No matter which side of the gaming coin you come from, this whole new universe of planets is the most inventive, exuberant and, yes, fun set of challenges and diversions yet seen in the platform game genre. It miraculously outclasses a game that many believed could not be bettered, and once again leaves us wondering just how close Nintendo's bar has come to reaching its theoretical peak.

We would never have thought that that by retreading the same patch of ground a studio could leave us feeling like we have just played one of the best videogames of all time. [June 2008, p.102]

If you’re not exploring the wasteland then you’re cheating yourself out of one of the best games in years. [Christmas 2008, p.94]

Reinvents a genre and unequivocally defines it in one fell swoop. [Issue#106, p.96]

In the vast majority of games, and particularly first-person shooters, quality is entirely dependent on minutiae such as weapon choice and enemy variety. In Bioshock these are merely details, adornments to a far deeper and more complete experience than any game since "Half-Life 2." [Oct 2007, p.104]

Sam Houser compared the making of Rockstar’s epic to the troubled production of Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, and in some ways the same result has been met: a product that represents the peak of the blockbuster triple-A form, that realises grand ambition without visible compromise.

We don't give out tens lightly, but we have to ask, what more could we have wanted from this game? What could it have offered that would have made it better? The answer is not much. Playing Super Mario Odyssey is to experience pure joy. We couldn't wish for anything more than that from this series or from Nintendo. [Issue#193, p.64]

As we begin to plan our eulogies for a truly superb console, how fitting it is that Sony delivers its final and finest offering. [Apr 2007, p.110]

It would be ludicrous to assume Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will appeal to everyone, but it is absolutely the best game in the series – and one of the best games we’ve ever had the privilege of playing.

Burnout 3 is special. It's not just another racing game, and despite lacking certain features car enthusiasts hold dear (such as customisation and ultra realism) it's easily the most fun we've ever had with any racing game. [Oct 2004, p.96]

Never have we played a game that punishes so much while constantly providing a reason to keep pushing on and see what brilliance lies beyond the next hurdle.

Gears Of War couldn't feel more vital. Some will see the future, some will see the past; we just see a truly great game. [Christmas 2006, p.96]

Despite all of the ways Mass Effect 2 is more engaging to play and explore, after 35 remarkable hours it was the characters that stayed with us… Game of the year in January? Oh, go on then. [Feb 2010, p.112]

Infinite is as lavish as it is cerebral, as difficult as it is accessible. It’ll be many different things to many different people, and it will be discussed, dissected and deified for many years to come...So, when will gaming have its Citizen Kane moment? Forget that. When will anything else have its BioShock Infinite moment?

Magnificent controls. [Issue#96, p.100]

Burnout 3 is special. It's not just another racing game, and despite lacking certain features car enthusiasts hold dear (such as customisation and ultra realism) it's easily the most fun we've ever had with any racing game. [Oct 2004, p.96]

The ultimate way to experience synaesthesia. [Issue#180, p.44]

Hitting the mark in just about every area, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is a stunningly considered improvement on its predecessor. Essential for fans of the series, it's also an adventure of tremendous substance and beauty in its own right.

Horizon 3 is the best open world racer in years. [Issue#180, p.76]

Overcooked will enter your regular game night rotation for years to come – it’s up there with the likes of Rayman Legends and Super Mario 3D World. If you need a new game to play with three friends, this is the one.

In creating the Minish Cap, Capcom has managed to bring back feelings we haven't experienced since the first time we went adventuring with Link; considering those are the feelings that made us love Zelda in the first place, that can only be a good thing.

As a story, it may well be lacking, but as a collection of expertly crafted play spaces where design and mechanics reinforce and respond to your agency in myriad delightful and engaging ways, Dishonored 2 is pure magic.

It’s an affectionately crafted homage to the first game, retroactively building on the grim story and Ayn Rand-ian themes, galvanising them with a fresh perspective whilst simultaneously tying Rapture more wholly into the Columbian narrative. It’s intelligent, indulgent and nostalgic in equal measure, left dangling on a transfixing narrative hook. It’s everything we love about BioShock, condensed.

So if you’ve played it before, you should leap on the opportunity to revisit The Wind Waker in all of its newfound visual glory. And if this is your first time tackling the hazardous waters of the Great Sea, feel free to view the below score as a horrendous insult.

It's a game of two halves, God of War. For the first dozen or so hours you may find yourself frustrated by the slow levelling up, a bewildering map system, and perplexing storyline stuffed with gated areas and treasures. Stick with it, though; the more you do, the more of the realms you'll open... and that's where the fun REALLY begins... Like Kratos, this game gets better with time. [Issue#200, p.70]

The remaster looks better than the low-budget releases we've played on the PS3, even at the end of its lifespan. [Issue#147, p.104]

Vanquish proves that there's still space for ridiculous dialogue, clichéd characters, amped-up power-suits and big guns alongside the Heavy Rains of the industry, as long as the intelligent gameplay structure is present too. And it is. Platinum Games knows how to craft a good videogame. It's as simple as that, and right now, the team is competing only with itself.

Vanquish proves that there's still space for ridiculous dialogue, clichéd characters, amped-up power-suits and big guns alongside the Heavy Rains of the industry, as long as the intelligent gameplay structure is present too. And it is. Platinum Games knows how to craft a good videogame. It's as simple as that, and right now, the team is competing only with itself.