Better is good, but it isn't great. [Nov 2011, p.110]

Tired and lacking ideas, this is the most disappointing CoD in years that follows, not leads. [Christmas 2018, p.72]

It's fortunate the series can now rest on the safety net of online play and character customization because, without it this would be a slender, anorexic package - a tad ironic, when you consider just how much attention Namco has lavished on its buxom babes.

A great story mode and superb presentation, but gameplay clearly lags behind PES. [Dec 2016, p.70]

The best way to experience gaming's most loved, if not best, shooter series. [Dec 2016, p.76]

NBA 2K7 doesn't have the looks, but its solid on-court action puts you at the heart of the match rather than on the sidelines, with quick-fire tactics that you'd expect to see on ESPN. [Dec 2006, p.88]

A unique survival strategy story that really knows how to rack up the tension. [Issue#184, p.81]

Beautifully made if somewhat linear. Fun to play through even though the town is quiet. [Aug 2018, p.82]

Let's put it in football terms: PES = modern, continental manager. FIFA = Mike Bassett. Like Liverpool, FIFA has talent, but it could be a long road back to contention.

Vanquish plays a one-note song, but thankfully that note is 'slow motion exploding robot face'. [Issue#66, p.92]

There's wonderful art direction, fun combat, a great range of quests and some cute cutscenes. But it's the video game equivalent of a variety show. In offering everything, Darksiders II never once achieves greatness. Which is a shame, because if there is a Darksiders III at some point in the future the odds are it's going to be even broader.

A simple hit of pure nostalgia, pulled off with aplomb. Welcome back, hedgehog. [Nov 2017, p.83]

A great sim, but poor supporting features. [July 2009, p.95]

No surprises here. If you're in the market for an NFL game in 2016, look no further. [Nov 2016, p.79]

Ultimately, how much enjoyment you take will depend on whether you fall in love with the cartoonish characters and if you're willing to accept the ridiculous, convoluted plot. Darksiders is well made and passes the time, but it just lacks that 'wow' factor which would elevate it to greatness. There are far too many moments that you'll have seen a hundred times before.

It's accessible, it's fun and its destruction is novel enough to keep players entertained. If this was about breaking up the Rainbow Six Vegas and G.R.A.W. stranglehold on the squad combat genre, it hasn't quite pulled it off. It's not bad company for the night; it's just not memorable company either.

A smart puzzle-platformer contorted into a shape that doesn't really fit. When it remembers itself, this is another devilishly good sneak-'em-up, featuring a great bunch of gadgets, challenges and jokes.

Solid yet underwhelming, shadow fails to send Lara out on a high. [Dec 2018, p.75]

Stick with it and there's a lot to love here. [Dec 2015, p.77]

Brief, reasonably entertaining and mercifully cheap. [Feb 2012, p.103]

The actual action-adventure gameplay and the plot is pretty boring for all but hardcore comic book guys, but it's obscured behind a gloss of heroic RPG add-ons. [Christmas 2006, p.84]

If you're a metal fan, you'll love it. But if you didn't have to prise your fingers out of the devil-horn pose to play, you'll finish it in a day and feel underwhelmed.

One of the best sports franchises just got... exactly the same. [Xmas 2014, p.85]

There's a great game in Revengeance, buried under the rubble of a previous franchise collapse. With a little less zatsu and a little more dan, Platinum Games could be on to something.

Being the weakest episode in a series that's been so consistently amazing is hardly massive criticism, though. We'd felt quietly confident about it for a while, but the cliffhanger at the end of Episode 4 leaves us in no doubt: the final episode of is going to be an absolute corker. If you've not started playing, it's time to catch up.

A lack of decent advanced tutorials keeps the bats firmly separated from the boys and the likelihood of extensive replay fairly slim. But for fans of the DCU, it's show-stopping fun. It's the game we deserve, if not the one we need right now.

But casual strategy fans will enjoy dispatching waves of cavalry, artillery, and airplanes in head-to-head online multiplayer matches. Just be prepared to take a few beatings while you find your footing.

Just Cause 2 is undoubtedly an improvement on the first game. The grappling hook is still enormous fun - even more so this time around - and there's generally more variety in the missions. Sadly, it still follows its predecessor in regularly reaching points where none of the challenges on offer seem even remotely interesting.

When it works, Project CARS is unbelievably good. But overly-aggressive AI, odd collision physics, imperfect pad controls and several bugs mean it's just shy of greatness.

We can't wait to see what next year holds. [Dec 2012, p.97]

The core puzzling itself is horribly addictive. Poker Smash isn't going to make you want to eat ice cream-topped pizza but it is the perfect way to kill a few hours.

As valiant an attempt as its name suggests, but ultimately this is a story simultaneously too big and too personal for the tappy trappings it's been couched within.

If you want all the moves, entrances, costumes and storylines you know and love perfectly rendered, then this is a consummately crafted experience tailored just for you. Yet for the beat 'em up fanboy or non-wrestling fan - newbies beware! - this is going to be very short-lived entertainment.

A great retro RPG, but a few niggles make it tough to enjoy by modern standards. [July 2018, p.76]

If you don’t mind being killed by the odd nuke – how anyone can score 30 consecutive kills is beyond our tiny minds – PvP could swallow your damn life. Pair it with a gutsy (if insensitive) campaign, and this tonally conflicted series continues to stay relevant thanks to the best guns in the biz. [Issue#184, p.68]

A nicely remastered, pretty JRPG let down by a slightly dodgy battle system.

An old-school adventure that lacks new ideas but is beautifully put together. [March 2017, p.84]

Adults and older kids will probably vibe with the GTA-like open world a bit more, though the basic physics and challenges make it very 'GTA-lite', too. What's urgently needed, though, is a patch for the flight controls that make it a game best enjoyed from the ground, ridiculous as that is for a superhero game.

But the thing which pulls this down to a seven is actually its technical aspect - while diving in and out of the subgames would amuse, the constant loading pauses before most fracture its atmosphere.

This is imaginative and witty stuff. [Dec 2015, p.78]

So beyond the handful of menu options with flashing "NEW!" logos next to them, and the potential of the Story Designer to deliver some hilarious content, Smackdown vs. RAW 2010 doesn't do a great deal to progress the series. The sweat isn't even noticeably shinier.

It's still not as compelling as the show or the books, but The Sword in the Darkness at last has us intrigued for what future episodes will bring.

If you utterly exhausted last year's effort and are waiting for the revolution the series now sorely needs, keep on walking.

That Ubisoft saw fit to make a shooter for laughs is enormously commendable, and a step that we hope others will follow. But its commitment to dumbing down means that this is a pure-bred B-game rather than all-star A-lister.

A magical evening in, and makes you think in a way that's novel and immensely rewarding. But be warned: the limited camera, the fineness of the controls and the tribal AI will occasionally annoy you, and it leaves you positively starving for more.

It's a great game in short spurts, but isn't good enough to play in the big leagues. [Apr 2007, p.95]

The gameplay itself has changed very little. [Dec 2006, p.82]

This first episode falls a little short of expectations. [Feb 2015, p.80]

It has far too many rough edges. [May 2015, p.93]

Fans will love how Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 captures the look and carnage of Naruto's anime battling, but it's too restrictive and repetitive to convince as a standalone fighting game. [Apr 2016, p.89]

Capybara's created a truly new kind of shooter, both in-your-face and slyly intelligent - held back only by just how good its central mechanic is and how much more it could have been used for.

Ultimately, it's all about the online: if you have an active social life on Xbox Live then Skate 3 is near-essential, but otherwise you might as well stick to last year's version.

Warm and inclusive - if you've got the money. [Christmas 2012, p.96]

It's a decent tribute to an overrated series, and the ports are accurate - to a fault. [Nov 2015, p.87]

It's the same, but it's a good kind of same. [Oct 2007, p.90]

One of the better sci-fi puzzlers not starring GLaDOS, with plenty to keep grey matter happy. [Nov 2016, p.86]

It rivals Skyrim's scope, but as a genre piece (albeit a smart one), it lacks the other game's mystery - there's no craggy elusiveness, no glacial hinting at secrets beyond comprehension, to help you overlook the more familiar elements. It's less a world you discover, ultimately, as one you revisit, and that's a failing no amount of fancy footwork can disguise.

A charming game with a wonderful story, but let down by its repetitive combat grind. [Issue#194, p.78]

Simple but highly effective.

Pretty much "FIFA 08" with a new front end and 571 teams removed. [May 2008, p.80]

Despite its issues, there’s no question a lot of love has gone into Arise. This is a deeply personal story of love and loss, a point hammered home by affecting end credits where the team leave little messages of gratitude for their loved ones. Though this pumped-up OAP may stumble along the way, his time-tweaking quest ultimately rises above. [Issue#186, p.74]

Much improved, but still behind 2K10. [Christmas 2009, p.93]

Often entertaining but occasionally a bit of a slog. [Aug 2015, p.90]

Salt and Sanctuary offers a notably different experience from the Souls games anyway, simply because it’s presented side-on, but here in 2019, it faces some seriously tough competition in that space. Compared to Dead Cells, its combat feels positively sluggish, and its map can’t hold a gloomy candle to the exploratory delights of Hollow Knight.

Poor car handling pulls down an otherwise impressive package.

All in all, a decent package for Resident Evil 5 fans, especially those who have a partner to tackle Lost In Nightmares with.

Great new maps, but deleted scene too short. [Oct 2009, p.92]

Great in places, horribly sparse in others.

NHL 07's dual-stick control opens a new world of tactics, but "NHL 2K7" plays for pure fun and speed. [Nov 2006, p.98]

Mega tough, mega mean, mega good. [May 2010, p.103]

Burns bright, but won't last long. [Oct 2010, p.110]

Fun in furious bursts, Ubisoft's scrapper is simply too one-note to honour its potential. [April 2017, p.86]

Spectacular but spotty, this demanding sim both fulfills and frustrates. [Issue#225, p.76]

Because it's so similar to the previous games, we can't recommend this as a Must Buy to all - despite all of its cracking quirks it is just that bit too familiar. But if you're a Potter fan and/or looking for a game that both you and your kids can enjoy together, look no further.

It suffers from a slow and repetitive first act, but once Chloe and Rachel meet, sparks fly. [Nov 2017, p.74]

Meanwhile the wafer-thin story is told through ugly, badly acted cartoons that spoil the carefully presented atmosphere.

It's wonderfully creative and all it lacks is online co-op and a little more variation in its action. [Mar 2007, p.93]

A new Volta mode lights up a bumper footy package, but FIFA could do with an overhaul. [Issue#183, p.75]

User-unfriendly but eventually compelling. [June 2010, p.105]

The AI is exceptional and we found the middle level to be a good match for even experienced players. [Sept 2007, p.108]

A fascinating break from the RPG norm let down by terrible performance problems. [April 2017, p.92]

Easy on the pockets and surprisingly fresh. [Christmas 2012, p.97]

A rich sim that better captures football's unheralded midfield play. [Xmas 2014, p.84]

Tiger's looking a bit tired. [Aug 2010, p.107]

Heavily inspired by Hotline Miami, but sadly with none of its precision, purity or style. [Issue#178, p.84]

A game that feels both very new and very old at the same time. [Dec 2014, p.87]

A mishmash of all your favourite RPG classics, distilled into an ambitious colonial adventure. [Issue#183, p.89]

Decent game hindered by hidden costs. [Jan 2012, p.98]

Prototype is something of a mixed bag. It's not quite the empowering experience we hoped it would be, but there is something satisfying about leaping off the Empire State Building and slicing a man in half as you land with a giant mutant arm-blade.

This sequel feels like more of the same, but The Surge 2’s combat remains satisfying. [Issue#183, p.91]

A competent FPS with questionable jokes, entertaining gunplay and overlong missions. [Sept 2017, p.66]

As a roaming RPG it's fun, quirky and worth picking up; as a promo for the wider world of Naruto, it's excellent. [Dec 2007, p.94]

Probably cheaper to buy real gems. [Christmas 2011, p.109]

A decent tribute to From Software's masterpiece, elevated by its co-op mechanics.

Thoroughly competent and very handsome, Watch Dogs feels like it's too late to the party, and suffers with its confused tone, unlikeable lead, and a city that doesn't do enough to make itself distinguishable.

A replay of last year's glories. [Oct 2007, p.84]

"NHL 07's" dual-stick control opens a new world of tactics, but NHL 2K7 plays for pure fun and speed. [Nov 2006, p.98]

While the core game is arguably as fun as FIFA's it just lacks the depth to sustain the challenge. The gap has closed. Can PES regroup and build again to really challenge for the top honours next year?