The sidequests are among its strongest features, challenging your expectations about how RPGs are structured. [April 2017, p.116]

A new high-water mark for the series. [April 2017, p.114]

This is a game that takes the foundations of one of the most intoxicating RPGs around and builds them into a fast, fluid, simply enormous action game as good as anything Team Ninja has ever made. [April 2017, p.112]

Horizon: Zero Dawn is an enormous, ambitious curve ball from the studio behind the promising but perennially flawed Killzone series. In Aloy, the game introduces an enchanting protagonist and sets her on a remarkable adventure that steers clear of rote sci-fi...Horizon emerges as a graceful, intoxicating and often surprising adventure. [April 2017, p.108]

Holy disappointment, Batman. [March 2017, p.107]

The stakes are raised in the closing stretch, but the drama is undercut by the story's brevity. [March 2017, p.106]

This cosy, likeable platformer gives 3DS players a superior alternative to Arzest's insipid New Island. [March 2017, p.105]

It's hard to find too much fault in a game that's so in love with its inspirations, but Rise & Shine is at its best when it's being itself. [March 2017, p.104]

Kat, at least, wants to make everyone happy, no matter their social status, their motives or lack of manners. That's a noble goal, but an impossible one - and one the game that surrounds her, with its bland combat, its stodgy missions, and its wayward camera, fails to provide to the player. [March 2017, p.102]

Such steps forward may seem at odds with the time period, but that late-'80s setting is put to brilliant use in the story. [March 2017, p.98]

While it's unlikely to win as many hearts as Resident Evil 4 did, it's an equally important and remarkable entry in the series' tumultuous timeline. [March 2017, p.94]

The result, for all the longevity of its series and the familiarity of the open-world genre, is a game that evokes feelings we haven’t known for 20 years. Not since Ocarina Of Time have we set foot in a world that seems so mind-bogglingly vast, that feels so unerringly magical, that proves so relentlessly intriguing. Plenty of games promise to let us go anywhere and do anything; few, if any, ever deliver on it so irresistibly. Nineteen years on, Ocarina is still held up as the high-water mark of one of gaming’s best-loved – and greatest – series. Now it may have to settle for second place. [April 2017, p.104]

It's not quite vintage Mario, but this long-awaited mobile debut demonstrates an ingenuity and a keen appreciation of format that is quintessentially Nintendo. [Feb 2017, p.123]

Its ideas cohere into a blaze of brilliant white heat while it burns itself out. [Feb 2017, p.121]

Another slight VR release that serves as an excellent proof of concept but disappoints by not following through. [Feb 2017, p.120]

Under GungHo's auspice it has made its deepest game in years, and one of its most fascinating, too. [Feb 2017, p.118]

It turns out the mountain really does have something to say, but it's only when the noise is gone that its message can really be heard. [Feb 2017, p.116]

It's hard to complain too much about the absence of peril when you're wearing the bottom half of a chicken suit. [Feb 2017, p.114]

Even as you reflect on the rarity of a blockbuster that's willing to take real risks, you'll be left with the uncomfortable realisation that ten years wasn't quite long enough, after all. Those jagged edges are, in the end, just a little too sharp. [Feb 2017, p.110]

The Last Guardian doesn't just live up to its forebears' legacy, it goes further. Despite the callbacks to Fumito Ueda's previous works, it is a unique creation. Outside of indie experiments, we don't get to say that about modern videogames often enough.

With a smart, wry script, a warmly uplifting narrative and a likeable cast, this is a game with its heart in the right place, even if some of its other parts feel a little out of whack. [Jan 2017, p.123]

It promotes a message of kindness and understanding that's never felt more vital. [Jan 2017, p.121]

It promotes a message of kindness and understanding that's never felt more vital. [Jan 2017, p.121]

It's a short game, too - we reached the end after hour hours of unhurried progress. But Robinson's focus is on exploration and discovery, and Crytek provides plenty of distractions for the particularly curious. [Jan 2017, p.119]

There's nothing revolutionary in Lethal VR, but it's an accessible, frequently enjoyable showcase of what its host hardware is best at, let down only by the decision to bring a knife to a gunfight. [Tested with HTC Vive: Jan 2017, p.118]

This focus on creativity over flowcharts perfectly suits the most charismatic, expressive construction and management sim yet. [Jan 2017, p.116]

The core Titanfall moveset is a joy, and it has been thoughtfully expanded with a delightful grappling hook. [Jan 2017, p.112]

The action is so fast, and the time to kill so low, that anyone outside of the hardcore COD audience is in for a rough ride. [Jan 2017, p.110]

The game's greatest achievement is its setting. There's a distinct whiff of a Rockstar production to Watch Dogs 2's San Francisco, with its scale and polish, its savvy skewering of popular culture in general, and Silicon Valley's tech fetish in particular. [Jan 2017, p.106]

Despite a handful of minor issues, then, and occasionally patchy framerates in particularly busy areas, Dishonored 2 is consistently remarkable. [Jan 2017, p.102]

It's difficult to recommend as a standalone purchase. [Christmas 2016, p.122]

The compact nature of the game's arc means its narrative rhythm feels a little off and things clatter to an end well before you expect - or want - them to. [Christmas 2016, p.120]

A fine introduction to the pleasures of multiplayer VR, but ultimately there's not quite enough substance here to keep you coming back after your first few tours of duty. [Christmas 2016, p.119]

A slick production, but its rewards can feel outstripped by the effort required to play it. [Christmas 2016, p.118]

Fraught, oppressive and tense, Thumper has been built to a singular vision - and one we can certainly respect, if not always enjoy. [Christmas 2016, p.117]

Rez Infinite is 15 years old, and the best VR game of 2016. [Christmas 2016, p.116]

As a series, Civilization is being quietly surpassed. [Christmas 2016, p.114]

RIGS is a compact but deep package, then, and one executed with a confidence that belies its launch-game status. [Christmas 2016, p.112]

This is a game whose best moments are diluted by a torrent of filler, whose beauty is obscured by its technical shortcomings, and whose obvious potential is squandered by a lack of polish. That weird orange sky is, alas, the least of its problems. [Christmas 2016, p.110]

While its bulk is impressive, it lacks a distinctive personality of its own. [Christmas 2016, p.106]

Battlefield 1 is better than its predecessors in almost every way. [Christmas 2016, p.102]

It's the game's flexibility that drives its enduring appeal, complemented by its granular UI and difficulty settings that enable you to make it as easy or as hard as you like - whether through developer-prescribed challenges or personal rules imposed as a matter of pride - without ever adjusting a slider. [Jan 2016, p.114]

It's a shame the journey itself can't match the poignancy of the final destination. [December 2016, p.123]

With some prudent trimming, this could have been one of Wii U's best games: even with all those maddening missteps, its moments of sparkling brilliance can make it feel frequently close to essential. [December 2016, p.122]

For the first time in years, it's easy to meet up with other players, drawn together by enticing new stories. [December 2016, p.120]

It doesn't willfully withhold information, but it takes some time to acclimatise to what you're supposed to do. [December 2016, p.118]

Both the platforming and the shooting hold up, then, but they barely develop after the first few hours. [December 2016, p.116]

A work of nostalgia. [December 2016, p.114]

One of the most quietly devastating moments involves a character simply shaking their head softly. [December 2016, p.110]

This series has always felt like a breath of fresh air in a genre that grows ever more obsessed with the fidelity of its simulations. With Forza Horizon 3, Playground has flung open the biggest window in the building, then stuck on a few fans for good measure. [December 2016, p.106]

Mere hours after playing it, Hue is already vanishing into the background of our minds, leaving only a vague sensation of something more tangible. [Nov 2016, p.123]

An apparently new and improved game engine is anything but, with regular framerate drops on PS4, bizarrely stilted animations, and sound effects cutting out entirely during action sequences further deadening the impact of already sloppily edited fight scenes. [Nov 2016, p.121]

The springy physics are almost perfect, giving you just enough control even as you hurtle through the air at speed. [Nov 2016, p.118]

While there are some concessions in place for the mere mortals among us, there aren't quite enough. [Nov 2016, p.116]

It's a firstperson co-op adventure that hardly disgraces the Metroid name it should never have been lumbered with. [Nov 2016, p.114]

What at first feels more like a Benny Hill chase reveals itself to be another fine reinvention of this classic. [Nov 2016, p.112]

There's promise in The Turing Test's constituent parts, but considered as a whole, it fails the imitation game. [Nov 2016, p.110]

While some poorly designed systems and mechanics chip away at your patience, the feeling of flying seamlessly from space down to a peninsula you spotted from orbit never fails to enthrall. [Nov 2016, p.106]

The Assembly is yet another example of mundane game design attempting to hid behind the novelty of VR. The mileage in this strategy is running out. [Oct 2016, p.122]

There are plenty of smart ideas here, but a fair bit of dreck, too. [Oct 2016, p.120]

For the most part, Song of the Deep is content with being pleasantly unremarkable. [Oct 2016, p.119]

A delight. [Oct 2016, p.118]

The world is a pulpy delight: captivating, unique, and a genuine pleasure to spend time in. [Oct 2016, p.116]

If all this wasn't enough, there's also an affecting story going on. [Oct 2016, p.114]

If it isn't as memorable as the games to which it owes its existence, it shares some of their best parts. [Oct 2016, p.112]

Rather than a criticism, however, the lingering feeling is a testament to the sense of wonder Abzu instills in the player, the feeling of grand adventure it manages to conjure in its short runtime, and the appeal of its enigmatic world. [Oct 2016, p.108]

This confident refinement of Human Revolution's potent, though flawed, proof of concept, has resulted in one of the most elaborate videogame sandboxes in which we've ever had the pleasure of getting lost. [Oct 2016, p.104]

We'd much rather play the awful unicorn levels in [Trials] Fusion's Awesome Level Max DLC, which probably ranks among the most damning things we've ever said about a game. [Issue#296, p.123]

It's a tremendous shame, because the bosses themselves are a finely conceived, smartly designed and varied bunch. [Issue#296, p.121]

Inside may require thought, care and occasionally a sharp sense of timing to progress, but its obstacles never feel unfair. [Issue#296, p.120]

This is very much Inafune by numbers, a Mega Man game in all but name, and not a particularly good one. [Issue#296, p.118]

As often as it threatens to break the shackles of convention, it's just as content to fall in line with JRPG custom. [Issue#296, p.116]

There's little satisfaction in downing an enemy who can't see you, less in getting flattened by an unseen assailant. [Issue#296, p.114]

Monster Hunter still offers some of the most exciting and handsomely staged third-person combat you'll find in any game - and, if only by a small amount, Generations has raised the bar again. [Issue#296, p.112]

The game's huge assortment of side missions and time trials, along with Gridnode runs, represent its most appealing offerings as you hone your route and - for the most part - focus on nothing but running. [Issue#296, p.108]

Surely anyone with a taste for adventure will appreciate the ingenuity and character of such an intricate and secret-stuffed world. [Aug 2016, p.120]

Despite its numerous missteps, it's clear that this is a labour of love for its creators, whose fondness for the original is well know. [Aug 2016, p.118]

It all makes it an even greater shame that you'll sometimes feel compelled to jump off and end it all. [Tested with Oculus Rift; Aug 2016, p.116]

The whole thing is just so gleefully off its head that you can forgive its little missteps. [Aug 2016, p.114]

A messy jumble of broken parts. [Aug 2016, p.112]

Platinum needs to take a little more care when it comes to picking its battles. [Aug 2016, p.110]

At heart, Dangerous Golf simply wants you to make a big, beautiful mess, and it's an invitation that proves surprisingly hard to resist. [Aug 2016, p.108]

That the game hangs together visually is remarkable; that it should cohere so well in design terms, unfathomable. [Aug 2016, p.104]

Doom's shimmering, bombastic combat is as absorbing as it is revelatory. [Aug 2016, p.100]

Thanks to a thoughtful, witty localisation, Yo-Kai Watch proves to be a kids' game that's capable of winning over adult players, too. [July 2016, p.123]

A frustrating step backwards for a studio that can do better. [July 2016, p.122]

A fine win. [July 2016, p.121]

It's a game you'll come back to the next day, having faced constant defeat in levels that are surely impossible, and find yourself beating them. [July 2016, p.120]

Alienation sort of stops when it really should be getting going, routes closing off as they should be opening up. [July 2016, p.118]

Accepting the inevitability of bad things happening helps prevent this from descending into suffocating bleakness. [July 2016, p.116]

This sweeping triptych is as luxurious and formidable a game as you'll encounter on portable hardware. [July 2016, p.114]

Stellaris simply communicates its tangle of resources, currencies and modifiers with improbable elegance. [July 2016, p.112]

Disarray is perhaps the best way to sum up Battleborn. [July 2016, p.108]

This lightness of touch, combined with instant restarts and a Trials-style checkpoint system, makes for an extremely moreish racer. [June 2016, p.123]

Salt & Sanctuary can be brilliant, but it's held back by undersized visual design, both in UI and open play, making playing it from distance a pain. [June 2016, p.122]

Whether you're flipping a fried egg or turning a dial, this is tactile and satisfying, if slight, entertainment. [Tested with Vive; June 2016, p.121]

A dismally paced and hugely frustrating expansion of a fine core mechanic, and a badly missed opportunity. [Tested with Vive; June 2016, p.120]

Despite its name's implications, this is a better game when you're following Lucky's nose, rather than his tail. [Tested with Oculus Rift; June 2016, p.119]