Despite its flaws, this is one of the year's true surprises, and an absolute bargain at the price.

It's a bare-bones package to say the very least, favouring glossy presentational devices to feed into that Christmas Day unboxing euphoria, while offering minimal gameplay value after the event.

Lushly presented, and with enough of that trademark Rare wit to keep you smiling, it's inoffensive enough fare before the real games arrive, but it's going nowhere Nintendo's not been already.

Kung Fu Rider remains virtually the same from the first moment until the last, and singularly fails to justify its frankly baffling price tag. [Issue#101, p.126]

Vanquish proves that there's still space for ridiculous dialogue, clichéd characters, amped-up power-suits and big guns alongside the Heavy Rains of the industry, as long as the intelligent gameplay structure is present too. And it is. Platinum Games knows how to craft a good videogame. It's as simple as that, and right now, the team is competing only with itself.

Vanquish proves that there's still space for ridiculous dialogue, clichéd characters, amped-up power-suits and big guns alongside the Heavy Rains of the industry, as long as the intelligent gameplay structure is present too. And it is. Platinum Games knows how to craft a good videogame. It's as simple as that, and right now, the team is competing only with itself.

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.

It's never unfair. [Issue#100, p.124]

More of the same in the best possible way.

If we had played Fallout 3 and New Vegas once each and were offered the chance to play one of them for a second time, after much deliberation we'd choose New Vegas. There can be no more telling indicator of a job well done.

PES returns with an edition that finally begins to set it back on the straight and narrow. But only begins to do so. [Issue#101, p.123]

An outstanding reinvention of a classic brand.

Just a good game, and an incredibly impressive XBLA effort - one that, unlike many triple-A, big budget titles, introduces something wholly new and ambitious to gaming. [Issue#101, p.109]

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.

Our review code froze four times during play, each occasion coming as a blessed relief, a welcome respite from the tedium. [Issue#101, p.111]

Blade Kitten saves itself from the lower reaches of the ten-point scale with some genuinely impressive level design. It's complex without being confusing, the tangled and involved areas seemingly offering multiple avenues but always pushing you along the correct route. [Issue#101, p.127]

Reach couldn't be expected to replicate the impact of Combat Evolved, but it's superior in just about every other way. Mission accomplished.

When a horror story is told and paced this well you really don't need the bloody edge of graphics technology to keep you pinned to the edge of your seat. [Issue#101, p.110]

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]

Sports Champions manages to stand up in its own right, proving a commendable showcase for Move's impressive level of on-screen gesture replication, and highlighting the strength of Sony's tech over Nintendo's Wii Remote, even with MotionPlus attached. [Issue#101, p.124]

It's refreshing to see Ubisoft applying such creativity and depth to what other developers would typically fashion as a mindless shooter. [Issue#101, p.120]

A modern action epic that feels like a classic.

A strange beast. [Issue#100, p.132]

The fun and invention at the heart of Ghost Pirates make it a marginal improvement over the equally likable A Vampyre Story. [Apr 2010, p.126]

A less enjoyable but more involving sequel.

A knowing tribute to the games of yesteryear and a worthy counterpart to both the film and comic. [Issue#101, p.112]

As a simple platformer, however, its interesting control scheme makes Ivy The Kiwi? a rather fun and unique game, just not a great one. [Issue#99, p.127]

There are no side missions, no conveniently placed ramps, and only a small handful of collectibles that work in harmony with the fiction. 2K Czech has invested serious time and effort into conjouring a peerless sense of time and place – we won't begrudge it for not encouraging players to shatter the illusion.

There are no side missions, no conveniently placed ramps, and only a small handful of collectibles that work in harmony with the fiction. 2K Czech has invested serious time and effort into conjouring a peerless sense of time and place – we won't begrudge it for not encouraging players to shatter the illusion.

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

It's the co-op multiplayer that really allows Guardian of Light to shine. [Issue#100, p.136]

Arguably succeeds more as a mood piece. [Issue#100, p.134]

It's a time-or-score attacker's dream. [Issue#100, p.142]

With only eight courses and a handful of ships per class, the real problem with Hurricane stems from the fact that you'll have seen everything the game has to offer in an afternoon. It's the gaming equivalent of having a bag of Haribo to yourself – it's colourful, enjoyable and great while it lasts, but before you know it there's nothing left, and you're left feeling a little bit empty inside.

Game Republic may throw a whole bestiary of mythological Greco-Roman creatures at the player, but when killing them feels so unremarkable, the end result feels like a lot of wasted effort. [Aug 2010, p.127]

Engrossing. [Issue#100, p.128]

Although it plods along at a steady pace with a passable story and solid combat, nothing about it feels particularly original, while visually it resembles a cancelled Tales game. [Issue#101, p.107]

It's a game of quiet beauty, scattered liberally with ingenious design.

Both wit and genre-expectation emerge almost unscathed. [Issue#99, p.112]

Dragon Quest IX, above all else, is a fascinating merger of age-old design and modern sensibilities.

Feels like a trip back to the last generation. [Issue#99, p.122]

The one thing gamers quite reasonably demand from a sequel is a sense of progress, and for the most part that's strangely absent. If Crackdown's mix of free-form structure, grinding and exploration was enough to pull you in, then Crackdown 2 will almost certainly do the same. But when all's said and done, you might be left ruminating over the same question as us: Is that it?

It's hard not to wonder just what exactly High Voltage Software is trying to prove. [Issue#99, p.114]

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

A more casual and accessible game than the more complex series to usually come out of Telltale. [Issue#99, p.123]

Trinity Universe's combat lacks the depth that Nippon Ichi and Gust have shown in the past. It too often feels repetitive, clunky, and lacking the strategy we've come to expect. [Aug 2010, p.124]

When all its cylinders are firing, APB can be quite fun, but that enjoyment is blunted by the fact that its action mechanics and driving are both so clunky. [Issue#99, p.108]

Singularity contains the sort of smart, fun gameplay ideas we assumed first-person shooters had given up on. [Issue#99, p.120]

Despite glaring issues with aliasing and shaders, Sniper is a technically adept game. [Issue#99, p.126]

Ninety-Nine Nights 2 is not a bad game; it's merely one whose appeal is limited to those blessed with saintly patience, an insatiable need to play every fantasy game, a penchant for mass genocide or some unlikely combination of the three. [Issue#101, p.106]

There are so many standout moments in Sin and Punishment 2 that it would be criminal to describe any more, as they're best experienced first-hand. [Issue#91, p.122]

Reprehensible on both qualitative and thematic levels, Naughty Bear is a downright disgraceful attempt at a game. [Issue#99, p.116]

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

Dedicated genre fans, meanwhile, will find that the concessions in the gameplay – pre-highlighted hot spots and rumble hints – are both insulting to their intelligence and at odds with the entire point of the adventure genre. [June 2008, p.123]

An experience that simply plays well. Well, but not excellent, that is. [Issue#99, p.118]

A very good game for children of all ages. [Issue#99, p.124]

The fact that we're willing to consider this a genuine canon entry into the series (as was Konami - the game was originally called Metal Gear Solid 5: Peace Walker, after all) is as sincere a compliment as can be afforded a handheld game. [July 2010, p.108]

There's enough challenge in their three chord-heavy songs to keep you amused for a good few hours, but the overall product just doesn't feel as much a revelation as that which Harmonix achieved with The Beatles. [Aug 2010, p.112]

The first-person mode is a nice addition, but will probably work much better on graphically superior, newly-motion-controlled hardware, where the horizon is clearly visible. [Aug 2010, p.114]

If you can't find at least one thing you love about this deceptively deep arcade game then you're probably not a gamer at all. [Aug 2010, p.118]

A triumph in its own right and, on a wider scale, a huge step forward for sports games. If NaturalMotion decides to work on a sequel, there's a great chance that all the niggles can be ironed out and a true competitor will emerge. [July 2010, p.122]

Alpha Protocol threatens absurdity only on rare occasions - generally its plot is well conceived and told, particularly when you factor in the multiple narrative strands that can be followed. [July 2010, p.112]

Blur's driving mechanics are excellent: markedly less realistic than PGR, but responsive and demanding in a way that games like Burnout and Split/Second don't have to be. [July 2010, p.106]

The Sway system changes everything. Risk versus reward, knock out or be knocked out. Superb. [July 2010, p.110]

The scale of LittleBigPlanet's achievement is more deserving of admiration, but ModNation Racers is so much easier to love. United Front Games should be delighted with the compromise.

In an age when the surviving champions of the genre seem intent on sticking to the template of manic vertical scrollers with ludicrously baroque game design, Soldner-X 2 offers a fairly satisfying alternative: a horizontal scroller with a classic flavour that doesn't feel out of date. [Aug 2010, p.115]

This isn't what you'd call a 'non-game', however. Art Style: Light Trax has a deep set of mechanics that challenge and reward in equal measure, and make its gameplay as satisfying as the presentation is beautiful.

No matter which side of the gaming coin you come from, this whole new universe of planets is the most inventive, exuberant and, yes, fun set of challenges and diversions yet seen in the platform game genre. It miraculously outclasses a game that many believed could not be bettered, and once again leaves us wondering just how close Nintendo's bar has come to reaching its theoretical peak.

Its simplicity is also its greatest strength. The combat is fluid and utterly engaging from the very first moment, leaving Remedy free to build atmosphere, drama and tension through the stunning game-world and its oddball inhabitants. Granted, by the end we were wishing for another dimension to the gameplay, but only in the interest of elevating the experience from very good to legitimate greatness.

While Rockstar San Diego may find some difficulty in filling its open expanses with interesting and emergent play, it does imbue it with a stark beauty and compelling narrative that makes Redemption more than just an allusion to cinema, but a piece of work that can confidently stand next to it. [Issue#96, p.94]

The fact that as much work's been done under the bonnet as on the gloss of the visuals is an impressive feat, and one that makes Split/Second one of the most highly-recommended alternative takes on the genre in years. [Issue#96, p.108]

The laboured cut-scenes could be replaced by a title card that simply says 'Whatever'. [July 2010, p.116]

The new gameplay types easily dispel the lack of variety that blighted previous games. [Aug 2010, p.116]

When Runner hits its stride, you'll end stages wanting to high-five the dev team and probably yourself as well. [Aug 2010, p.120]

Things On Wheels is too pedestrian to catch on in the demanding Live Marketplace, and too frustrating to be fun. [Feb 2009, p.121]

Updates are tricky; they need to be handled with the utmost love and dedication. We're not suggesting Rocket Knight hasn't been, but whatever made its ancestor appealing isn't as appreciable here. [July 2010, p.118]

If we're being brutally honest, Lost Planet 2 doesn't really have a single-player mode. [Issue#96, p.104]

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

Massively derivative and dated. [Issue#96, p.102]

It's only with extended play that Retribution's meaningless sadism, over-the-top machismo, mish-mash of gameplay elements and backdrop of futile storytelling destroy any possible reason not to put down the controller. [Issue#96, p.126]

Nier is so burdened with poor design choices and outdated mechanics that some won't be able to see the ingenuity through the fit of technical hiccups. [Issue#96, p.124]

To put it bluntly, if you own and loved SFIV, then SSFIV is as important to your mental wellbeing as the oxygen in our atmosphere. This is the ultimate love letter from Capcom, and the perfect fuel to keep the Street Fighter passion alight. [Issue#95, p.114]

A smaller game than FIFA 10. [Issue#96, p.111]

There's something wrong with a genre where self-parody is interchangeable with inspiration. [Issue#96, p.120]

One of the most refreshingly amusing titles currently available on Sony's online service. [July 2010, p.126]

Despite being far lighter on content than its PSP predecessors, Tri always feels like it has plenty more to offer. [Issue#95, p.106]

Only the coldest of hearts could fail to find joy in whispering sweet nothings to a pretty young girl while an old man is distracted by a giant monkey. [July 2010, p.119]

The emperor is wearing tense, compelling and entirely seductive clothes. It's just a shame his outfit is from the 2005 collection. [Issue#95, p.102]

Forget any notion of playing this "Again", there's very little here to justify even playing through once. [Issue#96, p.110]

An affront. [Issue#96, p.114]

Every step of the way, you'll feel the classic Nintendo touch. [Issue#96, p.98]

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]

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

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

If fewer ideas were crammed in, and those that were left in were developed more thoroughly. Rooms could potentially be an excellent puzzle concept. [Aug 2010, p.130]

Though the original is free to download on PC, Cave Story still feels like a steal at 8.40. [Issue#96, p.121]

If you long to command your own ship (and its admittedly well characterized crew) then there's fun to be had here. Just don't expect an easy, or thrilling, ride. [Apr 2010, p.108]

There's a lot of frantic back-and-forth; every scenario soon descends into little more than an exercise in plate-spinning. [Issue#95, p.116]