The problem is that for those same fans that have been shouting about Pullblox since day one, there's painfully little to get excited about. [Sept 2014, p.80]

Bold and beautiful but also irritatingly broken, it's a disappointingly flawed experience. [Sept 2014, p.79]

Despite its solid foundations, a lack of variety and a dull visual palette dilute this shooter's aim. [Sept 2014, p.78]

One of the outgoing generation's best racers and the kind of game that makes you wish for a new-gen port. [Sept 2014, p.76]

Beautiful and creepy, but some missed potential means it's short and not quite as sweet as it could have been. [Sept 2014, p.75]

Though it can pack a punch, this lacks the finesse to tell the subversive war story it's aiming for. [Sept 2014, p.74]

Never syrupy, sensationalized, or cliched, but dulled by puzzles that veer between easy and illogical. [Sept 2014, p.72]

Despite jarring control issues there's still much to admire here in the tone and beautiful locations. [Sept 2014, p.71]

It doesn't embrace new-gen the way you'd hope, but remains an involving and content-rich sim. [Sept 2014, p.70]

A reserved attempt that's largely entertaining, but struggles to keep you coming back for more. [Sept 2014, p.68]

Takes the tried and tested genre formula and runs with it into new territories. [Sept 2014, p.64]

An exceedingly charming package. [Aug 2014, p.79]

This'll feel right at home when it reaches PS4 later this year. [Aug 2014, p.79]

'Amazing' really is such a strong term. How about the fairly acceptable arachnid, instead? [Aug 2014, p.79]

Take heed: this is one tough blighter. [Aug 2014, p.79]

The shame here isn't that this is a a bad beat-'em-up. It's that it's a good one saddled with so much nonsense and tedium that you're unlikely to care. [Aug 2014, p.78]

A game for self-reflection and the melancholy. [Aug 2014, p.78]

It also has some of the dullest combat you ever did see. [Aug 2014, p.78]

The cliffhanger ending leaves far too many questions to be satisfying. [Aug 2014, p.78]

Soap opera fans should get involved, but this is frustratingly narrow for everyone else. [Aug 2014, p.77]

A charming and challenging mobile roguelike, with plenty of depth to justify the cost of admission. [Aug 2014, p.76]

The additions and balance tweaks make this the definitive version of an already great fighter. [Aug 2014, p.74]

Bewitchingly beautiful with sharp writing, but its gameplay doesn't take the same steps forward. [Aug 2014, p.72]

A clever time-travelling action game that makes most platformers feel shallow by comparison. [Aug 2014, p.71]

Light-hearted parody belies a deep simulation. Familiarity aside, oppressing the masses is rarely such fun. [Aug 2014, p.65]

You'll need a sackful of Sony toys to get the most from it, but this delivers hours of ridiculous enjoyment. [Aug 2014, p.64]

Frustrating and unrewarding crime solving surrounded by inconsistent gameplay systems. [Aug 2014, p.62]

Forget speculation about textures and frame rates - this is a winning new -gen proposition. [Aug 2014, p.56]

Big and ballsy but with the brains and some brilliant writing to back it up. [Aug 2014, p.66]

An apoplexy-inducing camera, that shifts between perspectives at every turn, ensures that just getting about the place is a chore. [July 2014, p.79]

You'll finish Ranko in about an hour. [July 2014, p.79]

We've seen worse, but this is still a disgraceful payment system. [July 2014, p.79]

The cynic in us says it's more like an advert for the Virtual Console than a full game, but the veteran gamer in us can't help but rejoice at the happy memories it conjures up. [July 2014, p.79]

Those guns feel rigid and lacking in power. [July 2014, p.78]

Mindlessly distracting. [July 2014, p.78]

Unfortunately, a dull story stains the otherwise shiny chrome. [July 2014, p.78]

This is a shining example of what the amazing new technology that so many of us have tucked away in our pockets is truly capable of. [July 2014, p.78]

A loving uppercut aimed squarely at the jaw of manga nuts - but it might leave fighting fans frustrated. [July 2014, p.77]

With lofty ideas way above its station, this schlocky action-RPG is a well-meaning mess. [July 2014, p.76]

The standard of golf is terrific, but more tournaments in the single-player game would be welcome. [July 2014, p.74]

The best Final Fantasy game in years and the finest MMO you can currently play on a console. [July 2014, p.72]

The ability to cross-save makes this a worthwhile addition, but the control and interface need serious work. [July 2014, p.71]

Getting through it might be a breeze, but it's what Kirby has you doing that inflates the game's excellence. [July 2014, p.70]

A gorgeous game that keeps its secrets close to its chest but is rewarding for those prepared to persist. [July 2014, p.69]

Horror with randomly-generated elements is well worth exploring, but this relies on many stale genre cliches. [July 2014, p.68]

FMX, local multiplayer and quads miss the sweet spot, but everything else is very special. [July 2014, p.66]

Definitely funny, just not quite for long enough to sustain you, and the surrounding game is uneven. [July 2014, p.65]

The perfect complement to this summer's antics, and the finest footy effort on last-gen machines. [July 2014, p.64]

A beautiful and heartfelt testament to the JRPG formula, even if it misses a few key beats. [July 2014, p.62]

This is Nintendo serving up unprecedented helpings of joy as only it can. [July 2014, p.57]

Navigating the environment is both refreshingly unguided and frustratingly obtuse. [June 2014, p.79]

Repetition is the order of the day. [June 2014, p.79]

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

A guilty pleasure for many. [June 2014, p.79]

The gameplay is compelling enough to make you actually want to improve upon your technique. [June 2014, p.78]

Thanks to its cel-shaded style, the first half of this classic JRPG has aged exceptionally well. [June 2014, p.78]

There's a simple, if somewhat dull, pleasure here - like settling into an easy chair on a Sunday afternoon. [June 2014, p.78]

Unfortunately there's a lot of fiddly menus that don't always make things easy. [June 2014, p.78]

Rivals is responsive, accurate, deep, reliable and well integrated. It just needs the space. [June 2014, p.76]

Highly addictive, carefully crafted, and insane in all the right ways. Another slice of indie excellence. [June 2014, p.75]

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

With bags of depth to tap into, this deserves to be recognised as one of the genre's finest. [June 2014, p.72]

If anything, Lego The Hobbit will improve your opinion of the films. [June 2014, p.71]

Engaging gameplay, and a fine way of tying up one of the most brilliantly crafted narratives around. [June 2014, p.70]

The game's biggest issues are technical. [June 2014, p.69]

Beautiful and ruthlessly addictive. Be prepared to lose your time. And the feeling in your fingers. [June 2014, p.68]

Rebalanced systems, increased level caps and a new class make this worth one last crusade. [June 2014, p.66]

Great at telling stories, with a gargantuan world to feast upon, but its MMO failings let it down. [June 2014, p.60]

This is not "funny bad," it's just plain abysmal. [May 2014, p.79]

The secret lies in its ability to ask more from you. [May 2014, p.79]

Proves itself a sturdy Vita game in its own right, with appeal that extends beyond just its genre. [May 2014, p.79]

The dialogue is a tad dry. [May 2014, p.79]

A neat risk/reward system. [May 2014, p.78]

It's passable, if lightweight, stuff. [May 2014, p.78]

A number of the scenes lack any real zest. [May 2014, p.78]

However bad it gets it's never an enraging experience. [May 2014, p.78]

Funny writing and a genuine affection for both heroes pushes this far beyond a mere whodunit. [May 2014, p.77]

It's an unforgivably sloppy game. But even if it wasn't broken, it would still be fairly rubbish. [May 2014, p.76]

A very safe sequel powered up with a likeable protagonist, fun combat and cool traversal. [May 2014, p.74]

A spectacular and superbly crafted, if traditional, shooter. [May 2014, p.71]

A fantastic way to extend an already brilliant narrative, and made with a hugely engaging structure. [May 2014, p.69]

Like homemade fertiliser, it does the job, but not like the proper stuff. Also, it whiffs a bit. [May 2014, p.67]

Solidly made and good fun, but lacks the killer creativity that overflowed from the SNES original. [May 2014, p.66]

Shameless, hilarious and surprisingly complex - an essential purchase for RPG and show fans. [May 2014, p.64]

An intricately designed open-world adventure, but one that offers too little for its asking price. [May 2014, p.60]

Astounding in its scale, Dark Souls II is a landmark slice of gaming brilliance to savour. [May 2014, p.55]

The feeling that the game is using its source material to mask less-than-refined mechanics is inescapable. [Apr 2014, p.79]

Not as intelligently conceived as Zero Escape, but every bit as riveting. [Apr 2014, p.79]

Hardly the ointment Ninty needs to soothe its Wii U woes. [Apr 2014, p.79]

Oddly comforting. [Apr 2014, p.78]

It's ultimately let down by a wheezing framerate and the inability to play within 20 metres of a fellow human being. [Apr 2014, p.78]

The interesting cast and subtle writing (with plenty of subtle plot points to uncover) paper over the cracks. [Apr 2014, p.78]

Dragon Ball Z deserves more than this. [Apr 2014, p.78]

There's precious little substance. [Apr 2014, p.78]

A peculiar, thrilling and essential addition to your PC games collection. Best played with friends/enemies. [Apr 2014, p.76]

Stunted, bitty world design and cut and paste quests drain the colour from one of gaming's most vivid worlds. [Apr 2014, p.75]

Strider's pacy combat cuts deep and its challenge escalates at a consistently rewarding rate. [Apr 2014, p.74]

A hefty slurp of bloodied bombast, tainted by a sorely misguided attempt to please everyone. [Apr 2014, p.71]