The ending lets it down. The most intriguing story arc ends midway through, leaving a grander but less interesting twist to play out in an endgame that ties off the story in a clumsy and unsatisfying fashion. It's an ignoble end to a game that works so hard to keep you involved, but it doesn't stop the journey being a fascinating one, and something that manages to feel like an entirely fresh experience.

Champion Mode's story makes you care more about the fights. [Apr 2011, p.102]

The passion that BG&E inspires makes it too easy to gloss over the flaws - it'll take you a while to get used to the hyper-sensitive camera, the acting is choppy, and Jade's fighting style is uninspired. But this is a game in which killing comes second to the story, puzzles, the world, and the characters - it's 10-15 hours of genuinely compelling pleasure.

More Fallout 3.9 than 4, but still absolutely essential. Skyrim 2 has a hard act to follow. [Jan 2016, p.67]

Mixing tense action sequences and clever character development with thoughtful scripting and meaningful dialogue, Cry Wolf is a spectacular end to an excellent series.

This is the most polished and satisfying platformer on Xbox 360. It's another masterpiece from Montpellier.

GRAW is brimming with atmosphere, has brilliant, open levels and challenging AI that will put your shooting skills to the test. [April 2006, p.74]

The best sports game on Xbox Live Arcade. [Feb 2008, p.103]

In some ways there are only marginal and cosmetic differences from Mortal Kombat XL. That’s no bad thing, as fans of the series as well as fans of NetherRealm’s last fighter, Injustice 2, will be comfortable with the feel and mechanics, but those tweaks and enhancements, as well as the excellent story mode, mean that with MK11, Mortal Kombat has pretty much now been perfected. [Issue#178, p.75]

Battlefield 4 combines a middling campaign with some of the finest larger-scale online warmongering ever conceived. As a package it constitutes extraordinary value. Levolution aside, it hasn't reinvented any shooter tropes, but it has refined and improved them to impressive degree.

The best fitness title on the Xbox 360.

For a game that's sometimes frighteningly unfair, it's shocking just how compelling Dark Souls is. While the first game was merely ruthless, its successor feels like full-on psychological warfare - we've played difficult games before, but this is the first we've seen that actively seems to be conspiring against you.

There's no downside, save an easily-forgiven sense of familiarity and the absence of online co-op. You can't even resort to the usual retro-gaming caveat of high difficulty - the learning curve is perfectly judged, the checkpoints agreeably spaced. This is the year's best platformer without the faintest shadow of a doubt.

Trine 2 is a vivid and stunning game that spins the colour wheel on nature. It's completely absorbing as a single-player experience and bawdy puzzle fun with company. Just remember to turn on the unlimited mode and get stuck in.

In terms of the resolution and textures, it's certainly a lot crisper. Design intricacies can now been seen smattering aspects of the world which could not be made out in the infamously grimy original. The subtle texture of your falconer armour, for example, can be appreciated in all its stitched up glory, while the rivets of a buckler, should you be working on your parry hand, look like actual rivets, rather than indistinct smears of non-detail.

The main reason you'll keep returning to DJ Hero 2 is for a love of the music. Simply playing along with any of the tunes in the game is a thoroughly entertaining experience - particularly when you get the chance to commandeer the crossfader or perform some freestyle scratching and sampling.

Forza Motorsport 4 is a racing game that tries to be all things to all people, and you know what? It actually pulls it off.

Perfectly priced, and long enough to leave you satisfied but with room for dessert, this is a fantastic family-friendly puzzler that deserves a place on every Xbox One.

The best puzzler on Xbox Live Arcade. [Jan 2008, p.98]

A stonking update for a forgotten classic, complete with all new bells and [rave] whistles. [October 2018, p.88]

A stupidly fun fighter: fast, aggressive and oozing with love. [March 2018, p.74]

A comprehensive off-field package that also delivers on its perfectly manicured turf. [Dec 2018, p.78]

Strong, satisfying melee combat and smart levels make for a great sequel. Best with friends. [October 2018, p.92]

Still brilliant, even by today's standards. [Dec 2006, p.99]

There are very few ways that Gears of War 2 could be improved on. Only the story and the final boss in particular are a slight disappointment. Fanboys will love the fact that only one of a multitude of story arcs is concluded; everyone else will feel slightly unfulfilled. But aside from this, Gears 2 is not just the most exhilarating game you'll play this year, but possibly the most heady and downright shocking piece of entertainment full stop. Hollywood, your days are numbered. [Dec 2008, p.61]

Xbox's underrated sports sim delivers again - digitised hockey has never been better. [Dec 2018, p.83]

A beautifully executed stealth game. [May 2016, p.76]

At 800 MP, Forces of Nature is hard to resist. Epic's final and most dramatic dose of Season Pass content turns out to be its most conciliatory, a club sandwich of new and warmed-over jollies that belongs on every menu.

On the surface this might look like just another pixellated roguelike, but enter the nightmarish rabbit hole and you'll find a mastery of the genre that is relentlessly addictive. [Oct 2015, p.84]

The best bit of Fallout DLC so far.

Simply a must-have puzzle game. [Sept 2010, p.101]

Shadow Complex is a stunning demonstration of what you can squeeze onto the service. Play it, marvel at it, and hope that it's the future of downloadable games.

If you never played RAGE, buy it. Then buy this. Play it, love it, and when the "Insert Disc 2" prompt pops up, simply walk away, smiling.

Madden 11 is without a doubt the best American football game on the Xbox 360. [Issue#65, p.85]

Hydro Thunder Hurricane is absolutely what we hoped it would be - a colourful, anarchic arcade racer. Your mileage will vary depending on how gripped you are by score chasing, but the multiplayer should keep you busy - not least because you can bring three split-screen friends online with you. For a measly tenner, Hydro Thunder Hurricane is a steal.

Like all things immoral, this is tremendous fun. Buy it now...No better way of spending 400MP. [Dec 2007, p.109]

The story has a lot more heart than any movie offering from the DC Comics stable. [Sept 2017, p.65]

Diablo 3 isn't an experience for the time-poor, though it's surprisingly possible to nip in for half an hour, just to level yourself up. But treat it like a casino: set yourself a limit, and stick to it. Otherwise, you might find yourself wide-eyed on Nephalem Glory at 5am.

Instantly arresting and emotional. An almost flawless start to the series. Recommended. [Dec 2018, p.90]

Ubisoft has taken a huge gamble by not making wholesale changes to Rainbow Six Vegas 2, but it's come up smelling liike roses. It's still one of the very best-value, high-quality FPS packages available on the 360. [Apr 2008, p.72]

Those worried that World War II has been done to death, fear not. Treyarch's willingness to push the boundaries has uncovered a side to the war few developers even knew existed, and we'll be damned if it doesn't make for one hell of a game to boot.

As good as we were expecting and hoping, it delivers on its promise to make an 'always on' Xbox Live race world, plus the car handling, sheer size of its island and the way you're left to make your own fun in your own way makes it a breath of pine-scented air in this world full of bland race games. [Oct 2006, p.108]

It’s the realisation of a vision Rocksteady has been working towards since 2009. Now that gaming tech has finally caught up, we’ve been given the swansong the Dark Knight deserves.

This is how re-releases should be done – Ninja Theory has put a lot of love into emphasising what was great about DmC, and fixing all the niggles that could realistically be fixed. Thoroughly recommended.

The car handling is incredibly complex and varied, and the superb modding Garage lets you tweak handling beyond belief - but only if you want. [July 2007, p.88]

Juggling impossibly huge gaming areas with varied, consistent, imaginative gameplay, it has managed to create a slice of Southern American comic violence that begs to be played. [Oct 2006, p.64]

Ironically, Fight Night Round 4 may be the best argument for banning boxing yet. After all, when a game can get this close to the fluid, organic technicality of the real thing, why does anyone need to get hit in the face?... Solid, satisfying and totally revolutionary. [July 2009, p.81]

Yooka-Laylee smartly ditches 3D to instead focus on perfecting 2D platforming. [Issue#184, p.77]

Narrowing its scope may make purists moan, but we've never played a more enjoyable Deus Ex. [Oct 2016, p.91]

The game's brilliance is distilled in those heroic moments where you shunt the person in first, whip past and then execute a perfect drift between two mines on the final corner of the final lap. This is the Xbox 360's slick, stylish answer to Mario Kart and we absolutely love it.

If you missed the cult the first time round, now is the time to jump on board. If you are already part of the cult, we know you'll be playing this right now.

Relentlessly clever and deviously charming. [May 2012, p.85]

A sensitive portrayal of mental illness and rigorous combat: Hellblade is almost perfect. [June 2018, p.84]

One of the best indie titles since Limbo. [Sept 2015, p.98]

This year’s PES has improved its game in all the right areas of the pitch, resulting in a pulsating, best-in-class football sim – although there’s room for improvement presentation-wise.

It's one of the best shooter-stories we've seen in years - justifying its own ludicrous nature in interesting and unexpected ways. If the ending didn't feel like such a cop-out, The Darkness II could have been on par with BioShock. As it is, the gripping narrative and wonderfully empowering combat mean you'll be talking about it for months after completing it.

Enormous, intelligent, wily - a true dragon. [Sept 2007, p.98]

Red Dead's outstanding DLC in a box. Simple as.

Everything about the world revolves around entertaining you, whether it's the wide scope of murder-options or the amazing dialogue in between. Whatever kind of killer you decide you want to be, Absolution is an unmissable hit. [Dec 2012, p.68]

The brilliant thing is how carefully stage-managed this madness is... A bizarre but brilliant online brawler. [May 2012, p.98]

A confident step up from the already impressive first part and a tantalising taste of what's still to come. [Nov 2014, p.90]

The oddest thing about Oddworld is that nobody's managed to do this kind of game better. An accomplished update of a grotesquely sophisticated platformer that'll turn the stomach of any carnivore.

Original, beautiful, and one of a kind.

Fallout: New Vegas does betray the age of its engine every now and then, but it also shows why it has aged so well, powering the same tasty mix of great gameplay, endless side-quests and a world to get lost in.

A fantastically substantial fighting game. If Marvel vs Capcom 3 was too wacky for your tastes, this sits comfortably between it and Street Fighter IV on the lunacy spectrum. The tag mechanic is brilliantly robust, there are loads of new moves to master and the Tekken characters slot in more comfortably than a bum in a favourite armchair. Welcome to your new favourite fighting game.

A surprise gem, particularly in co-op. Be prepared to put in a bit of learning time, but it's well worth it so you can appreciate the unusual freedom at your fingertips. Also: you can talk to dogs. [Christmas 2015, p.69]

While the [single-player] combat is still brilliant and it looks a lot better, the unskippable cutscenes, unvaried locations, irritating characters and mini-games all really grate. However, adding in the much improved multiplayer with a variety of cool vehicles, Treyarch has really rounded off Infinity Ward's vision. [Dec 2006, p.90]

Rupturing quality and oozing tension, this is stealth gaming of the highest calibre, full of imagination and augmented by an excellent two-way Trust system that leaves you pondering every choice you make and then having to deal with the consequences. [Nov 2006, p.8]

Street Fighter nuts will already have bought this without a second thought; if you remember the good old days of 2D fighters, this is the pinnacle.

As a tech demo of Xbox 360's power and a showcase of how fast, skilful and enjoyable simple online battling can be when it's taken back to basics, there's nothing better around right now.

This ninja is marked for greatness.

Arguably, Geralt's greatest quest yet. An excellent tale, confidently told and at a bargain price. Essential. [Christmas 2015, p.86]

Whether chatterbox, lone wolf, newcomer, or old hand, Destiny 2 is unmissable. [Nov 2017, p.70]

This exceptional tactical stealth game gives new life to what was a tiring genre. [Nov 2017, p.80]

Ori and the Blind Forest is a beautiful picture book... that slams shut on your fingers. Get over the initial shock, and this challenging, thoughtful puzzle platformer is an adventure to cherish.

If you know anything about good games, you'll love it as much as we do. [April 2006, p.70]

The combat is gripping, taking a successful formula and bulking it out in ways that make it more demanding, tactical and entertaining...You're expecting a 'but', and we've got one. The only place where Infinite falls any distance short of brilliance is in its own audacious plot.

If you've a nostalgic bone in your body that needs breaking, this is the game.

Though the single-player provides some feasible outcomes to the what-if scenarios posed by the desperate fiscal, military and political interests of the superpowers in Kazakh oil, the multiplayer provides a more realistic answer to what might happen - endless, bloody, war.

Artorias of the Abyss successfully revitalizes your initial wonder through Dark Souls' world, and for that it's worth every Microsoft Point.

Despite some slight technical let downs, and a few underwhelming aesthetics, Brothers is a rather beautiful tale of love and loss, of fables and fairy tales, and of family most of all. [July 2013, p.78]

It’s by no means a flawless victory, but The Witcher 3 is a remarkable, if uneven, adventure that we’ll be dipping into for months to come.

The story isn't amazing, but it takes a cheerful back seat to spending time with the characters we've all grown to love over the last five years. And, best of all, nearly all of the loose ends are tied up. In single-player it's easily the best game of the series - and online the Horde, Deathmatch and Beast modes stand a good chance of making you forget about Battlefield and Call of Duty. Bravo, Epic.

Improves on the original in almost every way. [July 2010, p.90]

A glorious example of how much fun there is to be had when you let rip with both barrels. Screw reality - ridiculous overblown madness like this is exactly why video games are so great. Thanks for justifying our pastime, Volition.

An unexpected Xbox One knockout and a year-on-year improvement in every respect - but its spectacular visuals make the clunkier elements painfully obvious.

Of the five there's only one genuine dud. Phu Bai Valley is an indistinct, formless and aesthetically muddy mess, made even worse if you play it in Rush mode with its arbitrary barriers. The other four, however, are some of the best Battlefield maps we've seen.

A clever and absorbing interactive story set in an expertly built sci-fi world.

A beautiful and haunting exploration of life, death and family tragedy.

The best in the series by some distance.

Star Wars fans, LEGO fanatics or lovers of the first game will be in ecstasy. A must-buy. [Oct 2006, p.94]

What Dark Souls does, more than any other game, is make challenges that once felt utterly impossible, possible - when the only thing that has changed is you and your understanding of the situation. It may take ten passes at a foe before you even begin to feel out its defences and formulate a strategy, but when that glorious killing blow finally comes, you'll know you've earned it. And that's an incredible feeling.

A game of rich variety and strong personality that never gets boring over its ten essential hours - many more if you stop to check out the full and entertaining world... It's shorter than GTA IV, for sure, but it's also much sweeter. [Sept 2012, p.82]

Smart, spooky and psychedelic, this thrusts you into its story, whirls you about and leaves you dizzy. You'll hate and enjoy your stay in equal measures - in the best possible way. [Apr 2016, p.76]

An imperfect but utterly unmissable tour de force of multiplayer design, bustling with so many new ideas that it's a wonder it doesn't fly apart in mid-air.

Bungie has delivered an excellent Campaign mode, arguably the best multi-player experience on any platform and almost endless replay value. But Halo 3 scores most highly for artistic vision, capitalising on all of the series' greatest visual motifs.

Beneath the visuals and the voice-over, Bastion is actually a fairly standard action RPG, but the abundance of different challenges and puzzles, combined with that beguiling narration, makes it something rather special.

It's not perfect, but Hot Pursuit is still the kind of collision between Criterion and Need For Speed you'd hope for. It pays respect to the classic NFS games, borrows the best bits from Burnout and is a technical masterpiece. The chase to reclaim NFS's once legendary chart topping form is well and truly on.