Don’t let the lack of a third dimension fool you. Street Fighter IV is possibly the best beat-’em-up ever made. A must-have.

Vast, epic, engaging, absorbing, terrifying, horrific, amusing and thoroughly brilliant. Fallout 3 is easily one of the best games ever made and one that deserves and needs to be played.

A truly spectacular sequel that reaches previously unthinkable heights. Portal 2 is an experience to be cherished and already a strong contender for the best game of 2011. [Issue#72, p.78]

Lost and Damned is an absolute behemoth of an expansion, providing a fresh perspective on the same city and setting a devilishly high standard for DLC in the future.

A fantastic, life-affirming piece of software that has set a new standard for what the medium can achieve, with a magnificent multiplayer mode to boot. If all games were this good, no one would ever leave the house. [Issue#33, p.84]

A game of such rare emotion that we became attached to our characters to the point of missing them now it's all over. [Issue 27, p.76]

We can't think of a more complete package to spend our virtual pounds upon. [Issue#29, p.116]

A masterclass in design. Brutal, epic, beautiful and harrowing in equal measure, Gears Of War 2 announces Epic’s reign as the king of the action videogame. Absolutely essential.

A study in pure, unadulterated excellence.

Unsullied by over-complication and masterfully focused, Gears of War aims to offer the most bang per buck yet seen in a videogame, and we're glad to say it does just that. [Issue 14, p.72]

A Batman game like never before. Fans will feel like they're dreaming, whereas everyone else has an incredibly large and in-depth world to enjoy and engage with. It doesn't get much better. [Issue#78, p.80]

Both an astonishing RPG and confident shooter, Mass Effect 2 is daring, shocking and often awe-inspiring in its use of choice. This is the future of storytelling in videogames. [Issue#, p.85]

GTA V is funny, genuinely laugh out loud funny – and not in a ’shoving a ten-inch purple dildo up your arse’ funny – the humour is told through situation, through incredibly clever writing and wonderful sense of place. Really, that says everything you need to know about GTA V. Rockstar has spent five years, and an insane amount of money, building a game that is not only bold enough to step away from expectation, but brave enough to revel in its combined history as well.

Titanfall is a ridiculous amount of fun. Maybe it’ll be surpassed, but right now it’s the best game on Xbox One and one of the best multiplayer shooters ever.

The Orange Box offers more value for money than any RPG package in history. Valve and EA could have charged through the nose, but wisely kep it honest. It's the best ?50 you'll ever spend. [Issue#25, p.39]

It’s just a great game tying to be even better. In some cases it works, in other cases it doesn’t. But, ultimately, if the idea of playing a superior version of one of the best games of all time appeals to you (and why wouldn’t it?) then this is a more than worthy excuse for a double-dip.

A furiously successful RPG and FPS combination that doesn't fall short on either front. [Issue#52, p.86]

Accessible, surprisingly innovative and completely engrossing. [Issue#95, p.87]

Mass Effect 3's job is one of refinement, and BioWare polishes its ideas to a mirror sheen. [Issue#83, p.72]

Buy, kiss your life goodbye. [Issue#64, p.103]

It's actually very good. [Issue#80, p.103]

Moment on moment action is outstanding, boss battles some of the most hectic and awesome we’ve seen in years and the presentation – from the bonkers cut-scenes to the brilliantly eclectic evolving soundtrack – is top-notch.

Point-and-click gaming at its very best. Ignore it at your own stupidity. [Issue#49, p.102]

Horizon sacrifices purity for spectacle, trades tuning depth for racing equality and shifts to an open road setting where once were trackside barriers and preset circuits, though none of this detracts from the glorious driving mechanics that Playground Games has superbly re-created under the watchful eye of Turn 10.

Easily in line for a game of the year nod and one of the finest adventures this generation has seen. [Issue#79, p.64]

While many fans will already have BlazBlue, Extend ties together all of the DLC, tweaks and modes that make it the definitive way to enjoy this superb series. [Issue#83, p.89]

There are some foibles – notably the general attitude of the game – but there’s absolutely no denying Forza Motorsport 6 is a brilliant, deep, rewarding racing game.

Its mixture of razor-sharp design and old-school joy make this as close to a must-buy as you're likely to come. [Issue#31, p.116]