2018 has been a great year for gamers from every genre. We’ve been thrilled with RPG’s like Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey and got our adrenaline pumping with FPS games like Battlefield 5. Moreover, there’s always something for sports enthusiasts with FIFA and Madden making dazzling performances this year. We’ve compiled a list of the best of the best so far for the prestigious GOTY award. It was a tough choice leaving some fan favourites out, but the following are the top contenders:

1. Far Cry 5

With the sheer amount of action games that come out every year, it’s hard for one game to stand out above all else. But Far Cry 5 does just that. Maybe the ending was a big let-down, maybe the gameplay lacked innovation, but the overall experience that Far Cry 5 delivers makes it THE action game of the year.

Set in Montana, USA, the game follows the exploits of unnamed Deputy who must take down the cult Eden’s Gate. The cult’s existence is based on their distrust towards the government, an all too real scenario in many places in the US.

The gameplay is just like previous titles, but Ubisoft has managed to mix it up this year with human and animal companions. The animal companions feature Cheeseburger, a giant bear, Peaches, a mountain lion and Boomer, a dog.

2. God of War

One of the hottest selling games of 2018 and with a Metacritic score of 94, it’s no surprise that God of War makes this list. The game was extremely hyped up before its release and delivered record sales with it’s more polished gameplay compared to previous titles.

In this game, the fans see a side of Kratos never explored before, a warm and compassionate side. The game features Kratos and his son Artreus who want to scatter the ashes of Kratos’ wife from the highest peak in the realm. Artreus screws up along the way, a lot. But Kratos is actually compassionate for a change and tries to keep his cool. What hasn’t changed though, is the incredible action sequences, and the game is a big hit so far.

3. Pillars of Eternity 2

One of the ways to rate a game is to see how it ranks among its own genre. And Pillars of Eternity is the gold standard for its peers in the iso-RPG genre. The game showcases a perfect balance between innovation and nostalgia, and the sheer amount of dialogue in the game is staggering.

The character’s decisions shape the game’s journey, as well as the personality of the character very significantly, which when combined with a large amount of character customisation features gives us the perfect RPG.

4. Marvel’s Spiderman

The sheer amount of pressure on any Spiderman game is off the charts, simply because the character has such a ginormous fan-base. Any new tweak may piss off an entire universe of web-slinger fans. Added to the fact that its been years since we’ve had a decent Spiderman game, the expectations on this game were significant, to say the least. Suffice it to say, the game delivered, wholesale.

The game was a huge success and delivered on the one thing Spiderman fans were crying for – an open world. The character can explore the open world as much as he wants, and the gameplay is simply amazing. The web-swinging sequences especially are a joy to watch. The game also borrowed the combat and upgrade style from Arkham’s Batman which was a huge plus. All this along with a unique story devoid of all the usual backstory beginnings makes this game one of the must play games of the year.

5. Red Dead Redemption 2

RDR 2 is the culmination of Rockstar’s gaming innovations since GTA 3, and it had been in the making for almost 8 years. The result is that it delivers a game of superior quality in almost every aspect measurable, by any standards for an open world game. RDR 2 is simply one of the greatest open games of all time, period. It is also one of the most ambitious.

The story is that of a western drama-epic. It is almost 60 hours long and features Dutch van der Linde and the playable main character Arthur. Dutch is charismatic and follows criminal ventures for money, his main aim is saving enough money to escape the western civilization with his loved ones. The rest of the game follows whether this plan comes to fruition or not.

The result is easily one of the greatest games of 2018, and quite possibly one of the best ever made.