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]

It may sound like a bad idea, but the surprising truth is that this mixture of genres works very well indeed, and there are plenty of inventive and unique features in Chaos League to silence those who bemoan the lack of innovation in modern gaming. [Sept 2004, p.120]

If you go with the flow of how you’re supposed to play Republic Commando this can be good fun. It is, after all, a Star Wars game and, for this reason alone, a small proportion of gamers will enjoy it. But pleasing a small number of gamers hardly sounds like the policy of the kind of republic we’d like to live in. [March 2005, p.96]

While we’ve all seen two dozen enemies cluttering up the screen while you hack into them for ten minutes by repeatedly hammering a single button, Dante’s Awakening does it properly. As with all the previous titles, the combat is superb. [Apr 2005, p.120]

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]

While Worms 3D essentially delivers what it says on the tin, in surrendering its intuitive interface the concept has evolved into a far less attractive proposition. A shame. [Dec 2003, p.126]

The best realistic boxing title we’ve played, and few fight fans will be disappointed. [Apr 2005, p.114]

If you go with the flow of how you're supposed to play Republic Commando this can be good fun. It is, after all, a Star Wars game and, for this reason alone, a small proportion of gamers will enjoy it. But pleasing a small number of gamers hardly sounds like the policy of the kind of republic we'd like to live in. [March 2005, p.96]

The best realistic boxing title we've played, and few fight fans will be disappointed. [Apr 2005, p.114]

A good-looking game that offers inoffensive, simple gameplay that's likely to suit the tastes of most gamers. Due to knowing exactly what you're meant to be doing at all times, it loses the complete immersion that games like "Beyond Good & Evil" and a few others in the genre have managed to accomplish, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. [Feb 2005, p.110]

The best realistic boxing title we've played, and few fight fans will be disappointed. [Apr 2005, p.114]

The game's return to the fundamentals of blocking, countering and simple evasion as opposed to the unnecessary abuse of 3D movement and stilted enclosed environments of the last two games helps reintroduce the skill element for those willing to learn. [Apr 2005, p.86]

If it weren’t for the fact that simply picking up the controller makes you by far the smartest racer on the course, GT4 would be perilously close to being the finest, most serious racing game ever made. [Feb 2005, p.8]

This is clichéd, tedious, frustrating nonsense, as archaic in its gameplay as it is banal in its story. [Sept 2005, p.120]

Unfortunately, the difference between what Crystal Dynamics wanted to do with Snowblind and the finished product is a crevasse that good intentions fall well short of bridging, leaving the game lying in a Wile E. Coyote-style could of dust at the bottom. [March 2005, p.110]

Kessen III manages to prove that strategy and fun aren’t mutually exclusive in the war sim genre. The series still needs to find the right balance between depth and instant fun, but this is proof that Koei is getting closer to the elusive formula with each sequel. [May 2005, p.106]

Unfortunately, the difference between what Crystal Dynamics wanted to do with Snowblind and the finished product is a crevasse that good intentions fall well short of bridging, leaving the game lying in a Wile E. Coyote-style could of dust at the bottom. [March 2005, p.110]

It’s good stuff, but not good enough to keep you playing for long without having to stifle a few yawns. What you’re looking at here is your standard hack-and-slash adventure that’s been brightened up with some impressive visuals. [March 2005, p.116]

With the unique interface proving both innovative and obstructive, a bit of the original’s spark has been lost in translation. [Feb 2005, p.88]

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]

The brutality of the battles is Shadow Of Rome’s saviour, ensuring the joys of arena battles outshine the gloom of the needless padding and provide guilty thrills that little else can offer. [Feb 2005, p.95]

It’s an unparalleled mess of a game that manages top bore and anger in equal measure, exhibiting the occasional glimmer of a good idea only to snatch it away and laugh in your face. [Apr 2005, p.116]

It still feels so right.. Sketchy music and coconut-sized pixels are a small price to pay for the chance to dabble with one of the finest two-dimensional beat-‘em-ups ever made. [Aug 2005, p.107]

The almost endless number of weapon, item and location combinations created by its randomly generated environments means you’ll never quite know what lies ahead, while the quest-led action and multiplayer functionality - particularly online - are compelling enough to keep you hooked for hours. [Apr 2005, p.108]

We'd struggle to think of a developer that does better-quality FMV than Oddworld Inhabitants; we've seen tangible, real-life things that don't look as convincing as some of the clips in this game. [Feb 2005, p.98]

As simple and addictive a puzzle game as we’ve seen in recent years, Zoo Keeper’s transition onto a handheld platform like the DS couldn’t have been more of a success. Tetris for the next generation? It’s certainly a close call. [Apr 2005, p.94]

The Punisher does exactly what it sets out to do. Picking up the controller gives immediate access to a theatre of death and destruction, and while originality is gunned down at some point during the first few levels, there’s plenty of fun to be had, especially for fans of the comic. [March 2005, p.106]

The Punisher does exactly what it sets out to do. Picking up the controller gives immediate access to a theatre of death and destruction, and while originality is gunned down at some point during the first few levels, there's plenty of fun to be had, especially for fans of the comic. [March 2005, p.106]