With terrible violence and stunningly realised characters, The Last of Us Part II is a singular game that blends cutting edge technology and silky big-budget design with stellar cinematic and literary storytelling, with breathtaking results.

The most captivating first-person role-playing game yet. This is essential gaming.

Every lap is terrifying...Polished to perfection, Burnout 3 is faster and more thrilling than any previous racer.

Visually spectacular and hugely rewarding.

Beautiful, involving, impeccably designed and outstanding value, this is a grand game that is difficult to fault. It will captivate even those who have been immune to Final Fantasy's spell.

Many clever obstacles, opponents and switches demand co-ordinated effort.

A wonderful game that rewards experimentation and co-operation.

Incredibly thoughtful and mechanically near-perfect, Celeste marries impeccable game design with a touching and relatable story in a way I've never experienced before. It's simultaneously an excellent platformer and an engaging meditation on the perils and methods of tackling depression and anxiety, and the fact that those two aspects are so naturally integrated is amazing.

Three Houses is a masterpiece of a strategy game and a brilliant relationship sim, which feels like the pinnacle of the love/tactics hybrid innovated by 2012's Awakening. With a twisting and turning main narrative and a refined but fairer battle system that retains all its tactical depths, the game's two halves combine to create a hugely customisable strategy experience with high and personal stakes.

This is a game that will thrill long-time fans and introduce brand new ones to what Sonic is like at its very best. Far from the tone-deaf reinventions and cynical cash-ins of Sonic at its worst, this is a love-filled celebration that also proves there is life in the 25-year-old original concept yet.

Episode One could be criticised for lacking new weapons and environments, yet few games are more polished or entertaining.

The focus on opponent "takedowns" was a smart, natural evolution for the series. The gorgeous environments and detailed cars whiz past at amazing velocity, and the fender-bending carnage is spectacular.

The game is epic in scale and length, but its fascinating plot, characters and dialogue (impeccably translated from Japanese) ensures players will devour every second.

Depending on what you want to do second-to-second, DK's latest outing can be a hugely impressive do-what-you-want sandbox, a comforting collectathon platformer, a series of lightly puzzling challenges, or a goofy Nintendo world to explore and be surprised by. But taken together, it's a masterpiece that's sure to absorb newcomers and series veterans alike. The destructible terrain is a literally ground-breaking innovation that makes each player's game unique, while the story and characters reposition DK's world in a way that's endearing and exciting, but still respects his past forty years of history.

As long as you're not too distracted by the superb graphics, you will discover that Gears of War is a classy, imaginative shooter with plenty of gritty action.

One of the best strategy games yet: intense, atmospheric and tactically deep.

Many games have presented a "go anywhere, do anything" structure, but few have been filled with places, challenges and mysteries as intriguing and charming as Breath of the Wild. The massive land of Hyrule, from beautiful grassy plains and craggy mountains to marshy swamps and long-forgotten ruins, is rife with wildlife, monsters, villages and all manner of suspicious landmarks that tug constantly at your curiosity, and demand to be investigated.

Every couple of years a game is released that is so well crafted, so perfectly made, that it sets a benchmark for gaming quality. Rome: Total War is one of those games. We couldn't find a fault.

A two-player mode is included, and few games are more fun with a crowd. It's pricey, but a euphoric experience.

Few games are as successful as God of War II in making a player feel like an invincible warrior. This is an absolutely thrilling adventure and a clash of the titans you are unlikely to forget soon.

The game's stunning locations include a war-torn Athens, a storm-swept desert and a temple chained to the back of an awe-inspiring titan. The approachable controls allow players to instantly feel thunderously powerful, performing dazzling strikes, blocks, grapples and jumps.

A wonderful game that rewards experimentation and co-operation.

No other game provides such rich atmosphere or better blends exciting action with sublime storytelling. It is much more than a science-fiction shoot-'em up: the adventure has convincing characters with great emotional depth and thrilling cinematic set pieces providing astonishing spectacle.

Fantastic animation, incredible art design and an intensely challenging fighting system ensure Virtua Fighter 5 is a game PS3 owners will be proud of for months to come.

Taken as a full package this is arguably the best Sonic game there is. Mania mode is fun as ever, the cast is fuller, and the bonus challenges, unlockables, Encore mode and multiplayer makes for a game that earns its spot on the retail shelf. Some existing owners might wonder whether two extra characters, remixed singleplayer and revamped splitscreen is worth the upgrade given there's no substantially new levels to speak of, but I think it's a fine way to extend the experience.

Magnificent on the Xbox 360, this could be a contender for game of the year.

Obsidian has created something exceptionally special with Avowed. A smaller-scale Skyrim-like set in the Pillars of Eternity universe, it's an entirely accessible first-person RPG that ditches a lot of obnoxious fluff and doubles down on what makes big role-playing games great. The writing and storytelling is phenomenal, the crunchy combat lets you make a sick build whether you're into swords, axes, guns or spells, and the problems your character faces feel unexpectedly touching and relevant. It's a perfect entry into this genre for new players and the RPG-curious, but top-tier comfort food for us old-heads.

The epic scale astounds, with dazzling scenery including space stations, war-torn cities, temples, snowy wastelands and ruins. The audio is equally extravagant.