This is one sequel which bucks the trend by taking an already good concept and building on it, raising the bar in the process. Simply put, it's better than the original because there's a lot more to do, and everything meets or exceeds expectations.

In order to describe every little thing that you see in this game would require volumes. There is a staggering level of detail and for every detail we've mentioned so far, there are at least a dozen we've missed. Still, that's the beauty of Grand Theft Auto IV: the details will always be there for you to discover yourself.

Grand Theft Auto V is the pinnacle of the franchise and of gaming in 2013. A ridiculously ambitious title that wrings absolutely everything out of the aging seventh-gen consoles, it's a spectacular triumph in every conceivable way. Rejoice, for Rockstar North has done it again.

Despite stumbling at the very beginning Red Dead Redemption 2 cements Rockstar Games’ place at the very top of the games industry. It’s been eight years and well worth the wait.

Grand Theft Auto V for new-gen is without a doubt the best way to experience one of the biggest releases of the last half decade.

Super Mario Odyssey is an innovative masterpiece that takes an already creative series to the next level, demonstrating that there is no limit to the adventures that can be had in games or the ways they can be played.

There is simply no argument to be had. The PC release of GTA V is by far the very best version of the very best Grand Theft Auto game to date.

Uncharted 2 improves on the original in almost every way. A solid gaming experience, and one that will rate among the very best PS3 games ever made.

Much like the first Mass Effect, you can ignore everything that is wrong with Mass Effect 2, because it is just so good at everything that it does right. The faults are not as glaring as they were in the last game and you will be so enthralled with the amazing story, characters and combat that for the most part, you won't care anyway.

Where Oblivion may have caused many to sit on the fence when faced with any new Elder Scrolls release, Skyrim stands tall in redemption. It is, without any shadow of doubt, the best RPG experience available right now.

Sony's exclusive title shows potential, but it has several areas that need improving. It's refreshing to see a title that has such fun gameplay and amazing customisation options, and we're sure LittleBigPlanet will be around for a long time to come.

An absolutely stunning game that only minors and the squeamish should avoid, The Last of Us will rightly be remembered as one of this generation's very best games.

If you’re already a Persona fan, Persona 5 Royal offers up even more of what you love, taking an already massive game and upsizing it to epic proportions. This is a must-have for JRPG fans, but it is also one that might be a little too much to swallow for newcomers.

The Last of Us Remastered is a better-looking, better performing version of an already incredible game. As such, those who haven't played the original version should buy immediately, and those that have probably should as well.

Portal 2 manages to exceed expectations without compromising any of the core gameplay that made the original so popular, and should easily be considered one of the best titles available so far this year.

Red Dead Redemption is not just the definitive sandbox gaming experience, nor simply the best Wild West videogame (hardly a challenge), it is developer Rockstar's crowning achievement to date.

God of War is a genre redefining epic, a triumph for SCI Santa Monica, and the single best reason to own a PS4 in 2018.

Arkham City does what everyone hoped it would yet feared it couldn't; expand and improve on Arkham Asylum. Indeed, Arkham City is a bigger and better game in all regards, delivering an immaculately presented, rich, compelling play experience and gripping story while simultaneously respecting its source material's legacy and pushing the Batman myth further forward.

It certainly is refreshing to get a game that isn’t a terrible console to PC port.

Players who have never taken on the adventure and those who are old masters will find joy in unlocking Hyrule's hidden secrets, and felling its foes.

No major graphical updates here, nor has the story been modified in any meaningful way. But, it's BioShock, and therefore a must-buy for any platform it's available on.

BioShock is the most important new intellectual property of this hardware generation. Like its predecessor, it is an experience that could only ever be achieved in a videogame, one that demonstrates the true power of this medium to engage and inspire us, and in doing so it soars far above so many other games, clipped and blinkered as they are by their lowly, merely filmic aspirations. Irrational's achievements in BioShock Infinite dignify the medium.

Overall, Street Fighter 4 doesn’t bring a lot of new ideas to the table but it does do everything better than any previous incarnation, which is exactly what we wanted.

Everything a great sequel should be, and fans of the series will love the additions Infinity Ward have included this time around. Easily one of the best games this year, and a contender for the best shooter currently available for next-gen consoles.

Metal Gear Solid 4 isn't just a game, it's a work of art. By far and away the best PlayStation-exclusive title this year.

This game is huge in entertainment value and a tour de force for the Nintendo stable of characters. Its many game options and the full-on combat make it a game you will come back to again and again. Highly recommended for any Wii owner.

Probably the best DS title on the market currently, Chinatown Wars shows Rockstar can master not only next-gen console and PC, they know a thing or two about handheld gaming as well.

I named the vanilla release the best game I had played this millennium in 2017, and the Definitive Edition on PS4 the best RPG I had ever played in 2018. 2019 sees Larian’s RPG opus become portable and it is as fantastic as ever. It is easily the deepest, richest, and most rewarding game on the Switch. In short Divinity Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition the best game on Nintendo Switch.

Divinity: Original Sin II is the best game I have played this millennium.

Odin Sphere Leifthrasir is a cult classic for good reason. It's a strange title, but an engrossing one that's only let down by some one-note characters.

An amazing title which further solidifies Xbox Live Arcade's position as a fantastic platform for gamers and developers alike. Highly recommended.

Super Mario World 3D pares back some of the complexity seen in recent Mario games in favour of multiplayer gaming, and it works wonderfully.

Blizzard have stuck to what they know with this sequel to one of the most beloved RTS titles of all time. Don't expect any revolutionary twists to the classic gameplay - although what is included is imbued with the kind of perfection you've come to expect from one of the best developers in the world.

Overall, Street Fighter 4 doesn’t bring a lot of new ideas to the table but it does do everything better than any previous incarnation, which is exactly what we wanted.

For anyone looking for the ultimate in expression and aesthetic satisfaction, or merely searching for a game that will virtually limitless exploration and achievement, Minecraft offers it all.

Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC is the definitive version of Rockstar’s Western epic. The game has never looked as good, nor played as well. This is one of the best stories Rockstar has ever told, even if their storytelling has become a little predictable, but that cannot take away from how exceptional the whole package is it.

It doesn't matter what you're playing it on: Hearthstone is a fantastic CCG that gets the balance just right and needn't cost players a cent.

Despite being unable to match the PC in terms of graphical splendour, there's plenty here to keep you occupied, and fans won't be disappointed with what the developers have crafted.

Epic have managed to improve on Gears of War in almost every respect with this much anticipated sequel.

Mass Effect 3 is an utterly brilliant bookend for an outstanding franchise.

If this is indeed the final Metal Gear title from Hideo Kojima, he's gone out on an impeccably-produced high. Although the story doesn't match that of past games, The Phantom Pain's gameplay delivers in a way that only a select few open world games manage.

Without the pro instruments Rock Band 3 is a strong rhythm game but nothing extraordinary. With Pro Mode, and the new Pro instruments this game is a shining light in a genre that had become happy with mediocrity.

Having exhausted my repertoire of adjectives for describing this game I’ve decided to keep it simple: Uncharted 4 is the best game in the franchise and – dare I say it – the best game on PS4. Whether you’ve been part of the series since day one or never played any of them before, it matters not – this one is absolutely worth taking the time out to sit down and enjoy.

With Super Smash. Bros Ultimate, the development team set themselves the lofty goal of bringing together an incredible amount of the franchises back catalogue of characters, stages and other miscellanea. With this much fan service-focused content, there was always the danger that the game would get buried beneath it. But thankfully, the game sits proudly on top of it, in this game that simultaneously celebrates the very history of gaming while presenting a deep, incredibly fun fighting game for everyone and everyone, no matter how you choose to play.

It’s a rare game that keeps you ruminating over the meaning of its background elements long after you’ve finished playing it. It’s also a rare game that demonstrates exactly what the medium as a whole is capable of. Do not wait: play it...Inside is absolutely astonishing.

Forza Horizon 4 continues the incredible success of this series, taking its already lofty achievement to even greater heights. The team at Playground games have created a title that cleverly balances realism with fun in a dynamic, beautiful world with a wide range of exciting and meticulously designed events and activities.

It's pretty much what we expect from this epic franchise, but the limited scope and fairly mundane ending hasn't rounded off this franchise with the dignity it deserves.

Uncharted 3 has the ability to elicit high excitement from its players through a tight and polished combination of gameplay styles, and through it's unmatched art direction. It's let down only slightly with a kind of shallowness, and a linear quality unbefitting a game of this quality. But these small niggles aside, Uncharted 3 will have players leaning forward through some of the best action sequences in gaming, and will be a favourite for both long time fans and those new to the series.

Rock Band is more than a simple video game, it's a highly interactive social experience. There's enough depth and fun here to keep you and your friends entertained for months. A must-have for the festive season!

A tremendous title on PS3, Journey is even better on PS4 thanks to a better resolution, improved frame rate, and sharper textures.

Bloodborne is both perplexing and awe-inspiring, a challenging but rewarding title that will absorb or repel with equal strength.

The Witcher 3 is a triumph. CD Projekt has delivered a world that is epic and textured, and a narrative composed of swelling crescendos and artful asides. This is a studio at the top of its game delivering a title that’s now at the top of the field. Quite simply, The Witcher 3 is unmissable.

Simply put, it's the best console racing experience you're going to have this year.

The stealth portions are somewhat simple in execution but satisfying when you get it right. When you are high above the enemy scoping them out in order to plan your attacks you really do feel like Batman.

Last year I named Divinity Original Sin II the best game I had played this millennium. This year I need to amend that statement. Divinity Original Sin II – The Definitive Edition the best RPG I have ever played. Its transition to console might not be a smooth as I would have liked, but there are a slew of improvements and welcome additions that make it more than it was, and the exceptional quality of the game is undeniable.

Rock Band is more than a simple video game, it's a highly interactive social experience. There's enough depth and fun here to keep you and your friends entertained for months. A must-have for the festive season!

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is everything you could want from a port. It features a wealth of content, and feels like a response (and then some) to fan criticisms of prior games. But for me, the real triumph of this game is the symbiotic relationship between the game and the new system that it inhabits: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is proof that Nintendo wasn't just blowing smoke when it proposed the Switch as a portable console experience. I got a profound sense of satisfaction and enjoyment by having this game with me on the go and getting to play it whenever the opportunity arose. It is, in many ways, a dream come true.

Taken as a whole, Blood and Wine is nothing short of a triumph – a stunning conclusion to one of the best RPG series ever made.

It's probably the best fighting game out at the moment.

The different modes have enough variety to add a measure of replay value, with minor changes in the gameplay and some new mazes to chomp your way through.

But in most other respects this is an incredibly assured first-person adventure that grants a dozen hours of top-notch escapism in a brilliantly fleshed-out world, and practically demands an immediate replay so that all its delights may be sampled.

At its heart, LittleBigPlanet 2 is a suite of development tools wrapped up in a user-friendly, child-like aesthetic of yarn and cardboard.

With well over ten million people playing the game, any expansion is a must-have for any fan of the game. More so this release, it has more content and depth than the first expansion and brings back a lot of the feel and flavour of the original game release.

As far as adventure shooters on the console go, this has it all, but stack it up against similar games on other consoles and you cannot help feeling it's a runner-up rather than a leader. A good game though, and one that we recommend.

Bayonetta 2 is a silky smooth and highly-entertaining brawler that all Wii U owners should have in their collections.

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition is one of the best RPGs available on the sSwitch and is by far the most content rich version currently available. While the Switch version may not look quite as great as its big console brothers, the wealth of content on offer will have you busy for well over one hundred hours. From its stunning character and enemy design, to its pitch-perfect turn-based combat, DQ XI S is a grand slam on every level and an essential addition to any RPG fans Switch library.

A beautifully crafted Australian locale combined with an amazing car collection take this entry to the next level. Forza Horizon 3 builds on the driving prowess and open world diversity of its predecessors, taking it to the top of the podium.

Sonic Mania Plus is a return to form for Sega’s most iconic character. It takes all that is old and makes it new again.

Kratos has made the transition to the small screen with godly grace. We're barely out of the first quarter, but if you treat yourself to only one action title this year, make it this one.

All in all, I’m definitely enjoying myself. I’ve long thought of FFXIV as a (if not the) leader in the MMO space and the early signs of Shadowbringers point only to improving this status. There’s just so much to do, and doing it is just the right mix of fun and dopamine-hits that MMO fans look for. As I said at the beginning, it’s too early to score this one yet, but I can already tell it’s highly likely to end up with a number at the top end of the bracket.

Shadow of the Colossus is available on three generations of PlayStation hardware, but this latest version is the best. The splendid facelift here can't disguise some of its creakier gameplay, but if you've never played it, there's never been a better time to tackle Team Ico's signature game.

Killzone 2 is a game which gives war a glorious edge. The cinematic style of the single-player campaign brings forth memories of classic war stories as an elite group of four soldiers battle against a malevolent enemy.

The campaign attempts to wrap itself in the dramatic cloak of human tragedy but fails to deliver on that emotive promise.

For all the minor problems at hand, Forza Motorsport 4 is the most complete car experience available today. Vast in scope, with many new features, it is slickly present and well executed. Other titles will cater to hardcore racing specialities better, but for those looking to race, tweak, tune and participate in a community, this fourth iteration offers more than enough entertainment.

The sequel we've been waiting for. It more than lives up to years of expectation, as Bethesda has seamlessly transitioned the franchise from RPG to tactical FPS without skipping a beat. Game of the year? Quite possibly.

The best shooter available on console right now, Gears 3 is an experience not to be missed.

Expert storytellers BioWare have made no effort to disguise the fact they consider Dragon Age: Origins to be the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate, but the game also owes much to sister title Knights of the Old Republic. The graphics may be a little vanilla, but by and large: Masterful.

Rayman Legends isn’t just good, it’s utterly terrific on practically every level. That such a title was once confined to Nintendo’s sickly hardware seems abhorrent, although it’s the sort of rare game that would sell a console. An exquisite offering, it exudes polish and should appeal to everything sentient within 50 yards of the TV.

Disco Elysium is one of the most interesting games we’ve seen in decades in terms of its themes and writing. A conversation heavy investigative RPG that leans very heavily on the genre’s pen and paper roots. We’ve not seen this type of RPG in quite some time, and certainly not one as well executed as this. If you like your RPG’s densely worded I think you’ll find a lot to like here.

A Link Between Worlds boasts excellent characterisation and spacial design. Even a too-shallow difficulty curve can't hold this long awaited entry back.

This time around, From Software has nailed the PC version of its beloved franchise, leaving absolutely no doubt as to which platform gives players the best experience.

Dark Souls II is a tough, bleak, and frightening action-RPG that is every bit as harrowing yet satisfying as its predecessors.

One of the most immersive games of 2009. An epic storyline and excellent gameplay leave us almost entirely satisfied.

New Horizons is the near-perfect installment ahead of the 20th anniversary of the series. There is so much to do in this game, and Nintendo has really pushed the limits for the series with the amount of creative freedom they’ve handed over to the player. The only thing that lets it down is the clunkiness of an otherwise delightful multiplayer feature. Still, this is exactly the kind of game I want to be stuck at home with.

Whether you are a casual player looking for some new levelling experiences, a manic PvPer looking for the next challenge or a PvE progression player, Cataclysm has something for everyone. Like the expansions that preceded it, Cataclysm is growing and evolving.

Bayonetta is a refreshing and somewhat surprising addition to an already extensive catalogue of action games. A must-buy for any anime gaming fan, and an excellent representation of the genre.

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition is a genre-defining experience on consoles. It's a must for console-owning fans of the franchise, and a highly recommended entry point for anyone interested in the action-RPG genre.

What’s incredible about Overwatch is how every single aspect of the game presented holds the same remarkably high level of detail and polish, and though the lack of progression systems and small selection of game modes may limit the experience for some in the long term, in the short to medium term, this game is nothing short of amazing.

Far Cry 3 makes some impressive changes to reinvent the franchise and create an experience that is not afraid to address thematic issues many other games shy away from. Watching Jason both grow as an individual and succumb to the madness that infects the Rook islands adds significant weight to the actions Far Cry 3 asks players to undertake. Ubisoft asks us to consider whether we're just as mad as the rest of the Rook Island natives. There's still room for other games to execute more deftly on these same themes, but for now, Far Cry 3's journey is easily compelling and even easier to recommend.

It's an extremely solid effort, and feels like a full release title.

An excellent update to FIFA 09. Small refinements across the board for a much more precise and controlled soccer experience, that really plays like it should. EA has done it again, the improved AI and ball handling really helps to immerse the player, providing us with one of the most realistic and detailed soccer titles to date.

Despite being unable to match the PC in terms of graphical splendour, there's plenty here to keep you occupied, and fans won't be disappointed with what the developers have crafted.

Portal: Still Alive is ideal for Xbox 360 owners who want the Portal experience without any hassles. Log in, download, and play - but beware, it's not exactly a small file.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is an unmitigated triumph. Every element is executed to perfection; the pinpoint platforming, kinetic combat, and heartfelt storytelling are second to none. Visually stunning and accompanied by an evocative soundscape you will feel like you’re stepping into another world, and it’s one you’ll likely never want to leave.

For fans of puzzling games, Limbo can certainly help you with that head-scratching itch. However, for those with only a passing interest in the genre, Limbo's difficulty curve, its lack of gameplay direction and its depressed setting could prove a barrier to enjoyment.

Together these elements make Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood the most polished experience the series has created to date. It's one that will vindicate fans and hush doubters, even if Ezio's swarthy charms are starting to run as thin as an Italian waiter shamelessly flirting with your date.

Rockstar's epic franchise gets another round on the PSP, arguably the portable platform it was best suited for in the first place. There are a number of enhancements over the DS release, but it's not all good news as some of the minigames have been lost in translation. Overall though, a stand-out title filled with the type of quality you've come to expect from Rockstar.

That aside, Dead Space 2 is a fantastic shooter. It's a marked departure in mood and gameplay from the first, but these design choices have paid off enormously. A must for horror or shooter fans.