A fitness game that actually works, Ring Fit Adventure is colourful, fun, and offers a comprehensive workout.

Taro’s approach is of a restless rarity; he swaps genres as though trying to scratch an itch.

You have to hand it to Square Enix for trying to move things forward - better that than yet another rehash of the tried and tested Final Fantasy formula (the less said about Infinite Undiscovery the better). But it does so along a path so narrow and straight that you long for the days of old.

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.

Borderlands is unique, it's different, and it's hard to classify. But it's not for everyone. It's not for the stereotypical CoD/Halo crowd. It's not revolutionary, but it is interesting. And, crucially, it's a hell of a lot of fun, but only, long term at least, in co-op.

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.

Despite imperfections, Splatoon 2 improves on the original, and is a colourful, joyous addition to the Switch.

On the whole this nugget of serene gaming is near flawless. This certainly won't be too many tastes, but if you enjoyed Every Extend Extra or seminal Flash game Boomshine, this latest PSN shooter is one you'll want to play, well, every day.

This is where Stray succeeds. It offers us delectable opportunities to act out the behaviour that so bewilders us, in very celebration of that bewilderment.

The size and sheer verticality of the environment is key to the experience, and you're simply given the tools to explore and have fun.

Fighting and exploring is more free than ever, and the story, while wanting in certain areas, introduces a few great characters. Some activities and side missions lack a punch, but how many games do you get to wear a giant orange on your head?

The best thing that Yuke's has made in years. It's stylish, fresh and deeply engaging. It is, in short, a bruising powerhouse of a game.

A faithful remaster of a classic RTS game with many enhancements that improve on an already great game.

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.

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.

It won't last forever, and it has its faults, but if you've ever got addicted to Minesweeper you'll likely enjoy this curious puzzle game.

Fight Night Round 3 features online play, with the usual set of options such as player stats, leader boards etc. There's minimal lag, mostly appearing at the beginning of each match, but the fights play out smoothly and the frame rate most definitely holds its own.

Card and board game fans will find a lot to enjoy though, and the online integration and solid support for the lone player make a game that is well worth its budget price.

As a new franchise it does so many things right and should find a place for itself in a massively crowded market. If War was a more engaging character and the combat more refined, Darksiders would stand as one of the contenders for game of the year.

Driver struggles at times to work here as well as it did on a dedicated games console, but it's still an excellent port that has managed to retain the majority of what made it so much fun back in the day.

One of the biggest surprises of the year. Played alone or with a friend the campaign here is of the highest order, providing an experience that feels different to the competition while managing to finally build on what the series has always had going for it.

Even though much of Orcs Must Die! 2 feels like it's an expansion rather than a fully-fledged sequel, Robot Entertainment adds and refines just enough to get away with it. Besides, you'll be having too much fun knocking back waves and waves of all those nasty Orcs to care.

Despite improvements Metro 2033 can’t shake its slightly clunky roots and Last Light isn’t quite the game it had the potential to be. PC gamers could simply opt for the cheaper originals.

Octopath Traveler is a deep, diverse, interesting, sometimes risque and sometimes funny JRPG that you should play.

It's more than just a nostalgia trip, mind; this is a trilogy that plays great, looks even better and gels together more seamlessly than any other HD collection I've played to date.

One of those games you can happily dip in and out of over a period of weeks.

A game high on fun, packed with action, but not without a number of infuriating problems.

With a combat system that cleverly overcomes button mashing, wonderful design work and a story that spans far longer than your average video game, Lords of Shadow is exactly what the Castlevania franchise needed to find popularity with a new generation of gamers - and us oldies too.

The familiar soundtrack, environments and fleshing out of back story will delight the game's fanatical army of followers. More importantly, however, is that Crisis Core's overall quality makes it a must buy for all PSP owners, whether you're into your materia or not.

A highly entertaining, 15 hour plus adventure, with some gorgeous visuals, devilish puzzles and exciting action. Fingers crossed the no doubt planned sequel will build on this very impressive debut.

Minor modifications to Pac-Man's basic gameplay mechanics have resulted in a new pace and intensity that the original lacked.

While Sucker Punch should be applauded for its efforts (and successes) in adding user-generated content to an open world game, there's a real sense that the developer should have sorted out the foundations of its own house before inviting others to come over and redecorate.

Time will tell if it can hold up in real world conditions, but I found myself playing comfortably against American players, which felt remarkable in a world where Tekken 6 became a stuttering, wheezing mess as soon as you even considered taking it on the Internet.

A solid and often spectacular effort from Codemasters. The core racing is thrilling yet accessible and the amount of content on offer will keep players enthralled for some time.

Suffers from some problems, many of which can't be helped given the tiny iPhone screen, while others take the edge off the game's believability. Despite this, the game still manages to have a bizarre hold on me, nagging from within my pocket to play a few more games or to check if my transfer offers have been accepted.

There's not much more to Triple Town, but it's easy to get hooked into a gentle rhythm of item placement and the climbing satisfaction of watching your shrubbery transform into a glorious castle. This isn't the most complex game in the world, but when the time comes to invest £2.49 it's likely you'll have already worked out if Triple Town is your perfect match.

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.

Dredge: The Pale Reach is a rewarding, albeit bite-sized slice expansion that taps into what made the base game one of this year's most compelling indie efforts. For those after more of that unique, unsettling coziness, The Pale Reach should scratch that nautical itch.

A superb overall package, one that has me interested in Call of Duty again. For a future warfare title with drones and jetpacks, Sledgehammer's success is partly to be found by looking to the series' past, and by combining its own ideas with COD's natural appeal it has reinvigorated the franchise.

Gris plays to your aural and optical senses by delivering something exquisite in that area, but lacks a compelling story to prop itself up alongside equivalents.

Nintendo is known and loved because of the fun experiences that it creates, and WarioWare Smooth Moves delivers spades of crazy fun from the moment you pick up the Wii-mote.

No problem proved bad enough to significantly tarnish my experience and on the whole Sports Interactive has tweaked an already brilliant game to make something even better. If you want a high stress virtual job on top of your real one, have hours to burn each day looking at an interactive database, and fancy yourself as the next Alex Ferguson, Football Manager 2009 might be the only game you'll need until this time next year.

While Project Cars is certainly demanding, I remain willing to put the time in because the reward of nailing a perfect overtake or completing a clean lap is so satisfying.

A stunning game that doesn't miss a beat from start to finish and includes one of the most feature packed multiplayer components of any game released this year.

The most entertaining fighting game on next-gen. It’s bonkers in the best possible way, serving up some eye-watering kills (Cassie Cage’s X-Ray move will make every man wince, every time) and entertaining matches that don’t require great skill to create.

The absence of London Life is particularly grating, as it's arguably the lone element of Spectre's Call (or rather, Last Specter) that tries to do something new. The game we're left with will still please the Professor's long-term supporters, but it's clear that the next instalment needs to bring in a fresh idea or two. Simply being Laytonesque won't cut it anymore.

There's something about World Cup's appeal, though, that works on psychological levels. We all feel compelled to play it not because of a game mode we can play, or improved graphics we can see, but because there's something very special about the World Cup, and playing the official World Cup game taps into it.

Despite a few lengthy load times, a terrible name and an unimaginative character introduction, Gravity Rush quickly became a very enjoyable game indeed. It doesn't feel like a typical handheld title, either: Gravity Rush has the depth, length and graphical prowess of something you'd see on consoles. The mission-based structure is great for portable play and the story is worth the investment despite the many unanswered questions. It's easily the best experience I've had on the Vita thus far.

For the Murtaugh-esque Pokémon fans, the question of whether or not Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire are worth picking up boils down to when you last played Pokémon, and how enthusiastic you remain for the series.

Although Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword isn't the spectacular action game we hoped it would be, it's still a highly polished, hugely enjoyable game.

Playing Ninja Gaiden 2 is a very different experience to playing the majority of games. Whether it's for simply beating a wave of blood-thirsty bats or for finally slaying a boss you've been tearing your hair out over for more than an hour, the sense of reward and gratification is practically unrivaled.

With a cast of well-realised characters, and a story that captivates from start-to-finish, Subsurface Circular's robot mystery will have your attention from the moment the train leaves the station.

Hypnospace Outlaw is a perfect recreation of what the internet once was, and in some ways still is: a glorious mess of friendship and anarchy. It’s probably good we don’t have auto-playing music anymore, though.

Stacking rarely treks toward the outskirts of the playroom, and not as far into alternative humour territory as some Schafer fans would hope. But instead it offers a fully-formed, self-contained world of colour and quaintness, charm, and more importantly an individuality of its own.

Spore: Creature Creator tells me a few things: creating new species is great fun, creation tools can be simple yet deep, people will always make the rudest things possible, and Spore is going to be a massively popular PC release.

In a genre resplendent with elegantly refined scoring systems and mechanics, Luftrausers lands a little short of brilliance.

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.

Guitar hero 3 should most definitely be praised - for its almost entirely original recording song list, for its attempts to introduce something new into a near perfect formula, and for picking up where Harmonix left off effortlessly. The songs are diverse, hard-rocking and challenging, but in all honesty, these new tracks are the most exciting new thing about GH3.

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.

Helldivers 2 delivers hilarious fist-clenching moments with rock-solid co-op shooter fundamentals but is held back by repetitive missions.

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.

GTR Evolution is definitely an evolution of the series, as opposed to a revolution, and while the game is in need of a graphical overhaul, the rest of the game is all you could ask from a racing simulation.

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.

Imagine Contra meets Kid Chameleon via Super Meat Boy, with a touch of Sensible Software's irreverence, and you're there. One the most enjoyable couch multiplayer games I've played in quite a while.

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.

Lies of P is a masterclass in utilising passion and inspiration to create something distinct. While its execution isn’t perfect, the enthralling grimdark world of Krat and the overall excellent gameplay make for a fun experience many Souls-like fans are sure to enjoy.

There are better 2D brawlers out there, better ones on Xbox LIVE Arcade in fact, but probably none prettier. And it seems like that's probably just enough to make my weird old brain smile.

Civilization IV: Colonization takes a classic game and updates it for 2008, without screwing around with the things that made it great in the first place. Because it does this, we like it a lot. If you like absorbing strategy games, then you probably will too.

A solid first effort, a great start for Konami's genre-scrambling control system and, with practice, extremely rewarding. I won't go as far as to say it's revolutionised the series - for me the traditional control scheme is still the best way to play PES.

Swap Force is a brilliant, imaginative game for kids of all ages. That shouldn’t be such an anomaly, but outside Nintendo no one is making games for a younger audience that are as polished, as thoughtful and as substantial as this. It’s a genuine delight.

The incredible scope, combined with the awkward menu system and lack of tutorials just serves to make this game completely inaccessible to the grand strategy novice. [Score originally posted as (50)]

FIFA 19 is the finest playing game in the series. The Journey may be after running its course, but the fluid representation of football, the added element of Dynamic Tactics, and the madness of the updated Kick Off mode are all wonderful.

Ms. Splosion Man might not have the same immediacy and freshness of her orange-hued male counterpart, but with more variety and intelligence in the level design she's definitely more fun to play with.

There's plenty of things to like about today's modern shooters, but Counter-Strike is the only one of its kind designed to be anything other than a throwaway novelty you replace every year. It's the Audi compared to Call of Duty's Fiat.

Helsing's Fire has inventive levels and immediate charm, making it an instant iPhone classic you'd be a fool not to pick up post haste.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey sees the franchise at its strongest and most ambitious yet. With a compelling story, solid RPG mechanics, and heaps of content to soak up, you'll be spending months immersed in its sprawling Greek sandbox.

The variety on show is exceptional; one second you're throwing water balloons at burning rope bridges, the next you’re being hounded underwater by a kraken in a mad dash to the surface. The weight of Donkey Kong (accompanied by Diddy, Dixie and Cranky now, who appear in power-up barrels or as a co-op partner) means the pace of the jumping is more deliberate than Mario and less forgiving than Rayman, but this is still a game of flawless control and deliberate design.

Forza Motorsport’s refined handling, next-gen visuals, and responsive physics tempt you with an accessible yet familiar thrill, especially when you avoid spiraling into a bend.

The PSP is a great platform for the SRPG genre, with games such as Final Fantasy: War of the Lions and the Disgaea series being shining examples. Valkyria Chronicles II is - dare I say it - the best of the bunch, and a truly fantastic PSP game in its own right.

The whole process quickly becomes hugely addictive.

Wipeout Pulse is more of the same, but the new additions, primarily in the shape of online play, mean this is essential for Wipeout fans and adrenaline junkies.

While there are plenty of other retro compilations out there vying for your business, Sega Mega Drive Collection arguably offers the most value for money and could quickly become the ideal travel companion for your PSP, as it's a delight to dip in and out of the mostly top notch games included.

One of the best third-person shooters in history? It was and still is.

The gun-play is excellent, the production values are top notch and the multiplayer game modes will keep you coming back months down the line. As long as you're not expecting a complete overhaul of the gameplay seen in the original, Vegas 2 will provide plenty of terrorist hunting fun.

Had Red Faction Guerrilla's campaign been at a consistent high throughout we might have had a real game of the year contender on our hands.

Watch Dogs 2 is missing a bit of refinement, and has had issues with multiplayer, but joining DedSec is still a riot and a half. It's high energy fun with engaging characters, and you can make an entire city your playground.

It's got a decent array of songs, with both modern hits and dance classics forming a well rounded track-list (doing the Soulja Boy dance to 'Crank That' is a personal favourite of mine). It looks great, too, polished to a shiny finish with excellent visuals and an accessible interface. But above all else, it works.

It's the little things that the core F1 audience will appreciate: the oscillating body work, revamped pit stops, improved tyre degradation, a dynamic cloud system. While casual players might question whether much is different a year down the road after 2010, those in the know - those whose second home is behind a steering wheel - will agree that F1 2011 is the most complete representation of the sport to date.

Apparently you can play games on the PlayStation 3, but it certainly looks like a top of the range karaoke machine from where I'm standing, on centre stage in my living room stadium.

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.

Endless Universe is a terrific package, offering a staggering amount of gameplay for the price, and even after two years from its original release, Galactic Civilizations II has lost none of its charm, depth or playability.

If you've never played Minecraft before, the Xbox 360 version is by far the easiest to get to grips with.

Extraction stands shoulder to shoulder with SEGA's Overkill as a great example of the modern on-rails shooter, showing just what the Wii's capable of when developers put their minds to it.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider takes the series’ formula and pushes it, polishing the platforming and bolstering its tombs, but the game’s power ebbs as the main quest is bloated with distraction, and the writing is still patchy and dull.

Revelations hooked long-time fans with the promise it would return to the series' survival horror roots, but couldn't resist an attempt at reaching a wider audience. Instead of producing a splintered and botched attempt at blending action and horror, Capcom should have stuck to its guns.

Sometimes games just feel right, and Superhot is such a game. It takes something familiar and turns it on its head to create what I expect will become an indie classic.

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.

Layton is a good distance removed from the hysteria that surrounded his debut title, then, but the fifth game in this stylised series is enough to keep you entertained.