No game can match its mix of scale, direction and quality - and we don't know when one might. [Dec 2013, p.52]

There's love poured into every second of it, and the result's a game that's easily worthy of all the hype... Simply awesome. [June 2008, p.62]

Nintendo has, incredibly, made a gaming giant even grander. One of the all-time greats. [July 2010, p.84]

Staggering detail collides with unprecedented scale. The game doesn't stop giving. Essential. [Jan 2012, p.57]

The definitive version of what is quite possibly the greatest game ever made. It's worth reliving. [Feb 2015, p.58]

Despite its flaws it's a largely successful of marriage and plot and play, a towering achievement and one of the finest action games ever made. [July 2008, p.60]

A must for pool nuts. [July 2010, p.96]

If you haven't got an iPhone Sims game, get this one. [July 2010, p.96]

Brave, brutal, brilliant - the gold standard by which all future videogames should be judged. [Dec 2011, p.67]

A Mario classic - it's rare to find a game so consistently brilliant. A wondrous journey. [Christmas 2007, p.44]

The new benchmark for shooters across all platforms. [Christmas 2012, p.68]

Immersive environments, intense action and one of the most powerful stories ever told. [July 2010, p.73]

A daring break from the norm for Zelda, but a spectacular, boundary-smashing success. [Christmas 2011, p.76]

Up there with the finest Zelda games, Breath of the Wild is bold, liberating, and utterly astonishing. [Apr 2017, p.60]

Made of gimmicks but not gimmicky, funny but never throwaway, challenging but never irritating. It's magic. [June 2011, p.68]

The finest fighting game ever made. [June 2010, p.80]

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

A massive and engaging adventure that uses the Wii controller superbly. Amazing. [Christmas 2006, p.52]

An amazing achievement and every bit as intuitive and addictive as we'd hoped. [Dec 2008, p.62]

Arkham Asylum is a game with the power to utterly captivate you and can stand proudly alongside modern classics such as "Resident Evil 4", "Gears of War," and "BioShock"...Simply put, Batman: Arkham Asylum is a masterpiece. [Sept 2009, p.66]

Media Molecule have knocked it out of the park. Tearaway is the best game on Vita by far. [Jan 2014, p.72]

The best Dark Souls game to pick up right now, and a fitting finale for the series. [May 2016, p.58]

Make no mistake: this is the finest fighter ever made. A glorious reworking of a classic that leaves the pretenders to the console fighter crown picking up their teeth with shattered fingers. [Mar 2009, p.62]

Simply stunning... It's touching and near impossible to resist. Your heart will melt, your eyes will do little wheelies and your brain will send you yummy jolts of happiness as thanks. [JPN Import; July 2006, p.78] A compelling, beautiful game that's one of the most enjoyble adventures in years. [Feb 2007, p.70]

The best Fable yet and one of the greatest adventure games ever to hit 360. [Jan 2011, p.]

A spectacular, jaw-dropping send off for the faithful old GameCube. [Mar 2007, p.84]

A superb package that manages to add to the incredible "Snake Eater" experience. [Dec 2006, p.90]

Thrilling survival horror with brutal combat, rich characters and stunning environments. [Aug 2013, p.57]

A masterclass in co-op, level design, first-person shooting mechanics, and even scripting. [Christmas 2009, p.62]

The definitive edition of the world's greatest arcade racer. Switch has its second essential game. [June 2017, p.64]

Critics might wonder that if GoW2 turned out this good, imagine what it would have been like on PS3...yet in resisting the lure of all that next-gen horsepower Sony Santa Monica have instead crafted a sequel that somehow - amazingly - coaxes out every last drop of PS2 juice to create a fitting testament to the system. Astonishing. [Apr 2007, p.78]

The year's most exciting recreation of motorsport. Simply brilliant. [July 2008, p.72]

A personality-filled, stylish adventure with gripping mechanics that drill deep into your brain. [Apr 2017, p.66]

Different enough to warrant a replay. If you're new to the game this'll blow your mind. [Aug 2007, p.70]

The best Call of Duty yet - and possibly, the best shooter, too. Get enlisted. [Winter 2009, p.62]

Dishonored is one of the defining games of this generation... A dark, stirring and beautiful game. The new Master Assassin. [Dec 2012, p.63]

One of the finest action games of the year that improves on the original in every way. [Christmas 2008, p.56]

Like a huge toybox full of rotting flesh and ridiculous attention to detail. Just brilliant. [Oct 2006, p.72]

So good it's criminal. [Dec 2009, p.87]

An instant classic that refines, evolves, and redefines the ideas that came before. Strategy perfection. [March 2016, p.64]

The perfect storm of adventure, challenge and emotion. A lesson in what being a JRPG means. [Feb 2013, p.80]

Bigger. Ballsier. Bullet-ier. Borderlands 2 is the antidote to stuffy military shooters. [Nov 2012, p.64]

A criminally good game by any standard but on the DS it's practically unparalleled. [May 2009, p.58]

PS4's best exclusive, and an exhilarating new IP that spits at sequelitis. An instant open-world classic. [April 2017, p.74]

It is a great shooter, it is a great stealth game, and those parts come together to make it a great RPG. It's a once-in-a-generation kind of game, and the first game in a decade to do everything the original Deus Ex did, and to do almost all of it better. [Oct 2011, p.88]

One of the best racing games ever made. Gorgeous (even on a regular Xbox One), vast, and fun. [Nov 2017, p.64]

The high watermark by which the future of the genre shall be measured. [Dec 2012, p.88]

Simply the best multiplayer shooter to come along in years. Pure, joyous fun. [July 2016, p.74]

Kicking Dragon Age II in the crown jewels, then stoving its bonce in for good measure, it's one of the best adventures we've ever undertaken. [Aug 2011, p.84]

A fantastic excuse to jump back into a truly great game. [Dec 2012, p.92]

A refinement of a fantastic game that loves cars as much as we do. The king of sim racers. [Christmas 2011, p.66]

It's gaming popcorn and gaming porn rolled into one oh-so-decadent whole. [Jan 2011, p.69]

Extraordinary in sheer scope, breadth and execution. [Jan 2011, p.72]

It's a game that should be seen from start to finish, if only to witness some of the finest level and puzzle concoctions ever to grace a Zelda game and, without question, the finest single-player experience to grace the DS. [JPN Import; Sept 2007, p.68] Hourglass drips quality and innovation, no DS owner should be without it. [Dec 2007, p.62]

The years have been kind to arguably the best PS2 games. [Mar 2010, p.76]

It retains the series' hallmark action but literally turns things on its head by dropping in dynamic landscapes that twist and turn as you fight. [May 2010, p.70]

The infinite cosmos is captured in an infinitely inventive game that effortlessly blends genres. [Sept 2016, p.66]

"Quotation Forthcoming"

We thought that this rally series couldn't get better. We were wrong: DiRT 3 is the best yet.

The greatest parts of the previous Mario Karts, crushed into a cartridge the size of DK's brain. [Jan 2012, p.78]

It's a once-in a-generation kind of game, and the first game in a decade to do everything the original Deus Ex did, and to do almost all of it better.

Still the ultimate test of skill, now with better levels, supreme multiplayer and a game editor. [June 2012, p.86]

PC player? Go and get this now. [Apr 2009, p.73]

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

A kingly mixture of action and strategy - not only a top RTS but the PC game of the year. [Christmas 2006, p.76]

Gorgeous port of a PS2 classic that's packed with new features, making it stronger than ever. [March 2013, p.82]

Not the glorious HD we'd hoped for, but we're always up for another play of this. [Dec 2011, p.96]

The mix of action and intrigue results in one of the most compelling games of the year. [Winter 2009, p.76]

Deep, funny, exciting, rewarding and immense. It's the best action adventure on 360. [Dec 2008, p.68]

A strong contender to be called the best fantasy RPG of all time. Absolutely essential. [July 2015, p.60]

Perhaps the most charming Mario ever made, and a game that never forgets the plumber's proud past...With hundreds of Power Moons to unlock and some kickass secrets to discover - including the coolest end-game East egg we've ever seen - only BOTW can match Odyssey as the most must-have package on Switch. Mario's star has rarely shone brighter. [Dec 2017, p.56]

More accessible but more comprehensive. 2009's greatest race simulator. [Dec 2009, p.66]

A re-imagining on an epic scale, and a strong contender for action game of the year. [Issue#231, p.74]

A re-imagining on an epic scale, and a strong contender for action game of the year. [Issue#231, p.74]

The freshest and most fearless FIFA in living memory. We can't wait to see what they do next. [Nov 2011, p.73]

We thought that this rally series couldn't get better. We were wrong: Dirt 3 is the best yet. [July 2011, p.80]

Quite simply a footy fans' dream come true. [Dec 2007, p.54]

With the fantastic "Team Fortress 2" supplying the multiplayer action, this is a formidable complilation. What more could you want? That box of chocolates? Would've been nice. [Dec 2007, p.60]

A must-buy for newcomers to the series and worth another go if you've played them before. [Nov 2009, p.78]

If this joyous and oh-so-touchable platformer can't save Vita, nothing can. [Dec 2012, p.84]

Almost achieves the impossible and fulfills the hype. Among the best shooters ever created. [Issue#231, p.82]

The best rally game money can buy and one of this year's best racers. [Dec 2007, p.83]

A remake oozing love and affection - hopefully the first of many LucasArts reduxes. [Sept 2009, p.74]

Where other street racing games have been re-branded, re-built or have fallen by the wayside, Midnight Club: Los Angeles has been polished up to be the pinnacle of the series, and one of the most exciting arcade racing games of 2008.

A sprawling ode to Nintendo and punching, this'll keep fans scrapping for years to come. [Feb 2015, p.66]

A superlative remake of one of the most important games ever made. [Dec 2012, p.89]

The best version of one of the best games of all time. [Aug 2011, p.72]

"Quotation Forthcoming"

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

The brutal pinnacle of that near-perfect RPG. [Dec 2012, p.90]

Big, brash, ballsy, bombastic, barmy and bloody. And of course, better than Black Ops. [Christmas 2011, p.55]

You've never played anything like it. A lesson in playfully creative game design. [August 2012, p.74]

Stunning online shooter packing a strong campaign and tech-demo quality visuals. [Christmas 2011, p.72]

Frankly, there's never been a better time to surrender to the frightening pleasures of a future in which you have the power to make a real difference. [Feb 2010]

A violent, giant triumph; shame about the performance and login fascism. [Jan 2009, p.79]

Fallout 3 is a masterpiece. Failing to add it to your games collection is simply not an option. [Christmas 2008, p.74]

Like arcadey racers? You'll like this. Not a petrol head? You'll still like this. [Dec 2013, p.76]

A brand-new breed of first-person shooter that absolutely everyone should try. [Jan 2009, p.61]