As we wind back the clock and have a look at what 2019 had to offer gamers, it feels only fitting to start the first of our annual time travel trips to shine a light on the best new experiences that popped up throughout the year. In an industry where sequels dominate and current games are positioned to stretch as much longevity out of a property as is humanly possible, it’s new ideas that are seen as risky business.

Codemasters is about to get even bigger as the studio behind F1 2019 and GRID just snapped up the talent behind Project Cars for a cool $30 million.

Thanks to the power of Gigantamax, the Berry seeds and small rocks that were tangled in Snorlax’s belly fur have undergone explosive growth. With a tree sprouting upon its belly, Gigantamax Snorlax has the majesty of a great mountain. Even though it almost never moves, Gigantamax Snorlax is said to be one of the strongest Dynamax Pokémon discovered.

There’re two approaches you can take to making a successful co-op game: precision teamwork or unbridled chaos. I know that I’m being exceptionally reductive in terms of game design, but if I think back to co-op experiences I’ve really enjoyed they fall into one of those two categories. The former is something akin to lining up synchronous headshots in Ghost …

Strife, the Rider of the White Horse, is both impulsive and witty, true to the motto "Shoot first, ask questions later" or "Two Guns, one Horseman". He is the one who has blood on his boots on a pretty much constant basis. He fought countless enemies with his two best friends, Mercy and Redemption and the protection of his impenetrable armor. Always by his side is Mayhem, Strife's phantom steed.

We’re a month away from a new decade rolling into town, and when you look back at the last ten years of gaming its staggering to see just how far the medium has come. From an age of ambition to an era of quality without compromise, video games and the devices that we play them on have evolved over the years into the best entertainment that money can buy.

Narcos: Rise of the Cartels was shaping up to be a fascinating advert for Netflix’s hit series, but the overall quid pro quo bend of strategy ultimately makes it the shallowest of tie-ins. This is one Search Bloc party that you can count me out for.

Even if you plug a hundred hours into Pokémon Sword and Shield, you may never see a Shiny Pokémon outside of that one bloke who imported all of his rare critters into the game from back in the day when he exploited the QR code functionality of Pokémon X and Y. That guy totally isn’t me. There are ways to get a Shiny Pokémon though, primarily through breeding and wild encounters.