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Destiny 2 is one of the most fun games I've played this year, and it does well to tackle one of the biggest issues I had with the original. Featuring a stellar, albeit easy, single-player campaign, excellent combat and class mechanics, and the most enjoyable cooperative multiplayer I've seen in a shooter since Gears of War 4, Destiny 2 is a must-have game.
It's an absolutely brilliant fighting game, and one with a tremendous wealth of modes and a tutorial that puts most of its peers to shame. It is, in many ways, the best 2D fighting game on the market right now, thanks to the way it explains every aspect of its gameplay in a practical manner.
While it's reminiscent of Journey, The Wind Waker and Ico, RiME is so much more than a grab-bag of borrowed ideas. Combining art, craftsmanship, enigmatic storytelling and engaging gameplay, it does what the likes of Bound and ABZU couldn't: wrap a powerful experience inside a compelling game. I'm still working out whether RiME is a masterpiece and, if so, where it sits in the pantheon of greats – but one thing's for sure: if you love the games it's inspired by, you're going to love RiME as well.
Intense doesn't even cover it. Nex Machina is every bit as tough, exciting and absorbing as the eighties arcade classics that inspired it. There's something about its gameplay that seems perfectly honed and balanced, pulling you into ever-more-challenging scenarios and pushing you to make the grade.
A far deeper game than its B-movie stylings would imply at a glance, Wolfenstein II also delights with its fast-paced, creative first-person warfare. Its tongue-in-cheek social commentary is heavy-handed, but there are few other games where mowing down the bad guys feels so cathartic or warranted. The New Colossus also pulls off the rare trick of being a sequel that more than lives up to the standard set by its predecessor, making this a real treat for returning players. Not to be missed.
NBA 2K18 is very likely the best basketball game ever made and a template in how to approach a sports sim on nearly every level.
FIFA 18 is simply magnificent. Streets ahead of what came before, and continuing its dominance over its rivals, EA has done a superb job. With huge improvements across the board, this is the game FIFA fans have waited five years for. While the offline offering may continue to lack the depth of NBA 2K18, but the continued improvements each year have culminated in a brilliant game this year.
Hellblade triumphs equally as action game, mythic quest and psychological character study, bringing together some amazing visuals, great performances and ingenious design. It's short-lived but perfectly paced with a blend of action and puzzles that grows in richness and complexity as the game goes on. While some might prefer Enslaved or the DMC reboot, I'd call it Ninja Theory's best work yet.
Death of the Outsider is a fantastic addition to the Dishonored universe that once again brings the broken city of Karnaca to life.
This is undoubtedly the best F1 game Codemasters has put together. An incredibly deep career mode, excellent championships and the return of classic cars mean there's never been more F1 racing to be had. There are some bugs and annoyances, but I'm hopeful these will be ironed out in a patch soon after launch.
Yakuza Kiwami is a dazzling remake of an underappreciated classic, improving upon its source material in so many important ways. At times it can feel dated, but that doesn't stop Kiwami from proving Yakuza is once again one of the best things on PS4, and perhaps any other platform.
Rayman Legends is a masterful platformer that excels in almost every way. It's stunningly crafted levels, adorable visuals and excellent music all leave a deep, lasting impression.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is a wonderful crime thriller that embraces everything that made the series great, refining it further with new technology – it blew me away. I'm not ashamed to say that the closing minutes of Kazuma Kiryu's final chapter brought me to tears, acting as the culmination of a story in which I've lost myself for more than a decade.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is an excellent JRPG with a truly extravagant open world begging to be explored. Its in-depth battle system and impressively paced narrative help to deliver a smooth experience, despite its massive run-time.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Sage is genuinely one of my favourite remasters in years – I can't remember a time that I've smiled as much while playing a game. Good humour combined with smart mechanics and that Nintendo absurdity make for an exceptionally good mix
Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom is a JRPG delight that embraces the best of classic design and combines it with some new and exciting ideas.
While it's reminiscent of Journey, The Wind Waker and Ico, RiME is so much more than a grab-bag of borrowed ideas.
For Arc System Works, Dragon Ball FighterZ is a chance at real mainstream success. The Guilty Gear games are universally excellent, and have a dedicated fanbase, but their hardcore nature meant they always lost to the Street Fighters and Tekkens of the world when it came to sales. The Dragon Ball license could be what gets the masses interested in the studio's particular brand of air-dashing, spectacular combat.
Street Fighter 5 is a great game at its core, but now that core is surrounded by a healthy amount of content for every type of player. Now is the time to get involved with one of the best fighting games currently around, and put all that Hadoken muscle memory you've had since '92 to the test!
God of War tells a wonderful tale through a beautiful spectrum speckled with more than a few drops of the blood of your enemies. It's a shame, then, that boss fights have fallen by the wayside at every level to become terribly monotonous – but if that's the cost of what Santa Monica has built, it's certainly a price worth paying.