Child of Light is incredibly adept at guiding the player to the place they need to be without them knowing it. [Issue#148, p.104]

Gearbox should be applauded for taking the first-person genre in a bold new direction, but during the bulk of the game, players must be willing to sit back and let the developer tell the story. [Apr 2005, p.104]

Almost exactly what we wanted it to be. Story mode and single-player antics are diverting enough but the game excels in multiplayer, offering fast-paced thrills that only the highlights of the "Unreal" series can really contest. [March 2005, p.122]

There’s a lot to love, really – it’s just marred by clumsy controls, one of the worst cameras in recent memory and some odd design choices. Provided you can form a strong enough bond with Trico that the curtain never drops to reveal the rusty old cogs that make the game tick, The Last Guardian is a beautiful and unique experience. But the second anything causes that curtain to budge, it becomes clear that it just isn’t very good at the fundamentals of videogame mechanics, and the beast is slain.

How does PES 2013 compare to FIFA 13? It's still very much an apples to oranges comparison, even with PES 2013 finally matching its long-term rival. FIFA excels in control, presentation and licenses while PES 2013 has depth, unpredictability and speed.

Aesthetically, Myst IV never fails to impress, but hunting for a switch or puzzle clue among the beautiful environments often comes down to simply sweeping the disembodied hand down the screen in the hope of finding something rather than relying on initiative and logic, fundamental aspects of the series that seem strangely absent outside the game's core puzzles.

The new features ensure an involving - not to mention time-consuming - experience and the darker, more mature theme is a welcome change from the Technicolor characters that most games in the genre spew forth. [Aug 2005, p.102]

Unfortunately, the extras and vehicle customisation can’t change the fact that the actual racing feels very average. The tracks seem to be more winding than the last game, which detracts from the feeling of speed, and the handling feels very sloppy when compared to other recent games in the genre. [Christmas 2004, p.117]

It might not appeal to everyone, but Ether One is an exceptional example of what can be done with simple game design. It has a quality not commonly seen in smaller indie titles, and the courage to do things a little differently.

We struggle to see how this handheld version of Arc's brilliant new fighter could be much better without an arcade stick peripheral. Which would be stupid. [Aug 2010, p.123]

While Underground tried to seamlessly mix its diversity, humour and gameplay, it was always obvious when you were being dragged away from the combo system at the heart of the series. Thankfully, THUG2 makes a much better fist of keeping classic Tony Hawk's gameplay at the heart of the tasks. Even when skating as Benjamin Franklin or a shrimp vendor, the focus remains on skateboarding. [Dec 2004, p.102]

For out money, however, the battles are all too often a test of patience rather than an examination of your ability to strategise efficiently. [Sept 2008, p.121]

We're already anticipating the next chapter in this fantastical fable. [Issue#142, p.112]

Highly entertaining and, above all, fun. Despite being filled with all manner of videogame cliches, Metal Arms somehow feels refreshingly new and not at all like the cobbled together title that it so undoubtedly is. [Christmas 2003, p.103]

Those used to the drama of Pro Evo may well be put off by some often dull matches, but as a simulation, FIFA 08 stands as another EA Sports success story. [Dec 2007, p.121]

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.

It feels almost like a full sequel. [Issue#150, p.122]

Enslaved's satisfying blend of narrative and gameplay is bang on the money. [Issue#102, p.111]

Fatshark is more than filling the L4D void.

It’s fan service, definitely, but not ill-conceived or exploitative in any way. [Mar 2009, p.96]

The best game of its kind currently available. [Aug 2004, p.110]

We finally have the game we hoped we were getting a year ago. Just. [Dec 2008, p.105]

A killer prequel that almost tops the original. [Issue#197, p.73]

Stunning, but undermined by microtransactions. [Issue#205, p.82]

After all those years of lamentation, the gamers, who truly remember finally get their dose of neat virtual snowboarding. Meanwhile, the series' newcomers will finally get why there was this legend status of "winter Tony Hawk" in the olden days - in a few hours of playing they are going to spread those legends too.

Most will likely find it a fairly inoffensive time-consumer. But it is a new low for the series. [Issue#139, p.90]

4A Games wear its influences on its sleeve, creating a first-person shooter of robust standard. Yet it gives little consideration to progression – in both terms of furthering either the genre or its own formula. Many of the mechanics that have survived the original game return stripped back in a misguided attempt to placate complexity criticisms, rather than exploring methods that retain strategy and heighten the overall immersion.

Puzzle Quest’s battles demand so much and give so much in return that players will find themselves hunting down every optional fight and undertaking each side quest in order to squeeze every last drop of gameplay from this utterly absorbing adventure. [June 2007, p.110]