Thanks to a likeable cast of fleshed-out characters, an immersive atmosphere drenched in evil and a gripping story with a sinister setting, it exceeds expectations and trumps the highs of Man of Medan, Little Hope and in some cases, even Until Dawn.
The gameplay and combat is fun and engaging, the Ridden are terrifying and diverse, and the campaign packs a solid punch in terms of what you get out of it. When it does stumble though, the fall hurts.
Ghostrunner on PS5 is probably the best way to experience developer One More Level's rage-inducingly difficult but absolutely addictive and enjoyable cyberpunk assassin game.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an admirable start for Ember Lab's journey into gaming that still has a bit of room to improve. However, what you'll find here is a special, cute and endearing game that gives players a blast of nostalgia thanks to its retro-inspired level design and objectives.
The new UI tweaks, slight gameplay changes, small bits of story content and more all add up to a worthwhile and wonderfully bizarre package that still proves Kojima Productions have truly crafted a game unlike any other.
If you're a fan of the original game, there's nothing here that will surprise you, but for newcomers, you can experience one of the better 3D Sonic games.
Bandai Namco have yet to really miss the mark when it comes to their trademark anime games, but Scarlet Nexus isn't exactly a massive step forward. Instead, it's a serviceable - if at times great - sidestep that brings little else to the table beyond gloriously flashy gameplay and smoking style.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition is a classic trilogy completely revitalized and improved for new and old fans to experience. The vast number of technical improvements really gives it a fresh coat of paint, all the while tweaking and enhancing the gameplay fronts to make them superior to their originals in almost every way.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.