going forward, and it certainly looks that way, then I am excited.
To summit up, Laysara: Summit Kingdom is a great little town builder. Set in a pretty unique location and providing plenty of satisfying management without the constant threat of invasion by a horde of enemies, it's incredibly relaxing and enjoyable. At least, until you underestimate the power of an avalanche and bury half your workers in snow. If you're at all interested in a builder like this set on a mountain, I'd be surprised if you didn't enjoy Laysara, even if you usually prefer something more challenging.
Sephiria is great, I can't stop thinking about my next run if that's any indication to you. Whilst the bosses could be better, they're not a dealbreaker as the rest of the combat is excellent. Whilst there are a lot of roguelites around these days, this is definitely one of the better ones.