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

Because Remember Me has moments of novel brilliance. The Memory Remix segments aren't particularly challenging, or even puzzles in the real sense. They're more a fun way of tinkering with things, and seeing what happens. They do work perfectly well as a narrative device, and a change in pace. The combat system, which might appear strategically moribund to anyone with long experience of gaming, develops constantly throughout the game, which helps prevent you from becoming bored.

Typically entertaining multiplayer gameplay let down by single-player campaign riddled with indecisive AI and unfunny narration. [Aug 2014, p.85]

So, no major surprises then, and ultimately Cars is a mediocre racing game for anyone over the age of about 13. But taken on its own terms, as a game geared towards pre-teens and fans of the movie, its flaws and shortcomings don't matter one bit and will probably pass young 'uns by quicker than Lightning McQueen himself.

A tiresome Diablo pretender that's somewhat elevated by a fangs-sharp script. [March 2018, p.80]

It's a furry platformer with combat that suffers through repetition. Just like the first game, Alice doesn't quite match up to its own grand ambitions - let alone the classic stature of the source material. After 11 years, they should have got it right by now.

Stick with it and you may find yourself disappointed by the uneven challenge factor and scanty online features, but these are obscured by all the brightly-coloured nonsense and if you get far enough in to notice then you're probably enough of a fan not to care.

We're happy to sing this game's praises. [Jan 2010, p.113]

While the AI in "SFII" can be difficult, it was never unfair. UMK3 offers no such assurance. [Christmas 2006, p.108]

A special experience for a certain type of gamer. Try it if you're brave.

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.

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.

At worst frustrating, usually just reminiscent of better, more innovative platformers. [Sept 2015, p.99]

A unique but flawed puzzle game set in a world that is never less than engaging.

Hit The Mitts shows you what Zuffa could have done - a mini-game that reacts well to your punches.

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

VT has always been a party game, and it pulls that off well enough to excuse the rough edges. If the more technical Top Spin 3 is posh dinner in polite company, this is a pie and a pint with friends - a little boisterous, maybe, but you don't need etiquette to have a good time.

A simple, strange, and flawed game. But quite memorable at the same time. [Christmas 2018, p.83]

Not as cool as it could have been. [Mar 2010, p.115]

A great classic with a few flaws. [March 2013, p.85]

Despite niggles, Apache: Air Assault manages to walk a fine line between po-faced simulation and Desert Strike-esque explosive arcade fun.

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.

If you can demonstrate a bit of self-control, though, or better yet actually risk failure by limiting the number of continues you get in the menus, this is definitely one of the better sidescrollers around.

A short, funky old-school nostalgia trip that fails to fulfil its potential.

Nice idea, but Toy Soldiers does almost all this does, bugger and better. [March 2016, p.87]

Performance issues and progression complaints compromise this survival fantasy. [Nov 2017, p.86]

A surprisingly playable stealth endeavour from Cyanide, with a startlingly repulsive lead.

The cost is too high and the extras too slim to make this excellent. [Feb 2016, p.86]

An arcade throwback that should please gamers of a certain vintage.

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

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.

Not quite evolved enough, sadly. [Feb 2010, p.112]

A decent, if inessential, upgrade. [June 2015, p.86]

An excellent action puzzle platformer, but unnecessary if you have it on Xbox 360. [Sept 2016, p.76]

The Vision Camera Game Face technology is well-implemented. [Christmas 2006, p.106]

For a series aimed at children, it seems to make the unusual mistake of underestimating them. Too often, combat and puzzles are reduced to doing what you're told. But if you're in love with Middle-Earth, there's enough homage to make this worthwhile.

New ideas, but the payoff is disappointing. [Nov 2009, p.94]

Only falls short of its own grand ambitions. [Jan 2012, p.103]

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

A fun and deserving indie game that needed a bit of adjustment for sofa-based play. [March 2017, p.86]

Ultimately, the repetition and rough edges do hurt the expeience, but Earth Defense Force's wacky charm will certaily keep you entertained for a while. [May 2007, p.90]

A genuine and triumphant return to form for the Driver series, and even shows the mighty Grand Theft Auto franchise a few cool new tricks along the way. [April 2006, p.65]

A game so middle-of-the-road it ends up as roadkill. The ideas in here are solid, but simply refuse to go anywhere over its three-hour duration.

A lot of fun at heart, bloated by a cluster of dubious design decisions. [Christmas 2018, p.77]

It may sound like Prince of Persia locked, loaded and with a bad attitude, but WET manages to raise itself above such a me-too premise through pure charm.

A pretty fun co-operative horror adventure that falls flat on its key selling point. [Issue#182, p.89]

Badland is a lightweight time-waster at heart, and it shows. It's perfect for a bus journey, out of place on a console that's about as portable as the Himalayas.

But if you are one of those four ardent fans, you'll find this is a remarkably faithful representation of NASCAR and a vast improvement over last year's edition. [Aug 2008, p.88]

Simple and proud, 10tons' retro shooter offers large-scale murderisation for you and some friends - just don’t expect much of a looker when the bloodlust wears off.

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

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.

A little sedate, but a finely crafted slab of horror for those who enjoy cinematic games. [Issue#182, p.83]

It's just a shame that with such a great idea, it could have been twice as addictive. [Mar 2007, p.90]

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

Red River certainly has its moments - especially when it's played with friends - but the clumsy attempt to gain acceptance from the trash-talking masses leaves it inadvertently feeling like an advertisement for pacifism. [May 2011, p.88]

All these mode-switching features and momentum bars don't make the game any more fun, or more like playing the real thing. It just gives you more to think about. [Nov 2006, p.71]

Not the hole-in-one you've been hoping for. [Sept 2008, p.92]

Looks and feels awfully tired. [Apr 2010, p.103]

An amazing world full of promise, but currently rather empty. More updates will be key. [May 2018, p.74]

An original and intriguing stealth puzzler that will test your investigative skills.

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

Serious Sam HD has just one, explosive, bloody, wildly spinning gear - one unlikely to arrest your interests for long.

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.

Even at a handful of minutes, the levels seem over-long. [Dec 2013, p.91]

The content additions are minor and the visual upgrades are difficult to spot. [Apr 2015, p.78]

An ambitious but watered-down racing experience that rarely satisfies. [Sept 2018, p.92]

Okay for kids, but they could do much better. [Sept 2010, p.101]

It's just a pity there isn't as much variety in the fighting as there is in the outfits, as we could've been looking at an even higher score. [Apr 2007, p.91]

A very welcome nostalgia kick. [May 2012, p.99]

About as good as non-human poker gets. [July 2013, p.79]

Like the outfits its drab protagonist wields like weapons, Lightning Returns is all style and very little meaningful substance. Combat works well, but the world is altogether forgettable.

Excellent song selection that's great party fodder. [June 2010, p.103]

The fantastic visual detail and easy controls make it immersive and challenging, and if you're into flight sims or WWII games will really enjoy it's sinister atmosphere, powerful score and deeply satisfying explosions when the bullets hit home. But everyone else will quickly grow tired of the repetitive missions, and once the game's finished there's very little replay value. [May 2006, p.72]

Idea-free shooting. With dinosaurs. [Mar 2008, p.90]

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]

Conan is like a bad exploitation flick. It's lurid, crass, dumb and looks like sh*t. However, strange as it sounds, these are exactly the kind of things that might just keep you playing. [Dec 2007, p.104]

It's a harrowing tale, but a frustrating one too. Odd arcade touches and cost-cutting measures poke through the skin like broken bones. Bluffing your way out of a fight sounds promising, but it's a clunky, repetitive business and bodycounts are high.

One of the best team FPSs to date.

Struggling with the camera ruins the imaginative ideas at the core of this Lego installment. [May 2017, p.88]

Deathmatch in pure, concentrated form.

A basic, functional puzzler that has a nice idea it doesn't really know how to use successfully. [May 2017, p.91]

Funny enough, easy enough and familiar enough to feel like an old friend, but this doesn't offer the excitement we expect from a series taking its second step onto a new platform. [Apr 2014, p.81]

Mostly fun retro beat-'em-up that can be challenging, but not so much that it's rewarding. [July 2018, p.84]

A great pinball sim let down by limited tables. [June 2007, p.97]

Frustrating combat game with little reward to make the effort worthwhile.

Not very welcoming but presented well. [Sept 2011, p.101]

If you've only played Absolution, these games will come as a surprise. They're more sandboxy, less handholdy experiences. They lack polish, perhaps, but between them they chronicle the invention of a genre, before it was left behind.

You've already played the best bit. [Sept 2013, p.102]

This is a pretty, inventive platformer that demonstrates both a clear affection for the original and a willingness to try something new. It might not come close to unseating the genre's best, but if you're up for a challenge, then this is a minor gem.

This is definitely the wall-crawler's best game in years.

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

Attractive game reworked properly for the younger types. Help make Spryo truly famous once more. [Christmas 2006, p.125]

A poor excuse of an FPS makes for an adequate, if pointless, adaptation of a sport better experienced in the real world. [April 2006, p.92]

Refreshingly unique. [July 2007, p.104]

Like Roman Reigns, it looks the part, but the wrestling is rubbish. Scrap this and start again, 2K. [Christmas 2016, p.86]

Surprisingly slick with excellent online play.

It's depressing to see a developer that applied so intense a spotlight to existing practices and archetypes resort to so generic an expansion.

As a budget, somewhat unambitious retooling of the Wolfenstein engine, Youngblood offers impactful shootouts that showcase some truly brilliant guns. Yet by aiming for co-op grind, this offshoot loses the charm of BJ’s blasters. A slight misfire, then, but the sisterly slaughter on display still has its moments. [Issue#181, p.75]