A fantastically clever deconstruction of video games and the people that play them, as well as a hugely entertaining action puzzler that’s not really about ponies.

The move into 3D has produced some staggeringly pretty visuals, but when it comes to the controls and running time this usually enjoyable action puzzler suffers badly as a result.

A welcome reboot of a great rhythm action game, although the lack of new ideas and disappointing soundtrack leaves things a little off kilter.

For better and worse this is Harvest Moon in all but name, with a few useful new ideas but still the same old crop of problems.

Turok may have been state-of-the-art in 1997 but today both its graphics and its gameplay feel virtually prehistoric.

A wonderfully rich celebration of one of gaming’s more forgotten shooter franchises, although it’s unfortunate its pleasures come at such a high price.

One of the most exciting driving sims of the new generation, and hopefully a game that will only get better over the coming months.

Undertale is a superb indie role-player that proves once again that it’s not graphics that make a game entertaining but gameplay and great ideas.

Still gaming’s most realistic crime drama, as well as being the natural heir to both Shenmue and Streets Of Rage – even if this entry shows little real innovation.

Another perfectly constructed neo-arcade game from the makers of Luftrausers, which perfectly marries twin stick shooters with roguelike punishment.

A superb mix of action and strategy that should be enough to convince everyone that turn-based doesn’t have to mean slow or serious.

Not the full fat sequel that fans will have been waiting for but an enjoyable, if extremely shallow, four-player Diablo clone.

It certainly looks the part, but although this never plays quite as well as F-Zero GX it’s close enough that most fans will forgive its lack of refinement.

Easily the best toys-to-life game so far, with a great new gimmick that makes for one of the best family friendly titles this year – even on iOS.

One of the best multiplayer experiences of the year, but the cost of entry and the lack of content make it a harder sell then it should be.

There’s a disappointing lack of invention in the paper thin story and characters, but the combat and witty dialogue is as good as the series has ever been.

The core action is explosively silly in all the best ways, but the controls, missions, and story structure are all disappointingly underdeveloped.

The best Japanese role-player of the generation and arguably the best open world environment of the year, despite a disappointing story and some arcane systems.

The visuals still impress, but for a game obsessed with storytelling at all costs the dopey plot and underwritten characters in no way make up for the lack of gameplay.

A new low for Nintendo and for Animal Crossing, in what is the least amount of fun you can have with an amiibo without needing urgent medical attention afterwards.

It’s a sad state for dinosaurs in video games when this shoddily-constructed, and almost irredeemably shallow, shooter is almost the only sign of a T-Rex we’ve had all year.

A great idea ruined by some very strange design decisions, that turn what should be a fun platformer puzzler into a gloomy and illogical word game.

An excellent expansion to what is not only the best game of the year, but one of the best action games of all-time.

A microscopic improvement on Football Manager 2015, that is as addictive and engrossing as ever but seems to have run out of steam in terms of new ideas.

Treat it as an HD remaster of the N64 game and this is actually one of the best Mario Tennis games since then, but the lack of features and extra content is a real turn-off.

An unsatisfying end to what has been Telltale’s weakest game of recent years, with Game Of Thrones proving a poor fit for their usual formula.

One of the best-looking video games ever made and although relatively shallow the spectacle and excitement of the Star Wars universe comes across superbly well.

A solid end to StarCraft II’s five year journey, although beyond the co-op missions it offers no real clue as to the genre’s future.

A tragic failure that attempts to revive the wonder of NiGHTS and Sonic The Hedgehog, but falls victim to publisher melding and terrible controls.

A minor entry in the venerable city building series, which has some interesting ideas and visuals but too little in the way of gameplay depth.

Call Of Duty’s most concerted effort to break the usual formula is unfortunately the most unsatisfying sequel in years, especially the badly flawed story campaign.

Its technical faults and lack of innovation are frustrating, but the game underneath is as enthralling and compulsive as anything Bethesda has ever made.

The old style Tomb Raider is never coming back, but this is a more satisfying compromise than the reboot and a fun alternative to the Uncharted series.

It’s not original, and it’s often unfocused, but Darksiders II remains one of the better Zelda clones – even if this slipshod remaster does it few favours.

A tragically misjudged series reboot that gets all of the fundamentals wrong, while adding absolutely nothing new to the franchise except flashier graphics.

A mediocre rhythm action game that is not made any better by tacking on a silly and insubstantial Persona story mode.

Despite the name this lacks any kind of zip at all, in what may be the most mundane and unexciting platformer Nintendo has ever put their name to.

The best WWE game for years, which may seem like faint praise but WWE 2K16 works as both a sports sim and a quality fighter in its own right.

The best computer role-player of the modern era, whose fantastically complex world and combat works unexpectedly well on consoles.

One of the best strategy role-players on any format, especially with the brand new scenario and mountains of content in this new 3DS version.

One of the best retro homages of recent years combines the choicest elements of older 2D games with plenty of new ideas of its own – as well as a completely free expansion pack.

As blatant a clone as you’ve ever seen, but this is almost as good as the real Left 4 Dead and does have a few extra ideas of its own.

Another wasted survival horror sequel, that ruins its chance to make proper use of the GamePad and turns fear of the unknown into fear of the same old thing.

The story campaign is a mild disappointment but the multiplayer is a bold reinvention of the Halo experience, that should keep the series fresh for years to come.

Another impressive open world environment is wasted on dull, joyless gameplay and repetitive missions, making Syndicate as banal and artless as Assassin’s Creed has ever been.

An excellent ending to an inconsistent but enjoyable season of sharp comedy and surprisingly affecting drama.

It doesn’t really do a lot more than what Elite achieved over 30 years ago, but this is a fun and accessible, if rather repetitive, space trading game.

Zelda does definitely work as a co-op multiplayer game, assuming you can find suitably competent allies, in this fun and charming spin-off.

A heartbreaking ending to a fascinatingly ambitious interactive story, that handles the build-up to its final dilemma with impressive confidence and heart.

A spirited attempt to reinvent Guitar Hero and the music game genre, but the freemium approach to additional content has its obvious drawbacks.

The Tales franchise still feels like a great combat system in need of a much better game, especially given the banal script and dungeon design that mars this latest entry.

An old school computer role-playing game is a rare sight on consoles, but this unofficial predecessor to Fallout is more than just a nostalgia-fuelled curio.

Some of the best storytelling so far in the series, and some inspired set pieces, but the chance to refine the gameplay has been sadly missed.

A useful expansion that unlike most doesn’t ignore the failings of the original, although even with the improvements Beyond Earth still isn’t as engrossing as the real Civilization.

Dragon Quest is arguably the most successful partner so for Dynasty Warriors, but the potential of the franchise, and this particular crossover, is still only barely hinted at.

A great simulation game that recalls the glory days of Theme Hospital et al. Although at times it almost feels like a psychology study of the player rather than the inmates.

An extremely slow start to Minecraft’s first story adventure, but it’s a game made with a clear love for the original and is bound to please most younger fans.

The least funny Disgaea yet, but arguably the best in terms of the actual gameplay – even if there is a lack of genuinely new ideas.

Indie gaming at its retro-loving best, with some of the most cunningly-designed and purposefully infuriating 2D gameplay ever seen.

The best Transformers game so far but, more importantly, a hugely entertaining and original action game that is one of the most uniquely entertaining releases of the year.

A welcome return for multiplayer music games, even if there’s relatively little new to add to the experience – and a few things that have been taken out.

The game clearly isn’t finished and even [if] it was the lack of ambition, and budget, is painfully obvious at every turn. A sad, pathetic end to a classic games franchise.

An ode to pop culture, the joy of toys, and the love of a good mash-up. It’s expensive, and a lot of the gameplay is familiar, but the mix of elements is almost impossible to resist.

An excellent remaster of three of the PlayStation 3’s best looking games, but none of them have aged quite as gracefully as you might expect.

A stripped down Animal Crossing with a premise so lightweight it can barely be said to exist at all, and yet there’s still an undemanding charm to its no-octane thrills.

As much strategy game as it is sports sim, this enjoyably bizarre mix of influences and genres has much to offer the more patient gamer.

Easily the best toys-to-life game so far, with a great new gimmick that makes for one of the best family friendly titles this year.

The worst FIFA game for over half a decade, and clearly inferior to PES 2016. And yet it’s still not a bad game in itself, with some welcome new features.

It won’t convert many new fans to either series but this is a successful mix of the best of both (minus the map-making) and whose new ideas deserve a future of their own.

An excellent conversion of the original iOS hit, and a wonderfully disturbing horror story that innovates in terms of everything from visuals and interface to its macabre narrative.

A daringly complex ode to the works of Philip K. Dick, and although the mix of survival horror and existential storytelling doesn’t always work it’s never less than gripping.

All the changes and additions are for the best, and a great step forward for Destiny in general, but they come at a price – both literally and figuratively.

Pro Evolution Soccer is finally back to its best, in what is undoubtedly one of the greatest sports games of all-time.

One of the best massively multiplayer offline games of recent years, although like any party game its attractions are fairly fleeting.

One of the best offline co-op games of recent years, with a wonderfully antagonist premise that destroys and rebuilds relationships on an almost minute-to-minute basis.

A noble effort to recreate one of the PS Vita’s best games on a home console, but the end result never feels quite as elegant or organic as the original.

The best Forza Motorsport so far and arguably the best driving simulator on consoles, with stunning visuals and a mountain of highly compelling content.

A surprisingly strong effort at turning around the disappointment of last year’s game, with the best Star Wars action this side of Battlefront.

Pure fan service in every sense, which ensures an enjoyably nostalgic adventure but also means a number of flaws that wouldn’t be tolerated in other circumstances.

Some of the best car chases in recent gaming memory and a stunning post-apocalyptic world, although when Max gets out of his car he becomes more mediocre than mad.

A disappointing spin-off from the excellent mainline games, and although the script is as sharp as ever the move into action game territory just does not work.

If you accept its purposeful limitations this is one of the few successful attempts to ensure creating your own games is as much fun as playing them.

The best Metal Gear Solid game ever made, as it bravely reinvents both its gameplay and its storytelling to far greater effect than ever before.

The Definitive Edition changes nothing, but Dishonored is still bravely uncompromising in terms of the freedom it offers the player and its willingness to treat them as an adult.

It should be impossible to make a mix of zombies and scantily-clad samurai bimbos this boring but that’s the one and only accomplishment of this brain-dead button-masher.

Staggeringly inept on almost every level, with crimes against game design, and good taste, that cannot be forgiven solely by the low budget.

The move into 3D has produced some staggeringly pretty visuals, but when it comes to the controls and running time this usually enjoyable action puzzler suffers badly as a result.

As retro compilations go this is very good, with pixel perfect emulation and some useful bonus features. But only existing fans will feel the games justify the effort.

One of the more successful interactive movies of recent years, but that’s really not saying much given the lack of gameplay and horror thrills.

One of the best remakes of recent years, both in terms of the amount of thought and effort put into the remastering and how much the original deserves the attention.

One of the best MOBAs on any console and a good introduction to the genre in general, thanks to its more console-friendly controls and fun premise.

An enjoyable homage to old school Metal Gear Solid, but a lack of challenge and an overbearing story means it isn’t quite a stealth classic in its own right.

Mixing Tower Defense, third person action, and beloved ’80s toys should’ve been a recipe for success, but this bland sequel doesn’t do justice to any of its ideas.

One of the best survival horrors of recent years, that functions almost as well as the Wii U version. creating a mature-rated adventure that is as ruthlessly difficult as it is engrossing.

The worldless storytelling is some of the most compelling of the year and the purposefully frustrating control system an outrageously daring experiment.

A sci-fi short story masquerading as a video game, and while it’s often fascinating and beautiful it makes even other walking simulators seem fast-paced by comparison.

A rare chance to celebrate a developer’s work through three whole decades, and even if some classics are missing what’s left still represents a laudable achievement in gaming.

Somewhere underneath this shameful collection of monetisation gimmicks there’s a decent game waiting to be played, but it never gets a chance to fly as free as it should.