A solid grappler, if a little pointless … it's fairly easy to see everything the game has to offer in a very short time. The fact that the only way to unlock many fighters is to repeatedly play through the same modes ultimately proves tiring, rather than bringing out the completist in you. [Aug 2004, p.105]

Boasts little to enthral any but the most diehard of fans. [Issue#162, p.100]

An average single-player game with competent but not brilliant multiplayer modes tacked onto the side. [Aug 2004, p.106]

Once you're past the silly set-up, irritating characters, terrible dialogue, and the game's generally patronising tone, there's a reasonably solid - if not needlessly convoluted - skater to be found here. [Christmas 2010, p.110]

For all it's button-mashing faults, though, Bloody Roar still manages to be fun. It may not be the most technical beat-'em-up on the market, nor is it the most stylish, but one thing works wonders in Bloody Roar's favour - simplicity. [Nov 2003, p.119]

You'll be jabbing the square button until fatigue eventually sets in. [Issue#102, p.106]

This is gaming for the masses; completely undemanding and uninspired, but solid enough to appease the cerebrally challenged. [Jan 2007, p.116]

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]

Bluth's journey concludes with a choice, but you'll have to repeat the journey to see the other ending. The prospect of spending two more hours with this self-pitying drunk may be too much for even Spate's Kickstarter backers to take. [Issue#147, p.121]

More like a clinically insane uncle; you'll spend time with it because it's family, but it will confuse and embarrass you with every opportunity it gets. [Issue#107, p.114]

With an undeniable charm, simple toolset and a decent lifespan, Create is worth checking out if you're looking for an inventive, harmless bit of puzzling fun. [Issue#104, p.120]

As a PlayStation 3 title, a distinct lack of longevity and a disappointing multiplayer game will see it land short of the hole. [Issue#115, p.111]

Very young and very undemanding fans of shōnen manga may get a fleeting kick out of J-Stars Victory VS+, but there’s too much cheaper (and superior) competition currently available across all platforms to warrant a half-hearted recommendation.

An average single-player game with competent but not brilliant multiplayer modes tacked onto the side. [Aug 2004, p.106]

TFUII feels like a series of unfulfilled and broken promises that could kill the franchise, even for Star Wars fans. [Christmas 2010, p.92]

We're cataclysmically disappointed that Rogue Agent even exists. Just when it seemed like EA had pulled its socks up and become a real unstoppable force with games to match its resources, we get this ' perhaps the most cynical and cobbled-together excuse for a key release we've ever seen. [Christmas 2004, p.111]

How ironic that Revenge Of The Fallen should be weighed down with options to keep you coming back, yet offer pitifully few reasons to play it in the first place. [Sept 2009, p.120]

Such ambition hasn’t been seen on the PC in God knows how long and Atari has landed itself an absolute classic here. A must-have - no questions asked. [July 2005, p.100]

Rigidity under the façade of freedom … prevents Rogue Ops from being aything other than a sub-standard stealth clone. Against the competition, which is growing stronger by the month, it's hardly surprising, but we expected better than this. [Feb 2004, p.110]

Most of the game's levels end up feeling like never-ending drudgery. [Issue#154, p.129]

In order to get any challenge or satisfaction from Rebellion's dustbowl shooter, it must be tackled on the hardest difficulty setting right away; only then will Black Hawk Down demonstrate any of the depth or well-implemented tactical elements it has to offer. [Sept 2005, p.110]

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.

Any initial pleasure avatar offers is steadily eroded by gnawing repetition. [Issue#91, p.116]

An infuriating slog hurt by its own structure. [Issue#195, p.80]

The mish-mash of styles and derivative elements on show make the whole game seem like a whistle-stop tour of the last generation’s classic action titles. [Mar 2007, p.116]

This game is big, chunky and bright but no amount of bold colours and cuddly enemies can save Air Ride from being a rather short-lived and simple affair. [Jan 2004, p.120]

Will be remembered for its potential, if at all. [Issue#168, p.98]

It's almost as though Jam can't decide what kind of fighting game it wants to be, thanks to a dramatic clash of styles in terms of both combat and visuals. [March 2005, p.118]

There are so many cheaper, better versions in existence that it’s very hard to recommend. [Sept 2008, p.125]

Quite simply, Revenge… is the worst kind of Star Wars game - one that looks good enough to appeal to impulsive fans, but ultimately fails to deliver by being a horribly derivative, stale and linear example of the genre it so lazily falls into. [July 2005, p.114]

Fable: The Journey only has Kinect, and once again it's too unresponsive, too fiddly and too annoying to carve a genuinely enjoyable experience out of Albion. Whether Fable: The Journey was a labour of love or a contractual obligation matters little; when all's said and done the only thing that matters is that this feels like another nail in the coffin for this generation's version of Kinect – and perhaps even its last.

Well below the standards we've come to expect from Nintendo's inventive, silly franchise. [Issue#137, p.123]

Full credit to Vicarious Visions for creating a whole new game instead of porting the GameBoy Advance version to the DS but, unfortunately, it’s hard to tell what it achieved by doing so. [Jan 2005, p.121]

It's with some remorse that we bestow upon it a fairly low score, but don't let it fool you... anyone with the means to play Lifeline shouldn't let a chance to sample this unique title pass them by. [July 2004, p.114]

You'll have a few hours of fun but by the time its YouTuber-friendly novelty factor wears off you'll have decided it's far from the best thing since sliced bread. [Issue#161, p.104]

As a pack-in for the console, this would have been far easier to forgive, but at full price and with no proper multiplayer, it’s a tough sell. Rare’s game looks stunning and is enjoyably tame, but lacks in true winner’s grit and star quality. Maybe next season.

If you're in dire need of a new Remote, at least now you get to try and skim a stone over an island for a few quid extra. It's totally worth it. [Issue#112, p.118]

It isn't nearly as awful - no, indeed, as hopelessly generic - as it might first appear. [Issue#111, p.100]

A bunch of misfit characters, bland stages and overly repetitive, mash-happy action. [Issue#109, p.110]

It’s a whole different ball (well, frog) game when a human player sneaks in a huge round or even a Frog-In-One rather than watch the AI do it time and time again in the main game – when the playing field is obviously even, there’s much more fun to be had. [Oct 2004, p.107]

Fun but equally frustrating. [Jan 2008, p.132]

The poor AI becomes increasingly apparent and even more of a chore upon completing the campaign. [Issue#152, p.114]

It should have been a cause for celebration that an EA Sports game review has forced us to abandon the well-worn ‘It’s like last year but slightly better!’ template, yet Rory McIlroy PGA Tour is like two years ago but significantly worse. Not nearly good enough, especially for a game whose slogan is ‘golf without limits’.

Batman could probably take Captain America to pieces with one hand tied behind his back. [Issue#113, p.118]

We're cataclysmically disappointed that Rogue Agent even exists. Just when it seemed like EA had pulled its socks up and become a real unstoppable force with games to match its resources, we get this ' perhaps the most cynical and cobbled-together excuse for a key release we've ever seen. [Christmas 2004, p.111]

We're cataclysmically disappointed that Rogue Agent even exists. Just when it seemed like EA had pulled its socks up and become a real unstoppable force with games to match its resources, we get this ' perhaps the most cynical and cobbled-together excuse for a key release we've ever seen. [Christmas 2004, p.111]

It’s easy enough to ignore the terrible story and get on with what Defiance does best: letting you bask in the glory of marauding through a vast open world with an army of players sitting (silently) by your side.

It’s easy to see a new franchise in Ryse; one that could potentially rival God Of War if it maintains the momentum of the latter half of the campaign. However, the gameplay is so rote and uninspired that it merely hints at a more robust and rewarding experience that it fails to deliver. Ultimately, it makes for a few hours of passing entertainment, but it’s certainly not one for the history books.

Switching from an open threat such as the desert to the enclosed dangers of the Vietnamese jungle has caused Conflict: Vietnam to effectively cut out much of the need for having a squad in the first place; instead of having more freedom and creativity in taking down your enemies, your team become more like fish trapped in a jungle-shaped barrel. [Oct 2004, p.108]

The traditional Guilty Gear gameplay just doesn’t translate that well to the arena style of play: most of the moves would be better suited to a straight one-on-one fight. [Nov 2007, p.120]

Cohort's game clearly isn't designed for the po-faced shooter fan, and holds more than enough character to enable most players to see past its more quibblesome design weaknesses to the light, throwaway fun it represents. [Christmas 2010, p.113]

Nowhere near the level of 2K's NBA productions. [Issue#168, p.90]

Perhaps the biggest letdown of all is that Wario’s mischievous side is never allowed to flourish with few opportunities to create havoc in Kaitou Wario The Seven’s sprawling levels. [JPN Import; Apr 2007, p.108]

The range of puzzles on display is also sorely lacking for a game of this type. [Issue#118, p.114]

Firefall quickly wears out its welcome; beaten to the punch by games like Tribes Ascend and the aforementioned Planetside 2. There’s still space for a PvE focused take on open world combat, and in time, this could well fill it. For now though, it’s a few well engineered systems in search of a game that fully deserves them.

If you have high levels of patience then there are some excellent moments that are worth staying around for, but we’d wager that most will hang up their controllers by the second or third forced Werehog mission. [Jan 2009, p.102]

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]

It just feels too much like an engaging tech demo that had nowhere solid to expand to. [Issue#115, p.110]

Ultimately it feels too much like a cheap cash-in to be worthy of your attention. [Issue#143, p.116]

Beyond Eyes isn’t going to take longer than a few hours for anyone to complete and the price doesn’t quite reflect the brevity of the experience.

Quite simply, Revenge… is the worst kind of Star Wars game - one that looks good enough to appeal to impulsive fans, but ultimately fails to deliver by being a horribly derivative, stale and linear example of the genre it so lazily falls into. [July 2005, p.114]

With its roots firmly planted in the mobile space, EVE: Gunjack is proof that virtual reality often works best when the experience is built around short pick-up and play sessions. [Issue#180, p.48]

There’s no visual distinction between what is and isn’t interactive – and the fact that some items are ridiculously small and innocuous brings much gritting of teeth. [Jan 2007, p.102]

Anyone willing to immerse themselves in the wonder that is WarTech: Senko No Ronde’s complex and varied gameplay mechanics will feel that the price is perfectly justified. [July 2007, p.114]

It’s perfectly functional, neatly presented, and consistently enjoyable to play, but there’s nothing here to make it particularly memorable or great. [Oct 2008, p.106]

"Quotation Forthcoming"

Halts under its own weight. [Issue#111, p.114]

Think long and hard about whether four hours of hilarious gaming is as valuable as 15 hours of the humourless equivalent. Games TM’s verdict lies in Birdman’s favour, though it’s far from a unanimous decision. [Mar 2008, p.132]

Dark Void demonstrates promise that a sequel may realise, but as a spiritual successor to Crimson Skies it's in severe need of liposuction. [Feb 2010, p.118]

We're all for survival, but when Captain needs to huddle down for a glass of milk and a roasted gerbil in the middle of the final boss battle, you know it's a step too far, and that's without the sodding microtransactions. [Issue#198, p.70]

Good for a fight, dull for everything else. [Issue#176, p.81]

It bears all the hallmarks of a game rushed to meet a deadline and its refusal to use the touch screen is the biggest faux pas a launch game can commit on the DS. [Jan 2005, p.121]

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]

The average gamer will find that they’re left with a game that fails to meet the standards set by Diamond and Pearl, and sticks far too rigidly to the ideas found in the original Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. [Sept 2008, p.123]

It not only becomes increasingly repetitive as it nears the climax but also puts a significant strain on players' patience as Nihilistic injects enemies with a higher HP and more powerful weapons, rather than finding a more engaging way to challenge players. It's a jarring difficulty spike that almost undermines everything the game has so far accomplished as it impressively leaps from one set-piece to the next.

You will finish the game having experienced sporadic moments of fun, but your money would be far better spent elsewhere. [June 2008, p.114]

Blade Dancer is an RPG lacking in character, soul, and most importantly, entertainment. Not recommended. [Oct 2006, p.129]

It’s important to stress that Clive Barker’s Jericho is really not a bad game. It’s just nowhere near as good as the top shooters that surround it. [Dec 2007, p.124]

One of the most frustrating aspects is the unbalanced difficulty curve. You're thrust into some tough and often unfair opening levels, only to find the challenge dropping dramatically as you progress deeper into the admittedly enjoyable storyline. [Sept 2004, p.116]

While an enjoyable story awaits the dedicated, many will struggle to move past the uninspired design, repetitive puzzles and simplified combat that makes up the bulk of the game's content. [Issue#135, p.113]

You're better off just watching the movies. [Issue#196, p.86]

A fun game marred by bizarre design choices. [Issue#168, p.93]

For now, Moto GP is still ahead of the pack. [July 2007, p.127]

As an extra disc to a six-film box set its existence is just about justified, but placed against a slew of superior titles it offers nothing more than an evening's mild distraction. [Christmas 2009, p.128]

The Wii Remote – while no substitute for the original Dreamcast controller – is extremely responsive, and it’s still immensely satisfying to land one of the bigger fish. [June 2008, p.120]

At least it provides some hope for the franchise's future. [Issue#155, p.130]

The inclusion of the original Splatterhouse titles as unlockables, along with its many old-school sensibilities - such as side-scrolling stages with arranged music from the old arcade soundtrack - just about tip this into guilty pleasure territory. [Issue#104, p.108]

Anyone expecting the DS's first role-playing game to be anything more than average is in for a bitter disappointment. [Dec 2005, p.126]

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]

Feels like it is in desperate need of a decade of evolution, to move out of the shadow of its peers. [Issue#137, p.114]

On a next-gen console, Strikeforce is a far more humdrum expenditure of time that could be better spent elsewhere. [Issue#93, p.130]

A blaster of mediocre proportions that might keep you hooked through sheer determination to see it through (if only because you’ll be convinced that mastery of the twitchy controls is actually possible), but isn’t actually much fun to play. [Sept 2005, p.102]

Ill-advised from concept to execution. [Issue#93, p.112]

The action is a little too samey, and things become just too repetitive. Aside from scenery variations, FMV cut-scenes and the odd boss fight, the game is practically the same from start to finish. [Jan 2004, p.125]

Obscure II doesn’t need reminding of its faults, because it wears them on its sleeve; it’s a guilty pleasure that, despite being technically unimpressive, still provides dollops of cheap entertainment. [Oct 2007, p.119]

If you're in the mood for a soft, sombre trip to another world, consider this for your next. [Sept 2014, p.116]

Dream is ambitious, but players will need to be persistent and forgiving to enjoy what it has to offer them. [Issue#166, p.98]

L.A. Rush isn't so much bad as uninspiring. Driving round the city is fun for a bit but after that nothing but the mediocre races, ill-conceived stunt sections and the meandering extra missions remain. [Nov 2005, p.110]