After several claustrophobic months of playing Close Quarters, Armored Kill is a relief. In Armored Kill you'll violently explore open fields, including the Bandar Desert, the largest Battlefield map ever. The Tank Superiority mode is an absolute blast too. [October 2012, p.78]

We love our PS3, but we love virtual board games as well. That is if they are any good at all, which the butt ugly Dungeon Twister unfortunately is not. Tutorials which seem to have no end and a lack of any form of offline multiplayer spoil the fun for everyone. [October 2012, p.78]

This rhythm game isn't played with a plastic guitar, but rather with a regular controller. Since Blitz is all about hi-scores it is more akin to the PS2 game Amplitude or Rock Band Unplugged on the PSP. The number of available songs is a bit on the low side. [October 2012, p.78]

Build Your AI is an ever so important feature for any couch strategist wanting to lead his favourite team to the Stanley Cup. You can adjust your team's approach line by line. If you have a couple of fast wingers, it might be a good idea to dump the puck from the back. [October 2012, p.76]

The gameplay is deliberately kept simple, but offers enough depth to sink your teeth in. A combination of light and heavy attacks doesn't surprise anyone any more, but Luffy and his buddies move in such an enjoyable way it kept us entertained. [October 2012, p.74]

F1 2012 is a beast. The feeling you get when you're racing neck to neck against twenty other great drivers, in what you could describe as a rocket on wheels, is simply amazing. Every take over, every crash sends the adrenaline flying through your veins. [October 2012, p.72]

In FIFA you can just as well give up when you're two goals behind. 0-2 means nothing in PES. In the majority of the games we played, Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 offered more spectacle than FIFA 13. Which could be a big advantage for PES. [October 2012, p.70]

It's a pity that your enemies can't transform themselves and the game only gets going when it puts you behind the wheel (pun intended) of the sneaky Cliffjumper in a level that feels like a tribute to Uncharted. It even has the same voice actor. [October 2012, p.68]

No matter how much physical pain we had to endure, we always had fun. To us, it was like rediscovering a lost love. It goes to show how useful a game (or better said: educational software) like Rocksmith can be. Almost anyone can enjoy it. Even an absolute beginner. [November 2012, p.82]

Online play will be the biggest difference maker for FIFA 13 and will directly affect even a simple game between two friends. Want to play a game of Man U against Man C, but both Van Persie and Balotelli were injured recently? Then the game will automatically limit your player selection. [October 2012, p.62]

It appears there is more to Pandora than just the monotone dried-out scrapyard we saw three years ago. Not only is there more scrapyard to be explored than ever before, it has also become much more varied. From green grassy meadows to rocky mountain villages and cold snowy fields. [October p.56]

If Capcom doesn't start treating this franchise with the respect it deserves, we fear the worst. Just like with Resident Evil 4, it's time for some drastic changes to bring the series back to the top of the bill. That is if Capcom still has the necessary talent. [October 2012, p.105]

Yet another SNK classic which has found its way to the Minis collection. A typical beat'em up straight from the eighties starring a certain Jackie who looks an awful lot like a certain other famous Jackie. A short game for a small price tag. [September 2012, p.87]

Rainbow Moon looks like an old school Japanese RPG, but it is actually made by Germans. It is a decent homage to JRPG's, but also made us long for the real classics. The combat system is great, but the excessive grinding sort of spoils the fun. [September 2012, p.87]

It easy to compare this first person puzzler to Valve's Portal, especially if you when you find out that Quantum Conundrum was made by the lead designer of the original Portal. Which also explains why , despite the shabby platforming, it's a pretty enjoyable puzzler. [September 2012, p.87]

Not that we have ever experienced it ourselves, but everything you get to see in the PS3 exclusive Dyad has to be similar to how the world looks when you are under the influence of certain "enlightening" chemicals. [September 2012, p.86]

In terms of gameplay you can still expect the same simple running around, talking to people and mashing buttons when you get attacked by a zombie. Story-wise however, this episode does what it needs to do. [September 2012, p.86]

Believe it or not, but Tony Hawk used to be hip. Recent failures in the franchise have forced the king of skating to step down, so Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD takes you down memory lane to seven stages from a better time. [September 2012, p.86]

It may sound like you will be doing nothing but shooting up the North Pole in this DLC, but actually there is only one snowy map to be found in the Guerrilla Mode. The other three maps also provide some excellent tactical action. [September 2012, p.86]

Despite Capcom's bandaging these games do show their age. Luckily the gameplay is truly timeless. These rail shooters are inspired by The House of the Dead, an arcade classic which was also remade recently for the PlayStation Move. [September 2012, p.84]

Besides the graphics, which look like they are from the early 2000's, and the horrible voice work (both Javier and his buddy Carlos sound like they were born and raised in Buckinghamshire), the compass and map marking system barely work and collision detection simply doesn't exist. [September 2012, p.82]

Tales of Graces F stands out from the crowd with its signature combat mechanic, called the Linear Motion Battle System, which has been around since the first game from 1995, but continues to evolve with each new chapter in the series. [September 2012, p.80]

As much as the developer values Spider-Man as a superhero, they seem to be an even bigger fan of a certain billionaire by day/vigilante at night called the Batman. It would certainly explain why this game is an almost exact copy of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. [September 2012, p.78]

Perhaps the biggest flaw is the lack of a sense of speed. You know there has to be something wrong when you're asking yourself whether the car is moving forward or the road and its surroundings are moving backwards. [September 2012, p.76]

The reason why we go into so much detail about the fighting system is because we've never seen such deep and expansive mechanics in an open world game. You will fight until your knuckles are covered in blood and still won't have had enough of it. [September 2012, p.72]

Old hats like us don't need convenient tips & tricks when faced with a seemingly unbeatable boss. Figuring out how to beat one of these gigantic culprits is half the fun and luckily Vigil Games understands this. [September p.66]

Tekken Tag 2 is just as much a party game as it is a competitive beat'em up, judging by the dozens of crazy customizations for each character. Everything from butterfly wings to waist doughnuts and an alien to put on top of your head. [September 2012, p.104]

This typical arcade racer will never truly surprise you, but offers a lot of racing fun. It's a pity that the AI will always keep up with you, to the point where they almost seem glued to your car and it's a shame there's no online multiplayer. [July 2012, p.93]

In Babel Rising you have to prevent hard working labourers from building the titular tower by conjuring wind and raining fire down on them. Fun and entertaining for a while, but also very monotonous. [July 2012, p.93]

If you're a fan of the television show, you might feel an irresistible urge to buy the official game. Especially since the voice acting, music and motion capturing are all wonderfully executed. Unfortunately those are the only things this buggy platformer does right. [July 2012, p.93]

In the second map pack of Battlefield 3, DICE clearly takes a cue from Call of Duty's signature gameplay by dumping the more open, sprawling battlefields the franchise is known for in favour of smaller, more intimate maps. [July 2012, p.93]

Episode II is certainly not a bad game, just a little bit uninspired. It also doesn't help that Team Sonic consistently breaks up the (fast) pacing of the game, resulting in quite some frustration. Less frustrating and even fun are the bonus levels who look like they've been hauled over from Sonic 2.[July 2012, p.92]

Mad Riders' set-up is as old as the ATV itself, a throwback to the classic over-the-top racing, but succeeds in giving it all a refreshing new coat of paint. And the best part is that can get all of this fun for the price of a single pizza. [July 2012, p.92]

The original is five years old, which you will probably notice because of the awful sound effects, but it is still one of the most in-depth fighting games of its generation. And Final Showdown is by far the best version, including the possibility to play online against other players. [July 2012, p.92]

Q-Games proves it still likes to experiment. Pixeljunk 4AM is not a game, but a music generator controlled by the PlayStation Move. It will definitely cheer up any fan of electronic music, but we doubt if it will keep you up until four in the morning. [July 2012, p.92]

After the dozens of cooking shows on television, it seems that even our PS3 won't escape the hype. Order Up serves us a Wii port and yes, it doesn't look very tasty. Just like with the Wii version you have to prepare ingredients and run your kitchen like a true Gordon Ramsey albeit with less cursing. [July 2012, p.92]

The biggest disappointment is the absence of Peace Walker, the only handheld game from the PS3 HD Collection. "Because you can download the original PSP version from the PS Store and the Vita upscales the game pretty well, we could reduce our production costs tremendously", Konami explains. [July 2012, p.90]

After thirty hours you're still discovering new islands in the enormous ocean surrounding Fenith Island. You're still trying to manage your plantations more efficiently or be a better cook. There are no tutorials, which means that you'll spend a lot of time wondering what you're supposed to do. [July 2012, p.88]

With the Gravlink - an alien, but poorly designed technology that Russ carries around on his back - you can pick up objects and throw them or lift enemies out of cover. Unfortunately the controls are so imprecise it takes ages before you get the right object to levitate. [July 2012, p.86]

It takes some time getting used to all the different sports, but once you've mastered them, winning becomes incredibly easy. The first time you set a new world record is thrilling, the third time in the same discipline, not so much. [July 2012, p.84]

Good or evil doesn't really exist in The Line, most of the time you have to choose between doing something bad or doing something very bad. Just don't expect any branching story paths, because The Line is about as linear as it gets. [July 2012, p.82]

There's no active dodging and opponents move like they're from a 90`s PC game. An absolute low point was when we were given control over an archer who slowly fired his arrows at his targets, his animation unhindered by the brutes who were slicing him to pieces with their giant axes. [July 2012, p.80]

It's clear that Insomniac was light years ahead of its peers. The combination of jumping, strafing and shooting incredibly fun guns is as addictive as ever. The graphics have also been beautifully upgraded. It's one of the best looking HD collections we've seen so far. [July 2012, p.78]

So let`s summarize: zombies, a cheerleader and a horny beheaded boyfriend rotting in front of the school gates. And let`s not forget that the 18+ rating isn't just because of a few rampaging zombies. There's a reason why Juliet just turned 18 at the start of the game. [July p.72]

Every time we solved a puzzle we found ourselves in a totally different locale. Behind the wheel of a car, on a barren surface of ice or right in the middle of an ongoing war. Are they memories? Fantasies? Or is the forest a dream world? And who is that guy with the shotgun?. [June 2012, p.104]

Every overly patriotic football fan - is there any other kind? - dreams about winning the European cup with his own country. In Euro 2012 that dream begins in the finals, since the qualifying rounds have been mysteriously forgotten. [June 2012, p.102]

During the very well written conversation we're often subtly reminded of the choices we made in the past. During the action scenes, the gameplay is simple, but effective. No half circles need to be made with the analog stick, it's all about mashing the X-button. [June 2012, p.100]

With a game title this weird, you definitely need a crazy story to match it. You're Doc Clock, an inventor who turned his cat into a plant and sent his time machine to the future, instead of the past. A future filled with clumsy platforming. [June 2012, p.99]

Despite its over-the-top tricks, the new SSX is quite serious when compared to its predecessors. Mt. Eddie brings back that little bit of extravagance the old SSX games were known for. Fireworks, giant billboards and funky disco lights bring a whole new level of spectacle to the game. [June 2012, p.99]

The characters support a little less detail, but when the body parts start flying you'll hardly have time to notice. The game runs smoothly at sixty frames per second and everyone who has already spilled gallons of blood on the PS3 will feel right at home. [June 2012, p.98]

Puzzle fan or not, you've most certainly heard of Bejeweled before. The gameplay is simplicity itself: shove gemstones of the same color against each other and they will magically disappear. And repeat that throughout the eight different modes, including four new ones. [June 2012, p.98]

Those who don't want to look like a fool dancing on a beer drenched floor at some random bar, can now look like a fool in their own living room, singing and dancing away. Especially the singing, since the Move doesn't always read your movements. [June 2012, p.98]

Once in a while you get a break from the shooter action in the form of a sea battle. With a single press on the L2 button you can command the human fleet towards the alien invaders. Unfortunately the strategy is about as shallow as the obligatory weather chat at the baker's. [June 2012, p.97]

We are afraid that a lot of newcomers will give up on Starhawk because of its sometimes overwhelming action. And they would be wrong, because once you fully grasp the Build & Battle concept, there's a very unique multiplayer experience waiting to be discovered. [June 2012, p.94]

You can mix and match potions, which is very addictive, but also makes you look like a 5-year-old as you're using the Move controller like a spoon to stir. Luckily these potions are really helpful and sometimes even necessary, thanks to the pretty tough boss battles. [June 2012, p.90]

The meter onscreen tells us that our car is a tiny bump away from the scrapheap, but it still drives like it just rolled out of the factory. A serious handicap in a game where carnage and damage is almost everything. [June 2012, p.88]

Saying Burning Skies is a bit too linear for its own good would be a little bit unfair since the FPS genre has become synonymous with heavily scripted and action packed events. But that's exactly what is missing in Burning Skies: the action. [June 2012, p.84]

The director of Devil May Cry is at the helm here (or behind the buttons, if you like), which makes Dragon's Dogma feel like a purebred hack & slash from time to time. Complete with different fighting styles and easy to use skills. [June 2012, p.82]

The game is a little bit more accessible than the franchise is known for, but that's not a bad thing. Future Soldier offers more variety than any of its predecessors and won't bore you a single second, since every time you get tired of sneaking, the game gives you an excuse to bring out the big guns. [June 2012, p.78]

The freedom that Gravity Rush offers is simply unrivalled. Only titles like Infamous or Prototype can offer a bit of competition and even those don't allow you to rush from one end of the city to the other in just a matter of seconds. [June 2012, p.76]

Rockstar proves it doesn't need bleak snowfalls, neon lights or long raincoats to conjure up a great film noir aesthetic. A darker game doesn't exist. The sinister atmosphere might be even a bit too depressing at times. [June 2012, p.72]

When it comes to graphics, Skullgirls is more than a match for its competitors. Still it lacks that finishing touch. We couldn't find a move list and even though twenty years ago we enjoyed discovering each character's move set, now we just want to jump right into the action. [May 2012, p.90]

Don't expect complicated controls or a deep, engrossing storyline, but 2D arenas that look like they have been puked on by someone who ate too many Smarties, a boatload of upgradeable weapons and two teams of three mercenaries trying to destroy each other's base. [May 2012, p.88]

It is nearly impossible not to compare Wheels of Destruction with Twisted Metal. Visually it all looks great, but once you get playing, you're immediately confronted with frustrating controls that will make you want to drive your car into a wall. [May 2012, p.87]

You probably saw this one coming from a mile away, but the latest DLC for Saints Row The Third is pretty over-the-top. Three missions may be a tad limited for the hefty price tag, but these are three great missions. [May 2012, p.87]

In its many trailers Sumioni: Demon Arts promised to make perfect use of the PlayStation Vita's unique capabilities and it actually does just that. Unfortunately the game is a bit of a one trick pony and turns into a grind pretty quickly. [May 2012, p.87]

Despite the game's age and thanks to the graphical update, the colorful environments still look beautiful, just don't expect any miracles from a game that's almost ten years old. The only thing that gets in the way of the fun you're having is the sometimes jittery camera. [May 2012, p.86]

The quests aren't as exciting as you might think. Especially since the world is about to end and all that. So cleaning the house of professor Slughorn for example isn't the kind of task we would bestow upon the chosen one. [May 2012, p.86]

Wrecked: Revenge Revisited is the spiritual successor of Mashed, a top down racer for the PS2 and a source of loads of fun back in the day at OPM. Even today the frantic gameplay still amuses, especially if you bring a few friends along for the ride. [May 2012, p.86]

We could imagine that you're probably still too busy with the main story of Reckoning to be worrying about DLC. But for those who are worried, there's already a first shipment of (pirate themed) DLC. Finishing Dead Kel will probably take you long enough for the next DLC to be released. [May 2012, p.86]

In 1982 Peter Pepper baked his first burger in BurgerTime and his cooking hasn't changed much since. This is still a simple platformer in which you have to pick up ingredients to make a delicious burger. Too bad that the transition to 3D made us feel a little sick to our stomachs. [May 2012, p.86]

We're pretty sure the guys over at Gaijin Entertainment mean well. They have genuinely tried to improve the mediocre X-Blades, but that game didn't exactly raise the bar for the genre. This time Ayumi (now with more clothes on) travels to - wait for it - Dragonland. [May 2012, p.85]

The three main protagonists have a friend list that is almost as extensive as that of a 15 year old girl on facebook wearing a push up bra. Meaning you have to be a pretty determined collector to unlock them all. [May 2012, p.84]

Even when nothing happens at all, you're still on the edge of your seat. And that's what makes Silent Hill brilliant. The game pushes you towards the edge, never giving you a moment of peace. It drags you up slowly like a rollercoaster, dropping you when you're never really ready for it. [May 2012, p.82]

Dante's walk is an awkwardness that constantly reminds you these are old games. Nevertheless: the atmosphere, the great voice acting and the cool battles are reason enough to add this collection to your... collection. Well, part 1 and 3, anyways. Just think of part 2 as a bonus. [May 2012, p.80]

Destroying stuff is the key element here. Unfortunately it isn't always clear if that one concrete pillar will break or bend. The destructible buildings are indicated with big, inviting signs, but only when you're boosting. [May 2012, p.76]

The Bio-Bomb turns your enemy into a ticking time bomb. While your victim explodes into a gory mess of tendrils, tearing his colleagues apart, Heller walks away as if nothing has happened. Because everyone knows: "cool guys don't look at explosions". [May 2012, p.105]

Journey isn't a game, it's an experience. An awe inspiring experience that will give goose bumps at every other turn. You will notice soon enough when you flying through the bright blue sky accompanied by creatures that look like the love child of an octopus and a flying carpet. [April 2012, p.98]

Bluff your way through a confrontation by aiming your empty gun at an attacker, forcing him back towards the ledge of a roof on a ten story building and then kick him into the abyss while screaming "This is Sparta!". [April 2012, p.102]

Anyone who has already played this tower defense game on the iPad will agree that it's one the most addicting downloadable games ever. The setup is simple: protect your home from vast hordes of zombies using all different kinds of veggies, plants and weeds plucked straight from your garden. [April 2012, p.101]

Not Escape Plan, but Tales From Space is the indie hit on the PlayStation Vita we've all been waiting for. A strange concoction of Katamari and Loco Roco that could have used a little bit more time and money for its visuals, but still shines because of its magnificent and pure gameplay. [April 2012, p.101]

The game is stitched together like a ragged doll, leaves it up to player to figure out what the hell he or she is supposed to do, lacks any notion of originality and looks like a first generation PSone game. Avoid this one at all costs. [April 2012, p.10]

It's like FIFA meets Buzz, fortunately without quizmaster Buzz. Anyone who thinks that a successful combination of these two genres is as unlikely as Fernando Torres scoring a goal, is sorely mistaken because Quizball is actually quite enjoyable. [April 2012, p.100]

Even though Tecmo Koei didn't make any technical sacrifices compared to previous outings in the series, they shun any form of innovation. The result is a very traditional hack & slash game in which the touch controls are only used in annoying mini games. [April 2012, p.100]

Luckily the gentlemen over at VooFoo Studios did their jobs quite well and provided this PS3 port with impeccable touch controls. Aiming, thrusting and adjusting the camera can be done perfectly with just one finger. [April 2012, p.100]

We would like to write that Sumo Digital has successfully transferred the PS3 version to the Vita, but alas, a whole list of shortcomings prevents us from doing so. The broken AI and broken controls ensure that you'll never cross the finish line in one piece. [April 2012, p.100]

The more you explore Silent Hill, the more it becomes clear that Vatra, despite its good intentions, simply lacks the necessary talent. The fighting system, for example, sucks monkey balls. In previous games you could opt to run, but Downpour forces you to a confrontation. [April 2012, p.99]

This is war in its most brutal form and as fans on the series know this translates into a merciless game with a complex control scheme, complicated menus and a shitload of different parts for your mechs. [April 2012, p.98]

The D-pad on the Vita is ideal to play this kind of game. And that's a good thing too, because we're not too fond of the touch controls. You can program certain button combinations on the rear touchpad, but it's so sensitive that you'll constantly be executing the wrong moves during a match. [April 2012, p.95]

Tiger Challenge is a remarkably addictive mode. For the first time in years we found ourselves guilty of trying just "one more time". And another one, until we got it right. Just so we could get started on the next challenge and repeat the same process all over again. [April 2012, p.96]

Without a doubt the best and most expansive BlazBlue out there, but we still expected a little bit more content. If you already have dowloaded all the DLC for Blazblue's previous outing, there's only one extra character two new modes. [April 2012, p.94]

MotorStorm Artic Edge was a decent PSP game, but failed to capture the awe inspiring violence the franchise is known for. So making MotorStorm RC a top-down racer was an incredibly smart move. Especially since everything else still feels like MotorStorm: the music, the menus, ... [April 2012, p.93]

After Ninja Gaiden came Black, which had better camera controls. After Black came Sigma, in which you had the blonde queen Rachel as company. And now there is Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus, with just as much blood and giant breasts as its PS3 counterpart, but with touch controls. [April 2012, p.92]

Despite its lengthy intro, it isn't quite clear who the Saints are, what they can do and why there is fighting to be done. Only those who know the original stories will be able to fully grasp what is going on. Luckily you do get a decent tutorial. [April 2012, p.90]

Instead of playing it safe after successfully replacing Crash Bandicoot with Jak and Daxter in The Precursor Legacy (and creating another fun, colorful platformer) Naughty Dog decided to throw everything overboard with Jak II and III. Even today we're still amazed by the radical changes. [April 2012, p.88]

Unlike its predecessor, which could be described as a brawler that focuses on brutal melee attacks, Dead Souls is a true third person shooter. Pistols, shotguns, machine guns: anything that smells like lead and gunpowder is used to blow those brain munchers back to Yomi. (You'll have to look that one up). [April 2012, p.86]

Split screen multiplayer is an absolute blast with four friends and contains more explosions than a toilet at a Mexican 'All you can eat' restaurant. Once you get used to the frantic gameplay, Twisted Metal offers an incredibly accessible multiplayer. [April 2012, p.82]

Birds of Steel might be a little dull, but developer Gaijin Entertainment does deliver on the technical side of the game. Not that we are experienced pilots, but the rumbling engines sound believable and the cockpit view is incredibly immersive. [April 2012, p.80]