With such base-level functional inadequacies, this retro rehash comes labelled predictably with a 'for fans only' tag. [Issue#140, p.117]

Successfully plays on the strategy roots of the Socom series with impressive results. [Issue#109, p.96]

Nier is so burdened with poor design choices and outdated mechanics that some won't be able to see the ingenuity through the fit of technical hiccups.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

Feels like a familiar proposition from the get-go. [Issue#106, p.114]

While the sequel doesn’t exactly surpass the original, it’s at least a fair crack at the boxing genre…Shame it’s still not as good as EA’s "Fight Night." [Nov 2004, p.119]

A tense and intimidating shooter. [Issue#102, p.118]

Nights of Azure has potential, but unfortunately falls into too many tropes of the JRPG world.

Cursed Mountain admirably recreates the tension of the established survival-horror template, but too infrequently for it to sit alongside the genre greats. [Oct 2009, p.119]

Gritty and imaginative, let down by fundamental flaws. [Issue#205, p.80]

An enjoyable if obvious knock-off, then, and a refreshing new direction for a stagnant franchise, but hardly the kind of revolution that would worry the Templars.

A clever story married to dull gameplay. [Issue#183, p.83]

Still Life 2 tries too hard to change the genre when it should have built upon its own strengths instead. [Aug 2009, p.120]

To anyone who knows their Kitty Ns from their Knittys, Technic Beat is a simplistic delight that constantly surprises with quality and entertainment far beyond what its budget price would suggest. [Sept 2005, p.116]

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]

Between the variety, the playability and the great feeling of accomplishment that comes from completing one of the many tasks, FMX is really quite good fun. Overly ambitious but fun nonetheless. [Oct 2003, p.115]

If you've been flirting with the idea of buying an action-RPG but fear the time commitment, The Lightning Kingdom might just be the compromise you're looking for. [Issue#187, p.82]

A dull, short-lived grind. [May 2008, p.123]

Fly about, shoot planes, and go home. It’s all you could ask for, and not a lot else. [Apr 2007, p.131]

Various publishing houses have pushed and pulled the direction of the game and the resulting product dazzles with its incoherence and dated nature. [June 2004, p.114]

The slightly clumsy controls and overly enthusiastic (read: nearly unbeatable) AI, plus with a new Hot Spot system that feels very random, makes the whole game feel rather lopsided and not much fun. [Dec 2003, p.125]

Its attempt at being a jack-of-all-trades could seem quite appealing to gamers who casually approach the driving genre. Connoisseurs, on the other hand, will own the highest quality examples of each trade that do the job better, leaving R: Racing Evolution feeling mostly redundant. [Mar 2004, p.98]

Forts Under Siege might have enough reward on offer but the series is still relying on gamers to meet it halfway by investing ample time and patience in learning its demanding intricacies. [Dec 2004, p.112]

Stands as an interesting attempt to broaden the appeal of horror games, even if its innovative successes are counterbalanced by an adherence to old-fashioned adventure sleuthing. [May 2005, p.118]

Genuinely offers something new to a genre whose form is now long established. [Sept 2006, p.110]

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

Thrilling and fun, but deeply online-focused. [Issue#198, p.76]

Superb when everything comes together, hugely frustrating when it doesn't. [Issue#107, p.96]

The game taper[s] off into mediocrity after a few hours. [Issue#152, p.118]

There are moments in Resident Evil 6 that peak as high as the very best games in Resident Evil history, but there are so many more that settle for mediocrity or much, much worse. With a nip and tuck this could have been something very special indeed. Instead, it's a great little Leon campaign with a hell of a lot of content that you should consider a worthwhile but extremely flawed bonus.

Its attempt at being a jack-of-all-trades could seem quite appealing to gamers who casually approach the driving genre. Connoisseurs, on the other hand, will own the highest quality examples of each trade that do the job better, leaving R: Racing Evolution feeling mostly redundant. [Mar 2004, p.98]

Full Auto 2 is a deeply satisfying and rewarding experience. It’s fun as a pure racer, but include the massive amounts of carnage you must inflict upon your competition and the game ascends to a new level of satisfaction. [Feb 2007, p.121]

Dewy’s Adventure feels like a full-blown game rather than a collection of brief remote-based tasks that have seemingly become the Wii norm lately. [Oct 2007, p.125]

Between the variety, the playability and the great feeling of accomplishment that comes from completing one of the many tasks, FMX is really quite good fun. Overly ambitious but fun nonetheless. [Oct 2003, p.115]

Bright, intriguing, but lacking depth. [July 2018, p.74]

Clichéd, generic, bland, boring and infuriating. [Mar 2008, p.120]

You’re essentially playing an endurance test in videogame form. It’s not terrible, but it is horribly annoying. If you’re aware of that before going in you may just love it. [May 2007, p.121]

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

A beautiful technicolor journey into darkness. [Issue#188, p.83]

Good for the franchise, but still not great. [Nov 2009, p.125]

Basically a GameBoy Advance Urbz re-release in all but name. That version had its flaws so releasing the same game with a few minor additions isn’t going to fool anyone. [Jan 2005, p.121]

Passable fluff. [Issue#117, p.126]

Battlefront II is fan service and little else; much respect to the craft, the attention to detail and the wealth of content, but sadly it just isn't enough. It's starting to feel as if Star Wars simply isn't a franchise suitable for this type of sprawling, large-scale multiplayer experience. It doesn't have it in its bones, and if DICE can't find a way to make it work, we're fearful nobody can. [Issue#195, p.72]

Worth experiencing, but there are better-made horror games around. [Issue#150, p.127]

There’s more new content than you’d usually find in a Special Edition. [May 2006, p.128]

Tries and fails to replicate Inside's brilliance. [Issue#190, p.78]

It's still hard to shake the feeling that this is DLC; it is padded-out content and it is, ultimately, a bit of a grind. [Issue#157, p.112]

Ultimately, Happy Home Designer feels more like a mini-game from a main Animal Crossing title, albeit one that controls like a dream. As a cheaper eShop release designed to spark interest in collecting the cards it would have been fine, but as a full price game its one-trick-pony style is far too repetitive for some.

Shadowrun has stacks of good ideas; it just fails to rest them on a bed of good value and substance. [Aug 2007, p.104]

Rough visuals dampen its impact. [Issue#180, p.41]

Neverwinter might be competent, but it's rarely fun or interesting. [Issue#161, p.96]

With Extraction Point, TimeGate has lost sight of what its predecessor did so well, creating something truly average. Which is why it’s so surprising that Perseus Mandate is so great. [Jan 2008, p.124]

Possibly the most technically realised rally experience available on console. [Issue#102, p.115]

Like many of the revivalist action films we've seen in recent years, it is little more than a slick homage that lacks the bite of the real thing. [July 2008, p.123]

Decent - if limited - fun. [Issue#180, p.47]

Never gets bogged down in the endless conversations of, say, Phoenix Wright. [Christmas 2008, p.107]

Every change of camera is greeted by painful seconds as the textures load in. Every opened door is greeted with the loading screen. Every battle features a cataclysmic drop in frame rate. The result callously skims the cream from the top, depriving you of your ultimate satisfaction. [Jan 2009, p.106]

A package with some technical issues and a generally very shallow feel. [Christmas 2011, p.108]

It becomes an overbearing checklist of simplistic social commentary. [Issue#163, p.109]

It’s hard not to like Cold Fear for what it’s trying to do, but it’s also hard not to see the glaring errors that it makes along the way. [Apr 2005, p.119]

Diluted, disjointed and uninspiring. Feeling more like a staggered set of obstacles than a wholesome game, the action sadly boils down to little more than a tediously dull showcase for your equipment and abilities, which are put into use against some questionable AI stooges. [Jan 2004, p.118]

As a starting point for those who want eccentric characters to get stuck into without being overwhelmed by the gameplay, this is as good as the genre offers. [Dec 2006, p.126]

Wasted potential. [Issue#139, p.98]

Nice enough, but not exactly groundbreaking. [Issue#159, p.110]

The minigames are the strongest asset. [Issue#93, p.118]

Too inconsistent to truly shine. [Issue#181, p.84]

While SFII itself is obviously still brilliant, there's nothing about this bare-bones package that even nearly does Capcom's classic justice. [Issue#189, p.83]

It lacks any substantial cause of replayability after a couple of runs, but still has an impressively malleable string of events that transcend other titles in the genre. [Issue#195, p.78]

Dead good, but no "Ghost Squad." [May 2008, p.110]

A solid template, then, and interesting foundations on which for the inevitable paid follow-ups to build. [Issue#110, p.132]

Only frantic devotees of racing games/loading screens could justify this over the competition. [July 2009, p.115]

The repetitive nature of the majority of missions soon takes its toll, and the primary motivation for progressing soon becomes the desire to see how nice the next level looks, not the love of playing the game. [Apr 2006, p.110]

Lightning Returns has some genuinely great ideas as far as modern RPGs are concerned, and despite being let down by a shoddy story and some graphical issues, it remains a shining example of how dynamic battle systems and thoughtful character customisation can save an otherwise trite, lifeless game.

The appeal lies in the customisation options and the complex online battle system. [Issue#141, p.120]

State of Decay 2 falls short of its promise, instead offering the kind of brainless, repetitive experience that turns you into a de facto zombie. [Issue#201, p.80]

An enjoyable, quality release that will absorb hours of your time, but there’s no escaping the feeling that Blue Byte appears to be running short of ideas. [Dec 2007, p.125]

A clash of approaches that doesn't quite work. [Issue#179, p.84]

It's almost "ha-ha" buggy in the same way that Fallout 3 was, but at times can cause a great deal of grief. [Issue#93, p.108]

Battlezone will quickly feel routine, but it’s also fun – not to mention an interesting window into the possibilities and pitfalls of virtual reality.

All three groups will merely be content, not delighted. [Issue#160, p.96]

Tiger Woods remains the most accessible golf game, but ProStroke is easily the title for those who find a lack of challenge in its competitors. [Oct 2006, p.124]

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]

There's no question that Death Tank has the potential to be a lot of fun. It's just a pity Worms has already done it better and for a third of the cost. [May 2009, p.131]

Everything is so vibrant and colourful that no matter how frustrating or repetitive it all becomes, you simply won't be able to put that pad down. [Christmas 2003, p.117]

Though retro in style, Strania certainly isn't without original ideas. [Issue#110, p.127]

There's no doubt that you'll find a lot of praise for Episode II out there, since it addresses the physics issues with the first episode so well, but games™ can't honestly recommend a game so under-developed on quality controls alone.

Horror muted by brevity and flat atmosphere... Imitating teen-horror movies is a novel idea, but duplicating their running time and feeble horror leaves the game wanting. [Nov 2004, p.106]

A perfectly average platformer. [Tested with Oculus Rift; Issue#174, p.82]

Ultimately, this new Need For Speed has rebooted nothing; it’s an open world racer the likes of which we’ve already seen many times last-gen, but when the mechanics themselves fall short – well, that’s not a message any new start wants to begin with.

Gamers will revel in the destruction that unfolds as they guide Spanx and Redmond through the Genron labs, but you soon realise that the humorous touches are hiding a basic and rather childish title. [Mar 2004, p.119]

The inanely perfunctory gameplay fumbles in its derivative attempt to emulate the LEGO formula. [Christmas 2011, p.126]

Its attempt at being a jack-of-all-trades could seem quite appealing to gamers who casually approach the driving genre. Connoisseurs, on the other hand, will own the highest quality examples of each trade that do the job better, leaving R: Racing Evolution feeling mostly redundant. [Mar 2004, p.98]

Ultimately, Shattered Union is just too frustrating to be enjoyable. Its accessibility problems are crippling and even after you've got to grips with how the game works, it still feels unbalanced and confusing. [Dec 2005, p.127]

The core game is as playable and entertaining as any platform game to have been released since the original Ape Escape, and despite control issues there’s still a whole lot of monkey’s to be caught and a whole lot of fun to be had doing it. [June 2005, p.102]

The action is fast and furious. [Issue#162, p.102]

While boredom can set in as you perform the same handful of actions time and time again, there is just enough variety to keep you entertained. [Issue#165, p.98]

The core of the title has been removed, and, thanks to this, thoughts of extended appeal and any sort of depth soon become void and Point Blank shows itself for the glorified mini-game that it actually is. [Sept 2006, p.121]

Good for a quick burst of fun in the short term, but gamers looking for a test of skill would be better off playing Angry Birds. Yes, really. [Issue#115, p.98]

Re:coded is content to meander, offering only patronising tweaks to what we once enjoyed about the youngster-friendly mash-up franchise. [Issue#105, p.112]