There is fun to be had in the classic setting, and the XCOM-like progression, but we found ourselves bored long before the end of our first campaign. [Jan 2016, p.81]

To see such frustrating limitations enforced upon what could have been a defiantly meaty JRPG world is a deal-breaking shame. [Jan 2016, p.81]

Ultimately, Thea's genre blend is a success, but basic, bare bones presentation and repetitious combat hold it back. [Jan 2016, p.80]

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

A sweeping, if imperfect, saga that takes a house of nobodies and makes you truly care. [Jan 2016, p.78]

A great idea that's thoroughly undone by leaden platforming and cut-and-paste puzzles. [Jan 2016, p.76]

Abysmal. [Jan 2016, p.71]

This isn't the best open-world game, but it's a blast. [Jan 2016, p.62]

Huge, varied, and endlessly fascinating. [Christmas 2015, p.81]

The greatest treasure on Pandora is right here. [Christmas 2015, p.81]

Confident, strident, beautiful and different. [Christmas 2015, p.80]

The series' all-time high point inside the ring - but still a year away from being the complete package. [Christmas 2015, p.79]

GH Live brings plenty of fresh ideas, but a few annoyances stop it short of achieving true greatness. [Christmas 2015, p.]

A brilliant Star Wars experience, but with limited life-span and little depth. [Christmas 2015, p.76]

Not the biggest expansion, but it enhances the best parts of an already magnificent MMO. [Christmas 2015, p.75]

Another gleefully entertaining RPG adventure for gaming's favourite brotherly pair. [Christmas 2015, p.74]

Lacks the pace and charm of its predecessor, but this awe-inspiring world begs to be explored. [Christmas 2015, p.72]

Lara's rebooted renaissance continues in this gorgeous action epic - despite a rubbish story. [Christmas 2015, p.70]

The racing simply isn't good enough. [Christmas 2015, p.69]

There's a quality game of tennis here - it's a shame there aren't enough game modes to support it. [Christmas 2015, p.68]

The campaign is a letdown, but Black Ops III offers so much you can ignore it and still have a blast. [Christmas 2015, p.66]

Beautiful Victorian London restores faith in the series - but the stealth is in serious need of an overhaul. [Christmas 2015, p.64]

Sometimes beautiful, a bit broken, and really quite brilliant in many places, forgiving fans will adore Fallout 4. [Christmas 2015, p.60]

A delirious Saturday-morning romp through the Decepticon forces. [Dec 2015, p.83]

A unique and satisfying bit of seafaring, with enough depth to rival the Atlantic. [Dec 2015, p.83]

It's a smart idea with fascinating concepts, executed in a way that never lets them breathe. [Dec 2015, p.82]

It's a revelatory approach. [Dec 2015, p.82]

An adventure for all ages, and another solid hit from Telltale - just don't expect Minecraft's freedom. [Dec 2015, p.81]

Charming, and with more to it than most Warriors, but not the Quest in show. [Dec 2015, p.80]

A world of grim opportunity - but you need to suffer before earning the glory of your own Alcatraz. [Dec 2015, p.79]

A disgrace. When double jumps aren't the worst part, something's gone terribly wrong. [Dec 2015, p.78]

The archetypal JRPG - you probably already know if you'll love it - but there's no denying its quality. [Dec 2015, p.77]

A masterful mash-up - but if you want to see everything on offer, it'll cost you an arm and a Lego. [Dec 2015, p.74]

An overly restrictive and often embarrassing career mode undermines the excellent gameplay. [Dec 2015, p.72]

What might've been an impressive title 10-15 years ago feels creaky and dull in a modern context. [Dec 2015, p.71]

A fast-paced test of nerve and skill, Penarium offers all the fun of the fair in single-or multiplayer. [Dec 2015, p.70]

Uneven but occasionally inspired, this multiplayer jaunt is ultimately a minor entry in the franchise. [Dec 2015, p.68]

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

Fundamentally this is an enjoyable new take on a truly classic game. [Nov 2015, p.81]

The writing shines through as some of the most genuinely compelling we've seen in a title this year. [Nov 2015, p.81]

Avoid the save states if you can - if your blood pressure can take it. [Nov 2015, p.80]

Throw your copy of Forza 5 in the bin - this new entry improves on the formula in every way. [Nov 2015, p.79]

The combat's great, but the world around it has flaws that you just can't ignore. [Nov 2015, p.78]

Though under-developed in places, PES 2016 is solid - but it makes no great strides forward. [Nov 2015, p.76]

Not a massive step forward, but EA's evergreen series remains well ahead of the competition. [Nov 2015, p.74]

A potent nostalgic mix, but despite improved combat, older fans will likely be left bored. [Nov 2015, p.73]

It's naturally limited in scope, but this breezy, likeable spin-off proves a surprisingly captivating diversion. [Nov 2015, p.72]

Slow to start with, but ultimately a rewardingly dark and unsettling exercise in conceptual horror. [Nov 2015, p.71]

Charming stuff once again from Media Molecule, but the PS4 version can't rekindle its handheld magic. [Nov 2015, p.70]

A spectacle to behold, but Mad Max's barren landscape is lacking the toys to stand up as a proper sandbox. [Nov 2015, p.68]

Brilliant: Bungie has finally delivered the era-defining shooter it promised a year ago. [Nov 2015, p.63]

The definitive entry in a hall of fame series, raising the bar for rhythm action games to an all-time high. [Dec 2015, p.73]

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

The only problem is the game's irksome freemium bent. [Oct 2015, p.81]

Awkward platforming that feels like being submerged in a sea of treacle. [Oct 2015, p.81]

It's disappointing to know Telltale's capable of distinctly better. [Oct 2015, p.80]

Long live the new king of point-and-click adventure games - we can't wait for the next four episodes. [Oct 2015, p.79]

An absolute disaster of a videogame, on every conceivable level - it's a taint on the Nintendo name. [Oct 2015, p.78]

A terrific, diverse collection of classics and curios, and an absolute steal at 20 quid. [Oct 2015, p.76]

The series continues to establish itself as one of the year's most surprising and excellent prospects. [Oct 2015, p.75]

Another exercise in elegant, flab-free game design from Mike Bithell - though lighter on the laughs. [Oct 2015, p.74]

Neat premise and graphics, but slow, repetitive gameplay lets an ingenious concept down. [Oct 2015, p.73]

A solid hack-and-slash that suffers from a mostly unexciting loot system and ordinary campaign. [Oct 2015, p.72]

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

A roguelike for the cerebral pilot. Those with viper-like reflexes shouldn't miss this step up for gaming AI. [Oct 2015, p.69]

A stuffy story hinders, but its party-whittling sci-fi conceit is too enticing to ignore. [Oct 2015, p.68]

More linear than you'd like, but this is a well-crafted and replayable horror experience. [Oct 2015, p.66]

Maybe not the finest Metal Gear, but certainly one of the finest games of this generation. [Oct 2015, p.60]

It's a fresh idea that eventually grows stale, because you must start anew every mission, without levels or items carried over. [Sept 2015, p.81]

There's certainly enough quantity and quality to justify the asking price for genre fans. [Sept 2015, p.81]

Rocket League's long game isn't quite so rosy, though. [Sept 2015, p.80]

The pace is finally picking up. [Sept 2015, p.79]

Grand scale makes this as fresh and as different a shooter as you could ask for. [Sept 2015, p.78]

The storyline is sufficiently gripping. [Sept 2015, p.76]

McIlroy's future is as promising on the virtual greens as on the real ones. [Sept 2015, p.74]

Strong on the track but lacking off it, F1 2015 isn't the series overhaul it needed to be. [Sept 2015, p.72]

If you can forgive its vicious streak, then this fast-paced and frantic crime caper will steal your heart. [Sept 2015, p.71]

Lack of polish and confused direction. [Sept 2015, p.70]

Shallow scraps and a painful pace suck the fun out of what should have been a grand monster mash. [Sept 2015, p.69]

Pure and punishing, under its cold exterior N++ bursts with seriously clever and creative challenges. [Sept 2015, p.68]

A solid tech upgrade for one of PS3's best action games, but Kratos' monotonous temper can grate. [Sept 2015, p.64]

This feels like Nintendo at its least innovative, a simple retread of a proven formula. [Summer 2015, p.81]

There's plenty here for graduates of the JRPG golden years to love. [Summer 2015, p.81]

While enjoyable enough on its own terms, Game of Thrones is starting to feel uncomfortably like a Telltale B-side. [Summer 2015, p.81]

Grand and inventive. [Summer 2015, p.78]

Tells a fantastic story in a unique manner. [Summer 2015, p.77]

What's meant to be the ultimate cruise from hell is exactly that - but for all the wrong reasons. [Summer 2015, p.76]

A welcoming avenue into a visually complex genre, with supreme production values. [Summer 2015, p.74]

The prehistoric charm dino-saurs this straight to success. [Summer 2015, p.73]

Structurally it's all very familiar, but the consistent laughs and divergent paths more than make up for that. [Summer 2015, p.72]

There are problems, but you'll have to see past the formidably adorable surface to spot them. [Summer 2015, p.70]

An interesting idea lacking the interaction or writing to make it anything other than a labour to get through. [Summer 2015, p.69]

Addictive mobile gaming done right. [Summer 2015, p.68]

A million different elements blended seamlessly into one brilliantly cohesive experience. [Summer 2015, p.64]

The sense of goodwill you'll take into this Ico-aping adventure peters out pretty much instantly. [Aug 2015, p.79]

There's little here to risk the paper cuts for. [Aug 2015, p.79]

Even the combat is ancient and frustrating. [Aug 2015, p.78]

Weak combat and pacing issues spoil an otherwise interesting game of competitive construction. [Aug 2015, p.77]