So this is it - what awed onlookers can only point at and whisper "The Big One". Already, city builders, superheroes, gaming icons and footy giants have all fallen by the wayside. Only five remain in what has been one of the brightest and best years for new gaming releases on record. It's time to crown Digital Spy's 2015 game of the year.

Will it be Big Boss or Geralt of Rivia, Maxine Caulfield or Pip Boy? Read on to find out...

And don't forget to join us tomorrow (December 28) for a closer look at 2015's game of the year.

5. LIFE IS STRANGE - XBOX ONE, XBOX 360, PS4, PS3, PC

We said: "It's easy to get behind our leading lady, a surprisingly-grounded heroine that smashes the angsty teen stereotype to pieces by displaying wit and emotional maturity throughout the episode." (ML)

4. FALLOUT 4 - XBOX ONE, PS4, PC

We said: "Fallout 4 feels like a culmination of the fantastic work Bethesda did on Fallout 3, New Vegas and Skyrim, surpassing them all in terms of scope and scale. There's a megaton of killer content to discover in post-apocalyptic Boston, and once you've set foot there, you'll never want to leave. This one will leaving you glowing for a half-life measured in centuries." (ML)

3. BLOODBORNE - PS4

We said: "Bloodborne may not be a Souls game and it doesn't fall into the horror genre, but it captures everything that makes the series so satisfying, so terrifying and so magical. You'll want to keep playing, discover its secrets, fight every monster, try every weapon, discuss theories and explore as many of the community dungeons as possible. To put it bluntly, you'll want to bleed the game dry." (LM)

2. METAL GEAR SOLID 5: THE PHANTOM PAIN - XBOX ONE, XBOX 360, PS4, PS3, PC

We said: "It's a game that understands everything about itself and how it works. It's the best stealth game ever made and feels like a game-changer for the medium as a whole - through its scope, the freedom it offers its players, and its deft structure." (JD)

And Digital Spy's 2015 winner is...

1. THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT - XBOX ONE, PS4, PC

We said: "Fighting monsters, gathering information and carrying out side quests can be a slow process, but then The Witcher 3 isn't a game you'll want to rush.

Not only do you care about the characters and want to see how their stories end, but you want to scour every inch of The Witcher 3's glorious game world.

It's a world you want to get lost in, a world where fast travel is an afterthought and a world you want to keep exploring in case there's something you've missed." (LM)

Words by Liam Martin, Mark Langshaw and Joe Donnelly.

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