Among Thieves is not only one of the best games of the year, it's also the benchmark for action games to come.

Oblivion is far from a perfect game, but I can think of very few titles that come as close. It’s among the very best in terms of gameplay, audio, and graphics.

The sheer variety of adventures thrown in your path is stunning!

All in all, World In Conflict offers an awesome amount of bang for your Buck (or Quid if you’re like myself, or perhaps you’ll be spending Euros or Australian Dollars), features plenty of Kablammo! Kicks an awful lot of ass, shows the strategy genre a slightly alternative route and offers hours of intense, cringe inducing (in a good way – only because you’re imagining that poor sod you just nerve gassed) entertainment, suitable for fans of all branches of strategy, and is a fantastic ambassador for bringing in those who wish to start playing strategy games!

Half-Life 2 has impeccable style, an unrivalled elegance, and a frighteningly realistic aesthetic that no other game can even attempt to rival.

The one single game I enjoyed the most this year. The graphics, the music (regular readers know that I'm not all that into music, yet THIS soundtrack is a definite buy if released), the level design, the fighting, the jumping, the story - I can't think of a single thing that leaves behind anything else but a good impression.

The mods that will be developed with the Source engine will be some of the best games that we will play. Only the future holds what Half Life 2 can bring us.

Finally, someone has taken all of the elements every game in this genre needed and combined them into a beautiful masterpiece.

It scores high/perfect in all areas and is pure bliss to play. If you are old enough and you don’t mind dark, dark humor and 80’s nostalgia, then this game is most definitely for you!

This series has been one of the most intense and best played games ever. I have never felt the same about a game since Half Life 1. This game sets the standard of what any shooter game should be – it's A+ quality, inside and outside.

Single-player alone is so magnetic you'll be constantly drawn back. However, all the rewards, plus the technical feat of 2-8 player online really opens it up for endless replay value.

It is, in my opinion, the best single player experience available right now.

If you like air warfare, beautiful graphics, excellent sound, fabulous story, great gameplay and gorgeous cinematics than Ace Combat is the best possible choice for all your desires.

The best espionage game on the market today.

Easily the best online experience I’ve ever had. Even with a few shortcomings like a horrible in-game server browser and extremely long and boring load times, Battlefield 2 is still a step ahead of the rest.

If I had to describe this game in one word, it would be "solid" – the weapons feel just right, the sounds represent impact perfectly, and the sound effects themselves are entirely suitable.

To those who doubted the concept of MKvsDC, doubt no more because Mortal Kombat is back with a vengeance.

To those who doubted the concept of MKvsDC, doubt no more because Mortal Kombat is back with a vengeance.

One of the most expensive games ever made, it is clear from the attention to detail, lavish visuals, outstanding acting, and rich story that the money was well spent. Red Dead Redemption is the best Western game ever made, and certainly one of the top games of this year.

While it ultimately may be more evolutionary than revolutionary, Mass Effect 2 still sets a new, almost impossibly high benchmark for future games.

It may be the gaming equivalent of upgrading from DVD to Blu-ray Discs since the core gameplay remains untouched, but whether you've played either of the God of War games or not, this two-for is the way to experience the classics.

The company's philosophy-demonstrated again with StarCraft II-is that innovation and experimentation are less important than taking what's already successful and bringing it to near perfection.

This is one of the rare occasions I have had a game of nearly flawless quality which sets new standards for both visual appearance and interactivity.

Much of the immersion in Doom 3 is due to the incredible engine, and the amazing artwork... An excellent game, but it’s a bit of a shame that you can finish it in two days, after waiting for four years.

One of the best MMORPGs on the market today. Whether you are drawn in by the unique guild system, the intense PvP battles, or the even the visually stunning graphics, any gamer can find a reason to play Guild Wars.

What essentially makes The Chronicles of Riddick such an excellent game is the awesome atmosphere that has been created.

It's great to see that the interface has been heavily reworked for the PC version - it could perhaps have been even more intuitive, but it’s great to see the amount of work that was done as is. The controls have also been tweaked nicely for the PC.

If you want “twitch action” then this really is it. Unreal Tournament 2004 has an insane amount of content.