Of the five there's only one genuine dud. Phu Bai Valley is an indistinct, formless and aesthetically muddy mess, made even worse if you play it in Rush mode with its arbitrary barriers. The other four, however, are some of the best Battlefield maps we've seen.

It's not perfect, but Hot Pursuit is still the kind of collision between Criterion and Need For Speed you'd hope for. It pays respect to the classic NFS games, borrows the best bits from Burnout and is a technical masterpiece. The chase to reclaim NFS's once legendary chart topping form is well and truly on.

A sensitive portrayal of mental illness and rigorous combat: Hellblade is almost perfect. [June 2018, p.84]

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.

At 15 hours long, and with the unlockable Son Of Sparta mode upping the difficulty while switching enemies around, Dante’s latest is both stylish and generously stuffed. Though occasionally intimidating and repetitive in places, you’ll still relish making Satan sing.

Monolith might not have the basics quite down, but the Nemesis system is the year's most original game mechanic, and makes for a game that feels - and reacts to your play - unlike any of its peers.

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

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

The heart thumping combat you love in a fantastically realised World War I setting. [Christmas 2016, p.81]

FromSoftware have improved and refined an action-RPG series without parallel. Essential. [June 2016, p.77]

The best game in the franchise to date. It's genuinely good enough that it might even convert diehard PES fans if Konami's update this year ends up being as lacklustre as last year's.

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

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.

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

Red Dead's outstanding DLC in a box. Simple as.

All that aside, Forza Motorsport 6 offers the best racing experience you can get on Xbox One, bar none.

When all is said and done, this is the 'proper' Call of Duty fans have been waiting for. [Issue#67, p.84]

Rocket League transcends its chaotic mishmash of sports, racing and fighting to create an elegant and endlessly competitive game for the ages.

The most realistic football simulation yet: PES' depth and control are simply stupendous. [Dec 2016, p.88]

Cleverer and more creative than the first, this truly complete Titanfall is a game-changer. [Christmas 2016, p.71]

Whether chatterbox, lone wolf, newcomer, or old hand, Destiny 2 is unmissable. [Nov 2017, p.70]

Temporary frustrations aside, Runner2 is a simple, lovely jog to the right that slowly builds into a manageably hectic rightward run. The easy difficulty might speed your passage through the world, but it's less fun. So don't rob yourself of a new and entirely needless motor skill. Put it on Rather Hard, and stick at it until the skills lodge in your fingers. It's worth it.

Exceptional racing with brilliant atmosphere.

There's no downside, save an easily-forgiven sense of familiarity and the absence of online co-op. You can't even resort to the usual retro-gaming caveat of high difficulty - the learning curve is perfectly judged, the checkpoints agreeably spaced. This is the year's best platformer without the faintest shadow of a doubt.

Even if you're confined to single player, Spelunky is yet another small but perfectly formed nugget of joy to be unearthed on the Games Marketplace. Like Fez, Joe Danger and Super Meat Boy before it, the charm simply oozes out of the screen and leaves a saccharine sticky patch at the base of your TV. That initial infuriation crystallises into solid determination and 1200MP buys you an endless supply of levels against which to test your wits and skills.

Diablo 3 isn't an experience for the time-poor, though it's surprisingly possible to nip in for half an hour, just to level yourself up. But treat it like a casino: set yourself a limit, and stick to it. Otherwise, you might find yourself wide-eyed on Nephalem Glory at 5am.

A masterpiece - one of best games on Xbox. [Dec 2016, p.74]

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