Given the strength of the controls, it's a shame Gaiden falls victim to the classic third-person action game pitfall: the camera. While we've seen many worse examples, it does have issues.

Launch issues aside, there's absolutely no reason why any World of Warcraft player should hesitate to pick it up. Consider it essential.

Shadow of the Colossus for the PS4 is every bit as gorgeous, memorable and tremendous as it was when it debuted for the PS2 more than a decade ago. It’s a graphically stunning piece of art with a narrative that drives you forward with a sense of wonder despite its vagueness.

The special rotational and background effects, the sound and voice effects...and, of course, the overall engaging challenges make Yoshi's Island a must-play title for anybody who values classic platformer action.

An adventure masterpiece...the best adventure game I've ever played.

Great value for money. As the majority of gaming is still a single player experience, I can say this game is better than "Quake," its nearest rival, and therefore has to be one of the best games on the PC.

Tiger Woods 2005 is a birdie to "2004's" eagle, but that doesn't change the fact that it's one of the best sports games out there.

The competition may have a few small details and features over Sega, but no one can touch this gameplay. With subtle but effective tweaks made to all areas of the offensive and defensive games, ESPN NFL is certainly the toughest and most satisfying simulation currently available.

The look and sound of the game is tremendous. There is a real sensation of taking part in something real here, an excitement that somehow isn't present when dealing with the professional franchises in the Madden series.

Flawed though it is, Mass Effect is a tremendous ride. Sure, it overreaches from time to time, but better that than a game that toes the same, tired old RPG line. Nothing's sufficiently amiss here to prevent you from enjoying Mass Effect's class-leading gameplay, and it deserves to be remembered as the first truly great role-playing game of this generation.

With incredible communication tools, top-notch visuals, and a fantastic balance of vehicles and classes, EA has won the battle and the war of online team-based shooters.

Madden 2005 is a benchmark in football simulations, because for the first time, it implements a realistic, versatile, hard-hitting defensive game that will pin you to the chair like a 300lb tackle.

Sadly, the music is rather blander than previous versions of THPS.

The gameplay itself is fascinating and not mindlessly repetitve.

It's hard to fathom, but what it really boils down to is the fact that gamers may never really have grasped just how faithful an adaptation of the D&D ruleset we are looking at. It is totally accurate in every, single detail.

Its presentation is top-notch, its levels are varied and interesting, its AI is convincing, and the whole game drips with love and attention to detail.

Exactly what we've come to expect of this steadily improving franchise - the same formulaic design conventions balanced with just enough new stuff to keep fans from getting bored.

If you're one of those many people who continue to pine for a Square RPG on your favourite Nintendo handheld, then rejoice because your prayers have damn near been answered with this game.

"FIFA" may continue to entice football fans who live in action-adventure mode, but for the purist and realist, there's no better footie than this.

There's so much to have a go at and so much detail and addictive gameplay that fans of the series won't be disappointed - in fact you may just think that it's fang-tastic!

It's cliche to say those with heart conditions should stay away, but the game is truly one of those rarities that has you so caught up in the action, you don't realize that you were holding your breath until the mission ends.

From the creative track design to the expertly balanced difficulty levels, nearly everything about Mario Kart DS screams quality.

The perfect sequel: a successful gameplay formula with some minor tweaks, together with a great big pile of new content and features. The multiplayer and other online additions are a big step forward.

The Sims 2, quite simply, blows "The Sims" away. If you were a fan of the original, you're going to love this....The Sims 2 includes everything from the first game and its expansion packs, and it does it all exponentially better than ever before.

For console-only gamers, Valve's masterpiece is the definition of innovation and an unequivocal must-buy.

A subtle intoxicating journey, and one of the best games around.

Devotees of multiplayer shooters will lap up Advanced Warfighter; single-player gamers won't be quite as enthralled. But in either mode, it's a gorgeous and atmospheric play, and just a little more time in boot camp would have made it into something really outstanding.

On the whole, Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga's got a solid Zelda vibe: it's polished, it flows nicely without being too restrictive, and it offers a distinct style of gameplay, all presented with a lot of charm and a laidback sense of humor that doesn't try too hard.