While anyone who already owns the first release might find the budget price too much to pay for one new city and a few new vehicles, newcomers will find over twenty hours of offline play, and an online mode that could be played for months.

Artoon has suffered from trying to be a bit too clever with the dual screen system.

Rome 2 is a technical behemoth, but at the moment, it’s the little details that are holding it back. Still a great game, but not the masterpiece I was hoping for.

DiRT Rally, then, isn't a true successor to the DiRT series you might know and love, but it's a better rally experience if you're willing to put in the work.

Abzu is a testament to where we are with video game development and shows how diverse the medium can and should be, even if it's not quite as emotionally resonant as it perhaps could have been.

I prioritise the giddy highs of the Black Ops II's exhilarating multiplayer over the disappointment of its poor and brief campaign. Be very careful if you don't.

Anno 1701 offers engrossing escapism and a refreshing alternative to more aggressive gaming themes. While it does nothing new for its genre and is firmly stuck in the days of the Amiga when god games were as popular the WWII FPS is today, it is still a great little title that deserves a huge chunk of your time.

With a little more effort, DMC4 could have been a genuine contender for 2008 game of the year. As it is it's a brilliant, addictive, just plain cool hack and slash action game which goes some way to bringing the series back to its initial lustre.

Lego 2K Drive is a breezy kart-like racing game with plenty of things to do, a unique twist in its customisation options and overall, the kind of fun you’d expect from a Lego game - although its microtransactions leave an uneasy taste in the mouth.

Close your eyes after playing, and a carnival of neon sea-creatures and fluorescent shapes will pulsate under your eye-lids. Child of Eden will linger in your conscious long after playing. While it's a fleeting and - on rare occasions - frustrating experience, it'll leave its mark on 2011 in just the same way.

It's the first game I've played that nails the personality of the bots and it genuinely delivers a solid gaming experience alongside the nostalgia.

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.

If you love early 90s JRPGs, or loved The Chapters of the Chosen, then you'll be fine, and will easily sink a good 30 hours of your life into the game. If the idea of random battles, saving only at far away points and sink or swim gameplay gives you the fear, however, steer clear. Get the more accessible Chrono Trigger instead.

Purists may struggle with Blacklist simply due to how it toys with stealth. Given that it's still the game's core, and that its suite of modes, especially online, are damn entertaining, though, mean it's a solid finale to this generation's Splinter Cell.

Some games just feel like they are a perfect fit for a device, and Rayman Fiesta Run is an example that proves the point. Lowering the barrier of entry to simple touch based controls, this is casual gaming done right: inclusive, immediate, and great fun.

It's incredibly difficult and frustrating in places, but it's still a recommended purchase if the idea of carving up skin, lasering tumours and drawing five-point stars floats your boat.

Movie licensed titles are often less than satisfactory, but The Spiderwick Chronicles manages to pair decent gameplay with impressive production values.

Unquestionably the best golf sim available on consoles.

The sequel, by definition, cannot pack the same shock, but it arrives bearing new gifts.

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.

It's the audio that steals the show though.

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.

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.

It's no surprise, in my opinion, that Metal Gear Solid 4 and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker went to considerate efforts to emulate Big Boss's original adventure - but neither manage to capture what made Metal Gear Solid 3 so special.

It's a shame the story is so strangely paced, but you hardly need it. Fortress Assaults are great set pieces, and there's a lot of fun to be had with the upgraded Nemesis System alone.

Trine isn't as new and exciting as current 2D platforming king Braid was on its release, but its combination of tight controls, exiting action and physics-based puzzles makes it easy to recommend to platforming fans. It's a shame the multiplayer isn't more interesting, but when played alone it shouldn't be hard to get many hours of fun out of Frozenbyte's impressive looking title.

Most players probably able to breeze through in less than eight hours, but there's never a dull moment.

It’s all well-presented, looks nice and most importantly, is a lot of fun to play. It’s a proficient interpretation of Persona’s world with Arc System’s beat em up smarts.