Fallout New Vegas is a fantastic game that in its vast, interesting, flavour-filled world has something for everyone.

Fallout New Vegas is a fantastic game that in its vast, interesting, flavour-filled world has something for everyone.

Looks great, Plays great, Music sounds great.

Gears of War 3 is undoubtedly the ultimate in the series, made especially for the fans with the formula, story and characters they've become to love grown and polished to brilliance. When it seems like all other trilogy series are reinventing themselves, Gears of War 3 stays true to its roots and has, as promised, just become bigger, better and more badass.

Playstation All Stars Battle Royal is an amazing fighting game wrapped in an idea we have seen before. When it comes down to it, what makes a great game in any genre is balance and All Stars has it in droves. Although some will never see its brilliance, I would maintain that once played it could change the mind of many a sceptic. Add to this a return for some of Playstation's well missed characters and awesome value for money in Cross Buy and you have one of the most refreshing fighting games in years.

Fans of the original will be pleased to know that no radical changes have taken place with the engine.

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is as an exhilarating experience as its sibling, and provides enough differences from the previous game to make the aggressively priced 800 MSP title a worthy addition to your XBLA collection - a single go will have you gagging for more.

Vanquish easily takes place as one of my top games of 2010 but then I do love my shooters. For anyone who enjoys running around carefree and blowing robots to bits, this is the perfect game for you and if not then surely you want to slide on your arse all day, right?

Not only are the environments detailed and fitting the style of gameplay, but the character models are superb and show a great range of emotion, especially during the many cutscenes placed throughout each level.

If you have played the previous games Mass Effect 3 is a must have title, and even if you haven't it's still worth checking out, even if it's just for the multiplayer.

Even if you have no interest in the UFC, you should really check this game out, because it is just amazing. Congratulations Yukes, knockout in the very first round.

All-in-all the game is good but it could have been better.

Overall, Dust is a great game that should not be overlooked. This year's 'Summer of Arcade' has been a bit disappointing, and out of all the games released Dust:An Elsyian Tail has got to be the ruling champion. There are some big budget boxed games coming out towards the end of August, but they should not eclipse this great game that should be on everyone's 'to buy' list.

My main issue with the game is that while the element of ‘fun’ makes the game quirky and amusing to play, underneath I can’t find the defining factor as to why I don’t enjoy it as much. Whether it is because a certain unnamed open-world action title has already been released this year and showed us what the potential of the console can do; then perhaps that is why.

Bloodier, muddier and cleverer than Origins, this is a story as much about Kirkwall as about Hawke, a stepping stone setting up what I can only imagine will be one hell of a conflict in the threequel. Perhaps above all, though, it's still the most fun you can have with dragons without being eaten alive.

It truly is a unique game because it’s simple, and yet the concept will last you not only for hours or days, but weeks and months. If you can’t enjoy this game, stop playing video games.

God of War III is an epic game and a splendid conclusion to the series; its battles are fun, its bosses are huge and the task is entertaining. It is a title that all PlayStation 3 owners should own and is one of a number of impressive games recently released on the system.

It's a shame that this may slip past the gaze of many for it truly is one of the best games that has been released this year. If you want your faith restored in the Driver franchise, then go out and buy Driver: San Francisco.

Left 4 Dead is a fantastic game. Not exactly flawless, but tremendous fun. And by tremendous fun, I mean the equivalent of riding the best roller-coaster in the world, whilst eating the best piece of cake in the world, whilst the most beautiful woman in the world does unspeakable things to you.

For fans of the original Borderlands this will be a must buy, but for those who are still on the fence, it's time to come down. Borderlands 2 has everything that made Borderlands great while improving on the things that players found dull in the first game – most notably the bland environments. Although we are going to see a lot of games releasing next month, if you still haven't picked up Borderlands 2, I would highly suggest you go out and grab it right now!

If you are looking for a high action, blood splattering, combo driven game that you can enjoy alone or with friends, Shank is definitely the game for you.

Despite it's flaws, Alan Wake is not a game you can miss out on.

The scarecrow moments were quite iconic and had me thinking we have another Bioshock on our hands. I can’t imagine a Batman game being any other way.

IL-2 builds on existing simulation titles that have been landing onto consoles recently, and is probably the best combat flight simulation title I have played on consoles to date. With its stunning visuals, audio score, well structured campaign and insightful exploits from our WW2 heroes, IL-2 will certainly send any budding fighter jock into a flying frenzy.

Overall Tiger Woods 09 is a fantastic update in the franchise and continues to show that EA Games aren’t just about churning out games year after year, but more about improving them to the highest standard possible.

This experience alone sums up what Battlefield 3 is about. It isn't a John Rambo run and gun shooter and it shouldn't really be compared to MW3 in terms of how you play it. For players to truly understand the Battlefield experience you need to embrace the teamwork by joining a squad and calling out your spotted enemies, as after all, sometimes you also need your back covered too.

Conviction is one of the most polished experiences available this year, and certainly one everyone should see through to the end.

The inclusion of online features add even more longevity to the game.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 is a step in the right direction for the franchise and it is clear Square Enix have listened to fans and implemented a lot of the changes they wanted. One thing that will be frustrating is the ending, or at least one of the ten possible ones, and that it's left on somewhat of a cliff hanger which would indicate some lengthy DLC or another sequel. Other than this it's definitely a great game and for any RPG fans a must have.

Well, let me put it this way; if you have a PlayStation 3, then without a doubt, you need to experience its single player campaign. If you are not going to touch the multiplayer then given this game's campaign length, as much as I hate to suggest it, then maybe a rental would be your best choice.

Take one fantastic engine, add pick up and play gameplay, top it off with a fantastic price and you have a hit - to the point of which EA struggle to handle the demand for. That’s a good sign that you should jump on in.

Forza 4 is the driving game that PD should have made and perhaps even secretly really wanted to make. Speed to the shops now and buy it, and bask in fossil fuel heaven.

Dead or Alive 5 is a serious contender for the best fighter of the year with interesting characters, an in-depth fighting system which is easy to play yet hard to master so appeals to a wide range of players and also brings something new from its predecessor. If you're only buying one fighting game this year, Dead or Alive 5 would find a perfect space on your shelf.

GRID is ultimately the fun and enjoyable racing game that many people have been waiting for. With beautiful graphics and an amazing flashback feature, who wouldn't buy this game? With so many different game types, GRID really does cater all thrills that drivers seek.

The most important aspect to fans of the series is obliviously going to be how the game performs in multiplayer, which rest assured is fantastic.

Need for Speed has finally returned to its glory days in the guise of Hot Pursuit. Every element of its design is simply stunning starting from the visual prowess right down to the gameplay mechanics. It's all brain bustingly brilliant, so if you pass on this title you may miss one of the best racing games of the year. Need for Speed is indeed back!

You can easily put over 20 hours into Assassin’s Creed 2, the story is intriguing and starting to evolve and gameplay feels solid.

Overall Buzz: Quiz World improves in every way over all editions of the series which makes it the best yet.

It may be a gaming classic, but the modern enhancements bring it bang up-to-date with splendid visuals and a fast unforgiving gameplay that shouldn't be missed.

The campaign could be a little longer and as said above more tracks is a must if they make a sequel, but for right now if you do buy this game you’ll walk away knowing that it’s been 800 points well spent.

The amount of polish and replayability Shadow Complex offers had me forgetting I was playing an arcade game. If you are looking for something to continually go back to for bragging rights and exploration fun then Shadow Complex is certainly not a title you should miss out on.

If you’re looking for a huge change in the World War 2 genre that Modern Warfare did for the Modern era, you’re looking in the wrong place, but if you’re looking for one of the most intense and well designed World War 2 First-Person Shooters then look no further comrade, World at War has landed.

Finally, visually the game is simply outstanding, one of the best looking games to grace the Xbox 360. It runs perfectly, with animations that are simply awe-inspiring and tag-team switchovers which look simply stunning. This may not be the ideal game for those select few 'hardcore' fighting fans, for the rest of the world Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is by far the best choice in its genre.

It's a fantastic RPG and after a few hours you'll be slaying demons and enemies like the badass knight in the opening cinematic.

It is great to see the franchise is back on form once again.

While Gears of War 2 might not include the epic changes we were all waiting for, like 4 player co-op and a larger storyline, it certainly provides us with a fun and enjoyable experience that we will all remember. Wasting hours on Horde is amazing and with the new additions to the game, new and old fans will be chuffed.

To write off Beyond Good & Evil on the count of such trivial issues, though, would be folly. Michel Ancel's seminal action adventure remains one of the wittiest, most charming and intelligent games on the market, and you absolutely owe it to yourself to give it a go if you haven't already.

While the camera is still iffy at times and puzzles not as challenging as I would have expected, the fascinating storyline provides enough twists and turns to keep you engaged.

Overall, LEGO Lord of the Rings is a precious addition to the LEGO series. The game manages to keep the same charm and humour of the previous titles, and the new features are all very welcome.

Those yet to play Portal, this is the perfect opportunity to play possibly one of the sweetest games ever.

You can easily put over 20 hours into Assassin’s Creed 2, the story is intriguing and starting to evolve and gameplay feels solid.

The sheer attention to detail that has gone in the game, both in plot, visuals and audio makes your experience in the game a memorable one. The combat system, though tricky at first, eventually becomes intuitive.

The appeal doesn't come in the form of the game's sheer accessibility or variety, as attractive as they are, but instead the breadth of content available. Media Molecule saw fit to carry over the vast majority of user generated content from the first Little Big Planet, a decision that extends Little Big Planet 2's replayability beyond that of any other title from day one. With so much bang for your buck, why wait?

Overall F1 2012 is a great step forward for the F1 series. It's extremely fun and highly addictive and with the amount of game modes available, it even caters for the recreational gamer. Although the AI could do with some beefing up, this is a racing game that should definitely be on your 'to get list'. I'm off to set some lap records in Monte Carlo.

One of the finest details in the game is its graphics and the use of sound in the game.

Forza 3 is a game that caters for the novice and hardcore players with equal aplomb, providing those with less skill an enjoyable Sunday drive whilst pushing the gear-heads to try even harder.

Anyone looking for a fun, arcade alternative to Madden should look no further, this is it. The gameplay is innovative and fun, the graphics are good for the most part, and the audio is brilliant. Now if you will excuse me, I'm off to break more bones.

The Unfinished Swan is best seen as an interactive bedtime story. There are no enemies to kill, the threats to Monroe's safety are few and far between and there's nothing too taxing to figure out, but that's not what this title is all about. If you sometimes tire of the triple A titles and enjoy seeing what else the medium of games can offer, or you have enjoyed creations like Journey over the past few years, then Unfinished Swan should be on your list of games to purchase.

It certainly is one of the best action titles to release for a long time.

EA have this year won the Superbowl this year by providing the best NFL experience to date.

The Kinect compatibility is a neat twist, alas I think EA will improve on this in future instalments, for now though it seems a little gimmicky. There are a few issues, most notably with the Defensive mechanics within the game and a few drunken animations. Despite this, for NFL fans there can only be one game that you just have to buy this year, that is of course Madden '13.

Overall, FIFA 13 is EA's best football title to date. While there are a number of bugs that still need to be ironed out, there's enough content and improvements to the gameplay to justify a purchase. EA Sports have created a title that football fans will be playing up until the next season.

Bionic Commando is not as amazing as the recently released Braid, but it is up there as one of the best Xbox LIVE Arcade titles available.

Limbo is in no way a confusing or colourless waste of time. It's an exciting, part infuriatingly fun, part mind-blowing 2-D puzzle experience, leaving the player to discover everything alone

One word can sum up Flower, and that would be tranquil. The classical interactive score is soothing, and the graphical opulence is breathtaking – there are moments of shear beauty in the striking sunsets.

RAGE has certainly delivered as a step forward in first person shooters and is a refreshing change from the same old games that are released year-in year-out

The Tomb Raider series has been largely stuck in the same design and play style since the first game was released on the PlayStation One way back in 1996. It was therefore a very brave move to change the appearance to this degree and it's succeeded remarkably well.

The Sniper Challenge isn't part of Hitman: Absolution so it's definitely worth pre-ordering if you're a fan of the series. Asides from the fact there's only one level, the game is fun and addictive and it's not a bad incentive to pre-order Hitman: Absolution. Better than some extra guns anyway, that's for sure.

Aside from those small niggles, Batman Arkham Asylum is not only a stellar example of how superhero games can work but also with narrative as a whole.

Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing may not be perfect, however it shines in all the right places offering hours of endless next generation entertainment and adrenaline pumping racing that even the mighty Mario Kart would be envious of.

Enslaved feels very much like the odyssey it professes in its subtitle. The ten hour epic takes you through some wonderful landscapes as well as the emotional journey of the characters, pushed forwards by a terrific script and great voice acting. It is most definitely flawed but it's not a game you're going to forget easily.

A stunning visual and audio representation that offers a unique style of gameplay.

If you are a fan of the original (and who’s not?) then you will find much enjoyment in the sequel, and whilst many of the game's previous concerns still haven’t been squashed you can only hope that Valve fixes and adds to the game over the coming month... and hope not to see that announcement for Left 4 Dead 3 in November 2010.

Yet another stellar title for the team. They have taken what is a classic concept and gone against the grain to produce something clean and fresh for us gamers to enjoy.

or those who may have skipped a few years (in my case, about 10) then it is well worth picking up, especially for those who are new to the series as it is so easily to get back into the swing of things thanks to the nifty tutorial.

An action packed blockbuster featuring some of the best elements to be seen on a console, conveniently masking the flaws.

This approach to skating is a real breath of fresh air, when compared to the over-iterated world of the Tony Hawk franchise.

Super fast, Still beautiful.

One of the best puzzle games available on the market I've experienced.

Death Tank is one of my favourite retro game remakes in quite some time and you would do well to pick it up. The price is slightly steep considering the lack of single player content, but you do get a polished and incredibly fun multiplayer experience which deserves to be played.

For the price and the large array of classic titles featured, you would be hard pushed to really find excuses for missing such a superb release.

This year has been a grand one for DLC, a trend which I feel will only continue to grow thanks in part to Fallout 3. A definite purchase for fans of the original game and the previous content packs.

A considerable step up for the series and results in a game that should suit every gamers tastes.

Putting the game’s flaws behind, Dead Space 3 is still a fantastic game, the gore and additional cooperative missions house some intriguing effects, and the tension of hallways filled with enemies never fail to keep you coming back for more.

With a new storyline and Connor’s new ability, this DLC still feels like the main game in its sense but with a few tweaks here and there.

If you are after just the single player experience then you could easily complete this game in a matter of hours; but those hours are thoroughly enjoyable ones.

Overall, Burnout Paradise is smashing title (sorry, again). With a lengthy game life and its near on perfect gameplay, it will take you days or even weeks to find all of the hidden routes, billboards and fences located around the city, as well as building up your licence, collecting cars and winning all the events.

Civilization Revolution is how all console strategy titles should be. Fun, easy to pick up with a good degree of difficulty.

Excellent graphics and great game play are the perfect mix to make this game great fun.

ModNation Racers is a well-crafted racer that is certainly worth taking out for a spin.

Devil May Cry still has its flaws and are readily visible in the game; the camera angles can be frustrating at times, for instance when Dante jumps off a wall in mid-air he will miss the platform that he was meant to land on and fall down. If you over jump a platform you will just fall off and lose a small portion of your health. The soundtrack is really upbeat throughout the game with hard rock but can soon get rather annoying.

If this style of genre is to your tastes, or even if you just like a bit of a challenge, Trials HD is sure to please.

For those looking for something to tide them over until Diablo III finally comes out, Torchlight should be your first port of call. However, if you already played the PC version, there is little here to make you buy it again.

Mega Man 9 was probably created for retro-freaks like me, however any gamer who loves a challenge will feel right at home with Mega Man 9.

Whether you are working on a Yoga pose, stretching your thighs, or going for that perfect down hill run, there is a quality and a depth to each of the activities. This speaks volumes about the investment (and commitment) Nintendo has to their causal gaming approach.

With a great set of mixes, a better line-up of artists and DJs, and with its progressive Empire career mode, there is enough here to keep your body swaying and your toes tapping. If you already have a set of decks from the first game and you are wondering if it is worth picking this title up, then I would certainly recommend it if you enjoyed the previous title - you will definitely enjoy this second outing a lot more.

Basically if you have missed the wastelands, Broken Steel gives you more than enough reasons to return. Keeping with the high quality set by the original, Broken Steel gives you more engrossing content for up to five hours of gameplay, whilst increasing the story behind the game whilst removing the full stop.

Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise is – quite embarrassingly – one of the best titles I have played this year.