Goes toe-to-tow with both Skyrim and Mass Effect 3. A knockout console debut. [June 2012, p.72]

Whiteknuckle action, captivating characters, and luscious locales - the best Uncharted yet. [June 2016, p.64]

Spore is more than the sum of its parts. A lot of parts. [Nov 2008, p.62]

Prey has the tired old first-person shooter rulebook in a spin. Captivating stuff. [Sept 2006, p.62]

For all its glamorous, "radical!" makeover, DiRT 2 is still the best handling rally game in the business. [Oct 2009, p.66]

Single-handedly worth the price of an Xbox 360. Buy it. We implore you. [Nov 2007, p.74]

NFS is totally back on form, returned to glory by the best arcade racer creators in the business. [Issue#232, p.63]

A scintillating dose of uber-violence. Un-freakin'-missable. And then some. [Christmas 2006, p.56]

One of the best local multiplayer games ever made. It has huge depth, and is always utterly fantastic fun. [June 2014, p.74]

Eclipses 360 and all but the most pimped PC rigs. The definitive Oblivion? Probably. [May 2007, p.66]

A fantastic sequel, unhindered by its free to play model. Plant this on your device now! [Nov 2013, p.78]

An unsettling and deeply disquieting experience at times, Hellblade is like nothing else. [Oct 2017, p.72]

Delivers big as a technical fighter and insane Nintendo block party. [Dec 2014, p.74]

The further we get from that finale the deeper it sinks in. You need to experience it. [Dec 2014, p.78]

The first truly "next generation" action game and the standard everyone else has to follow. [Christmas 2009, p.70]

Quite simply, this is the best war shooter of the year. [Christmas 2007, p.64]

Eternally brilliant. [March 2013, p.93]

A welcome return to LittleBigPlanet that stays unsurprisingly accurate to the original. [Christmas 2009, p.69]

More than just a game - it's a genre-shifting music revolution. [Issue#232, p.78]

Genre-defining. [Nov 2007, p.58]

Dizzyingly good soundtrack. [Oct 2013, p.73]

Braid sums up everything we love about gaming. A near-perfect experience. [Oct 2008, p.76]

A fantastic achievement in storytelling and gameplay. Truly unmissable. [Nov 2011, p.86]

Looks, skill, depth, balance. Virtua Fighter 5 has got it all. [Dec 2007, p.85]

The most polished and impressive RPG from BioWare to date. Roll on part three. [Mar 2010, p.60]

It's been a slow few years for the single-player RPG. This makes up for all of it. [May 2006, p.68]

Telltale's best episode yet is a fitting end for their landmark series of story-driven games. [Feb 2013, p.88]

A triumph on a multitude of levels, Battlefield 4 is the series' most compelling package to date; a delightfully slick introduction to the next-generation of consoles. [Christmas 2013, p.60]

Fresh platforming and an ace soundtrack-building mechanic make this a joy to play. [Nov 2012, p.83]

What it lacks in originality it makes up for with polished gameplay and engaging storytelling. [Dec 2009, p.60]

A richly-crafted recreation of the Warhammer world and the best Total War game in years. [July 2016, p.66]

Another quality run-out for PES on PS2 but it is only a shade better than "FIFA 08." [Christmas 2007, p.68]

If you missed it on PS2, make sure you don't make the same mistake on Wii. A great journey. [July 2008, p.65]

Nightmarishly freaky adventure oozing with scares and epic moments. A horror masterpiece. [Mar 2011, p.71]

An exceptional story, told via one of the most vivid game worlds around. [Oct 2015, p.70]

An instant classic that proves the Wii can do 'serious' games with serious aplomb. [Nov 2007, p.70]

Controlling Brawl with the remote's D-pad feels like the devil's work and even the remote/nunchuck pairing suffers from the lack of a second analog stick - you need it for quick smash attacks. It's playable with the Wii's controllers, but seasoned smashers should grab a Classic Controller or dust off their old GC gear. [Apr 2008, p.58]

A fantastic improvement in every way on the original, you'll be playing this for years. [Mar 2011, p.80]

This is better - so much better - than the AMC series, and it's quickly become some of the most essential gaming of this, or indeed any other, year. [Dec 2012, p.90]

The biggest change in Pokemon's history. [Christmas 2013, p.80]

The biggest change in Pokemon's history. [Christmas 2013, p.80]

There are more flexible and expansive creative tools, but none as joyous or accessible as this. [Oct 2015, p.51]

A magnificent return that joins the ranks of "Test Drive Unlimited," "PGR3" and "Forza 2." [Aug 2007, p.62]

The best of a brilliant series and a must-have classic. This is mobile immersion perfected. [Nov 2016, p.81]

BioShock feels too long, even though it's actually not. This is the result of your being given too many item-collection goals, which will often mean backtracking for those who've been diligent explorers. [Oct 2007, p.64]

Depth-based design is perfect for 3D, with many solutions only making sense when you see how different layers relate to one another. [Jan 2012, p.93]

Although the story feels less of an event, Halo 4's campaign is a thoroughly satisfying spectacle. [Dec 2015, p.64]

The best arcade rally game you can buy - what did you expect? [Nov 2007, p.80]

The most haunting and affecting game of the year. [Sept 2016, p.76]

Grueling, gruesome, but ungrudging, it expands on all that's great about the original. Marvelous. [Jan 2016, p.79]

In all it's a great package, and even if you're only vaguely into the kind of music on offer, you'll get weeks of fun out of it. [Dec 2009, p.59]

A stunning entry into the Guitar Hero-verse with essential new features. [Christmas 2008, p.80]

Hints at a great future for Kinect. [Jan 2011]

By far the best chunk of DLC ever devised, adding another rick chapter to the story. [Apr 2009, p.61]

The wannabe detective's definitive version to plump for. [Feb 2012, p.101]

A unique twist on the formula which pays off. A staggering achievement. [June 2016, p.72]

By far the best action-RPG we've played and one we want to keep on playing. [Nov 2006, p.74]

Rockstar's most mature take on open-world fun to date, brought to life with incredible tech. [July 2011, p.74]

Level-headed and broad-minded, an excellent driving package that's as great as you make it. [July 2007, p.64]

A new high-water mark in strategy gaming, for both veterans and newcomes alike. [Nov 2006, p.71]

A large part of what makes Loco Roco such a joy is its complete lack of traditional gaming obstacles. Levels are largely squishy, curvy, cushioned affairs with no holes of doom to fall down or bad guys to shoot. [Aug 2006, p.69]

Still as addictive as ever. It may no seem so different at first but there are good changes. [Dec 2007, p.70]

Wonderful writing, deep quests, and the ability to truly shape your character make for a quality RPG. [Apr 2017, p.78]

Unless you own a Wii, there's no excuse not to enjoy one of the best games in years. [Dec 2008, p.82]

Even more potent today than it was in 2006, Okami is Zelda's one and only match. [Jan 2013, p.81]

A touch less impactful now, but one of last year's highlights is still of 2014's best games. [Oct 2014, p.61]

The handheld version is the way to go.[June 2014, p.79]

Horribly, sadistically tough but equally rewarding. [Aug 2010, p.102]

The DS does great RPGs and great Zeldas. Now it does both at once. Essential.

A brilliant game youi get for free with "MGS4." What's to complain about? [July 2008, p.64]

A must-have for 3DS owners. [May 2013, p.68]

Despite echoes of Hourglass, Tracks emerges as its own game. And a delightful one at that. [Christmas 2009, p.58]

An IPad essential, it delivers a polished and atmospheric collection of conundrums. [Feb 2014, p.76]

If you like football, this is a dream game. It's a true next-gen football game, and we can't stop playing it. [Nov 2009, p.62]

Incredibly moreish. We'd pay top dollar for something this good - and yet it's free! [Aug 2013, p.69]

A thrilling, colorful racer that pushes the 360 to its absolute limits [Christmas 2012, p.75]

Three games, one box and a hundred incredible game moments for 40 quid. Great value. [Feb 2012, p.88]

Dragon Quest is absolutely beautiful. [June 2006, p.60]

A challenging and technically impresive FPS set in gorgeous but treacherous surroundings...It's one of the most engaging shooters we've played for ages. [Dec 2008, p.67]

"Mario Kart" was good, but this is a cut above. [May 2006, p.52]

The most explosive action game on Xbox 360 yet. "GTA"s suddenly got a lot to live up to. [Mar 2007, p.64]

A brilliantly contructed horror experience - the only game to come close to matching "Resi". [Dec 2008, p.59]

You've never played anything like it, and you'll desperately wish for more when you're done. Essential. [July 2015, p.76]

So good, it's worth risking carpal tunnel for. [July 2015, p.78]

A simple idea that wastes no time. Clever, imaginative and full of personality. A mini-masterpiece. [June 2018, p.76]

A hover boot-enabled leap forward for platform fans. [Dec 2009, p.76]

A good-looking, super-immersive game. [Nov 2011, p.94]

An essential buy for existing players. [Feb 2011, p.88]

With an incredible plot and accessible gameplay this is an instant classic. Brilliant. [June 2008, p.66]

Makes some of 2013's brand new games look amateur in comparison. [Dec 2013, p.68]

It's not a game that'll single-handedly save the Wii U, but it is a typically brilliant, typically Nintendo experience - and one that'll live in the memory long after the final flag pole has disappeared from view. [Jan 2014, p.45]

A wonderful little puzzler that will charm and entertain you effortlessly. [Apr 2012, p.93]

Challenging, addictive and excellent. It's our new favourite puzzler/RPG. [Nov 2009, p.67]

Looks as beautiful as it plays. Destined to be a classic of the shoot-em-up genre. [Jan 2014, p.69]

An excellent, essential update of a PlayStation icon. Kratos has never been more relevant or relatable. [June 2018, p.72]

As comfortable as your fave Predators, but better to look at. A must-buy for footy fans. [Jan 2014, p.71]

If you want 100mph exciting football, FIFA 13 won't let you down. It's got all the crash, bang, wallop excitement of the Premier League...with goal line clearances, overly physical tackles, barn-busting supershots, refereeing controversy, spawny deflections, comedy defending and more. [Nov 2012, p.74]

Colourful, imaginitive platforming with plenty of character and style. [Sept 2009, p.83]