A handful of minor niggles, like the inability to pause outside the start of your own turn, and the rather cautious approach of CPU competitors, detract little from an uncommonly smart and genuinely tactical game. It might have fared even better without its primary-coloured fripperies but Boom Street remains good enough to turn a blind eye to its rather untimely celebration of capitalism.

A hellish task worth undertaking. [Issue#115, p.105]

These robots have heart, but not depth. [Tested with HTC Vive; Issue#176, p.84]

It’s difficult to label Go! Go! Break Steady’s use of two genres as a hybrid, because the rhythm–action and puzzle elements sit side by side, rather than one informing the other in any inventive way. [Oct 2008, p.121]

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 presentation and entirely un-engaging story let it down, but the game itself is very much worth playing after those suffocating first few hours. [June 2006, p.127]

Tequila Work's debut's confident craftsmanship and considered design more than compensates for its shortfalls with the narrative's impact and the intermittently niggling handling. It's by no means a smooth ride, but this dank and desolate landscape is worth braving.

An enjoyable, recklessly fun game. [Issue#111, p.111]

Hopefully tri-Ace will revive these characters for a second game, which can fix the niggling flaws of this imperfect but enjoyable adventure. [Nov 2008, p.106]

In relation to the more arcade-based titles available at the moment this game is the leader of the pack, as it manages to deliver everything that makes street racing enjoyable at a high standard, in one neat package. [June 2005, p.106]

While really quite enjoyable in small measures (annoyances excepted), Untold Legends is a massively optimistic game and this is its ultimate downfall. [June 2005, p.100]

It's fair to say that playing Advent Rising is about as enjoyable as getting home from a hard day's work to discover you've been burgled. [Aug 2005, p.114]

Mafia III feels like a small miracle. A sandbox game not only with a cohesive story, but a cohesive story about a young black man waging war against white institutions – how the hell did this get made? On the surface, Mafia III is yet another sandbox crime game. But lose yourself to its machismo and tone, and verily, you will find yourself playing something you have never experienced before.

A survival game that embraces adventure. [Issue#201, p.88]

The touch screen is now just another method of input and, as such, a compendium of weak mini-games will no longer cut it as entertainment. [Mar 2006, p.122]

A rich, deep and insanely customisable world of strategy action awaits those brave enough to take on its steep learning curve and string of battles where a single mistake can lead to defeat. [May 2009, p.131]

While its story doesn't quite have the emotional heft it could have had with more character development, it nonetheless gives players a drive, and a reason to persist through a harsh world. [July 2018, p.73]

A brave, different twist on the survival genre. [Issue#176, p.80]

It’s one thing to put out a punishing game, but quite another to punish players for no good reason.

Far less engaging than it should be. [July 2018, p.70]

This game had enough potential to be one of the sleeper hits of the year. Sadly, that’s not going to happen. On the plus side, Overdose delivers what you’d expect. [Sept 2005, p.118]

We were disappointed when "Frontline" failed to take advantage of its World War II settings, but it's galling to see that EA still hasn't got it right with Rising Sun. If there's ever a case against World War III, then surely this is it. [Christmas 2003, p.100]

Family Ski comes highly recommended – even if only to soothe the pain of yet another blue-shell-related defeat. [May 2008, p.118]

The more you play, the more it becomes obvious that this is more than a case of shattered hopes. There are some serious issues concerning gameplay and enjoyment that leave this Star Fox game a fair way short of its predecessors. [Apr 2005, p.92]

Sadly, the promising squad-based interface is put to incredibly uninspiring use. Despite the impressive scope, this lacklustre playing experience offers little incentive to persevere and explore the strategic depth on offer. [Dec 2003, p.126]

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]

While it lasts, Cave's genre breakout does a great job of making you feel like a nimble little paper ninja. [Issue#110, p.128]

Impressive visuals aside, Maiden Of Black Water is unashamedly last-gen in design. It’s creepy enough to give you sleepless nights and the story’s better than that of previous games, but you’ll have to put up with occasionally clunky controls if you want to enjoy this tale. It’s just about worth it.