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]

Atmospheric taste of life as a vamp, nicely balanced between action and investigation. [Aug 2018, p.88]

Unique, entertaining but over all too quickly.

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.

Doesn't totally transport us back. [Oct 2013, p.89]

A gorgeous, often savage bullet hell that has the power to charm, thrill and fluster all at once. [March 2017, p.80]

Challenging, but rather dull presentation. [June 2008, p.78]

If you hate online multiplayer, avoid Homefront like you would a naked laughing man, waving his own severed leg in the air. If you're in it for the multiplayer, then it offers a clean, coherent and genuinely entertaining experience.

Silva has got a razor-keen eye for what makes a satisfying brawler, and fans of The Dishwasher will be relieved to find his art and musical direction intact. [Oct 2013, p.89]

A solid enough minigolf game; good for a laugh. [June 2007, p.95]

Nero is a flawed but admirable project, a clear labour of love, and absolutely an experience worth having. One in the win column for self-publishers everywhere.

Not overly ambitious, but rather charming. [June 2009, p.94]

You can almost hear the developer laughing manically as it adds yet another 50ft, bright pink, killer Angler Fish to the mix and forces you to sit through more pouting and tantrum-heavy dialogue. But it does have that combat system, detailed garish character designs and drags you kicking and screaming along for the ride - even if you have ridden it a hundred times before.

It's not changing the game. It's more like finding a third finger in your Twix packet. [Oct 2013, p.103]

Off-pissing checkpoints aside, it's slick and grueling old-school for the 'core. [Christmas 2013, p.107]

It's just a shame that such an admirable piece of Mass Effect DLC, the best so far behind Lair of the Shadow Broker, is undermined by the way the trilogy finishes.

Decent, cheap and slightly interesting. [Oct 2013, p.103]

A simple, soothing flight experience marred by a handful of frustrating issues. [Issue#187, p.88]

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

Unexpectedly gratifying. [Christmas 2013, p.107]

That rare thing: a film tie-in that's not bad. [Sept 2008, p.87]

Bugs and overpowered AI aside, a really good simulator-style tennis game. [Issue#187, p.91]

But if you want to lose weight, and your mind throws a fog of delusion and twisted justifications in your path, then the numbers and tips of The Biggest Loser might just break that spell.

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

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 studio shows a clear love for the source material and a devotion to creating the most faithful adaptation, however the experience is marred by too many poorly executed parts. Ardent fans will, of course, be able to overlook the game’s disappointments to appreciate the story and combat – this is the most impressive way to experience the DBZ saga, after all. As an action game, this would be fine, but as an RPG it hasn’t quite scratched that itch just yet. [Issue#187, p.77]

But at the end of the day it's intuitive and makes for a highly playable game. We just wish they'd realized that when they killed the crosshair.

Frustrating shooting is compensated by a sense of freedom and witty writing. [March 2017, p.88]

A very different take on strategy/action that uses difficulty spikes as a design feature. [July 2018, p.78]

A pretty delightful distraction, and at a reasonable 800MP, I'd be a joyless, churlish curmudgeon with a greasy curdled soul not to recommend it.

A dark and textured tale of love, loss, and lore that's unfortunately over a bit too soon. [July 2018, p.80]

Ideal for beginners and intermediate, but probably not advanced.

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

Perhaps the most likeable cult oddity on XBox 360. [Oct 2006, p.98]

Enjoyable sim that we've seen before. [Christmas 2011, p.109]

A bit of a scattershot offering, but pleasantly non-essential for second-hand owners. If you've drained the main game, it's worth a go. [Christmas 2013, p.111]

There's very little new in Dead or Alive 5. It's built on tried, true and perhaps tepid fighting game foundations, but given the depth it's difficult to fault it for that. Fighting game players in search of something completely new might be better off holding out for Persona 4 Arena. But if it's just a solid, technical fighter you're after, Dead or Alive fits the bill.

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.

Looks flashy, and fun but ends up being a shallow, repetitive trawl.

Ultimately, the game's body count moves it away from the film and makes it more like a poor man's "GTA." [Nov 2006, p.96]

Great fun but over-the-top style can wear thin. [Oct 2009, p.93]

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

In small, controlled doses Prototype 2 is great, but it never really manages to do anything amazing. All of the rough edges from the first game are gone, but the formula we're left with feels baby-food smooth. It manages to cure all of the ills of the first Prototype, but not without unwanted side-effects.

Fun shooter with a strong voice, even if that voice could do with shutting up sometimes. [July 2016, p.87]

What this post-apocalyptic drive lacks in originality, it makes up for in execution and the ability to shoot harpoons into people. What a lovely game.

The isometric environments themselves are subtly beautiful. Dominated by piercing blues, robotic greys and icy whites, the whole planet gives off a pleasing sci-fi vibe, and every new area is just begging to be explored. With the world so interesting, it would be helpful to have access to a map, which is a feature absent from the game in another oversight. It’s little missteps like this that niggle at you whilst you’re playing the game, although they never come close to ruining what is a solid Souls-like experience. [Issue#187, p.82]

Astroneer is both gentle and brutal, and which you see more of depends on your own play style. Occasionally, though, you might wish it just had picked a side.

Crude, confusing, but also charming, this creature feature's teeth remain sharp. [May 2018, p.90]

A grand idea, but needs deep pockets. [Nov 2013, p.94]

What My Friend Pedro does really well is offer a sense of variety in the weapons, the ways you can kill and the level design. While some missions may be more fun than others, no level is quite the same as the last. This makes every new encounter feel fresh and exciting. The ability to tackle each battle in a multitude of different ways means you’ll find yourself returning time and time again to see how much better you can clear them and achieve a higher final score. [Issue#187, p.85]

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

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.

A great yearly update that doesn't disappoint. Kinect integration will entertain the less serious player, but the brilliantly precise and challenging new control scheme means the golfing hardcore won't need to give it a second glance.

The lacklustre graphics means that when the action is at its most intense, the game is still a bit of an eyesore.

Adventure fans point your clicker this way. [Christmas 2009, p.105]

It's the most accessible strategy game we've played on the 360. The downside of all this user-friendliness though, is that EndWar's not particularly challenging. The single-player game against the computer, while fun and easy to play, doesn't have the strategic depth to keep a man entertained for long.

Of all of Konami's retro games, this is the best. Contra is manically tough, and even Live co-op play doesn't make it that much easier. If you can get to the end without continuing then we'll salute you as a hero.

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

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 short but sweet adventure title with a likeable deep-sea protagonist. Similar to an animated family movie, it possesses buckets of humour and spades of heart.

Another rock-solid performance from Treyarch.

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

Crysis 3 might be a victim of this love-blindness. You'll never be bored during the campaign, and certainly not during the excellent multiplayer. But Crysis 3 feels like a retread of entertaining ground, with a frustrating glimpse of how good it could actually be.

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

The best fitness game around. [Feb 2015, p.79]

It's still a collection of relatively shallow events competing against other sports games, such as FIFA, that have the luxury of offering vast depth within a single sport. As a result even though this is the best multi-sport game we've played in an age, it still feels more like a platter of hors d'oeuvres than a gut-filling steak dinner.

Wonky, repetitive and short but oh so very unnerving. [Aug 2014, p.87]

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.

Features like these mean Shattered Dimensions would actually work as a Spidey game even though it's not an open-world swingers' party. It's just a massive shame they're housed in such a linear and grindingly predictable format.

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

It may lack in variety, but the core conceit of Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut is both sound and consistently enjoyable. Swoop in with your ship, turn into a robot, destroy everything, get the hell out. It's not subtle, but it is good, wholesome, dumb fun.

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

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.

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

Cracking twin stick mech attack. [Aug 2011, p.99]

A good value-for-money offering that expands and fine-tunes one of the Xbox 360's rougher diamonds. [Aug 2014, p.93]

If you're a survival horror fan, and miss a time in gaming when a zombie bite was the scariest thing in the world, then you'll find a lot to suffer through here. In a good way.

Jaw-droppingly beautiful to look at, no worse to play than its excellent originator, but not really that much of a step forward. New balls, please!

Telltale's reinvention of Minecraft captures the game's cosy vibe, but fails to get the blood pumping with its action and puzzling mechanics. [Dec 2015, p.85]

Hits an unexpected sweet spot of Hollywood-style bombastic entertainment. [Dec 2013, p.86]

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.

A flawed yet ultimately winning tie-in that serves up the best dinos on Xbox. [Sept 2018, p.72]

The problem is, we have real friends who'll accompany us to real pubs with real tables on which we can play real pool. So why do we need a slightly sterile virtual version? [Feb 2015, p.83]

There's an overall lack of personality to the game - there aren't enough control quirks to master or career goals to aim for. While EA's NHL 10 rewards you at every turn for digging into the game, NHL 2K10 has nothing new to offer but the chance to ride a Zamboni machine and polish ice.

Whether you're haring along some cliffside road, desperately trying to keep yourself from sailing to a painful death, or just fiddling with your sponsor challenges for maximum return, WRC 2 is an involving and rewarding racer. It's still not as great as the DiRT games, but it's not as far off as you might think.

A well-polished movie tie-in that will keep undemanding kids amused for a weekend or two. [April 2006, p.88]

Fantastic music and a few new features make this LEGO game good, not great. [Sept 2018, p.78]

A promising debut, but just too light on options - both inside and outside the Octagon - to be the champ it desperately wants to be.

Poor car handling pulls down an otherwise impressive package.

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.

Trespasser has a little more sentiment than substance, but it's still a good last outing for your Inquisitor. [Dec 2015, p.91]

It's still frantic bite-sized arcade action. [Dec 2013, p.91]

When Battlefield 3 received a set of heavy armour maps and another set of close-quarters infantry maps, that was a revolution. Black Ops 2's Revolution is a step in the right direction, but a small one.

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

A delightful, violent sandbox occasionally hobbled by so-so missions. [Sept 2018, p.84]

Surprisingly addictive movie trivia quiz.

Sure, the levels are all much of a muchness, and despite the variety of game modes, it can get samey. But the persistent online game - a fight for Dark Matter between Paladins (humans) and Valiants (aliens) - adds long-term appeal, and once you've mastered its quirks, it's an absolute blast in small doses.

A scrum-ptious morsel for Rugby nuts. [Oct 2011, p.100]