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.

There’s no doubting that FIFA 14 is an improvement over last year’s version, but that improvement is very slight and those who aren’t ardent FIFA fans would probably never notice the differences. Having already played the next-gen version – with the new Ignite engine – I’d have to say you’re probably best off waiting. That one at least feels and looks like a different game, this one does not. Still, FIFA 14 is as great as ever.

Daiblo III is a pretty poor RPG but probably the best loot driven dungeon crawler on your console. So if you aren’t too fussed about the rushed story and are prepared to lose countless hours to find THAT legendary item and get your DPS just so, then Diablo III is probably for you. Everyone else will play the game once and wonder what the fuss was all about.

Memorable missions, barnstorming heists, amusing side objectives and an almost impossibly immersive world to explore, make for the best Grand Theft Auto since Vice City and San Andreas.

Don’t be fooled by the funny YouTube vids, Farming Simulator 2013 is less fun than mad cow disease.

EA Canada has smashed the puck right into the back of the net once again with NHL 14, providing masses of content, unparalleled gameplay and the usual superb presentation you expect from an EA Sports game. It's perhaps not as big a leap forward over NHL 13 as you'd hope, but regardless, NHL 14 is a winner once again.

Killer is Dead is a hodge-podge of ideas that never forms a cohesive whole. Take away the controversial elements (as they merely feel tacked on for the sake of it anyway) and you are left with a disappointing experience that doesn’t live up to the talents of the people involved. Give this one a wide berth.

A disappointing entry in the Lost Planet series that occasionally shows flashes of potential, but ultimately ends up being marred by numerous problems, Lost Planet 3 manages to eke out a mildly compelling story and a solid multiplayer mode. More akin to the first game, Lost Planet 3 will nonetheless leave you cold.

A gorgeous, joy-filled, characterful platformer. Aside from a few minor niggles, Rayman Legends deserves a place alongside the very best examples of the genre. Highly recommended.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified aims at combining Mass Effect’s combat with the trappings of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, but it fails to live up to either. The action is capable of offering some thrills, but The Bureau is a poorly put together game with a list of problems that prevent it from rising above mediocre. Disappointing.

Ubisoft has outdone itself with this one, producing a game that serves up quality and quantity in spades. Splinter Cell: Blacklist can be a demanding and sometimes harsh game, but it only serves in strengthening your resolve to do better, and explore different approaches and avenues to achieve perfect stealth. Whether you're a Ghost, Panther or Assault player, Splinter Cell: Blacklist has something to offer, regardless.

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.

Cheap, poorly designed and worst of all, crushingly boring, Tour de France 2013 is about as classy as some cut out and keep Bradley Wiggins mutton chops and half as fun.

The short nature of the game, and the flimsy co-op and multiplayer offerings, mean that even as a budget title, Painkiller H&D never feels like value for money.

Not quite up to the standards of High Moon's Transformers: War For Cybertron, Deadpool is nevertheless a decent use of the Marvel license. That said, there's just something about the whole product that feels a little dated, and the lack of content doesn't help matters either.

New IPs at this stage of the console cycle are fairly rare, especially those with ingenuity and creativity in abundance, as well as a little innovation to boot. That right there is Remember Me, a memorable experience with a strong female lead, an epic score, a hugely creative world and some deceptively deep mechanics. Here’s hoping we see Nilin and co. again sometime soon as she’s not someone we’re going to forget in a hurry.

An incredibly strong sequel. It may lack the initial 'wow factor' of the first game, but the handling is right on the money, the visuals are gorgeous and the hook provided by the story's WSR MacGuffin draws you right into the thick of the action, making for a more gratifying overall experience.

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.

Metro: Last Light should have been fantastic. Instead, 4A Games has delivered a broader, less interesting, less cohesive title that borrows from elsewhere when it should have built upon its own unique qualities. There’s still plenty to love, but it’s a wasted opportunity.

Dead Island: Riptide takes all of the worst elements of that title, removes some of the better ones and adds a few features that are average at best to create something that is wholly underwhelming. Here’s hoping this series is allowed to rest in peace.

Star Trek is buggy, glitchy and a pain in the ass to play. Set phasers to “no fun” for this one.

Picking up perfectly where Mortal Kombat left off, Injustice: Gods Among Us cements NetherRealm's reputation as a purveyor of fighting games with real heft and substance. A heroic effort that'll put a smile upon the face of all but the most demanding DC fighting fan.

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct is terrible. It’s a waste of a licence and should be the poster child for a rushed, shameless cash grab. That is all you need to know.

The first couple of Army of Two games were fun diversions that never took themselves too seriously while delivering solid co-op action. The Devil's Cartel delivers a drab, uninspired shooter where co-op feels like the secondary objective to rushing an average game out the door. Visceral can and has done much better, so the shoddy nature of Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel leaves you wondering why it was made at all.

Defiance may have you wasting away the hours, but this is not going to be the game to draw in new fans to the genre.

Legends of the Masters dips into the sport's past, drawing on the power of its players and its history for one of the PGA Tour's best new features in recent years. Much of the rest of the additions, however, have little or no impact. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 is decent, but do we really need another EA golf game?

Not only one of the best story-driven games of all time, it’s one of the best games we’ve ever played full stop. With a fantastic chemistry between the game’s two central characters, one of the most stunningly realised game worlds, some excellent game mechanics, incredible production values and a frankly genius story, it’s a game that simply everyone and his dog must own.