True to its billing, SimBin has delivered a driving simulator that offers depth and challenge on a scale unseen in any 360 game to date. And if that’s what you’ve been waiting for, then this is unquestionably the game for you. If you’re simply looking for a good racing game, there’s still enough enjoyment there to warrant further investigation – but only if you’ve grown bored of Forza 2.

Street Fighter II was great. Street Fighter III was great, but for different reasons. But Street Fighter IV… well, it’s great. Or, to be more specific, GREAT carved in 300-foot high letters into the side of a mountain for all to see. True, it’s taken over fifteen years for Capcom to get it right but now, finally, we have a beat-’em-up that truly lives up to the name it represents. Perfection achieved, Capcom – best quit while you’re ahead, eh?

If you’ve got Xbox Live then Left 4 Dead is a definite 9. As it is, with the limitations and occasional annoyances, the lone gunman will find we’re obliged to keep the score down to cater for this offline review. However you play though, there’s nothing quite like slaughtering zombies and Left 4 Dead is one of the most intense, exciting, frantically paced and simply-good-old-fashioned-fun shooters on the market – and a game that you’ll find very hard not to love.

While the gameplay feels simple and easy to interact with, there’s plenty of options and a decent array of customisation for your vehicles. A combination of arcade fun gameplay and a massive playground of a city to do it in should have you entertained for weeks.

By blending high-end strategy with vaudeville spectacle it really does offer something special in a relatively weak genre and should not be missed.

You know what to expect, so just take that expectation and make it a little prettier, a little glitchier and quite a bit shorter. And add more burning Japanese men. It’s Modern Warfare in period costume with the crusts cut off, which will probably work more in its favour online but results in a slight single-player downgrade from last year. World at War is a nearly-there title with some surprising gameplay niggles. But it’s still a step up from "Call of Duty 3."

We could be critical of Gears of War 2 simply offering more of the same, but the fact that it simply does everything better than the original in delivering a fantastic display of shoot-’em-up mayhem its quality simply shines through. With some awesome level design, supported by unsurpassed visuals and relentlessly entertaining action it is a compelling experience from start to finish. Forget the crack at putting emotion into the storyline; it’s almost irrelevant as Gears of War 2 is an allguns- blazing extravaganza and, as such, it’s just a glorious shooter that very few can match.

Another must-have title to make wallets weep and players rejoice, Fallout 3 live up to expectations and only seldom stumbles, even then in expected areas where scale and scope get the better of it slightly. Regardless, it’s an undeniable classic and if you only plan on buying one or two games this winter, we couldn’t name a title that could give you value for money in the way that Fallout manages.

Guitar Hero World Tour is a superb game, on a par with Rock Band in so many ways, ahead in others, but we’re unable to proclaim it as a huge leap forward in game design. Factor in the slightly schizophrenic choice of music, the disappointment of the studio component and the layout of Band mode and it falls slightly short of Rock Band levels of genius, but it’s an unregrettable purchase all the same.

Few games can pull off such a complete world that is so endearing with characters, while nameless, managing to be so memorable. The lush world and level of detail are spellbinding and your pet dog feels as vital to play as your sword arm. The love, attention and effort put into the game shines through and makes it a true joy to play – as well as immensely challenging – whether you decide to be a good guy or a bad one. It's simply one of the 360's strongest exclusives.

Despite hitting many highs that are far beyond the ambitions of nearly every other game on the 360, Far Cry 2 is slightly hamstrung by its own ambition, some design missteps and a learning curve that rolls itself into a handy noose. Like Africa itself, it’s beautiful, complex and massive. However, less methodical or patient gamers may find themselves questioning where the line between ‘challenging’ and ‘pain in the ass’ is actually drawn.

A rough diamond, only a few strides behind the best games on the PS3 and 360, Saints Row 2 is a bit like the kid with the best trainers who still hasn’t learned to tie their laces. It’s all over the place, and frequently opts to cram more in where it should be refining what it already has, but overall you’d have to be a complete snob to not get a kick out of playing through it. And to play through everything on offer would take a very long time indeed.

Gruesome. Visceral. Engrossing. Stunning. There are just so many words you can use to describe Dead Space and not one would be negative. EA has excelled itself on both technical and mechanical levels, pushing Dead Space up from ‘one to watch’ to ‘one of the best games of the year, nay generation’. Just go ahead and try not to be impressed by it. We dare you.

So FIFA – the series that has epitomised EA’s cynical ‘annual updates’ business model for so long – has suddenly turned the game on its head. No longer playing second fiddle to Pro Evo, the series now stands up brilliantly on its own merits and has set a lofty standard for Konami to match. Consider it EA’s way of saying sorry for churning out the same sh.t – year in, year out – for so long. And as apologies go, they really don’t come much more sincere than this.

Things aren’t getting any simpler in EA’s sporting conquest, and new features tapping into resources we’d never dreamed of leave us dribbling. NBA 365 and the Dynamic DNA system are two such additions guaranteed to give you more basket for your buck and you’ll be hard pressed to find a slicker, more accurate representation of the sport anywhere.

A brilliantly fun racer that feels more like a rollercoaster ride. An excellent mix of speed and tricks, along with some wonderful tracks, great scenery and cool music all brought together with rock solid controls, makes Pure a thoroughly entertaining racing experience.

A sublime blend of old and new, Battle Fantasia has both the hardcore mechanics and depth to attract devout beat-’em-up fanatics and the style, polish and approachability to rope in the less devoted gamer. It could use a few more characters and perhaps a little more substance but still, BF is easily one of the better fighting games to grace the current generation of consoles so far. [JPN Import]

RB2 improves on the original and does enough to distance itself from main rival GH, although uncanny similarity to the first game might leave a sour taste in the mouths of those that already bought one Rock Band game this year. Still, it’s the most refined and thorough example of the genre so far and for that alone must be applauded.

Appealing to a wider audience, Infinite Undiscovery replaces methodical, inventory management and turn-based pondering with action – and is all the better for it. There’s no time to explore, what with all the running and slashing, but there’s endless depth in the game once you’ve got to grips with it.

Trouble in Paradise only suffers in that it feels like more of an expansion pack to the previous game. Yes, many of the improvements help the overall experience and it still offers the same incredibly addictive gameplay, but there’s the niggling feeling for piñata experts that we’ve seen and done a lot of it before. Of course, if you’ve never played the original, then bump that score up to a nine.

Exactly what you’ve come to expect; the best golf game available on any format, with a few tweaks and cosmetic touches, and perhaps just a tiny bit of dumbing down for the newcomers. Until this time next year no gaming/ golf enthusiast is likely to want for more, though we can’t see the annual updates carrying on for much longer – there isn’t much left to improve without changing the formula altogether. EA: one point docked for taking away our stats. We want them back next year.

Beautiful, engrossing and addictive as hell, Retro Evolved 2 is among the best XBLA has to offer right now. It plays just as well as you remember the games that inspired it used to (although Mr MAME would recommend you remove the rose-tinted specs) and for the asking price, you simply can’t go wrong.

Visually stunning and wonderfully tight, SCIV is an unquestionably accomplished brawler. Questions still linger over just how much attention it will command for the solo gamer beyond simply rounding up weapons, characters and costume parts. But as far as multiplayer games go, IV triumphs in being that rare breed of fighter that can entertain casual and hardcore players alike.

Despite being low on solo content, UTIII manages to escape the usual pitfalls this presents with some wickedly intense action whether you’re alone, with company or getting your ass handed to you online. It’s like a constant onslaught of the infrequent thrilling bits of many other FPS games, only with absolutely no respite. If your heart is up to it, then you really can’t go far wrong.

Taking apart buildings bit-by-bit is a game in itself and the gigantic, varied and incredibly realistic landscape provides the perfect setting for some spot-on warfare that’s let down, only slightly, by a health system that wouldn’t make anyone fear the reaper. Watch Bad Company in action and you will be shell shocked.

A more realistic tennis sim you will not find anywhere. Top Spin 3 brings proper simulation to the sport. The arcadey fun play is gone and a serious sporting challenge has emerged from this series to mark it out from the other tennis games available.

No matter what your skill level, you’ll receive constant gratification from the mainstay slice ‘n’ dice gameplay on offer here, but then you’d have to be a fool to not notice how ‘unfun’ its boss encounters really are. Add a camera system that doesn’t even make geometry translucent when it’s in the foreground and you’ve got a beautiful arcade experience that’s marred by some obvious but not insurmountable flaws.

GRID may not do anything dramatically new, but what it does do, it does phenomenally well. Challenging enough to push you, yet rewarding enough to keep you going when things get tough, the sheer amount of variation and the immensely satisfying handling model make this a triumph of a game.