God of War (2018)

Santa Monica Studio took enormous risks with God of War 2018 and every one of them paid off. Swapping fixed cameras and button-mashing for an intimate over-the-shoulder perspective transforms combat into something weighty and personal. The relationship between Kratos and Atreus anchors the entire experience, and Christopher Judge's performance is monumental. The Stranger boss fight sets the tone from the first minute and the game never lets up. Some backtracking and limited enemy variety hold it back from perfection, but this is a masterclass in how to reinvent a franchise.