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.

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.

We saw the glory of a war god reborn, we felt the joy of navigating through New York City while spinning webs and we faced stories of a personal nature on a scale that may have been more indie in design but was truly epic in scope. How do you even begin to sum up 2018? How do you condense a year’s worth of gaming into any single rewards category? Well the Game Awards 2018 certainly did just that, with results that probably weren’t surprising.

The Critical Hit gang could wax lyrical about their favourite games of 2018 for years to come, and we certainly will do so with our annual awards that are clearly more important that Geoff Keighley’s upcoming big budget show. Y’know, if you don’t mind an awards show that has the budget of used chewing gum, guest cancellations a’plenty and is being held in the stately location of my kitchen. Top that, Keighley. Today isn’t about our opinions however. We want to hear what you consider to be the best of the best.

If you were capable or resisting the siren call of Black Friday, thought your wallet was secure and wanted to to dig into a sound month of responsible spending, then I’m afraid that I’ve got some bad news for ya. Local retailer Raru still has a few deals up their sleeves, with some prices being especially tempting. There’s a bunch of fantastic games on sale and Fallout 76.

The Game Awards has a heck of a job this year to select the very best of the best. Here’s a look at the categories and nominees this year, which include a few surprises.

God of War is a game that would not be so finely polished were it not for the countless hours that Sony’s Santa Monica studio put into the project, burning the midnight oil and tinkering with every aspect of the design of the big return of the OG battle deity. Don’t forget those people in QA either, men and women who perform a thankless task in an industry that views them as disposable assets when a job is done. Especially when their hard work prevented the following glitches from mostly making its way into the final product.

Once upon a time, the latest God of War was to be set in the sandy pyramids of ancient Egypt instead of the Viking lands of Norse mythology. Now, thanks to some newly revealed concept art, we know what that would have looked like.