Ignore the score. This bears about as much comparison to the typical “10/10” game as black and white TV did to colour. What you want to be able to do is tell your kids fond stories of how you played GTA IV when it first came out.

The streamlined nature of the story also helps keep the pace of the game up - and the game rarely takes a breather. When Nathan isn't blasting dozens of enemies he's showing off remarkable athleticism as he leaps across buildings and dives around corners. Naturally all of his companions are just as athletic - the amount of climbing and swinging they do leaves me out of breath just watching.

Some hardcore RPG fans will be disappointed by Mass Effect 2 - the higher focus on the shooter aspects of the first game and the streamlined nature of the combat might turn them away from the game. We'll call this their loss, because one thing is certain - Mass Effect 2 is the perfect blending of Shooter and RPG, mixing Gears of War style battles with one of the deepest, most immersive fictional universes in gaming history.

Skyrim is completely and utterly addictive in every aspect and quite possibly, I'll say it, the greatest RPG of all time. It affords you the luxury of playing it your way and doesn't try to constrain you. It wants you to get lost in a winter wonderland and believe me, you will. Kiss the rest of your life goodbye.

In reality, LittleBigPlanet is a game with all the right ingredients - maybe just not quite the right mix.

The end of the game - and the outstanding epilogue - punctuates one of the most complete video game stories in a long time. The story will stay with the player for a long time afterwards - long after they get their hands on whatever the next ‘it’ game happens to be.

The end of the game - and the outstanding epilogue - punctuates one of the most complete video game stories in a long time. The story will stay with the player for a long time afterwards - long after they get their hands on whatever the next 'it' game happens to be.

The only other gripe - and this was true for Portal as well - is that Portal 2 has zero replayability...It's more Portal, not a better Portal. Regardless, if you're looking for a challenging puzzle game and a great coop experience, Portal 2 is a must buy.

It's the best treatment of a comic book character outside of graphic novels ever. It's the best Action Adventure/Open World game ever. It's the best game I've played this year. And finally, it's the best superhero game you've ever played.

Those that have smashed through their first playthrough can unlock and jump in to Master mode, a significantly harder version with tougher enemies and a mirrored world to mix things up a bit the second time round.

It's the first game in years which inspired me to play it enough to get a blister on a blister on a blister.

When it comes to games which offer single and multiplayer, you'd have to be a harsh judge to claim a better first person shooter on console has been released this year, if ever. Modern Warfare 2 is closer to fulfilling the promises made by Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 than any game out there beyond Uncharted 2.

A hardcore gamer’s game, and it makes absolutely no concessions otherwise.

Chinatown Wars is an achievement. It's not the typical kind of game you'd expect on the DS - the learning curve is steeper than normal thanks to the small help text (expected on a portable) and the legions of police and it's a very adult game. Still, I'll gladly take the time to learn if it comes with the entirety of Liberty City, a working drug economy plus people, cars, boats, and the occasional helicopter and next to no loading times.

Most importantly though is that BioShock Infinite takes the story and uses the gameplay to enhance it. It puts the player firmly in the shoes of Booker, it makes Elizabeth not just your ward but a crucial part of your game. It connects the player and the player character inextricably, and then it tells a story through that connection.

StarCraft 2 doesn't really do anything to grow the RTS as an actual game - much of what SC2 does better is in the area of matchmaking and social networking, which betters the player experience. The gameplay is very similar, with most changes existing simply to meet current RTS standards.

Hardcore Fallout fans will either hate Fallout 3 because it's not Fallout or Fallout 2, or they'll love it because it's still a great game set in one of the best freaking universes ever. If you never played the original games and you like shooter/rpg combinations Fallout 3 is a must buy.

The combat leaves something to be desired, which might diminish what you get out of playing it in 'Action' mode, but what Mass Effect 3 really sets out to do - wrap up one of the best space operas of all time - it does expertly.

The introduction of the antagonist Ghirahim and the relationship between Link and Zelda are excellently laid out and the story contains a few twists and turns you will never see coming. It makes the entire experience feel more worthwhile - especially after the bafflingly cliched beginning.

The reality is the game delivers exactly what any fan of the games could want - epic battles, loads of gore and a plot vehicle that sees Kratos take on the mightiest characters in Greek Mythology.

As all sequels (or three-quels) should, this third outing significantly raises the stakes and is by far the most personal.

It combines the best features of any superhero series with fantastic graphics, solid gameplay and outstanding voice acting. The minor flaws - the easy gameplay, the initially confusing layout of Arkham and the occasional loading time hitch - are all negated a dozen times over by the game's character, atmosphere and attention to detail.

A near flawless epic.

It might sound like like an exaggeration, but it's not - Journey makes people stop what they are doing and then it holds them in its thrall, making them sit down to watch in silence (barring the occasional exclamation.) When I played it towards the end of an entertaining Saturday night, my living room slowly filled up with my roommates' guests, none of them saying anything, just sitting and watching. If thatgamecompany ever decides to take over the world we will all be in trouble.

Generic story elements aside however, Xenoblade Chronicles is an outstanding game - without a doubt one of the best JRPGs available on the current generation of consoles. If you are a fan of JRPGs this game belongs on your shelf - here's hoping Nintendo Australia keep bringing such excellent titles to our shores.

It's not a Halo killer, but like Rocky versus Apollo Creed Killzone 2 would last the fifteen rounds.

You can (and should) basically ignore the singleplayer portion of Halo Reach. If you must 'experience' it make friends with a diehard Halo fan, let them deal with the litany of gameplay problems and enjoy the story with their guidance.

It's not just a racing game, it's a collecting game as well. The combination works spectacularly well - though I can't help but feel that the game could learn a little from the Formula 1... even small edits to the tracks we've all driven hundreds of times would do wonders.