As adequate an expression of the genre as it is, it somehow can't quite conjure those high notes of enthusiasm - akin to the way in which a whiteboard diagram of demographics and key features fails to inspire heart palpitations. [Feb 2010, p.84]

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]

This endearingly scrappy effort could teach bigger games a thing or two about the value of good writing. [Issue#328, p.122]

But without the first game’s ambiguities,? ?a sense of humour or even an ounce of? ?intrigue,? ?its story stinks.? ?It’s so slight you could play the levels in random order to? ?little ill-effect,? ?and it assumes knowledge of everything and everyone,? ?not once recognising the real-world echoes of its premise:? ?an allied invasion of an enemy? ?the allies themselves created.?

Aside from the occasional hiccup with collision detection, and some uninspired boss battles, Nanostray 2 does enough to gain an honourable mention in the genre. [May 2008, p.98]

Unite doesn’t offer the kind of transformation at its higher levels that you might expect – the essential purpose is the same throughout: kill monsters, craft new shin pads out of dino-bladders, and swap your pig’s wings for a magician’s hat. Nonetheless, these simple motivations give way to a huge depth of execution which empowers and requires four players.

The beauty of Deadly Premonition is that it's a straightforward whodunnit viewed through the cracked prism of an unreliable narrator, conjuring an atmosphere of suspicion and confusion throughout. [Dec 2010, p.92]

If you can forgive those insecurities, perhaps the result of trying to balance a mainstream genre game with more experimental narrative ambitions, The Old Country has an enormous amount of heart. [Issue#415, p.88]

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

It's a game that tries to be everything, in other words, yet through the sheer all-encompassing nature of its irreverence finds an identity of its own.

This thirdperson actioner spikes the familiar with flavour, and a tired but reliable vocabulary of wall-hugs, circle-strafe, grenade lobs and headshots with an invigorating Nu-Earth twang. [June 2006, p.94]

The Baconing is undoubtedly a solid, entertaining addition to the series, but over-saturation has made this once brash and energetic adventure feel slightly predictable.

It's a breezily entertaining flight through seven coloured environments, though it never quite generates the same feeling of mastery as its inspiration: reaching the Violet Zone for the second time isn't as significant an achievement as diving down to the undulating surface of Island 9.

It lacks the original’s elegance and surprise, but as F2P spin-offs go, this isn’t nearly as villainous as you might expect.

Brutal Legend has the looks and the attitude, and a hefty chunk of original and engaging content to go with it. Whenever it goes near a stage, though, it begins to fall apart. [Dec 2009, p.94]

Delta is compelling because of the quality of its source material, but it does feel disposable - a curio more in the vein of a talented bootleg modification than the kind of reenvisioning that would truly justify its existence. [Issue#415, p.92]

The Baconing is undoubtedly a solid, entertaining addition to the series, but over-saturation has made this once brash and energetic adventure feel slightly predictable.

A conservative sequel, one that drills down into the bedrock of what The Sims has always been. [Nov 2014, p.104]

The most shameless vehicle for the series' gun fetish yet. [Apr 2015, p.114]

There may not be much to the game, but Sumo has done an astounding job of bolstering it with online facilities that are entirely uncommon on the platform. For what it is, it's as worthy a remake as you could possibly want. [July 2008, p.98]

Schneider's presentational style may be a little sterile for some tastes, but while his games may not have the same force of personality as Minter's, he demonstrates an equally astute mind for augmenting existing genres.

Matches are brisk, varied and tense, but you might face a long wait to get one. An idle mode allows you to browse the internet or check emails until a challenge arrives, but alerts are sadly infrequent. Local play is a fine substitute if you have a willing partner, but Gun Monkeys is a two-player game too often lacking a player two.

It's a tribute to Me Monstar that, despite lasting a good few hours, you want more.

There's always a place for classic concepts executed well, and despite being somewhat rough around the edges,that's precisely what R-Type Final 2 delivers. [Issue#359, p.116]

A gritty, satisfying coda. [Apr 2015, p.118]

This is Nava's finest hour (or two) since the work for which he's still best known - especially when it focuses on the means rather than the end. [Issue#415, p.96]

An uneven season finishes on a high. [Nov 2014, p.110]

It would be wrong to say there’s never a dull moment in Replicant then, even if at least some of that dullness is deliberate – a way to emphasize our heroes’ struggles. But at its best, you’ll come to understand why it deserves a second chance. [Issue#358, p.104]