A sandbox of the simplest kind, Goat Simulator is a mental yet uproarious title whose silly antics will put a smile on the dial of even the most po-faced gamer.

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.

A truly spectacular soccer title with exceptional player animations, ball handling and gameplay to boot. The AI will provide a significant challenge, but the implementation of one of the most advanced and complete online modes will mean that this game will truly last you a long time.

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty is an excellent example of how to remake a game. A must for returning fans and newcomers alike.

Poignant and powerful, What Remains of Edith Finch has set a new standard in storytelling. Don’t be put off by its brevity – these are two of the most enjoyable hours I have ever spent in front of my PC monitor.

The massive game world and highly detailed units provide hours and hours of entertainment for anyone who can appreciate a slower paced and highly cerebral RTS.

It doesn't need a hokey in-game marketplace where players can trade credits for uniforms in order to be better; such insecurity only cheapens the whole thing. FIFA 13 is a triumph when viewed on its core merits; its ability to excite and drive the player to new levels of skill and enjoyment through the age-old medium of football.

A fantastic, frantic combination of pretty much all the highlights of previous Civilization titles rolled into one single package. Finally, a worthy way to experience Sid Meier's legendary franchise on your console!

Night School’s creepy teen horror more than succeeds at being a chilling supernatural tale, but its real strength lies in its rough, earnest, truthful account of five teen lives and the ways that they grow and fracture under the worst, most unearthly kind of pressure.

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection is a truly fantastic trio of games that are a mere rope swing away from perfection.

The complete racing package, Race Driver GRID is perfectly tuned to produce a fine balance between fun and realism. A large range of classes means the comparatively small number of cars does nothing to detract from the sense of scale.

The single-player campaign involves a riveting and emotional story, and the inclusion of co-op is fantastic. The game itself however is heavily weighted towards multiplayer, as was its predecessor.

Beamdog has delivered the definitive Icewind Dale experience.

A textbook multiplayer sequel, Garden Warfare 2 builds upon the solid class-based shooting of its predecessor, while both refining the core mechanics and adding a shedload of new content.

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.

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.

It’s hard to believe that EA’s Madden NFL 2010 is the 5th Madden release on the Xbox 360. Each incarnation has built upon and improved on the previous. Madden 2009 made the series and the sport itself accessible to the masses – so how much room has the latest release got to move?

Captain Scarlett and her Pirate's Booty is what downloadable content ought to be: expansive and apart. It's instantly recognisable, but it experiments with many of the gameplay mechanics players are familiar with. It introduces carefully conceived and thoroughly realised new non-player characters, and provides an encapsulated encounter that any fan of Borderlands 2 would do very well to consider.

Rockstar have created one of the most imaginative and cleverly designed DLC packs this year.

The Escapists is a break out success for Mouldy Toof studios. A must-play for indie gaming fans with a little patience.

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.

Developer SCEE Cambridge has struck the finest of balances between determining what the port platform is capable of and what the game is all about – before creating new content to make up the difference.

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.

Jaded by the current crop of MMORPG's? Tired of the endless band aids in the form of patches designed to disguise the boredom? Sick of the grind? Come over to the all new world of Aion and experience the art of MMORPG at a new level.

This game is what the Wii is all about. Making the most of the unique Wii control system, it delivers wholesome fun with a bit of puzzling thrown in for good measure. Great game, great fun, and definitely one for your collection.

SteamWorld Heist is a delight right from the very beginning. A beautiful stripped-back strategy game that ditches many of the genres bells and whistles in order to focus on the action, it offers an appealingly new perspective on one of the oldest genres in video games.

Guild Wars 2 is the first new MMO in a long time to offer a compelling and enjoyable gameplay experience, that doesn't leave the player alone and trying hard to make friends. As with any MMO, it's a complete waste of time. A joyful, well crafted, and highly entertaining waste of a whole lot of time, and one that is highly recommended.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is a game you're going to either love or loathe. If the original tweaked your interest then this is a must-buy.