The improvements over the predecessors and the additional features, as well as the game's depth and replayability factor deem FIFA 11 a worthy purchase, even at the £40 price tag

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!

Despite all its crazy new features, what you know and love about the NBA2K series is all here and it plays better than ever. If you are a veteran fan, an NBA lover or just want a great sports game experience to play with friends or alone, look no further than 2K13. Sure the menus aren't great and there could be a more competent tutorial, but these are very minor points in other wise amazing experience. Make no mistake 2K are still very much king of the court.

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.

This is THE best Halo game yet, and although the campaign in short, there's an abundance of content to keep Halo 4 in your disc tray.

With 30 fully licensed leagues, over 15000 players and a shed load of other features, FIFA 09 has really set the bar high.

The beautiful game. That's what football is all about, and that's what FIFA is all about. With 30 fully licensed leagues, over 15000 players and a shed load of other features, FIFA 09 has really set the bar high and I fully expect them to dominate this genre for years to come.

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

The best vertical shooter on Xbox LIVE to date. Oozing compelling gameplay, sound and graphics with a learning curve so steep that you’ll be coming back for more until you complete it.

For every person that hates this breath of fresh air for gaming, a dozen will love it. For me, Heavy Rain has been the highlight of the last ten years and a ground-breaking event in video games that I am glad to have experienced; a masterpiece of gaming.

If you missed the previous Dirt titles, then Dirt 3 will certainly bring you up to speed with Codemasters's finest racing series, and comes thoroughly recommended to any petrol-headed gamer who loves to power slide through gravelled forest tracks.

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

Aesthetically Dirt 2 is incredible. On the inside though it is flawed – the arcade nature of the game has changed the handling and feel to the game and for that, it could well be the downfall for the title.

Overall, Rayman Origins goes where very few games have been able to go before and has shown that it is possible to revive a classic and to make it even better. It's excellently developed and is great fun to play from start to finish. Minus a few little problems, Rayman Origins is one of the most underrated games of 2011, which is certainly worth playing through.

Resistance 2 does a fantastic job of improving on the original game, and is one of the best shooters available for the PS3. The single player campaign is an absolute blast, and the incredible multiplayer modes will keep you playing for months.

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.

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.

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.

Ratchet and Clank is a game that makes the player feel empowered; it's not so difficult as to make things frustrating, yet it's not so trivial as to make the progress feel boring and achievements frivolous.

The whole experience was a bit of a back-and-forth of opinions, but only because Round 3 set such a precedent.

Valkyria Chronicles is a wonderfully presented game which is easily accessible to all. It's not without its quirks, but these can be overlooked simply because the game is so enjoyable to play and watch.

The title offers hours of gameplay, tight, responsive controls and an enticing visual experience and is definitely one to recommend for fighter fans and anime obsessives the world over.

Dragon Age is the perfect first step for newcomers; come on in.

This reboot is gritty and brutal, casting Lara in a new, grittier light and you will see Lara in a different perspective than we originally know her by. Tomb Raider feels similar to the Uncharted series, and has really made a welcome return to consoles.

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.

While it's fair to say that Mortal Kombat is flawed, it's also fair to say that we all expected it to be – and because of that it's actually far better than we could have imagined. It isn't particularly clever or sophisticated, but it's slick, sick and gruesomely entertaining. Complaining that Mortal Kombat is all style over substance is like complaining that Michael Bay's films have a lot of explosions in them – if it's not your cup of tea, go drink somewhere else. But if you want your action loud, colourful, exciting and unpredictable, you know exactly where to kome (last one, I promise).

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.

It's safe to say that Max Payne 3 is a fantastic game and with a hefty single player and extensive multiplayer it will keep you entertained for hours and hours. The story is gripping and will have you wondering what happens next, and with the integration of crews to the multiplayer there is even more reason to make regular visits to the city of São Paulo.