A perfectly polished and presented package. It offers extreme-tricking and adrenaline-fuelled racing and does it in a refreshing and challenging way.

It is a great game, one that is a faithful update to a game that only four years ago attained universal acclaim, but in that time, things have changed and, for better and for worse, Resident Evil 5 has only made baby steps when compared to the giant leaps that its predecessor made, and because of this, won’t be getting near that perfect 10. The issues with A.I and the controls will put off some of the more fickle gamers, but for those of you who part with their £40, like an A.I controlled Sheva to a horde of zombies, you’ll find plenty here to get your teeth into – fans and newcomers alike.

Speaking of unlockables, I would also like to have being given the chance of getting to mention the likes Time Attack, which is supported by online leaderboards, and Endless Attack, which is probably the most hard-hitting survival mode ever included in a game in the history of time, tasking players with getting by as many screen as possible before unmercifully dying.

It’s a shame that the console version of Darkest Dungeon couldn’t have been a bit smarter with its controller layout, because the rest of the game shines in brilliant darkness as it did on PC; the 2D artwork is a great mix of hard lines and grotesque imagery, quite similar to Hellboy and other comics by Mike Mignola. The persistent narration is delightfully campy with its dreary delivery and macabre musings, and the fear of death (or insanity) makes every duel feel like a tense brush with death. And players will die, again and again and again. But like a certain other difficult series centered around darkness and sun bros, Darkest Dungeon’s maddening tendrils will manipulate even the most frustrated folks to try again…but consider sticking to the PC version to avoid the added frustration of fumbling around with the controls.

Even more colourful, engaging and eccentric than ever before, Splatoon 3 is bringing the same highly amusing casual and competitive fun of Splatoon’s unique paint-based versus gameplay and polishes it closer to perfection, like topping up some old decorations with a fresh coat of paint. It is disappointing that there is nothing ground-breaking, as new weapons, maps and a couple of modes are nothing to scream about, but the campaign is the best and most inventive it has been yet, bringing a good solid 7+ hours of fun. The game also throws in a card battler for some added distraction. The quality-of-life improvements to the multiplayer were so needed, bringing the game closer to the current modern age of online gameplay.

Gameplay is what truly makes Mankind Divided shine, and here, any problems with the racial story is made up by having a complex and immersive world with level design purposely built around the idea of Deus Ex‘s choice gameplay.

It’s still such a great game all these years later, and is a must play for all horror game fans, especially those who never go to play the original.

Don’t Starve Together takes the terrific game that it’s predecessor is known to be and builds up a whole new structure around the original that really opens up a lot of different ways of, well, not starving.

If you're looking for an arcade game and fancy blasting stuff in gorgeous spectacular fashion, Sine Mora is something you should check out. It doesn't matter how proficient you are with the genre, as the game will teach you the ways of a shoot-em-up. If you are already knowledgeable about the genre, then ramp up the difficulty and see if you can get yourself through its meaty challenge.

Although the Marvel vs Capcom collection just about edges this one for the quality of games on offer, Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is a close second place, with the two Power Stone games and CVS2 in particular being excellent fighting games still worth checking out. Capcom are really onto something with these back catalogue reissues as of late and I feel it is something worth supporting, because there’s still plenty more in their archives that would benefit greatly from being part of a collection like this, with all the features you could want from a modern fighting game in one easily accessible package.

As a complete package, Danganronpa Decadence is a brilliant collection of three very well-produced adventure visual novels. It is a shame about V3‘s performance in the last case, but overall, these are some highly recommended stories. Expect to fall in love with the characters, be shocked at the many great surprises, and be gripped by suspense over what is around 100+ hours of gaming. If you are fans of visual novel adventures and have not checked this series out yet, then you seriously need to pick up Danganronpa Decadence.

So, Electronic Symphony is not the ultimate Lumines, then, but newcomers will be blissfully unaware, and to old fans this game remains essential regardless. Scarcity notwithstanding, it is still one of the finest puzzle games there are, by virtue of simply being Lumines.

Sure, it would be nice to have more throws, more submissions, more customization and such, but hell; they need SOMETHING to add to the next one. For those of you who are UFC/MMA fans, this is an essential purchase, no questions asked.

This is a game that has successfully changed my opinions on American Football, and could do the same for you.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is a great MMORPG that has an enjoyable story, mechanically solid gameplay, lots of content for Final Fantasy fans to love, but also offers rewarding and challenging dungeons for people who adore playing online RPGs.

The original Just Cause was a little rough around the edges but the sequel is highly polished and looks great. I could easily see myself logging a hundred hours or more in to the game, it’s probably the most comprehensive sandbox game I’ve played.

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.

Ultimately, it's a fun game that's well worth the 15 dollars (or 30 if you play it co-op) you'd be putting down on it. Even after the last level is over, endless mode is always there to taunt you to try harder.

Despite being impressed by its visuals and attention to detail, I hadn’t first realized how short and lacking in substance it was, and I always begrudge video games like that being released in the first place.

I can imagine some Metal Gear fans might not enjoy this style of gameplay, but if any are willing to give it a shot or if you are a fan of high paced action, then you owe yourself to jump into Revengeance’s stylish and exceptional top class gameplay and have a slash of a time.

The franchise needed this. It's not remotely original and it occasionally threatens to drown under the weight of its own bluster, but it's also clever, challenging, bewilderingly pretty in places and a ripping good yarn.

Whilst the weight of the FFVII hallmark gives the game an undeniable sense of gravity, at times it feels as if it also smothers it.

Even if it takes ideas from other games, it mashes them together to make a complete game that plays well and does its inspirations proud. Darksiders is a nice surprise that is well worth 15+ hours of your life to complete it.

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

It’s the best multiplayer game to be released this year and is certainly up there with Call of Duty 4.

Kotaro Uchikoshi thanked his fans for helping him get the third game in the Zero Escape series completed, and in return he has brought a memorable conclusion for his final act.

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

Mortal Kombat arrives on current generation, bringing a refined and gory battle system with additional depth with the implementation of character variations, refreshing and cool new characters, another solid story and plenty of content, but the best improvement is the smoother fighting engine with better animations that no longer look awkwardly wooden.