What saves Norco is that the visions on offer belong as much to the imagined as the troublingly real.

From its calming audio, uplifting imagery, clever conundrums and everything in between, Monument Valley feels like the realisation of a holistic vision; each aspect working together and complementing the whole.

Kojima's oeuvre is as bold as it is hokey, and for all its faults this is an engaging universe that is never dull except for when it is.

Dead Space 2 is sometimes a confused and disappointing production, but more often than not it's tense and fascinating.

Dreams is devoted to the realisation of exciting wishes, and with it Media Molecule has its defining, if not quite definable, game.

Perhaps the strongest compliment I can pay Eidos Montreal is this: with its grand design, dynamic play and sheer wealth of ideas - not to mention its old-fashioned pre-occupation with air vents - Deus Ex: Human Revolution is reminiscent of the best efforts from the golden era of PC gaming at the end of the 90s. It's a modern release imbued with the finer qualities of an age gone by.

One of the year's best games, even when it forgets to hand over the controller and let you have a turn.

I’ve had a great time leading the Inquisition. It’s unusual to be able to look back at a game like this and have such fine memories, despite being so underwhelmed by its opening hours. For some, it may well feel like too much of a grind to begin with, and for time-poor players those 15 hours may be far too much of an investment.

I don't think I've ever seen a game do such a great job of catering to its target audience, and at every step Harmonix displays a deep understanding and appreciation for the Beatles license.

This is a comprehensive iOS title, and with so much quality content on offer it's very hard to imagine what RedLynx could possible add for DrawRace 3.

P3R’s poignant tale of acceptance is bolstered by smart combat refinements, deeper friendships, and a soundtrack you already love.

There's something entrancing about the way this game plunges you into the violence, the corruption, and the sadness of post-war Los Angeles. Each of the four major desks has a remarkably different tone, and while the slow reveal of Phelps himself is the major narrative thread, it's equally true to say the dark heart of the city itself is an equally important protagonist.

Whether you're a platformer fan or fancy some frenetic blasting action, Tools of Destruction fits the bill. Combine the enjoyable gameplay (that's fun for all ages) with some of the best visuals the PS3 has seen and you have a game that every PS3 owner should own.

Its simple aim-and-shoot mechanics draws you in for repeated plays and with the short completion times needed to complete levels, you can easily fall prey to ‘Just One More’ Syndrome.

The new studios pay both respect and homage to the original releases by valuing their clarity above all else.

New Super Mario Bros. treads the retro platformer line beautifully, adding just enough originality and imagination to the mix.

Horrendous difficulty spikes aside, Peace Walker is great. It has all the blisteringly beautiful visuals, impressive production values and rewarding stealth gameplay you expect from a Metal Gear game.

Veterans and newbies alike will be impressed with how sumptuous the game looks. It's easily the best looking fighter on a console.

If you love FPS gaming you owe it to yourself to get The Orange Box. Hell, if you love gaming, you owe it to yourself to get it.

Let's face it: it's unlikely you're going to pick this up instead of FIFA 11, but as an alternative to play when football isn't on your brain, this does the job very well indeed.

Destroying large robot beasts while frantically switching between weapons is intoxicating, but the strength of Horizon Zero Dawn is in Aloy's engaging quest to find out who she really is.

Let's face it: it's unlikely you're going to pick this up instead of FIFA 11, but as an alternative to play when football isn't on your brain, this does the job very well indeed.

Despite offering a gritty medieval RPG sandbox with a layered, dynamic open world stacked with detail, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is haunted by the same demons as the original.

Dark Souls isn't a game you play for fun. It's something you do to say you've done; like running a marathon or climbing Everest. You won't enjoy it like you will other games, but you won't forget it either, and you'll be damn proud of yourself for seeing it through to the end.

The Last of Us Part I is a beautiful thing to behold, honouring your recollection by surpassing it.

First-person, narrative-driven games generally follow a pattern. What Remains of Edith Finch plays with those established conventions to create a beautiful story that breaks your heart, while making you smile just as much. A triumph in the genre.

Going back to the standard menu-driven system of the past was pretty jarring after spending days cruising from event to event in Paradise. I was simply having more fun in Criterion's latest racer.

I don't think I've ever seen a game do such a great job of catering to its target audience, and at every step Harmonix displays a deep understanding and appreciation for the Beatles license.

Shadow Complex is a triumph, a new standard for downloadable games. It’s a game in the purest sense, but is as “next-gen” as any Xbox 360 owner could hope for. And at 1200 MS Points it’s an absolute bargain guaranteed to fill rival XBLA developers with fear.

Modern Warfare 3 doesn't do anything new, but it also doesn't do anything wrong. For better or worse, this is a slick and well-metered trio of modes that make an entertaining package, but Sledgehammer Games and Infinity Ward are simply looking to augment previous games rather than expand the series into pastures new.

Despite the game's myriad achievements, Dishonored never really rises up to the greatness of its potential. Arkane Studios' effort isn't quite as clever as it needs to be: it doesn't really build up to anything momentous, or have anything special to say, and it's particularly galling to see a world that's been so painstakingly created not live up to its potential when it comes to narrative and context.

DJ Hero 2's multiplayer modes might not strike as anything special, although it is a social and accessible game, but the robust content is tailored to be the most hypnotic single-player rhythm game on the market.

Mario Kart's Wii U debut ticks all the necessary boxes. Drifting, weapons, the simple to learn yet hard to master handling, expletives your mother would be ashamed of, some of the best local multiplayer imaginable: all return. Taking an inspired approach from the DS iterations, the eighth entry in the series is easily among the best yet.

Super Mario Maker is an excellent creation tool and, thanks to the foundations it's been built on, a tremendous platformer. Its true potential is in the hands of the community, though, and anyone expecting anything else will probably be a little disappointed.

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 new lick of paint is nice, but it’s the changes under the hood that make the significant difference.

In many ways BioShock 2 is a game about refinements, rather than wholesale changes.

Dragon’s Dogma 2's commitment to unscripted monster hunts, visceral combat, and interlinked systems guarantees a story lurking around every corner. By trading modern guardrails for know-it-all handmade companions, it entrusts you with the 'venture' in action-adventure. But weak quests and animation jitters hold it back from excellence.

NieR: Automata has more creativity and self-awareness in its little finger than most games have for their entire run time. Don’t miss this because it’s sandwiched between other, bigger games.

An awesome adventure that delivers an epic sense of discovery. On PS4 Rise of the Tomb Raider is just as gorgeous as ever and packed full with some excellent bonus content.

Although Crysis on the PC has wiped the floor with every game available, on the console front Uncharted is right up there with the best. The jungle settings are gorgeous and make use of some stunning lighting, while the indoor settings are detailed and moody.

The number of options you have 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.

All of the changes, all of the tweaks, all of the graphical upgrades, remixed music and refinements to the online experience make SSF2THDR one of the best remakes of a classic game in recent memory.

Do you like first-person shooters? If the answer is yes, buy Battlefield: Bad Company 2. If there's a weakness it lies in the slightly brief single-player campaign, but the brilliant, potentially Modern Warfare 2 beating multiplayer more than picks up the slack.

The Last Of Us' story was pretty much perfect in terms of what it wanted to achieve. This does nothing to build on or take away from that.

This isn't just the best Wii golf game we've played, but the best golf game we've played on any system.

Even if you have your doubts, it’s difficult not to smile at the graphical and cinematic fireworks on display; Sony ordered a parade for the PS5, and Insomniac has served it to us. The arsenal has been upped, and size, it turns out, does matter.

Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles offers the definitive incarnation of an iconic title. Built upon a skeleton of robust, deeply engaging strategic combat, the sinews of Final Fantasy Tactics’ main storyline continue to flex with impressive strength and resolve. Brought to life with stellar voice acting and an array of welcome quality-of-life improvements, Creative Business Unit III has achieved something highly impressive. Though the title’s commitment to old-school pacing and gameplay loops may leave some out in the cold, those looking for the definitive Final Fantasy Tactics experience will find it here.

Do you like first-person shooters? If the answer is yes, buy Battlefield: Bad Company 2. If there's a weakness it lies in the slightly brief single-player campaign, but the brilliant, potentially Modern Warfare 2 beating multiplayer more than picks up the slack.

It will please fans of all things Japanese the most and probably alienate others, but there's something about TWEWY that makes it just a little bit special.

Tweaks and refinements help Torchlight II's mechanics sing beautifully together, and certain efforts to streamline the whole kaboodle go down a storm, but innovation isn't really the focus of this blisteringly colourful, entertaining but ultimately familiar romp.

Dishonored 2 takes everything you loved about Dishonored and improves upon it without becoming bloated. It's a beautifully designed, layered game, stuffed with hidden gems and secret stories. Also you can stab people in mid air.

Celeste is special, because not only does it serve up a delight in precise platforming and environmental puzzle-solving, it also tells an emotional story of a girl trying to overcome her depression. While there are times where it feels like the mountain drains you of your will, it’s important to never stop pushing.

There is no doubt that Ninja Gaiden Sigma is a fine example of the action game, but most who will want what is on offer here will have already been tempted by previous editions.

Despite these flaws, FFT remains one of my favourite games on the PSP. It might not have the best in-game graphics we've ever seen on the handheld, or the best multiplayer options, but few games have as much charm and tactical depth.

Although it is never outlandishly difficult, it balances and becomes much more compelling as the challenge ramps up.

I've considered myself a Call of Duty fan for many years, and I've held a deep-seated distrust of Treyarch since Call of Duty 3. No longer.

If there is something lacking in Deathloop, it has to do with emotional staying power. As one egghead, in a scratchy projector film, began to unreel the mythology (“Long ago, the isle of Blackreef experienced a cataclysmic event which tore the fabric of”—and so forth), I realised that I couldn’t care less. Blackreef can go hang. I suspect that the only things that will stick with me—the only things coated with enough Residuum to survive a hard reset—are Colt and Julianna. And maybe that isn’t all bad news. I may replay it at some point, and when I do I’ll be even more like Colt, waking on a beach with the vague prickle of familiarity, and the need to break free.

The extreme highs carry Ori and the Blind Forest through to greatness if not quite flawlessness. Rarely is a game able to be so devilish in its gameplay yet so touching in its story.

While not necessarily as big a name as the products of BioWare or Bethesda, The Witcher 2 is still one of the most interesting developments in RPGs within the last ten years, and with a combination of additional content and cutscenes its Enhanced Edition on Xbox 360 is one of the most lovingly crafted fan-services you'll find.

Where the studio succeeds—and where Metroid Dread elevates from noble and flawed effort to inspired riff—is in its embrace of the unreachable.

The team at Telltale Games have done an incredible job keeping the series fresh, and they don't look like they're going to rest on their laurels anytime soon.

The quick and relatively uncomplicated fighting fix that Tekken provides is ideal for a handheld format, and if that's what you're looking for this may be the best example yet.

If 2K had managed to tell a story that equalled or bettered that found in the original, we'd have been left with an unquestionably better experience, rather than just a more exciting, smarter shooter.

There is enough fun available for those who are happy to muddle through, and the winning combination of Wirebug and Palamute adds enough zip to each fight that you can swing over much of its more intricate baggage. Whether that counts for or against the game, I still haven’t decided; fortunately, no small measure of its power lies outside the combat, patrolling the glittering plains, and down in Kamura, amid the cats. It’s more than steel and hunters.

If 2K had managed to tell a story that equalled or bettered that found in the original, we'd have been left with an unquestionably better experience, rather than just a more exciting, smarter shooter.

Hopefully the quality of Rayman Jungle Run will herald a wave of developers rethinking how to transition their titles to mobile, hopefully making it so we can all live in a world free of dodgy virtual d-pads. I imagine, though, that natural simplicity and finesse of Rayman Jungle Run will just lead to loads more games that are a lot like Rayman Jungle Run.

This is not the most adventurous action RPG on the market, then, but its razor-sharp and uncompromising focus on structure and mechanics ensures it's one of the most playable. Diablo III quite simply revels in being a video game, and when a game is this well-executed it's impossible to resist those charms.

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.

A generous and competent addition to Bad Company 2.

Modern Warfare 3 doesn't do anything new, but it also doesn't do anything wrong. For better or worse, this is a slick and well-metered trio of modes that make an entertaining package, but Sledgehammer Games and Infinity Ward are simply looking to augment previous games rather than expand the series into pastures new.

Yes, you could get by with last year's game, but you will be missing out on what will probably be the best sports game of 2010.

There's never enough of a challenge to match how complex the levels look, resulting in a joyous jaunt through some wondrous lands that never reaches the gameplay heights that always seem to lie tantalisingly around the corner.

Those intoxicated by the game’s dreamy brew may argue that there are no detours—that, like the Zero, you’re either on it or you’re not. If you’re anything like me and Conway, however, you’ll be somewhere in-between.

A charming triumph, an absolute joy to play, and a fresh modern title that effortlessly manages to play the same notes as the best video games of the 90s.

A generous and competent addition to Bad Company 2.

The core driving is never anything but exhilarating, visually it's almost flawless and the Autolog features are genre leading. There's still something missing, though. While the high-speed pursuits are up there with the best gaming experiences of the year, the game needs more than that: car tuning, a resemblance of a story - complete with cheesy acting - and a reason to explore the open world.

It’s maybe not as thrilling as the first time you goof about with the animals in an Animal Crossing, a bit like how you never forget your first Katamari, and if you remained unconvinced before you’re not going to change your mind now, but New Leaf is still more fun, more engaging, and will last you longer than pretty much everything that’ll come out this year.

One of the most ambitious, darkest, and legitimately smart additions to the genre you'll have the luck of playing. Just get yourself a bloody decent PC.

With a main game mode that spans 50 levels, numerous unlockable modes that extend the lifespan significantly, stupidly addictive gameplay and fun-infused presentation you'd be a fool to pass up Plants Vs Zombies.

The fact that there's no custom soundtrack support is odd, considering every PS3 comes with a hard drive.

Race Driver: GRID is tearing up the tarmac this summer without a challenger in site.

Devil May Cry 5 revels in its own gleeful stupidity, presenting a world in which the most valuable commodity is style.

This is no longer Bungie's Halo, but much of what made the series such an irresistible proposition has remained intact for this new beginning. Rich, lavish and often spectacular, Halo 4 is an encouraging first effort from 343 Industries and a deserving entry into one of gaming's most beloved franchises.

Sports Interactive has built on last year's game to produce the best version yet (we must say this every year), so it's easy to recommend FM 2010 to anyone with an interest in taking their team to league and cup glory. If you can't get into the wonder that is Football Manager Live or just prefer the more solitary experience standard FM offers, this will keep you hooked to your PC monitor for months.

XCOM 2 is more tense and thrilling than a turn-based strategy has any right to be. There are some great additions to the original gameplay, but the port to console is an imperfect one.

All of the changes, all of the tweaks, all of the graphical upgrades, remixed music and refinements to the online experience make SSF2THDR one of the best remakes of a classic game in recent memory.

Fast, satisfying combat and the most ambitious single player for a fighting game yet, Injustice 2 is a great game elevated further by its attention to detail and Cavill-esque good looks.

I'm so caught up inside the world of The Witness that it's hard to think about anything else. It is one of the best games I've ever encountered.

BlazBlue does, however, make a case for 2D sprites, much more so than King Of Fighters XII because the graphics are a lot smoother and they don't go all pixelated if you get too close to the screen.

Dead Cells is, at times, constrained by the genres it so heavily draws from, but its vibrant pixel art, furious combat, and rigorous execution make for a winning formula all its own.

As a result of magnifying such a comparably miniscule portion of play, the pacing in the remake lumbers. Still, the prospect of leaving planet Earth for a few hours comes at a premium in our present moment.

The base experience of Monkey Island 2 is still as sharp as ever, though, with some of the wittiest dialogue and intelligent puzzles ever seen in an adventure game. It's just a shame the "special edition" part is a bit of a letdown - it's more of an average 2-disc edition than a deluxe Criterion version.

This is a gold standard expansion, one that's briefer than the GTA IV add-ons, but otherwise just as good. In a happier world, all DLC would give you this much to play with.

For all its added features and refinements, Black and White still rigidly follows the tried and tested formula. The leaps and bounds folks like me have been hankering after will have to wait until the inevitable 3DS version. Until then, however, rest assured in the knowledge that Black and White are damn fine games; the best the series has to offer.

While clichéd, the story is entertaining, the battle system is refined and the visuals are impressive. It's very Dragon Quest. Even so, I can't escape the feeling that the game feels more like a spin-off; a stop gap on the way to a 'proper' sequel.

X&Y are familiar on the surface, but nothing about each game is untouched in Game Freak’s amazing Pokémon revolution.

For true next-gen arcade racing thrills Burnout Paradise is most definitely your best option, and on PC your only option.