When started, you’ll rarely look at another game for weeks if not months (thanks to the downloadable content) to come and beyond. Oblivion is without question a strong contender for the best game of 2006.

Halo 3 isn't perfect, but it's so close it's unnerving. There's very little to fault with this game, and the flaws that are there are almost completely overshadowed by the overall quality and incredible amount of content and features.

It is literally full of those 'classic' moments that are all too rare these days. Whether it's the first time your footprints are discovered, the first time you perform a stealth kill, finding out the identity of the 'Ninja', solving the method of defeating Psycho Mantis, obtaining the camera and seeking out your first 'ghost'... there are so many classic memories.

But amidst all this dispensable extra substance is the core mechanic of Mario; the one thing that holds true to the series, and one thing that ensures Mario is leaps and bounds ahead of its platforming peers - inertia. The faster you run, the higher you jump. It's a brilliantly simple concept that works perfectly.

Not only does Sam Fisher dethrone Solid Snake, he snaps his neck when he's not looking. Now that's a sign of greatness.

Racing games have now changed forever, and entirely for the better - for that there can be no higher recommendation. It's that good.

As a document of the series past, present and future, it stands tall, and will prove essential for many. But for those without access to online play, especially those players unconvinced by the almost monotonous pace that the main game develops, there may be few reasons to return.

For all that, though, Guns Of The Patriots is a magnificently entertaining game.

Don't miss out on this at any cost. If you need a bit more convincing, just remember: you get to have a threesome.

It's a luminous use of an indelible vehicle, and it deserves to be held aloft; suitably accorded the very best nomenclature in Gamestyle's vocabulary. A Ten, then.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a modern classic, but it isn’t without faults.

It's an astonishing achievement for a handheld that nobody thought could hold this much content, or present it in such an effective way.

A game you can lose yourself in for hours, only looking away to wonder where the time has gone. It is one of this generations great games, as simple as that.

And all this carnage is rendered beautifully through the game's graphics and sound. It's hard to deny that God of War II is one of the greatest looking and most epic games on the Playstation 2, but it wouldn't be much of a stretch to call it one of the best looking games on any console.

A mastery of games design, Super Mario 3D World shows that Nintendo are still on top of their game. Blending the old and the new into platforming gold, this is everything we could’ve wanted and more. The reason to own a Wii U has arrived.

WOW the game is fast, furious and most importantly fun, for the first time in ages a game has reminded me that I'm scarred of heights and BOY this game throws you from some heights.

Street Fighter IV is everything we could have hoped for and more, and we haven’t even mentioned the glorious visuals and excellent music.

Persona 4 Golden isn’t just one of the best games on the Vita to date… Actually scratch that. It is THE best game on the Vita and it is one of the finest games you will ever play. It is a lesson in craftsmanship, there is no weakness at all, at no point is there a moment where your interest falls away. Persona 4 Golden is a system seller, you must own this, even if you need to still buy a Vita to do so.

It's hard to imagine how EA can possibly top this one.

Okami is a thing of beauty, and although it treads one or two too many familiar paths, it never fails to follow its own as well.

Fallout 3 is an incredibly well-accomplished game that lets players explore a rich, diverse and interesting landscape however they see fit.

Gears of War 2 is, simply put, an improvement in every aspect.

There's nothing wrong with the video game as such, the sound and presentation are both exemplary and the graphics are crisp, but as the sport is inherently complicated it doesn't go out of it's way to make new friends.

Put in enough time and you will find you are able to block, sidestep, counter, throw and special move your way to an impressive amount of “perfects”, without ever reaching the ridiculous heights of some games whereby a newcomer has no chance whatsoever.

In conclusion, this game has not let the series down. Opinion will differ with the actual story, but with the amount of different options available in the game, that is bound to happen. It just can't be stressed enough that this game will only give half the pleasure if it is played without prior Mass Effect experience.

The whole package offers a weird, unique, fun, original, stylish and difficult game which, unfortunately, can be all too hard to find these days.

How can Rockstar follow this? San Andreas is a masterpiece; the outstanding gameplay from the first two games has been extended, tweaked and applied to a fresh, original and fascinating setting. There's more than enough meat to keep you going for months, and the sheer variety of gameplay is bewildering.

Pretenders and rivals to the throne take note: a new standard by which all adventures shall be measured has been set. And it doesn't include a big set of 'guns'.