For those who can tolerate having their brain beaten numb by it, the game entails often enthralling, occasionally awe-inspiring sights and sounds. But little is there that’s new compared to much that needs renewal. [Christmas 2005, p.96]

It takes more than caffeine, luck and a nosebleed to truly become master of these streets, and this is Revenge's greatest achievement over its predecessor. The eight locations, split as usual into varied circuits, are arcade racing dreams given form. [Nov 2005, p.98]

To call this style over substance would be grossly inaccurate. The substance is all there – weighty, deep and stretching off 90 hours into the distance. But, unmistakable, it is substance from another time. [Jan 2005, p.78]

Zero mission is … old, but it's also tantalisingly new, coupled with a tightening of the mythos and franchise in anticipation of follow-ups to "Prime" and "Fusion." It works. [Apr 2004, p.107]

This relaxed, arcade-like approach makes for something that's not so much about simulation, but more emulation; letting you thwack the ball with all the verve of an expert, without the worry of any homework. Fun, then, and lots of it. [Nov 2003, p.107]

A frequently wonderful game...You might lose everything you've gathered when you die, but your love for Dead Cells will endure, and grow even stronger. [Issue#323, p.112]

When those big swings connect, just as when we manage to knock several bottles off a wall with a single shot, Despelote offers an exhilarating reminder of the narrative ground games have yet to cover. [Issue#410, p.120]

Demon's Souls is the antithesis of the fashionable approach to gaming. It encourages mastery over mere perseverance and every reward is so hard won as to make it almost unattainable. But if gaming's ultimate appeal lies in the learning and mastering of new skills, then surely the medium's keenest thrills are to be found in its hardest lessons. For those who flourish under Demon's Souls' strict examination, there's no greater sense of virtual achievement.

There's no denying that Obsidian's soul was in the effort. [June 2015, p.110]

It’s a game that builds gradually and then becomes irresistible, a beautiful lump of an RPG that continues beyond the close of its main campaign, and will have you thinking about it when you’re not at your 360. [Dec 2008, p.79]

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

The game's parts are by turns novel and enjoyable, but when played in longer bursts feel repetitive. Brotherhood is Assassin's Creed II 2, its new mechanics feeling more like extensions of an existing form than innovations. It's a greatest hits disc, then, a weighty, good-value deal that plays the series' best bits – but there's the constant danger that you've heard them before.

If L4D2 is sometimes over-complicated by its glut of small innovations, then it also substantially rewards the player with its few large ideas: confusion gives way to depth and dynamism, grander thrills and starker dramas. We’re still interested in the fate of the original game’s heroes, but this sequel affirms that the way ahead is due south.

Cramming more surprises and ideas into five hours than many games manage in 50, There Is No Game is a brain-scrambling treat. [Issue#350, p.106]

Valve has taken something unscripted and dynamic, and seeded it with the right amount of narrative flavour, pacing and spectacle. [Christmas 2008, p.82]

Sweetest of all, the satisfying thrum of a finely tuned engine. [Issue#330, p.116]

Valve has taken something unscripted and dynamic, and seeded it with the right amount of narrative flavour, pacing and spectacle. [Christmas 2008, p.82]

It might be a latecomer, then, but Vanillaware's most accomplished release to date warrants the air of bravado with which it sweeps in - and, for that matter, it's place in the pantheon of classic tactical RPGs. [Issue#396, p.106]

If L4D2 is sometimes over-complicated by its glut of small innovations, then it also substantially rewards the player with its few large ideas: confusion gives way to depth and dynamism, grander thrills and starker dramas. We’re still interested in the fate of the original game’s heroes, but this sequel affirms that the way ahead is due south.

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

We can't wait to see what he comes up with next. [May 2016, p.104]

Despite its paucity of detail, Jade Empire is still many, many things, some are fine and some poor, but for a game to contain so much is a testament to its breadth, and the reason why it'll remain a worthwhile expedition for many. [June 2005, p.80]

Yet if it's messy at times, then these are traits that the game's story tells us are all part of the vivid tapestry that is being human. [Issue#375, p.110]

Criterion has taken the series back to its first principal of cops vs racers, and constructed a high-octane combat racer of beauty and depth. [Christmas 2010, p.82]

Despite these minor imperfections F-Zero GX has it where it counts. The combination of blistering speed, responsive controls and rivals with genuine personality makes this one of the most addictive games of the year. [Oct 2003, p.96]

Indeed, perhaps Pokopia's finest accomplishment is that it caters equally to all kinds of player: those who love to build freely, and those who crave more direction. If you're the kind of Pokemon obsessive who plays every entry and spinoff, you'll find plenty here to delight. And if you're an older or lapsed fan, or Pokemon has passed you by completely? Well, ditto. [Issue#423, p.118]

There's no denying it's a classy product, and since when do we want less novelty? [Issue#400, p.110]

It would be easy to take The Minish Cap for granted, left as it is with little to do but shuffle and tinker with its immaculate heritage. That, however, would be a grave mistake... Maybe you can't go wrong with the Zelda template, but they haven't always gone this right. [Christmas 2004, p.91]