Fortunately Child of Eden has arrived, and it's a game that completely absorbs you when you're playing it. A game which makes you laugh for no reason when playing it. A game which expresses pure joy at simply being a game. And it's brilliant.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Every FPS game has its place but if you loved Battlefield 2 and Battlefield Bad Company 2 and sunk hours into the multiplayer of those games, then be prepared to sink another few hundred hours into Battlefield 3.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I absolutely loved Crysis 2 from start to finish. The game looks amazing, sounds amazing and plays like a dream. The singleplayer campaign was a satisfying 10 hours and left me wanting to play it again at a higher difficulty setting. Multiplayer borrows a few ideas from other games but overall is a unique and highly enjoyable experience even if it does force you to put in the time to get the most out of it.

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.

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.