What Remains of Edith Finch has raised the bar for interactive stories and visual storytelling. The impact of static objects, while the story is beautiful and heartbreaking. This, like the Finch family members, cannot be improved, merely built upon and remembered.
God of War proves that if there was anything that Kratos learned during his time in Grecian lands, it's how to have a proper adventure. Now that he is a little bit older, wiser, and more experienced, it's time for him to start to pass the torch on and become a family man.
There's a good reason action game fans will be looking to buy Bayonetta 1 for the fourth time and Bayonetta 2 for the second time. To create a series that includes an incredibly deep combat system, an absolutely insane story with the characters, music and gameplay to match the insanity, all while managing to satisfy both the casual and hardcore crowd is certainly no easy task. Bayonetta 1 & 2 rank as two of the best action games of all time, and now you can play them on the go. What's not to love?
Total War: Three Kingdoms is as close to flawless as you'll find, with a fantastic balance of 4X strategy and character-focused development and emergent storytelling. The battles are frantic, with increased tactical opportunities through duelling. City development is more intuitive and less restrictive, though still requires thought and all of this takes place on a China that looks downright fantastic, where even the UI and menus look great. This is the Total War experience and a new high for the series.
Microsoft Flight Simulator is a marvelous use of technology to create one of the most wonderful and spectacular looking games I've ever played.
Hades is near perfect, offering exactly what you expect and yet somehow exceeding your wildest expectations. From the art design to the gameplay to the narrative, Hades is proof of the incredible creative power that SuperGiant Games have been honing for the last nine years.
Minor technical problems aside, this is one of gaming's greatest and most storied series returning with something we've never seen before. Breaking all the conventions of the series, and even a few general gaming conventions, Breath of the Wild is essential for any self-respecting gamer. A new bar has been set in open world gaming.
Devil May Cry V is the best entry in the series and one of the best character action games ever released. In addition to its excellent combat mechanics and level design, which expand greatly on the elements introduced in past games, the story and characters had never before received such focus in Devil May Cry. The game may be lacking in extra content such as the fan-favorite Bloody Palace mode at launch, but don't let this small flaw prevent you from getting what will surely be one of the 2019 Game of the Year contenders.
Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition is every bit as good as the original release, if not even more, thanks to the many additions like playable Vergil, Turbo Mode and Legendary Dark Knight difficulty. While ray tracing and DualSense support are not massive game-changers, they round up the package nicely and help making it a worthy purchase for every Devil May Cry fan and for those who did not have yet the pleasure to experience one of the best character action games released in recent years.
Red Dead Redemption 2 may not be perfect, but its minor shortcomings are like tiny blemishes on a stunningly beautiful face. In a way, they only serve as a reminder of how this world isn't made for perfection. Every single aspect of the game will put you into the very shoes of an outlaw roaming America with his gang as they try to escape the law long enough to make the money needed to disappear for good. It's an epic, memorable and engrossing tale which also elevates the open world genre to new heights with the brand new interaction system, a cast of memorable characters and a ton of high-quality content to play for a long time.