Madden NFL 15 is an excellent return to form for the series. Yes, it’s still plagued by legacy issues, but the leaps taken on defence, coupled with the spiffy new graphics and excellent gameplay, make this an essential purchase for longstanding fans and a great starting point for players looking to jump on board.

A welcome addition to the main game, The Consequence deepens The Evil Within while being satisfying in its own right.

We can safely say that Meteos Wars isn't as good as its dual screen brother, but don't take that to mean you should cast the thought of forking out your hard-earned MS Points aside.

EA introduces FIFA's best new mode in years and delivers an excellent game on the pitch. The Journey may well bring back lapsed fans.

Mixes some wonderfully loving nostalgia and ambitious design to create the first credible Mario Kart alternative since Crash Team Racing in 1999. Fact.

Batman Arkham VR is an essential, unforgettable VR experience, and a compelling argument that VR really can make a difference to the gaming landscape. But it ends just as it starts to get going and, depending on where you stand on value for money, that £16 entry fee may Harley seem worth it.

It's not going to set the world alight like Gears of War and it doesn't revolutionise survival horror like Resident Evil 4, but its thrilling combat and sensational visuals make it well worth adding to your collection.

Endlessly creative and playful, The Plucky Squire's effortless hop between intertwined 2D and 3D worlds is an ode to the illustrated delights of storybooks.

A harmless and charming racing game.

Over and above its impressive game engine, successful vehicle implementation and inventive map design, the way the game welcomes newcomers is almost unheard of in games of this type.

It's a skill-based game that manages to be surprisingly technical, but never at the expense of fun. It's hugely rewarding, too: after several extended spells on the game, Mr Gaston had the balls to perform Gold Digger on stage in a Croydon nightclub - and round there, they kill people who suck at karaoke.

The only bad thing to say about the game is that it's so entertaining that you want to be able to do more. As a multiplayer game it's an incredible amount of fun, but lone players who can't access Xbox Live will feel a little short changed.

As stunning as the game looks and as enthralled as I was by the story - which really is quite intriguing if you look for all the information - the game's flaws are too hard to ignore. They mostly boil down to how the game seemingly goes out of its way to make things less fun than they should be.

If you aren't a fan of the silver screen steer well clear, because the pleasure inherent will be alien to you. Otherwise, the return of the Jedi of quiz games is of Oscar winning quality.

It's undoubtedly a fun game, packed full with humour (although this does tail off towards the end), metal references, amazing encounters and memorable characters. It's the RTS sections that really let the game down for me, feeling like a good idea that hasn't quite been implemented well enough to gel with the rest of the game.

Had the first half of the game matched the far more entertaining later sections (where the super powers really come into their own) and the story been a bit more engaging throughout we'd be looking at one of the best open-world action games of all time.

An impressive PSP game and a considerable improvement over the first GTA outing on the system.

It's cute, it can do lots of neat tricks, and it puts motion controls to great use. The EyePet is probably going to sell like hotcakes this Christmas, and its success will be richly deserved.

SpikySnail's Niv Fisher worked on physics-based sims in the medical field before trying game design, and it's the impressive physics that really make The Splatters as fun as it is.

Despite this Rogue Legacy is an excellent game, and one that is certainly deserving of your attention. With Cross-Buy and Cross-Save functionality, it’s a perfect companion on the train, too. I just hope the Legacy family can forgive my exploitation, as once I (of course, I mean we) finally overcome Castle Hamson, it’ll all be worth it.

It’s well executed and breezy, but not without its flaws.

F1 23 is a fast-paced thrill-ride plunging you into the extraordinary world of Formula One. Braking Point 2 is a huge success, and while other elements of the game have barely changed, the gameplay itself is as addictive as it is enthralling.

Some of the new puzzles effectively show off ZeptoLab's creative energy, but for the most part we're being sold another slice of an admittedly entertaining game. Still, it's hard to feel short-changed when considering the weenie price and, more importantly, it's impossible to discount the entertainment derived from its content.

Hitman 2 walks familiar ground and provides the type of delightful moments you expect in the maps on offer, as well as a multiplayer mode with bundles of potential.

Trackmania Turbo isn't a showpiece title in the same vein as DriveClub but the bright colours, crisp image quality and incredible sense of speed lend it an arcadey appearance that is impossible not to enjoy.

Marked improvements in style and story, coupled with Bungie's always excellent shooting, make this continued space epic a winner. But that never ending grind, though.

While it might not be for newcomers, Ace Attorney Investigations will leave fans of the series squealing with delight. The game is as witty, charming, and engaging as ever, with new features that fit perfectly in place with the new protagonist.

Loads of new features, the vast majority good and useful once you get used to the new layout. There are, naturally, some issues.

It's not without its faults, some of which are more serious than others, but Splash Damage achieves the impossible: a game that feels fresh in the stalest of genres.

While other first-person shooters will deliver moments of brilliance, F.E.A.R. gives you the tools and lets you create your own moments.

While Separate Ways plays it very safely, it is an easy recommendation for those who want some more Resident Evil 4 Remake in their lives.

Good or bad, game or no game, you've just got to play Asura's Wrath. And, in truth, that probably says it all.

Nostalgia often paints over glaring flaws in modern games, but in Donkey Kong Country Returns it simply helps create an even more enjoyable experience.

Controls obviously take some time to learn and the maps are a little small, but the game still works exceedingly well, especially in multiplayer.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron doesn't come close to recapturing the magic of fighting Autobots and Decepticons in the bedrooms and playgrounds of our youths, but High Moon Studios has created something that allows us to fondly recall those bygone times.

As any larcenist knows, all the best robberies begin discreetly before snowballing into a wild frenzy soundtracked to upbeat electronic music. Payday 3 does this with brimming style, before running away with the money.

FIFA Street finally realises the potential of a franchise that was lacking identity. By eradicating any silliness from the past, EA has crafted a thoughtful, challenging and consistently entertaining title that celebrates the nuances of football.

FIFA 07 most definitely beats PES in a few areas, most notably in presentation and the brilliant first-touch control, but it's still not PES.

Where Sackboy: A big Adventure proves most winsome isn’t in its play but in the surfeit of its surrounding glitter.

Whatever category you happen to fall into, though, be prepared to sacrifice all of your free time; Dark Hero Days is a bottomless pit of gameplay that will command your attention from start to finish.

It's a game that is over fairly quickly, it misses a trick in combat because Remedy didn't pillage its most famous creation, and it features live action scenes that are best described as enjoyable nonsense. Yet it is just that, enjoyable. Really, really enjoyable once you get to grips with all the powers at your disposal (and level them up). Quantum Break is a glorious use of current-gen power, with the visual fireworks on show making the combat feel positively joyous. As thoroughly entertaining as the whole package is, Quantum Break feels like it managed to reach only 80 per cent of Remedy's potential.

The only thing preventing Soul Bubbles from being a classic is its insistence on telling you what you must be doing, making the game a stroll in the park. It's still well worth playing and a shining example of the kind of originality we haven't seen on the DS all that often in the last year.

It is fascinating, and also boring. It is important, yet forgettable. Its world is enticing and unappealing. It attempts to move things forward, yet is in places stuck in the past. For a game that has the potential to open up the franchise up to a multitude of different ideas and interpretations, BioShock Infinite can feel curiously limited.

The levels are massive - although there are only seven of them - and the sense of being in a conflict can only currently be matched by CoD4.

An FPS where your weapon should be the last thing you use, not the first, Rainbow Six Siege is a fantastic tactical shooter.

It's not without its faults, some of which are more serious than others, but Splash Damage achieves the impossible: a game that feels fresh in the stalest of genres.

The number of options you have on how to tackle each situation makes for some great unscripted moments, and the visuals and sound help create an atmosphere that wouldn't be possible on older hardware.

With a stunning single-player campaign, a wealth of capable online multiplayer facilities and the provisions of raw power the 360 offers, Ace Combat finally feels like it has become what it has always strived to be.

These clashes between East and West cause more than enough sparks to make Binary Domain one of the most interesting culture shocks in a long time. It's redolent of the late Dreamcast/early PS2 era, when games were edgier and more interesting, before they were focus-tested into oblivion.

So it's not hard to ignore those niggles, especially when you've got an excitable eight year old in your head jumping around and making gun noises as he pretends to swing a sword about. There's a magic in that weird juxtaposition of old and new.

It's not without its faults, some of which are more serious than others, but Splash Damage achieves the impossible: a game that feels fresh in the stalest of genres.

Just Cause 2 is a gorgeous, fun, rollercoaster of a game. It's far from perfect, but its best qualities shine through, leaving the lacklustre gunplay as more of a mildly unpleasant aftertaste than a meal ruining disaster. It's a game that begs to be messed around with, for you to discover new ways to use the tools at your disposal and to take it all in the light-hearted way the developer intended.

Depth way beyond that of any other action game released this year, sleek presentation and some of the best levels ever created in a video game.

While it's clear Q Entertainment perfected the game's formula on their very first try, this iteration of the neon-lit puzzler is so charming and elegantly formed you'd be a fool to say no.

An interesting and imaginative remix.

It may well be more of the same, but Mexico beckons, ravishing the eye and devouring up the miles.

It's a game whose appeal lives and dies in its online time trials and sensational visuals, and whose sense of one-upmanship and competition is leaps above the rest of the pack.

Campaign is dull and forgettable, but multiplayer is great fun and Zombies has had some real effort poured into it.

ZombiU has more than enough value as a solo experience to strongly recommend. It's a hell of an achievement for a launch title from a third-party team getting to grips with strange new hardware – who'd have thought that not Nintendo but Ubisoft would have created the defining Wii U experience?

Quibbles aside, The Old Blood works: shorter, more tonally cohesive, and better than its forbear, it's also – for most of its five of so hour running time – a better distillation of MachineGames' goals than that which preceded it.

It might be a predominantly linear path shooter, but who cares? When the atmosphere and level of action on offer is this great, the fact that I can't wander off to see what's behind a tree half a mile to the East really doesn't bother me.

With Shenmue III, we are offered a glimpse into a gifted mind, constantly turning the everyday into play.

The magic of exploratory freedom is rife here, and not even the weaknesses of the main plot manage to excessively taint what is top-quality DLC.

It rarely swells beyond the sum of its parts; with parts as precision-tooled as this, it doesn’t need to.

Despite the lack of a campaign and any tonal consistency, Black Ops 4 boasts a thrilling entry into the battle royale space.

A cyberpunk exploration of humanity, manipulation and getting tanked, The Red Strings club is lovely and melancholy and well worth a look.

It's just a massive disappointment that this PS3 port is so bare bones.

The new game world looks great, and the omnipresent vegetation is a real change from the barren rock and destroyed highways that we’re used to. At times the frame rate seemed to take a bit of a hit, but this issue never became serious enough to affect gameplay - the action was just a bit less smooth than usual.

Skate 3, to be blunt, doesn't offer a great deal that's different to the previous two games in the series, with the added team, online and sharing functionality being the key additions.

It does, however, offer plenty of gameplay for your money, particularly with the inclusion of bonus levels that offer a slightly different challenge to the main game. My only complaint is in the lack of any multiplayer mode.

The whole thing is wrapped up in a darling Fisher Price aesthetic and presented with wit and style. A lack of offline multiplayer and Microsoft's dodgy dictionary compromises the package, but it's got more modes than you deserve and a ridiculous 400 point price tag.

The double agent element gives the game a slightly unique feeling, but at times it's hard to shake the thought that you're playing a Chaos Theory expansion pack; albeit a very attractive one.

Need For Speed: Shift is a brilliant new start for the franchise and has clearly been built by a team that loves racing.

Lone players could spend months in the Association mode, and the online options are excellent for players wanting some human-on-human play.

It's a gorgeous, decent football game that's trying a bit too hard to be "PES" when it should be celebrating what it already was.

The Nail the Trick mode is the evolution the game has been waiting for, and it alone is enough to recommend the game.

The Disney Infinity 3.0 Starter Pack is a great introduction that will keep kids and kidults alike entertained for a long time.

Remnant 2 successfully evolves on its predecessor, isolating and expanding upon the best aspects to create a cohesive and challenging shooter experience, supplemented by stunningly designed environments and a unique story system. A cooperative game at heart, its single-player campaign takes a hit, but never enough to substantially detract from the game’s successes.

It's hard to be down on a game that, when judged on its own merits, is great fun and addictive, but it's equally hard to look past the fact that this is essentially the same game we've been playing since it belatedly arrived on the GameCube.

Xbox 360 owners should certainly consider giving Quake Wars a shot though. It's a very impressive package and should gain a decent online following.

Cities Skylines 2 is a well-loved home that picks smart renovation over a sweeping revolution. With incredible visuals and immaculate detailing, few cities can eclipse this colossal effort in terms of sheer freedom and choice.

At around two hours long, The Assignment is a reasonably-sized add-on which fleshes out The Evil Within's story while building on what made it so enjoyable in the first place. Let's hope its follow-up, The Consequence, lives up to it.

The new control scheme is, for me, a change for the better. I for one wouldn't mind a similar system employed for SDvR10, although I'd imagine hardcore fans might not agree. At the end of the day, though, what's most important is that Legends does exactly what it set out to do, and that's provide a rose-tinted nostalgia trip down 80s and 90s wrestling.

Despite the lack of game modes and a bare bones class system, Battlefield 1943 differs enough from the competition to make it a worthwhile alternative to the likes of CoD, Halo, Gears of War, Killzone 2, Resistance and the rest.

Looks like a mish-mash of retro graphics, dated gameplay and a thumping dance soundtrack, but it combines to be something brilliant. The gameplay is deceptively deep, the high score chasing is dangerously addictive, and the presentation is just as about as stylish as Space Invaders could possibly be. This is a must own for DS-owning arcade gamers.

Top Spin 3 is by far the best tennis sim on the market, but there's still plenty of room for improvement.

Prey gives you all the tools you need, but allows you to decide how to get to your goal. The fear is constant, as is the joy from getting to safety. Despite a largely forgettable main story, I'll remember my own experience in Talos-1 for some time.

The single-player Career won't take all that long to complete, but with a hugely entertaining multiplayer mode both on and offline, there's a good chance you'll continue playing for a while after.

MUA fans may bemoan the lack of change, and they'd have a point. Bar the Fusion Powers there's little new going on here. But it's still a fun, albeit brainless romp that's sure to please Marvel fanboys.

The boss fights are distinctly underwhelming - presenting yet another great big thing to kill when you might have hoped for something more subtle, intelligent, and perhaps disturbing, to tackle.

The 'Feral' abilities make the experience unlike most other games out there and some of the online game types are immense fun.

If you're a fan of the "X-Men Legends" games that have appeared over the last few years you'll know what to expect from Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, but you'll probably still be surprised at how polished and lengthy the game is.

With two great games that will take somewhere in the region of 15-20 hours to complete, superb presentation and a sense that you're playing something different to the norm, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena comes highly recommended. If it weren't for a few unfortunate bugs and the odd strange design decision that score below this paragraph might even have been a notch higher.

When the credits rolled, I felt better, gunning for action, as if life were a thing to rage through with a smile on your face. How often does that happen?

A short but sweet point and click puzzle adventure that takes you from dairy farming in Norway out to the stars and beyond. Godspeed, Ruth, you were a joy.

A solid simulation basketball game that's worth picking up if you've got a hankering for the sport, not to mention the fact that's it's incredibly affordable.

Bar the jarring Action Camera, there's not a lot wrong with Hell's Highway. Rather, there's a lot good with it. It's an intelligent game made by adults for adults.

The team at Rebellion (and Reef, who handled the Wii version) have crafted a tactical combat game that hits the target so often that slight wavering every now and again can easily be overlooked. It would be easy to dismiss Rogue Trooper as the game where you play as a blue man with a talking gun, helmet and rucksack, but that blue man deserves a place in your Wii collection.