It's the best kart-racing game we've played in a very long while, and one of the first that shows its own personality rather than piggybacking off popular characters or aping the kings of the genre – and the excellent customisation features help to make a good thing even better.

Simply the ultimate refinement of Nintendo's already masterful control of the genre; it's lovingly crafted, sumptuously presented and an absolute, unmitigated joy to play.

With a first half that’s glacial at best and patronising at worst, it’s a tough ask to expect audiences to stick with it once those glorious vistas and early scenes of intrigue fade against the over-egged torch-pointing and repetitive mountainside trudges.

This is so much more than a mere retooling of Rockstar's tried and tested open world formula – it's an artful take on a world long lost, an evocative paean to not only the Western genre but also to the beautiful expanse of the American landscape.

It's an artful take on a world long lost, an evocative paean to not only the Western genre but also to the beautiful expanse of the American landscape. Even better though is that under that remarkable feat is a game that's been refined and revitalised, setting the open world genre free and creating an experience that's quite likely to be one of this year's very best.

Split/Second is an explosive shot of distilled arcade energy; it's action that's fueled by the slick production of the Hollywood a-list, and racing that's infused with an infectious amount of fun.

True, the button-happy combat might be a step backward in many respects but the sheer quality and purity of the excellent, inventive platform action should be more than enough to keep fans happy.

It might not do anything to push the franchise into new territory but there's a ton of good, old fashioned free-running to sink your teeth into, with a neat reaction-based twist thanks to the new elemental abilities. While it's undoubtedly bland compared to Sands of Time (and uncomfortably familiar at times), it's unhampered by unnecessary convolutions which plagued later series entries.

At its core it's a potentially great action game and it's very good-looking, but it explains itself so incredibly poorly and has such an awkward structure and poor checkpointing that a lot of the fun is ruined by interminable frustration – not to mention the fact that it's basically unplayable as a single-player game.

At its core it's a potentially great action game and it's very good-looking, but it explains itself so incredibly poorly and has such an awkward structure and poor checkpointing that a lot of the fun is ruined by interminable frustration – not to mention the fact that it's basically unplayable as a single-player game.

This is a better game than FIFA 10 and while it'll inevitably be outstripped by FIFA 11 later this year it still stands as the best take on the sport that's currently available. It's also the perfect accompaniment to the summer of football that awaits.

This is a better game than FIFA 10 and while it'll inevitably be outstripped by FIFA 11 later this year it still stands as the best take on the sport that's currently available. It's also the perfect accompaniment to the summer of football that awaits.

Far more accessible and appealing than its PSP counterparts – it's beautiful, absorbing, hugely satisfying to play (with a Classic Controller at least) and thankfully doesn't rely so heavily on multiplayer.

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.

Plain Sight is a collection of lovely ideas presented with flair and character, and if it could tighten up its fussy controls a little it'd have a good chance of being one of those break-out indie hits that quietly earn its creators a deserved fortune.

True, some elements of the game are by the numbers but when you’re dangling, one-armed, off a helicopter, taking out chasing vehicles with a rocket launcher, you can’t help but forgive Just Cause 2 some of its shortcomings.

True, some elements of the game are by the numbers but when you’re dangling, one-armed, off a helicopter, taking out chasing vehicles with a rocket launcher, you can’t help but forgive Just Cause 2 some of its shortcomings.

As a template for how to combine shooting and swordplay within one intuitive, fluid control system, Red Steel 2 is an incredible achievement. But the bottom line is that the game takes a little too long to get going, and when it does it's all over way too soon.

Such problems are not enough to detract from MotoGP 09/10’s successes, and there are enough of these to make it just about worthwhile for anyone desperately itching for some authentic action.

Despite delivering malevolent intensity in spades, its eccentric blend of stealth, survival horror and flawed gunplay is simply lacking the all-important polish required to challenge the genre's A-list.

For all God of War III's familiarity, it's a game refined with such grace and skill, there's no question that this is the absolute pinnacle of an already exhilarating series. Sure, it's a smaller, leaner beast than its predecessors but, as it happens, one that packs an absolutely unforgettable punch.

There are some occasional technical quirks and the game's never going to blow you away with big innovations you haven't already seen in a Rockstar game, but overall this is a capable clone that's well worth its price of just eight bucks.

As a technical feat the game is a triumph, but it seems a slave to its own spectacle, manacling the gameplay to serve its own bombastic vision and ultimately while the excellent combat and stunning visuals are enough to recommend it, they're not enough to earn it a place amongst the series’ top rank.

Ultimately the lack of anything substantial to do beyond fleeing and fighting soon brings the game crashing back to earth, and even when the walls are lifted Final Fantasy XIII’s world can seem strangely lifeless.

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.

In spite of its sluggish opening, Battlefield: Bad Company goes on to produce one of the most entertaining first-person shooters since last year’s Call of Duty 4. Bold and bright in tone, it’s blockbuster fare that combines DICE’s first-person expertise with a small sprinkling of innovation that’s enough to ensure it’s a perfect way to shoot the summer breeze.

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.

With a greater emphasis on structured gameplay elements, and the continued freedom to go off and explore to your heart's content, Arika has ensured that Endless Ocean 2 is a much more rounded experience without ever compromising its unique qualities.