What a generation it's been! Well, it's certainly been the longest yet, and a look through our recent series on the games of the generation puts forward a fairly compelling argument that it can be considered one of the best. Look beyond the apathy engendered by horribly modern phenomena such as on-disc DLC, season passes and the anaemic annual series and you can see a pioneering spirit that has sometimes made the seventh cycle of video games feel very much like the first one: it's there in the one-man masterpieces such as Spelunky, just as it is in the many marvels in Dark Souls' design and the life-altering fantasies of World of Warcraft.

Collating a rundown of the games of the last eight years has been a fascinating task, and a reminder of how rich the gaming landscape has been this era. We've already brought you our thoughts and feelings about the top 10, but I thought you'd be curious to see the full final results. A quick reminder on the process - 40 of Eurogamer's contributors, past and present, were asked to nominate five games in some form of preferential order, and the votes were totted up. Simple and scientific. It's not a definitive list, of course - but I hope it gives some sort of consensus on what's impressed us most this past generation.

45=. Yakuza 4 Publisher: Sega

Developer: Sega

Yakuza 4 review (8/10) The last proper Yakuza game to be localised? That's kind of sad. What we said: "Yakuza 4 succeeds in offering an inviting window into a meticulously observed world. The dialogue and story are strong for a video game, maintaining interest over the hours it takes for the plot to fully unfurl."

45=. The Witcher Publisher: Atari

Developer: CD Projekt

The Witcher review (7/10) What we said: "The Witcher doesn't offer much the dedicated role-player won't have already seen elsewhere, but that's not such a bad thing. One for those who value story and character over technical innovation then, but definitely a game worth trying if the concept has tickled your fancy."

45=. Super Meat Boy Publisher: n/a

Developer: Team Meat

Super Meat Boy review (9/10) What we said: "What little there is that doesn't work or falls flat, like the odd annoying boss fight, is quickly forgotten, because for the majority of the time this is a game where you can feel the spirit level resting on the supporting beams, just as you could with the old masters like Super Mario World."

45=. Left4Dead Publisher: Valve

Developer: Turtle Rock/Valve South

Left4Dead review (9/10) What we said: "Left 4 Dead is another deeply professional, personality-filled and progressive take on the shooter from Valve. In a cultural landscape that has as many zombie touchstones as ours, it takes something special to make them shamble appealingly, and Left 4 Dead, both literally and metaphorically, makes them run."

45=. Far Cry 3 Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Far Cry 3 review (10/10) What we said: "In the past, Far Cry's vision of a first-person shooter RPG where you explore, master and then control your environment has always been more seductive on paper than any of its developers have managed to deliver on disc. Far Cry 3 changes all that. For me, this is the new apex predator of open-world shooters."

45=. Dragon Quest 9 Publisher: Square Enix/Nintendo

Developer: Level 5

Dragon Quest 9 review (9/10) What we said: "Not only the bravest and best of its series, but also a multiplayer adventure game that betters anything yet seen on the DS, Dragon Quest IX takes its place at the pinnacle of orthodox JRPG gaming."

Who won the war? The console war's raging harder than ever in the transition to next-gen, it seems, but who won last time out? It's actually honours even, at least as far as this list is concerned - there are six proper platform exclusives apiece on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Thanks to its timed exclusives on games such as Fez, Braid and Mass Effect, though, Microsoft's the most prolific publisher, with eight games figuring, as opposed to Sony's five.

37=. FIFA series Publisher: EA

Developer: EA Sports

FIFA 13 review (9/10) It might not be the greatest series, but it's certainly soaked up the most hours these past few years. What we said: "It's not just a brilliant simulation of football, it's also a brilliant simulation of what football has become: addicted to superficiality, with Sky Sports as its dealer of choice."

37=. Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: iNiS

Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan review (9/10) What we said: "Since it arrived, Ouendan has commanded its place in our game-card slot with real urgency, and we've found ourselves reaching for it at every available opportunity."

37=. DJ Hero Publisher: Activision

Developer: FreeStyle Games

DJ Hero review (8/10) What we said: "In many ways DJ Hero is a triumph, offering one of the most refreshing gaming experiences of the year and one of the best soundtracks of any music game. If you're a genre fan wearying of endless guitar-based updates, this is a thrilling shot in the arm."

37=. Halo 3 Publisher: Microsoft

Developer: Bungie

Halo 3 review (10/10) What we said: "Halo 3 is quite simply this - the best game yet in one of the best FPS franchises of the era. Better than either of its predecessors, Halo 3 still can't quite escape the category of flawed masterpiece - but this time around, the flaws are so minor that even the most churlish of reviewers would be hard pressed to mark the game down."

37=. Burnout Paradise Publisher: EA

Developer: Criterion

Burnout Paradise review (8/10) What we said: "Burnout Paradise isn't everything it could have been, but what's here is still worthy of serious consideration for anyone hell-bent on demented arcade thrills."

37=. Geometry Wars Retro Evolved Publisher: Microsoft

Developer: Bizarre Creations

Geometry Wars Retro Evolved review (9/10) One of the first Xbox 360 games, and still one of the most dazzling. What we said: "The reason it continues to entertain is that it's been designed to be played with, not just beaten. And of course you can't beat it - it's a high-scores game, and theoretically never-ending."

37=. Drop7 Publisher: Zynga

Developer: Area/Code

Drop7 review (9/10) What we said: "I'm gradually becoming more dependent on it to murder boring train journeys, and like all the best puzzle games its simple rules disguise satisfying depth."

37=. Grand Theft Auto 4 Publisher: Rockstar Games

Developer: Rockstar North

Grand Theft Auto 4 review (10/10) What we said: "Almost everything you do in Liberty City would be good enough to drive its own game, and the best parts would be good enough to outrun the competition, but the reason it works so well is that Rockstar has made a game that requires no patience to play. This, as much as its usual coherency and the best script in the series, is what makes GTA IV the best openworld game yet."

33=. Project Gotham Racing 4 Publisher: Microsoft

Developer: Bizarre Creations

Project Gotham Racing 4 review (9/10) What we said: "Freed from the pressures of developing to match a hardware launch, and perhaps steered by the Forza team's strength in simulation, PGR4 wrings the best yet out of an already scintillating arcade racing game."

33=. Tokyo Jungle Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Crispy's/SCE Japan Studio

Tokyo Jungle review (9/10) What we said: "Tokyo Jungle is a celebration of classic games, with their ridiculous plots, repetitive tasks, excessive violence and all. It pulls off the impressive and nigh-on impossible trick of being an original homage. Also it lets you set a giraffe on a bear."

33=. Bayonetta Publisher: Sega

Developer: Platinum

Bayonetta review (9/10) What we said: "This is a game that exemplifies so much of what commentators claim has died in the Japanese game industry. A blast of creative brilliance, both technically accomplished, strategically deep and infused with rare imagination, Bayonetta represents the pinnacle of its chosen niche."

33=. XCOM: Enemy Unknown Publisher: 2K

Developer: Firaxis

XCOM: Enemy Unknown review (9/10) What we said: "This game is a winner. So much craft has gone into its atmosphere, into innumerable small details that together add enormous depth and flavour to the world."

25=. Dragon Age Origins Publisher: EA

Developer: Bioware

Dragon Age Origins review (8/10) What we said: "In its desperation to infuse this setting with "maturity" - be it of the sober, political kind, or the game's painfully clumsy gore and sex - BioWare has forgotten the key ingredient of any fantasy: the fantastical. Without it, you're still left with a competent, often compelling, impressively detailed and immense RPG, but it's one that casts no spell."

The ones that got away There's always going to be favourites missing from lists like this, but the fact that Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown wasn't even mentioned once means that everyone who voted is no longer welcome to write for Eurogamer. Some other notable omissions include Xenoblade Chronicles, Lost Odyssey and Valkyria Chronicles, while I'm also having a bit of a sulk that Sin & Punishment 2 didn't make the cut. Poor show, everyone!

25=. BioShock Infinite Publisher: 2K

Developer: Irrational

BioShock Infinite review (10/10) Aside from everything else in Infinite, Elizabeth's one of the great technical achievements this generation. What we said: "Both combat and exploration are the leanest in the series to date, then, but both develop the same hold over your attention, and once the game is over you'll struggle to care about them anyway. BioShock Infinite doesn't blur the lines between your reality and the game's to quite the same extent as its predecessor, but it's a more complete and polished story, and that's the thing you'll remember."

25=. Rock Band Publisher: EA

Developer: Harmonix

Rock Band review (8/10) What we said: "It's outrageous, hilarious and memorable, and the best four-players-on-one-screen multiplayer game since GoldenEye."

25=. DayZ Publisher: Bohemia Interactive

Developer: Dean Hall

DayZ: The best zombie game ever made? What we said: "Even now, though, with DayZ as laggy, unstable and awkward as it is, it's immediately apparent that something special is being discovered here. Something that taps into the same zeitgeist as Dark Souls or EVE Online."

25=. Just Dance Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft

Just Dance review (7/10) What we said: "Plenty of people would rather sit on the sofa, thanks, and play a proper videogame with guns, and good for them. But small girls, show-offs and people who are too drunk to care in the first place will have a great time with Just Dance. Perhaps even games-with-guns types might enjoy it too, if they give it a try."

25=. The Walking Dead Publisher: Telltale Games

Developer: Telltale Games

The Walking Dead season one review (8/10) What we said: "The Walking Dead is a serious, solid, but clay-footed work; in truth, it wouldn't stand out from the crowd if video game storytelling wasn't so impoverished to begin with. But some of the best pop fiction comes not from geniuses but from craftsmen who are given the right subject matter and understand just how to treat it, and that's true of Telltale here."

25=. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite review (8/10) What we said: "This is not a game for everyone. It requires enormous quantities of patience, planning and persistence. If you're up to the challenge, prepare yourself for one of the most rewarding opportunities in gaming."

25=. Warhawk Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Incognito/SCE Santa Monica

Warhawk review (8/10) What we said: "Incognito has taken the DNA of Battlefield and crafted a sublime online console game - a virtual battlezone that serves up more than its fair share of wonderful audio-visuals, but more than that, plays beautifully, with every game you play supplying a key gameplay moment that only online gaming provides."

22=. Guitar Hero 2 Publisher: Activision

Developer: Harmonix

Guitar Hero 2 review (9/10) What we said: "You can never have too much of a good thing and as far as good things go, Guitar Hero II is right up there with cakes and funny looking animals."

22=. Fez Publisher: Microsoft

Developer: Polytron

Fez review (10/10) Another phenomenon introduced this generation - the angry internet mob chasing people out of the industry. What we said: "Maybe it's about perception, reality and subjectivity, like the old man said. But I think it's about something else: what games were to us in their charged infancy, what they've expanded into in the 30 years since, and how to fold those things together into a single, beautiful whole."

22=. Braid Publisher: Microsoft

Developer: Number None

Braid review (10/10) What we said: "Braid is beautiful, entertaining and inspiring. It stretches both intellect and emotion, and these elements dovetail beautifully rather than chaffing against each other. Still wondering if games can be art? Here's your answer."

21. Fable 2 Publisher: Microsoft

Developer: Lionhead Studios

Fable 2 review (10/10) What we said: "Inclusive and often thought-provoking, this is a daring portrait of a game-world with all the failure cut out, and it's hard not to love a game that loves you so much in return. Fable 2 will charm you, thrill you, and leave you very, very happy."

20. Batman Arkham Asylum Publisher: Eidos Interactive

Developer: Rocksteady

Batman Arkham Asylum review (9/10) What we said: "Arkham Asylum finds room for every major aspect of Batman's enduring appeal, and it does so in a game compelling enough to work even without its masked star."

17=. The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Publisher: Bethesda

Developer: Bethesda Studios

The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion review (10/10) What we said: "Oblivion is a staggeringly ambitious game that successfully unites some of the best elements of RPG, adventure and action games and fuses them into a relentlessly immersive and intoxicating whole."

17=. Crackdown Publisher: Microsoft

Developer: Realtime Worlds

Crackdown review (9/10) What we said: "It's telling that the biggest complaint I have is that you're reliant on those Achievement Unlocked notifications to tally up your kills and feats, with no GTA-style stats page to call upon. Think about it: I'm upset with Crackdown because I can't examine how much fun I'm having in periscopic detail."

17=. Vanquish Publisher: Sega

Developer: Platinum

Vanquish review (9/10) The knee-slide's enough to convince me this is secretly the best game of the generation. What we said: "Doubtless the best third-person shooter ever to come out of Japan, Vanquish builds on Western developers' triumphs to push the genre in new, interesting directions, shifting the balance of power, and cementing Shinji Mikami's position as one of the best directors working in videogames today."

16. Minecraft Publisher: Mojang

Developer: Mojang

Minecraft review (10/10) What we said: "The last two years of public-eye development also make for a vital and joyous lesson for modern gaming itself: go your own way, listen to your players, celebrate what human beings can do rather than what you can make them do. Minecraft might be inseparable from its own fame by this point, but one thing's for sure - it deserves every bit of it."

14=. Mass Effect series Publisher: EA/Microsoft

Developer: Bioware

Mass Effect review (8/10) What we said: "Despite the niggles, Mass Effect is most definitely a great game with an awful lot going for it - but one that doesn't quite deserve unquestioning praise."

14=. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Publisher: Activision

Developer: Infinity Ward

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare review (9/10) What we said: "Even without the vastly impressive multiplayer elements, Modern Warfare would be worth buying for its outstanding single-player campaign. It succeeds not only for being consistently spectacular, but for the way it has been crafted into something that keeps you engaged right to the very end."

Shame of the generation Disappointments have come thick and fast this generation - Too Human's probably the most high profile, as is Final Fantasy's continued fall from grace and the continued no-show of The Last Guardian - but there have also been some real shockers out there. A handful of games were bad enough to get 1/10s - step forward Ride to Hell: Retribution, The Settlers on DS and Flatout 3. They're heroes all.

13. The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim Publisher: Bethesda

Developer: Bethesda

The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim review (10/10) What we said: "It evokes a word that's overused in reviewing of all kinds: one that's best kept in the cellar in a plainly marked box and reserved only for the most special of occasions. For Skyrim though, I'd like to blow the dust off it, open up the lid, and enjoy a masterpiece with you."

11=. BioShock Publisher: 2K

Developer: Irrational

BioShock review (10/10) What we said: "Is BioShock the greatest game of all time? I honestly don't know, but it's one of the most interesting and immersive experiences to grace our beloved medium."

11=. Demon's Souls Publisher: Sony/Namco/Atlus

Developer: From Software

Demon's Souls review (9/10) What we said: "It's stoic, uncompromising, difficult to get to know, but also deep, intriguingly disturbed and perversely rewarding. You can learn to love Demon's Souls like few other games in the world. But only if you're prepared to give yourself over to it."

6=. Portal Publisher: EA

Developer: Valve

Portal review (9/10) What we said: "We're left with a curious contradiction: one of the most interesting and delightful things Valve's ever done, but also one of its least fulfilling. If only we had our own portal gun to bridge the gap to the first infusion of new content."

6=. The Last of Us Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Naughty Dog

The Last of Us review (10/10) What we said: "At a time when blockbuster action games are sinking into a mire of desperate overproduction, shallow gameplay and broken narrative logic, The Last of Us is a deeply impressive demonstration of how it can and should be done."

6=. Journey Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: thatgamecompany

Journey review (9/10) What we said: "The studio has poured the deserts, trashed the temples and filled the world with the floating presence of a nameless almighty. The truly brilliant move, though, was to leave a space at the very centre of the design that only a stranger can fill."

6=. Fallout 3 Publisher: Bethesda

Developer: Bethesda

Fallout 3 review (10/10) What we said: "Bethesda has once again delivered a game of life-affirming brilliance that will be heralded as a classic, and talked about for years to come."

6=. Street Fighter 4 Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom/Dimps

Street Fighter 4 review (10/10) Of all the games here, SF4's perhaps the most likely to still be played come the end of the next generation. What we said: "There will no doubt be a small but vociferous core of Third Strike veterans who cry foul over the series' apparent simplification, they will be vastly outnumbered by those players who get to fall in love again with the Street Fighter of their youth: one that's easy to pick up and play, yet near-impossible to master. As a result this is, in almost every way that matters, the perfect Street Fighter."

5. World of Warcraft Publisher: Activision Blizzard

Developer: Blizzard

World of Warcraft review (8/10) What we said: "I'm reviewing it as it would be if you went down the shops and bought a copy this second. In a couple of months, it'll have improved considerably, if only due to the mass dynamics of players altering across the maps and servers a little better."

4. Red Dead Redemption Publisher: Rockstar Games

Developer: Rockstar San Diego

Red Dead Redemption review (8/10) What we said: "The result is an exceptional Rockstar game, one that successfully re-clothes the Grand Theft Auto framework in an exciting, distinct and expertly realised scenario."

3. Spelunky Publisher: Mossmouth

Developer: Derek Yu

Spelunky review (10/10) Screw the shopkeeper. What we said: "Spelunky is my perfect game - a creation of rare crystal clarity that sparkles from every angle."

2. Dark Souls Publisher: Namco Bandai

Developer: From Software

Dark Souls review (9/10) Actually, I did accidentally screw over the shopkeeper in Dark Souls. Sorry. What we said: "If role-playing is to put you in the boots of an adventurer in a strange land and let you pick your path through it, then Dark Souls is a great role-playing game. If action is to test your skill in thrilling situations, then Dark Souls is a great action game. If adventure is to surprise and mystify you and invite you to uncover the secrets of a forgotten world, then Dark Souls is a great adventure game. If entertainment is fun without failure and progress without pain, you'll have to find it somewhere else. But you'll be missing out on one of the best games of the year. "