Though a perfectly engrossing horror game (and a timely reminder that an over-the-shoulder view isn't the only way of looking at an awful place) at times it can feel like a waste of promising concepts. [Issue#347, p.98]

Given a new lease of life by those whip-smart changes, in the moment-to-moment Overwatch 2 sings. [Issue#378, p.108]

It’s a game built with focus and one that’s going in a truly worthwhile direction, but that falls short of greatness. [Apr 2006, p.7]

A few dramatic sequences do land. [Issue#370, p.121]

In short, it's sweet. [Dec 2014, p.118]

It's impossible not to feel disappointed with a title that, to judge by it's opening, ought to have competed on an even footing with "Super Mario Sunshine." Instead it's an uneasy compromise between the splendour of the early levels and the inadequacies of later missions. [Dec 2003, p.88]

The thrill of the chase is still present, then, even if we've come to expect something a little more subversive from Adult Swim.

If there's surprising strategic depth alongside the amusement of the premise, though, the package itself is on the miniature side. [Issue#420, p.107]

The astounding breadth of the missions is enough to distract from finicky systems and low-res textures. [Dec 2014, p.120]

At its most intense, Exoprimal is aakin to playing an EDF game without the accompanying performance issues. [Issue#388, p.100]

It can't have the same gobsmacking impact as its inspiration, but this is a simple, engaging and occasionally baffling journey in its own right, with plenty of hooks to snare the newcomer.

Magicka delivers splashy nonsense of a gleeful kind, and somehow its delight in chaos and willful stupidity buoys it some way above its faults. [Mar 2011, p.95]

More diversion than challenge, and never leads to stress. [Aug 2009, p.107]

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]

The real surprise is that Pikmin 4 is mostly content to coast on its strengths. As sequels go, it could have used more dandori. [Issue#388, p.104]

This is still a fine – and visually opulent – auto-runner, but it’s bloated, too; a little restraint would have gone a long way.

Having moved up an entire notch from inaugural title "Racers," the PixelJunk brand is becoming one of PSN's most promising and confident niches. [Mar 2008, p.101]

It is, as a whole, smart stuff, and a refreshing new direction for McMillen's brand of twitch platforming. [Issue#310, p.118]

Take it or leave it: just don’t ignore it, or you may miss the videogame equivalent of a daft night out with some of Capcom’s finest minds. [Dec 2006, p.88]

It would be a pity if this erratic, wonderfully offbeat adventure ended here. [Dec 2014, p.123]

For the most part the puzzles are well-pitched, with clues subtly seeded into the dialogue. [Issue#347, p.106]

Really, this is a game of strong, simple virtues: knockout action, beautiful character design, lovingly articulated models, crisp sound and overall polish. Every now and then it'll overstretch, at which point it falls. [Jan 2007, p.76]

A stern, if unspectacular, challenge. [Jan 2010, p.94]

A few interface niggles and the eventual feeling of repetition don’t hold back a creative reimagining of a game type that, thanks to the execution, is as important as it is enjoyable. [Nov 2007, p.96]

Compared to its Wii counterpart - as generic a movie-licensed collect 'em up as you'll see - the DS version is swollen with ideas. [Apr 2010, p.98]

Our concern is that the game doesn't quite have the depth to sustain interest over a period of months, and an apparent uninterest in providing anything other than straight combat will compound the problem. And yet, at US$9.99, Plain Sight boasts a price that's as minimalist as its visual style. As such, a game this novel can only be a tempting prospect.

There are some gently taxing puzzles here, and just enough variety to keep the game ticking along, but the real surprise is just how winsome Docomodake’s fungi are, each section ending with a guilelessly warm celebration of family values. [Mar 2009, p.95]

Like Spelunky before it, survival often depends on what you're carrying, and when you happen across life-prolonging shops and lucky weapon drops. But FTL is a less masterful game than Derek Yu's cave diver, throwing more chance into the mix.