Along with being better suited to the PSP's capabilities than the previous Ys VI port, Seven also overhauls some major aspects of the series. [Issue#105, p.120]

Given the sports simulations that have decorated 360 so far, there’s an inescapable sense of yearning for what could have been. An evolution is no longer enough. [Dec 2006, p.110]

There's a reason you'll finish it in a day: because you won't be able to tear yourself away.

A Final Fantasy spin-off with real merit. [Mar 2009, p.126]

Probably the best console RTS that we’ve ever played in terms of flexibility and control, but it will still prove frustratingly slow and awkward to seasoned PC and Mac users. [Aug 2006, p.116]

There's a surprising amount of versatility to the characters. [Issue#143, p.117]

Dead Rising 2 is a sequel that tries so hard to appeal to fans of the original that the rest of the gaming world might not find the mass slaughter of zombies quite so appealing. We loved it from start to (stupid) finish, though the many reasons others might not are plain to see and completely understandable.

The title does offer features and functionality (for Xbox owners, at least) that can only otherwise be obtained through pricey PC software, and the fact that a console title can even approach this kind of professional software has left us particularly impressed. [Aug 2004, p.114]

It’s a frustrating reality, but one Ubisoft is already working diligently on a fix for. Like Siege, For Honor is in the beginning stages of becoming something truly unique and brilliant. If you’ve ever struggled to get into fighting games, are eager for a new multiplayer game to try your hand at, or are simply interested in what happens when Ubisoft diverts its resources out of populating open worlds with content and into an experience that thrives because of its nuanced design, then try For Honor – you won’t regret it.

A game with enough quality and playability to appeal beyond the boundaries of its subject matter. [Sept 2006, p.122]

it’s too wordy for its own good, and the clash of styles is sometimes jarring and somewhat nonsensical, but this blend of two classics maintains enough quality from each to be well worth investigating. a thoroughly enjoyable and engaging crossover.

Is it worth it? In a word, yes. [Christmas 2011, p.116]

The real problem is that success is actually down to luck, trial and error, and the whim of a cheating AI. [Issue#113, p.100]

Every now and then it just hits that level of cool we all want from a Driver game. [Issue#113, p.112]

Every bit the trials game you've come to expect and then some. [Issue#148, p.100]

Telltale has gained fans, and imbued Sam & Max Episode 2 with a greater depth of story, tougher puzzles and, most importantly, a funnier script. And although it re-uses some of the first episode’s models and locations, the overall experience is more satisfying. [Feb 2007, p.106]

It's a unique and interesting way of handling time travel in games too, and while XIII-2 might fall foul of all the usual time-hopping pitfalls (read: it's really rather stupid at times) it's hard to recall a sequel that makes such major changes to a great game and still manages to get things so right. If XIII was making a case for the quickest route from A to B being a straight line, XIII-2 instead argues that a time gate directly to your destination is both more practical and more interesting. We're inclined to agree.

The title does offer features and functionality (for Xbox owners, at least) that can only otherwise be obtained through pricey PC software, and the fact that a console title can even approach this kind of professional software has left us particularly impressed. [Aug 2004, p.114]

A brave game that deserves recognition. Gladius rises above its initial shortcomings and delivers a lengthy and enjoyable experience. [Dec 2003, p.112]

Stunning on the field, awful everywhere else. [Issue#205, p.76]

Like "The Club" earlier in the year, Mirror’s Edge needs to be played again and again if you’re to discover its true worth, and there are many who won’t play ball. [Christmas 2008, p.88]

It's certainly a solid addition to the franchise, just not as memorable as previous instalments. [Issue#107, p.113]

It may all sound a little base, but Black is a game that reminds you that, at your core, you love things that go bang loudly – it’s a good feeling to suddenly realise that you’re just like everyone else. [Mar 2006, p.104]

Its greatest asset is the expert level design, which provides a fair yet challenging difficulty curve and that rare one-more-go addictiveness. [Aug 2008, p.119]

Once you crest its steep learning curve, it becomes subtly addictive. [Issue#145, p.114]

For all its complexity, this is a game that remains virtually open-armed in its inviting accessibility.

Dramatic music, cut-scenes...it's all there. Odd, but strangely brilliant. [Apr 2007, p.131]

Prey is a masterpiece of design, but there are a few niggles that slightly mar the overall experience rather than the immediate game. It’s likely that you won’t even notice them until you’ve finished playing and are debating its merits with friends. [Aug 2006, p.106]

A relentless conveyor belt of cannon fodder ensures the carnage is kept at a suitably frantic rate, yet with every wave of cookie-cutter thrown to the mercy of your crosshair, repetition becomes an increasingly prevalent factor. [Mar 2004, p.116]

Sumo has realised that for all their outstanding visuals and exhilarating gameplay (which OutRun 2 has in spades), games also need to be fun, and we defy you not to have a huge grin on your face as you take your third corner in a row, or nail that perfect racing line. [Nov 2004, p.110]

The GBA does a great job of keeping up with the arcade version. Graphically it impresses, with tons of sprites and gunfire lighting up the screen (a bonus for non-SP owners) although the sound can be a little squelchy. [Jan 2005, p.100]

A unique take on a stealth experience. [Issue#194, p.75]

The excellent characters and simply beautiful looks throughout the many cut-scenes will do a fine job of impressing those looking to see what their PlayStation 3 is capable of, but despite these highs, it’s likely to be the lows that stand out. [Oct 2007, p.112]

There's a lot to like in BioWare's latest, but the sad truth is that even before the halfway point you'll have seen pretty much everything the game has to offer, several times over in many cases. [Issue#107, p.86]

The bones are here for a stunning adventure, but the imagination simply isn't. Our disappointment is palpable. [Sept 2009, p.116]

This slight variety might harm Greed Corp in the long run, but for now we'll happily sink another few hours into the dark side of capitalism. [Issue#95, p.111]

A delightful reshaping of the puzzle platformer. [Issue#204, p.76]

Unfortunately, the difference between what Crystal Dynamics wanted to do with Snowblind and the finished product is a crevasse that good intentions fall well short of bridging, leaving the game lying in a Wile E. Coyote-style could of dust at the bottom. [March 2005, p.110]

Too much show and tell, not enough to do. [Issue#168, p.100]

While Sphinx's adventures are rather average and play very similarly to "Starfox Adventures" and the Zelda games, the Mummy levels are a different matter - stealth and laughs abound in equal measures and there are some extremely clever puzzles that fully exploit the Mummy's undead status. [Mar 2004, p.119]

The game has made an incredibly successful transition into glorious 3D. This lavish graphical overhaul brings the quaint village of Forget-Me-Not and its quirky residents to life superbly and exudes a hypnotically tranquil ambience that epitomises the ideology of the series. [May 2004, p.120]

It may not deliver the same level of precision and polish exhibited in other titles in the genre, yet its imperfections seem to add to its charm. [Issue#199, p.83]

A solid and welcome return. [Issue#179, p.82]

It's rarely been so good to be bad. [Issue#184, p.80]

If muddy textures and a somewhat garish palette are the trade-off for involving track design and vehicular carnage, then it's a compromise we're happy to accept. [Dec 2009, p.102]

A short but uniquely brilliant strategy shooter. [Issue#175, p.70]

While Sphinx's adventures are rather average and play very similarly to "Starfox Adventures" and the Zelda games, the Mummy levels are a different matter - stealth and laughs abound in equal measures and there are some extremely clever puzzles that fully exploit the Mummy's undead status. [Mar 2004, p.119]

Gears Of War: Judgment comes across as an enjoyable stopgap in a series that seems unsure where it’s supposed to go next. This is more of the same with a few new features thrown in for good measure. But when the same equates to arguably the best cover-based shooter on the market, it’s hard to be too judgemental.

At its heart, HW2 is a console RTS that does what it needs to fit the broader appeal of the modern console generation. On PC its approach to game design will keep it off most GOTY lists, but on Xbox One its seamless gamepad control scheme and hefty selection modes make it a must for Halo devotees. Look past the shortcuts and you’ll find the best effort yet to light the real-time strategy fire on console.

Unnecessary additions are irritating. [Issue#196, p.88]

It's a game that just keeps giving, even as it tears your life from you. [Issue#136, p.110]

Despite sharing a name, Galaxies is a very different experience from Retro Evolved and in its own more considered way, it is every bit as appealing. [Jan 2008, p.118]

Easily the best Sonic title for a long time...there's something here for everyone, no matter which era of Sonic you prefer. [July 2004, p.118]

It has all the scope and style of a triple-A release but combined with the craftsmanship and pride that can only be found in the independent market. [Issue#149, p.126]

A gorgeous but sometimes galling nostalgia trip. [Issue#188, p.81]

As the greatest and most enjoyable recreation of the sport since the 16-bit era, NHL 06 deserves to sit alongside the likes of "Pro Evo" as a sporting highlight that any gamer can enjoy. [Nov 2005, p.111]

This is one of the few examples of real SEGA magic this generation. The classic 'Simon Says' gameplay has been only slightly tweaked... to give the game a better feeling of progression and variety. [July 2004, p.108]

Mechanically, this is a game that is worth your time investment. [Sept 2014, p.128]

A curious and original jaunt about the psyche whose quirkiness and atmosphere far overshadow its few faults and brevity. [Feb 2010, p.126]

An elegant and expressive new puzzle experience. [Issue#206, p.84]

It does as much as "Final Fantasy XII" to inspire hope that RPG developers are now beginning to look forward. In this instance, looking ahead results in a slightly more linear experience than some hardened role-playing game fans may appreciate. [Feb 2007, p.116]

An imaginative and engrossing game. If the least of its worries is that it allows too much player choice, then that’s really no worry at all. [Mar 2009, p.123]

There's just not enough to do besides the main tasks to justify stealing the GTA concept ... the distinct lack of content reduces the amount of enjoyment you'll get out of it. Better than you'd think, but still very basic. [Nov 2003, p.118]

A fine, yet lukewarm, RPG spinoff. [Issue#193, p.85]

Creatively empty and functionally adequate, so long as this series keeps on making money there'll never be a reason for it to be anything other than what it is... Thoroughly formulaic. [Issue#194, p.72]

Fun and frantic, but soon grows tiresome. [Issue#181, p.78]

Take away the costumes and the lasers and you've still got an excellent example of how to produce multiplayer bedlam. [Dec 2005, p.110]

The stuttering and freezing issues that have always plagued the console versions are entirely absent from the Steam game, and the game looks gorgeous at a crisp 1080p – its expressive faces and soft colours doing wonders to mask a presumably modest budget.

A significant break from the torrent of recent Xbox Live Arcade shovelware. [Aug 2008, p.113]

Classic golfing with a fun story, and few flaws. [Issue#194, p.83]

A tactically rich and rewarding space-merch-mech-sim. [Issue#201, p.86]

Alien Hominid is a joyful experience, an unashamedly simple game that makes you want to play until you can't feel your hands anymore... The perfect budget game. [Jan 2005, p.104]

So, is Detroit going to convert David Cage skeptics to Quantic Dream's way of thinking? Absolutely not. This is pure thematic pondering, melodramatic, challenging, gamified cinema-aping stuff, and that's why we like it. [Issue#201, p.74]

What you’re left with is a short slice of horror that’s got a few genuinely brilliant ideas up its bloody sleeve, but one that dulls the edges of its own experience with a lack of subtlety.

Every quality the game has ever displayed since its 2004 debut is matched or surpassed in this, the culmination of Nippon Ichi’s creative vision and talent and doubtless the best Disgaea yet. [Mar 2009, p.108]

A vast experience, and a refreshing lesson in substance over style. [Issue#107, p.120]

It's possible to sit through the game in one (admittedly long) sitting and this comes dangerously close to ruining the game. Fortunately, with five initial characters to play as and the typical Dark Alliance secrets, you'll still find yourself going back long after the main adventure is finished. [Feb 2004, p.100]

Despite blinding us with pretty visuals and spot-on gameplay, there was always a nagging feeling that Inferno couldn't keep it up for long. And we were right … there's nothing to stop you tearing through this in a couple of hours. [May 2004, p.114]

While Sphinx's adventures are rather average and play very similarly to "Starfox Adventures" and the Zelda games, the Mummy levels are a different matter - stealth and laughs abound in equal measures and there are some extremely clever puzzles that fully exploit the Mummy's undead status. [Mar 2004, p.119]

It may not be the most perfect RPG you’ll ever play, but some will doubtless find Lost Odyssey among the most emotionally affecting videogame experiences of their lives. [Apr 2008, p.112]

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]

What Woolly World instead offers is one of the most visually charming and inventive games you’ll see this generation: one that will put a smile on your face, if not sweat on your brow.

The one thing really missing from Overkill is a sense of impact to your shots – certain boss fights feel more like mouse-clicking something to death than riddling it with hot lead. [Mar 2009, p.100]

With nine mostly identical levels standing between each boss and each change in style, the game can become rather monotonous when it could so easily have soared, had it changed styles a little more frequently. [Apr 2009, p.118]

The game’s faults intermittently make themselves known but are easy to ignore in such an engrossing and skilfully directed game. [Oct 2008, p.117]

Five years on from what was arguably the series' peak there has been no substantial development and no willingness to reflect the ambition of its own title - something we cannot abide. [Dec 2009, p.105]

There’s a certain atmosphere to the hotel itself, augmented by the three-dimensional exploration and sketch-realistic characters, which creates a sense of actually existing in this mysterious building full of secrets to discover. [Mar 2007, p.118]

Prototype's huge setting and impressive characters-on-screen tally is testament to Radical's engine but it's incredible how hackneyed many of its missions and boss fights are. [Aug 2009, p.124]

Unfortunately, the difference between what Crystal Dynamics wanted to do with Snowblind and the finished product is a crevasse that good intentions fall well short of bridging, leaving the game lying in a Wile E. Coyote-style could of dust at the bottom. [March 2005, p.110]

The highest compliment that you can pay Creative Assembly’s uncompromising, nerve-plucking and lengthy entry in the Alien canon is that even without any prior knowledge of its source material, Alien: Isolation is superb.

Live & Reloaded is an odd package indeed. A great-looking port of a decent yet dated adventure isn't going to help Microsoft get a return on its $375 million acquisition. Luckily, the online multiplayer and its new content could write a different story. [Aug 2005, p.94]

Overcooked will enter your regular game night rotation for years to come – it’s up there with the likes of Rayman Legends and Super Mario 3D World. If you need a new game to play with three friends, this is the one.

Four-player superhero co-op is as fun as it sounds, but ultimately Alliance is a fanboy’s game and little else. [Apr 2007, p.131]

A very good rhythm-action game, and a confusing but compelling RPG. But, above all else, it is a nostalgic anniversary package that will be adored by Final Fantasy fans and sets a new benchmark for interactive celebrations.

That it does all this without feeling at all compromised in the name of accessibility is testament to its design. [Issue#139, p.117]

It's a wholly entertaining romp filled with non-stop nonsense and inspired moments that set it apart from almost every other Wii game. [Christmas 2009, p.120]

Wii has plenty of other titles that offer a few hours of undemanding fun. The abandoned potential of Road Trip is proof of what a wasteful approach that can be. [Christmas 2008, p.103]

Had Capcom pout a little more effort into overhauling the gameplay and graphics, while also preserving the magic of the original cast, Apollo Justice would have been more than just another sequel. [May 2008, p.116]