Rarer still is one that makes them all work so well together that it seems effortless.
It’s a rare game that manages to combine influences as disparate as Twin Peaks, existentialism, Estonian poet Arvi Siig, British author China Miéville, and, err, alcoholism. Cause and effect has never been so mesmerising. Just how much chaos you unleash isn’t just a matter of play style though - every escalation impacts the game world, affecting the number of enemies, dialogue, and even the affection of NPCs to you, allowing for incredible levels of replayability. With level design that almost beggars belief (see The Clockwork Mansion, which changes around you, or Aramis Stilton’s Manor, which sees you hop back and forth in time to navigate its corridors) the game world also gives you near total freedom in how you tackle every encounter, from pure no-kill stealth to unleashing chaos with a host of unnatural powers. Dishonored 2 is mind-blowing in its flexibility, with distinct abilities depending on whether you play as deposed empress Emily Kaldwin or her assassin father, Corvo Attano. Instead, it crafted one of the most impressive sequels of all time. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s EndĪfter the original Dishonored almost single-handedly re-energised the stealth genre, developer Arkane could have rested on its laurels.
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The game has been technically improved upon in successors III and IV, but it was with this second instalment (along with its Lord Of Destruction expansion) that Blizzard truly cracked the action RPG template and crafted an infernal masterpiece for the ages - the fact that it’s the only one in the series to get the full remaster treatment with 2021’s Diablo II: Resurrected speaks volumes. Sure, Blizzard actually making a "Secret Cow Level" after hearing about the false rumours of one in the original game was inspired, but the joy of hearing a regurgitator turn blue as your Azurewrath Phase Blade ices that mother is the real Diablo II paydirt. The clink of your enemies' coins, the gulp of a potion quaffed, the "ffft" of an item picked up, the twang of a skeleton archer's bow, loquacious item-identifier Deckard Cain's catchphrase "Stay a while and listen." – so much of what makes the definitive hack-and-slasher so glorious, so enjoyable, so loved, is the audio content. Kiwami is the definitive edition of what was an already great title, and stands as the perfect introduction to one of gaming’s greatest series. Meanwhile, everything looks much better thanks to Sega’s powerful Dragon Engine, making wandering the neon-lit streets of Kamurocho (a fictional take on the real life Kabukichō in Tokyo) an intoxicating experience. Combat is completely overhauled, with four varied fighting styles for Kiryu to master, while supporting characters enjoy expanded roles - notably fan favourite Goro Majima. The tragic tale of Kiryu Kazama, who takes the fall for a crime he didn’t commit only to be betrayed by his yakuza clan’s patriarch, remains as powerful as ever, but the modern glow up improves the game underlying the gripping crime drama.
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Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's RevengeĪlmost any of the Yakuza series could have taken this spot - special shout out to Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the gloriously bonkers 2020 entry that had a homeless party member attack enemies with pigeons - but in the end it was this remake of the 2005 PS2 original that snagged it. Dual protagonists Alphen, a Dahnan slave, and Shionne, a Renan noble on the run, form the core of a fantastic cast of playable characters, while Arise delivers the finest version of the series’ speedy “Linear Motion Battle System” yet seen. It’s not just the visual spectacle, though - the complex themes of colonisation and oppression are some of the deepest the series has ever attempted, centred on the technologically advanced Renans and the Dahnan people oppressed by them.
Yet it’s the most recent entry that nabs it - a visually gorgeous outing that, despite being a cross-generational release, feels like the first of the genre to make use of the power of PS5 and Xbox Series X. Members of the Tales fandom can be vociferous over which entry in Bandai Namco’s JRPG series is the “best” - 2003’s Tales Of Symphonia, 2008’s Tales Of Vesperia, and even the very first game, 1995’s Tales of Phantasia are regular contenders for the crown.
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