While moments of genuine beauty exist, they occur in the context of a game that otherwise simply cannot compete with its contemporaries when it comes to visual presentation - a symptom, perhaps, of the seven-year development cycle. [Feb 2015, p.104]

These are the most generous entries since HeartGold and SoulSilver. [Jan 2014, p.123]

These are the most generous entries since HeartGold and SoulSilver. [Jan 2014, p.123]

A fragile container for a tale of such inestimable value, and what ought to be universally welcoming instead must be approached with caution: come expecting revelation on an emotional level, not a mechanical one. [Jan 2014, p.121]

The game's unflinching depiction of wartime suffering is particularly unsettling in a medium that commonly focuses on pyrotechnics and headshots. [Jan 2014, p.118]

Escape's one resounding achievement, it seems, is that it has somehow managed to be an even poorer game than Dead Island: Riptide. [Jan 2014, p.116]

There's much to admire and to enjoy, but we've come to expect more from a developer of EAD Tokyo's calibre. [Jan 2014, p.114]

While a smattering of minor blemishes mean it shines a bit less brightly than 2014's other headline acts, it's not less essential for it. [Jan 2014, p.112]

Assuming you're simply content with content, Ubisoft busies you with donkey work. [Jan 2014, p.110]

At release, it offers a staggeringly beautiful world filled with unfinished systems, ugly cash grabs, and a string of missed opportunities. [Jan 2014, p.108]

The most ambitious game BioWare has ever made. [Jan 2014, p.104]

Far Cry 3 asked for the definition of insanity, and its sequel answers it. [Jan 2014, p.100]

To give in to its spell, you just need to let go. [Christmas 2014, p.123]

Fantasia is a novel twist on the music name, then, but one lacking the sprinkling of Disney magic its title promises. [Christmas 2014, p.122]

Sure, Platinum has made flawed games before, but nothing nearly so bland or as uninspiring as this. [Christmas 2014, p.120]

Very much a sidewards step for the series rather than a bold leap forwards for its kind. [Christmas 2014, p.118]

There's still much enjoyment to be found in the interim grinding between boss fights, but Lords Of The Fallen's greatest sin is that all feels rather soulless. [Christmas 2014, p.116]

After a clumsy opening, The Evil Within hits its stride towards the end and the fist act and the tension rarely lets up. [Christmas 2014, p.114]

Advanced Warfare is still Call of Duty, but it's more playful, knowing and refreshing than COD's been in years. [Christmas 2014, p.112]

As an accessible, powerful game-building tool, LBP 3 is remarkable, and offers more scope than we dared to expect. [Christmas 2014, p.108]

Best approached as you would any caffeinated energy drink. In small gulps, it offers an exhilarating sugar rush, but too much will leave you with a headache. As such, it's best consumed in moderation. [Christmas 2014, p.104]

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

Irritations never last long in Smash 3DS, sandblasted away by the winningly varied combat and the sheer torrent of ways to enjoy it. [Dec 2014, p.122]

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

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

It's a shame that the terrain you wander through as you do all this is so visually substandard. [Dec 2014, p.116]

A classy, inventive adventure with an absorbing story. [Dec 2014, p.114]

It's a shame that Forza's much-vaunted AI tech proves an ill fit for open-world racing. [Dec 2014, p.112]