But when the flaws that have plagued the series since it made the move to three dimensions still have not been properly addressed and the core gameplay remains the same after seven years, it’s difficult to declare GTA IV as one of the greatest video games of all time.

This is a rare occasion when the hype can actually be justified; Super Mario Galaxy 2 is, quite simply, a masterpiece.

Whether you're negotiating platforms (made simple thanks to a camera that pans down) or involved in the final climatic battle with Metroid Prime, you always feel as if you're at one with the game. And surely that's what gaming's all about, isn't it?

The handling is excellent whether you are driving or on foot, the dual shock controller and control system sit nicely in your hands and the whole thing feels natural.

When you finally set down the controller the first time, and eventually hunger or exhaustion do force all of us to take a break, Halo has pulled you completely into its world and started one of the best sci-fi gaming adventures of all time.

Rapture is a beautifully stylised city that provides plenty of mystery and intrigue. Definitely a game of the year contender.

It's truly an adventure from start to finish, and something that every gamer should experience.

It's not just an achievement in technical design and visual prowess; it's an entire masterpiece of game engineering. This is one of the finest videogame experiences ever crafted.

When all’s said and done, and in spite of our qualms and nitpicks, Mass Effect 2 truly is an excellent game.

Skyrim, an absolute masterpiece, the more you invest in the game, the more you get out of it. A truly epic game that deserves all of the plaudits. It is more than a just game, it is an experience.

The game design and detail is far beyond what other games offer, in fact it puts almost everything to shame.

Truly astounding. Not tarnished at all by all the hype, and truly worth the wait.

The sound of GTA Vice City is glorious.

LittleBigPlanet is a must have purchase for a system that needs more AAA titles in its library. As a PlayStation 3 exclusive, it's almost worth buying a system to experience.

Red Dead Redemption is a strong entry in the sandbox genre and a promising opening chapter from Rockstar San Diego.

By far the most crafted and exceptional driving game around, but something or even anything new wouldn't go amiss.

One of Halo 2 Online's best features - if not the best - is the statistics tracking system. [Online review]

Although A Link to the Past represents some of the most fabulous game designs you're ever likely to see, it also suffers from some criminally unforgiving sections that today's gamer-on-the-go is likely to scoff at. Not quite the vision of perfection that it once seemed to be.

The Twilight Princess is a triumph. Every dungeon reveals something new whether it is weapons, environments, brilliantly designed puzzles or bosses.

There is no such thing as perfection, no matter how much we strive for it, therefore a couple of minor niggles do not distract from a top score. Portal 2 is the Game of the Year so far, it will take something special for it not to take that accolade. Sometimes the anticipation of a games release can leave the final thing feeling a little flat. That is not the case here as Portal 2 lives up to all expectations and then some.

A masterpiece of an adventure game. For anyone not to fall in love with it would truly amaze me. Everything is set just right and you are drawn into the story right from the very offset.

Modern Warfare 2 offers you more of the same, but with enough new content and options to demonstrate just what a firm foundation Infinity Ward has built.

It's a big-budget, beautifully crafted slice of next-gen promise kept; on many levels it's one of the best first person shooters released in a year of strong rivals, and perhaps even the best PlayStation 3 game released so far.

Beautiful graphics, that wonderful soundtrack, the enthralling story and that damn annoying fairy, the 3DS version has it all and is easily the best port to ever be made of the legend.

Along with the balance issues, unrealistically high numbers of turnovers and frequent worst-moment-possible penalties shatter the illusion of simulating an NFL game.

If only more multiplayer modes had been created, Gears of War would be regarded as the perfect Xbox Live game.

When started, you’ll rarely look at another game for weeks if not months (thanks to the downloadable content) to come and beyond. Oblivion is without question a strong contender for the best game of 2006.

Halo 3 isn't perfect, but it's so close it's unnerving. There's very little to fault with this game, and the flaws that are there are almost completely overshadowed by the overall quality and incredible amount of content and features.