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.

The definitive version of one of the best video games of the last 10 years, as well as a perfect example of downloadable content done right.

Wonderfully strange, outrageously violent, and unexpectedly intelligent. Hotline Miami is indie video game design at its very best.

Depressingly banal in every way, it's not impossible to be entertained by Warfighter but it is impossible to be surprised by it.

It wasn't a very good game eight years ago and slightly improved graphics certainly don't improve its standing now, but if nothing else this proves the world needs a Doom 4.

Offensively awful as both a tribute to Bond and as a first person shooter, with every ounce of personality and imagination stripped from an already malformed skeleton.

A textbook example of worthwhile downloadable content, with action that's just as good as the main game but different enough that it feels like a unique experience.

A far better game than it will probably be given credit for, and a good sequel that tries to add depth to the gameplay and even more variety to the characters.

There's lots of space for a more serious, realistic rally game but this doesn't fit the bill – with a distinct lack of excitement and innovation.

The mechanics are the same as always but this makes a genuine effort to address the flaws of the previous titles and make the best use of Kinect so far.

Not a very satisfying or enjoyable video game to play, but still a fascinating one to experience – with some beautifully stark imagery and ideas.

The best Professor Layton game so far and an excellent update of the original template, which makes full use of the 3DS's extra abilities.

Not an especially good game but as an interactive compendium of pop culture references it's impossible not to be impressed.

Probably the closest you'll ever get to another Project Gotham Racing, with a fantastic-looking open world filled with top class racing opportunities.