As an excuse to consume as many explosions as humanly possible, it’s an extremely wholesome affair. [Mar 2006, p.107]

If you've fallen out with the series, then this may be the best reason in years to return. [Issue#108, p.110]

A patchy but occasionally outstanding oddity. [Issue#110, p.132]

It's cliched, pretentious and even horribly self-indulgent at times, but Max Payne 2 is still an absolute joy to play. [Christmas 2003, p.114]

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]

By spreading itself more thinly, it loses some of the strategic depth which these more focused games provide. [Issue#106, p.121]

This is a purist RTS with old-school communists values, where there's power in numbers. [Issue#95, p.122]

Sadly, the adventure itself is far too linear; there's little in the way of side-quests, and you have no freedom over where you go or what you do. If you can overlook this, though, The Third Age does mix a neat battle system with a great franchise to provide a surprisingly enjoyable adventure. [Dec 2004, p.107]

This is indie done right; a title that makes the most of its limited resources to create something unique and engaging. [Issue#144, p.104]

Comes into its own in multiplayer. [Issue#108, p.113]

The constant wave of new ideas and alterations on the concept will keep you coming back for more. [Nov 2008, p.119]

The conversion is spot on, the graphics, sound and control are superb, and short bursts of the single-player are a joy. It's such a shame, then, that the multi-player is a let down. [Sept 2006, p.108]

A great mix of styles that almost works. [Issue#192, p.68]

It is no masterpiece, but Battlefield 4 is a good starting point for the genre moving into the next generation. And boy, is it pretty. [Issue#142, p.94]

One of the most interesting shooters of the year. [Issue#108, p.114]

Fun and frustrating solo, but a riot together. [Issue#192, p.71]

When we say that Red Dead is a great little game, the emphasis is as much on the 'little' as it is on the 'great'. [June 2004, p.102]

An invigorating shot of speed and carnage that tops that of the original, even if it does fall short of the mighty "Burnout." [Aug 2006, p.121]

While Underground tried to seamlessly mix its diversity, humour and gameplay, it was always obvious when you were being dragged away from the combo system at the heart of the series. Thankfully, THUG2 makes a much better fist of keeping classic Tony Hawk's gameplay at the heart of the tasks. Even when skating as Benjamin Franklin or a shrimp vendor, the focus remains on skateboarding. [Dec 2004, p.102]

Make no mistake, even though GP Legend can be a tough nut to crack, the consistency of the track design and handling means this high difficulty level invites rather than discourages another go. [June 2004, 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]

There's enough good will and thoughtful design to spur players through all 204 challenges therein. [Issue#144, p.108]

When it all comes together – and it often does – Unravel is an adorable game with a charming soundtrack and some gorgeous background environments. There’s still a sense of satisfaction each time you solve a puzzle and Yarny’s animations are enough to warm your heart. It’s just a shame that the game’s myriad frustrating moments ensure this warm heart is accompanied by heat under the collar.

With friends is by far the best way to enjoy the game. [Nov 2008, p.111]

Cheesy titillation aside, this is very possibly Tamsoft's best game. [Issue#163, p.108]

A challenging but repetitive tactical RPG. [Issue#192, p.72]

High Moon is really starting to find form and do the franchise justice. And despite the game's flaws, fans will surely find Fall Of Cybertron to be the best reflection of their beloved robots in disguise in many a year. Too bad they couldn't get Grimlock right, though.

If it weren't presented with such craft and imagination, Bastion would be just another XBLA also-ran. But that's not a criticism, not should it be. [Issue#113, p.98]

Watch Dogs 2 wastes its incredible, realistic world and believable characters by leaning on boring gunplay, basic cover-shooter mechanics and tonal-inconsistencies that upend every part of it. Watch Dogs 2 has the opposite problems to its predecessor then. Acts of aggression (in whatever form they may have taken) made sense for vigilante Aiden Pierce, his mission thrived on it; and oh god now Watch Dogs 2 is making us defend and justify the existence of the blandest protagonist in videogames. But that’s Watch Dogs 2, a game that will make you question everything you thought you knew about open world game design, because clearly something needs to change.

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]

There's a good fighting game here, one that'll support drunken post-pub scraps as well as tournament play, but Injustice: Gods Among Us doesn't quite match up to its stellar NetherRealm predecessor. [Issue#135, p.104]

Gearbox should be applauded for taking the first-person genre in a bold new direction, but during the bulk of the game, players must be willing to sit back and let the developer tell the story. [Apr 2005, p.104]

Nothing if not affable. This is highly polished, confident and competent stuff. It may not be as expansive as recent iterations, but Traveller’s Tales does not make bad videogames, and this is absolutely no exception.

While games like Jack Keane keep surfacing, the point-and-click genre will continue to defy those that have long since written it off. [Apr 2008, p.123]

It's compelling. It's one of the most gripping short games we've had the pleasure of playing in recent months, it's seven-hour lifespan never outstaying its welcome or diffusing the innate tension or intrigue. [Issue#192, p.73]

Everything you need from a WipEout title is there in abundance. [Dec 2007, p.106]

We're already anticipating the next chapter in this fantastical fable. [Issue#142, p.112]

"Quotation Forthcoming"

The challenge concept gives Retro Game Challenge a sense of longevity and compulsion that's been missing from real-life compilations like Namco Museum, but is not without its own problems. [May 2009, p.116]

Tatsunoko is certainly its own beast, but compared to a genre highlight like Street Fighter IV it can't help but feel slightly throwaway. [Feb 2010, p.95]

For some, the act of simply throwing little computer people around will remain its most compelling feature. [Dec 2009, p.128]

The best game in the series. [Issue#142, p.115]

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

One of the game's greatest achievements is in how the heavily scripted action manages to escape the feeling of linearity that blighted MOH. Most probably due to the sheer intensity and urgent pacing of proceedings, it feels surprisingly fitting for players to be swept along at the mercy of the situation. [Christmas 2003, p.110]

A beautiful simulation of wilderness survival. [Issue#192, p.76]

Fans of the genre will appreciate the smart, varied nature of the concept, and the ethereal, abstract art style. [Issue#113, p.110]

There’s nothing here that would draw in gamers who can’t stand the genre, but if you do have a soft spot for mass slaughter, Dynasty Warriors 5 is as good a place to get your fix as any. [July 2005, p.116]

Adjectives are a big deal for this sequel; we were amazed how many actively altered the objects we were summoning. Living houses, broken TVs… bust out the dictionary and get creative. [Christmas 2010, p.107]

Even with some customisation offered in the realms of online, the whole package still feels like a selection of disparate parts with no real core holding it all together.

Though Vanguard is a solid enough title, it’s up to Sony’s marketing department to pull in subscribers and strike the right balance. [Apr 2007, p.122]

There's something infectious about Tropico 5's breezy attitude to tyranny and dictatorship. [Issue#156, p.118]

With a control scheme that can hamper the enjoyment, it creates an unfortunate barrier between the world and the player that's hard to overcome. [Issue#144, p.113]

The studio has instead crafted an accessible, if not necessarily deep, flight simulator that entertains but never exhilarates. [Apr 2009, p.104]

The five maps are great now, but they’ll grate if you’re playing them over and over again for weeks on end while waiting for new content. What’s here is undoubtedly clever and thoroughly entertaining, but it’s also limited and given Nintendo’s history with new IPs, be prepared for the possibility that its online community may have dwindled by the time the promised DLC makes up the fuller package envisioned.

You cannot earn standard boost with the button held down, so you are constantly having to battle with yourself to lift the finger off the trigger, constantly glancing down at the boost bar, and as a result, constantly snapping yourself out of that glorious Burnout zone. [May 2007, p.110]

There is something oddly reassuring about a game that keeps its horizons narrow to get the job done well... A fun, smart and refreshingly uncomplicated experience. [June 2006, p.112]

The main game strikes enough of a balance between accessibility and challenge that it'll likely keep you shooting away the hours without you noticing them pass. [Issue#113, p.114]

Imitating a swing with the analogue stick is still as satisfying as ever, and the balance between control and room for error is nigh-on perfect. However, it would have been nice to see a few more changes to keep the experience fresh. [Oct 2003, p.122]

Highly entertaining and, above all, fun. Despite being filled with all manner of videogame cliches, Metal Arms somehow feels refreshingly new and not at all like the cobbled together title that it so undoubtedly is. [Christmas 2003, p.103]

The combat is well-structured. [Issue#164, p.86]

For those who thought splitting monsters across two carts was a bit rude originally, this is surely the ultimate swindle. For anyone else, there's a healthy slice of monster hunting to be had. [Nov 2004, p.118]

Killzone: Shadow Fall is so full of influences, struggling to balance so many different ideas across the eight or so hours of single-player that it fails to settle cohesively. Even worse, nothing here feels particularly new. Killzone: Shadow Fall is an immensely enjoyable shooter but one busy distracting itself from being anything more.

We can’t remember the last time a standard RPG boss needed such an unforgivingly focused strategy. [Dec 2008, p.109]

The cut-scenes, in all their sincerity, still manage to be completely laughable. Yet it’s hard not to enjoy them despite the fact they’re not really doing the job intended. [Christmas 2008, p.97]

If you go into Abzû knowing what to expect, you won’t be disappointed. Few games have such capacity to draw the player in with beautiful artistic direction and subtle environmental storytelling alone.

It's indicative of Ubisoft's approach, so wary of the player discovering their own enjoyment, or missing key information, that it so fervently handholds through what should be its most spectacular moments. At times this reduces entire chapters to tediously long treks between cut-scenes, a lot of which feel like less than worthwhile narrative additions. It's an odd occurrence of a game giving and taking away in equal measure.

Destroy All Humans! 2's scope should win a few converts, while providing enough originality to sate the fans. [Dec 2006, p.131]

A Shadow's Tale can feel a little discouraging at first, but those who persevere will find that it eventually hits its stride, piling on one idea after another until it evolves into one of the cleverest puzzlers on Wii. [Christmas 2010, p.124]

Approachable gameplay, obstructionist systems. [Issue#192, p.81]

In relation to the more arcade-based titles available at the moment this game is the leader of the pack, as it manages to deliver everything that makes street racing enjoyable at a high standard, in one neat package. [June 2005, p.106]

The narrative conceit of Devil Survivor Overlocked is an interesting one. [Issue#142, p.122]

Improvements and additions over time – including the Raid-style events for catching legendary Pokémon, as teased in the original trailer – as well as ongoing tweaks to fundamental systems stand to improve Pokémon Go as a game, but the quality (and novelty) of the experience of playing, particularly as part of a group, is already there. Go could still one day be the legendary game its immense potential hints at.

Aside from making MotoGP 07 more accessible, Climax hasn’t really made too many other major alterations. [Sept 2007, p.110]

For a free title, there's plenty of fun to be had here. [Issue#156, p.126]

With the right people involved, this can turn a dull bus ride or airport lounge into an extremely good fun, and crucially, a very personal gaming session. [Aug 2008, p.112]

It’s cute, and a bit silly, and extremely easy to play and enjoy. It’s a relatively new sort of videogame, and one whose premise doesn’t have much to do with hours of play or complexity. [Nov 2005, p.122]

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.

It does a superb job of replicating the sensation of playing your memory of a decade-old shooter, even if it does so by basically being a decade-old shooter. [Christmas 2010, p.126]

Upgrades and changes make it a worthy upgrade over last year's, but while it might be an easy race for Milestone to win it still needs to put a little extra work in the garage to turn the series into a must-buy. [Issue#150, p.126]

Fast, intense, but flawed. [Issue#192, p.82]

With an undeniable charm, simple toolset and a decent lifespan, Create is worth checking out if you're looking for an inventive, harmless bit of puzzling fun. [Issue#104, p.120]

There’s a beauty on the game’s surface, but it doesn’t let you get deep enough for its payoff to truly strike home. Transistor is a game conscientious gamers will want to love. It’s clearly a work of true vision and artistic intent, backed up with skilfully constructed systems.

The combination of approaches offers gameplay that's initially engrossing. But a lack of emerging ideas and differing enemy types robs latter sections of that same excitement. [Issue#192, p.83]

An unforgettable few hours for gamers of a certain generation. [Oct 2009, p.122]

Dragon Quest VIII is a pretty lengthy game, with the total playtime for the main story racking up to around 40 hours. However, despite the somewhat basic battle system, the game keeps itself fresh by letting us explore dungeons, grab loot and givingour characters costumes, it never feels like it’s been padded out like so many other JRPGs...Dragon Quest VIII is just a joy to be in, with the world being the main reason you come, evil wizards and looming destruction be damned.

A bargain-priced challenge with complexity and depth almost beyond compare. [Issue#104, p.122]

Consider this a neat twist on the formula, which will force you to play this old favourite in some unexpected ways. [Oct 2009, p.132]

Story aside, everything that’s in the game is very competent and enjoyable but it doesn’t quite go out of its way enough to push the envelope as far as the overall experience goes, when compared to where the genre is today. [Oct 2004, p.116]

This sequel has built upon Saints Row’s foundations no end and created an experience that stands alone despite the competition. [Christmas 2008, p.118]

A rare game in which you really need to take an interest in all of its components in order to progress with any of them. [May 2009, p.119]

A licensed game that lives up to its heritage, and a music game that holds its own against the seasoned pros. [Aug 2008, p.109]

This politically moribund playground plays host to many guilt-free, brainless hours of insanity. Just be prepared to put the ground work in. You've got to learn to walk before you can run on the wing of a biplane. [Apr 2010, p.110]

A strange and hauntingly beautiful adventure. [Issue#192, p.84]

The Wii remote offers probably the most pleasing way to play the game, but there’s very little that could be considered new or different here. [June 2007, p.120]

An accomplished update but overdue a proper sequel. [May 2008, p.124]

What it lacks in exactness it more than makes up for in whimsy and, indeed, the decision to focus on Kinect more as an aid to deepen an immersive, tactile experience than to promote competition with friends is commendable. [Issue#104, p.116]

This dripfeeding of improvements is starting to frustrate. [Dec 2008, p.106]

An engrossing dabble into otherworldly forces. [July 2018, p.72]