8. Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch
JRPGs are admittedly a dying breed of genre that mostly refuse to evolve or break their predictable mold. Its a shame, but something that can be totally overlooked when acclaimed Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli is writing your story, designing gorgeously rendered cinematics that embody the style of their magical films, and orchestrating a majestic soundtrack. Level 5 may not have the production budget of a corporation like Square-Enix, but they managed to deliver what is undoubtedly one of the best JRPGs of the generation. Whether its the depressingly uplifting story of a boy coping with the loss of his mother or the gameplay directly inspired from Pokemon, its nearly impossible not to fall in love with this game. Its not entirely original, but the execution is simply marvellous, and that alone demands your attention. But again, this isn't merely a case of style over substance, even with the hugely impressive aesthetic credentials on show: the game itself is wonderfully engaging, and puts identikit annual releases to considerable shame.