It's hard to pin down exactly what makes Death Stranding work in my mind, but a masterful presentation, stunning open world, and captivating characters contribute to one of this generation’s most unforgettable games, for better or worse.
DOOM Eternal is a hyper-violent, loud, and menacing masterpiece that has, yet again, reclaimed its throne as the king of the shooter.
For as much as it rewrites the rule books of what a video game remake can be, it also honours the original in ways that will certainly please fans. The combat is captivating and entertaining, the visuals are often jaw-dropping, and the world design is top-class from a developer who is no stranger to vibrant and detailed worlds.
MotoGP 20 fortunately goes back to the drawing board and doubles down on delivering more content and player agency. However, taken as a package, this latest installment is sure to please veterans of the franchise.
Ghost of Tsushima is a fitting swan song for the PS4, and ends this generation of PlayStation on a triumphant note. Sucker Punch have to be applauded for once again creating a jaw-dropping open world with strong visual fidelity and some of the best art direction they've ever achieved.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 is easily one of the best remakes in gaming, and does the legacy of the series and Tony Hawk's name proud after a few stumbles. The graphics are great and the stellar visual upgrades to classic locations makes it feel so much more than just a skateboarder's playground now.
Minecraft Dungeons: Hero Edition isn't going to take your breath away, but it does provide a charming spin on the dungeon crawler/hack-and-slash formula that warrants some attention for fans of the genre. The core Minecraft experience is kept well in tact while re-balancing most of its mechanics to be better suited to its genre shift.
Mafia: Definitive Edition, despite some technical hiccups, is still one of the best and most faithful remakes I had the pleasure of playing this generation. The story is engaging and thoroughly entertaining, the voice acting is terrific, the writing and characters are phenomenal, and the visuals are spectacular for modern hardware.
Star Wars: Squadrons doesn't bring anything particularly new or inventive to the table that we haven't seen before in dogfighters, but it nails almost everything it embraces. The first-person perspective greatly benefits the immersive nature of the space battles, the sound design and music is about as perfect as they could ever be, and the story flips between the Imperials and Rebels to show us the ugly and beautiful sides of war.
DIRT 5 delivers Codemasters' most refined and downright entertaining arcade rally racer yet. It boasts gorgeous visuals, solid gameplay with tight controls, a terrific dynamic weather system, and some lively commentary from Baker and North.
Astro's Playroom isn't just a wonderful little platformer, but a celebration of PlayStation in general. It's short length may only be good for a lovely night or weekend, but there's enough here for die-hard PlayStation fans to embrace.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales arguably does a lot of things better than its predecessor. The gameplay and combat have been refined, the swinging is the most fun you could ever have in a modern Spider-Man game, and the story is focused without feeling padded out or prolonged that it overstays its welcome.
Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered can proudly stand on the podium with some of the best remasters in video games. Thanks to all that the PS5 offers, it vastly improves and upgrades the experience to make it the most next-gen feeling it's ever been.
Bluepoint Games have once again proven to be masters of their craft with the Demon's Souls remake. The visuals are jaw-dropping, making it feel like the most next-gen game out on the market. However, it does nothing to jeopardize the novelty of From Software's classic; instead, it simply enhances and improves the experience.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is easily one of the most charming and delightful games of the year, and another knockout launch title for the PlayStation 5 - and that's saying something considering it has to compete with Astro's Playroom. The levels are all creatively designed and endearing, the customizable choices for Sackboy is reminiscent of LittleBigPlanet, and the music is top-notch.
Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition just made my 2019 Game of the Year pick even better. Vergil is arguably now the best character to play in the game, with a playstyle that's fast, aggressive and super-stylish - and best of all, it contrasts beautifully with the core group of characters.
When you step away from the controller and really think about the cracks in its foundations, though, Godfall simply becomes another looter with a poor launch that can't seem to do much of anything right beyond being just fine. A terribly uninteresting story and a severe lack of content turns it into a game that will only provide you the bare minimum fun factor, and there's a lot better you can do with your time and money right now.
Cyberpunk 2077 is a grand-scaled, unique and unforgettable RPG, but sometimes for all the wrong reasons. It never quite scales the narrative heights of The Witcher 3, nor does it wholeheartedly lean into its role-playing elements all the time. Yet, it offers something truly special in the gaming world that few developers could pull off to this ambitious length.
The Nioh Collection is a great bundle that offers truckloads of great content across both critically acclaimed Nioh titles, complete with all the bells and whistles you'd come to expect from remasters.
Resident Evil Village is the best game in the franchise since Resident Evil 4, and one of the best horror games I've ever played - a praise that I genuinely thought long and hard about. Very few games have given me the exhilarating rush, the well-choreographed scares, or the masterful immersion of this game. It's a powerhouse of the genre brimming with creativity thanks to spot-on art direction and a vast list of monsters from almost every corner of horror.