Bayonetta 2 might not have the same manic impact as its predecessor, but is still one of the best --and most bonkers-- action games ever made.
If Pokemon’s greatest pleasure is the joy of discovery, then I’ve finally discovered it. And hooray for that.
This generous standalone prequel to the excellent Wolfenstein: The New Order may be leaner than its parent game, but its breathless rhythm entertains from the off.
The controversial fighting series returns, but beneath the blood and guts is a confident, generous and thoroughly modern brawler.
Techland's open-world horror can be scrappy in places, but its parkour-inspired zombie hunting is tense, moreish and engaging.
Newcomers should be aware that some of Resident Evil's old-fashioned style can frustrate, but it is still a creepy, involving slice of bona fide video game history.
While there are Issues with its modes and presentation, PES 2015 is arguably the best representation of video game football ever made.
The Evil Within could be leaner and more technically sound, but the blemishes on its blood-stained carapace fade against its thick atmosphere and the frantic thrill of battling its monsters in the dark.
While there is still some work to be done, it is a game that wants you to come in, have fun and perhaps go away with a greater appreciation of the sport its attempting to simulate. In all of this, Madden NFL 15 is a success.
Slick, deliriously colourful and breezily inventive, Garden Warfare is a curiously engaging shooter.
MachineGames haven't exactly reinvented the FPS or even Wolfenstein here, but they have put together a consistently enjoyable, well-crafted action game and given you the motivation to blast your way through its stringier bits. If this is the New Order for Wolfenstein, then this is a promising start.
Connection issues have blighted the multiplayer so far, but this is otherwise a brilliant and generous compilation of one of the industry's most influential video games.
The latest Football Manager is a gentle improvement rather than a disruptive change, but its focus on managerial style and player interaction should tempt you to start your career all over again.
There it is again. The feeling. I'm Batman. This is what has made —and continues to make— Rocksteady's Arkham series so good. Knight, for all its foibles and frustrations, consistently gives you that injection of adrenaline. It is supposed to be Rocksteady's final Batman game and you get the impression this is a developer pushing the absolute limits of its series, perfecting it in some areas... breaking it in others.
Life is Strange's progression from a promising, awkward experiment to a confident, bold narrative is one of the year's most interesting gaming tales.
FIFA 16 is light on sweeping changes but heavy on refinement, building an excellent new foundation for EA's football series.
But that focus is what makes Siege's multiplayer so good. In a year with a glut of good competitive first-person shooters –the sci-fi fizz of Halo 5 and Star Wars Battlefront or bombastic ordnance of Battlefield Hardline and Call of Duty: Black Ops III- Rainbow Six Siege's smart, sharp tactical nous marks it as one of the best.
This generous collection of the first three Uncharted games is a thrilling and fascinating history lesson.
[T]his reboot captures the score-chasing and self-improvement of the early Guitar Hero games and puts them into a thoroughly modern spin. The commitment to its ideas makes Live a confident, bold and stylish game. History will tell if the decisions it has made are the right ones, but for now, Freestyle has started down an exciting new path for the genre.
The major difference between this prequel and the cult 2008 original, is that the City of Glass is open-world. It initially seems counter-intuitive for a game about tight design and linear running lines to throw itself open, but DICE makes it work. Firstly because Glass isn't much like the bustling open-worlds you might be used to. Its rooftops are sparse with people, its architecture a gleaming minimalism splashed with vivid, communicative colour that guides your way.