It’s been an interesting year for gaming. We’ve seen some major triple-A titles in long-established series, but as we gear up for 2020 and the exciting next generation of Xbox console, there were still some left-field surprises . While the rise of battle royales and multiplayer titles in the last couple of years may have led us to question the future of strong single-player campaigns, a quick look at this list proves that strong narrative games are still leading the field. From galaxies far, far away to shockingly realistic conflicts closer to home, via shifting interdimensional spaces in between, we’ve travelled everywhere with our Xboxes this year. And yes, there were still plenty of zombies…
10 MORTAL KOMBAT 11
PUBLISHER WARNER BROS DEVELOPER NETHERREALM
Classic fighting game hits the mark again
Oozing pure quality as much as blood and guts, the latest entry in the classic fighting series delivered on everything you’d want from a Mortal Kombat game, plus a surprisingly good story.
It’s comforting to see that older, classic franchises could still punch and kick hard in 2019 - and there were some strong rivals to Mortal Kombat 11 from other fighters, in particular the excellent Dead Or Alive 6. But in the end it’s NetherRealm’s consistently great series that won us over again. Taking a step up from the previous game, Mortal Kombat X, MK11 adds more defensive and countering moves, which makes for some fluid and less predictable outcomes. The Fatal Blow comeback move is a nice addition too, while fans of the series still can find plenty to love, nostalgically. Yes, Johnny Cage still does those trademark splits while punching someone’s head off. The visuals are absolutely stunning – if anything a little too good, given some of the frankly horrific finishers and sickeningly realistic brutalities. But hey, that’s Mortal Kombat for you.
Reviewing the game in issue 178 earlier this year, OXM’s writer delivered a 9 out of 10 score, saying it was a “near-faultless 2D fighter that stays true to its legacy, and revels in its violent identity”.
09 DEVIL MAY CRY 5
PUBLISHER CAPCOM DEVELOPER CAPCOM
Capcom’s stylish slasher is back for more blood
Battles with ghouls, hell bats and demon puppets come thick and fast in the fifth entry in Capcom’s devil-slaying slash-’em-up.
The last entry in the series, a reboot helmed by Ninja Theory and simply known as DmC, polarised its fanbase in many ways by reinventing Dante and dialling up on the angst and edge, but this time the original white-haired Dante returns, joined by Devil May Cry 4’s Nero and a brand-new protagonist called V. These foppish fellows all have the skills to pay the slashy bills, and can kill evil at 20 paces just with their model-good l
