Fight Night Champion is a triumphant return for EA Sports stalwart boxing franchise that still has one of the best simulated fighting systems around as well as some great visuals. Champion Mode is a surprisingly involving new addition that actually makes you care about what happens to its protagonist, as he embarks upon his Rocky-esque journey. Ultimately then, Fight Night Champion is still the undisputed king of the ring.

For Honor can take some time to gel, but once you understand the ebb and flow of its combat, mastering its various subtleties, you'll discover a uniquely gratifying, exciting and often brilliantly brutal game of swords, axes, shields and spears. For Honor is almost like playing Game of Thrones' 'Battle of the Bastards' sequence; and if that sounds like a hearty recommendation, that's because it is. Ubisoft Montreal's game certainly has its flaws, but they pale into insignificance against the myriad things it manages to get right. All in all, For Honor is a triumph.

Mortal Kombat is a great return to form for the franchise though and a veritable gore-laden treat for fans. A joy to play in any mode, MK simply needs its multiplayer refining to make the experience smoother and more gratifying to play. Its roster could have used a new character or two, but the 25 on the disc and two unlockable pugilists will keep the hardcore players happy.

With Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Warhorse has favoured fun and impact over realism, and as a result, the sequel to the popular 2018 title has improved leaps and bounds. Stability and bugs are still an issue, but if you can get past that, then there’s a thoroughly enjoyable medieval romp to get your teeth into.

FIFA 21 isn’t going to blow anyone’s mind, but it improves upon last year’s game in almost every area, with an enhanced Career Mode proving to be the highlight. Even if it doesn’t offer much that’s new, it’s the best football game we’ve had in years, and a fitting send off to a generation of FIFA games on Xbox One.

Persona 5 Tactica is a wonderful take on isometric turn-based tactical games like XCOM, that is good enough to satiate Persona fans, and maybe even win over a few XCOM fans at the same time.

UFC 2009 Undisputed is a fantastic recreation of one of the world’s fastest growing sports. The extensive roster, commentary, ring girls, Bruce Buffer and Classic Fights mode with Rachelle Leah ensures that the title is as authentic as they could have reproduced. Despite the stunning visuals though, UFC Undisputed remains on the brink of greatness with a bland career mode, steep learning curve and straightforward online mode.

Starbreeze's Syndicate isn't the RTS you may all remember, but it's certainly an FPS you won't forget any time soon.

One part MotorStorm, one part Forza Horizon, The Crew Motorfest is a hugely accomplished open world racing game that brings across the best of The Crew 2, while sprinkling in a few neat ideas of its own. Also, the returning on-the-fly car, plane, and boat switching is enormously welcome.

A great gardening/breeding game that improves upon the original in many ways, but maybe not enough to justify you paying full price.

Has all of the lavish production values of a blockbuster movie, with a fantastic soundtrack and a story that just about manages to keep you engaged. As a package, Assault Horizon ticks all of the boxes and will have sky-jockeys weeping with joy. Go on, MAKE METAL BLEED! You know you want to.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is a fantastic adventure title that's both beautiful to look at, compelling to play and enjoyable for the most part.

There is a great selection of games here and a lot of replay value. For the value ($30 retail) it really can't be beat.

Final Fantasy XIII at times doesn’t feel like a Final Fantasy game; what with its traditional mechanics streamlined down to next to nothing and not much outside the main scope of the game to get on with. If you can put that aside though and sit through a painfully slow beginning, then Final Fantasy XIII is as rewarding as any JRPG on the console.

NHL 12 is yet another great ice hockey title that will appeal to new fans of the sport as much as it will to the old guard. The only quibbles tend to be minor ones, but the main issue is that this game is yet another in a growing line of updates rather than sweeping revolutions.

On the pitch, PES 2018 still delivers big with a footie game that remains the best around. Unfortunately a lack of anything truly innovative holds it back somewhat, as does the continuing shortage of licenses. Next year, PES needs to go big or go home.

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax is a stellar follow up to Arc System Works’ 2012 offering.

With the adaptive AI the terrorist hunts ensure an ongoing challenge that is never the same twice.

Long time players will easily get sucked back in to grinding for legendary loot, but the rest may well be mystified by the obsession. Still this is undoubtedly the version to get if you haven’t been sucked in before now and all the bells and whistles add to the overall appeal.

Mix together a comic book character with some God of War/Tomb Raider gameplay, then cook it with a high degree of passion and you'll have X-Men Origins: Wolverine. A violent, entertaining affair that looks as good as it plays and doesn't hold back for the squeamish.

Tropico 4 is a well-crafted update that is subtly better in almost every respect, including more helpful guidance to total newcomers and a steady stream of in-game mini-missions to keep things interesting. That pesky save bug makes an unwelcome return though and really should have been dealt with by now, but that aside you will be lost in a tropical paradise.

An absorbing open world adventure drenched in colourful New Caledonian culture, Tchia is beautifully unique and more than deserving of your time. It's on Xbox Game Pass – there's no excuse not to give it a go.

An inviting and enjoyable dose of brutal co-op combat and platforming laced with British humour, King of Meat wants you to entertain a baying TV audience for glory, and in turn, it succeeds in entertaining you, too.

A brilliant sequel that compares favourably to Mario Kart in the mascot racer stakes, Sonic & All-Stars Racing: Transformed might be hard as nails, but it's a kart racer that's all kinds of fun in multiplayer and proves a rewarding romp played alone. Sharper than a cyber razor cut, to be this good takes AGES.

A triumphant combination of SimCity and Dungeon Keeper-style gameplay makes SteamWorld Build not only an excellent game, but a comfortable and immediately gratifying experience that should be savoured.

An easy game to play with simple and intuitive controls. You’re drawn into the game within five minutes and you may find yourself playing three hours later without knowing where the time has gone.

F1 Manager 2022 succeeds in being an engaging experience, immersing you in the various intricacies and minutiae of running a constructor, while determining the ideal race strategy – you can't help but feel fully invested.F1 Manager 2022 succeeds in being an engaging experience, immersing you in the various intricacies and minutiae of running a constructor, while determining the ideal race strategy – you can't help but feel fully invested.

Another strong entry in the series, but one that does not bring enough fresh ideas to the table to truly make it stand out. Sure you can make your own story, but the controls and plots are fiddly to manage. For wrestling fans this is a sure fire purchase, but for the rest of us, it is a fun fighting game at best.

Saints Row IV's world might be a virtual simulation, but there's nothing fake about the level of fun on offer here. The only downside is a nagging sense of diminishing returns, and a very real sense that the next Saints Row game should probably look at going back to its roots.

Very simple controls, good tutorials and strategies that are easy to pick up. The AI doesn't ramp up the intensity like it used to in the old Blitz games which is nice as you can get a lead and keep it.

Stranded: Alien Dawn is an enormously varied survival sim and base builder, that has been remarkably well-adapted for consoles and stuffed to the gills with content, features, and options. This is as welcoming or as hardcore a survival experience as you want it to be.

Developer Milestone lives up to its name by reaching one with MotoGP 23, providing the most accessible entry in the series to date, with fancy Neural Aids helping to ease in new players. MotoGP 23 also happens to be a polished, authentic motorcycle racing game that will also please even the most hardcore of motorcycle nuts.

If you are looking for a football game to play with friends for the next year, you can’t go wrong with this one. Although the changes and new additions may not be game changing, they do enough to keep Madden 10 fresh and playing with a buddy in co-op is always fun.

When you buy NBA 2K, you know what you're getting. Except this year, NBA 2K23 sees Visual Concepts bringing its 'A' game, with an excellent MyCareer mode, the return of Jordan Challenges, and an addictive MyTeam offering. This is a straight-up slam dunk.

A splendid RTS and one that provides plenty of enjoyment, especially if you can find a co-op partner to take along for the ride. This version is not quite as good as the PC equivalent but you won’t find many better on the 360.

On paper, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii sounds like a step too far into unfettered silliness for RGG Studio's crime saga, until you remember the series has always revelled in daftness. Submit to the game's enjoyable pirate fantasy, and you'll find that there's a lot of fun to be had here.

Playing this game was a pleasant surprise, especially due to the fact I’d never followed the series or really enjoyed fighting games as a whole. The missions may start to get repetitive after a while but the story more than makes up for it and the online modes can keep you occupied long after you’ve finished the game. It’s mainly for fans but give it a go and you may be shocked at how much fun you have.

Street Fighter IV is a more than competent fighting game, in fact, it’s great, but in order to have the package these days, you need to deliver on more than the fighting mechanism.

Superbly fun single player with a largely forgettable multiplayer tagged on.

What RUSE offers is a supremely complex mix of strategy, with a control system that is easy to pick up and use. The RUSE mechanic itself offers players a surprisingly deep alternative to conventional strategy, and helps to keep battles fresh and interesting right until the end.

An impressive game that provides one of the greatest gaming experiences I’ve had in a while, producing some of the goriest bloodbaths featured in a game to date.

A fast-paced and addictive roguelike first-person shooter boasting a bold cyberpunk style, Deadlink is a cracking little game, and one that rewards your time and effort to boot.

The best LEGO game in quite some time, and one of the best family titles this year. The obvious sequel will hopefully build on the successful foundations here, although the major issues of similarity and simplicity that make it into all of the games is hardly likely to go away – which is probably for the best as that would rob the games of their inherent charm.

Open Season’s only true flaw is its lack of replay value.

A crisp and cracking remaster of a little known Nintendo DS curio, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is Capcom doing what it does best – bringing back its old games in carefully considered, elegantly made revivals. This is no exception.

An unbridled joy to play, RAGE 2 is something that puts an onus on having fun and has no pretenses of being anything else beyond that.

Creaks is a wonderfully atmospheric game that is ingenious in its execution, with a unique art style and excellent sound design. The sheer number of mind-teasing puzzles can be a little relentless at times, but the way that the game's systems evolve and interact with each other over time is incredibly impressive. If you have any love for brain teasers, you should probably consider picking it up.

Nearly twenty years since it first released, Virtua Fighter 5 still has plenty of mileage left in it. Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage emerges as the definitive version of a great fighting game, with meaningful new features, and challenging fighting mechanics that will keep you coming back.

It might not feel all that different to NBA 2K25, but there are enough refinements and new things in NBA 2K26 to make this year's game more than worthwhile. If you're a fan of hoops, then the lure of a new MyCareer, more MyTeam, and the always great NBA Eras, will no doubt prove irresistible.

More like the survival horror Resident Evil should be and less the balls-to-the-wall actioner, Resident Evil: Revelations almost strikes the perfect balance between scares and playability. It's arguably the best Resident Evil game we've played since Resident Evil 4, and that's saying something.

A game of two halves, with a gleaming remaster of Sonic Generations and an all-new, practically full-sized Shadow Generations portion, Sonic x Shadow Generations is a killer dose of the blue blur and his brooding counterpart, which still ranks among the best that Sonic's modern era has mustered in recent years.

The Hitman HD Trilogy represents incredible value for money, and for the most part, it seems to have aged rather well. In terms of an HD remake though, IO and Square have seemingly done the bare minimum here to get it to market. A remastered soundtrack and some re-recorded lines would have been nice, but instead, the best you can expect is a lick of paint.

A horror game that delivers stripped down, no frills scares, Phasmophobia is unrelentingly creepy, the mundanity of its suburban residences, with its picket fences and immaculate front lawns, harbouring ghostly nastiness that's not to be taken lightly. Not for the faint-hearted.

A knockout combo of ten arcade greats – including five sensational Darkstalkers games – Capcom Fighting Collection represents fantastic value, online play with rollback netcode the icing on a delectable ass-kicking cake.

A frenetic and fun title that is held short of true greatness by a lack of imagination in places, with a story that is only so-so and a multiplayer that needs a few more modes (and players) to be truly satisfying.

Offering more vehicles, new environments, a story mode, and a raft of new features, Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged takes what worked in the first game, and turns up the heat. As far as knockabout, fun arcade racing is concerned, this is about as good as it gets.

State of Decay: Year-One Survival Edition is a generously proportioned package (that's not a euphemism), containing a stack of content, a huge open-world packed with ravenous zombies and precious few supplies to see you through.

Sonic and co.'s best kart outing to date, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds comes close to achieving Mario Kart levels of fun, with enjoyable drifting and power-up based combat, as well as a neat gimmick in those realm-shifting 'world ring' portals that drop on the track. This is a bright and breezy blast.

Tiger Woods 11 is yet another fairly successful fine tune from EA. The game certainly does not break the mould or truly push the envelope in terms of creativity, but there are enough good ideas here to make it a worthwhile purchase, especially if you have given the last few titles the cold shoulder.

Stuffed to the gills with content, it's a generous package, and one that even those considering a second trip will enjoy.

After thirteen years, Space Marine is finally back, and it delivers on almost every front – more grisly gore, huge swarms of enemies, and, crucially, incredibly robust combat mechanics. It doesn't do much that's new, but who cares? Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a very good thing indeed.

In placing a lone hero at the centre of its historical Three Kingdoms story, Dynasty Warriors: Origins emerges as a much more focussed affair. Marry that to some stellar combat mechanics, and it's almost impossible not to get swept up in the overblown 1 vs. 1000 action. This is an unbelievably fun game, and certainly the best Dynasty Warriors game I've ever played.

Resident Evil still holds up after 13 years as a masterclass in survival horror, this HD remaster making it utterly essential once more.

Ramping up practically every facet of what made the first game such infectious co-op party fun, Moving Out 2 is a sheer unadulterated joy, and the most fun you can have dragging a bulky sofa around. As William Shakespeare once said, don't forget to lift with your spine.

A hugely enjoyable, exciting and eye-wateringly good-looking fighting game, Dragon Ball FighterZ is utterly essential for any and all self-respecting DBZ fans. And even if you're not, you'll still probably get a big old kick out Arc System Works' exuberant fighter.

You ought to play Slitterhead if for no other reason than its mood. It’s one of this year’s strangest and most striking games.

Little Nightmares is surreal, supernatural and odd, but it's great too, its ending equally weird and disturbing, the whole thing will leave an indelible mark on your brain. And that's exactly why you should get it bought.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora’s true draw is Pandora itself, and while the gameplay can get a little repetitive and samey, there's enough here to keep you engrossed from start to finish. Come for the sights, stay for the sights.

If you can forget trying to find method behind the Shift madness, you'll have a blast in both single and multiplayer, coming back for more when you want to burn rubber in style.

A co-op, third-person cover shooter with a whole load of loot-based, ability upgrading, gear crafting, stat levelling stuff built in, The Division is an entertaining game. If you want to play through all the content and move on, you’ll have a good time. If you’ve a weakness for loadout-tinkering and don’t mind grinding, it could be your new obsession.

Proving once more that there's life yet in its killer sniping mechanics and expansive sandbox missions, Sniper Elite: Resistance is another cracking series entry, even if it's not much of an evolution over Sniper Elite 5. No doubt, Rebellion is saving the big guns for Sniper Elite 6.

All barnacles, salty sea life, and rusty, otherworldly machinery, Silt is an underwater odyssey filled with murky mystery and some pretty neat puzzles. In a nutshell, it's sort of like Limbo, but in the ocean.

Yakuza 0 might be the better game, but Yakuza Kiwami is the best way to experience where the series began. Additions like 'Majima Everywhere' inject a sense of knockabout fun to proceedings, while cracking heads is a persistent, unending delight. There's no excuse not to dive right into Yakuza Kiwami this very second.

Expertly aping past glories, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania is a definitive compendium of remastered classics, stuffed to the gills with bonus modes, extra characters, and party games. It is, without question, the most fun you can have rolling a monkey in a ball around a maze - that is an empirical fact. You’d be bananas not to buy it.

Another smart entry into the interactive narrative adventure/walking sim genre, Tacoma is a sci-fi story that's engaging from beginning to end. To state the obvious, if you dig this kind of game, then you're going to love Tacoma too.

Lacking in some departments it might be, but KOF XV is nonetheless a superlative fighting game, which only makes it all the more upsetting that it's missing features that have been a series staple for ages. Should you not care about such things, then SNK's latest King of Fighters outing will undoubtedly scratch any face-pounding itch, its various systems proving deep yet intuitive, resulting in bouts that are almost invariably close-fought and thrilling.

Combining dialogue-driven drama, a sprinkling of humour, interesting well-written characters, combat with a baseball bat, and a variety of other distractions, Dustborn emerges as a compelling and memorable schlep across America.

While I wish there was more content in Hidden Through Time 2: Discovery, and it felt like a DLC rather than a full game, the price is fair for the content and time I spent with it. For anyone who likes cozy puzzle-like games, it’s an easy one to recommend.

A retro-style shooter that's both funny and fun, Super Time Force's temporal twists and turns are what make it well worth playing. It's unlikely you'll have played anything with the same kind of unfettered energy either. It's time you gave it a go.

Mysterious, beautiful, and almost dreamlike, FAR: Changing Tides betters its predecessor, delivering a truly memorable and engaging seafaring journey.

While Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is strong with the Force, it's held back slightly by some irritating bugs. Fortunately, none of them can detract from the overall experience, its superlative combat and absorbing, enjoyable take on the Star Wars universe.

Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom is a striking adventure, marred only by ever so slightly niggling platform jumping and possibly a bit too much backtracking through locations you've already visited.

Capcom proves once again that it's quite good at this remastering lark. Resident Evil Zero HD is a brilliant update of another classic GameCube Resident Evil game for a modern audience that demands to be revisited once more or discovered for the first time. It's scary good.

Spec Ops: The Line is a cut above the usual generic military shooter with solid gameplay backed up by a story that pulls you in and doesn't let go. And it makes you think. It's a grim day at the beach for sure, but then war is hell.

Dead Money clocks in at a good five hours or so, and is well worth investing in if you're thirsty for more New Vegas action. There's plenty of what Fallout does best, with new melee weapons and guns to try out as well as several divergent conclusions to reach once you manage to successfully (or indeed unsuccessfully) pull off the Sierra Madre heist. But does Dead Money deliver on the same level as Fallout 3's DLC did? To a certain extent yes, but having played through the DLC episode, we can attest that Dead Money is absorbing while it lasts, yet you might still be left wanting more once the credits have rolled.

As a vibrant and energetic revamp of a nine-year-old fighting game, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle R succeeds in breathing new life into something quite niche, with meaningful tweaks to its fighting system, new features, and more, giving it a well deserved second chance.

A cracking sequel to a cult arcade classic, Windjammers 2 ups the ante with sharp hand-drawn visuals and more than a modicum of pure arcade panache. The idea of Pong (with frisbees, mind you) turned up to 11 has never been so appealing.

Dead Rising 2 is everything you'd want from the zombie-smashing, free-roaming sequel and although many were after an upgraded save system, the tweaks it's seen are relatively minor. Adding co-op and a hugely original multiplayer have definitely made this a must buy for zombie fanatics the world over, but the painfully long load times, the odd frame-rate issues and retreading the same ground after we've died umpteen times, really holds the game back from the dizzy 90s.

An enjoyably easygoing interstellar hospital management sim that doesn't take itself too seriously, Galacticare is exactly the sort of game that will gobble up your time without you even realising. With streamlined mechanics and a daft sense of humour, there's a good dose of fun to be had here.

Another great instalment in the GRID series, GRID Autosport puts right all of the perceived things that were wrong with GRID 2. There's no more narrative stuff to get caught up in, no pretty front end menus to ogle; it's just you, the cars and the race track. If that sounds good to you, then GRID Autosport is your game. Go race.

A cool hybrid of platforming, puzzling and pinball, Yoku's Island Express is a bit of a one-off, and therefore well worth seeking out.

We love Katamari, and you should too. Like Katamari Damacy Reroll before it, We Love Katamari Reroll+ Royal Reverie is a damn fine remaster, brimming with colour and verve. If it's a pure shot of fun you crave, then you can't really do much better than this.

A bold and smart Xbox One indie platformer, Kalimba takes a simple and clever idea, transforming it into something that's equal parts tough and rewarding.

Breathing new life into a decade-and-a-half-old PSP game, Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion is a cracking remake of a JRPG that was already a pretty ruddy good in the first place. It definitely deserves a fair shake.

A series in serious danger of outstaying its welcome, Call of Duty is once again a victim of its own success, unable to change the winning formula too much. And yet, Infinity Ward has still managed to craft a first-person shooter that is exciting, engaging and unreservedly fun.

Fun and accessible, yet deep and detailed, Evil Genius 2: World Domination is pure fantasy fulfilment for anyone who has ever quite fancied being Ernst Stavro Blofeld or Hank Scorpio, and holding the globe to ransom.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is an independent game, in the truest meaning of the term, and, beyond the hook of its mysteries, you may be drawn to it by virtue of being tired of other things.

Marvel's Midnight Suns is a strangely complex game to explain. It’s equal parts isometric turn-based RPG, social simulator, and deck-building card game. But you know what? It actually works! Sure, it’s not as tense and as gripping as Firaxis’ XCOM series, but this is a nice action-oriented offshoot.