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Halo 5: Guardians is an exciting Halo package, marred only by some questionable design decisions, like microtransactions and some shoddy friendly-AI in the campaign. It’s not a classic Halo, but 343 is moving in a good direction with the franchise.

Fallout 4 might not be very technically advanced, but it’s a game full of charm and substance, which makes up for an ageing Creation Engine. Fallout 4 boasts an incredible world full of intrigue, mystery and suspense, backed by a whole host of weird and wonderful characters. It’s a world you’re going to want to go back to, time and time again.

The Witcher 3 is one of the most unique, distinctive, vast and varied western RPGs I’ve played in years and it contains hundreds of brilliant stories that you simply must experience. Buy it, stick it in your disc tray, pull the curtains and prepare to be transported. You won't want to leave the house for weeks.

Watch Dogs is an unmitigated triumph. Considering the game is a new IP, it does a lot of things incredibly well and lays the foundation for a franchise that has the makings of being a potential Assassin’s Creed beater. Despite a bad environment and vehicle damage, Watch Dogs is worthy of your time. There’s no doubt about that.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is tremendously enjoyable. It’s overflowing with charm and humour, energised by the sheer amount of love shown for the Marvel universe and the class with which it has been put together.

Grand Theft Auto V is Rockstar's definitive open-world masterpiece, a magnum opus and the culmination of everything Rockstar has created to date. Almost entirely flawless, GTA V is the perfect marriage of story and unhindered freedom to explore, with the promise of hidden secrets scattered across the deserts, hills and wilderness of Blaine County. Boasting planes, trains, automobiles, helicopters, motorcycles, bicycles, parachutes, boats, submarines and a multitude of guns, Grand Theft Auto V is all things to all gamers. It's quite simply perfect in every way.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist is a class act that gets pretty much everything right. It looks slick, plays beautifully and boasts more than enough options to encourage repeat visits to its missions and multiplayer modes. The deepest and most engaging Splinter Cell. Chaos Theory remains the high watermark for many, but Splinter Cell: Blacklist feels like a real return to form for Sam Fisher, Welcome back, Mr. Fisher.

BioShock Infinite is not only one of the best story-driven games, but it’s one of the best games ever. With a fantastic chemistry between the game’s two central characters, one of the most stunningly realised game worlds, some excellent game mechanics, incredible production values and a frankly genius story, it’s a game that simply everyone and his dog must own.

Hitman: Absolution is the sequel to Blood Money that fans have been itching for. In terms of game mechanics it

Halo 4 represents a bold step forward for the franchise that feels both fresh and familiar. Boasting Halo's trademark multiplayer, a gripping campaign, an experimental co-op mode and the usual gubbins, Halo 4 like all the other Halos that have come and gone, represents incredible value for money.

A breath of fresh air for the series and one that should appeal to fans old and new, Forza Horizon may have toned down on the realism but the open world environment and host of quirky ideas more than make up for any discrepancies. This is a racing game that has plenty under the hood, and leaves you wanting one more shot at racing glory.

Dishonored is this year

A true cinematic gaming masterpiece, Max Payne 3 is not just another triumph for Rockstar, but it's also testament to what the developer can do when it turns its hand to linear storytelling. Max Payne 3 might be a stylistic shift for the series, but it's also a raw and brutal portrait of a man pushed to the edge that deserves a place alongside Rockstar's superlative open-world efforts. Get ready to enter a world of Payne.

Mass Effect 3 is the perfect ending to a masterful trilogy that's gone from strength-to-strength with each title. It's the conclusion you're hoping for, with each decision demanding that you think twice before pulling the trigger. Thanks for the memories, BioWare... It's been emotional.

Simply put, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has raised the bar in the RPG genre, offering a plethora of engaging and unique content in one of the most immersive and beautiful game worlds ever created. Plus, any game that uses the word

Batman: Arkham City is an outstanding sequel in every department, with stunning gameplay, an immersive world to explore and fantastically well-realised characterisation. The music and voice-acting is exemplary and the visuals are gorgeous. Batman: Arkham City is an incredibly well-crafted, labour of love and no mistake. In short, it's genius.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is almost as good in reality as it ever was in your memory. The graphical update is welcome and the multiplayer maps are decent if not amazing. There are a few rough edges and cracks around the once infallible gameplay, but nothing that would stop you enjoying Halo: CE immensely the second (or first

Gears of War 3 is an unmitigated triumph for Epic, not only finishing off the trilogy in style, but doing so while expanding upon already sturdy foundations. It

It truly smashed the hype and shocked the critics. GTA IV is a game that MUST be experienced even if you haven't liked the game in the past... And what's better is that there is more to come. The DLC will be here around August and we can't wait!!!

The audio is fantastic, and the graphics will impress more often than not. The fun combat system and epic story are moderately spoiled by a poor targeting system, bad enemy AI, and some glitches.

Overall a repetitive and boring experience, the game is very much catered to young kids. After the disastrous Spider-Man 3 and now this pile of garbage, fans might have to wait until SM4 hits theatres at another shot. Rent it for achievements or buy it for your kids, but make sure you know what you're getting into.

It seems as if Kinect Adventures is included with Kinect to showcase the capabilities of the device rather than provide any substantial gaming experience. It

If you consider yourself a fan of rap music, you're almost guaranteed to have a good time using your favorite artists to beat the snot out of your least favorites. Even if you're not a fan of the music, there's still a lot of fun to be had here due to a solid, albeit somewhat flawed fighting system. The story is excellent for a fighting game, and the voice acting performances are among the best I've seen, with every major character voiced by their real life counterpart. The graphics are great for the most part, although the color filters that flood the screen after the musical track is switched can be a bit jarring. The audio is outstanding, with the most impressive licensed track library I've ever seen and some phenomenal voice acting jobs done by the rap artists in the game. While there's a few issues that hinder the game, it's still a perfect addition to any fighting fan's library.

Overall, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is a real treat to all types of gamers, along with fans of comics. While nothing new is brought to the industry, the four-player campaign is something that has been shown successful, and definitely was a great feature to implement. This is recommended to anyone who likes violence, RPGs, and large casts of characters.

More of a Splinter Cell 3.5 than a fully revamped 4, Double Agent could've been so much more. That said, and if viewed as if it was the first game in the series, it's an enjoyable experience that is definitely worth picking up whether you're a fan of the series or a newcomer - and especially if found at a price well below retail. A fairly easy 1000 if looked at simply from an achievement point of view. Here's hoping Splinter Cell 5: Conviction provides a more worthy contender to the franchise.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is simply the most comprehensive game and experience on the Xbox 360 to date. While a few other games on the system might do one or two things as good or slightly better than Oblivion, none of them come close to overwhelming experience that is Oblivion. Simply put, it is the one Xbox 360 game that everyone should own.

It's a rarity that a game gets as much hype as this game got, and even more rare that it lived up to that hype. Even 6 months after its release it's still going strong. This day in age, that's a lifetime for an online shooter. In the tradition of Goldeneye and Halo, this is a game for the ages.

It is once again the most solid, realistic, and kick-butt hoops game on the market. Really, the only debate is which version to get. If money's no object, pick it up on 360; it's easily the cream of the crop.

Most of the game is fantastic. Even with its hiccups, this is a game that is hard not to give a blanket recommendation to because as far as NBA games go, this is still the king of the virtual court.

BioWare did it again!!! One of the most cinematic games of all-time, something that's definitely helped by a fantastic story, great writing, movie-quality direction, and strong voiceover work.

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The best driving game available on the Xbox 360, but with enough flaws to show that there

No surprise here. Halo 3 is everything it was hyped to be. Epic story, campaign mode and an online community stronger than any game before it and probably for a long time after it. There certainly are a flaws just like any other game, but they are few and far between. If you don't have this yet, you're either being stubborn or just trying to be different, because there is really no reason not to love it.

Modern Warfare delivers on the hype. It's a great looking game, has a solid campaign, and great online multi-player. More importantly, it shows that Infinity Ward can break from what they are comfortable with and still deliver a great game. Hopefully this trend continues.

Bioshock is from beginning to end, a modern day gaming masterpiece. Simply put, it's one of the greatest games of the current era and serves as a high watermark that may not be surpassed for years to come. From the compelling plot and completely convincing atmosphere to the fantastic graphics and attention to detail, Bioshock is the total package. It may have the occasional graphical problem, but in the grand scheme of things, they are all paled by the scope and grandeur of the rest of the game. Much like Atlas Shrugged was for Ayn Rand, who's writing so greatly influenced him, Bioshock is Ken Levine's magnum opus and I for one thank him and Irrational for this great experience. Now, would you kindly go out and buy it already?

Playing this game is fun and will keep you busy throughout the NBA season and beyond. Lack of player emotion is puzzling like the gameplay sometimes. It seems as though 2K is losing its lead over NBA Live and needs to come up with fixed online servers and deliver their promise of up-to-the-minute roster updates. Once again the menus are frustrating but players will eventually get used to them. A decent pick-up if you love the NBA and want to play through a season as it's happening. You won

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Quite possibly the last "must own" of 2008 and easily one of the best action-adventure games of the year. With a fantastic soundtrack and a unique and superb look, Prince of Persia is a platformer that you shouldn't miss. Granted, it's not the hardcore platformer that fans of the series yearned for, but if you're looking for a rich story in an even richer setting, then Prince of Persia is for you ... If anyone wants us, we'll be waiting in a cupboard for the DLC which is due next year.

Criterion Games are back with another installment of the Burnout series, and it is certainly the best title yet. With gorgeous graphics and many new features, Burnout Paradise offers an incredible amount of replay value and will keep you entertained for many an hour. Whether you aim to complete all 350 online challenges, free-roam with your friends, enter ranked and player matches via Xbox Live, or just try and conquer hundreds of single player events and gain your coveted Burnout licence is up to you; but whatever you decide, I am sure you will have fun doing it. The game

Fable 2 is what people in the industry would call a

Gears of War 2 is a fantastic game, with an epic campaign, incredible Horde co-op experience, and improved multiplayer; all in a package that promises to keep players entertained for dozens, if not hundreds of hours. Several issues keep the game from being all it could be, but it remains a worthy addition to any 360 owner's library.

Fallout 3 masterfully creates a parallel universe for players to explore and lose dozens of hours in. No other game of this console generation comes close to offering the amount of content, freedom of choice, and level of immersion that can be found here.

NBA 2K10 manages to improve many facets of its game over its predecessor, showing that this franchise is not willing to give up its all-star status anytime soon.

Instead of being a case of diminishing returns, NBA 2K11 sees the franchise in peak condition. The inclusion of the sport's greatest player is much more than just a stunt for the cover and resurrects a time in basketball that we remember fondly. Nostalgia aside, NBA 2K11 is much like Air Jordan himself

Bungie

Halo Wars brings with it huge feelings of joy and sadness; the joy that comes with a fantastic and hugely immersive title, and the sadness that follows the closure of an epic studio on a high. The action orientated RTS may be light on the RTS aspects in some areas but that by no means detracts away from the gameplay in the slightest. It just gives you a unique experience. Definitely a must purchase for Halo fans, action fans and those who are turned on by a good story.

You can't go wrong picking up Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena. While you might feel a little shorted on the single-player story for Dark Athena, your mood will soon improve when you realize that you can just boot up Butcher Bay and relive that experience. Getting two games for the price of one is something that you shouldn't pass up. Just steer clear of the multiplayer and it should be an enjoyable experience.

Ubisoft Montreal have proved the naysayers and doubters wrong and delivered an organic and truly immersive story, a vibrant world full of colour and personality, and a ton of fun. Once you pick up the pad, you won

This is certainly not a game for just Batman fans, comic fans or action fans; this is a game that everyone should play and thoroughly enjoy. It looks beautiful, plays like a dream and has a superb mix of action, stealth and detective elements. The combat is intuitive, flexible and surprisingly deep too. Give this game a go and you will not be pleasantly surprise, you will be blown away. As someone that plays and sees a fair few average games, it made a nice change to have a title that I could not wait to have another go at.

Modern Warfare 2 **** the old standard of excellence and has raised the bar for what it means to be an epic shooter. With a **** campaign, superb co-op play, and the deepest multiplayer experience on Live, Modern Warfare 2 is one of the greatest shooters in gaming history, and a must-own for fans of the genre.