The battle mechanic is intuitive, but hides a tactical edge. [Nov 2011, p.118]

Changes are few. [Nov 2011, p.117]

It may sound strange but, where FIFA might be the better football game this year, there's an argument for PES being the better videogame. [Nov 2011, p.115]

The series' high point so far. [Nov 2011, p.114]

There's definitely enough to do while we're waiting for that multiplayer update. [Nov 2011, p.113]

Cold War's sense of fun is backed up with a more measured, rewarding battle structure. [Nov 2011, p.112]

Beneath lies a pretty average shooter - one that with a little more thought and ambition could have easily been something more memorable. [Nov 2011, p.111]

It's initially compelling, but starts to feel shallow as combat becomes a grind, and a nagging wish for more of RPG elements creeps in. [Nov 2011, p.110]

In the most competitive genre in gaming Bodycount just doesn't measure up, and certainly doesn't get anywhere near the brutal brilliance of Epic and People Can Fly's Bulletstorm. [Nov 2011, p.108]

Still a little too much like looking at a table. [Nov 2011, p.107]

Bland gameplay and weak narrative implementation. [Nov 2011, p.106]

Despite its good ideas, Nuclear Dawn's rough edges, particularly on the FPS side, mean curious players will check it out, but they might not stay for long. [Nov 2011, p.104]

A groundbreaking moment for the future of virtual football. [Nov 2011, p.102]

A real tour-de-force for both a developer best known for comic mischief and a franchise that seemed doomed to eternal mediocrity. [Issue#114, p.92]

A triumphant mix of masculinity and pastiche, an excitable exercise in action gaming that moves the genre forward into exciting new territory, by taking the sim side out of the equation and focusing on the most important thing: action. It's ridiculous in every sense of the word, from the controls to the combat, but it remains an undeniable thrill throughout.

Turn 10's sublime handling model accommodates newcomers and veterans alike, a system that can be tweaked to sit anywhere between 'real car' and 'videogame' settings as the player sees fit. Online functionality is as impressive as ever too, the auction house and plethora of racing options joined by Autolog-style Rivals hot lap challenges to ensure that Forza 4 genuinely has the ability to last forever.

Striding purposefully along the history of a genre it created, id has plucked the best ideas from four generations of first-person shooters and woven them into something not especially original, but truly exceptional nonetheless.

A fine example of how great forethought and a less than tepid attitude towards taking risks pay dividends in the hands of real gamers. It is nothing short of extraordinary, though perhaps a couple of years on from Demon's Souls, it is also less surprising.

It might not be the most robust or laugh-out-loud funny game in Twisted Pixel's catalogue but based on entertainment value, ingenuity and the way the game works around Kinect's foibles rather than pushing its luck and falling down, it'd be downright criminal to deny the talented studio those few dollars more.

Stood side by side with its predecessors, this third and final hurrah is less a dramatically pitched revolution and more a masterfully sculpted evolution, as while the graphical depth, online functionality and cover mechanics are some of the best in the business, when contrasted with Gears 2, they're incremental steps rather than thundering leaps.

Instead of embracing the technology on its own merits, the game is actually more an exercise in forcing Kinect to ape the functions – sometimes for good, but mostly ill – of a standard controller.

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

One of those games where the satisfaction is drawn as much from exploring the world as it is from attaining absolute victory. [Issue#113, p.116]

The main game strikes enough of a balance between accessibility and challenge that it'll likely keep you shooting away the hours without you noticing them pass. [Issue#113, p.114]

Every now and then it just hits that level of cool we all want from a Driver game. [Issue#113, p.112]

It's both a sensory delight and a genuinely brilliant score attack game.. not a combo many games can claim to pull off to this high standard. [Issue#113, p.111]

Fans of the genre will appreciate the smart, varied nature of the concept, and the ethereal, abstract art style. [Issue#113, p.110]

A game that's less concerned with making you think and more with making you feel. [Issue#113, p.106]