Thomas Was Alone gives an all-encompassing experience that’s nestled inside a marvelously crafted world of stories, friends, and jumping.

An absolutely essential landmark title for the games industry. In terms of the sheer scope, emotion, ambition, and the stupidly high fun factor it offers, there is no better available in the genre today. In fact, no one else comes anywhere near.

If this is truly the last Ratchet and Clank release then rest assured that the series goes out with a bang. It’s one of the games of the year and an outstanding exclusive for the Playstation 3.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is as complete a package as you could ever ask for. Multiplayer-heavy titles can be a fickle beast, but we’re pretty sure we’ll be playing this one for quite some time to come.

Street Fighter IV is not just a top notch next-gen version of Street Fighter, it is in essence what Capcom always wanted the Street Fighter franchise to be.

Red Dead Redemption 2 will most likely be looked upon as a another title that pushed what can be done in an open world, and be marked as one the developer’s most crowning achievements in their long history making video games.

Uncharted 4 is a masterpiece, albeit a flawed one. Even with its problems, the level that developer Naughty Dog can attain almost puts the rest of the industry to shame.

But it all boils down to the fact that you need to play this game. Because once this trilogy is done, we might well be looking at one of the greatest science-fiction works – in any medium – of all time. Mass Effect 2 is an utterly absorbing, satisfying and rewarding journey that you absolutely will not want to end, ever.

It's an engaging, exciting, fearless and endlessly imaginative masterpiece with a clarity of vision that is so, so rare in traditional big-budget releases.

Dead Space 2 simply adds more to that already excellent foundation, and in doing so, it has become the survival horror franchise to beat. An absolutely brilliant video game, and certainly the best survival horror game since Resident Evil 4.

Even though Episode Five may be a continuous torrent of truly dire situations, it is an experience that demands attention. Intense monologues – both venomous and heartbreaking – are its standout moments. Its clever narrative offers a sense of finality that can fill you with terror, happiness, and heartbreak in equal parts. Thank you for the year that was Life is Strange – it’s been emotional.

For £39.99, you'll receive: a tale of courage and choice, interwoven with dark political secrets and intrigue, breathtaking visuals, a refined and strategic combat system that should be a genre standard, and an interesting endgame that essentially never ends. Yes, while the last part should be fairly intriguing to most, I won't spill the beans. Just know that there lies a threat even more deadly and unforgiving than the game's 'final' boss.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is the best playing entry in the series, and while it’s not going to wrap up the entire story in a neat little bow, it’s a technical marvel that works beautifully as a playground for espionage.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is as complete a package as you could ever ask for. Multiplayer-heavy titles can be a fickle beast, but we’re pretty sure we’ll be playing this one for quite some time to come.

Four different control options as well as an as-deep-as-you-want-it combat style mean that whether you’re a parent looking forward to seeing Mario and Sonic have a punch-up, or a Nintendo fan wanting the Nintendo Chronicle (of love), Brawl can offer you an outstanding game.

Persona 4 is the Playstation 2’s new king of JRPGs and is awesome sending off for the system. Every single man, woman and child who has any interest in the story or has even the tiniest interest in the RPG genre has to check it out.

Rocksteady have proven that they’re a company that really care. They actually ‘get’ Batman, they’ve looked at the character from every conceivable angle and strived to make this everything anybody could possibly want from a Batman game.

At the end of the day, one detail is all that matters about the The Last of Us: its single-player campaign. Naughty Dog has taken what it’s learnt from crafting the Uncharted franchise and spun that experience into a more down-to-earth, realistic adventure that shines with storytelling excellence, great combat, tense atmosphere and the highest quality in presentation, making The Last of Us one of Sony’s best exclusives for the PS3’s ever-growing library of great games.

Every aspect of Left 4 Dead has been refined and tweaked to perfection. It’s addictive and atmospheric, and it contains undoubtedly the best co-op gameplay we’ve seen yet.

The game is visually stunning and sets a new bar for the genre of Cyberpunk games. The voice acting from Rutger Hauer is perfectly casted, and he delivers the role spectacularly. Observer is overall pretty short, but it will have you playing until you push on to uncover the truth – it truly is a captivating game. The sound design is fantastic, too, from the impressive soundtrack, written and composer by Arkadiusz Reikowski, to the noise of creaky doors, all lends itself to a truly great psychological horror game.

Starbound is a game that, after a few hours of play, starts to seem like an instant classic you’ll be revisiting from time to time over the next unknown period of years.

Rage may not represent the gigantic leap into the next era of games that's usually embodied by titles by id software, but it has reaffirmed their position as a premier developer when it comes to everything first person shooter-y.

An absolutely essential landmark title for the games industry. In terms of the sheer scope, emotion, ambition, and the stupidly high fun factor it offers, there is no better available in the genre today. In fact, no one else comes anywhere near.

Grand Theft Auto V is the best the series has ever been, and that’s a compliment that speaks volumes.

On the whole, the game is still full of fantastic little touches that you can’t help but love, all presented and executed in a simply timeless fashion. You can’t ask much more than that.

Street Fighter IV is not just a top notch next-gen version of Street Fighter, it is in essence what Capcom always wanted the Street Fighter franchise to be.

It’s got that great arcade feel and frantic pace you look for in a title like this, and is so deftly executed it could delight the most stridently anti-nostalgia gamer.

It’s worth it as it is the best game on the system – Persona 4: Golden is a must play, even for fans who have already previously completed the game.

Each individual piece of the game does not do anything innovative or new, but together it creates an experience that is unmatched even outside of the platform.

Not only does Super Mario Odyssey celebrate the history of Mario over his 30 years with nostalgic treats, but it embodies the delight of discovery that comes with the openness of a sandbox Mario title, pushing it forward with Nintendo’s creativity to think up thrilling platforming scenarios. Nintendo has delivered a superb game that wants to take players on a trip through its bizarre and wonderful landscapes without restrictions, something that has been absent for too long in modern platform games.

Every aspect of Left 4 Dead has been refined and tweaked to perfection. It’s addictive and atmospheric, and it contains undoubtedly the best co-op gameplay we’ve seen yet.

What Nintendo has done to celebrate 25 years of the franchise is make one of the best games ever.

World of Goo falls into a special category that only a select few games fall into. Do you remember when you first got your hands on Super Mario 64, the excitement that oozed out of you when you picked up the pad and controlled Mario around in 3D for the first time? Or when you were pulling out the Master Sword from its stone placement in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time? These were special moments in a gamer’s life and playing World of Goo deserves to be placed alongside such events.

If you have yet to play The Last of Us, and you own a PlayStation 4, I can fully whole heartily say go buy this game, because you’re in for a memorable time. For fans, this is one you might want to pick up if you want to play the game at its best.

My hands actually hurt from gripping the Switch but I couldn’t stop, and when I finally landed on the other side of one of the many gauntlets that Celeste wears like a medal, I felt both relief and curiosity as to what it would throw at me next. It’s a rewarding experience and a game that I’m honoured to issue a perfect score.

World of Goo falls into a special category that only a select few games fall into. Do you remember when you first got your hands on Super Mario 64, the excitement that oozed out of you when you picked up the pad and controlled Mario around in 3D for the first time? Or when you were pulling out the Master Sword from its stone placement in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time? These were special moments in a gamer’s life and playing World of Goo deserves to be placed alongside such events.

I've never been privy to a game that caused me to wonder, question, and embrace humanity's place and purpose as greatly as Mass Effect 3. It is worth noting – BioWare attempts to tailor the game for new players, yet the experience is undeniably deeper and more rewarding if you have already played Mass Effect's previous games.

There is nothing to keep you coming back for more besides the absolutely exquisite environments, the very-clean interface, solid controls, and Triple-A camera cutscenes.

The fact is, Braid is art. There, I said it. Not only can it be appreciated aesthetically, but it was clearly created with the intention of the finished product being a work of art.

On every level, SUPERHOT‘s execution flatters an already brilliant core idea, and within the parameters that feel meaningful in this context, the resulting game is essentially perfect.

The developers should be applauded for creating a profoundly personal work that still overtly appealing to the audience at large. But even though it is not the best platformer out there, the game can quite easily be classed as something entirely original for the genre, casting off a brand new tangent filled with wondrous sights and provocative ideas that are enchantingly imaginative and creative enough to be considered truly exceptional.

At the end of the day, this is still Grand Theft Auto V, an entry that I find is the best in the series, and a game that has been made that little bit better with the performance boost and graphical enhancements.

If you’re reading this review because you have never played a Bioshock title before or didn’t like the previous games but like the look of this one, then please, go play it. I am certain you won’t be disappointed.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is as complete a package as you could ever ask for. Multiplayer-heavy titles can be a fickle beast, but we’re pretty sure we’ll be playing this one for quite some time to come.

Shu is perfectly executed and I would recommend everyone go pick this up now even if you’re not into platforms it’s fun and really does feel refreshing to play. I must say the developer has done a fantastic job here everything just seems to fit perfectly in the game from the music to the artwork and gameplay. Kudos.

In conclusion, Portal 2 is a textbook example of how to make a great game, but nothing more.

No-one else but Rockstar could’ve made Chinatown Wars what it is, because no one else has that kind of commitment and finesse to pull it off. It’s been a while since such a must-have game has come to the DS.

But it all boils down to the fact that you need to play this game. Because once this trilogy is done, we might well be looking at one of the greatest science-fiction works – in any medium – of all time. Mass Effect 2 is an utterly absorbing, satisfying and rewarding journey that you absolutely will not want to end, ever.

A game as stylish and fun as this is definitely for keeps.

It's the amalgamation of years of action games, adventure stories and box office smashes rolled into one ten hour action sequence. It's Indiana Jones meets Broken Arrow, meets Cliff Hanger, meets Bad Boys – and then some. The production values are through the roof and the level of polish that's gone into this game are something else.

Despite this game more than likely being in a niche category to most people, it ends up being one of the best selections on the 3DS, and with all the great stuff you can do in it, it deserves all its praise.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is more than just an incredible game that successfully brings lush visuals, tactical combat and a captivating world untainted with the issues that games of similar nature have when building such huge open spaces. It is also a respectful closure for Geralt, the series and its fans.

Game of the year? Probably.

A superb campaign, particularly in its level design, coupled with the all-new Warzone mode and the return of arena multiplayer makes Halo 5 the best FPS game of this generation and possibly the best Halo title ever.

Rocksteady have proven that they’re a company that really care. They actually ‘get’ Batman, they’ve looked at the character from every conceivable angle and strived to make this everything anybody could possibly want from a Batman game.

It is not a game that tries to shock with new exciting gameplay twists, nor does it confuse with new fangled control methods. It just takes everything most gamers have grown to love over the years, wraps them up in a beautifully realised world, and refines them to near perfection.

Airscape: The Fall of gravity is an action platformer that delivers on all that it promises.

This is a worthy sequel with a look and feel that are more polished than last year’s effort.

All said and done, I would happily pick up WipEout HD as a full priced game from any store, as it is just that damn good. So for a paltry £11.99 it should be considered a absolute steal.

It is an improvement in every conceivable way from previous games and allows for much more scope that ever before.

Alan Wake is a superb game that will satisfy anyone looking for a slight twist of horror blended into their third person shooters.

With a name like Turbo Overkill, one is correct to assume that it is full of that cheesy madness, which is exactly what it delivers as it fully embraces the Boomer Shooter subgenre. Turbo Overkill is an encapsulation of absurdity, trying to push itself to the heights of stupendous fun through its creative weapons, augmentations and dumb, wild scenarios while offering plenty of mechanics and rapid gameplay to satisfy those old-school action lovers. With its superb throwback visuals, quality soundtrack, outlandish level design, and hyper-bloody action that never seems to let up, Turbo Overkill is a great recommendation for anyone looking for a quality and thrilling first-person shooter in 2023.

The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile is an improvement over an already very good videogame, and for 800MSP this is an absolute no-brainer for anyone who loves games like Bayonetta, God Hand and Devil May Cry. Instead of re-working tried and tested features for the sake of a follow up, everything about the first game has simply been done better. James Silva and SKA Games are now big players in the indie scene, and it is certainly going to be interesting to see what they have to offer next.

To call Odin Sphere Leifthrasir the definitive version of the original game would be selling it short: the sheer amount of improvements and new content have transformed the game into a whole new experience that both original fans and curious newcomers must not miss.

It's a fresh, unrelenting take on a stale genre that has you grinning from beginning to end. Complaints have been noted about the game's lifespan – you can finish a playthrough in around seven hours – but with an experience as replayable and dense as this, such complaints seem petulant.

Longtime fans have no reason at all to ignore this latest (and possibly greatest) entry in the series, and players itching for a polished platformer with a gorgeous presentation and a whole lot of charm have even less reason to miss out. As long as the community continues to vote with their dollars, Wayforward will continue to grant the wishes of old-school gamers everywhere.

Minor quibbles aside though this is a fantastic game, Retro Studios have once again, like they did with Metroid, revived a long dead franchise successfully.

You have to feel truly sorry for any future artist-specific rhythm games, because it would take an enormous amount of effort to top The Beatles: Rock Band, a game very nearly bigger than Jesus.

It’s not your normal everyday game, so I’m not judging it like one. I’m sure many, if not most, people simply won’t ‘get’ it. But if you’ve already seen images of it and it looks like something you’d enjoy, I have no hesitation recommending it whole-heartedly. Hell, you could even play it with a friend or partner, valentine’s day is coming up! I bet you’d all end up in hysterics. As for me, I’m hoping beyond hope that the subtitle ‘First Date’ indicates there’ll be more to come from this ludicrous entry. Simply put, I’m a sucker for Sucker for Love.

Bayonetta is a completely OTT game with singular vision, containing ideas that make sense only in the mind of Hideki Kamiya – the game’s creator. It’s an insight into what he thinks games should be about, and a love letter to the uniqueness of the medium he works in – with no misgivings to end-users that do not share his mindset.

As the episode came to a close, I felt I had taken part in a more surreal adventure than what came before. Where as others episodes tried to ground characters in a well realised world, Episode Four shifts to deal with issues very much outside everyone’s comfort zone.

No two ways about it, Tetris Effect is a masterpiece, the kind of visually and audibly resplendence that one could immediately point towards the next critic who poses the age-old annoying question of whether videogames are “art”. It also makes for the best VR experience on the PSVR since Resident Evil 7, and is an absolute must-have with or without the extra hardware.

I'll go ahead and say it – this year's Madden is the best football game I've played in a very long time. Is the game perfect? No. But the changes to this year's edition are more than enough for me to recommend it for even the most casual fans of football. The changes aren't merely cosmetic, but intended to make this year's version more like the real game that so many of us love. And you know what? Madden's never been closer.

This is a worthy sequel with a look and feel that are more polished than last year’s effort.

Darksiders II is in no way a groundbreaking game. It's not the kind of game that people see has potential and makes a million shameless copies of. It's a game that's realized an old formula and has recreated it well. By doing so, it has made a game legitimately worth playing.

Maximus is a great game that suits the iPhone beautifully.

If you’re one of those people who is sick of all those party games on Nintendo’s loveable, family-friendly console, and are crying out for a proper, grown up videogame, look no further than this.

For anyone who has never played The Wind Waker, this HD release is one that you must own for your limited (for now) Wii U library. It’s a charming experience that has been improved visually and mechanically to make for a better game.

Fans of Crysis are probably jumping with joy and wetting themselves when I say Crysis Warhead is a better game in every possible way than the original. That’s saying something since Crysis was a great game. It might not be as long, lasting around the five hour mark, but you do get a great multiplayer experience to go back to once you are done with the campaign.

Football Manager 09 is the most complete football experience you’re likely to find for a good while, at least until 2010 comes out.

Just like Stardew Valley filled a void in the hearts of those missing Harvest Moon, Golf Story does what Nintendon’t by delivering a highly competent take on the Mario Golf RPG formula – an offshoot of a franchise that has gone missing for well over a decade. Golf Story likely wouldn’t have existed without looking to gaming’s past for inspiration but that hardly makes it a knockoff. It excels in every way you’d hope a game in this niche but fascinating genre would.

I have nothing but praise for Codemasters’ return to the muddy motorsport of rally.

Though initially it tends to be a bit on the easy side and learning when and where to use which power-plays is a case of trial and error, it's not long before the game escalates into a nail-bitingly intense experience.

An excellent addition to the PSP library and a purchase I recommend you go out and make as soon as possible.

A few ill-judged action sequences, occasional leaps of logic during the interrogations and some gunplay that just about scrapes through on the positive side of functional prevent this from being a stone cold classic in the same way Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption are. But if they're A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, this is surely Rockstar's Return of the Jedi – not the best of the bunch, but still loads better than most of the other stuff out there. Highly recommended.

Despite these few annoyances, Guitar Hero 5 is still an excellent example of a band-based rhythm action game done right. This is a true evolution of the Guitar Hero phenomenon, simple but devastatingly effective changes that really bring the best out of the genre.

Virtue's Last Reward is a quality game that will surprise you. It will make you want to speak about it to people months after you have finished it. They aren't many game stories that make you do that, but the ones that do are normally exceptionally well-written with stimulating plots and shocking twists.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 might not be the game to start with, but for old fans it’s a lovely trip down memory lane, and for the newcomers who have discovered the series through Yakuza 0, this title will be a true delight for you, as you get to experience how brilliant Yakuza can be when it’s at the top of its game. There have been three Yakuza games released across various platforms this year, but it’s this remake that shines as the best example of the series to date.

Divinity is packed with enough content to keep you going well above the seventy hour mark, and enough choices and outcomes in every situation to make you want to start a new game the minute the credits begin rolling.

Guacamelee! remains one of the most entertaining 2D experiences in a long while, and if you missed out on the Playstation fiesta, the party has now made its way over to the PC without missing a beat. Absolutely recommended.

Surprisingly accessible and deep as you like, Offworld Trading Company is a standout addition to what’s already been a fantastic year for strategy games.

Saints Row IV jacks up the action, pumps up the silly, but above all, doesn’t lose sight of what makes a game play superbly, and that, Mr President, is how you make an awesome video game.

The story is extremely well written and the cut scenes are presented in a manner that will will have you forgetting these are characters in a video game. All of the characters are memorable, and the emotions shown through the voice acting are great and convey the character well. The main villain in Wolfenstein II is General Engel, who revels in her sadistic nature and is incredible memorable – the gleeful way she stomps around performing some of the most heinous things just goes to show how well fleshed out the character is. With the totally unthinkable scenes in the first 10 minutes of the game, to the insanity show by General Engel, players do get a feeling of how atrocious a Nazi ruled world would be. A faced paced FPS that is unforgiving in nature and just down right fun to play. It’s a nice break from the norm of games being released at the moment, and the focus for single player in Wolfenstein II only paid off here. With more content to unlock and the initial choices affecting the story as a whole, the replay ability is definitely here, especially with that “Mein leben” difficulty.

Shakedown: Hawaii energizes its open-world satire with the transparent and ruthless cynicism of modern commerce. Its antihero’s flagrant and invincible dishonesty would go beyond parody if it weren’t kept in check by the player’s underhanded complicity. I want the money numbers to go higher, too. And I’ll destroy or ruin anyone in Shakedown: Hawaii’s lush pixel paradise to see it through.

Peggle is unique among puzzle games though, in that despite never being particularly challenging, it’s still great fun to play and is the very definition of that ‘just one more go’ feeling that some games evoke. A very pure, fun experience that appeals to gamers of all ages, and a great example of simple, but effective, gameplay. Top draw.

Saints Row 2 is a huge improvement over its prequel in every manner, and has successfully carved its own niche in the sandbox crime genre. The co-operative play is almost certainly one of the best such experiences available on consoles, and the sheer variety of things to do in Stilwater is so deliciously satisfying that the technical hitches can be overlooked. It’s so fun, it’s almost criminal.

The game is one of the most satisfying and rewarding pieces of digital entertainment to arrive this generation, and in all honesty, of all time. Prepare to die, sure, but also prepare to be amazed.

If you like shooters, sci-fi, a good revenge story or giant robot dinosaurs, then Bulletstorm has something for you.