Rough around the edges but with a very shiny centre, and the toughest race on Xbox. [June 2018, p.88]

Oxenfree's easy to like, with its inspired dialogue system feeling like a step forward for this genre. It's the lack of challenge and compelling gameplay that leaves it a few steps behind.

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.

It's the sort of game that, when things are going badly, leaves you spending a lot of time not being able to do anything about it. You've made a mistake, and now you have to sit back and twiddle your thumbs.

The best version of a still great online co-op shooter. [Sept 2015, p.104]

A bold, singular adventure that occasionally touches on greatness. [Oct 2016, p.101]

The exact antithesis of Titanfall. [June 2014, p.84]

It's the story that shines here. All pretense of historical accuracy has been thrown out of the window, and it's the most absurd Assassin's Creed plot yet - which is saying something.

With a bit of selective breeding Massive Chalice could be a marvel - as it stands, it’s a charmingly weird, if slightly too slim, take on the XCOM formula.

Great parts, sloppy construction. Will take you to the moon, but maybe not back again. [Oct 2016, p.104]

There's hidden depth beyond the ugly exterior. [Nov 2014, p.87]

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

Light on action and adrenaline but filled with atmosphere, this isn't your typical Xbox game - and all the more powerful for it. A luxury purchase, but an experience to savour. [March 2016, p.77]

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

Looks great, sounds utterly terrifying and proves the old formula can still scare. But partner-swapping remains tedious and unintuitive. Why do a remake if you just leave the greatest flaws unfixed? [March 2016, p.81]

It looks and sounds the part, but the table layout can feel a little claustrophobic. [Nov 2014, p.91]

With a little bit more polish this could have been a home run, but as it is, it slides safely into first base. [Feb 2016, p.87]

Obsidian does try new things out and the Onyx engine looks great, despite a slightly claustrophobic camera. But the actual game is... well, it's either dated or classique, depending on your willingness to use words like classique. Dungeon Siege III comes with a moderate recommendation - but you'll have a lot more fun discussing strategies with a friend.

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.

There's more content here than you can shake a frog at - a lot for 800 MS points - and with XBLA exclusive game modes such as a weekly resetting challenge mode and the one-life, no restarts 'Iron Frog' campaign this is a rare catch, but it fails to detract from the feeling that this game belongs more on a phone that your 360.

Iffy submission system aside, this is the smoothest and most authentic WWE game to date. [Christmas 2015, p.74]

Plenty of options, game modes and good fun. [Feb 2008, p.102]

Wolverine looks great, and deserves recognition as a game that's far better than it had to be. It's not perfect, and it doesn't feel finished, but it's coherent enough to gloss over the cracks and forgive the glitches.

A huge, beautiful zone to play in, but it offers little new and the quests are merely decent. [Feb 2016, p.89]

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

Low-budget, yes, but there's a beating heart here behind the technical misery. [Christmas 2015, p.78]

Does what it says on the tin rather well. [Mar 2009, p.94]

It's also very short. Laserlife tries tackling existentialism, but doesn't have the space to do it. [Christmas 2015, p.83]

Ultimately, this is still the same old Switchball that it ever was, just with one less thing to bitch about. [May 2008, p.92]

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

So addictive you'll be playing for weeks. [Jan 2010, p.108]

This year's instalment still provides enough fan-service to make the hardcore throw their money into the ring, but it doesn't offer enough mass-market appeal.

Downpour is an engrossing, eerie play, but it's simultaneously empowered and constrained by its necromantic heritage. There are two sides to every Silent Hill, and like every studio since Team Silent, Vatra hasn't brought enough to the party.

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

Workable horror, but missing some charm. [Mar 2009, p.86]

The sad thing about BBR is the lack of variety. [June 2007, p.97]

Wickedly funny and not afraid to make you work, Yooka-Laylee is diabolically fun. [June 2017, p.69]

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

My thoughts on Vergil's Downfall in a nutshell? Played it. Liked it. Now, I just resent the extra step it puts in the menu system between me and Danté Must Die.

A title that feels like it's gripped by identity crisis, unable to let go of its F1 origins to the degree required to be a great karting game. Instead, we get a curious hybrid that's fun, but not essential for either end of the market.

The slithering feels fantastic despite a few slip-ups. An enjoyable, if a little frustrating, game. [June 2017, p.74]

As it stands, the interface is slick, the presentation is pleasantly simplified and chunky, and the unlocks will keep rewards flowing for a long time. It's one of the best poker games we've ever played - but until prizes are added into the mix it doesn't stop the whole concept of risk-free poker from feeling fundamentally pointless.

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]

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.

A decent-enough but sadly cramped and wayward take on a classic stealth franchise.

As it stands, it's a polished outing for a much-loved pile of robots, and though it costs twice as much as the second film on Blu-Ray, it's about seven times as enjoyable. The maths speaks for itself.

The combat isn't as good as it should be, which sadly lets down what is otherwise a solid acrobatic platformer with cunning puzzles, set in a dazzling futuristic world.

Given that FIFA 12 is crammed with modes and teams, FIFA Street feels lightweight, with only a handful of licensed club leagues on offer and a main menu bereft of choice. Still, if you're getting bored of FIFA and like your football a little more vibrant, this is a decent if not essential choice.

Popcorn shooter that's fun but unoriginal. [Oct 2009, p.88]

Had this been a £39.99 retail game like 2010 FIFA World Cup was then we'd be coughing "rip-off" under our breaths, but kudos to EA for giving UEFA Euro 2012 a price tag that reflects its likely lifespan.

Its sledgehammer subtlety is balanced by a genuinely good heart. [March 2015, p.76]

Sleek, sleazy and stylish, but lacking the punch and mouldable story that we crave. [June 2017, p.86]

Joyous and colourful, it's a shame that the motion tracking can be off at times. [Xmas 2014, p.79]

If you've got the Xbox 360 version, there's little reason for you to trade up. [March 2015, p.77]

It's still a fantastic football game and will get you in the World Cup spirit but don't expect to be playing long after the real tournament ends. One to get if FIFA 14's starting to feel a bit too familiar.

It's a graphically functional, perfectly playable plug-in for those who want a quick game of chess. Nothing more, nothing less. Just chess.

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

Convoluted levels can lead to tiring exploration. [March 2015, p.82]

Everything it does is solid, workmanlike and shipshape; even the plot has slightly more class than other generic World War II games, tracking two friends and their gradual promotions from Pearl Harbour to being leaders at the mighty sea-battle of Midway. It’s not funny and it’s not clever, but it is slightly more subtle than most of the ham-fisted war stories we normally get. However, the game doesn’t move beyond competent and it’s hardly the most graphically wonderful title – outside of cutscenes, it does betray its Xbox and PS2 origins regularly.

Not nasty enough and not scary at all. [Dec 2007, p.92]

Jet Set Radio may have lost the graphical novelty that made it the jaw-dropper it was back in 2000, but it still has the warm attitude, inexplicable storyline, and outstanding soundtrack that make it such a lovable bastard.

Feels surprisingly fresh. [Xmas 2014, p.85]

It's flawed, sure, but it doesn't stop the game from being fun, and it's certainly above the typical standards of movie-licence games nowadays. The game challenges your finger-mashing skills, not your puzzle-solving ability, though, so as long as you don't expect a deep, involving cranium workout, you won't be at all disappointed.

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

It's lovely, it's sweet, it's funny, but it's only a few hours long, even if you're taking your time. [Xmas 2014, p.86]

Basically, come along for the laughs. [Apr 2014, p.93]

If you've never played Far Cry before and don't mind your eyes recoiling into your sockets every time you see another monstrously rendered native, pirate or insurgent, then this is a good deal.

There's a touch of imprecision that can make platforming a little on the sluggish side. [Christmas 2013, p.105]

It represents the sport in a grittier light than the super-polished Fight Night series.

A satisfying if uninventive tribute to the new era of dark, narrative platformers.

The ultimate Sega party game. [Apr 2008, p.90]

Pretty ugly, but it has a nice personality. [Sept 2008, p.84]

Good stuff, then, but hard to get too excited about. [Christmas 2013, p.106]

The basic act of playing the game is still enjoyable enough, but with FIFA adding loads of great new features like 10 vs 10 online multiplayer, this seems like a step sideways instead of forwards.

Breaking no moulds, but good solid fun. [Christmas 2007, p.90]

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.

There are still a few cracks, but this still rocks. [Nov 2011, p.101]

We really enjoyed our time with Miss Croft, but it is more of the same and 'dependable' isn't exciting enough. When you take a look at the gaming world around her, you wonder if it isn't time for another re-invention, not of the character, but her universe.

It's just simply not as good as the large number of awesome driving games that are already on Xbox 360, and, in current form, it's always going to come in behind the pack. [Nov 2007, p.100]

Pleasure and pain come together at last. [Aug 2007, p.102]

Disney Universe is a sweet game, as you'd expect from the saccharin mouse. But it's not an ambitious game, and after playing for a couple of hours, the illusion of the dense level design wears off, and you might feel it's a little bit thin. With more going on, and more reasons to go back to conquered levels, this could have been brilliant.

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]

Eventually fun, if you can stand the grind. [June 2011, p.105]

An HD re-relase of a beloved series. It's a pity that it hasn't received the remaster treatment. [Nov 2018, p.78]

Enjoyably frenetic war zone action. [July 2011, p.100]

Ancestors contains all manner of intellectual joys – whenever you launch an evolution, for example, your efforts are rated against what science projected – and while it might not feel like much of a game at first, it certainly does when you fathom out how to approach it. As long as you aren’t afraid of games that make you work hard before yielding their rewards, you’ll find that Ancestors comes closer to letting you play god, while still entertaining you, than any game we’ve ever come across previously. How’s that for vaulting ambition? [Issue#186, p.72]

Behind the dreary single-player campaigns is a game that'll provide you with a strong distraction, for as long as other people are playing it.

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

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]

Armored Core is best enjoyed with other enthusiasts, and For Answer has an impressive array of online options. [Sept 2008, p.88]

A game that may tickle your fancy. [July 2011, p.101]

A likeable shooter and a solid weekend's entertainment. [Apr 2009, p.78]

There are still moments when you can't know for sure if an individual failure is down to your own skill rather than the sensor itself. But for everyone else KSR represents a new high point for the genre, proving it can work as much more than just a passing gimmick. A huge leap in the right direction, then, but it's got a way to go before it's entirely frustration-free.

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

Even with EA's Need For Speed-branded gloss stripped away and replaced by rudimentary menus, there's still a satisfying, if bare-bones, driving game beneath.

An arcade-style 2D platformer that is as fun as it is frustrating – boasts a quirky premise, a pleasingly chaotic style of gameplay, and an array of imaginative death-traps.

A compelling science fiction drama that just misses the mark of greatness. [Nov 2018, p.90]

Stylish, competent, but a bit too familiar.