While there isn't quite the same level of incidental detail as the main game, it still feels just as polished and involving as the rest of Arkham City.

Dark Sector's ultimate error is that it still can't quite shake off its tag of "just another generic action shooter." But it sure as hell gives it a try. [Apr 2008, p.82]

Equal parts fun and frustrating. [June 2012, p.103]

A well-done continuation. But if they kill Clem at the end, this score reverts to Zero. [Nov 2018, p.88]

Excellent value. [Dec 2009, p.106]

It ends up feeling more like a retrospective than a game in its own right. [Jan 2015, p.80]

A lot more than a Battlefield 4 reskin with balaclavas and batons, but not quite the true-blue breakout hit it could have been.

If you enjoyed Dead Rising 2, then you'll enjoy Dead Rising 2: Off the Record - but that's because they're identical.

It's packed with strong moments, but the finale feels disjointed. [Nov 2014, p.85]

Surprisingly pretty and unexpectedly addictive. [Feb 2008, p.98]

Unlike the game's spotting endings, our conclusion has a bit more force to it: Holmes is guilty of gimmickry, but gets time off for good intentions. [Dec 2014, p.78]

Doesn't fully realize its potential, but these are early days.

Just great action, a love of superhero cinema, and not one overpriced level pack in sight. [Apr 2016, p.82]

It's certainly a riot of a shooter that encourages you to get out there and blast away rather than cry behind cover, but it's lasting appeal is diminished by a lack of depth and some flimsy level design.

At times it feels like the mad power trip it ought to be – but repetitive action soon sucks the joy out of its amazing explosions, and unnecessary restrictions get in the way of the fun.

An old-fashioned RPG, solid but unexciting. [July 2009, p.92]

It's three hours you won't want back. [Oct 2010, p.106]

The fiddly controls, narrow field of view and slow pace make this game much more frustrating than it needs to be, but it's built on solid foundations. [Apr 2016, p.90]

Origins is too good to return to the Assassin's Creed games of yesterday. [June 2018, p.86]

To paraphrase Bret Hart, it's the best there is, the best there was, but next year's will probably be a little bit better again.

A varied but over-engineered shooter that's a little bit of everything and a whole lot of nothin'. [July 2016, p.84]

Loses gag-traction, but still a laugh.

Too tough, very cool, not as good as Sine Mora. [Christmas 2012, p.97]

There's loads wrong with Dead Island. It's as riddled with holes as the festering flesh of its primary antagonists. Every element of the game you can conceive of is infected with issues that would ordinarily be terminal. By all rights it should fall flat like a faceplanting undead shuffler. But just like those persistent, putrefied corpses, Dead Island keeps trundling on, somehow remaining shambolically entertaining throughout.

There's enough frenzied destruction to entertain for an afternoon - just leave your brain at the door. [Aug 2008, p.94]

Okay, it's a lighter package than the annual Smackdown update, but with the inclusion of a huge hunk of videos and a pitch-perfect retro flair, this return to the golden age of wrestling is well worth a look.

Temporarily interesting.

It's too derivative and frustrating to contend for Dark Souls' crown. [Xmas 2014, p.78]

Adds four decent new maps and the chance to see Bruce Campbell firing John Malkovich. [Aug 2015, p.97]

A vision of retro loveliness. [March 2013, p.85]

A purer, tougher survival game for the core. [Feb 2014, p.95]

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

Personality overwhelms in Unbox: Newbie's Adventure, making the world feel alive and kicking - if boxes had feet, that is.

Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits is a brilliant full-band revival of some of our favourite songs from the series, which may not have made it to a straight sequel. With it being a lighter, stop-gap package, though, we'd recommend picking it up in a few months' time at a more agreeable price.

Presentational quibbles aside, though, this is a really good game. A bit more polish (and by 'a bit' we mean 'a lot'), a few more career options and some recognisable licensing and this could become an essential purchase for poker fans.

More old than wild wild west. [Aug 2007, p.98]

Retro City Rampage has all the charm, scattershot wit and entertainment value of a drunk, gabbling child. It's shallow, mindless and simple - that's the point.

Going through the motions. [Jan 2013, p.86]

An astonishing world and fun gameplay are hampered by fiddly controls. [Sept 2017, p.70]

It isn't entirely awful - even dodgy MOBA games can provide a lot of fun - but the myriad flaws suggests that it's badly misunderstood its audience. It's like being handed a love letter that was written by someone who had Googled 'seduction'. The effort they've put in is clearly endearing, but sorry - we're just not interested.

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

Like sipping a mojito while resting your panda-skin boots on a pauper, there's something nasty yet refreshing here, as it pushes you to maintain control in marvelously illiberal ways. [Feb 2015 (US), p.72]

Yet no matter how hockey mad you are, there's no denying that the controls are too muddled and the game not quite deep enough to really tickle.

Less "more of the same" and more "less good." [May 2012, p.95]

A generous expansion in both content and spirit. [Aug 2015, p.96]

It hits its target audience just as precisely as Band Hero, but with a lesser degree of cynicism. Our misgiving is that it doesn't really feel like a Lego game, as the building experience is limited to making bands and customising their home. A good one for Christmas, so long as you don't expect it to last long into the New Year.

But their utter linearity wears the patina thin as the same ground is covered again and again; the really exciting scenes wilt into mindless reaction games, and even the best part - the fistfights - become stale after a few repetitive bouts.

This was never going to be the shock hit that the first game was, because we were forewarned of its excellence. While it does suffer a little from the stellar expectations, this huge finale is its own creature, and easily does MercurySteam's saga justice.

WSC 2007 is a very solid first-outing for the sport on Xbox 360, although it's a bit slow in places. A frame of pool in the pub iwth mates is going to be more fun, but so far, this is the best Xbox 360 snooker sim. [Jan 2007, p.92]

The most accessible fighting game on 360. [Feb 2009, p.86]

And as for those critical issues that dogged the last game and made it almost unplayable? Yep, they're still here too, joined now by an ability to perform the same move over and over to defeat your opponent simply because they can't react to it.

A beautiful but unchallenging exploration game that's a little on the brief side.

More tedious the longer you play. [June 2016, p.82]

A great concept for a game, but probably somewhat lacking in long-term appeal. [July 2018, p.90]

Its difficulty will put off those who want an easy ride, but for the hardcore, those who want something different from their games, it's the Holy Grail on wheels. [Apr 2007, p.96]

An intriguing premise with flawed execution. But what does it all mean? [Issue#181, p.85]

Perfectly competent retro adventure that's missing a certain modern spark. [Sept 2018, p.76]

This is solidly built, quality gaming, made by a team that's put a lot of care into adapting the license. [June 2006, p.62]

Gotham City Imposters adds daft gadgets and a massive dose of style and humour to an old template, and it's a hugely entertaining way to pass any number of evenings, once you get through the matchmaking. But its biggest problem is that the unlocking system and stingy coins system constitutes its own form of psychological warfare with the player. And there, it misfires.

We'd happily plough through the whole thing just to hear the jokes and see the characters again. [Christmas 2007, p.102]

It's a brilliant use of Kinect, and it's the game they should use on shopfloors to show how responsive and intuitive the kit can be. But it's also 800MP for what amounts to a single motor function in a single mini-game. Even with leaderboard appeal, it's hard to whole-heartedly recommend.

Despite a few niggles you'd be hard pressed to be disappointed by this. With such a fun premise and carefully thought out design, it's more likely to sneak up and surprise you with how good it is.

Playing alone feels slow and soulless, but the great controls and multiplayer features still make Grand Slam Tennis 2 well worth a bosh.

It's nothing we haven't seen done before with more energy and enthusiasm in countless other mech games. [Aug 2006, p.91]

It still has charm and invention - but in shorter supply than the preceding episode. It's also stymied by a claustrophobic, repetitive environment that leans on to-and-fro busywork. [March 2016, p.84]

Asura's Wrath begs for negative criticism. But no unhelpful intellectualising about the boundaries of TV and videogame can magic away the wide grin that sat on our face for most of the game. If you're a fan of massive-attack anime and characters who are only mortal when the battle ends, Asura's Wrath is Naruto for post-pubescents. It's not great value, but it is spectacular entertainment.

In between Screamride’s occasionally dull take on ’coasters and its indecision over acceptable amounts of hurt, there’s a decent game - but it’s the destruction that wins it.

The problem is that such a brilliant editor just makes you wish it resided in a better racing game.

Ultimately, what should have been a very entertaining game is spoiled by levels that are too short and too uninspiring. It's like having a really cool motorbike but only a couple of miles to drive it on.

If Red Faction: Guerilla felt like a series approaching greatness, Armageddon has ceased that approach, and started apprehensively circling greatness. It's good, but it should have been better.

Crackdown 2 looks sharper, the action is fiercer and the increased number of players pays dividends. Despite all this, we can't shake the feeling that it isn't the monumental sequel that the series deserved. The over-familiarity of Pacific City and the cropping of key features like the gangs and transforming vehicles will leave some Agency veterans feeling a little bit disappointed.

It's cute, and you can use the character creator to build some ruddy adorable puppies and kittens. But if you've got The Sims 3, this might feel like little more than a loveable but only semi-substantial expansion pack. On it's own, it's yet another decent slice of wholemeal life-sim.

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

Kinect aside, it's genuinely smashing.

Another competent ball-matching puzzler. [July 2007, p.104]

It's a giggle, but it won't last long. [Dec 2009, p.107]

Relic's game achieves so much, almost creating a new console genre, combining the shoot-'em-up with the RTS. While it fails slightly in not being tactical enough (at least in Campaign mode) or quite compelling or consistent enough as an action shooter, the range of game modes and levels on offer means you get plenty of bang for your buck.

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

I you can't enjoy its over-the-top charms, there's precious little hope for you.

There's no actual reason for this. [June 2013, p.91]

As good as ever, but no better.

Too short to be worthwhile. [Aug 2011, p.97]

The three-player co-op could well help with spicing up repeat journeys, though, and with every character's area worth playing (not least for the lovely hidden endings for those who think around the final section), those intent on searching its every inch will find that The Cave runs very deep - and dark - indeed.

A decent Lovecraft puzzler that’s low on action but high on hallucinogenic plant spores.

Unsophisticated but effective fun. [Christmas 2011, p.105]

No frills, but not without thrills. [Apr 2008, p.96]

At around five-plus hours of fun, Hell Yeah! doesn't outstay its welcome. From that first negative reaction to the title, we never expected to be saying this: Hell Yeah! is a fast, smooth and intelligently designed platformer with boundless enthusiasm, a winning imagination and stellar production values.

Plenty of expense spared, we think. [Sept 2015, p.111]

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

Creepy and confusing, this cartoon chiller still delivers some unique scares.

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.

Kids will obviously adore it, but if you've ever enjoyed inching through Disneyland's campy haunted house, you'll be equally at home in Haunt.

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith isn't terrible; it's just by no means an essential addition to the series. Hardcore fans will be left feeling short-changed when it comes to the complete band experience, while others will wish they could buy the support tracks as DLC.

It's a faithful remake, but it dredges up a lot of what was wrong with the original game, and the fun lasts barely as long as it'll take you to hum the theme tune.

For all its limiting devotion to the board game that inspired it, Blood Bowl 2 is far more of a touchdown than a fumble.

A faithful sim that overcomes bland presentation thanks to fabulous potting. [Issue#178, p.80]

While the game doesn't sour our love for Suda-51's output as whole, it feels less faithful to his unpredictable blend of Western pop culture and Japanese quirkiness than last year's Shadows of the Damned was. Instead Lollipop Chainsaw seems to purposefully shift the balance in an attempt to pander to some perceived audience made up entirely of sex-obsessed American teenagers.

Alas, the dancing is as spotty and unrefined as ever. [Xmas 2014, p.87]