The Best Games Of 2019

There's a lot going on in PlatinumGames' latest, from the speedy action combat that Bayonetta fans will expect from the developer, to a deeper and more complex world you'll need to explore while solving supernatural crimes. That the world blends cyberpunk and post-apocalyptic influences and partners you with interdimensional invaders to do battle, only adds to the madness of it all. Thankfully, the jigsaw of ideas and systems pieces together into a manifestly brilliant experience. Nintendo's newest franchise is immediately one of its finest.Buy now on Amazon.

Every so often, a game comes along seemingly out of nowhere, and absolutely dazzles. Asobo Studios' stealthy adventure is one such title – set in the plague-ridden, war-torn France of the middle ages, its tale of orphaned aristocrats Amicia and her sickly younger brother Hugo is at turns thrilling, shocking, and heart-wrenching, but consistently engaging. A mix of environmental puzzles, crafting, and stealth serves up enough variety to keep players hooked, while the ability to play with original French dialogue and English subtitles makes it all the more immersive.Buy now on Amazon.

Ubisoft's tactical shooter/RPG series shifts focus from New York to Washington DC for this sequel, tasking your customisable Division agent to restore order in the American capital, now split between three warring factions. The open-world environment is bigger and more vertical than in 2016's The Division, the class and perk systems are more versatile, and the endgame content – once you've finished the main story campaign – is actually fun, keeping you coming back for more. We're still not sure what, exactly, Tom Clancy has to do with anything, beyond the politics and fetishisation of guns, but that doesn't detract from this being a huge improvement on its predecessor.Buy now on Amazon.

Yes, controversy still abounds over the decision to cut out a few hundred of the franchise's past Pokémon, but there's no denying Pokémon Sword and Shield are incredible achievements all the same. From taking the series into full 3D for the first time with its Wild Areas to the lavish detail and attention that's clearly gone into creating the new Galar Region setting, and the sheer abundance of stuff to do outside of catching, training, and battling the elemental creatures themselves, the latest entries are a grand evolution for the Pokésaga.Buy now on Amazon

There was no way Kingdom Hearts III would live up to hype – it had more than a decade's worth of fan expectations weighing on it. Despite this, the conclusion to the series' core trilogy is a brilliant accomplishment, introducing a host of new worlds based on fan-favourite Disney films, while tying up a story that has stretched over three console generations. While that conclusion itself is cathartic, it's the journey getting there that makes this a joy, with improved, flashier battles, a gorgeous musical score, and surprisingly heartfelt moments. Unlikely to be the last Kingdom Hearts ever, but a hell of a closer for what's come before.Buy now on Amazon.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars games were often single-player, story driven epics, adding depth and detail to the saga. Then, the dark times – a period where the only Star Wars games to be found were shooters or the MMO The Old Republic. The near-decade since The Force Unleashed II makes Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order all the more compelling, providing a return to adventures that have weight and meaning in the wider narrative of the universe. Although mechanically it's a potpourri of other games' mechanics – Assassin's Creed, Dark Souls and Metroid chiefmost amongst them – Fallen Order arranges them into a fragrant delight that stands on its own merits, with brilliantly realised planets to explore, an engaging cast, and surprisingly powerful emotional beats along the way.Buy now on Amazon.

Rarely does a title with online buzz driven almost entirely by memes turn out to be any good. Untitled Goose Game is one such rarity. An indie darling in every sense, the four-person development team House House delivered an almost cathartic release perfectly timed for a stressful year, where you can unleash chaos on an unsuspecting village by tormenting the residents as a horrible goose. It's all a dumb joke, but a great one that everyone is in on. HONK!Buy now on Nintendo.

VR is still uncharted territory for many gamers, but if anything can make the case to invest in the kit necessary, it's Vader Immortal. Putting players literally in the boots of a smuggler drawn into a certain Sith Lord's web on the volcanic Mustafar, this blends a captivating story with tactile interaction with the world. Whether its clambering through a vent to escape guard droids, shooting down Stormtroopers, or the inevitable lightsaber combat, it's a none-more-immersive journey into the Star Wars universe. A near-perfect addition to the saga.Buy now on Oculus

Mashing up the timeless adventuring of The Legend of Zelda with the rhythm-action mechanics of indie darling Crypt of the NecroDancer shouldn't work, but almost magically this crossover elevates both its constituent halves. It's more than a reskin of NecroDancer with Zelda characters – bringing in Zelda's overworld, enemies, and familiar power-ups such as the hookshot make it feel a natural addition to the long-running Nintendo series, while the music blends classic Zelda tracks with the chiptune beats of NecroDancer to create some absolute earworms. An unexpected delight.Buy now on Amazon.

Ubisoft's stunt racing series has always been a delight. Navigating its madcap assortment of obstacle-filled courses with a motorbike all too beholden to physics strikes a near-perfect balance between skill and puzzle-solving, while rewarding even abject failure with hilarious crashes and jubilant explosions. Rising is the pinnacle of the series to date though, packing in some of the most inventive courses yet and bolstering them with a ridiculously detailed suite of creation tools to make and share your own tracks. Best of all is the new local multiplayer 'Tandem' mode, where two players share control of the bike's momentum and the rider's position – it's glorious chaos, making Trials Rising a perfect party game.Buy now on Amazon.

The Total War series rarely disappoints, and Three Kingdoms is no exception. Kicking off at the fall of the Han Dynasty – around 1800 years ago – Creative Assembly's incredibly detailed offering takes players through the real world events that followed, and sprinkles in enough poetry, romanticism, and heroic myth to keep things interesting. It makes for one of the more approachable entries in the series, but still gives purists the chance to play a more hardcore, historically accurate mode. A high point for the series – and the strategy genre.Buy now on Amazon.

Abandoning the claustrophobic confines of Russia's subways was a risk for the Metro series, but it turns out expanding to an open world was the literal breath of fresh air the series needed. Coming hot on the heels of the flawed Fallout 76, Metro Exodus offers a more serious take on the post-apocalyptic genre, with protagonist Artyom seeking new hope – and more survivors – by embarking on a fraught journey to the far east. Greater gameplay freedom, improved crafting, fearsome new enemies – both radioactive mutants and complex human factions – and a deeper, more emotional narrative make Exodus the pinnacle of the series to date.Buy now on Amazon.

Story is rarely important to fighting games but as Mortal Kombat has evolved, its bonkers narrative has become an integral part of its appeal. Here, a mix of temporal demiurges, time loops, and good old fashioned grudges provide a gloriously exaggerated framework on which to hang MK11's hilariously over-the-top, gore-laden fights. Thankfully, the battles themselves are the best the series has seen, with surprisingly advanced technical features allowing you to control the ebb and flow of fights, use the environment to your advantage in sadistically inventive ways, and unleash brutal Fatal Blows mid-scrap. Throw in a captivating 'Krypt' mode to explore and a rapidly expanding roster of fan-favourite crossover characters via DLC, and you have the best Kombat yet.Buy now on Amazon.

In Control, players take on the role of telekinetic Jesse Faden, director of a paranormal wing of the US government, to navigate a strange building that's larger on the inside and battle an invading army that corrupts reality itself. If nothing else, it's nice to see Remedy Entertainment – developer of supernatural Alan Wake and time-twisting Quantum Break – is maintaining its reputation as a home for big, weird ideas. Thankfully Control delights as an action title too, packing in inventive powers and strange weapon upgrades to get to grips with, and a combat system that rewards balancing the two. It also reinforces 2019 as something of a resurgent year for the 'Metroidvania' format, with the ability to revisit previously blocked off sections and explore new areas as Jesse's abilities evolve adding a refreshingly non-linear approach compared to Remedy's past efforts.Buy now on Amazon

With the battle royale genre so dominated by Fortnite and PUBG, the surprise release of free-to-play Apex Legends with no prior announcement or hype seemed doomed to fail. Instead, the unexpected launch turned out to be a dynamo, giving the genre a shot in the arm by providing something new – recognisable characters. The heroes here have personality and unique skills, giving the game a dash of Overwatch's flair and helping it stand apart from the competition. Plus, its connections to developer Respawn's Titanfall universe make it feel part of something bigger.

Like many of Nintendo's Wii U titles, the original Super Mario Maker didn't get the love it deserved on that underappreciated hardware, making this enhanced sequel for the Switch the first chance many players will have had to serve as architect of Mario's woes. With a plethora of design tools cribbed from the versatile plumber's 2D history and a startlingly thorough tutorial, you'll soon be creating intricate platforming courses. Even better: thanks to its robust story mode and a near-infinite supply of user-designed courses to download, Super Mario Maker 2 stands as one of the best single player platformers even for those without a creative bone in their bodies.Buy now on Amazon.

One of the strangest releases of the year also proves to be one of the best, in this brilliantly weird rebirth of the isometric, text-heavy RPG. Don't let that put you off though – this Eastern European oddity packs in engrossing storytelling, complex and interesting characters, incredible depth of choice, and some bizarre customisation options, all wrapped up in an almost surreal watercolour art direction and capped with a killer soundtrack by indie rockers British Sea Power. That it's all centred on a possibly-deranged, definitely amnesiac detective who starts the game having been on a days-long bender also makes for a welcome change from the hyper-typical fantasy malarkey that usually dominates this gaming genre. Don't miss it.Buy now on Steam

Nintendo's fantasy strategy series has been largely confined to the handheld confines of the DS or 3DS for the last few years, but Three Houses takes advantage of the Switch's power to deliver a bigger, bolder Fire Emblem suited to the big screen. With more character development and relationship management between battles, plus enhanced tactics, new units, and a fresh battalion system on the field, it's the most technically impressive entry in the series yet. And of course, being on Switch, it's still suited to handheld play, so anyone used to warring on the go can still get their portable fix of fantasy conflict.Buy now on Amazon.

Take Dark Souls, swap the gothic fantasy setting for Sengoku Era Japan, and add in a stronger story and even better combat. The result? One of From Software's best games in years. While Souls purists may balk at the concessions made to bring new players up to speed, Sekiro isn't any easier for being more accessible. Instead, the mix of samurai swordplay, stealth, and shinobi gadgets made possible by the eponymous hero's prosthetic arm afford players more freedom in how to navigate and conquer this stunning world. It's Souls-style gameplay, refined for the better, and a masterpiece of modern gaming.Buy now on Amazon.

What was arguably the best instalment in the original run of Resident Evil games got even better with January's modern remake. Along with the visual overhaul you'd expect 20 years later, Capcom's upgrade expanded on the PS1 version's story, improved the sound design, and introduced free movement for player characters rather than the outdated 'tank' controls. The result? A terrifying re-imagining that will stand the test of time for another 20 years at least.Buy now on Amazon.