At its best when being guided by Naughty Dog's meticulous hand. It's a genuine adventure; strap yourself into the single-player campaign and it's a white-knuckle ride with some of gaming's most engaging characters. Uncharted 3's trivial flaws are buried beneath a tidal wave of big-budget spectacle, and a genuine narrative warmth far beyond most blockbuster titles.

While the Soviets can be considered a new playable faction, the fact that they don't bring any new units means they play pretty much identically to their American enemies. This is perhaps Soviet Assault's biggest disappointment.

I can't recommend Final Fight enough. It's the perfect port of a retro classic; the original game buckles under the pressure of the fan service that's been added to it. But it's also got online co-op, making it a hugely enjoyable beat-em-up even by modern day standards.

The fact of the matter is, though, that this is more of the same, even if that 'same' has been pushed to new heights. If you hated Fallout 3, then there's not much to get you onside here. If you loved it, then you'll love this all the more, because of its differences as well as its similarities.

The more you play Overwatch the more you realise Blizzard thought of basically everything you might criticise it for.

Given your avatar's snazzy new wardrobe, base of operations, minions and the righteous euphoria associated with being a force for good, The Knights of the Nine is well worth the 800 Microsoft points.

With similarities to the likes of ICO, Shadow of The Colossus and last year's Journey, it's another exceptional entry in Sony's arthouse-inspired run of games that it consistently does so well.

With a whole heap of content to unlock, including the brilliant Mercenaries mode (playable cooperatively off and online), a campaign that begs to be replayed and top of the line production values there's very little to be disappointed with.

The beauty of Dear Esther is that it raises questions about content rather than mechanics.

It’s a somehow even darker world, brought to life death by incredible music and superb use of light and colour.

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.

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

Visually the game is fantastic. In-game the graphics are among the best on the PSP, and alongside the occasional, highly polished traditional cut-scenes, there are a wealth of comic book style semi-animated cut-scenes that are presented with panache, and in some way explain the creatively inspired Metal Gear Solid Digital Graphic Novel, as a kind of precursor to Portable Ops' styling.

Oblivion will consume you. It'll consume your life, your performance at work will suffer and you might not see friends in weeks. With hundreds of hours of gameplay, and an unprecedented amount of quests to be completed, I couldn't possibly recommend Oblivion enough.

Blowing things up is cool, and no game lets you see the destruction caused better than Volition's latest.

Criterion has made no attempt to disguise the fact they're making a game designed to be played socially, so it's no surprise that Most Wanted only gets better once you party up.

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 up to an incredible sixteen players battling against the AI it's a truly great gaming experience, providing you can get into a game that's lag free.

But when the actual game is compared to the finest of its score-hungry contemporaries - Trials HD, Super Stardust HD and Geometry Wars 2 - Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is a titanic event of equal worth.

The game is as close to Pong as the London Philharmonic Orchestra is to a caveman banging a rudimentary drum and, continuing that analogy, Virtua Tennis 3 is just as primal and instinctive as its most ancient of relatives.

For all the praise I’m about to heap on Senua’s Saga Hellblade 2, it’s a game I never want to play again. An odd thing to say, but one said with the best of intentions.

Complex systems are made simple, by committing their clutter to muscle memory, and play—good play, at any rate—requires that you, like Selene, ride its enigmatic loop.

This is a massive game: in a month that's seen the release of five or six of the year's best titles, I reckon this is the absolute peach. It's packed with interesting places, with choices to make, with that nebulous sense of adventure you only find in the best RPGs.

Flower is a brilliant little piece of work, gorgeous and moving in equal measures.

This quest line is the biggest yet and keeps you hooked right to the end. While the dungeons are not as big or as maze-like as the previous expansions, the chance to really explore Cyrodiil really makes this quest much more effective and allows for a greater appreciation of the graphical tweaks and new locations.

On paper, this sequel reads much the same as the original. But it's not - it's a vastly superior game with a sharper focus, better quests and more enjoyable blasting. Borderlands 2 is a gamer's game, so if you like shooting things, levelling up and exploring every cubby hole across a massive, varied world - if you love games, basically - then it's definitely for you.

Unquestionably a huge success. A short campaign aside, it does everything GRAW fans would want from a sequel and once again confirms Ubisoft as one of the leading next-gen publishers.

For us, Rock Band 2 is brilliant, just like Guitar Hero: World Tour is. We can't pick between them. Slightly boring conclusion, we know, but the right one.

On the Wii, Shadow of the Templars: Director's Cut was a great game slightly marred by a few minor flaws; on the DS it's a great game that makes the best of its platform.

Thumper is a great rhythm action game, with strong visuals, fantastic design, and more speed than Keanu Reeves on a bus rigged to explode.

I had a great time with The Pitt, and it single-handedly reinvigorated my interest in Bethesda's masterpiece. It's what DLC should be: good value, interesting, exciting and a concentration of what is best about the game it's expanding upon.

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.

Nidhogg is a game to be enjoyed with friends while in the same room together, and it may be the best title you play that way this year.

If you’re a tactics nut like me, Card Hunter is wonderful stuff. Deep, smart, and lovingly crafted - this is proof that free-to-play can work even without costumes and hats.

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.

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.

Remedy and Microsoft haven't made a perfect masterpiece, but Alan Wake may well be one of my favourite releases of 2010 – an escapade I'm going to remember for a very long time. It's a stunning action game, a superbly scripted adventure and a technical showcase for the now-ageing Xbox 360 hardware.

Batman: Arkham Shadow is a stunning virtual reality game, and a damn-good workout. Yes, you feel like Batman, but the game is more than just a simulator for Dark Knight roleplayers. It’s proof that any game concept can be adapted to a VR platform with enough care and skill, and it’s proof that VR has the sauce many claim it doesn’t. If you have a Quest 3, you need to play Batman. If you like Batman, you need a Quest 3.

If you’ve been looking for a SWAT simulator for console—and judging by the game’s popularity on the PlayStation Store, a lot of people have—Ready or Not really is as good as they come. It could do with some more polished controls across the board, but VOID Interactive has done a great job bringing the game to a lot more players, even if PC gamers must suffer some very minor consequences.

If Dragon Age didn't float your boat, neither will Awakening. Dragon Age enthusiasts, however, should consider it an essential purchase. It offers more of the same - no bad thing - in a great value package.

The quality of the platforming is hard to fault, however.

As a whole, and occasional framerate drops aside, Virginia is wonderfully cinematic, and a fantastic story to inhabit as it unfolds. It's just not for everyone. Which is true of everything that's ever been made, I suppose, and in this case at least what has been made is new and different, and incredibly stylish.

The challenges included are great, the more full-featured games are excellent and the multiplayer games are a must play if you have friends with handhelds.

The familiar Fable experience is as engrossing as ever, and it's incredibly hard to stay mad at a game that oozes charm from every one of its pores. Fable III is a game that is inexplicably better than the sum of its parts.

Overlord II is a solid improvement on the original and great fun for newcomers and existing fans. The core gameplay hasn't changed too much, but small tweaks here and there and the introduction of mounts helps keep things fresh.

It may be unusual, insistent on clinging to a long-gone gaming era, and incredibly hard at times, but by including every major Metal Slug game, is without doubt one of the finest platform shooter titles yet released.

SDvR09 is better than last year's effort, no question, and it's a better game than TNA Impact! on account of it being yet another iteration of a tried and trusted game engine and packed full to bursting with features old and new. So yes, on the whole it has met the challenge.

If we're being picky, we could say that Ninjatown might be a bit too cute for some, and not quite as in depth as other tower defence games on the DS (the recent Lock's Quest springs to mind), but on the whole it's a fun, accessible strategy title with a lovely art style that's sure to please fans of the genre.

Xbox, PlayStation 2 and PC owners certainly get better value for money, but the Xbox 360 version signals a strong next-gen future for Lara.

Veterans will still find the nuanced fighting system rewarding to master and, essentially, pixel perfect. But in a year destined to be remembered as the one that saw the resurgence of the fighting game, Tekken 6's star is too dull to shine brightest.

The changes are quite slight, but the putting is vastly improved and the new features make for a better game than before, so if you like the sound of those you won't be disappointed.

House Flipper 2 takes the tedium of everyday chores and successfully turns it into a fun and deeply satisfying experience, with enough variety and modes to make it the ideal game for when you just need to kick back and relax.

And as a game adults can get something out of at the same time as younger gamers, it's perfect.

It's a nice touch to actually have to build things in a game featuring building blocks, and adds to the game's overall tongue-in-cheek feel.

Danganronpa 2 tells a great story that’s worthy of your time. The characters will keep you invested as you wait for the next death. Monokuma continues as a great lead villain, and the new cast may feel familiar, but offer plenty of new tales to discover.

It's essentially like the previous Forzas but with more stuff and slightly tweaked handling. I like it a lot, apart from the trees which are absolutely awful. But yeah, if you like yourself some simulation Forza, Forza 6 is the Forza for you.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a wonderful 2D platformer, and an essential purchase for all Wii owners, but the addition of multiplayer doesn't live up to its billing. And why is there no online?

The ideal family game. It's quick and simple, but has charm, character and inventive little puzzles galore.

It's Rock Band, but with Green Day songs. If you like Green Day and you like Rock Band, you're going to like Green Day: Rock Band. Go figure.

An excellent return to form for the series and tremendous fun when played with friends in split-screen or online. The often infuriating Grand Prix mode is likely to polarise gamers though, with some loving the unpredictability of it while others will simply give up after being taken down at the last minute by yet another Spiny Blue Shell.

John Wick Hex could have been a number of different games, none of them as strange and satisfying as this.

Bully is a surprisingly simple and rather tame game by Rockstar's standards, but that's part of its charm. The sense of grandeur seen in the likes of San Andreas isn't here, but Bully has a sense of character that is unique.

A huge amount of CRUSH is brilliantly playable and consistently enjoyable. It is bursting with character by puzzle game standards and, even considering its shortcomings, is still a PSP release well worth picking up if you are looking for something fresh and stimulating.

The ideal family game. It's quick and simple, but has charm, character and inventive little puzzles galore.

Whichever version of Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing you choose you're going to get a well produced, fun arcade racer, with enough tracks and unlockables to keep you playing for a long time.

A brief but striking title, one that doesn't outstay its welcome, perfectly pitched at the digital market.

As addictive as the perk goals are, it's the bread-and-butter sabotage that proves to be the real distraction.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has a string of wisely chosen influences, and it delivers on the long-overdue promise of a fun Jedi action-adventure. Bugs and design wrinkles irritate.

A lot of fun and a highly accomplished debut.

LBP3 reaches new highs for the series by delivering some of the best levels and gameplay yet seen, but also disappoints with a fleeting campaign.

Far Harbor is a DLC that winds down rather than winds up, but it gets away with it. It uses a design that's refreshing even if it does eventually sour, and packs a lot of fun into all the quests you can pick up.

In Tales of Kenzera: Zau, grief and acceptance tug at your heart between bouts of refined combat and slick traversal. While seasoned Metroidvania fans will want more diversions and mystique, the game’s platforming abilities and challenges do justice to its setting.

Digimon Story Time Stranger is a spirited, if occasionally ropey, JRPG adventure with buckets of heart and a sinewy monster taming system. Fans of the franchise will feel right at home amongst its luscious environments and intense set-piece battles. However, those wary of simplistic, earnest anime melodrama may find the narrative grating.

The Outer Worlds 2 boasts better-crafted, more deliberate storytelling alongside a wide scope for meaningful player choice. While there are undoubtedly problems with polish, and the combat system still needs some work, The Outer Worlds 2’s writing and commitment to world-building are enough all on their own. The depth of customisability will draw you back in, asking you how you might save the day next time around.

Metal: Hellsinger merges rhythm, violence, and the fury-laden chugs of metal to create a unique kind of carnage that's a pleasure to conduct despite, at times, feeling repetitive.

A visually stunning, epic adventure that continues Crystal Dynamics' excellent run. We reckon it's the best completely original Tomb Raider (Anniversary was, of course, a remake) we've had in years, and is only let down by the odd control quirk and camera issue.

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.

It just plays a really nice round of golf and for the first time in ages poses a real challenge.

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 whole process quickly becomes hugely addictive.

It's a gorgeous fighter with vast depth, but it slightly lacks the tightness and coherence that made Street Fighter 4 such an instant classic.

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.

This is the best handheld football game ever, but it'll undoubtedly be convincingly beaten once EA has got to grips with the hardware - hopefully in time for FIFA 13 later this year.

This is basically exactly what fans of the last few LEGO games will be expecting: fun, not-too-taxing, enjoyable gameplay with tongue-in-cheek humour, loads of stuff to unlock and plenty of replay value.

It's a gorgeous fighter with vast depth, but it slightly lacks the tightness and coherence that made Street Fighter 4 such an instant classic.

The core racing is thrilling yet accessible and the amount of content on offer will keep players enthralled for some time. Some inexplicable frame rate problems and a lacklustre online multiplayer mode prevent this from being a classic.

MM10 is a glorious return to the hay-day of 8-bit gaming; a fantastic challenge built on the back of some of the most refined mechanics the genre has ever seen.

Without the distractions of combat, hub worlds and pointless Wii-mote waggling, Sonic Team has been able to put all its efforts into creating a platformer Sonic fans can be proud of. The quality of the level design is what separates this from previous disappointments, and it's certainly better than that on show in Sonic 4.

Playing Kirby Air Riders is like learning a new language – it takes a lot of compromise, and it’s not for everyone. It’s those who master the basics who will soon find many new ways to approach each game mode, providing depth and replayability. If you meet Kirby Air Riders on its own terms, you will be rewarded with a gauntlet that’s bursting with thrills, depth, and charm.

There's been enough alterations and inclusions to justify a purchase by Retro Evolved fans (it certainly feels like more of a fleshed out game now) and its simple, unique and easy to get into gameplay should keep the more casual among us engaged for hours on end.

Smart, engaging, and memorable.

There's plenty here to do alone, but as with the original Wii Sports, Resort is far better when played with a friend.

Space Marine 2 is a solid successor to Space Marine, fits well into the Warhammer universe, and offers engaging and fun action combat and shooting mechanics. It is slight marred by a limited map pool creating repetitiveness in the game's multiplayer progression-based features.

The visual overhaul makes this the best looking Pokémon yet. Naturally, the amount of Pokémon on offer is almost insurmountable and will have you catching them all for quite a while, but be aware, they are a needy lot.

All you really need to know about Bomberman Land on the Wii is that it's great fun in multiplayer and not worth playing alone.

Lost in Nightmares is a shining example of what DLC should be; a short but sweet extension to the original story that offers something different from the main game whilst retaining its overall tone.

It's a game that's more respectful to the ethos of the series than its narrative canon, and as such it's more sure-footed in its systems than its storytelling. That's a surprise coming from Ninja Theory, which waits until the very end to match that early moment of daring. It's likely to prove every bit as divisive, but would a developer this ballsy want it any other way? Not in a million years.

It's a fairly simple adventure with equally basic RPG combat, but that's exactly why it works.