Life is good in Far Cry new Dawn! And surprisingly authentic, as Ubisoft’s replica of a post-apocalypse landscape has some actual science behind it.

Video games are more than their just their visuals, but there are times where a certain game can deliver a 4K haymaker that’ll knock you out of your shoes. With the gap between virtual and reality visuals becoming narrower every single day, here’s a look at the games which made that graphical gap even smaller in 2018.

Indie games are a vital part of the video game eco system, and 2018 saw more than one such game rise to the top of the food chain. Here’s a look at the best of the best, from the indie darlings that we just cannot get enough of.

You could say that every game is an action game technically, but for this category? We’re talking about the games that had a very specific kind of action. The games that swung swords, gave the richest of explosions and landed the most devastating haymakers possible were what we were after this year, and 2018 didn’t disappoint.

Nine different distress calls. A mysterious planet. The Doctor’s first enemy, alive and hungry for revenge as all roads lead to a final showdown where the fate of Earth hangs in the balance.

Without competition, the world would be a whole lot less ambitious, leading to life being kind of…well boring. Sports games were in fine form in 2018, with action taking place on a variety of tracks, fields and pitches. Here’s a look at some of the very best competition that made for some heated gaming moments this year.

Video games may be a visual medium, but without any audio they’d just be a collection of good-looking shells that were hollow inside. Music creates an atmosphere, it tells a story and pushes players in the right direction when a game needs to pick up the pace. They’re the subliminal prods that keep the momentum going, but there are times when a game’s soundtrack can stay with you long after the end credits have rolled. Here’s a look, at the video game soundtracks that defined 2018.

If you were looking for games that gave you glorious gung-ho action and plenty of weapons with which to deal out some old-fashioned justice, then 2018 was a great year for the shooter genre. From experiences that saw players take on well armed cults of personality to the far reaches of space, here’s a look at the best that the year had to offer for any action junkie who was looking for quality, fun and mayhem.