Meanwhile the wafer-thin story is told through ugly, badly acted cartoons that spoil the carefully presented atmosphere.

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

An excellent slice of '80s nostalgia. [Sept 2009, p.88]

A new Volta mode lights up a bumper footy package, but FIFA could do with an overhaul. [Issue#183, p.75]

On occasion, what no doubt seemed like a crazy-cool idea down the pub just didn't work well in practice (spirit death-defying in particular) and fun has taken the edge off challenge, but you'd have to be an extremist alien sympathiser not to thoroughly enjoy Prey from the moment it sucks you into its viscera to the moment it squeezes you out again.

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.

Escalation feels less like a map pack as a theme park for Vietnam veterans, not just contested territory but an environment you'll want to explore - rooting under the crust for the inevitable Easter eggs. Black Ops has never felt fresher.

A genuine treat that excels in escapist shooting and rah-rah bad-guy killing, yet still finds time to be soulful, emotional and occasionally melancholy. It's better than it has any right to be.

A tale worth telling to JRPG fans everywhere. [July 2009, p.90]

User-unfriendly but eventually compelling. [June 2010, p.105]

An enjoyable twist on tower defence. [June 2012, p.101]

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

Madden NFL 20 is light on marquee features but builds a solid foundation for the future. [Issue#182, p.81]

Beautifully thought through, has wonderfully coloured and varied levels and crazed bosses. [Mar 2007, p.92]

A fascinating break from the RPG norm let down by terrible performance problems. [April 2017, p.92]

The wrinkles are almost entirely showing on the single-player side, with clunky animation and AI being the worst offenders. But for fans of the original the chance to revisit a favourite in new HD clothing - and take it online - is no-doubt one that should be jumped at, and newcomers will also likely discover a surprisingly deep deathmatch game that's still relevant in 2010.

Fast, furious, if a little fussy, this blistering remaster rejuvenates a cult classic. [May 2018, p.89]

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

Both its strengths and its weaknesses are the result of a vision of how the experience of slaughtering tunnel-loving bogeymen should be, and while the results aren't as spectacular or generous as we're used to, they put up a damn good fight.

Easy on the pockets and surprisingly fresh. [Christmas 2012, p.97]

Simple, slick and satisfying, Halo Wars 2 is the undisputed chief of the console RTS. [April 2017, p.79]

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

Tiger's looking a bit tired. [Aug 2010, p.107]

Still one of Sega's best racers. [Apr 2009, p.92]

So PES steps on FIFA's toes in a massive move forward but in doing so has opened itself up to criticism it could previously dodge thanks to a different take on the game. But for PES to be able step on FIFA's toes yet again after a lengthy drop in form is a big achievement, and one that should please fans and newcomers alike.

The game's the best it's ever been, but it's more of an update than a revolutionary overhaul. [Dec 2013, p.84]

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

Heavily inspired by Hotline Miami, but sadly with none of its precision, purity or style. [Issue#178, p.84]

A tranquil trip through the great outdoors, rich in atmosphere and fair challenge. [Issue#186, p.80]

So far, a welcome and even more brutal return to Telltale's most successful series. [March 2017, p.78]

Well designed and addictive. [Aug 2008, p.95]

A game that feels both very new and very old at the same time. [Dec 2014, p.87]

This compelling exploration of war’s human cost is also a tense strategy game, with kids giving it real heart. Proof you can make an engrossing game, no matter how bleak the subject.

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]

A mishmash of all your favourite RPG classics, distilled into an ambitious colonial adventure. [Issue#183, p.89]

Decent game hindered by hidden costs. [Jan 2012, p.98]

That's some good footballing sir. [Nov 2011, p.110]

Lost Odyssey's heritage is enough to make it great. [Apr 2008, p.92]

A very competent expansion, albeit one that's way too brief. Story mode can be finished in around six hours. It's also one of those add-ons where you rarely feel the developer has stretched itself creatively. [Apr 2006, p.67]

What its "half-modern, half-Attitude" roster might do, however, is appeal to lapsed wrestling fans - those who stopped watching in the early noughties. This is a reminder of why their era was so great and offers a great nostalgia-bomb through a flaming table of joy.

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.

Unique stealth-horror thriller that combines great pacing and smart design with razor-sharp AI that's unpredictable in all the right ways. It's an arduous undertaking, but it begs to be experienced.

A sprawling ramshackle mishmash of a game that somehow works. [Issue#177, p.80]

This sequel feels like more of the same, but The Surge 2’s combat remains satisfying. [Issue#183, p.91]

A wonderfully versatile character creator powers and imaginative, wide-ranging adventure. [Christmas 2016, p.91]

A competent FPS with questionable jokes, entertaining gunplay and overlong missions. [Sept 2017, p.66]

The puzzles may be easy, but this is a beautiful and genuinely moving ode to childhood. [June 2017, p.84]

So far, a welcome and even more brutal return to Telltale's most successful series. [March 2017, p.78]

As a roaming RPG it's fun, quirky and worth picking up; as a promo for the wider world of Naruto, it's excellent. [Dec 2007, p.94]

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

Probably the best budget game we've ever seen...You'd have a frozen heart not to love it. [July 2008, p.95]

A decent tribute to From Software's masterpiece, elevated by its co-op mechanics.

A fantastical, forward-thinking fighter. [June 2012, p.102]

Thoroughly competent and very handsome, Watch Dogs feels like it's too late to the party, and suffers with its confused tone, unlikeable lead, and a city that doesn't do enough to make itself distinguishable.

The best of the bunch is Oasis, a posh Middle-Eastern hotel complex full of corridors, courtyards, and shining surfaces. This map has a lot in common with the Hotel level from Black Ops, and provides a real treat for fans of modes like Domination, with plenty of pillars and balconies favouring tactical progression over rush-tactics or camping.

A replay of last year's glories. [Oct 2007, p.84]

"NHL 07's" dual-stick control opens a new world of tactics, but NHL 2K7 plays for pure fun and speed. [Nov 2006, p.98]

While the core game is arguably as fun as FIFA's it just lacks the depth to sustain the challenge. The gap has closed. Can PES regroup and build again to really challenge for the top honours next year?

It's by no means perfect, but Undead Labs has won itself a high level of forgiveness, with an atmospheric world that's as compelling as it is flawed.

As precisely made as it ever was on handheld, with both the perks and drawbacks of being blown up for the big screen, OlliOlli becomes one of the purest - and best - skill challenge games on Xbox One.

More of the same great game, but it's time for an upgrade. Bring on Fallout 5. [Aug 2016, p.88]

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.

Let down by money-grabbing that manifests in entirely unsubtle nudges towards buying new characters. [Dec 2014, p.79]

Not quite the best family Star Wars game out there, but this is a fun action-platformer and the most substantial Infinity yet. [Nov 2015, p.79]

Syndicate can't quite escape the series' lingering problems, but it gets by on the breezy charm of its leads, ably assisted by a sprightly score and winning script.

It's a delightfully tricky exercise in plate-spinning, complicated further by the need to keep every instrument up to speed to maximise your score.

The production values are consistently impressive, and we've learned at least six new things about bears. You can't say that about Gears of War 3.

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]

Both games are great, but NHL 2K7 wins our vote because of adaptable gameplay that can be set up how you want it. [Nov 2006, p.70]

Extremely bizarre, but still a retro classic. [Mar 2008, p.102]

That Grid 2 remains so enjoyable despite its reserved approach is to the credit of its formula. It's slick, sexy and hugely accomplished, but without any revolutionary additions or changes that elevate it above what the series did before.

The problem is the pacing of the game. Missions are too long and repetitive, which causes the drama of the dogfight mode to wear out. The problem is worse in helicopter missions, where the strategy of the dogfight mode is replaced by panic rolls when missiles are close and some rude checkpointing.

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.

Other open world games dabble with the undead, but none of them do it on such a scale. Dead Rising 3's technical shortcomings mean that it isn't a game that easily justifies the purchase of an Xbox One, but it absolutely won't cause you to regret it.

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

A beautiful, emotional look at the world through a nine-year-old lad's eyes. [Sept 2018, p.89]

A considered fighter that’s wrapped up in a stylish, if slight, package. [Issue#180, p.75]

Creature In The Well is a hectic joy to play, and the unlikely genre fusion works astonishingly well. Maybe someone should try that ice cream burger after all. [Issue#183, p.79]

Most of the things fans loved about the original are here, and the new features are cleverly mixed with the existing ones, but in terms of the structure, Visceral is treading water. Dead Space isn't dead by any means, but the spark isn't quite there.

A multiplayer game that doesn't work solo. [Oct 2010, p.108]

Too easy to satisfy but enjoyable all the same. [Christmas 2007, p.107]

The slow pace is a welcome formula change. [May 2015, p.91]

A mechanically sound shooter that's hampered by a lack of scale and inventiveness. [Jan 2017, p.88]

Find turn-based strategy too intimidating but puzzle games too lightweight? This inspired hybrid bridges the gap perfectly, mashing up two stale genres and finding something fresh. [Apr 2016, p.88]

A Destiny/No Man's Sky hybrid that you'll happily lose yourself in for many hours. [Christmas 2018, p.90]

There's no denying that PES 2010 is an excellent game of football - it's just that PES's 'E', Evolution, is more suited to its chief rival.

Superb tennis sim, but where's Wimbledon? [July 2008, p.85]

Another rock-solid performance from Treyarch.

Biting, bonkers, at time brilliant, this is a savage look at the perils of game development. [Sept 2016, p.83]

Two great games and an awful one. [May 2012, p.93]

It's this kind of smooth, easy perfection that floods the game. [Nov 2007, p.92]

Not great for beginners, but fine for flight fans. [Apr 2012, p.100]

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

Wonderful for exploration but has some issues with resource management. [Oct 2018, p.75]

Even on Normal mode, you'll find yourself overwhelmed until the combination of dodge rolls, grabs, pounces, and combos becomes second nature. It's a testament to Shank's new-found competence that this does, eventually happen. Shank 2 has that satisfying feeling of re-mastering a forgotten motor function.

Lacking a map-editor, co-op, and charismatic central villain, Primal sacrifices its forebears' 'big event' status, but this back-to-basics approach makes for an all-natural off-the-reservation romp.

A fine tweak on an established theme. [Aug 2013, p.91]

Eets has got the glee of design that made Worms and Alien Hominid exciting and unpredictable, without the violence. [June 2007, p.96]