If you're none too keen on roguelites, then Absolum is unlikely to change your mind. But, if you like the idea of a stunning beat 'em up beefed up with the various trappings that come with a roguelite experience, then this will prove to be an unmitigated delight. Turn on the assists, and players of all skill levels can enjoy this.

Another unadulterated dose of raw arcade-style gameplay, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 follows in the wake of THPS 1 + 2, delivering another duo of reverent remakes brimming with secrets, skateparks, and new things. Soundtrack shortcomings aside, this is cracking stuff.

The Division 2 is almost certainly a step up from its predecessor, offering more content than you can shake a stick at and enough tweaks to make it feel somewhat fresh. While Massive has attempted to rectify the issues of the original, it hasn’t quite managed that yet: yes, enemies are still kind of bullet-spongey and the missions can get quite repetitive after a while, but aside from that, The Division 2 is an impressive follow-up, building upon what was already a solid foundation.

Diablo IV boasts a new look, with its new open-world and online format, but at its heart, it’s very much a classic Diablo experience. A little old-school still, sure, but the core combat is still as fun and addictive as ever, and there’s RPG mechanics for days to sink your teeth into. What’s not to love?

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.

While it has one or two irksome flaws, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is, nonetheless, a fine solo experience, with characters that you'll enjoy spending time with, fast-paced combat, and an engaging original story.

Your Shape is truly Fitness Evolved in not only name, but in nature as well, and it presents a great opportunity for people to workout in their own homes with their own fitness tracker and personal trainer. I find it hard to believe that it will replace gyms and your general workout regime for anyone who is currently active already in these fields, but it makes a perfect supplement, and for those who want to do more, this is the perfect tool.

Immortals Fenyx Rising is a strange beast, then. Much of it feels very familiar, and you won’t find many things here that haven’t been done before. Yet, it manages to pull together so many different aspects with such proficiency and love for the source material that it’s impossible not to simply enjoy soaking it all up, in an adventure worthy of the Greek heroes of old.

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!

It's pole position once again for Codemasters' F1, despite a lack of any real, meaningful changes over F1 2012 beyond the addition of F1 Classics. F1 2013 is still a superb racer, but we're expecting big things for next year.

Short it may be, but Resident Evil 3 is also delightfully sweet. Or as sweet as a survival horror game possibly can be, anyway. Pared back, streamlined and completely brilliant, you'll have a blast outrunning Nemesis all over again.

Wonderfully, uniquely esoteric, Ghostwire: Tokyo is like little else. A cracking first-person paranormal yarn ripe with fresh ideas, oddly endearing characters, and an immersive world to explore, this is Tango Gameworks' most assured and accomplished game to date. Get wired in.

One part Hotline Miami, one part Duke Nukem, Mullet MadJack is an uncompromising and beautifully straight-up shot of first-person shooter adrenaline with a neat roguelike twist, all fed into your brain one frenetic minute at a time.

A startling return to form for EA's flagship racing franchise, Need for Speed Unbound offers an enjoyable open-world, with challenging yet gratifying racing, and an infectious sense of gritty urban style.

This is about as close to a slam dunk the series has been in recent years. NBA 2K25 delivers on the court where it counts, while bringing meaningful changes to the staple MyCareer and MyTeam modes, in particular. MyNBA Eras remains a major highlight, too, sure to please ardent NBA fans and nostalgics alike.

Turns out a reboot is just what the doctor ordered. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is the best the series has been in quite some time.

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.

For some reason, I always have a preconceived notion that I won't enjoy this year's Call of Duty. How can a series that releases every single year without fail possibly maintain a consistent quality bar? There are detractors who'd say it doesn't, but let's be honest – it does. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is very good.

It’s about time that the Xbox 360 had a party, karaoke style game that felt at home on the console. Everything about Lips is right on the money; the microphones are fantastic, the selection of tunes is sublime and the singing interface is the best in the business.

LEGO Lord of the Rings is another triumphant addition to the series and uses a great open world structure, plus cleverly designed levels and abilities, to ensure you will have a plethora of tasks to see and do.

WWE 2K25 continues a strong run of wrestling games with another enormously enjoyable and robust entry, full to bursting with modes and playable Superstars, and an interesting new distraction in The Island. This is well worth swandiving into.

Codemasters Birmingham has excelled in improving upon F1 2010, resolving some of the issues that held back its first effort, with a game that offers the definitive Formula One experience.

The visuals, audio even the character scripts are carefully chosen to add life and a new experience to AC veterans and newbies alike.

Except maybe Viva Pinata, this is the most enjoyable family game I've played thus far. I can't in good conscience give it a score to rival any of the fabulous shooters or RPGs on the console, but it is far removed from the dredges with Golden Compass or Jumper.

Digital Extremes has delivered the goods with The Darkness II, marrying story, action and great gameplay. It might be a little on the short side, but the story warrants multiple replays and co-op adds a little bit of much-needed longevity. So go on, embrace The Darkness. You know you want to.

Volition gets many things right in Saints Row: The Third in what is no doubt a fine sequel, but it's very much a case of sequelitis for the THQ franchise. The zany and over-the-top nature, well-written script and whole host of sandbox toys are held back ever so slightly by the oddly paced and repetitive proceedings of the game's main story.

Top Spin 4 is a great sports game and one that depicts tennis as if you were playing the real thing. Every aspect of the franchise has been tweaked almost to perfection, and only the relative speed of progression and ease of the career hold it back from perfection. Tennis fans should certainly pick this up, and it will certainly hold its own against most other sports games out there too.

Split/Second is a total blast and keeps up the pace for race after race. The only problem is that the novelty eventually wears off and the whole thing starts to feel a little shallow. As an arcade racer, this one is hard to beat though, with thrills galore and it is even more fun to dish out some of the pain online too.