Toca 2 lacks the ambition and verve found elsewhere in the genre... Uneventful jaunts down the middle of the road just don't excite us anymore. [May 2004, p.102]

Friends of Mineral Town is an absorbingly deep and enjoyable game, even if it does turn out to be little more than a 2D remake of the PlayStation's "Harvest Moon: Back To Nature." [Mar 2004, p.112]

Players now react quicker and more like their real-life counterparts when handling the first touch of the ball. And first touches are generally smoother now, with players being able to flick on, trap or kick straight away on receipt. In practice, however, it’s not such a massive advancement and the player movement and control is still fairly sluggish. [Nov 2004, p.121]

As far as free-to-play goes, this is deeper than most and will become quite the time sink if you have the patience to master it. [Issue#167, p.82]

There’s plenty to do, but you can’t rid yourself of the feeling that there has never been a release in this franchise more dedicated to a certain kind of player. If you’re part of that crowd, rest assured that you’re going to wholly entertained. Everyone else might want to think twice.

It’s unabashedly repetitive, cartoony and not as pretty as many would like, but it’s still the most beautiful journey yet. [Mar 2006, p.96]

It's far from perfect, but Marvel fans have been served well, and those who like their Gauntlet served with extra statistics will have a game they can place just behind the last Dark Alliance. [Dec 2004, p.109]

If you’ve never played a God Of War game before, this is arguably the perfect place to start.

Addictive and frustrating, cute and challenging, lovable one moment and the very embodiment of hate the next. [Issue#111, p.110]

Another gem of an XBLA release then. [Issue#99, p.110]

It sounds promising but, to be honest, there really isn’t anything here that we haven’t seen a hundred times before, and for that reason alone it’s very difficult to get excited about Codename: Panzers. [Sept 2004, p.117]

Our dissatisfaction comes in the finding that the Princes adventurous new gameplay elements simply don’t play to his strengths, resulting in an experience that often wavers between intense highs and irritating lows. [Jan 2009, p.94]

Unwritten Tales 2 comes up unfavourably when compared to the classic games it tries to emulate, contemporary titles that have tried to do a similar thing, à la Broken Sword 5, and games that have tried to modernise the genre such as The Walking Dead. In that context, it would perhaps have been better if those ‘unwritten tales’ remained as such.

Though the platforming doesn't push any boundaries and the game is rather short, it will put a smile on your face. [Feb 2005, p.102]

With so much going on, getting any enjoyment out of the multiplayer modes is far too much work and the simple, fun aspect found in titles like Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour and Mario Kart: Double Dash!! has been replaced by, well, clutter. [Jan 2005, p.112]

Despite its pretty environments and swollen production value, Garden Warfare 2 feels a lot like its smartphone cousins, less a videogame, in the noble sense, and more a tar pit, swallowing down your time and providing little in return but useless virtual tat.

One of the most rewarding experiences on the PS4. [Issue#168, p.97]

Bloody, brutal, sexy, and immersive - eventually. [July 2008, p.106]

It may lack an ambitious single-player campaign but this value for money proposition serves to highlight that sometimes less really can be more. [Sept 2014, p.98]

It ingeniously updates all the problems with the original without destroying the core concept. [Dec 2008, p.109]

What it is, though, is a supremely well- made open world game with some great new ideas and a really intriguing sense of paranoia and technological fear.

It’s as if Michael Bay defected to Japan and made a videogame, and we mean that in the best way possible. [Dec 2007, p.118]

The game playfully prods at the ridiculousness that is superhero culture, but it does so in a respectful and knowing way. [Issue#142, p.106]

In main character Jimmy Hopkins’ quest to turn one of the worst schools in the US around, you’ll find Bully has a lot of heart. [Apr 2008, p.116]

There's no great depth or immersion to it as an experience. [Issue#158, p.109]

Whether you've somehow never played a Pokémon game, you've only recently dived in or you've been around since the start, the vast world of Unova welcomes you equally.

A brave sequel that tries a little too hard... Its lack of accessibility will annoy "Rainbow Six 3" die-hards, while the new direction will leave fans of the original feeling rather cold. [Christmas 2004, p.102]

It's happy faces all round when Tekken goes on. It's fast, accessible, varied and incredibly pretty. [Dec 2009, p.127]

Overall, you're getting two full games here, both involving and complex - if not a little dated - and well worth your money. [May 2009, p.104]

It may sound like the weight of the game’s criticism lies too heavily on its story, but that’s where Obsidian has decided to focus its efforts. It doesn’t do anything to ultimately spoil what is a great classic-style RPG, and should be considered if you enjoyed Pillars Of Eternity but wouldn’t consider classic RPGs your typical sort of gaming experience.

Heartily recommended to anyone yet to spend time in Puma's company. [Sept 2006, p.114]

A deep, rewarding and addictive experience. [Issue#181, p.81]

Assassin's Creed Revelations, then, is a pick-and-mix of successes and failures. At its core, though, it's just as accomplished a game as Brotherhood before it. All that's required is to dig below the surface layer of frivolous pseudo-innovations to discover yet another classic Creed, and a top quality conclusion to an excellent story arc.

Great fun with friends. [Issue#105, p.80]

It's an outstanding start for a trilogy, and one that we can't wait to see to its end. [Issue#145, p.116]

Final Fantasy Tactics A2 takes all of the divisive elements of its predecessor and runs with them. [Sept 2008, p.119]

After more than a decade at the top of its field, this may well be the best golf game released this year, but it isn't appreciably better than 09 or even 08. [Aug 2009, p.131]

Osmos fits snugly into the Zen genre: the music is ambient, the visuals minimalist, and the risk/reward mechanic demands a measured approach. [Nov 2009, p.131]

While little has changed on the surface, it’s fair to say that Infinity 3.0 improves on both of the game’s core pillars without really wobbling either.

Even when the game begins to repeat itself, it never ceases to be fun. The initial wonderment may wear off slightly, but the engine is so solid and the gameplay mechanic is so enjoyable that SSX On Tour never drops below stellar status. [Dec 2005, p.102]

Early flaws give way to a masterpiece. The game's countless interweaving pathways will stand out as one of the year's most impressive design achievements, offering a mind-boggling array of routes while readjusting the world to the player's action. [Mar 2004, p.108]

It has a tight, well-written and well-acted script. [Issue#119, p.90]

Spider-Man 2 emerges as not only a movie licence that eschews the ‘fast-buck’ approach, but as an enjoyable game in its own right – which is chiefly a testament to just how compelling it is to have superpowers and a vast city in which to show them off. [Sept 2004, p.118]

With this same level of investigating, the original would have birthed a classic horror videogame not a cult title. [Apr 2008, p.102]

It's a meaty, gratifying dose of excess that refuses to pander to subtlety. [Issue#136, p.108]

The sheer amount of content on offer is certain to please fans, as well as those who want to smash bricks or solve rudimentary puzzles, and to experience whatever amount of crossover there is between them. Lego LOTR's authenticity is matched only by the amount of content on offer, and is a must for those who love the films or play regularly with younger gamers.

The addition of MotionPlus makes Wii Sports Resort more intuitive to play and adds lastability to gameplay. Controls aside, presentation and quantity of content has also been improved. [Sept 2009, p.108]

It won't ever be a classic, but Outlast does enough to be an important inclusion in your collection all the same. [Issue#140, p.113]

From Dust is hypnotic, captivating and, most importantly, fun. It's a sandbox that rewards creativity and playfulness as much as it punishes it and, while it suffers some irritating issues, it's a very welcome experience.

A brief, nostalgic, slick and endlessly stylish trip down the memory lanes of the NBA’s greats, but not quite the bona fide hoop dream. [May 2007, p.116]

There's a serious case to be made that Disgaea has never been better. [Issue#117, p.124]

An interactive experience unlike any other. [Issue#180, p.48]

Intriguing game held back by a faltering script. [Issue#172, p.92]

Truth be told, Phase Two boasts as much number-crunching minutiae as the most anal RTS romp; the difference here is that it exists beneath the surface...Implicit military knowledge and second-nature RTS instincts are not requisites here. [Sept 2005, p.112]

A fine curtain raiser as we await Persona 5. [Issue#176, p.82]

Having heard the energetic and emotional Japanese voice-over, the US equivalent is a huge letdown, being cheesy and devoid of any real emotion. This criticism aside, though, Baten Kaitos is a refreshing and sumptuous RPG. [Jan 2005, p.106]

Pretty much as good a console RTS as you're likely to play. [Issue#93, p.121]

If The Darkness III were to combine the best of the first and second games, we'd have ourselves a winner for the ages – as it stands, we have a game definitely worth a playthrough, but probably not worth tripping over yourself to slap down the cash for.

It's far less intricate than a regular squad-based game, yet it retains all the elements that make them fun - as opposed to a title like Brute Force, which had none of them. A fine display of IO's creative talent. [Oct 2003, p.116]

While the game mechanics are solid enough, the Street methods and ideals simply don't work when transferred basketball to American football. Gamebreakers are now far too effective, basically giving guaranteed points rather than the more balanced advantage of "NBA Street." [Feb 2004, p.117]

Unfortunately, though the multiplayer game is certainly better than the experience offered by playing alone, it has its own flaws that turn what could have been great fun into something lacklustre. Perhaps if Square Enix had tried something a bit more traditional rather than being blinded by Nintendo's claim that connectivity is the way forward, this wouldn't have been the case. [Mar 2004, p.102]

Nevertheless, Trials Fusion is every bit the Trials game you’ve come to expect and then some.

To experience it at its best requires an investment of time that some will be unwilling to commit but for those that are, there are months if not years of entertainment scattered throughout its star systems and the opportunity to make good on those childhood dreams of being a space cowboy.

With Sony so laser-focused on the multiplayer component since Ascension was announced, we were understandably worried that the single-player side of things may end up a rote retread of old ground. But we’ve never been so happy to be proven wrong, and from its gorgeous visual and evolved combat to its lavish presentation and tight pacing, this is arguably the best God Of War yet.

A plot slower than a walker. [Issue#183, p.81]

Exactly the same as every other instalment of the series but with a glossy next-gen finish. [Aug 2008, p.115]

A great game hampered by a new model.

Ultimate for fans, good for anyone else. [Issue#172, p.95]

Small, affordable, and utterly absorbing. [Oct 2008, p.121]

A genuinely feel-good example of what adventure games could be if only they'd think outside the box a little more. [Issue#167, p.97]

Super Time Force is a quirky mix of good, old-fashioned shooting fun, blended with more than a pinch of thinking power – but it proves to be a perfect combination.

Despite being a relatively original take on the RTS genre, this suffers from the same problems that have been around since Command & Conquer - eventually you'll just throw masses of troops at your opponent, hoping for the best. [Aug 2004, p.120]

It's a good-looking DS game as well, slick new presentation and more emphasis on cut-scenes and 3D visuals making this an obvious transitional title on the series' inevitable march towards the 3DS.

About as hardcore and old-fashioned an RPG as you're likely to play. [Issue#96, p.101]

For now at least, Skate remains very much this generation's go-to extreme sports franchise. [Issue#96, p.112]

That lack of consistency is sadly pervasive. [Issue#140, p.112]

Legend is the best Tomb Raider game that has yet been made. Despite the game’s few grating problems, that’s quite an accolade. [May 2006, p.102]

King Kong is perhaps a redefinition of the cinematic videogame – entirely based on peaks and troughs of excitement, and devoid of any sense of choice. Just like a movie, but interactive. [Christmas 2005, p.98]

Another thoughtfully crafted series of impressive setpieces.[Issue#144, p.109]

Navigation on the PS4 port might be slightly wonky, but you get used to it. This is a crazily thorough and thoughtful management sim; slick and surprising enough to recommend regardless of format.

In contrast to an industry dominated by the posturing of 70-hour epics, its geniality makes for a nice alternative afternoon of gaming. [Sept 2009, p.115]

Successful because it dares to be different, and actually thinks about how to make narrative, gameplay and setting play off each other. Which, for a game that no one expected much from when it was taken out back and shot, is quite something.

On the occasions when the game flows it's possible to produce some breathtaking football, but all too often the game slows to a crawl and it's extremely difficult to produce anything like a constructive passing move. [Nov 2005, p.116]

Intoxicating stuff. [Issue#138, p.102]

Easily the best basketball sim on the market. [Apr 2007, p.131]

Another unmissable release from Relic Entertainment. [Issue#137, p.110]

Feels like a game that mistakes activity for fun. [Issue#95, p.112]

It's just a bit of a shame about the occasional in authentic controls. [Issue#190, p.83]

The ten-minute skirmishes balance depth with accessibility in a manner perfectly adapted to the handheld, and it’s all wrapped up in a completely charming persona. [Jan 2009, p.105]

This is a satisfyingly realistic and detailed simulation, and if you have the motivation to get accustomed to its ruthlessly realistic controls it will last you a very long time. [July 2006, p.122]

This lack of angling variation feels like a missed opportunity. [Issue#144, p.116]

A fantastic finale marred by technical problems. [Issue#170, p.98]

Despite all of its faults, its lack of content and distressingly limited modding options, Gran Turismo Prologue 5 still feels a cut above the pack. [June 2008, p.112]

Just as unique and innovative as the original ever was, and now's the time to get involved. There's something special here, you just need to look underneath all the copies of Call Of Duty to find it.

All of the areas where the game truly excels are exactly what we expect from the series - and from Lionhead as a studio - while its great leaps forward mostly fall flat and upset the balance of the whole. [Christmas 2010, p.90]

A fantastic proof of concept... it's just not as engaging or game-changing as the other cinematic episodes Telltale has been putting out over the last three years. [Issue#157, p.122]

Captivating stories blend well with new gravity powers. [Issue#184, p.76]

As long as you’re prepared to die over and over again, then Richter Belmont’s restored adventure should be considered a rare PSP treat. [Mar 2008, p.130]