Good, but doomed by indifference. [Aug 2013, p.103]

It's fortunate the series can now rest on the safety net of online play and character customization because, without it this would be a slender, anorexic package - a tad ironic, when you consider just how much attention Namco has lavished on its buxom babes.

A great sim, but poor supporting features. [July 2009, p.95]

There's plenty to do, two whole islands to explore and, if you can persuade the game to connect you with a mate or two, hours of pleasingly aimless road tripping to do. But when a game built for release in 2011 on a foundation of socialising has such an obtuse system for connecting with other players it's something a teaspoon of sugar in our petrol tank.

If you like your car-based beat-'em-ups and don't fancy 20 for a second-hand copy of "Full Auto," then this is a worthwhile investment. [Feb 2007, p.102]

An ambitious study of crime and race slightly spoiled by niggling bugs and menial missions. [Christmas 2016, p.74]

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.

A decent but forgettable kart racer that’s lacking the variety of All-Stars Racing. [Issue#179, p.83]

IF you're really itching to return to Arkham, it might be better to fire up your Xbox 360. [Christmas 2016, p.78]

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

A brilliant representation of a classic setting, and irresistible fun with four people. [Christmas 2016, p.84]

A nicely remastered, pretty JRPG let down by a slightly dodgy battle system.

After such a glacial wait, it's not unreasonable to expect more. Still, in spite of its pared-back ambitions, it is such a chorus line of brainless, sugar rush thrills, you'll rarely be anything less than entertained. Let's just hope we don't have to wait until 2024 for Crackdown 4 to arrive. [Issue#225, p.65]

Pleasant as it is to run amock through four new studies in ruined concrete, scuffed glass and gouged bedrock, we doubt the content injection will rouse this stumbling titan.

If you can [ignore the storyline], Bodycount offers a six hour burst of relentless explosions. It's short, but the big levels bear replaying, and a co-op survival mode and deathmatch arenas make good use of those sizey maps. For lovers of spectacle over nuance, Bodycount is a great way to build bad virtual karma.

Mindless fun, best played with mates. [Christmas 2009, p.104]

Blasphemy! It's still amazing, but feelings of over-familiarity are starting to creep in. [Christmas 2016, p.87]

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.

This is what happens when Dragon Ball Xenoverse goes Super Saiyan. [Christmas 2016, p.88]

With a good range of puzzles, an original soul, but weak platforming, play Contrast because it's something fresh, sweet and unexpected. Just don't ask for perfection. [Jan 2014, p.84]

From hiding in crowds to hush-hush neck stabs, the Assassin’s Creed formula fits so snugly that China feels like the series' starting point - but at four hours it might prove too short for some.

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

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

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.

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.

Despite the fact that Shadow Planet is an exploration game that doesn't have enough to explore, the charm of the visual style, the ambience of the world and the silent communication itself makes the short journey completely pleasurable. Just be aware that you're dropping a tenner on something pretty that won't fill an evening.

Single player's weak, but multiplayer's great. [Apr 2008, p.87]

TT's most polished game in ages. Just give it a few films before the next one, yeah? [Sept 2016, p.74]

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

Loses gag-traction, but still a laugh.

A solid bike sim, but one that lacks a bit of atmosphere and excitement.

Same game, bigger map. [Mar 2011, p.103]

Gently frustrating but well put together. [Sept 2013, p.93]

Pleasure and pain in a single package. [Mar 2011, p.105]

I'd go as far as to say that Killer Instinct is my favourite launch title for Xbox One. With a little more content, it could seriously have been a killer app for the system. It might be only half a game so far, but what an excellent half that is.

Not so easy to learn, even harder to master. [Mar 2011, p.107]

Hardcore fight fans are going to love it, but Arcana Heart 3 makes no real concessions to more casual players.

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

Karaoke strong, but guitar weak. [Jan 2010, p.109]

Telltale make the most of what could have been a flabby third entry by piling on the pressure and ensuring you know that no-one is to be trusted. That said, the game's mechanics are clearly starting to show, which doesn't do the story any favours.

It looks great, it's easy to play and there are plenty of game modes to get through. But the loose and clumsy gameplay still has some way to go before it can match the ongoing king of football games, "Pro Evo."

We'd rather pay a higher price and get the game proper than being told we'll have to shell out for at least two more packs upon purchase. [Christmas 2006, p.108]

Hunted's big failing stems less from what it brings to the table as what it leaves in Diablo's bat-infested cellar. The level editor packs each and every one of the campaign's big tricks into one tidy grid-based package, but it lacks the single player's beguiling sense of mystery.

Frontlines feels like an unfinished testing ground for excellent ideas that would have shone in a superb FPS game. Unfortunately, as there's not enough game modes, not enough maps and a weak single-player campaign, this is not a superb FPS game. [Mar 2008, p.88]

The gameplay itself has changed very little. [Dec 2006, p.82]

The game's still an utterly charming and absorbing linear platformer, with plenty of secrets knotted into its path.

It rivals Skyrim's scope, but as a genre piece (albeit a smart one), it lacks the other game's mystery - there's no craggy elusiveness, no glacial hinting at secrets beyond comprehension, to help you overlook the more familiar elements. It's less a world you discover, ultimately, as one you revisit, and that's a failing no amount of fancy footwork can disguise.

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

That Ubisoft saw fit to make a shooter for laughs is enormously commendable, and a step that we hope others will follow. But its commitment to dumbing down means that this is a pure-bred B-game rather than all-star A-lister.

Let's put it in football terms: PES = modern, continental manager. FIFA = Mike Bassett. Like Liverpool, FIFA has talent, but it could be a long road back to contention.

Kinect Joy Ride provides a crammed package with plenty of games, a fine selection of unlockables and a challenge that offers plenty of room for improvement of your skills. If you're looking for a launch title to really get your teeth into even when you're on your own, you could do much worse than this.

There's wonderful art direction, fun combat, a great range of quests and some cute cutscenes. But it's the video game equivalent of a variety show. In offering everything, Darksiders II never once achieves greatness. Which is a shame, because if there is a Darksiders III at some point in the future the odds are it's going to be even broader.

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

It's Hexic. But, y'know, again. And better. [Oct 2007, p.98]

A bit broken, quite derivative and short on narrative appeal - but rich with customisation possibilities and enjoyable at the level of the firefight.

An encouraging start for the series, but future episodes need to pack more punch. [July 2017, p.80]

In the end, the titular journey proves to be far more satisfying than the eventual destination, but so it is with all adventures into outer space in search of unknown powers, right? The success here is how it meshes and moulds so many familiar ideas and motifs, while remaining so alien. [Issue#187, p.87]

If all you want is to gun down wave after wave of enemies set to the pleasant Southern drawl of its narrator, hang up your spurs and have at it. If however, you demand a little innovation with your arcade shooters, then much like Silas himself, tales of Gunslinger's greatness may be greatly exaggerated.

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

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.

The best poker on the Xbox 360. [Feb 2008, p.99]

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

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

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

This game is at definitely its larger-than-life best with two players, but doesn't have the longevity to make it an essential purchase.

The Last Remnant is a game the purists can sink their teeth into, and one we hope isn't the 'Last' of its kind.

As it is, there's a fundamentally exciting and feature-heavy driving game here, but one burdened just enough by small niggles to bring us down. [Issue#65, p.92]

So Undercover is a bit off-balance. Its bright spots, like the anticipation it builds for unlocking all the ridiculously fun race types, are dragged down by the slow-paced progression. A good time can be had, but only if you're patient or a really big fan of Most Wanted.

Nothing really new. [Aug 2008, p.92]

Great in places, horribly sparse in others.

If you demand polish, this-gen graphics, and spoonfed plots - well, maybe you need to move briskly along. [Issue#65, p.90]

There's a great game in Revengeance, buried under the rubble of a previous franchise collapse. With a little less zatsu and a little more dan, Platinum Games could be on to something.

Absolutely standard seasonal update. [Apr 2011, p.95]

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?

The end fight where you have to plug every single enemy and boss before facing the unfairly tough villain is the stuff of legends...Co-op play is essential if you want to finish the game. [Feb 2007, p.100]

As long as you're not expecting to have your plus-fours blown off, you'll find this to be a diverting downloadable game. [Issue#67, p.101]

Evolve is a a Kraken [sorry] game when it all comes together. But most matches won't have the perfect setup - and it's not always worth sitting through them to get to the good ones. [Apr 2015, p.73]

Looks generic, but plays fresh. [Apr 2011, p.109]

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

A joyous diversion while it lasts. [Nov 2015, p.74]

As close as you'll get to getting your childhood back. Dig through the incredible production values and you'll find a serviceable shooter, but one with a potentially terminal lack of content. [Jan 2016, p.73]

A sprawling ramshackle mishmash of a game that somehow works. [Issue#177, p.82]

One complaint - why make the unlocking process so drawn out? [Apr 2011, p.111]

Popcorn-crunching blockbuster in need of better scripting.

Superstars V8 Racing is a decent and, at times, surprisingly pretty racer, and while it's never going to blow GRID's graphics or Race Pro's handling out of the water, it does conjure up happy memories of classic Codies TOCA games. Here's hoping by next year, Milestone has mastered the art of a more immersive career mode.

Essential for anyone with more than a passing interest in games as a whole. [Sept 2014, p.87]

The very definition of cheap and cheerful, Sixty Second Shooter Prime matches simplicity with speed to make a shooter you don't mind either losing or switching off after one round. [Sept 2014, p.89]

Dull combat and a slow pace hold it back, but smart puzzle design, great characters and a charming realisation of the show's world make this a great pick for fans. [Jan 2016, p.78]

We're actually more fond of how The UnderGarden looks and sounds than how it plays.

Yes, it's another yearly update with sub-par visuals - but a couple of new features are all it takes to make this the best of the series so far. [Sept 2014, p.89]

Delicious design. [June 2007, p.92]

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

Occasionally incredible and often frustrating. [Sept 2014, p.91]

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]

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

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.

If you're a metal fan, you'll love it. But if you didn't have to prise your fingers out of the devil-horn pose to play, you'll finish it in a day and feel underwhelmed.

Where the second through fourth games were exceedingly well-padded, the fifth is SoulCalibur hacked to a sliver, with very little between you and that fiery core. Admirable as that may sound, the result is a dangerously light single player game that's hard to recommend to anybody save SoulCalibur obsessives - or newcomers in search of a populous (because it's recent) online fighter. Notoriously fleet of foot, the series needs to put a bit of weight back on.