The atmosphere is second to none, the action frantic and fun, and the ease of access means you can play the game however you want without being punished for it.

The story does waver when it matters most, and the planet-scanning and other hacking mini-games are quite the bore, but aside from that Mass Effect 2 is a game that doesn't seem to put a foot wrong. Riveting use of characters and your involvement in their stories really make this one you can't miss.

While a few bugs are evident, Skyrim is the most solid effort Bethesda has launched and it's an even more impressive feat given the scale and scope of the world on offer. A captivating land, filled with captivating people, does more than enough to keep us as gamers and fantasy-enthusiasts to keep us coming back for more.

Like the first game, you will be talking about the end of Halo 2 for a long time to come, perhaps for the wrong reasons though this time and many gamers will feel maybe a bit ripped off? But the fantastic moments in Halo 2 far outweigh the few flaws.

Superior storytelling, audio and graphics all come together to create one of the most enjoyable games in years.

Valve took a great concept, and turned it into an interesting, intellectual marvel that stopped the gaming world. They then took that marvel and made it better again. Portal 2 is an achievement in writing, and I'll be stunned should it be robbed of appropriate accolades. Not many games this year will be as funny, charming and intellectually puzzling as Portal 2, and that's no surprise – because it's so damn good.

Sequels this good rarely come along. To best a game as technically and thematically sound as Arkham Asylum takes some doing and Rocksteady have delivered in spades. It matches its predecessor's narrative finesse, and excels in every other aspect. What it lacks it 'whoa' value, it makes up for with a host of side quests, collectibles and nods to Gotham's history that is sure to keep any Batman enthusiast occupied.

Gears of War does exactly what it promised to do – have jaw dropping visuals, strong presentation, fluid gameplay, and integrated multiplayer (co-op at any time). Perhaps we're not justified in asking any more than that and to tell the truth all else is forgotten as soon as you get thrown into the game.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is one of those rare games that actually lives up to, and even surpasses, its own hype. Both the single player and multiplayer experiences are deep and engaging, showcasing an impressive variety of combat situations and intense, visceral action.

Billions of hours are destined to be lost online as it slowly takes over the world because the multiplayer alone covers the retail price, and features such as Forge and Saved Film only further justify the purchase.

Visually stunning, audibly amazing and captivating in solo and multiplayer, Chaos Theory is the crowning achievement of the Splinter Cell series which just gets better and better with every new game.

With its outstanding graphics, highly addictive adrenaline pumping gameplay and its terrific emphasis on carnage and destruction, this is not a game to be missed by anyone who has even just a passing interest in arcade racers.

Modern Warfare 2 is undoubtedly the single biggest release this year; not only in gaming but in entertainment, period. It delivers in a lot of areas; it has a campaign marinated in grandeur (even if it is to short) and a deep, engaging multiplayer facet (even if it is littered with connectivity issues).

The "real world" scenarios and plot in PT gives the game an edge that is frighteningly real and believable. The graphics and levels are better than the original, the audio is simply perfect and if it wasn't for the difficulty level would be almost flawless.

As a longtime BioShock fan, I was reticent in bidding farewell to Andrew Ryan's Rapture. Zachary Comstock managed to create a worthy replacement in Columbia, however. With Infinite, Ken Levine establishes himself as one of the powerhouses in storytelling in video game; as divisive as it is, the resultant discussion has to be seen as a plus.

Braid is a beautiful game and an amazing experience, and whether or not you think games can be considered works of art – or if it even matters – you simply owe it to yourself to play Braid.

I'll go ahead and say it, Street Fighter IV so far is the defining moment in the beat ‘em up genre this generation. Its technical brilliance is supported ably by a display of visual excellence and an abundance of things to do.

It isn't quite perfect, but no game of this size and scope ever really will be, and ultimately nothing can prevent Fallout 3 from being one of the greatest role-playing experiences on the console to date.

It improves on the original in almost every way, and maintains its legitimacy with an engaging and lengthy single player story.

Mass Effect 3 is a fitting conclusion to the trilogy that manages to put the best parts of Mass Effect 1 with the best parts of Mass Effect 2. Sure, it will never be as much an RPG as the title that started it all, but as a result the game is actually, surprisingly, more fun to play and feels like a very well put together third person shooter that is bolstered by an in depth customisation system for both your weapons and your skills.

It's not perfect, and it certainly is beginning to show its age, but the latest installment of the Grand Theft Auto series is well worth breaking a few laws to acquire!

Aside from a few misgivings about some of the track choices, I enjoyed absolutely everything about Guitar Hero II. The practice mode ensures there's always that option there to improve yourself and master the game on hard and expert and also provides a great way for beginners to get into the game.

The opponent A.I is excellent (with a few occasional exceptions) and everything from the handling and physics, the customisation options and the racing is presented in a superb manner.

The decision to take out LIVE compatibility is a major downer, but don't let that prevent you from playing one of the most superb NFL games on the market.

Despite the fact that some areas feel reused from 2004, and for some inexplicable reason Xbox Live support was left out of the PAL version, there is no doubt that Madden 2005 deserves its reputation as one of the premier sport titles available. If you love NFL gaming, don't wait, grab Madden 2005 now.

The combat is challenging but fair, and some of the physical puzzles may call for numerous attempts, and none of it is impossible.

ESPN however has a certain appeal that comes from its brilliant presentation and easy to grasp controls, the addition of the crib makes this one of the best sports games available for the Xbox.

As the multiplayer king that it is, it is safe to say that the machine has, again, risen. All I can say, in the end, is kudos Bungie and thanks for the memories; I have loved Halo.

Forza Motorsport 4 improves on the last game in the series with superior graphics and a brand new tyre model that gives a much needed boost to the game's physics engine.

Enough loose ends are accounted for in the campaign to give fans a sense of closure to what has been an epic slice of gaming history.

Far Cry 3 is a marked improvement from its predecessors though I feel as though it's effectively lost its identity and instead attempts to mirror everything about other franchises to make itself successful.

Playing Assassin's Creed II, one can't help but think Ubisoft really did listen to the criticism of the last game. Everything has been expanded upon and improved.

A 15-20 hour masterpiece that, once finished, will have you turning around and starting right back at the start again!

If you know what you're in for then G.R.A.W. will definitely scratch your tactical shooter itch. However, if you get annoyed with fiddly controls and are not very patient when it comes to progressing through games, G.R.A.W. won't be for you.

Trials Evolution is fantastic fun. Its simplicity and beguiling depth encourages replay, and the addition of social functions encourages a competitive streak in even the most placid of players. It's the perfect sequel to an almost perfect game.

The Lost and Damned is a commendable effort from Rockstar and kudos to Microsoft for having the foresight and market power to bring us an Xbox 360 exclusive of a game franchise that was once the jewel in the Playstation's crown.

The additions this year make this a worthwhile pick up, but this year more than ever I wish the game wasn't a yearly event. Although nothing new breaks the game, and with practice you'll develop an appreciation and even fondness for the new changes, it's the little flaws which indicate that perhaps EA didn't get enough time to do everything they wanted. If the game was given more time for polish on the new features, this would easily be the best FIFA since 2010.

However, if you want to play soccer, want to cross, pass tackle, slide and score against the computer or against a real life person, then you're not going to get better than FIFA 10.

A triumph for independent game development, which manages to transcend all that came before it without having to re-write the genre.

Visceral Games have used all of the source material to, yet again; expand upon the Dead Space universe, crafting the sequel the original game sorely deserved.

Geometry Wars 2 is both an evolutionary and revolutionary sequel, taking all the things that made the original great and tweaking it where necessary, as well as adding stacks of new content.

The career mode, with its leveling system and the way you're forced to collect various vehicles, is enthralling, that is until you realise that it's only elongated through extra laps and slightly longer course variations.

There is just so much to like about this year's FIFA and the series is still making important improvements that justify the annual purchase. It's finally the game last year should have been, and although there are some niggling little issues, overall it feels like a solid simulation of the wonderful world game of soccer.

With one simple gesture, Bungie has offered to even the playing field between online and off line players, allowing patches and content that they could have offered to online customers as individual downloads, in one well presented package for a reasonable price.

I can't recall a more convincing successor than Borderlands 2, which has undoubtedly and so convincingly crushed the original to smithereens.

An exceptional game no matter which way you cut it: intense singleplayer with stunning graphics and audio, and a rock solid multiplayer component.

While it could be harder, it's a very exhilarating game that offers up hours and hours of high speed thrills.

If you've played through the game previously on another platform then it's dependent on how much you love the game as to whether the console upgrade is worth it. However, if you're someone who has never experienced the humble joys of a Popcap gem such as this then it's a more-than-worthy purchase.

If you're an avid rail-shooter enthusiast, I do recommend you play Rez if you haven't already, because it will draw you in, only letting go when it's ready.

While Symphony of the Night was served up in the nineties, it's still welcomed with open arms today by XBLA enthusiasts.

Provided you aren't expecting an in-depth, stat-heavy RPG, Fable 2 can be a wonderful experience, and it's exactly the sort of game you make it, which is exactly what the developers want it to be.

Brotherhood manages to stand out as one of the better games in a year that has been fairly lacklustre for sequels. A game once feared to be a mere expansion not only manages to do everything Assassin's Creed II did; it brings a few tricks of its own to the fray.

A brilliant debut title for veteran Bioware's self-created world, combining solid storytelling with blisteringly fast and brutal martial-arts action.

It takes itself seriously, but presents a much more laid back sensibility to the player, giving them a chance to have a bit of fun in between the gritty reality of gangsters and money.

But with the gameplay improvements, enhanced Xbox Live, ear-blowing audio and jaw-dropping visuals, it's still a pretty attractive prospect.

Despite being a new and untested property from a publisher most known for iterative and licensed games, Dead Space has surprised us by emerging a fully formed title with refined mechanics, enjoyable gameplay, and outstanding presentation.

If you go into Human Revolution expecting an RPG you will most likely be disappointed. Human Revolution is a light RPG at best but more accurately it is a FPS with the odd conversation and some choice in how you go about things.

The immersion factor is off the chart and is easily the best looking Xbox game yet.

There will no doubt be some gamers taken aback by the amount of listening required and lack of control in L.A. Noire. It's a certainty that a large amount of the public could be expecting a GTA clone set in the 40's, and they may be disappointed by the result. Enter L.A. Noire with an open mind and readiness to experience something you've never experienced in gaming before and there's something special waiting for you.

While the new found liberty is costly, in that there are some issues with the new ‘open nature' of the game, they're only minor, and If you're a fan of arcade racers, or the Burnout series, you won't want to look past this.

It may seem like the average price of games on the XBLA is increasing without any correlation to quality, but rest assured, Shadow Complex is worth every Microsoft point you pay.

The learning curve is spot on and the graphics and in particular, the audio are of a very high standard.

Quirky, zany, downright hilarious... call it what you will, but Psychonauts is mind-blowingly good.

And with story aside, BioShock 2 improves on the original in every way. It's a far more solid experience that is a blast to play from start to thrilling conclusion.

There are enough tactical nuances to satisfy detail freaks (I'm certain my gun actually locked up on me on occasion – a realistic feature put in there by Mr. Clancy?) but it's also accessible enough that regular Joes will enjoy the campaign.

The Total Punch Control is 'THE' best control system I've experienced in a boxing game and the changes made to the career mode are all for the better as well.

The expertly tuned controls, the amazing graphics, addictive offline and online game modes, Gotham TV and top notch audio all add up to create one of the Xbox 360's top launch games.

The single player campaign is action packed and – yes we admit it – could still be improved upon but it is better than BC1 and worthy of repeated play-throughs. The multiplayer is absolutely phenomenal and the ‘Battlefield moments' you experience in almost every online game make Bad Company 2 an extremely fun multiplayer game that would give the competition a big double shotgun blast to the face – if it supported akimbo weapons – which thankfully, it does not.

With two huge expansions and dozens of fixes and updates, GOTY takes the bar Morrowind raised and propels it to unbeatable heights.

It is a solid RPG that looks the tits but does not do anything amazing to elevate it to a class of its own. I enjoyed my time with the game and found it refreshing to play an adult game with adult themes without feeling like the developers vision was censored in order to protect my fragile mind.

Brilliant audio, amazing graphics and the inclusion of Xbox Live co-operative play go a long way to minimising the pain of the game's shortcomings, though a more fleshed-out Deathmatch mode would've been great.

New features for 05 have made the game deeper and offered a more balanced gameplay engine.

A AAA single player experience that fans of shooters should not miss. The A.I is tough, maybe sometimes too tough, but OSW deserves a place in your game collection, because it's almost a game without fault.

Welcome back, Halo. It's been a long, long five years.

It combines easy to play arcade racing with brilliant graphics, loads of variety and game play time, realistic sound, excellent multiplayer support and in depth car setup for those who wish to use it.

If you're a past FIFA player who hasn't liked the direction the game has been going, or feel its just the same old same old, pick it up and I guarantee you'll be impressed with the depth and the way the game plays.

The game's saving grace is the awesome graphics and sound, solid multiplayer and the times in a race when everything just comes together. All flaws aside, there is a decent off-road racer at the heart of Dirt 3. You may just get a little frustrated finding it.

While the single-player is laughably transparent and Sam Worthington makes me want to punch a kangaroo; Black Ops still offers one of the generation's very best online modes, vastly improved from previous ventures – we've got a new juggernaut, kids.

A game of surprise, stealth, patience and dexterity. Add to this a fantastic emphasis on story, detail, and cinematic scope, and you have a great alternative to the traditional stand ‘em up, knock ‘em down pistol whipper that many of us have become accustomed to.

Rayman Origins is a breath of fresh, colourful air to the industry that sadly I think will go largely ignored by the masses. Ubisoft and Michel Ancel have managed to craft something that has clearly had a lot of love and effort gone into it, both presentation wise and gameplay wise.

A deep, engaging and somewhat varied experience, Race Driver: GRID should offer something for most players.

You're definitely in for a good 30 hours of questing here, which is significantly more than most games at full retail can claim. In actual fact, The Shivering Isles is so beautifully executed that you'll fall in love with the game all over again, and that's gotta be priceless.

Fight Night Round 4 is a solid game, different enough from its predecessor to warrant a play through, but I'm not completely convinced there's enough to make someone who loves Fight Night Round 3 rush out and grab it.

If you like your NFL Madden 2006 is an absolute must have.

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger is a hardcore 2D fighting game with a few concessions to open it up to beginners. The quirky sci-fi anime style and presentation is bang on the money and the graphics look fantastic in HD.

It's a shame North Korea couldn't have been a bit livelier to look at, but the endless stream of things to blow up more than makes up for the limited colour palette.

Trials HD is quite easily the most underrated of this Winter of Arcade promotion as it appears to have been trumped by the likes of ‘Splosion Man and Shadow Complex.

Despite the occasionally clunky, and often ponderous narrative and glut of glitches, The Sith Lords is as engrossing an experience as its predecessor.

All in all, Mortal Kombat brings together everything that made the franchise great and brings back everything that players will love and remember from all those years ago in arcades. The gore is in full force, the characters are still as memorable, and the controversy has piled on in huge amounts. It's a nice touch that the game is very accessible to the wider audience too (as long as they're old enough, though).

Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition is a very well put together package that not only manages to pay homage to the original games that had such a cult following in the past, but also in adding a whole bunch of well thought out features that really bring the game up to speed and sometimes even surpassing other games that are available from retail.

Regardless of what you think of Devil May Cry, or Ninja Theory as a developer, or Capcom as a publisher – DmC: Devil May Cry is a fun game.

Dance Central 2 is a great dance game that manages to fix all the problems that I initially had with the original game, and totally blew away my expectations at the same time. The multiplayer functionality is extremely well thought out, offering both competitive and co-operative modes for the keen dancer.

Everything is photo realistic and EA have really delivered the goods here, when you see it in motion it looks amazing.

Something about it just feels too clinical, too rehearsed and at the end of the day this is a sequel in the strictest definition of the word. It doesn't take any risks, it doesn't give players new, exciting or exotic flavours and it tends to focus more on the multiplayer side than the single player experience.

The presentation is first rate, there's a campaign worthy of multiple play throughs and the two arcade modes, plus the multiplayer should keep fans busy for quite some time.

Skate bursts from the gates, ollies over the competition and lands an impressive grind across the noses of jaded gamers. It's an addictive, compelling and downright impressive first effort from EA and we can't wait for the sequel.

When I first played the original DJ Hero, I was floored by how addictive and entertaining it was, and while the sequel doesn't hold with it that same essence of surprise it is a vastly improved outing.

Splinter Cell Conviction deviates from the original series in quite a substantial way, but keeps its soul is intact.