Beautifully made but empty. Compulsive but exploitative, F2P time-and money-sink first, Fire Emblem last. [March 2017, p.66]

A fantastically bonkers open-world gem that finally opens up the magic of the series to everyone. [March 2017, p.64]

Gets under your skin by erasing past frills and putting you eyeball to eyeball with a new world of horror. [March 2017, p.60]

Like many of our in-game throwing knives, this one missed the target. [Feb 2017, p.83]

Superlative. [Feb 2017, p.83]

With the right crowd, the whole thing is incredible fun. [Feb 2017, p.82]

An intriguing chance to find out if you're just as bad as Big Brother, but it falls at the final hurdle. [Feb 2017, p.81]

Thought-provoking, innovative, and haunting, OneShot is immmersive in a totally unique way. [Feb 2017, p.80]

Cinematic gun fights and gorgeous space scenery are ruined by bugs, glitches, and a lack of staying power. [Feb 2017, p.78]

An arcade racer that has driven miles away from the arcades, replacing fun with tedious management. [Feb 2017, p.77]

A strong and original Batman story held back by poor dialogue and overly contrived plot devices. [Feb 2017, p.76]

An accomplished transition to mobile that should appeal to novices and mario veterans alike. [Feb 2017, p.74]

A beautiful HD realisation of a very likeable world that's lovely to revisit. Both fun and funny. [Feb 2017, p.73]

A superb JRPG that, outside of its visuals, doesn't feel as though it's aged a single day since release. [Feb 2017, p.72]

Messy, mean, yet undeniably charming, Suda51's roguelike fascinates more than it flusters. Just. [Feb 2017, p.70]

Family strife and dark secrets abound in Telltale's return to form. We're firmly on board for the ride. [Feb 2017, p.66]

Family strife and dark secrets abound in Telltale's return to form. We're firmly on board for the ride. [Feb 2017, p.66]

Origins' biggest issue is it's anything but original. [Jan 2017, p.81]

Maize is wacky (to put it mildly), and very nearly a-maizing. [Jan 2017, p.81]

With an ending guaranteed to trigger a lump in your throat, Silence is totally worth making noise about. [Jan 2017, p.80]

A cathartic if slightly clumsy, co-op experience that lets you paint the town fleshy red. [Jan 2017, p.78]

More about design than management, but this is still the best theme park sim we've had in decades. [Jan 2016, p.76]

Good, sometimes, great, adventuring, but 3 should try to move further from Zelda's duller tropes. [Jan 2016, p.75]

A list of technical issues really let down what could otherwise be an enjoyable, if simplistic, RPG. [Jan 2016, p.74]

Appropriately, this is a real Christmas jumper of a game: warm, cosy, and a teeny bit naff (in a good way). [Jan 2016, p.72]

It's an epic, flawed, weird, and endearing experience. [Jan 2016, p.68]

Gorgeous, but disjointed. Despite the bumps, Steep's winter thrills are well worth riding out. [Jan 2016, p.66]

A game design masterclass, but you'll need to Wii U version to make the most of its teachings. [Jan 2016, p.65]

Some conservative design can't spoil a thrilling experience that's close to a must for early VR adopters. [Jan 2016, p.64]

A hugely mixed bag. On one hand, it's fantastic that there's a developer so staunchly dedicated to making games that veer towards the artistic while still retaining mechanics we know and enjoy. On the other hand, this is a game full of design decisions that feel stuck in the past, made obsolete years ago. [Jan 2016, p.60]

The richly immersive ambience of this dinosaur planet might be worth the prohibitive cost of entry. [Christmas 2016, p.80]

It's wonderfully soothing. [Christmas 2016, p.80]

Some of the decisions you're forced to make are genuinely difficult. [Christmas 2016, p.80]

A wonderfully warm and refreshing summer holiday. [Christmas 2016, p.78]

A wonderfully warm and refreshing summer holiday. [Christmas 2016, p.78]

Classy slealth mix of savage and slapstick, with just one duff level in an otherwise choice selection. [Christmas 2016, p.77]

A brighter, breezier sequel that rewards experimentation and improvisation. A very pleasant surprise. [Christmas 2016, p.74]

The original version with graphics mods installed still looks better, so it's not worth the upgrade. [Christmas 2016, p.73]

Weightless, repetitive combat makes progress through this strange fan-service story a slog. [Christmas 2016, p.72]

Firaxis has made some significant, exciting changes, but has also obscured vital information. [Christmas 2016, p.70]

It feels like From Software phone this one in. As DLC for the Souls series goes, this is a disappointment. [Christmas 2016, p.69]

A pleasant, relaxing experience at first, but s the dept rises and the work piles up, the fun begins to slip. [Christmas 2016, p.68]

Ace online action combines with a truly rollicking campaign in one of the year's shootiest surprises. [Christmas 2016, p.66]

Space fails to energise this FPS juggernaut, as COD struggles to find its footing away from earth. [Christmas 2016, p.64]

Set in the past but still a defining modern day shooter. Smart and uproariously entertaining. [Christmas 2016, p.62]

A bloody clever sneak 'em up that empowers through player-driven choice. It feels a little safe, mind. [Christmas 2016, p.58]

Further proof that games and movies should just stay the hell away from each other. [Dec 2016, p.83]

One for virtual tourists only. [Dec 2016, p.83]

A deceptively deep game of wits. [Dec 2016, p.82]

With more fear than most games in its menu sequence alone, this is a masterclass in frights. [Dec 2016, p.81]

A goosebump-inducing step into the superhero's shoes - the perfect VR experience for batfans. [Dec 2016, p.80]

Scarily fast (and sometimes just scary) Thumper is rhythm gaming at its most uncompromising. [Dec 2016, p.79]

A fun yet ultimately shallow romp featuring a colourful cast of crazy characters. [Dec 2016, p.78]

A triumph of style, simulation, and originality that stays true to the culture of basketball. [Dec 2016, p.76]

This welcome latest return to the Wang Cave offers a delicious dose of explosive, old school action. [Dec 2016, p.74]

Charming, funny, and full of creative scope. A nice break from Minecraft, even if it is limited in comparison. [Dec 2016, p.72]

The series is certainly in safe hands, but we wish new developer The Coalition was a little bolder. [Dec 2016, p.70]

The Diamond Dallas Page of WWE games - a rich legacy and entertaining, but too flawed for stardom. [Dec 2016, p.69]

There's not a lot here, but it's still worth gearing up your Guardians for. [Dec 2016, p.68]

The inclusion of a story mode represents a move into fresh ground for the FIFA series. [Dec 2016, p.66]

A thoroughly enjoyable driving game let down by a number of frustrating shortcomings. [Dec 2016, p.65]

It's inherently limited by the handheld format, but this is a smart reinvention of a faltering series. [Dec 2016, p.64]

Fuelled by a semi-simulator brain and arcade heart, Horizon 3 is a very g'day indeed. [Dec 2016, p.62]

Amazing setting and stylish narrative let down by a dull and painfully repetitive open-world structure. [Dec 2016, p.59]

A fun puzzle game. [Nov 2016, p.83]

While it can't quite live up to its predecessor, GOF3 still offers plenty to enjoy. [Nov 2016, p.83]

Monster Hunter fans may just find enough to like. [Nov 2016, p.82]

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

Part RPG, part RTS, it sadly fails to nail both. An entertaining if mediocre medieval adventure. [Nov 2016, p.80]

A visually appealing world, but TTC fails to give any meaningful reason to want to spend time there. [Nov 2016, p.79]

An interactive story that blends dreamy police procedural with Lynchian nightmare to intriguing effect [Nov 2016, p.78]

No classic, but no mess either. [Nov 2016, p.76]

Delightfully demented but lacking knockout power. For good and bad, a sidescrolling, sin-stuffed brawler. [Nov 2016, p.75]

A remarkable visual experience paired with an average game that is sometimes less than fun to play. [Nov 2016, p.74]

Story is this game's greatest asset. It's just a shame you have to wade through boring puzzles to reach it. [Nov 2016, p.73]

Verdun ignores modern FPS design for better and worse - it's distinctive, but hard to recommend. [Nov 2016, p.72]

The best expansion WOW has seen in a decade, but it'll need consistent updates to stay relevant. [Nov 2016, p.70]

A solid but unremarkable fighting game that makes a dismal first impression. [Nov 2016, p.69]

By turns frustrating and utterly delightful - despite inconsistent design, the good does outweigh the bad. [Nov 2016, p.68]

A game full of ideas, but devoid of life. You're much better off sticking with the anime show. [Nov 2016, p.67]

Can't topple the original trilogy, but as a straight-up mystery game, Ace Attorney has never been better. [Nov 2016, p.66]

Some fine tweaks to on-pitch play aside, PES 2017 makes no great attempt to make up ground on FIFA. [Nov 2016, p.64]

A promising premise hampered by technical faults and outrageously poor pacing. [Nov 2016, p.60]

One of Telltale's weakest opening chapters yet. [Issue#179]

They're all poorly constructed scenarios in a middling management sim. [Oct 2006, p.81]

While it never gets frustratingly fiddly, you'll also rarely be seriously taxed. Despite all those colours, Hue lacks the vibrancy of the very best puzzle-platformers. [Oct 2006, p.81]

Feels like a solid greatest hits compilation with some decent new material thrown in for good measure. [Oct 2006, p.80]

High-wire hijinks in the spirit of the show. Who knew Omega Force had it in them? [Oct 2006, p.79]

The best local multiplayer game of 2016 so far - this is co-op chaos that anyone can enjoy. [Oct 2006, p.78]

It promised the elevate VR to a new level: instead, it's further weakened the case for early adoption. [Oct 2006, p.77]

A gorgeous adventure that improves the more time you invest. Take it slowly and explore. [Oct 2006, p.76]

A retrofuturistic adventure that promises comedy and action, and only ever falters on the latter. [Oct 2006, p.75]

An elegant action game with some fantastic abilities, let down by a lacklustre narrative. [Oct 2006, p.72]

Telltale delivers action and intrigue, but the Caped Crusader's greatest enemy is an uneven script. [Oct 2006, p.71]

Wonderful and full of charm, but it can't reach the heights of the first game. [Oct 2006, p.70]

Complex and rewarding, this is modern F1 on a disc. It makes F1 2015 look like a demo. [Oct 2006, p.69]

The best-feeling racing sim out there, but physics aside, it's lacking in most areas compared to its rivals. [Oct 2006, p.68]

Procedurally-generated infinity is a wondrous thing - but it's also strangely samey. [Oct 2006, p.64]