'Different strokes for different folks'. 'To each their own'. 'You're just mental and my opinion is definitely better'. One of these three statements doesn't quite belong, and here's a hint: it's the exact same one that gamers most love to utter. We really are a surly, self-important bunch, at least we can be, provided players believe strongly enough in their own video gaming verdicts. One player's 'massive pile of slag' is to another 'the sweetest culmination of a thousand euphoric truths'. Defy a Zelda devotee at your peril. Defend a critically-panned cult hit at your own personal risk. It certainly doesn't take much for the long knives to come out when a fan's deepest convictions are questioned.

So then, what kind of games are we talking about? Which titles produce the most volatile of forum fracas, the most bile spewing of debates? Just what are the most polarising, the most massively divisive games of all time? Click that there page turner and find out.

Supporters see - An interactive Twin Peaks, complete with compelling, if altogether nonsensical, cast and an ambitious open-world design. Atmospheric, richly layered and boasting a self-effacing, humorous charm, Access Games' epic remains the veritable grand wizard of cult hits. In choosing to criticise its lacklustre mechanics, detractors only emphasize their own skewed perspectives - this is an experience so much more than the sum of its parts.

Detractors see - An insufferably tacky and horrendously realised title that lacks even the basic semblance of playability. Controls are atrocious, the visuals are worse, and the game's much-touted storyline reads like a teenager's pained attempts at eccentric edginess. Fans of the narrative forgive far too much, lauding its story while forgetting about every other element that makes up a game - a bit like persevering with a broken laptop because you find the particular tint of the blue screen of death to be soothing.

Let's settle it - Twin Peaks marathon. First one to question the nature of reality loses.

Supporters see - Endlessly creative, visually engrossing and buoyed by the same brand of gentle, enjoyable gameplay as its famous forebears, Wind Waker succeeds on almost every level imaginable. Its story is more absorbing, its content more diverse and its challenges more numerous and more finely honed than ever before. TWW represents the absolute perfection of an already magnificent formula. How sad that some players cannot overcome their graphical bias.

Detractors see - A needless reinvention of a time-honoured visual tradition. Just imagine the uproar had TES: Skyrim switched to cutesy characters, or Metal Gear Solid gone kawaii crazy. Not only that, but the game employs numerous unadorned fetch quests, simplistic 'shopping list adventures' that themselves make use of the game's ultra bland sailing mechanics. Majora's Mask hinted at bold new moves, Wind Waker just repaints old Ocarina and calls it a day.

Let's settle it - Wooden sailboat endurance race. First one not to drown is crowned champion.

Supporters see - A novel concept tied to a challenging narrative. Gone Home represents the future of video game storytelling, weaving a multi-faceted and emotionally charged tale of everyday familial intrigue. Though seemingly simplistic at the outset, Gone Home's sparse environment actually belies a far deeper tale, one that is both horror and not-horror, mysterious and at the same time oddly humdrum. It's a tale that relies almost entirely upon the player's own fragmented perspective for effect, prompting our imaginations to do much of the heavy lifting. We're the ones who make it horror, or thriller or murder mystery. In that, Gone Home represents a brand new breed of interactive storytelling.

Detractors see - An utterly pretentious 'statement piece' lacking in any rewarding gameplay mechanics or even basic value ($20 at release). As an adventure game it lacks challenging tasks and/or puzzle elements. As a prospective horror title it foregoes any actual menace. As a thriller, it lacks thrills and as a detective title it leaves players with an utterly underwhelming conclusion. As socially and even narratively progressive as it may be, Gone Home comes off as more of a damp squib than a revelatory adventure.

Let's settle it - Toss a coin. Then inspect said coin repeatedly hoping for some sort of clue. Go bonkers.

Supporters see - A satisfyingly brutal, intensely challenging and richly detailed 'old school RPG' for the modern age,one that foregoes the hand-holding and exposition-heavy treatment of its contemporaries for a far more difficult, albeit infinitely more rewarding payoff. Dark Souls is a game that crushes you down completely, to rebuild you in its own terrifying image, and proving only as cruel as it needs to be in order to achieve that end. Souls institutes a veritable trial by fire, the completion of which yields vast new worlds of immersion, excitement and elation. This is real adventure, one in which triumphs are only ever as rewarding as its tasks are testing.

Detractors see - Needlessly punitive, consistently frustrating and altogether unfair, Dark Souls brings the coin-guzzling difficulty of old school arcade machines direct to your living room. Particularly galling are the game's many boss monsters - overpowered behemoths that utterly annihilate the player several times over before their attack patterns can be memorized. Even then, encounters often feel cheap. So, if your idea of fun is banging your head into a brick wall over and over again until finally it cracks (or you do) then this is the game for you.

Let's settle it - Slip 'n' Slide water torture contest.

Supporters see - A more visceral and immediate take on the Dragon Age formula, Dragon Age 2 ditches its predecessor's expansive settings and associated bloat for a more driven and linear adventure. That's not to say it's a short game however, as Hawke's tale still offers up a generous 40 to 60 hour run time. Combat is smoother, its mechanics more streamlined, and the game's storytelling far less grandiose or liable to meander. Naysayers may balk at the loss of needlessly obtuse menus and character creation suites, but that's no reason to slam this bloody good title.

Detractors see - A corporate-ordered sequel bereft of any new ideas, desperately pandering to the mainstream action fan. What had seemed like an amazing franchise in the making was shortly thereafter been sullied, transformed into something far more flashy, yet much less substantial. Gone are the tactical flourishes and strategic micro management of old, not to mention a narrative of any actual significance, replaced instead by a brainless brand of combat and a largely inconsequential plot.

Let's settle it - Poor quality LARP-level sword fight.

Supporters see - The Sopranos of the video game landscape. GTA 4 added a whole new level of depth, maturity and gravitas to the tried and true sandbox formula, marrying meaningful character design to realistic and vivacious environments. Liberty City is more than just a setting, it's a character, one that horrifies and entices in equal measure. Its inhabitants are every bit as complex and emotive as their city, displaying their own particular quirks, desires and demands. Added to that is a much improved combat system and a chaotic multiplayer suite. Cynics may bemoan the loss of the series' juvenile humour, but it's a worthwhile trade-off nonetheless. Every franchise has to grow up sometime.

Detractors see - A pompous, self-important and downright gloomy addition to a franchise formerly known for its sense of outlandish, satirical fun. GTA IV mistakes sullen grit for cinematic greatness, opting for chore-like realism to the detriment of the player's engagement. Cars handle like bricks, shooting is sub-par, and inter-character relationships feel forced and occasionally aggravating. Realism for the sake of realism - even the boring bits.

Let's settle it - Invitation contest. Both sides send incessant, highly annoying invitations to one another. First one to crack loses.

Supporters see - A rollicking good action franchise boasting outlandish setpieces aplenty. Blessed with grade-A production values, top quality multiplayer modes and some of the slickest shooting mechanics this side of a Halo ring, CoD is more than just some angry tween's playpen - it's a wildly entertaining slice of popcorn cinema served straight to your console. Sadly, COD's ever-present status and mammoth sales figures have turned it into a perfect target for the contrarian 'too cool to be popular' crowd. They claim the game never changes, when in fact it's really undergone all manner of tweaks and adjustments, the kind they'd probably notice if only they weren't too busy decrying the title to actually play it.

Detractors see - Unambitious, unrefined and iterated half to death, CoD represents the game of choice for the hulking 'dudebro' masses, the majority of whom couldn't spot a quality narrative if it knocked off their indoor shades before punching them square in the face. CoD is everything that's wrong with the modern gaming scene, from the scores of irate clichés screaming down their microphones, to the publisher's now seasonal exploitation of fans.

Let's settle it - Man with the Golden Gun-style duel to the death.

Supporters see - A darker, more mature interpretation of the classic Zelda mythos. Despite ringing the changes, Majora's Mask proves to be every bit as brilliant as its illustrious predecessor, buoyed up by an equally classic soundtrack, superior cast of characters, and a richer, more varied brand of gameplay. This may be a different breed of Zelda, but it's easily on par with the triumphs of Link's Awakening, Ocarina and co.

Detractors see - 'Errand Boy: The Video Game'. Majora's Mask opted to scuttle the series' dungeon-led formula in favour of an ongoing series of fetch quests and mini-games. It's also far more linear than previous entries, and a major step back from the greater accessibility and openness present in Ocarina.

Let's settle it - Run around a costume shop adopting the characteristics of every new mask worn. First to be thrown from the premises Jazzy Jeff-style is declared the winner.

Supporters see - An exquisitely crafted, sharply streamlined, and altogether more focused addition to the recent Final Fantasy canon. It also bears mentioning that 13 looks absolutely stunning, sounds fabulous, and features a deep and malleable battle system. It's linear, yes, but who needs more tiresome fetch quests or perfunctory exploration - this is a franchise about battles, character and otherworldly atmosphere. FFX13 nails all three.

Detractors see - A sizeable step back for what was once a progressive and keenly ambitious franchise. Only the bare essentials remain. Combat, now far shallower and less thoughtful. Characters, largely clichéd and unlikeable. A storyline bereft of any real scope or weight. Gone are the vibrant, explorable cityscapes, the unique and talkative NPCs, and any kind of challenge in combat. FFXIII is little more than one pretty corridor after the next, an on-rails RPG for the brainless masses.

Let's settle it - JRPG hair-teasing contest. First contestant to pass out from all of the hairspray fumes is declared the loser.

Supporters see - An epic, oftentimes moving send-off to the illustrious Solid Snake. Metal Gear Solid 4 includes everything that made the franchise so special to begin with. and then adds a whole heap more. Gameplay is as tight and nuanced as ever, allowing players to sneak or shoot past every obstacle, while the game's central storyline justifies its lengthy runtime through top quality direction and performances. Sadly, detractors just don't have the patience for this kind of complex experience.

Detractors see - An overwrought, overlong and underwhelming adventure plagued by outdated mechanics and godawful writing. Movement is wooden and unintuitive throughout, characters are tepid and unlikeable, and those damnable cut scenes go on for far, far too long. MGS has always fancied itself a bit of a blockbuster, but 8 hours of pained, non-interactive exposition is just way too much.

Let's settle it - SM sneak-athon. Both parties don tight rubber suits and crawl around their local towns. First to be arrested loses.

Supporters see - A bold new step for the Metroid series, Other M combines beautiful graphics, compelling gameplay and a much more ambitious style of narrative to create one of the Wii's most under-appreciated gems. In keeping with the series' 2D roots, Samus returns to her agile best here, forsaking the 'tank-like' movement of the Prime titles and introducing a unique and highly responsive control scheme.

Detractors see - A short, overly linear and occasionally uncontrollable mess that disregards much of the franchise's tradition. Featuring a bevy of unskippable, overlong cut scenes, starring a newly obedient Samus, Other M consistently interjects lame, cookie cutter plot beats into a franchise that has little-to-no need of them. Give us back our strong leading lady.

Let's settle it - Both parties confront MMA champion Ronda Rousey with classic 1920's sexism. First to die loses.

Supporters see - The precision gunplay of Halo meets the endless possibilities of the MMO, bonding quality levelling elements to a rewarding and consistently-varied shooter. Hype has a way of hardening some people's perspectives, but don’t be fooled, this is a highly competent and gratifying experience that’s sure to endure and expand over the years to come.

Detractors see - An unfinished, largely generic FPS title masquerading as an online game-changer. Quests are uninspired, the setting pretty but lifeless, and the storyline all but non-existent. Go here, kill this, defend that - rinse, repeat and regret. Even the mighty Peter Dinklage can't summon up any enthusiasm for this paint-by-numbers actioner.

Let's settle it - Xbox live endurance test featuring Clockwork Orange-style apparatus. First one to devolve into casual racism and juvenile mic tirades loses.

Supporters see - An emotional roller coaster unlike any other game before it. Beautifully realised, both in terms of its graphical fidelity and authentically mo-capped performances, Two Souls ably continues Quantic Dream's stunning run of unique and challenging titles. This is the 'interactive narrative' writ large, delicately measured and consistently thoughtful throughout - certainly not one for any knuckle-dragging action fans.

Detractors see - A barely interactive 8-hour movie that scarcely deserves consideration as a game. Beyond's narrative aims for high art and misses by some margin, its runtime racked by numerous instances of dreary tedium, and all despite being almost completely linear in nature. Gameplay where it does exist proves to be just as tiresome, clunky and unfocused, with the game more than happy to press on without you, essentially relegating the player to the role of inconsequential 'page-turner'.

Let's settle it - Spot the difference contest featuring Ellen Page and Ashley Johnson's in-game avatars.

Supporters see - An aesthetically sumptuous title that isn't afraid to take established RPG mechanics in brave new directions. Final Fantasy 8 is consistently challenging, its battle systems deep and adaptable and its cast of characters more richly layered and believable than ever before. Purists may loathe the lack of traditional aeon and mana use, but in their place stands a far more customisable, if initially tricky system.

Detractors see - A needlessly fiddly experience that disregards much of what worked before in favour of change for the sake of change. The central junction system is overthought and underdeveloped, as are the levelling, SeeD, 'draw' and GF mechanics. One malfunctioning element would be bad enough, but all of them? As for the game's storyline, that too quickly descends into gibbering farce, filled with criss-crossing plot holes and poorly considered motivations? It's different, but not in a good way.

Let's settle it - See Final Fantasy 13

Supporters see - One of Ninty's teresting experiments, Zelda 2 completely defied expectations, introducing a slew of new and permanent additions to the ongoing Zelda franchise. It may be the relative black sheep of the saga, but that doesn't make it any less of a classic.

Detractors see - An awkward and unnecessary shift away from the first game's iconic framework. There's a reason later games in the franchise would better reflect the original. There are hundreds of identikit side-scrollers out there, but only one Zelda.

Let's settle it - Pistols at dawn.

FIFA 16, the latest entry in gaming’s biggest football series, is changing the record this year. Grown men are out, replaced with one-eyed, shaven-all-over monkeys. In a nod to the dev team’s love of Minecraft, balls are to become…squares. And pitches will be relocated to Diego Garcia, Pluto, and the surface of Pete from 30 Rock’s head. Yes!

Okay, it’s the same as it always was. Footballers whacking synthetic spheres in the general direction of a large netted rectangle. But! There are exciting changes afoot, with women players being introduced at long long long long (long) last, improved defending, new face scans, Harry freakin’ Kane, and, well, a whole lot more. But don’t just take our word for it. Take our great many words which follow your imminent click of the ‘>’ button…

Fed up with trick-sticking online trolls dribbling rings around your back four? Help is at hand. Er, foot. All the major changes made to FIFA 16 are defensive ones, and it’s welcome news. 25 new animations have been implemented to aid your defenders in one-on-one battles with skilful strikers, turning circles for players back-pedalling towards goal are tighter, and – best of all – you can break out of slide tackle animations (and instantly back to your feet) which a second tap of the same button.

Depending on their attributes, midfielders and forwards hustle back harder than in previous years, and players in all positions break on loose balls when appropriate – instead of looking lost when there isn’t an opponent in their immediate vicinity. Overall, it makes chance creation really difficult; but we’d rather that than fear conceding every time a foe crosses the halfway line.

While attacking changes aren’t as pronounced as defensive ones, those implemented do add variation and – crucially – give you some means of breaking down the competent-at-long-last back fours. Pressing R1 and X (on PS4), for instance, triggers a new driven pass which, when timed right, can be lethal in catching a full back out of position or splitting two previously faultless central defenders.

No-touch dribbling (hold L1) enables you to move your player without adjusting the movement of the ball, thereby fooling a tackling opponent if timed right, while dynamic crossing sees widemen delivering balls in behind defenders, with true whip. Shot trajectories have been flattened out, volleys reanimated, and a few new skill moves added – including Yannick Bolasie’s physics-defying flick debuted .

Last’s year’s tie-in with the Premier League saw more than 200 players facially scanned, right down to obscure West Brom youth prospects such as Kamar Roofe and Bradley Garmston. But a few who’d go on to have huge seasons slipped through the net – most noticeably Harry ’21 goals and 21,000,000 fantasy points’ Kane. As the above image confirms, he’s in this year.

It also appears that the entire league have been rescanned for this season in order to update hairstyles and facial fluff, with Leicester’s Jeff Schlupp and Everton’s Romelu Lukaku among those to share pics of their FIFA photo shoots on social media. Rumours persist too that the full French league is to feature, with PSG’s squad definitely scanned and Monaco promising a ‘range of benefits’ from its newly-announced partnership with EA Sports.

And mercifully, we don’t mean in the ‘ich liebe Sabine Lisicki für immer’ sense. Of the 12 female teams taking their bow in FIFA 16, it’s our longstanding Teutonic rivals who threaten to dominate the online scene. Only one player, left back Babett Peter, has an OVR of less than 80, and four boast OVRs of 86 or above (skipper and 2014 world player of the year Nadine Kessler is an astonishing 90).

My first game playing as the dainty yet fearsome Deutsch Frauen, against the almost-as-good USA, is a 9-0 win. (Nine!) It must be said that the all-ladies mode is excellent, with much less focus on speed and physicality than you’re used to from previous (all-male) years, which actively encourages finesse football. And it you’re one of those troglodytes moaning that you really don’t want to play as the women? Then, y’know, don’t play as the women. Duh.

Well, duh. No sports game developer is going to sit down at the big table-o-brainstorms and pipe up with “I know! Let’s make it look like an Atari Lynx game!”. But it’s worth noting that FIFA has taken another Yaya-Toure-sized stride forward in the cosmetics department. (No Mr Beckham, we do not wish to try your new cologne.) Randomised weather means you see more of upgraded effects such as heat haze or lightning during matches, and players look noticeably lass plastic-y thanks to new skin and eye textures and shaders.

Plus the introduction of women players has had a happy knock-on effect on blokeball too. New scaleable skeletons mean Peter Crouch no longer looks like he’s been stretched on a torture rack, ponytails behave like ponytails, and players track every single motion of the ball. So no more odd instances of your skipper volleying home while making eyes at number three’s wife in an executive box. (Sorry, John.)

The reason Sony sim MLB The Show has led the sporting pack for so long is it gets all the intricacies of baseball right in addition to the onfield stuff. And while it’s still no quite on par, this year sees FIFA 16 again move in a similar direction. For instance, referees in real life now use foam spray to ensure players keep ten yards back at free kicks – and now the officials in FIFA do the same.

And in addition to busting out a wealth of dandy moves, goalscorers can celebrate //into the TV// simply by making a beeline to the pitch-side cameraman after finding the onion bag. One frustration – as covered in our initial FIFA 16 preview – is not being able to specify which players go upfield for attacking set pieces, but generally the series is closing the gap on its bat-swinging counterpart.

For months it’s been rumoured that this might be the year where EA snaps up the Champions League license. That’s been quashed thanks to Konami locking in a new deal with UEFA for PES, but EA still maintains that big improvements to both career mode and Ultimate Team are on the way. It won’t elaborate, but we can speculate, and a novel job listing on EA’s website earlier this year throws up an intriguing possibility: specific storylines that take place outside of matches.

In April the company was looking for two ‘narrative designers’ who would “bring the player’s experience to explosive life in its story-telling mode… [capturing] emotional experiences that drive the story forward through non-linear storytelling techniques.” Juggling player contracts while managing our star striker’s Smash Hits Top Trumps addiction and trying to get just one member of the team to wear boots that aren’t blinding like the surface of the sun? By Joe Ledley’s beard, are we in.