[Max Cow Disease]

1) Horizon Zero Dawn

Comes to mind immediately given that I just finished playing the Frozen Wilds DLC. It gains increased standing for me being a new, unique IP that was so well executed overall.

2) Wolfenstein: The New Colossus

All of these newer generation Wolfenstein games have been fantastic, and this was no exception. The fusion of old school FPS action with tremendous storytelling and humour make it a shoo-in. I love FPS multiplayer games, but I also like that Machine Games bucks the trend and simply focuses on a strong single player experience with their shooter.

3) Star Wars Battlefront 2

Yeah, so what? I'm not a fan of how the progression system was handled (or the microtransaction system it was married to), but as a Star Wars fan and a fan of what Dice does with multiplayer shooters, this gets a place on my list. As with the previous game, they've nailed the Star Wars aesthetic to a tee, and have managed to put a bit more meat on the bone with the addition of a campaign, all of the SW eras, and a slightly more robust multiplayer mode. The game is fun, looks great, sounds great, and makes me giddy as we eagerly await the arrival of Last Jedi in theatres.

4) Mass Effect Andromeda

I almost started to feel bad for the developers of this game. We're living in an era of vicious fanbase wrath on the internet, and although the game launched with some bugs and arguably didn't wholly meet the standard of the original trilogy, this was still a very fun and visually impressive game. I'm a huge Mass Effect fan and this simply has to be on my list, and I recommend that people give it a try. It's cheap pretty much everywhere, and free if you have EA Access on Xbox.

5) Destiny 2

Controversial choice for me. I was a huge Destiny 1 fan but began to burn out towards the end of its lifespan. My anticipation for the sequel was also huge and I've put quite a bit of time in to it as well. I agree with some of the changes Bungie made with the game, but also understand much of the fan vitriol and find that the game for me feels very hollow and unsatisfying to play right now. Still, a decent game that has potential to grow and, as always, features that solid Bungie FPS gunplay (though I do find the 30fps on console disappointing, knowing that PC users are out there playing a beautifully fluid 60fps version of the same game).

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A couple of games that I've played but left off the list include Super Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild. Although I'm enjoying both, I haven't played nearly enough of them yet to be able to responsibly place them on the list. May as well shore up some points for a few underdogs!