The best AC yet, with finessed game design, gorgeous visuals and great narrative. [Christmas 2018, p.79]

For a renewed sense of wonder about Kinect, simply play this game. In exactly the same fashion as last year, Rare is at the cutting edge of what the device is capable of and as a result Kinect Sports Season 2 is, yet again, an essential sports game.

It might not be adding much to the Resi formula, but it's hugely enjoyable despite this. Roll on the inevitable and much-deserved sequel.

FIFA 14 represents a difficult step forward for a very popular franchise, but a successful one nonetheless. The changes have such a significant effect, that returning fans may find them off-putting through the first five to ten games. But those that embrace them will be rewarded with perhaps the most satisfying, engaging FIFA yet.

A beautiful, challenging and enchanting game that shouldn't be missed. [Christmas 2018, p.86]

The slavish devotion to co-op can cause Halo 5 as much grief as reward, but when it works with rather than against its teamwork mechanics the result is an epic, high-octane shooter. [Christmas 2015, p.55]

This is pure videogame from start to finish - escapism at its finest. It reminds you of a time you didn't question why, you just went along for the ride. There's only one question: how the hell do you top it? [Jan 2009, p.92]

A lovingly crafted, full-bodied shooter. [Sept 2010]

Exacting and exhilarating, this slightly fugly remaster remains a challenging classic. [Aug 2018, p.76]

An ambient platforming essential. [July 2011, p.102]

Once again Turn 10 has produced the biggest and deepest racer on the Xbox 360.

Perhaps the most impressive thing, though, is that it's managed to feel like a totally authentic Halo experience, rather than just a cynical spin-off. We've no doubt a strategy game will be a hard sell to a lot of people, but if this introduces even just a small proportion of die-hard Halo fans to a rewarding new genre of game, or indeed just a small proportion of strategy fans to the brilliance of Bungie's rich sci-fi universe, then it can be deemed a success that the now defunct Ensemble Studios can be proud of.

Tight action gameplay and beautiful sprite work make this an indie must-have. [Nov 2018, p.86]

The best DLC for Fallout 3 so far. [Sept 2009, p.84]

Intuitively designed and thrilling, Civilization makes a brilliant move over to console. [Issue#186, p.78]

Far Cry 2 is this year's equivalent of Assassin's Creed... when it comes to enveloping the player in exotic sights and sounds, Ubisoft has absolutely nailed it. [Issue # 40]

Much more than the sum of its parts, Life is Strange is equally absorbing forcing us into impossible choices or capturing the joy of the mundane. It's not perfect, but you won't forget it in a hurry.

The greatest triumph is that it'll make you laugh and go 'wow' for the entire seven hours and then some. [Oct 2006, p.8]

Red Dead Redemption is a truly epic resuscitation of the Western theme in games. It's also easily the best gunslinging game we've ever played.

It plays brilliantly and is astonishingly easy to get into...For outrageousness and pure entertainment value, Crackdown is the most fun sandbox game to date...It's all-out action. Crackdown is an absolute riot. [Feb 2007, p.8]

The closest any racer has come to completely simulating its target sport. [Nov 2018, p.94]

An emotional and heartfelt tale of brotherhood that keeps you engaged throughout. [Issue#186, p.90]

Guardian of Light crackles with energy, and Crystal Dynamics has clearly relished adding a different dynamic to the franchise. By marrying top-down shooter mechanics with a tidy co-op mode, it adds something the series was long thought to have lost: a sense of fun.

A tremendous return for an all-time great. Doom feels so fresh by being so old-school. [July 2016, p.75]

A multiplayer master that shoots to thrill and always hits. Pity about the missing DLC. [March 2017, p.82]

With such layered and near-endless challenges, not to mention the addition of a remarkably powerful level creator, you'll be firing this up for a quick blast for years to come. We don't say this often, deeply cynical as we are, but if for some ludicrous self-abusing reason you only buy one XBLA game this year, make it Trials HD. [R. King]

The corollary of its obsessive refusal to countenance even a hint of compromise is the vast amount of satisfaction it provides when you do finally make those breakthroughs and progress to a new area. If you fancy yourself as a hardcore gamer, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the embodiment of what games are all about. [Issue#177, p.77]

Deficits notwithstanding, this is a superb port of what may be the best survival-horror game on Xbox since Dead Space first lurched onto the scene.

Those who've already purchased the DLC might look at that £40 price tag with concern, but - make sure you're seated - we reckon its quality, not quantity that matters most here. And ODST has bundles of in both it's superb single-player and sublime online modes.

One of the most addictive games we've enjoyed in recent years. [Christmas 2007, p.106]

Where Assassin's Creed 3 kept players at arm's length for hours, refusing to let you make your own way, Assassin's Creed 4 spreads those arms wide. We don't miss Connor, so much, but somebody should get this new guy a trilogy.

Enormous, handsome and in love with the subtleties of world design, storytelling and class-based combat. The finest Dragon Age yet, and the most accomplished RPG so far on Xbox One.

343's attempts at endowing this carefully constructed husk of a protagonist with psychological depth are predictably timid.

A brilliant experience. No other license-shackled developer has understood their subject quite as well as Rocksteady, and this is without a doubt the definitive representation of the Dark Knight.

The most exhilarating moments, however, arrive care of the game's brutal action sequences.

Still one of Sega's best racers. [Apr 2009, p.92]

A crisp HD upgrade for one of the finest and most elegant games of its genre. [Issue#160, p.84]

4A Games can't turn back time, but it's done everything to ensure that both Metro games feel comparable to today's standards. Beautiful, compelling and distinctly original, Redux is a must.

Codemasters has tweaked the driving physics to work surprisingly well with a stock Xbox 360 controller.

It’s definitely a worthwhile Live Arcade download for Oblivion fans, rejuvenating it and giving your character some wonderful new tricks. Frankly, you’d have to be mad to miss it.

After a fairly subdued second episode, In Harm's Way cranks things up a notch and then some. This is tense, unforgiving and utterly brutal stuff - Telltale at its finest and a breathless reminder of what makes this series so brilliant and unique.

A seriously accomplished looter shooter, with plenty to do on day one.

Lee is the best protagonist we've seen in years, and his relationship with the group continues to fascinate. Delicate, thoughtful, and unreservedly brutal - The Walking Dead is one of the most mature gaming experiences that money can buy. This is the most exciting game of 2012, and you won't even find it sitting on shelves. Hop onto Xbox Live and buy it immediately, before we're forced to destroy your head and/or brains.

Bluepoint Game kicks anxiety to the curb with a smart, efficient port, that's fundamentally the same as Titanfall on Xbox One. If you can't afford a new console, save your pocket money for this.

Always troubled but brilliant, now simply brilliant, Destiny has undergone an extraordinary change. It still demands your time, but the reward is one of Xbox's most well-rounded games. [Dec 2015, p.67]

One of the finest console strategy games ever. [Jan 2013, p.96]

Takes the core of what the series has always excelled at and confidently drags it on to Xbox One. [Dec 2015, p.74]

While the years haven't been too kind to their spruced-up SD assets, the chance to fully experience the MGS saga is one Xbox 360 owners definitely shouldn't pass up.

Simplified controls. [Nov 2013, p.97]

Co-op is the highlight, adding mechanics like floating sun energy that's reaped by both players hovering their cursor over it, and dividing the job of dropping plants by giving each player four seed packets. It's well-balanced strategy that isn't hardcore, but is fertilised by adorable comedy.

A beautiful, bleak puzzle game that any newcomer willing to look death in the eye should pick up. [Feb 2015, p.82]

DiRT 3 is one of those rare games that delivers both quality and quantity. Everything is laser-engineered to improve on the brilliant previous game. The only misstep is the anodyne Career mode interface - lots of people will be baffled by the decision to replace the bustling 3D service area with something stylish yet hollow.

Dribbling's expanded, players are fallible, and online modes complement the real world unlike any sports title before it.

As a series reboot this is perfectly acceptable, but it's the new and innovative online aspects that make SSX feel absolutely superb. Packed to the brim with clever ideas, SSX is a truly unmissable surprise. While most other online modes feel like painting-by-numbers, SSX shrugs and tries something refreshingly different. This isn't just brave - it's brilliant.

Unique, charming, frustrating, innovative. [Oct 2008, p.94]

Incremental changes in all the right places on the court, coupled with a comprehensive dynasty mode, make this the sports game to beat for the foreseeable future. [Dec 2015, p.82]

Provides tons more fun and cool stuff to do in an already quest-packed fantasy RPG. [Sept 2018, p.74]

Is the most ballanced, prettiest, deepest fighting game ever made perfection? No, but being the most balanced, prettiest and deepest fighting game is more than enough. [Nov 2007, p.94]

Indie fun that jumps through all our hoops. [Dec 2012, p.79]

More time-travel sci-fi needs heel kicks. [Dec 2012, p.87]

A natural extension that caters for nerve-wracking thrills with lots to see and collect. A must-play.

The words "awesome" and "badass" are used a lot in this game, but Gearbox has earned the right. When you gunzerk into a crowd of bandits, get killed, and your shield's nova kicks in, wiping everyone out and bringing you back to life, you'll think so too.

With Half-life you've got a remarkable, near-perfect single-player experience, while Team Fortress 2 provides endless replay value and Portal provides a unique innovative sideways look at the physics of video games. And don't think it ends here, because Valve is a past master of the art of Downloadable Content. An essential purchase.

Commandos Strike Force achieves the impossible - it's a wargame that's innovative and interesting to play. Switching characters in the middle of a battle keeps the pace high, while the solo chapters use each fighter and their skills to their fullest.

A hugely satisfying end to the best RPG in recent memory. Is it wrong we want even more? [Aug 2016, p.76]

A beautiful, emotional look at the world through a nine-year-old lad's eyes. [Sept 2018, p.89]

Quite simply, GRAW2 is the game the original Advanced Warfighter should have been. It’s GRAW with a proper running time, GRAW without feeling penned in by invisible walls and the endless and constraining "You’re leaving the battlefield!" warnings. GRAW2 promised to be bigger, better and more – and it’s delivered all three.

Excellent combat executed with stylish flair. A must have for action game fans. [Sept 2018, p.90]

Its flaws and fun come fro the same tangled history, but the latter easily wins the day. [Feb 2017, p.81]

If you think you can handle the pressure, deal with the pain and put in the hours, then you'll find this one of the most frenetic, tactical and rewarding squad-based shooters ever made (despite a few annoying foibles and glitches), one that will grip and enthrall you for weeks on end - and justify the outlay for your Xbox 360 setup. [Apr 2006, p.15]

A gripping platformer that cajoles you into platforming amazing feats of dexterity. [July 2015, p.76]

Blizzard at its best, refining a formula until it sings. As good as team-based shooters get. [Aug 2016, p.83]

A huge, complex and expertly written RPG that has the capacity to consume weeks, maybe even months of your life. While its roots are on the PC, it's translated effortlessly to the Xbox 360 with no compromises and stacks up well against the prettiest games on the system. It's more hardcore than Skyrim but by no means inaccessible.

There are rough edges, and a hint of retro, but don't let that put you off a true masterpiece. [Nov 2016, p.77]

As a street-legal version of a purebred racer, Horizon is something that anybody with an interest in cars can pick up quickly and play for ages. And if you don't like cars already, well, it might just persuade you.

Exploding with multiplayer fun! [Oct 2007, p.98]

By being beautiful, imaginative and fun, Grow Up is nothing short of a mini masterpiece. [Nov 2016, p.82]

It's online that Madden 09 really comes into its own. [Oct 2008, p.88]

Ultimately the game proves how powerful a storytelling medium gaming has become. Like the best cinema, the feeling of being privy to this dark world lingers long past putting down the controller. Its memory festers inside you - of a deeply disturbing experience, and an unforgettable one at that.

Small but perfectly formed - a genuine classic of a Hitman level. Check in and enjoy your stay. [Nov 2016, p.85]

An amazing sight to behold. [Apr 2008, p.99]

Codemasters have created their best racing game - and possibly the best F1 game ever. [Nov 2016, p.86]

The only problem with VT3 is also its greatest asset - it really does play and feel identical to the Dreamcast game we played every day for six months back in 2000 and for large chunks of most years since. [Apr 2007, p.84]

Crysis 2 skates on the thin ice of its own excellence. There are weaknesses, that might - if the mode-swapping suitplay hadn't been so strong - have dragged the game down. But the story and combat [are] strong enough to carry you through, and if you've got the stomach for competitive multiplayer, the Nanosuit will bring a new world of sneaky, high-jumping tactics to your online game. [Apr 2011, p.84 MC]

Less a party game than clever learning software, Rocksmith 2014 is a highly personalised, customisable and responsive guitar tutoring tool that improves upon the original in almost every regard.

The best music game in the world...ever! [Jan 2008, p.79]

Still fresh 15 years on - and just as much fun. [Christmas 2007, p.107]

Makes co-op gameplay more worthwhile than anything else before it. [May 2018, p.84]

The Walking Dead offers a level of narrative quality that outshines anything else currently available in gaming. It makes the TV series of the same name look dull, poorly paced, and insignificant. These are the most important games released this year, and we simply can't recommend them enough.

It's indisputably an excellent shooter: intelligent, satisfying, and a tiny bit thought-provoking, with big ideas and big fights that are never as clunky, irritating or unfair as BioShock. You should play it. But you should also know that - and here we'll borrow the game's own central theme of parenthood - it's a prodigy that never quite leaves the shadow of its father.

While it's never going to be as surprising or novel as Codies' first stab at Formula One, for a seasonal update there's a remarkable number of tweaks and changes, all of which are for the better. What's more, the game has become one of the most substantial and compelling multiplayer racing offerings around and, with the addition of co-op at whatever diffi culty you choose, is more inclusive for all skill levels than the majority of online racers.

Generous almost to excess, Battleblock Theater is one of Xbox Live Arcade's masterworks, and a reminder that genuine, bona fide imagination is possible even in the twilight of a console generation.

The smoothest, best looking and prettiest Hawk game of the lot. It really has been tweaked to perfection. It's going to be impossible to improve on this one next year. [Dec 2007, p.84]

At its worst, Rock Band 2 feels like a massive expansion pack that just fills in all the missing gaps from the original game. [Christmas 2008, p.92]

An early contender for game of the year. It really is that spectacular. While the hand of Epic is evident, as the team that did the bulk of the work this catapults People Can Fly onto our list of the most exciting shooter devs on the Xbox 360. Brilliant writing, unparalleled production values and thunderous action: this deserves to be number one with a bullet.

Without question a better game than the previous three CoD games and easily the most spectacular in the series.

It's warm, frequently funny, and stylish. It's extremely good value at 800MP. It's just hard enough to keep you biting. And most of all, it's just bloody great.

Earthworm Jim HD is a brilliant example of how games should be remade and remixed on XBLA.