Despite a highly emotional finale this is arguably the worst episode of the season, although the overall storytelling remains some of the strongest in gaming.

Another meaty chunk of downloadable content for Borderlands 2, with a great mix of play styles and some wonderfully OTT quests and characters.

A clever demonstration of all the Wii U's features and, more importantly, a mini-game collection that can keep any gamer – from casual to hardcore – equally entertained.

Not quite a killer app but certainly the best New Super Mario Bros. game so far, and an occasionally inspired 2D platformer in its own right.

Easily the best Far Cry game so far, with a near perfect mix of open world exploration, action, impressively ambitious storytelling, and one of gaming's best villains.

Another top notch Lego game and one that surpasses other Tolkien tie-ins, and most other movie adaptations, in terms of both fun and, unbelievably, authenticity.

It's a competent clone then, certainly better than others that have been attempted over the years, but nothing more than that. Clearly the PlayStation deserves a vastly more significant game to honour its influence on gaming. Copying Nintendo's own celebration seems not only wrong-headed but borderline offensive. In this case fans definitely deserve better.

A 3D platformer so bad it brings to mind Bubsy 3D rather than Super Mario 64, in what is a considerable step down from the already mediocre original.

In many ways Absolution is as effective a franchise reboot as we've ever seen, retaining almost everything that was good about the originals and while making the game more accessible for new players. It also has most of the same problems, or at least swaps them out for new ones, but maybe that at least will convince sceptics that IO hasn't sold out.

A superior Mario Kart clone and certainly the best Sega has ever produced, especially in terms of the teary-eyed nostalgia inspired by its endless retro cameos.

Whether you classify it as a game or not there's some very clever technology at work here, but it's hampered by boring mini-games and a meandering story.

The very worst thing about Declassified is that in reporting its failure we feel like we're writing an obituary for the PS Vita itself...This was make or break for Sony's portable, but such a shamefully underdeveloped shooter disgraces both the PS Vita and the Call Of Duty franchise.

Formula 1 crossed with Mario Kart is almost made to seem an inspired idea, but the restrictions of the licence drag this promising racer down.

Overall Black Ops II is the most ambitious and innovative Call Of Duty for years, but it's also the most inconsistent. But that may well be the short term price for trying to do things differently.

A disappointingly direct reboot of the ground-breaking original, with none of the same ambitious appetite for innovation.

One of the least worst Kinect games this year, which although it suffers from all the usual control issues is at least mindless fun while it lasts.

An odd couple crossover that is not only a loving homage to Star Wars but, more importantly, the best Angry Birds game so far.

A cheekily entertaining download that turns an extremely simple idea into a disarmingly nuanced, and effortlessly charming, multiplayer battler.

The customisation and creation tools are impressively powerful, but the disappointingly dull racer that's been built around them doesn't provide much inspiration.

A wasted opportunity to redeem PlayStation Move, with a horribly uninspired range of sports that barely work any better than back when they were Wii Sports games.

The best WWE game of the generation… but only because it successfully pulls upon your nostalgia strings, helping you forgot how mediocre the gameplay is.

The most significant update for Football Manager since its revival, with a suite of options to suit everyone from dedicated veterans to complete newbies.

The story set-up is good and there are some interesting new gameplay features, but almost all of them are squandered by sloppy design and technical issues.

As familiar as the system may seem there's no denying its addictive qualities, or the increased freedom it gives you to customise the play styles. But there is an unavoidable price to be paid in terms of Halo 4's sense of individuality.

The definitive version of one of the most beautiful video games ever created, not to mention the best Zelda game that never was.

A successful blend of Need For Speed and Burnout that lacks a little in personality, but certainly not in terms of content or online action.

A hugely successful sequel, that's as surefooted as its hero when it comes to handling its enormous scale and near endless range of features.

A bad idea, poorly realised. Not only does this sully the already tarnished name of Silent Hill but it's a tediously poor dungeon crawler in its own right.