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.

Imbued with a similarly offbeat humour as Starship Troopers and just as gleefully silly and violent, Helldivers 2 also happens to be a fantastic bug blasting co-op shooter, whether played with friends or strangers. It's a thing of beauty.

Taking inspiration from Bloodborne and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Lies of P leads the pack of FromSoftware imitators. It has an intriguing and arresting world and some brutal, assured combat. With a hollow hero in the middle.

In pruning the campaign from its suite of modes, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 has discovered a renewed focus on the nuts and bolts of what most players demand from Activision's undying shooter series. Blackout is a superb addition, in which Treyarch improves upon the battle royale formula, ensuring the gamble in losing single-player ultimately pays off.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows delivers feudal Japan to the masses in style. Sure, Ghost of Tsushima beat it to the punch a few years back, but Ubisoft Quebec’s effort is wildly different in so many ways and an absolute pleasure to play. Whether you like stealth or action, Shadows is a light in the darkness.

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.

Pure delivers on the promise of fast thrills and fun, so the very few minor issues seem non-existent. A definite recommendation for fans of both racing and arcade-style games.

Unique fighting styles, weapons and characters coupled with very fluid and technical gameplay is really the formula for success in an ideal fighting game. Soulcalibur IV hits all those right on the head.

A breath of fresh air for the series and one that should appeal to fans old and new, Forza Horizon may have toned down on the realism but the open world environment and host of quirky ideas more than make up for any discrepancies. This is a racing game that has plenty under the hood, and leaves you wanting one more shot at racing glory.

A welcome sea change for Assassin's Creed, Origins is not only a hugely ambitious open-world action RPG, but also a game that breathes new life into a series that was in danger of losing its way. Assassin's Creed Origins stands as a genuinely fantastic game and a remarkable achievement.

A hefty slab of pure FPS gameplay, DOOM: The Dark Ages nails just about everything, balancing brutal combat and a spot of open exploration beautifully. Crucially, playing as the Slayer makes you feel like an unstoppable beast - it’s fantastic.

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

The Outer Worlds is not only a breath of fresh air and easily one of Obsidian’s best ever games, but it's an experience that can truly wear the player choice badge with pride. From the RPG elements to how you play, The Outer Worlds truly is your adventure. Just don’t kill anyone’s parents in it, okay?

This is moody, broody, and tranquil, like a good book.

Although Marvel vs. Capcom 3 isn't quite the perfect fighter that they'd tried so hard to create, it's not far off, and thanks to 8-player winner-stays-on lobbies and a plethora of bonus content to unlock – that doesn't include the majority of the game's characters! – Capcom's latest fighting game is set to burrow its way into your hearts for many months to come. If only they could have got the online connectivity up to scratch, it would have been a 90+. Shame.

Codemasters has gone the extra mile for F1 2016, addressing almost every last one of F1 2015's shortcomings, while delivering an in-depth and enjoyable Career Mode at its core. Factor in all of the other modes and touches, and F1 2016 is not only the most authentic Formula One game to date, it's also one of the best in some time.

Hogwarts Legacy is an absolutely magical video game, one that is packed with awe-inspiring moments full of mystery and wonderment. Come for Hogwarts itself, a magic school oozing with secrets to behold, and stay for the combat, the engaging story and the frankly astonishing Room of Requirement.

Remnant 2 is not only an excellent Dark Souls-inspired shooter, but it boasts an incredible amount of creativity and ingenuity, the likes of which we’ve not seen in quite a while. It’s a game full of wonder, mystery, and will keep you on the edge of your seat... even when you're getting your ass handed to you!

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

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.

UFC Undisputed 3 is a triumphant return for the ultimate fighting champion, with more modes and options than you can shake a clenched fist at. In the octagon, the action is tighter, more fluid and still fun to play, but the submission system seems like a misstep and overall, we can't shake the feeling that deep down, it's essentially more of the same.

A seemingly generic third person shooter that is suddenly lifted up to greatness by the superb destructibility and explosive nature of the gameplay.

A Plague Tale: Requiem is a mighty fine follow up to Innocence, and will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Sure, there’s the odd interesting design choice littered throughout and the game has the odd technical issue, but other than that, Requiem is a great way to spend a weekend.

Keeping the core fundamentals intact, Trials Rising is every bit as enjoyable and challenging as its predecessors, but is marred slightly by the introduction of a pointless levelling system that only serves to lock off tracks and force you to needlessly grind. That core Trials gameplay is still sensational, though.

NBA 2K18 is yet another astonishingly good basketball game that delivers on the hardwood and in the suite of inviting modes on offer. Resist the urge to shell out for Virtual Currency and you'll be fine. Just focus on the great game at NBA 2K18's core, because it really is at its best this year.

In order to truly appreciate it, you’ll have to look past all the monotonous traveling and the repetitive missions and get sucked in to the immersive world that Ubisoft Montreal has created.

Overall it’s hard to see what Treyarch were aiming for here, as the story retreads old ground and most of the set-piece moments seem to have been lifted directly from the previous games. Coupled with dodgy A.I and the ever present endless rush of foes and it’s just not that great.

Project CARS 2 is a great sequel to a strong but flawed first instalment. This time around, the flaws are far fewer, the racing is first class, and there's not much that Slightly Mad Studios hasn't addressed. Whether you're a sim aficionado or novice, Project CARS 2 is a racing game you need.