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]

We wanted to apologise, to run, to leave the horror of it all far behind, and there can be no more appropriate response to war than that. [Christmas 2008, p.90]

Unlockable extras such as field items (both beneficial and hindering) and alien lifeform icons that alter the way the game plays when chosen are nice additions, but the gameplay is more than compulsive enough to keep you hooked anyway. [May 2005, p.102]

Modern Warfare 2 is 'just' a videogame, and a damn good one at that, in terms of sheer, heart-thumping spectacle it'll deliver in spades; just don't expect the Second Coming. [Christmas 2009, p.98]

Ultimately, the rest of the Japanese RPG genre is still playing catch-up....It's stolen our hearts. [Issue#186, p.76]

Super Mario Maker takes one of the most beloved franchises in gaming history and gives it one of the most intuitive level editors ever seen, one flexible enough to allow for countless possibilities. It’s bursting with charm, contains some real laugh-out loud moments and is essential for any Mario fan.

This is not merely a sequel worth playing, it’s one worth consuming again and again until its every secret has been revealed.

This is the best superhero fantasy we’ve ever enacted, and we’re so sad it’s over.

It’s as much a part of the PlayStation legacy as Ico is, as Shadow Of The Colossus is. Its place in PlayStation legend goes beyond its similar presentation and taps into something more sublime, something more exhilarating.

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.

For all the development trouble, for all the doubts, for all the talk about what Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance could have been – it’s now a Platinum game and it sparkles with the same confidence and verve it would have done had Kojima been at the helm. It’s an absolute joy to play and is almost certainly the best Metal Gear gen released this gen.

The Trial And Execution Of Guybrush Threepwood has proved that Telltale has what it takes to equal LucasArts's best. [Christmas 2009, p.114]

Though its main campaign may be a little on the short side, Vampire Smile squeezes more clever gameplay detours, edge-of-your-seat encounters, knowing nods to the wider world and hidden goodies than most full price retail releases.

Nintendo has crafted a platform game that, while not as technologically pioneering as its grandfather, is, level for level, more fun to play than "Mario 64." [Dec 2007, p.128]

Playing God has never been as free, rewarding or downright enjoyable as it is here... Quite simply, this is a game so packed with features and so lovingly crated that, for the first time that we can recall, you’ll still be discovering parts of it by the time the add-on packs roll around. [Nov 2004, p.102]

CS: GO stands as a glowing reminder that quality game design is rewarded in longevity and variety. Valve has not only updated the shooter but has completely outclassed its contemporaries. This is Counter-Strike, whatever the format you choose to play it on, and there isn't a higher recommendation than that.

Bloodborne is an incredible game; tight in its mechanics, logical in its systems, rewarding, intense, gloriously frustrating and exciting in equal measure. The PS4 has its first absolutely essential game. As if there was ever any doubt.

Perhaps most excitingly, The Lost Legacy hints at what would be an interesting format for future releases. [Issue#191, p.69]

Turn 10's sublime handling model accommodates newcomers and veterans alike, a system that can be tweaked to sit anywhere between 'real car' and 'videogame' settings as the player sees fit. Online functionality is as impressive as ever too, the auction house and plethora of racing options joined by Autolog-style Rivals hot lap challenges to ensure that Forza 4 genuinely has the ability to last forever.

A veritable knock-out. [Issue#102, p.100]

The definitive kart racer you'll play this year, and in a market as crowded as this one's becoming, that's saying something. [Issue#148, p.97]

This sense of discovery is enhanced dramatically via a graph system, too, a means by which you are scored on the total number of blocks you’ve used, the footprint or size of the factory itself and the number of cycles you have to run through to create ten of your required object.

An excellent platformer that never fails to surprise. [Issue#198, p.74]

We'd struggle to think of a developer that does better-quality FMV than Oddworld Inhabitants; we've seen tangible, real-life things that don't look as convincing as some of the clips in this game. [Feb 2005, p.98]

In a genre that is so flooded with poor Command & Conquer wannabes and a lack of fresh ideas, World In Conflict is one of the few titles that will appeal to many gamers that aren’t typically real-time strategy fans. [Nov 2007, p.132]

This is a linear adventure through stunning environments and incredible violence – and this is what Gears Of War does best. [Christmas 2008, p.108]

The best simulation of the series. [Issue#102, p.105]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. leaves you no choice but to engage with story and character, deciphering between friend and foe, the truth and the lie. [Apr 2007, p.94]

Heavy Rain isn't the ultimate narrative-driven videogame but the first, a template that should inspire other creators and open up a genre as limitless as imagination itself. And we can't wait to see what stories we get to play next. [Issue#93, p.104]

Despite so many slight changes here and there, the solid combat, janky platforming, overwhelming odds and brutal bosses all conspire to remind you that this is very much a Souls game, and yet another excellent one at that.

Lazy find-three-item quests are nowhere to be seen in this episode, instead there's a wealth of context-based conundrums and mini-games that showcase LucasArts-style adventure design at its best. [Dec 2009, p.128]

Striding purposefully along the history of a genre it created, id has plucked the best ideas from four generations of first-person shooters and woven them into something not especially original, but truly exceptional nonetheless.

A game that anybody can, and will, enjoy. It's like Wii Music never happened. [Issue#121, p.109]

It's easily one of the best Total War experiences yet, which in turn makes it one of the best RTS games available. [Issue#194, p.73]

You get the impression that "The Sands of Time" was just a warm-up for the main event, a game that's familiar at first but soon reveals a level of imagination beyond that of the original, and displays as little room for error as one of the Prince's most daring acrobatic leaps. [Christmas 2004, p.100]

Ping-ponging from the sublime to the ridiculous with sass, style and a potty mouth, Bayonetta is a ten-hour journey into both the obscenely brilliant and the brilliantly obscene, but you'll still be playing it for its wealth of extras long beyond that. [Issue#91, p.102]

Stood side by side with its predecessors, this third and final hurrah is less a dramatically pitched revolution and more a masterfully sculpted evolution, as while the graphical depth, online functionality and cover mechanics are some of the best in the business, when contrasted with Gears 2, they're incremental steps rather than thundering leaps.

What bumps PGR2 into the league of truly great racers is the extensive Xbox Live support. It really does feel like you're part of a community full of gamers vying to be the ultimate Project Gotham racer. [Christmas 2003, p.92]

The greys and browns might be offputting to those born and bred on Nintendo red, but don't be fooled. Advance Wars hasn't lost its true colours. Superb. [Mar 2008, p.122]

You get the impression that "The Sands of Time" was just a warm-up for the main event, a game that's familiar at first but soon reveals a level of imagination beyond that of the original, and displays as little room for error as one of the Prince's most daring acrobatic leaps. [Christmas 2004, p.100]

It's a focused, exhilarating, interesting and rewarding shooter.

With a bountiful cast of characters - most of which are actually worth talking to - plenty of solutions available to every problem you face and a cheeky, knowing sense of humour riddling the entire experience, Divinity: Original Sin II comes as nothing other than wholeheartedly recommended. If it's too hard, play it on an easier difficulty. If it's to boring, ignore the conversations and just get into fights all the time. If it's too long, just be quicker. There's no excuse - get involved. [Issue#193, p.80]

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

It may not lean enough in either direction for hardcore platform or RPG fanatics to find everything they're looking for, but as far as genre-crossing titles go, they don't come much more enjoyable or extensive than this. [Jan 2004, p.104]

The best console racer of this generation. [Issue#193, p.82]

Hopefully the innovation and effort that have been put into every area of this title will shine through, and the fact that the setup is worth every penny will become apparent to all. [Feb 2008, p.120]

We may have seen level creation before, but LittleBigPlanet is a stirring glimpse of the future. It manages to be both curring edge and classic simultaneously, with neither quality stifling the other. [Issue#76, p.110]

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.

Far Cry 3's plot is a bit silly and inconsistent, its AI a bit dumb and predictable, and the world works in a suspiciously similar way to Assassins Creed, but it's great fun. And perhaps even more importantly, these days, when as gamers we're so often left feeling short-changed, it's also overwhelmingly fantastic value for money.

This overall approach to MMORPGs is far more social and interesting than anything that has preceded it. [July 2007, p.104]

Pokémon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire is an almost perfect game, held back only by the selection of creatures available during the 20-hour long main quest and some post-game elements that didn’t make it through since X/Y.

It's only let down by a lack of fresh blood, but in terms of where the hammer falls, it still bangs the nail in cleanly. [Issue#102, p.117]

Immerse yourself in its choices and the peerless beauty of the world that supports them, and it reveals a quality that cannot be detected through objective distance. This is a game you can love, and that’s at least as rare as perfection. [Dec 2008, p.122]

Obsidian has finally made the RPG we all knew they were capable of making and it's damned glorious. [Issue#160, p.98]

Pokémon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire is an almost perfect game, held back only by the selection of creatures available during the 20-hour long main quest and some post-game elements that didn’t make it through since X/Y.

Rainbow Six Vegas is a breathtaking return to form after questions over Ubisoft's commitment to the series were raised after Lockdown's release last year. [Christmas 2006, p.124]

Little more could have been demanded of Harmonix, it has created a profoundly enriching way to experience the music of the world's most influential band. [Nov 2009, p.119]

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

Easily the finest and most involving product to carry Molyneux’s name in years. A stunning achievement. [Christmas 2005, p.100]

Every level of the game’s design has not only been refined, but seamlessly interwoven to interact without you being any the wiser. It ensures that XCOM 2 always feels like it’s pushing you to try, to succeed in the face of what looks to be certain failure.

A football game as good as - if not, somewhat controversially, better than - Pro Evo in its prime and as tight a sports title as you'll play this year. [Dec 2009, p.104]

The best Assassin's Creed experience in years. [Issue#194, p.69]

Resident Evil VII is exhilarating and terrifying in equal measure. It’s a brave and bold move for Capcom, feeling quintessentially classic while still feeling fresh and adventurous in its ambitions. Ultimately, Resident Evil VII is a breathtaking return to form for a series we long thought had abandoned any hope of redemption. [Issue#184, p.73]

With completion of each level winning you a new totem for your pole, undecorated logs for a low score and gold totems for maximum, there’s a quantifiable excuse to go back and learn the perfect pathways through each. In this case, however, the journey itself is its own reward.

Titanfall is not the most strategically demanding multiplayer game out there, nor is it the most complex. It’s certainly not revolutionary, as some might have you believe, given that many of its ideas have been cribbed from other games and genres. What it is, though, is a consistently exciting, accessible and expertly crafted shooter that repeatedly generates highlight reel moments that make you want to keep coming back.

Everything about 2048 oozes class, screams quality and does more than enough to force the hardcore to take a serious look at Vita. [Issue#119, p.92]

Combat refined. Combat perfected. But not Combat evolved. [Nov 2007, p.98]

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

While some are sure to brand it 'stale', Twilight Princess succeeds in being not only a superb game, but also one that can appeal to both new and seasoned Zelda players at the same time - something we feel time will show to be a very difficult thing to achieve. [Christmas 2006, p.116]

The greatest strength of The World Ends With You is that, in spite of its genre-bending innovations, not a single new element has been introduced just for the sake of it. [June 2008, p.110]

The question many will ask, ultimately, is how Halo 4 stacks up against its predecessors, and in truth it's hard to answer at this time. It'll take multiple runs through the campaign, hours and hours more multiplayer, and swaths of Spartan Ops mission to truly understand how good Halo 4 is. There's one answer we can say with certainty, though: this is absolutely a Halo game. And that's all that most fans would ever need to hear.

One of the most detailed open worlds to date. [Issue#184, p.83]

This is a masterful piece of storytelling from Naughty Dog, packed full of wonderful and genuine character moments, great performances from the main cast and no small amount of little references for fans of both the series and developer. As a celebration of what Nathan Drake has given us over the last nine years we couldn’t really have asked for too much more.

More of the same in the best possible way.

It’s achingly beautiful, deeply involving and as breathtaking to watch as it is to play. [Christmas 2005, p.90]

What a tremendous piece of work. [Issue#146, p.100]

The only thing we could criticise? Put in the hours, and you’ll quickly begin to understand how the level tiles work – think Carcassonne: you know what’s drawn from the bag, and how to counter each piece. That’s the only thing that dilutes it, if it bothers you, bump up the difficulty and it’ll feel like a new game.

The visual flair and meticulous puzzles will delight any gamer willing to lose themselves in Braid’s considerable challenge, but its true worth is grounded in something far more abstract. [Oct 2008, p.127]

The great tennis game lineage now has a new addition. It's subtle and complex without losing the pick-up-and-play appeal that all tennis games need. It is, in short, the best tennis game ever made. [Dec 2003, p.100]

As a single-player game it is very enjoyable, but as a multi-player Xbox Live game it raises the bar for all others to follow. [Apr 2006, p.100]

With The Burning Crusade, Blizzard has yet again raised the standard by which all MMORPGs will be judged. [Mar 2007, p.112]

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.

If you’re looking for a new experience then there are few multiplayer games as well balanced and enthralling as Rocket League. This could well be a contender for one of the best games of the year.

While it's not a total triumph, the core of what Mass Effect 3 achieves is an engrossing, fabulously put together piece of work, regardless of an ending that will delight as many as it dumbfounds.

From Spring to Summer, to Fall and Winter, season changes will render certain crops dead. You have to plan ahead – farming doesn’t even occur in winter – and your jobs remain engrossing day-in, day-out. That’s Stardew Valley’s greatest strength – it gives you a load of interesting things to do in your new life, rewards you whichever you choose to do, and it always feels like more than just a farming game.

Best combo of ideas and execution the NFL has seen. [Issue#179, p.79]

The game is actually better suited to handhelds than consoles nowadays, and the team at Nintendo has kept this at the forefront of its design philosophy throughout – this is a more accessible, more fluid experience than before, and that was all we could have asked for from this remaster.

The Sims 3 is without doubt the series' finest hour...By playing around with character traits, you're able to create all kinds of people, and just watching them interact is a joy in itself. [July 2009, p.102]

One of the best things we've played all year. [Issue#201, p.82]

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

When it comes to quality Sine Mora has practically zero peers this generation. If you've been craving a true modern classic since the days of Gradius V and R-Type Final then Grasshopper Manufacture and Digital Reality have provided the best possible reason we can imagine to return.

A triumph in artistry and gameplay, overcoming the frequently problematic process of reviving an old franchise. So many studios get it dead wrong, but Project Sora has shown that it has respect for the IP, as well as the talent to deliver the world of Kid Icarus to a modern audience and make it relevant to a new generation.

A yarn is only as good a s the characters knitting it. This is perhaps the most valuable lesson Level-5 has learned from "Dragon Quest VIII." Progressing the game just to see the characters talking has never felt more fun. [JPN Import; Mar 2006, p.124]

Fire Emblem: Awakening is as good as anything Nintendo has produced in the last five years, and as such is very, very special indeed.

It’s a fantastic game; an echo of the past that simultaneously feels (in the most part) contemporary, and a game made with such a clear love, passion and vision behind it that you can’t help but feel its 26-year gestation period actually helped.

Anarchic, baffling, sometimes downright silly, and often inspired, Jazzpunk works tirelessly to make you laugh and gasp. The frequency with which you’ll do both is a testament to a bold new talent, and Necrophone Games deserves all the plaudits that will be thrown its way in the coming weeks.

From gloriously glib opening to predictably musical finale, Portal 2 is a genuine delight and a game of rare quality. A well-judged sense of humour meets with some truly ingenious puzzle design to create a gaming experience that will linger long in the memory.