The addition of online co-op gives the campaign mode a great boost. There are some irritating connectivity issues in co-op and zombies though. The competitive multiplayer is much smoother and reliably packed with maps, modes and a dizzying array of unlocks. You'll struggle to find a shooter with more value than this year's Call of Duty.

With staggering depth to both its map design and new Mastery progression, Heart of Thorns gives Guild Wars 2 players old and new plenty of engaging ways to keep playing. There are still refinements to be made in certain areas, but ArenaNet have shown they are up to the task, making this a worthwhile expansion for MMO fans.

Like a box of assorted chocolates, you might not like everything in the box, but what does take your fancy will have you coming back for more. Coming in at the perfect price point, the Jackbox Party Pack 2 gives you five varied games that will entertain you for hours. Perfect as a party piece, especially with Christmas just round the corner.

While it may be short and lack replayability, Funcom have delivered a well-crafted and finely tuned psychological experience with The Park. The exceptional audio design helps to build a chilling and tense ambiance that will delight fans of The Secret World, while even newcomers can enjoy the chilling tale of one mother’s search for her son. A true psychological thriller that you'll want to play with the headphones on and the lights off.

While there are still blemishes that stop it matching the heights of Brotherhood or even Black Flag, Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate restores faith in the series by delivering a highly enjoyable open-world experience. Jacob & Evie make for entertaining characters in a beautifully crafted Victorian London filled with content that will keep you busy for weeks.

This is, without a doubt, the finest series Telltale Games have produced to date. Whether you’re already a Borderlands fan or not, Tales From The Borderlands delivers an emotional, entertaining, and downright fun episodic adventure title.

An essential purchase for Uncharted newbies and the graphical upgrade makes it hard to resist for series fans too. Naughty Dog's trilogy shames the competition with exceptionally detailed levels, blockbuster action scenes and a lovable cast that will be sorely missed when the series wraps up with Uncharted 4 next year.

It doesn’t fix everything that was wrong with Destiny, but The Taken King does enough in all the right places to make it a highly enjoyable FPS experience overall. A renewed focus on narrative and a streamlined progression system helps to push Destiny in the direction it should have been heading all along.

Tearaway Unfolded has found a new home on the PS4 and contains plenty of new ways to use the DualShock 4 for unique in-game interactions. It's still worth owning if you've played the Vita version too. Difficulty is nicely balanced for players of all abilities and there are lots of collectibles for completionists to find.

This generation's finest racer. Turn 10's racer certainly has the looks, but it's the raw speed and intuitive handling that make the occasionally over-long races thrilling from start to finish.

The unfortunate truth is that its narrative fails to deliver a coherent and satisfying conclusion to the series, but as a stealth sandbox The Phantom Pain is peerless.

This interactive horror movie is heaps of fun and packed with moments that'll have you and anyone watching jumping out of their skin. Being able to kill off characters you don't like is more fun than you'll want to admit. You'll definitely want to play it more than once too to put the cast through hell again and again.

Q.U.B.E. is unquestionably fun, it's simplistic and it's addictive. Unfortunately the addiction soon becomes Q.U.B.E.'s downfall as the increasing desire to have 'just one more go' soon turns Q.U.B.E. into a 4-5 hour game.

One of the most relaxing games I've played in ages. Submerged is a game happy to let the player explore, with minimal challenge making for an experience that focuses on player exploration and stopping to enjoy the view. The story of the children and the desolate world around them slowly becomes clearer, leaving just enough room for the player's personal interpretation.

With a host of options adding accessibility and longevity, 3DS Streets of Rage II turns the best game in the series into a definitive version. Crisp visuals and fun, responsive gameplay will remind fans of the original why it was so great, and educate newcomers as to why it was – and frankly still is – the crème de la crème of side-scrolling beat-em-ups.

While admittedly good-looking, there's not much here for anyone that played the game five years ago. For newcomers, especially those without a PS3, Kratos's bloodthirsty pursuit of vengeance is a titan of the action genre. You may want to wait until the price is right though.

The game mode strip down this year by Codemasters with F1 2015 is evidently step one of many for a reboot of the popular franchise. Where modes have been taken, major improvements have been made. A whole new game engine giving advanced visuals and handling makes F1 2015 the best yet.

The definitive version of a true modern classic. Steins;Gate presents a truly captivating and uncompromising storyline with exquisite characters, powerful themes and often heartbreaking choices to make. It's a beautiful, essential thing.

Rocksteady and Batman is a combination we'll sorely miss. Their trilogy ends on a high though, with a refinement of their excellent Freeflow combat and Predator modes. The Batmobile is a somewhat mixed experience, but its heart is in the right place. Our much-awaited tour of the city of Gotham was a gorgeous sight to behold and an unforgettable goodbye.

J-Stars Victory VS+ is a crossover for the ages and a delightfully mad brawler in its own right. A few shortcomings are overshadowed by the attention to detail, great cast, riotous combat and the big silly grin it will leave on your face.

Yoshi's Woolly World is Nintendo at their inventive best. Delightful and deceptively devious, this sensational platformer encourages you to explore, experiment and genuinely play with it at every turn.

While the decidedly average combat and alarming number of technical gremlins are disappointing for a title that's been in development for so long, The Witcher III: Wild Hunt is still a must-buy title for genre fans.

Horizon Shift is a seriously impressive bit of SHMUP. Fierce and fresh, it rejuvenates ideas from classic shooters with a sensational twist of its own.

The stealth options aren't quite as reliable as last time, but the core shooting experience is incredibly fun with meaty weapons, a ramped up pace and enjoyably over-the-top characters.

Splatoon blows third-person shooting wide open with its wildly unique mechanics and uninhibited sense of fun. Approachable for newcomers and enjoyable for old hands, it's an impressive Wii U exclusive, though we'll have to take Nintendo's promises of free DLC and updates on trust.

You'll need three forgiving friends and a silly sense of humour to make the most of Magicka 2. It's an utterly sensational cooperative romp that refines the series' superb spellcasting into hilarious yet surprisingly tactical chaos.

A fantastic package, containing two meaty match-3 RPGs and hours of quality content without a single microtransaction. Accessible, deep and involving, it's great for killing a few minutes or an entire evening at a time.

Hyperdimension Neptunia U is a superb tie-in, a saucy parody and most importantly a satisfying handheld brawler in its own right.

Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is a devastatingly unique strategy game with the pedigree to back it up. Fun and challenging, blending turn-based tactics with third-person shooting, there's nothing like it on the market.

A simulator with soul, Project CARS strips the bloat out of the racing genre to focus on what truly matters: the cars, handling, tracks and exhilaration of real driving. Sensational weather effects and impressive visuals make it well worth the wait.

Consider Mortal Kombat X your first essential fighting game of the new generation of consoles.

Though its one-track mind and ruthless AI takes some getting used to, the robust mechanics, great interface and presentation are an incredibly impressive feat from a one-man studio, while sensational shipbuilding and fleet battles prove incredibly satisfying.

State Of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition is the definitive way of experiencing this fiercely unique zombie sim and a true highlight of the survival genre. Though still rough and ready, it's undeniably a complete package.

Fantastic visuals and enhanced AI behaviour makes the virtual world of San Andreas come to life, and the Rockstar Editor is a powerful tool for machinima creators. It really is the definitive version of a modern classic.

It's knuckle-gnawingly difficult at times and would rather spit in your eye than point anything out for you. But fending for yourself in the incredibly well-designed environments is a rewarding, empowering and yet humbling experience that gamers will talk about for years to come.

Ride is one of the best bike racing games in years and is much more appealing than the dry offerings of Moto GP or SBK. The bikes are fantastically detailed and there are enough handling options to appeal to any race fan. Moving most events to new road circuits was a great idea too for those of you bored with the Moto GP calendar.

Dark Souls II: Scholar Of The First Sin is the definitive version of a masterpiece. Surprising for veterans yet deceptively welcoming to newcomers, this rebalanced remaster proves as deeply impressive as it is brutally compelling.

Under Night In Birth: Exe Late is a class act; a gorgeous and responsive 2D fighter with a great cast that encourages aggressive play while letting newcomers in on the ground floor.

The gorgeous HD assets and stonking amount of included DLC are well worth the price of admission, but it's a shame that The Pre-Sequel's performance issues stop this collection from being as handsome as it should be.

Pillars Of Eternity is a masterpiece and nothing less than essential for anyone who's ever heard of the Infinity Engine. Superbly written, expansive yet rich and detailed, tactical and thought-provoking, it's the sort of roleplaying experience that we've been dreaming about for years.

A deeply atmospheric, emotionally compelling game that manages to treat war as a serious topic and examines the hard choices made by those caught in the middle of conflict.

Level design is still exceptional; expansive with a real sense of place.

A remarkable homage to the original survival horror masterpiece to be enjoyed by fans of the original PS1 game, the GameCube remake or even complete newbs. Some of the mechanics like the dated inventory system can and will frustrate, but the overall journey is a rewarding one through one of gaming’s most important games.

An enormous, expansive and peerlessly written RPG that succeeds both on the strength of its world and its innovative campaign structure. So long as you're willing to read and exercise a little imagination, that is.

Even if the mechanisms of this game seem a little dated now, we're reminded how the story and its characters are timeless in their good humour and quality, and in that respect, this Remaster should hold almost as much joy for newcomers as it does for returning fans.

Freaking Meatbags makes three hackneyed genres feel fresh and exciting again, uniting real-time strategy, tower defence and twinstick shooting with the simple joys of obscene genetic experimentation. Though it sometimes feels like the prototype for a timeless classic, the tiny team managed to deliver a solid, stylish, humorous and satisfying package at a bargain price.

Deathtrap brings hectic tower defence, satisfying Diablo-style combat and compelling persistent progression together in ultraviolent gothic style. Smart design choices and satisfyingly hectic moments abound, while the level editor is a stroke of genius.

Sunless Sea is a masterpiece of interactive storytelling, atmosphere and exploration that spins a unique, tense and frequently tragic new yarn every time you play. It's a shame that the spiteful economy and repetitive early game gradually forces you to focus on the systems, not the stories, but the quality of the writing elevates Sunless Sea into something rather special indeed.

Thrilling mechanics, plentiful missions and robust unlocks make it the Top Gun for genre fans who own the system.

The Book Of Unwritten Tales 2 proves that point & click adventure games don't have to change to be relevant in 2015. They just have to be better. It's enormous, hilarious, referential, satisfying and absolutely worth £24.99.

Dragon Ball Xenoverse captures the brutal thrill of soaring aerial anime battles better than practically any game I've ever played, all while allowing us to genuinely enter the Dragon Ball universe as our own character by participating in key canonical events and crazy 'what if?' scenarios.

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is utterly magnificent. Newfound vertical freedom, extraordinary new monsters and native 3DS multiplayer makes for the best game in the series to date, coupled with a much more compelling storyline and some killer new features.

An utterly superb cooperative game: one that makes you work together not just to win, but to survive more than a few minutes.

It’s certainly not a flawless attempt, and will definitely need some post-launch patching, but the fun factor is there alongside the addictive gameplay. I guess you could even say that, for a first attempt, the foundations are solid as a rock.

Despite the incredibly frustrating platforming, it's impossible to deny that this really is the Definitive Edition of a classic melee-action title. Newbies can enjoy the slickest version on the market, packed with all the DLC. Returning hardcore fans will find a serious challenge in the extra difficulties and hardcore modifiers.

Impatient gamers will find Oreshika demanding and frustrating, but if you frequently still play our Vita, chances are that this is exactly the kind of game you bought it for. Don't let it slip under your radar.