Like The Lost and Damned before it, The Ballad of Gay Tony redefines expectations of downloadable content, but this new episode does so much more beside. It’s the perfect send-off for one of this generation’s definitive titles, it takes the Grand Theft Auto IV experience and injects it with the spirit of the series’ past, resulting in a game that can be mentioned in the same breath as San Andreas or Vice City.

One of the finest zombie games ever made, and one of the finest co-op games ever made. The potential for everything to go so, so wrong without warning, or conversely to pull off the most spectacular escapes against all odds, means this is an online shooter you can tell your finest anecdotes about without boring everyone else to tears.

It’s hugely atmospheric and engrossing, its blend of combat and stealth balanced superbly to deliver an experience that’s easily as engaging as the Metal Gear series.

The main thing, though, is the remarkable and bold focus - none of Assassin's Creed 2's endless tutorial or ridiculous minigames, or indeed of Arkham Asylum's irritatingly blocked routes and hollow collectormania. This reborn Splinter Cell just gets on with it: it has the courage to pick one thing, the fantasy of being a hi-tech manhunter, and do it as well as possible.

One of the finest zombie games ever made, and one of the finest co-op games ever made. The potential for everything to go so, so wrong without warning, or conversely to pull off the most spectacular escapes against all odds, means this is an online shooter you can tell your finest anecdotes about without boring everyone else to tears.

Forget bullet hell - Treasure has created an awesome slice of bullet heaven.

For a developer whose previous games have been little more than average, Killzone 2 is a landmark achievement. Guerrilla has pushed the boundaries of what we’ve seen on PlayStation 3 by creating an all-action shooter that’s far closer to the original E3 teaser trailer than we could ever have imagined. It’s not perfect, sure, but it’s arguably the best FPS on PlayStation 3 and one that is, in this reviewer’s opinion at least, superior to "Resistance 2."

It provides a truly electric action experience, building on the original with intense, astonishingly epic set-pieces. What's more, the presentation is the closest we’ve got to starring in a full-blown action flick. However, the game is also bereft of any genuine surprises and for all of its stunning visuals and masterful firefights, it’s all a little too predictable.

On most levels it’s hard to fault Mass Effect 2; this is a sequel that polishes many of the original’s faults, tightening the combat and turning the screw on Shepard in the fight to save humanity with an impressive flair. Those already in thrall to BioWare’s magic will fall in love all over again with a game that’s got the sweep and stagger of the very best sci-fi epics.

The definitive GTA? That depends where your tastes lie, but either way there’s no denying this is a masterpiece of handheld gaming.

It’s hugely atmospheric and engrossing, its blend of combat and stealth balanced superbly to deliver an experience that’s easily as engaging as the Metal Gear series.

Bioware’s achievements in all this are incredible. It cannot be stressed enough at the depth of the universe they have conjured.

While WipEout HD is essentially a redressing of the previous PSP games, it's hard to complain when the source material was so good in the first place and the redressing is so assured. As a standalone title, WipEout HD would impress, but as a download title it's nothing short of essential.

Though FM09’s 3D match engine is Sports Interactive’s one real attempt at breaking from its comfort zone this time around, it’s also this latest iterations biggest disappointment. We can certainly see the potential of Sports Interactive’s newfound interest in 3D and we hope it all comes together more gracefully in FM2010. In the meantime though, its relative failure doesn’t detract from the fact that FM09 is still easily the most in-depth, enjoyable and addictive way to pretend you manage a football team.

With satisfyingly challenging puzzles expertly woven between engaging platforming and a thoroughly charming narrative, Winter of the Melodias represents an essential purchase. It's not simply the best WiiWare title on the market, but one of the best Wii games full stop.

God, the scale of the thing.

Even those who might sniff at the game’s focus on the extreme end of off-road motorsport will find it hard to scoff at its rewarding handling model, its sense of atmosphere and its sumptuous visuals, all of which help make it a highlight of the Colin McRae series.

The best Japanese RPG of this generation. The fact that it looks like it's from the last generation is its only drawback, but its technical limitations are offset by imaginative artistic direction, innovative and compelling combat, and thoughtful design.

It's polished and slick, it's got gargantuan-sized gods, near-musical interludes, and infernal, flaming bosses. It's nothing short of brilliant.

While it's occasionally hampered by outdated controls and problematic AI, it's the near-mandatory co-op and bombastic assault of visceral silliness that earns Resident Evil 5 its stripes. Sure, it might just be a shinier, snazzier retread of Resi 4 - and certainly, it lacks its forerunner's impressive sense of invention - but this is still big, dumb Grade A entertainment.

This second tour of duty with far superior toys is everything it needs to be, though. Familiarity breeds a little contempt, but as, simply, a game in which you shoot monsters in city under the sea, it's better in every respect.

Even those who might sniff at the game’s focus on the extreme end of off-road motorsport will find it hard to scoff at its rewarding handling model, its sense of atmosphere and its sumptuous visuals, all of which help make it a highlight of the Colin McRae series.

One of the most soothing, effortlessly playable things you've ever likely had the pleasure to experience. It's a surreal and simple sandbox with no hidden subtleties or complex underlying system of progress and reward, no contrived meaning. It's appeal purely lies with its gentle, happy-go-lucky lunacy, and that's what makes it so bafflingly absorbing.

While not wholly original, the game's blend of open world ideals with superhero powers is done with a verve that’s unsurpassed, and the mesh of platforming and freeform combat is uniquely satisfying.

A peerless offering that blows any comparable 'band-only' music title out of the water. Doing justice to the greatest band of all time was always going to be a tough job, but The Beatles: Rock Band offers a beautiful tribute to an enduring act.

Heavy Rain’s undoubtedly a sophisticated, fearless and often remarkable piece of entertainment. As a game it's not always successful but, as an experience, it's absolutely unforgettable.

Blur's an amazing Frankenstein of a game, sewing together the best bits of the Project Gotham series with the Mario Kart formula, the result a game that's completely unique.

It's taken a fair amount of time to get there, but Bad Company 2 marks the point DICE finally delivered the full Battlefield package. With a varied and engrossing single player campaign allied to a top-notch multiplayer, this is war gaming at its explosive best.