Dead Island Definitive Collection is one of the better value remastered bundles currently available, serving up one genuinely good game, one relatively crap sequel, and a reasonably enjoyable bonus game in Retro Revenge. For the cash, you could certainly do a lot worse, and few other games do zombie slaughter quite so well.

Overwatch abandons a lot of what we’ve come to expect from multiplayer shooters to create a fresh, exciting, fantastically entertainingly experience. I may never play anything else.

There’s some good ideas and nice execution beneath Homefront: The Revolution’s terrible performance and dodgy design. Very occasionally, everything lines up to make for a unique experience. However, the fact that the game was even released in this poor state is terrible.

A Satanic shooter that's as gratifying as Hell, DOOM pays due respect to its legacy with a game that delivers on everything that makes the series so great. You need DOOM in your life.

Showing signs of early promise, Battleborn very quickly becomes a chore, its repetitive story and paltry selection of multiplayer content putting the nail in its coffin after about 10-15 hours or so. That's assuming you even have the perseverance to stick around for that long. Battleborn is a disappointment.

The Dark Souls games remain a high-water mark for the action RPG. Uncompromising, occasionally infuriating, yet constantly rewarding for those with the correct level of patience and dedication, Dark Souls III is a fitting end to a fantastic trilogy.

The DiRT game that rally fans have been craving, DiRT Rally is a triumphant return to form that every self-respecting video game racing aficionado needs to own. Don't be put off by the steep learning curve, DiRT Rally is worth getting to grips with; it's super rewarding and ultimately a fantastic rally title.

Like Max Payne and Alan Wake before it, Quantum Break has already left me desperate for a sequel. And with one or two loose threads left dangling tantalisingly, the way is certainly open for one. Quantum Break is another superlative Remedy game, combining story and gameplay to startling effect. I want to go back in time and play it afresh, all over again.

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.

Where the first EA Sports UFC failed to go big on content, EA Sports UFC 2 delivers big time. That it also successfully improves upon the strong foundations laid by UFC 1 in the gameplay stakes, makes UFC 2 nothing short of superlative. It's a winner.

A fun, familiar experience, Action Henk is a lovely little one-more-go arcade racer that’ll have you attempting levels over and over to shave a few milliseconds off your time. You’ve done it all before, but that won’t stop it putting a smile on your face.

With a wealth of new ideas, including taming and controlling animals, a non-linear story and an upgradable village hub, Far Cry Primal isn’t just Far Cry 4 with cavemen. Much of the gameplay will feel familiar, but the additions are just about enough to keep it fresh.

Despite sometimes descending into colourful, eye-hurting confusion at times, Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 is a relentlessly entertaining and stupidly fun game that you can't help but play with a big, dumb grin on your face. Great fun alone, online with strangers or in co-op with friends, Garden Warfare 2 is never anything less than a joy.

This year’s most beautiful game so far, Unravel doesn’t quite display the design prowess to match its wonderful visuals, but it’s nevertheless an enjoyable, charming experience.

Stunning to behold and hugely enjoyable to play, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 can sometimes prove frustrating, but once you get to grips with it and master its combat, enjoying the blistering battles that ensue is a joy.

Where last year's LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham proved that there's still life in the LEGO series, LEGO Marvel's Avengers is proof positive that cracks are beginning to show in TT Games' once bulletproof franchise. A severe lack of variety lets the side down, indicating that it's high time the LEGO series receive a much-needed shot in the arm.

This War of Mine: The Littles ones is a powerful, affecting game that covers an aspect of warfare not typically touched by the medium. Telling the stories of normal civilians caught in the middle of a war, it asks: what you would do to survive? The disturbing answer is: anything you have to.

With its engaging story, its excellent voice-acting and enthralling dialogue, Oxenfree is a game to remember, marred only by its constant crashes, which is less than ideal.

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.

An improvement on its predecessor, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India is a more varied game that at it’s best, is pretty damn good. But a handful of poor choices and underdeveloped ideas hold it back.

Get beyond the complicated controls and mechanics, and Starpoint Gemini 2 turns out to be a mostly enjoyable voyage across the far reaches of space. The price tag is a little steep given the dated style and presentation of the game, but there's no shortage of content if you're in the market for a steadily-paced and involving space sim.

Tense, dramatic and unique, Rainbow Six: Siege feels and plays unlike any other shooter on the market. It’s not perfect but it can be great fun. We just wish there was more of it.

Predictably enjoyable, Just Cause 3 is as big and ballsy as its forebear, but doesn't push the envelope quite enough. Yet, if it's action and explosions you seek, then look no further. Just Cause 3 is still the most fun you can have with a gun, a grapple and infinite parachutes. Boom.

Star Wars Battlefront is undoubtedly the Star Wars experience that we all wanted, it’s just a shame that there’s a distinct lack of content. That said, playing Battlefront is as close to being in a Star Wars movie as you're ever likely to get.

Despite its vast scope, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt tells a personal, intimate and touching story, filled with characters you’ll love and hate, and stuffed with monsters to slay. I completed the main storyline in around 50 hours and - yes I know this is a cliche - I’ve barely scratched the surface. The Witcher 3 is an astounding achievement.

A slightly disappointing return for EA's racing franchise, Need for Speed doesn't do anything to push things forward. You'd think that a hiatus might have given Ghost Games time to inject a little extra vigour into Need for Speed, but the overall result is falls woefully short of expectations. Still, the racing part remains good, clean fun, which is what really matters.

Fallout 4 might not be as technically advanced as, say The Witcher 3, but it’s a game full of charm and substance, which makes up for an aging Creation Engine. Fallout 4 boasts an incredible world full of intrigue, mystery and suspense, backed by a whole host of weird and wonderful characters. It’s a world you’re going to want to go back to, time and time again.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is a strong sequel to 2013's reboot, building upon the potential of its predecessor while adding to the sense of wonder and exploration-based aspects more in keeping with Ms. Croft's roots. Of course, more tombs and puzzles to solve would always be welcome, but Rise is nonetheless a fantastic blend of entertaining combat encounters, traversal and open-world exploration, and arguably a cut above the previous game in gameplay terms, if not necessarily in story terms.

Another year, another Call of Duty, Black Ops 3 is nonetheless a generous package that hits all of the right marks. Campaign is decent enough and Zombies is good fun, but it's the multiplayer that will keep you hooked.

WWE 2K16 is a better game than last 2K15, largely thanks to the expansive range of options and features that have been reinstated. The 2K Showcase is fantastic, but the core gameplay hasn't changed enough to warrant a hearty recommendation.

Halo 5: Guardians is an exciting Halo package, marred only by some questionable design decisions, like microtransactions and some shoddy friendly-AI in the campaign. It’s not a classic Halo, but 343 is moving in a good direction with the franchise.

The Jackbox Party Pack 2 is pretty much essential if you have family or friends to entertain. It's one of very few games in which everyone can join in, providing hours of fun and laughter. One to dig out for social gatherings then.

Something of a return to form for the series, Assassin's Creed Syndicate is the perfect marriage of time, place and characters with an entertaining story and fun gameplay to match. London has never seemed so appealing.

Guitar Hero Live is maybe a change too far for the Guitar Hero revival. It’s two facets, Guitar Hero Live and Guitar Hero TV, are wonderfully crafted and superbly engaging, but the fun factor seems to have been zapped from it somewhat. Maybe it’s a little too serious, maybe it’s hard to accept change, but that spark that we felt when we played Guitar Hero II for the first time… it’s just not there.

A decent rally title, WRC 5 has its issues, but none of them are game-breaking. The online mode might be severely lacking, but the single-player experience is fully-formed, with Career Mode, Quick Rally and Quick Stage modes offering plenty of solo enjoyment. If you're after a good rally racer, look no further.

Don't be fooled by its simplistic, retro visual stylings. Crimsonland is enormous fun, and the perfect game to dip in and out of on occasion.

Like a robot in disguise, Transformers: Devastation is a really good game that could have been potentially great. Sadly, there isn't more than meets the eye to Platinum's effort, but what is included is superb. It's just too bad there isn't a little bit more of it.

A game in which Batman rubs shoulders with the Stay Puft marshmallow man, where Gandalf solves puzzles at Aperture Sciences and Wyldstyle punches orcs, LEGO Dimensions is a smile-inducing mash-up that revels in everything that makes LEGO such a joy.

Not exactly a massive Air Jordan-style leap over NBA 2K15, this year's game is nonetheless a substantial enough evolution to warrant a closer look.

A marked improvement over last year, but the absence of pace is sorely missed. FIFA 16 is not as good on the pitch as PES this year – again – but it’s a great football game regardless, with unrivalled off the pitch options.

PES 2016 is undoubtedly a great football game, as good as it’s been in years. Sure, it’s better on the pitch than PES 2015, but it’s let down somewhat by some cavalier keepers who couldn’t catch a cold.

Broken Sword 5: The Serpent’s Curse is a solid little point-and-click adventure that's let down by its clunky controls and its sometimes nonsensical puzzles.

Simply a better game than Forza 5 and with a lot more content to boot, Forza Motorsport 6 is an endlessly playable racer that deserves a spot in your Xbox One collection.

Tilting Point's game is a great indie platformer that's a bit on the short side, but for $7, it's a steal. Challenging and enjoyable while it lasts, Leo's Fortune is well worth a punt. It's the best game starring a furry green testicle with a moustache that you're ever likely to play.

Mad Max is a solid, if slightly unremarkable open-world game that does a good job in replicating the atmosphere and tone of the movies, and the character's essence, but fails to provide any real excitement beyond its vehicle-based combat.

A few new gameplay mechanics and the Fantasy Draft mode might not seem like enough to make you part with your cash, but the subtle changes are enough to make every game feel like a new challenge.

An improvement over the previous Infinity games, Disney Infinity 3.0 is the most definitive installment in the series to date, putting Disney Originals, Marvel and Star Wars under one roof. Factor in the power and possibilities presented by the Toy Box, and Disney Infinity 3.0 would be almost impossible to resist if a little more attention had been lavished upon the core gameplay.

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is the Gears of War that fans didn’t ask for, but it’s the one they got, and it’s actually pretty great, as it happens. The campaign seems to have taken a backseat to the multiplayer in terms of improvements, but it’s worth buying for the multiplayer alone, so there’s that. It’ll tide you over till Gears of War 4 at least, but that’s about it.

An uncompromising, visionary conclusion to Rocksteady's Arkham trilogy, Batman: Arkham Knight is the world's greatest detective in the world's greatest superhero game.

Spectra is good clean fun, providing just the right amount of challenge without ever feeling unfair.

A fine twin-stick shooter, Tachyon Project is good, solid entertainment that's worth whiling away a few hours with.

A solid first effort at Formula One on current consoles, F1 2015 is nevertheless hamstrung by a dearth of modes. The strength of the on-track action does bode well for subsequent F1 games, however, although F1 2015 feels like something of a stop-gap. That said, die-hard F1 fans will still love F1 2015 regardless.

A solid golf game that suffers from a lack of courses and little in the way of imaginative modes. A step backwards from the most recent Tiger Woods games, Rory McIlroy PGA Tour is not the series refresh we’d hoped for.

Rare Replay is undoubtedly an insane amount of value for money.

Completing an HD overhaul for the entirety of the Devil May Cry series, Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition is a definitive package that represents decent value for money for returning players, and is pretty much essential for anyone yet to play it.

LEGO Jurassic Park is, as ever, a sizable package with plenty of replay value when it comes to finding every hidden nook, cranny and minikit. However, the same gameplay persists as do some of the same bugs and glitches – often revolving around co-op play. So while it is nice to revisit locales both new and old, it’s not so great to see the same issues and problems when you get there.

Addictive and entertaining, Sparkle Unleashed is a more than competent Zuma-style puzzler for Xbox One that's definitely worth a look.

A remarkably pleasant, entertaining and pure stealth puzzle game, Spy Chameleon is one of the best games starring a lizard we've played in some time.

A must for casual and hardcore racing fans alike, Project CARS does practically everything right, providing plenty of options for players of all skill levels and persuasions. I'm not much of a racing sim fan, but I found myself completely immersed in Project CARS.

Another Nazi-blasting triumph, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is the perfect companion piece to The New Order, and proof positive that MachineGames knows exactly what it's doing with the series. The Old Blood is more of the same, which is certainly no bad thing.

Cramming many of Assassin’s Creed’s calling cards into ACC: China’s diminutive 2.5D frame, while amping up the importance of stealth, is impressive. But too much of the game is flat and uninspired. There’s the barest bones of a great game here. Let’s hope one of the sequels expands on that promise.

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.

As endless runners go, Infinity Runner is a fine example, but greatly lacks polish and finesse.

A gloriously unhinged and unashamedly stupid game, Goat Simulator is still one of the most enjoyable things I've played in some time. It's a horribly glitchy mess, but it's also somewhat majestic in its commitment to providing surreal lunacy that will have you in fits of laughter.

NetherRealm has outdone itself with Mortal Kombat X, delivering an uncompromising fighting game that revels in blood-drenched ultra-violence. Not just essential for Mortal Kombat fans, MK X is something that deserves to be enjoyed by all fight fans over the age of 18. Brutality!

For newcomers Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin is a superb package, with the wonderful DLC thrown in and the visuals at the best they have ever been. However, it's also tough going thanks to the remixed enemy placements and new random encounters. For veterans this is a welcome return to Drangleic but not one that is mandatory, as the changes feel all too insubstantial at times.

With two mahoosive games and a ton of additional content stuffed into the box, Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is well worth the asking price, what with its sharp, pimped-out visuals and what not. If you've already taken this ride before on Xbox 360, you might want to think twice before parting with more cash for the Xbox One version.

It might not reach the dizzy heights of seminal Resident Evil, but Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is nonetheless a solid fleshy slab of survival horror that represents great value for money and a fun few hours of infected freak shooting.

A mighty fine bite-size Battlefield experience that takes a franchise synonymous with being a military shooter and establishes it in new territory. Battlefield Hardline is not as grand or epic as you’d perhaps expect a core Battlefield title to be, but it’s certainly a damn fine alternative.

The story might be convoluted, but it's engaging and the characters are (mostly) likeable. Final Fantasy: Type-0 HD is good fun, and well worth delving into for a few dozen hours.

Ori and the Blind Forest excels in so many areas. The fantastic level design, the inventive abilities, the touching story, the wonderful score and of course those scintillating visuals all stack up for one hell of an experience. Demanding a place in your collection, Ori and the Blind Forest is the best game I’ve played this year.

LA Cops is a neat game of cops and criminals that's just too short-lived and lacking. The 70s style is a nice touch and the partner dynamic adds a strategic bent (even if we did mostly just use the second cop as an extra life) to what is otherwise a fairly sterile twin-stick shooter.

DmC Devil May Cry: Definitive Edition proves that DmC is still brilliant. A slight resolution upgrade, frame rate boost and additional content make for a good value package, but if you've already played DmC on last-gen platforms, you may want to carefully consider re-purchasing this, despite it remaining deliciously devilish.

Zombie Army Trilogy isn’t an especially well made game. It’s a bit buggy and cheap and it’s decidedly dumb. But it’s also capable of being really fun. Get online with a few friends, get the beers in, and laugh together as you massacre Hitler’s undead army, one squishy head at a time.

Free from Kinect, Frontier has been able to deliver a game that revels in split-second timing and precise controls. The result is the studio’s best Xbox game in years that's a brilliantly fun coaster-racing, track-building, building destroying experience in its own right.

Pneuma: Breath of Life should have been the kind of game you turn to between Call of Duty sessions, but instead it's a slightly insipid, short-lived and ultimately disposable puzzler. Console gamers like us are crying out for games like these, but Pneuma really isn't it.

A game for the Dragon Ball purists, Xenoverse is unlikely to appeal to anyone else.

Whether there's quite enough intrigue to make you desperate for next week's instalment is debatable, but Resident Evil: Revelations 2 is off to a decent enough start.

Evolve is brilliant in the right circumstances and with the right people, but it’s hard to unreservedly recommend to everyone. Those with dedicated teams will get the most out of the game while those in matchmaking will find mixed results. Still, Turtle Rock deserves recognition for attempting - and almost nailing - such an ambitious project.

What looks like a bright and breezy game turns out to be an incredibly stiff challenge that can occasionally be hugely rewarding. More often than not, however, The Escapists is about as pleasurable as a swift kick in the bollocks.

Fast, silly, disposable fun that excels at couch competition but falls short of our expectations for online play, #IDARB is nevertheless a brilliant laugh.

Dying Light is a cavalcade of zombie ultra-violence that's hard to put down.

Life is Strange Episode 1: Chrysalis is an engaging and enjoyable first instalment in what promises to be a compelling adventure series. If subsequent episodes can live up to what Dontnod has started, we're in for a treat.

Saints Row IV: Re-elected may score low in terms of its visual overhaul, but the game’s ability to amuse and thrill is undiminished.

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

Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell is the Big Mac of games. You know what you’re getting, it’s a bit cheap, you enjoy eating it, you don’t have to chew and an hour later you’ve forgotten all about it. Utterly unchallenging and lacking in fresh ideas, Gat Out of Hell is still capable of making you smile.

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.

If you'd have asked me after hour five what The Crew was, I would have said a solid 50% score. Hour ten? 60%. Thankfully though, the home straight is what saves The Crew from being just another average racer and with its incredibly game world, it’s worth dipping your toe in. Just don’t expect it to get decent for a long time, but when it does, it’s almost worth the wait.

Huge fun with friends and enjoyable on your own, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is a strong follow-up to Guardian of Light. It might retread a lot of old ground from its predecessor, but it also offers enough twists and interesting puzzles to keep you playing for a good few hours, making it well worth excavating and dusting off.

Lucid has succeeded in bringing Geometry Wars back with an almighty bang.

Never Alone isn’t without its merits. Telling an interesting story of a dying culture, it’s a hugely flawed game that manages to conjure warmth in the icy cold.

It looks wholly authentic and is the best-looking game in the franchise to date, but with less content and few meaningful changes, WWE 2K15 needs to get back in the gym.

Far Cry 4 is Far Cry 3 dialled up to eleven, with more animals, activities, missions and abilities. And while throwing more stuff at the player isn’t the perfect recipe for success, I was happy to play a richer, larger version of one of my favourite games in recent years.

Assassin's Creed: Rogue is the sort of thing we like to see in an AC game. A well-paced story with plenty of intrigue, twists and a vaguely charismatic lead with a shonky accent.

Let down by a few bugs and some questionable design choices, it's still one of the year’s best RPGs.

Over one year on and Grand Theft Auto V is still a stunning, unmatched achievement. An open-world that's still utterly absorbing, characters that you'll still want to spend time with and enough new stuff to drag you back for more, all conspire to make GTA V on new-gen entirely indispensable. Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.

LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham sweeps away any doubts we might have had about TT Games' well-established template growing tiresome. It might start a little slow, yet the game is nothing but an absolute pleasure to play throughout.

A triumphant return for PES this year, after spending many years rotting away in the lower leagues. While PES 2015 might not match EA and FIFA’s spending power in terms of licenses and what not, where it matters, on the pitch, this ageing superstar is getting a recall to the first eleven.