There’s plenty of depth to the mechanics here for those that want to sink their teeth into a new fighting system, and there are some informed nods back to the franchise’s roots, but if you were intending to buy an Xbox One on the promise of playing this until you could afford another launch game, chances are you’ll get bored of it by the end of launch week.

To have this checklist of all the genre's flaws step up in place of the ambitious and promising title we were promised is wildly disappointing. [Issue#104, p.106]

Ultimately, with the antics of the on-screen characters, zany actions, video playback and favourite tracks, it doesn’t really matter even if Just Dance 2016 is making a very generous interpretation of your moves because there are enough layers of distraction in place to keep you happy.

By even allowing the choice between simple hack-and-slash gameplay and the more complex mix-up combos, LucusArrts has ensured that many will never view the title’s full potential. [Oct 2008, p.104]

Very ambitious, but we’d urge them to concentrate on the game; with poor matchmaking, few maps, overly simple game modes and a limited free game, players might not stick around. And that would be a shame.

Entertaining it most certainly is, but WayForward should really be pushing a little bit harder than this. [Issue#138, p.116]

The atmosphere is electric, the sense of making tiny in-roads to solve a great problem as satisfying as it is frustrating... Spark never allows you to forget that outside the restrictive confines of the first-person viewpoint there's a much, much bigger fight going on involving thousands of men. [Jan 2005, p.110]

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

The choice and number of tracks are our major gripes with the game. But play it as intended - with lots of people who are not necessarily fully aware of what's going on - and it'll no doubt be popping in and out of your PS2 tray for a while. [Dec 2003, p.122]

With its lengthy Campaign, fully customizable Battle mode and insanely good multiplayer experience, Glory Days II offers value for money and deserves your attention. [June 2007, p.112]

Great stuff. Now how about a proper sequel? [Apr 2008, p.125]

If "God Of War" never happened, Spartan: Total Warrior would have been a great example of a simple, gratuitous action game. As it is, it's merely a good one. [Nov 2005, p.124]

It’s an amazingly in-depth system that rewards skill rather than persistence, and for this reason alone it’s near impossible to recommend God Hand to any but the most hardcore of player or fan of the genre. [Feb 2007, p.108]

A generously long-lasting slice of festive entertainment for the peripheral. [Issue#117, p.120]

First Light struggles to display any new ideas. [Issue#153, p.120]

Though the pace of the game is appreciated, it would have been nice to see more than a simple sequence of questions with little in between. [Chrismas 2007, p.133]

Visceral Games has lavished Dante's Inferno with polish and atmosphere. [Issue#93, p.110]

While it’d be wrong to criticise EA for encouraging a passing game, abhorrent ‘trick stick’ dribbling assistance is far too jerky to be of any use, making all too many games a pretty, but nevertheless staid, midfield slog. [Dec 2006, p.119]

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.

If "God Of War" never happened, Spartan: Total Warrior would have been a great example of a simple, gratuitous action game. As it is, it's merely a good one. [Nov 2005, p.124]

It’s anticlimactic, but perhaps intentionally so. After all, it’s the journey that counts, and both Vella and Shay have come a long way from where they started. Double Fine has proven its honed and tested skills in this genre again, but we can’t help but feel that there was more it could do.

One of the finest mecha games ever made...The constant micro-management of you AC's mutually opposed abilities coupled with an increased efficiency at neutralising enemies is a cerebral, immersive and vibrantly unique gaming experience, which lifts the game above its past incarnations. [June 2004, p.116]

What Warp lacks (or, perhaps, borrows) in personality it more than makes up for with gameplay that's so finely honed, it proves impossible to put down until every corner of its cutesy horror has been uncovered. [Issue#120, p.109]

The game's tagline speaks volumes; calling Battlecry III "The original role-playing strategy game" is a fine way of declaring the game's legacy, but at the same time it highlights just how little has really changed since the first title was released. [Aug 2004, p.108]

Do not underestimate Little Ninjas; it is worthy of everyone's time - a beautifully conceived product by all accounts. [Nov 2009, p.116]

If only as much imagination had been applied to the gameplay as the narrative. [Dec 2006, p.108]

Siege, for all its strengths and weaknesses, is a quintessential 2015 shooter. Each round is short and to-the-point to avoid any trace of boredom; the whole thing is geared towards online play.

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]

Dustforce does itself no favours for having such a grim outlook, but when a game offers this much challenge it's easy to brush such criticisms under the carpet. [Issue#145, p.123]

It might show off how well racers on the Wii will work when developers finally do it properly (yes, Ubisoft, we’re looking at you) but even so, there’s just not enough here to warrant the premium price. [Feb 2007, p.104]

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

It's initially compelling, but starts to feel shallow as combat becomes a grind, and a nagging wish for more of RPG elements creeps in. [Nov 2011, p.110]

The humour and colourful designs are reference-heavy and genuinely quite charming but can only distract so much from what is essentially the same level repeated over and over. [Nov 2011, p.119]

A dated yet enjoyable stealth affair. [Issue#186, p.78]

An admirable attempt at melding physical activity with light-hearted play. [Issue#143, p.115]

There’s no reason why sharpshooters shouldn’t like this version as much as any other. [July 2007, p.112]

It's to Croteam's credit that Serious Sam II manages to stay interesting for as long as it does, thanks to the weird enemy design and tight levels keeping the pace from slacking. [Dec 2005, p.112]

The graphics are surprisingly impressive, movement is smooth and, despite the occasional feeling of repetition, the action is constantly fast-paced and compelling. [June 2006, p.118]

Technical problems ruin a decent episode. [Issue#170, p.98]

Electronic Arts' decision to free the series from simply being one man on a very direct mission by creating a virtual battlefield is a wise one but one that hasn't quite reached as far as it could. [July 2005, p.106]

Spend time mastering the figting system, powering up your various attacks and revisiting stages to improve your combo scores and the game becomes so much more than just a basic hack-and-slash romp - it's a feast of replayable swordplay. [Apr 2004, p.100]

It's rather good...You don't need to be a football fan to enjoy this. [Issue#180, p.47]

It’s disappointing that Dead Rising 4 sees the series take a backward step. While there’s gory fun to be had, the failure to replace the time-limit based gameplay with any kind of alternative mechanic is a mistake. Even the biggest fan of zombie-killing frivolity will find that the endless slaughter wears thin eventually, and most will hit that particular wall much sooner.

When you reach a dead end, it's usually just a case of retrieving a generic puzzle item from a conveniently inconvenient hiding place before continuing. Cue several minutes of primitive platforming and beating up the undead with a functional combat system before the next 'mash the Triangle button until you find something interactive' session begins. [Nov 2003, p.126]

In a game so clearly reliant on tension, ambience and atmosphere, it's almost unthinkable that somebody at one of the largest entertainment companies in the world would not choose dubbing rather than subtitling in such an Eastern title but, worse still, green-light the appalling finished dub which may well have permanently damaged our ears. [Mar 2004, p.94]

What’s most aggravating about Remember Me is that there’s a weapons-grade masterpiece buried somewhere inside it, and for all of its many flaws, it’s still difficult not to root for it.

A pretty big disappointment. [Issue#118, p.104]

If you are willing to look past its issues, then Type-0 is definitely worth your time, and it is far better than some of the other games in the Crystallis series. If we had to choose any Final Fantasy game that acts as the harbinger for the messiah that is Final Fantasy XV, then it would be this one, purely thanks to its markedly similar and stellar combat system.

It may sound like a bad idea, but the surprising truth is that this mixture of genres works very well indeed, and there are plenty of inventive and unique features in Chaos League to silence those who bemoan the lack of innovation in modern gaming. [Sept 2004, p.120]

If this review was written in 1995 then we’d probably have filled six pages with screenshots to point out every touch of genius that makes this one of the best shooters we’ve ever played. We don’t have that luxury, but the sentiment remains the same. [Mar 2008, p.134]

It’s a straight and stagnant affair: win races, progress to the next stage, repeat. There’s none of SimBin’s trademark drive and determination in this area of the game. [Mar 2009, p.102]

We were able to sit back and twiddle our thumbs more than we’d like – it all just feels a little dumbed down.

This is clichéd, tedious, frustrating nonsense, as archaic in its gameplay as it is banal in its story. [Sept 2005, p.120]

Even without the new weapon parts, characters and maps that will be joining the roster, it's a worthy side-dish to whatever passes for your multiplayer main course. [Issue#145, p.121]

Tokobot may be disappointingly straightforward for a game that could have involved so much more player creativity in terms of solving puzzles, but it’s still very enjoyable. [Mar 2006, p.100]

Sadly, despite such impressive scope, the difficulty level takes its toll on the playing experience. Only those with buckets of patience and strategic acumen will ever fully realise this game's awesome potential. [Dec 2003, p.110]

The puzzles are intuitive and escalate well, although Uber should have taken more risks with its gameplay to truly standout. [Issue#180, p.48]

Does Tony Hawk want to be score attack game – and a very good one at that – or does it want to take on Skate? If it’s the latter, then sadly, it’s going to lose. [Dec 2007, p.110]

Minor flaws, but still a contender for JRPG royalty. [Issue#168, p.92]

Its nicely cel-shaded characters pull off impressively over-baked attack combos in colourful stages, but it lacks balance and plays with no subtlety. [Mar 2007, p.111]

It’s often said that co-op makes any game better but in this case, co-op is the only way to glean any enjoyment from the game at all. Played alone, Temple Of Osiris struggles to evade box-ticking tedium and it’s only when confusion and banter come into play that it’s even worth considering.

Throwaway fun as strange as it is captivating. [Issue#197, p.83]

Somewhere beneath the threadbare cloak Rogue is wearing, last year’s far superior title exists and as such it’s not a disaster, but a missed opportunity seemingly not given enough time.

With a little more substance it could have achieved something greater, but as it stands we’ll be looking to Far Cry 2’s release later in the year to satiate out non-linear jungle needs. [Nov 2008, p.108]

Classic Worms gameplay is still an option in Worms: Battle Islands, but there's nothing else to justify buying it if you've already done so 19 times before. [Issue#105, p.118]

The series' high point so far. [Nov 2011, p.114]

Maybe it's the rather lacklustre music, the numerous side-quests that feel more bolted on than they should, or the forehead-slappingly stupid AI of the enemies and your companion, but the whole experience feels decidedly flat at times; not a good sign for a game that's supposed to absorb you into its world. [Jan 2004, p.117]

A merely serviceable afterthought. [Sept 2014, p.125]

A mildly diverting and inadvertently funny curiosity. [Issue#111, p.123]

Good, but nowhere near Housemarque's best work. [Issue#191, p.78]

Sudeki is sure to be seen as a letdown by the hardcore RPG community, but there are still enough features here to recommend it. [Sept 2004, p.106]

If you're a fan of Nippon Ichi humour and love your games in Metal Slug and Ghouls 'N' Ghosts flavours, then feel free to add a point on to the score because, dood, this game's made for you. [June 2009, p.124]

The best Broken Sword game since the original. [Issue#148, p.113]

There are moments when player adrenaline levels will rise above the base level, but they are so few and far between that in the end most will decide that slogging through the copious average sections simply isn't worth the effort. [June 2005, p.116]

The franchise’s virgin release on the DS does little to mend the flawed reputation of its forebears, but nor does it represent a step back. [Jan 2008, p.133]

It’s a game with a huge amount of ambition, not to mention imagination, but a few unrefined core mechanics and tedious world can overshadow all of its fun.

Taking on the overcrowded puzzle genre is never easy, but Docomodake succeeds by being both original and charming. [Dec 2008, p.127]

So if it’s short on believability and plain fairness, what does Blazing Angels 2 have to offer? In a word: variety. [Oct 2007, p.110]

There is simply no getting around the sheer awfulness of the main characters. From their unoriginal looks to their irritating dialogue, they serve to spoil the game from start to finish. [July 2009, p.122]

Eminently timeless, suitably gorgeous, but unutterably difficult. Everything you want in a retro revamp. [Oct 2006, p.120]

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

Electronic Arts has found a great balance between speed and technical understanding. The game’s tuning system is exhaustive, and given that the only way to acquire new cars is to win them, understanding the modifications and their effects offers greater rewards that ever before. [Chrismas 2007, p.118]

Catalyst has some wonderful ideas and there are times where it’ll make you feel truly free, but it fails to maintain its momentum for more than a few minutes at time.

Let It Die is a bit like – and this is meant as a genuine compliment – a budget PS2 curio. One of those games that is a bit rough around the edges and lacking in triple-A polish, but has an idea that is far more compelling and delivered in such a stylish way. Grasshopper Manufacture doesn’t deal in blockbusters, but this is likely to be another cult hit.

Still addictive, but lacking the original’s impact. [Apr 2009, p.121]

Like no JRPG you've seen. [Issue#95, p.120]

Without the option to deviate from the game’s strict and straight path at any point, and with mechanics repeated to the point of exhaustion, Rain certainly shows there’s room for artistically vibrant properties in games, but that aesthetic shouldn’t detract from a focus on engaging, consistent gameplay.

This is a game of two halves: one a highly enjoyable series of extravagant shoot-outs and the other a tedious crawl through two genres that just weren’t made to work together. [Nov 2006, p.112]

Even those brought up with more hardcore 2D platformers of the 8-bit and 16-bit era will find their skills tested. [Issue#144, p.106]

Much like the film, there’s a sense that content has been stretched, while new narrative has been crudely implemented to paper over the cracks.

If you like videogames at all - and we're assuming you do, because you're reading this magazine - there's every chance you're going to enjoy Wolfenstein on some level, just don't expect the pushing of any boundaries. [Oct 2009, p.120]

Only dedicated fans of the series will get enough mileage out of the add-ons to make it a worthwhile purchase, while the standalone elements lack the sense of achievement and progression of Dynasty Warriors 4. That said, the core game is accomplished enough, and XL is an affordable and enjoyable pick-up-and-play option for those looking for a little no-nonsense mass slaughter. [Feb 2004, p.109]

The unmistakable quality persists but only the keenest fans are likely to find the online component draw enough to upgrade, while the same newbie-repelling difficulty as before may struggle to attract fresh followers. [Jan 2004, p.115]

A few rough edges don't detract from an adventure that is as emotional as it is brain teasing, and is worth experiencing whether or not you can relate to the subject matter.

It doesn't strike a perfect balance between engaging gameplay and a compelling story but for a pig's tale it's still satisfyingly twisted. [Issue#140, p.108]

Dark Messiah has the uncanny ability to tap into the primeval bloodlust of anyone that devotes more than a few minutes to it. A resounding success. [Dec 2006, p.102]

A stunning, fleeting experience betrayed by bugs. [July 2018, p.83]

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]