There is just no other game out there that makes all your mates want to sit and play an instrument co-operatively until their fingers bleed. Quite simply, a work of genius, and the slight discrepancies in the peripherals are forgotten in an instant.

If there was ever a game deserving of the word beautiful in it's description, it's Journey. The game is stunning to look at, satisfying to play and oozes atmosphere from every angle of its dynamic story and immersive world. Sure it's short by regular game standards but Journey is not a regular game. If your ready for an experience that will surprise you, move you and stick with you for many years after its done, then maybe this is the Journey for you.

Both start off with a light story and focus on brilliant gameplay, but their respective closes end with more emotion and character than you'd find most anywhere else. If you've yet to experience either, you owe it to yourself to rectify this at the earliest convenience.

All-in-all Super Street Fighter IV is a welcome addition to the series that fine-tunes and tweaks what is already a world-class beat-em-up title, though it is debatable whether you should buy this edition if you already have the earlier edition.

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?

FIFA 10 is the world's best football simulation to date.

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

Killzone 2 is a gorgeous piece of gaming art, with a great story and a compelling and sometimes challenging single player campaign. It has truly raised the bar pretty high in the console FPS genre and will no doubt become a killer app for Sony’s console this year.

In closing, Halo Reach is a must have title for any fan of the series (which by now, you should know if you are or not) and even if you aren't a fan of the previous titles you may find that the lengths Bungie have gone to refine their formula will now win you over.

With its faultless audio, ambitious graphics, incredible digital characters and compelling storyline, Mass Effect feels like you are playing though a sci-fi blockbuster with a bottomless movie budget.

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.

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.

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.

Despite being a fan of the franchise, I am still surprised by just how good Far Cry 3 is. It looks the part, has great varied game play, an interesting story and hours of fun for your hard earned cash. If you are looking for another game to add to the Christmas list you can't go wrong with Far Cry 3. After the wait and worry, Ubisoft have produced an undoubted contender for game of the year.

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

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

Overall, Trials Evolution is definitely one of the best Xbox Live Arcade titles available, if not the best. The title improves on everything from its predecessor and goes one step further with the incredible track editor and the addition of multiplayer. Other developers take note: this is how sequels should be done.

What struck me most about the downloadable content was the sheer size of it. To put it simply, it is huge. The 2GB download may take a while but compared to the 12 hours it will take to finish the story and the addition of new multiplayer modes, boy is it worth it.

It's by far the most realistic football title on the market and there are plenty of game modes to keep players entertained. FIFA 12 is a must own title for football fans who will no doubt be playing up until the next instalment.

FIFA 10 is the world's best football simulation to date.

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

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

Those wanting more from Ezio, and to revel in the period set in Assassins Creed II for a little longer, will find fond memories in Assassins Creed Brotherhood; however I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd seen it all before and was being dragged along for the same old ride.

Ready at Dawn did a good job in creating a motion sensor game that focuses on art and the beauty of it. The story itself isn’t extremely original and that leads to the game feeling kind of bland.

If precision perfect brick wall challenging platforming is your idea of a night well spent, or in simple N+ tickled your fancies, Super Meat Boy is sure to deliver and should be checked out right away.

Dead Space 2 is a title that insists you to turn off the lights, whack up the sound and grab your comfort blanket as you walk the creepy infested corridors with gore at every turn. Don't feel diminished in any way though if you resort to a little illumination to calm the nerves as Dead Space 2 will shock you, stab you and slaughter you at every turn.

Feels like Geometry Wars but with more great game modes, multiplayer and improved visuals.

XCOM is something we don't get too often nowadays; a challenging, different, bold game that is not afraid to try new things and also a successful reboot. Yes it has some issues but not nearly any bad enough to stop you playing. And yes, it is hard but that should be commended. No one said saving the world would be easy.