But 2K nudges ahead of MLB 16 The Show, Madden 17 and NHL 17 because it's an established, class-leading veteran in terms of both on-court quality and off-court depth. While Brits clamour for even a half-decent rugby game, and the cricketing world waits for the burgeoning Don Bradman series to fulfil its abundant potentia, all four of the big US sports - basketball, baseball, gridiron and hockey - find themselves represented to an elite level in virtual form. North American sports gamers have never had it so good.

Eventually, you become so attuned with the game, so in sync with its crushing difficulty, that the rest of the world begins to melt away, leaving only you, your quickening heartbeat, and Thumper. Thumper’s convergence of sight, sound, and interactivity creates a uniquely oppressive atmosphere, weighing down on your chest in a way that even some of the best horror games can't achieve. As a silver space beetle racing down a track to do battle with a demonic hovering face, you'll tap buttons and move analog sticks along with its proggy, percussive soundtrack in order to overcome numerous obstacles at an increasingly rapid pace. But if you let one of its spindly tentacles ensnare you, there's no saving you - you're hopelessly caught up in one of the greatest rhythm games ever made. And Thumper's demands of your attention and reflexes are incredibly exhausting in a way few games can manage. Its minimalist, psychedelic aesthetic is alienating, cold, and disarming. Its tunes don't exactly conform to the pleasurable formula of what humans typically consider music.

Ten best games of 2016 water