LA Noire is the type of game we jump up and down over - full of story and style and oozing playability and charm. Unfortunately the single, awkward mechanic of the interrogations mars what could have been a flawless recreation of a classic genre.

Battle Suit Aces could’ve easily collapsed under the weight of its ambitions as part card battler, part visual novel, all wrapped in an anime-infused melodrama. Instead, it finds a sweet spot where quick, punchy battles and heartfelt storytelling keep feeding into each other. It’s not the deepest tactical game, and not a dating sim, but it knows what it wants to be: a fun, mech adventure that celebrates both friendship and blowing stuff up with big mechs.

NBA fans will appreciate the accurate nuances and historical details of 2K11 while those less hardcore might be put off by the difficulty. Those people should play it with the Move.

If you know you're the kind of player that can appreciate the depth and difficulty of Dark Souls' experience, you should run out and buy it right now.

Stardew Valley is an absolutely charming little gem about forgetting all your worries and relaxing on a farm.

Much like its predecessors: a bombastic but brief single player campaign coupled with laser-focused multiplayer.

Dishonored gives you a beautiful, fascinating, new world to explore, and then makes it your playground for grand misdeeds. Its story of political intrigue and betrayal is told at exactly the right pace, balancing information with action in a way that keeps you interested, but not overloaded.

Like much about the game, it balances frustrating randomness with exercises of supreme timing and skill. It balances the old, iterative parts with the shiny and new. It is very much Mario Kart: Take it or leave it.

Mewgenics is a strangely engrossing experience, with a tactical style of play and a weirdly wonderful world. While the dark sense of humour and odd quips will likely put off a chunk of players, others will find these elements compelling. If you’re looking for something new in the roguelike world, it’s worth checking this game out.

While Black Flag feels very much like an Assassin's Creed game, its gameplay reminds me more of Sid Meier's Pirates! wrought in glorious 3D. As in that classic game, you are free to sail wherever your heart desires, and be as dastardly or as benign as you like. Embodying Edward Kenway and living through his adventures on the seas, while also experiencing his struggle with Assassins and Templars alike, is pure escapist delight.

Monster Hunter Wilds sands off a lot of the edges from the series, and while I was concerned that this could leave the game feeling frictionless and uninspiring, the addition of a really engaging story, some of the coolest monsters I’ve seen in any game, and the new systems all combine to make it just pure fun. It’s good for newcomers because of all the helpful parts, but veterans will be overjoyed with everything that comes after the credits, not to mention the wonders of having two weapons easily accessible. Monster Hunter Wilds is probably going to be my game of the year, and I’d be shocked if that’s not the case for a lot of other people too. [Exemplary]

Far Cry 3's single player story may have its ups and downs, but it's still an incredibly in-depth action experience. It's combat and open-ended gameplay is engaging and well-designed, and there are plenty of incentives to explore the game world to see what you can find. The multiplayer modes, while not as detailed, are a nice extra feature that's just as enjoyable as the single player campaign.

Torchlight II is a joy to experience, with vibrant landscapes packed full of interesting monsters, items, and lore just begging to be explored.

XCOM 2 improves on its predecessor in almost every way, and proudly stands as one of the most deeply satisfying action-strategy games currently available.

Fire Emblem: Fates takes two steps forward and one step back for the series. It still retains and expands on many of the great Fire Emblem elements, but Fates slips on a few important aspects.

Hearthstone might not fully scratch the strategy itch of the most advanced CCG/TCG players, but it makes an impressive attempt. The rules are simple, so anybody can get the hang of it, but there are enough deck variations available that only skilled deck builders and players will make it high in the ranks.

Civ VI has improved upon nearly every system and mechanic in the game, at no real cost to the experience. It's the easiest Civ to play, but it's also the most complex Civ to date. There's enough default automation that you can ignore a lot of the minutia if you want, but micromanagers like myself will still have all the tedium they can dream of. There's nothing quite as satisfying as pillaging every single tile in an aggressive neighbor's civilization.

Battlefield 1 is the game that DICE needed to keep the series fresh. The WWI setting makes for great gameplay, and it's well-executed and super fun to play. The campaign is short but enjoyable, and the multiplayer is outstanding.

Diablo 3 is a classic Blizzard sequel. The core gameplay has been iterated on and sharpened to a fine edge, while it ultimately feels a little light on major, impactful changes and the required constant internet connection will be a deal breaker for some.

FIFA 11 is a well-made soccer game, but it doesn't make any huge leaps in game design or feel. The added features like more sensitive passing and the famous stars' individuality are great on paper, but don't add a lot of value.

LittleBigPlanet PS Vita has a compelling story and is a joy to play through. Its ability to successfully integrate so many of the Vita's hardware functions makes gameplay both challenging and entertaining. Allowing players to contribute to its world by building their own levels is simply the cherry on the sundae.

Legion is more focused on the player's personal story than any other World of Warcraft expansion has ever been, and it does an absolutely fantastic job at telling it. The Demon Hunter class isn't as fleshed-out as it could have been, but there is still a ton of new content for every kind of player.

Owlboy is the product of much work and iteration, and while a lot people have been waiting a long time, their patience has been well rewarded. This is the perfect game for anyone who enjoys the nostalgia of late 90's platformers. Owlboy is full of character, and features a level of polish that justifies the long development process.

The core gameplay of Hot Pursuit is functional and entertaining, though the game fails to make its case until it pits cops and racers against each other in high-speed hunts, giving players on both sides the tools they need to see justice done - or evade its grasp.

As a world-building exercise, The Witcher 2 succeeds masterfully but there are deep flaws in its game design.

Devil May Cry 5 is 99 percent about doing things that are totally sweet and looking totally sweet while doing them. There’s no thematic depth waiting beneath its bombastic, blood-drenched glamour and its vulcanizing, improvisational violence choreography. But when Hideaki Itsuno’s unlikely sequel drew me into a meditative flow of stabbing angry skeletons with a sword the height and width of a Bob’s Big Boy statue, I still found myself carried back to electric moments and powerful memories.

It's going to feel a little off with a new studio taking over the franchise, and Bungie left a big mark on gaming with Halo. While 343i shouldn't just try to make a Bungie game, the single player isn't up to the series' standard. Halo 4 does balance that with a robust amount of content across the various gameplay modes.

The Old Hunters is a worthwhile expansion to one of the best games of the year and a shining example of how DLC should be made.