Much like its hero, then, Bloodroots is perhaps a touch bloated in the middle - but the gore-soaked trail it'll trace in your mind will leave a lasting mark. [Issue#343, p.110]

While Rising’s combat is hugely satisfying to experiment with, and a sight to behold when played well, it’s undermined by technical issues and a singleplayer campaign that peters out just as you think it’s getting going. There’s replay value here, and for Platinum’s most devoted fans it won’t matter if the game is five or 50 hours long, but others will, rightly, feel a little short-changed.

Ultimately, the tiny, intricate design just doesn't give Command enough elbow room to develop true depth or challenge, but it's thoroughly satisfying all the same, and a worthy side-show to the Star Fox circus. [Oct 2006, p.87]

The extreme volatility of every moment carries a reward that overshadows the annoyances. [June 2005, p.85]

Ultimately, this is a Metroidvania not in any loose sense but a direct descendent of both parents. [Issue#407, p.102]

Suddenly, your herd is let off the leash. As you witness a train rattling along a nearby track, it's hard to resist the urge to race it. [Issue#415, p.100]

A smart idea, executed in a very controlled fashion, but could do with letting its hair down occasionally.

Few other FPS titles can match the intensity of this nitrous-charged shooting gallery, but plenty of them offer the kind of less that feels like much, much more. [Nov 2005, p.104]

THUG 2 Remix stand straight and tall, offering the series’ trademark open-ended combo blitzing in the form of a solid repackaging, albeit one that’s more a testament to the PSP’s potential rather than a true exploitation of it. [June 2005, p.94]

Crisp of cut-scene, blessed with a refreshingly light touch and low-key compared to the po-faced chest-beating of its peers, Second Sight could well be a high water mark in storytelling through games (as opposed to storytelling around them). [Oct 2004, p.104]

Eden’s precise artistic vision, dreamlike menus and sharply contemporary Japanese ambience is a perfect fit for PSN, but for all its purity this is an Eden too mechanically flawed to match its presentation. [Oct 2008, p.98]

A predominately online game, and though the game is excellent, the rules strong and the setup often flawless, how entertaining you find it depends entirely on circumstance that is all too often out of your control. It depends on other people. [Nov 2003, p.108]

It's hard not to forgive such contrivances when the mask-making process itself is such a joy. [Issue#359, p.119]

A simple, finely tuned and comprehensive shooter that only rarely wobbles. [Sept 2009, p.100]

You'll need to protect your best troops as much as your idols, positioning blockers so that your big hitters can wind up. [Feb 2015, p.116]

If nothing else, the wide-eyed manner in which Everything explores the interconnectedness of, well, everything feels faintly radical in these divided times - even when that means you somehow find yourself relating to a spiral of sentient poop. [June 2017, p.106]

If a chance to see the RPS Roguelike done right appeals, though, Abyssus' synthesis of systems is an enjoyable enough choice. [Issue#415, p.104]

The framework is here for a truly great game, then, but it's the need to lengthen - and, for some players, monetise - the campaign that stops ShortRound's debut from living up to its obvious potential.

If you share director Ragnar Tornquist's view that being engaged in dialogue is a form of gameplay, then there's a richness here that few other titles have the ability or luxury to create. [June 2006, p.86]

Nuts & Bolts is a clever, colourful and witty game – one which deserves better than to be hidden behind stodgy tutorials, flabby interfaces and a host of loading screens. [Christmas 2008, p.84]

It's engaging and, if the controls can be forgiven, a satisfying sampler of RTS thrills for the uninitiated. [Feb 2011, p.100]

There’s just no accounting for an excruciating wipeout on the final lap when such possibilities are at the mercy of circumstances as much as they are at the player’s skill. But, played with a graceful, Zen-like acceptance – shit happens – Crash ‘n’ Burn is as enjoyable as it is easy to understand. [Jan 2005, p.97]

Global Storm feels like the true heir to the Conflict: Desert Storm games in more than just surname, and remains a worthy war effort, despite there being other games that may do it grander or deeper. [Nov 2005, p.102]

What it lacks in personality it makes up for in solid mechanics and slick execution, and should do any tactical fanatic proud. [July 2006, p.90]

Rich with charm, ingenuity, artistry and genuine delight. [Jan 2007, p.77]

A rare bit of vindication for Nintendo's oft-misused service. [Sept 2009, p.101]

Blood Money feels only slightly closer to the series’ ideal of a gameworld that’s both complex and cogent, and is more accessible and entertaining with it. [July 2006, p.80]

The difficulty curve quickly steepens - perhaps too quickly. [June 2017, p.107]