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.