Some neat additions, but they're spread far too thin. [Issue#177, p.74]

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.

The whole thing smacks of laziness - of the 12 missions, we count a total of four completely new ones...the annoying thing is that Contracts is an enjoyable game; that IQ had the cheek to crib from its previous work almost doesn't matter when the result is still worth playing. [June 2004, p.98]

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]

The competition is just too strong for Soul Bubbles to ever really elevate itself beyond cute, cult status. A good puzzler then, but not a great one. [July 2008, p.122]

A Sonic game struggling for its own identity. [Nov 2007, p.108]

Highly recommended. [Issue#139, p.120]

A clever genre mix and essential VR experience. [Issue#204, p.84]

Despite the tremendous atmosphere and occasional chilling enemy, Origins never upsets and disturbs like Silent Hill 2. Its most obvious scares are left to cut-scenes. [Chrismas 2007, p.132]

As its own beast though, it's simply okay. [Issue#140, p.98]

All that needs to be known is this is a beautiful, affecting and emotionally challenging title that acts as a truly fine love letter and monument to a lost loved one. It will open eyes and it will help people with their very real grief, and because of that it is a success.

In the long wait for Digital Devil Saga we’ve been spoiled by some bar-raising and envelope-pushing efforts in the RPG genre, which make it seem rather tired and staid. [July 2006, p.136]

There are a couple of interface problems that mar this otherwise solid and entertaining DS title. [Aug 2007, p.117]

Here's hoping that when the Wii U picks up steam, The Wonderful 101 is still around. [Issue#139, p.94]

None of Mario Golf World Tour’s changes are revolutionary – ten years away has brought surprisingly few new ideas – but the core gameplay is as fun and attractive as ever, so if you’re looking for a golf game for the 3DS this will do just fine.

Our gripes about the game’s seemingly random cuts aside, we can’t deny this is the best party game available on the new consoles.

Playable, yes, but nothing new. [Issue#141, p.110]

It'll only disappoint if you're expecting something on PS3 scale. [Issue#139, p.109]

A fun reminder of how great the WarioWare series is. [Issue#204, p.73]

A storming opener. [Issue#122, p.102]

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

It's a non-offensive way to while away a few hours digging up the past, but the core gameplay doesn't hold a candle to the title it's so fondly remembering. [Nov 2005, p.108]

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]

A weak story saved by innovative puzzle design. [Issue#200, p.81]

Playstation VR's current MVP. [Issue#180, p.180]

If you go with the flow of how you’re supposed to play Republic Commando this can be good fun. It is, after all, a Star Wars game and, for this reason alone, a small proportion of gamers will enjoy it. But pleasing a small number of gamers hardly sounds like the policy of the kind of republic we’d like to live in. [March 2005, p.96]

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

It may sound strange but, where FIFA might be the better football game this year, there's an argument for PES being the better videogame. [Nov 2011, p.115]

As a classic RPG with some of the best writing and purest example of D&D mechanics in a videogame you really need to play this, but as a ‘remake’ this needs more work to be worthy of the same praise as its older brother.

Outside of its many and varied technical problems, State of Decay is still one of the most accomplished Xbox Live Arcade game to date. [Issue#137, p.121]

Not just the greatest Sonic game on the Wii, but also, arguably, of this generation. [Christmas 2010, p.100]

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]

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]

Ultimately, Intelligent Systems is giving Fire Emblem fans precisely what they want: more (much more) of the same. [JPN Import; May 2007, p.106]

For every area in which Max slips up the sheer magnitude of the technical achievement saves the day. Aside from slight grievances with accuracy and unseen foes, this is as faithful a port as you're likely to play on a handheld this year. [Feb 2004, p.108]

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

For a franchise usually so keen on reinventing itself, this plays it very safe. [Issue#107, p.116]

Infinity Ward has really struggled to push the Call of Duty formula forward in any meaningful or significant ways. [Issue#142, p.96]

After a rocky couple of years for rhythm-action, in which Guitar Hero came to an end and Rock Band 3 failed to repeat the retail success of its predecessors, it's fantastic to see Harmonix back on top with a game that reinvigorates the genre in new and interesting ways. But, more than that, it's just great to have an extremely playable reason to return to some old favourite songs.

Worms W.M.D captures all the things that make the series so much fun, especially in local multiplayer, and all those new bells and whistles certainly add a cute little twist, but you can’t help but feel that this really is the same game you played last year, and the year before that, and the year before that… Still, if you’re looking for a slice of classic multiplayer mayhem with a lick of current-gen paint, there are few better places to dust off that bazooka.

It’s a smart game that’s essential for anyone who thinks they can see through the mechanics of other episodic, choice-based games. We thought we could, and Life Is Strange slapped us in the face.

An enjoyable adventure, but it’s really starting to show signs of fatigue.

While it may be exactly the same as Mercury at heart, there’s enough extra content to make it interesting. [Nov 2006, p.124]

We've waited a while to see Tarsier strike out on its own and it's gratifying to see it succeed with a game as good as this. [Issue#187, p.70]

So is it enough for Grid 2 to just be a great racing game? For many of you, yes. But it’d be remiss of us to not to point out that the game doesn’t really push either Codemasters or the racing genre in any particularly new direction, and from such a talented developer that’s a shame. There’s plenty of content to get through and on a mechanical level it is the perfect blend of arcade and simulation, but we need a little more to make it a must-have racer.

Ironically, the only reason for pedants to be unhappy is the game's placement on the GBA. Unlike "Advance Wars'" ability to make your GameBoy feel like a custom-built machine, Rebelstar feels like a port. [Dec 2005, p.99]

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

A triumphant mix of masculinity and pastiche, an excitable exercise in action gaming that moves the genre forward into exciting new territory, by taking the sim side out of the equation and focusing on the most important thing: action. It's ridiculous in every sense of the word, from the controls to the combat, but it remains an undeniable thrill throughout.

Even a sadly lacking level of polish can't change the simple fact that busting - as you may have heard - makes us feel good. [July 2009, p.114]

There can be little disputing the quality on show here, although the underlying gimmick and universal approach mean that New Super Mario Bros. 2 can offer neither the mystery and experimentation of earlier games nor the challenge that new pretenders to the platforming crown lay so very, very thick.

It’s an original and fun game that will influence the scene, it just lacks the expected Garriott magic. [Chrismas 2007, p.130]

Capcom Vancouver has therefore given the Xbox One something that PS4 does not have right now: a strong triple-A exclusive. Dead Rising 3 dares you to dream about high the bar can be set for the open world game during this generation on a technical and creative level, even with its obvious flaws in mission design. Not bad for a launch title.

The core gameplay is somewhat lacking. ‘But it’s for kids,’ we hear you cry. Maybe so, but even kids - or those who are just young at heart - will no doubt want a challenge that lasts longer than it would take to watch the original trilogy. [May 2005, p.109]

A premiere stealth game, but it has lost some of that old charm that made its predecessors so appealing. [Apr 2007, p.129]

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]

MotionPlus adds a welcome layer of immersion, but it never does enough to completely mend the game's flaws. Matches are often frustrating, shots will still bounce past your player and the AI will sometimes second-guess you, placing you in a poor position to return a serve. [Sept 2009, p.126]

Throw some wonderfully realised boss battles into the mix of gentle exploration and high-speed escape and you have one of the most varied yet consistently polished platform games of the generation. [Nov 2008, p.110]

If you go with the flow of how you're supposed to play Republic Commando this can be good fun. It is, after all, a Star Wars game and, for this reason alone, a small proportion of gamers will enjoy it. But pleasing a small number of gamers hardly sounds like the policy of the kind of republic we'd like to live in. [March 2005, p.96]

A tough-to-watch vignette of familial love and loss. [Issue#203, p.80]

A game with much more emotional depth to it than you might expect. [Chrismas 2007, p.116]

Not quite as well-rounded overall as last year. [Issue#140, p.106]

The handful of boss fights in Dead Space 3 are particularly forgettable, while the narrative occasionally lacks the courage of its convictions and the end-game reveal is a little too ludicrous to take seriously. However, where the new concepts work, they add to the solid core and are enhanced by Visceral’s excellent pacing and its impeccable audio and visual design work, not to mention what remains the best HUD design in all of video games.

It's a very clever concept that makes for a poker-style of RTS, a real thinking man's strategy title, where getting inside the head of your opponent and planning several steps ahead of his game is much more important than straightforward land-grabbing and tank-busting. [Issue#100, p.130]

Fans of adventure games who don't find block-pushing and switch-flipping tiresome will enjoy a long-lasting challenge, as will fans of the original. Everyone else, however, should approach with caution. [Aug 2005, p.118]

If you enjoy looking beyond the familiar and putting a bit of time in, you’ll find that Galak-Z is a well-crafted game that stands apart from its inspirations.

Such free-thinking touches recall a more experimental age when you could rightfully expect every other DS game to be crammed with esoteric concepts. [Apr 2010, p.118]

Essentially, what we have here is a further improved and expanded version of Xbox 360’s Ridge Racer 6. And that in itself makes Ridge Racer 7 notable as a great sequel. [Jan 2007, p.109]

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.

Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture is a brave experiment, and one that’s paid off for The Chinese Room. If you’re a console-only gamer, it’ll be unlike anything you’ve ever played before – we say that with admiration.

Upsets the balance between fun and realism maintained by its immediate predecessor. [Aug 2008, p.108]

As it stands, this is a good example of how to do a DLC package.

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

Excellently constructed and just addictive enough to encourage players to make it through to the end. In multi-player especially, it’s consistently enjoyable and occasionally compelling, if a little old fashioned. [Aug 2006, p.132]

Shadow Wars could be criticised for not making any genuinely innovative steps forward in the strategy genre. But what it does do – integrating just about every conceivable feature of turn-based strategy into a single cohesive whole – is enough to make it one of the best handheld titles of its kind in years, and a surprising jewel in the 3DS launch line-up.

It manages to make the act of perseverance a relentlessly fun experience at all times. Yet for all its hardcore credentials, it also remains an instantly accessible racer as fun for non-gamers as it is for the elite. [July 2009, p.127]

When the game works, it's one of the finest party games on offer, but Nintendo's confusion in what it wants to achieve with the Wii U GamePad results in an erratic compilation short on hits

It’s a nice curio to have on the disk, we suppose, but any fans picking up Kingdom Hearts 1.5 will almost certainly be after a high-end version of the original rather than these frivolous extras. As Square Enix takes what will probably be a decade to release Kingdom Hearts III, this expensive-feeling re-release and a matching 2.5 for the sequel will be a more than adequate stopgap.

This is a true multiplayer experience, which despite its accessibility, demands commitment and communication to enjoy to its fullest. It's also a game, though, that deserves to be loved.

Fetch quests interrupted by relentless, contrived fight sequences may have worked once, but in the altered landscape of 2008 Yakuza 2 really feels like it should be offering more. [Nov 2008, p.123]

More Brain Training is far more than just a puzzle game and you’ll only understand that if you give it a go. [Aug 2007, p.124]

A gripping first episode. [Issue#157, p.123]

Left us wanting more. In a game crammed with workaday wise guys, that's probably the wisest move of all. [Issue#100, p.140]

Sega Rally is the most ambitious racing game in some time and a brilliant return to form for the series. Overlook it at your own risk. [Nov 2007, p.110]

This is EA’s take on NHL action as it’s always been, rejigged with improved animations and new moves so it’s inevitably the best version yet. [Nov 2004, p.119]

An intelligent and original gaming experience for those strong enough of stomach and mind to see it all the way through. [Dec 2005, p.108]

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]

If only Ubisoft Montreal had felt more confident in its wild gambit – if only it had gone further with the Stone Age concept – and we could have been looking at something special. Instead, we have a Far Cry game that feels fun in its familiarity, but is sadly lacking in many integral ways.

It's two games for the price of less than one. [Issue#99, p.117]

Too many fruits spoil the broth. [Issue#180, p.85]

Street Fighter V echoes the competitive mentality behind its enduring classic Super Street Fighter II Turbo – matches are about finding the right distance to be effective, using your normal moves well and knowing match-ups, rather than overwhelming your opponents with one-frame link combos and option selects.

When only a couple of challenges require you to break the million point barrier, only the weakest players will have trouble acing the game in hours. [Christmas 2005, p.107]

On a straight fighting level, SoulCalibur has never been better and although it might be a little anorexic for lone warriors, the multiplayer side offers more than any Soul title since the original Calibur made the Dreamcast a must-have. Which, in and of itself, provides irrefutable proof that Namco Bandai has given SoulCalibur a clearly defined genre once more. Welcome back, Stage Of History.

Atmospheric, technically strong and really rather enjoyable to play, Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood is every bit the sequel it needed to be. [Aug 2009, p.112]

Field Commander has chosen a good series to emulate, and it emulates it with panache. [Sept 2006, p.130]

It might not be the longest or most polished game you'll ever play, but for half the cost of a regular PC release, you'll be treated to more charm, ingenuity and bravery than most full-price releases can muster. [July 2009, p.128]

Ham-Ham Games delivers everything you could hope for from a GBA title. It’s not particularly big and it’s not especially clever, but it is good fun and that’s what matters. [Sept 2004, p.114]

You'll still be thrilled by this original, amusing and brilliantly playable horror game.

EA has turned it into a story about gain. Whereas the motive of violence was once to illustrate Michael's downward spiral, here it is merely a tool with which to boost your bank balance. [May 2006, p.118]