Neither assaulting nor heroic. [July 2008, p.96]

Hydro Thunder Hurricane is absolutely what we hoped it would be - a colourful, anarchic arcade racer. Your mileage will vary depending on how gripped you are by score chasing, but the multiplayer should keep you busy - not least because you can bring three split-screen friends online with you. For a measly tenner, Hydro Thunder Hurricane is a steal.

The Clone Wars is no bold new chapter for the evergreen franchise, but give it five minutes and you'll soon succumb. The Force is still strong.

Wolverine looks great, and deserves recognition as a game that's far better than it had to be. It's not perfect, and it doesn't feel finished, but it's coherent enough to gloss over the cracks and forgive the glitches.

If you're in any way nostalgic about the original Jam games, at this price it's a slam dunk.

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]

Juggling impossibly huge gaming areas with varied, consistent, imaginative gameplay, it has managed to create a slice of Southern American comic violence that begs to be played. [Oct 2006, p.64]

A novel, if somewhat stressful, take on what is a fairly familiar theme. [June 2018, p.76]

Things are heating up...[Aug 2014, p.85]

If Costume Quest is a success, it's because it looks cute, it's instantly appealing, and it's very funny. But it's not a very good game. [Issue#66, p.88]

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.

It's an inconsistent package that doesn't fully deliver on the single-player, nor distinguish itself enough in multiplayer to make it an Xbox Live contender. A real shame.

While Majin gets a recommendation, it's a cautious one - you have to have the stomach for Cartoon Network voices, a preference for puzzles and exploration over combat, and the patience to double back on yourself. If you've got all that, then Majin will give you an extremely fair slice of entertainment.

Modern, pretty and competent, but devoid of stupid fun and a soul. [Dec 2014, p.78]

A clever and compelling multiplayer offering that transplants the meticulous planning of classic Rainbow Six into a modern shooter - but concerns about its long-term prospects persist. [Feb 2016, p.75]

Not an especially great game, but an enjoyable nostalgia-trip nonetheless.

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

All that mandatory repetition roots Resonance of Fate deep in a particularly hardcore niche. But there undoubtedly will be those who are drawn by its peculiar design, and they will eventually grow to love it - despite its obvious cruelty.

An honest and charming attempt to reinvigorate the 3D platformer genre.

This is very much a single-player pick, and the game Terminator wishes it could be.

A brilliantly unique indie escape-'em-up that combines stealth, strategy, and simulation to great effect, but you'll need saint-like patience to get the most out of it.

This leaves a loving homage to Castlevania which doesn’t really advance its ideas. It’s faithful to a fault, right down to the bars that run down either side of the screen, locking it into the aspect ratio of a boxy cathode-ray TV. Timespinner could easily be a long-lost classic of the 16-bit era, a cartridge exhumed from a dusty storeroom and ported to Xbox. If you’re in need of a blast from the past, that could be perfect – but don’t expect something that can compete with the best modern Metroidvanias. [Issue#180, p.90]

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

It doesn't bring many new tricks to the table, but Origins is still thoroughly entertaining.

Daft story, clever puzzles, definitely worth a shot. [Christmas 2013, p.107]

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

So cheap our small complaints are trivial. [Dec 2011, p.101]

Def Jam Rapstar has the potential to go from very good to great. For now, it's very, very good. [Issue#67, p.89]

The Pre-Sequel! is a brilliant expansion, if not quite a brilliant game in its own right. Come for the Australians, stay for the low-gravity combat sections.

A sloppy sci fi swing for the Dark Souls crowd which sadly misses. [July 2017, p.82]

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

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

By being beautiful, imaginative and fun, Grow Up is nothing short of a mini masterpiece. [Nov 2016, p.82]

All Dontnod needs to do now is stick the landing. [Oct 2015, p.83]

The slithering feels fantastic despite a few slip-ups. An enjoyable, if a little frustrating, game. [June 2017, p.74]

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

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

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

The depth from Kinectimals doesn't really come from the games but from the connection between child and fluffy pretend animal. In that regard Frontier has nailed it. It's too simplistic for grown up casual gamers, but youngsters will lap it up.

Fresh paint for this XBLA favourite is sufficient excuse to enjoy it all over again. [May 2016, p.85]

A fan-pleasing odyssey into Marvel lore that's a little overshadowed by past glories. [Jan 2018, p.86]

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.

An accomplished intertwining of robust mechanics, beautiful aesthetics and delicate storytelling make this a game not to be missed, but a slight shallowness stops it just short of brilliance.

Iteration for a new generation. [May 2012, p.95]

Stylish, explosive, and funny. The destruction is awesome fun, but dull missions ruin the overall experience. [Nov 2006, p.76]

Though it looks good and plays well, the use of DC heroes is lacking and the levels are too obscure at times. [Jan 2015, p.79]

Neat ideas, but lacking longevity. [July 2010, p.104]

Would make a better movie than a game.

Pleasingly chaotic. [Apr 2015, p.85]

It's tough, but also bloody funny.

It's never nice being mean about a game with as much ambition as this, but if we're talking sheer value for money then halfway through the 14 hours it takes to complete Maria II you'll have experienced one really good shooting mission and absolutely no decent car chases, of which there are only a couple in the entire game. [Sept 2010, p.81]

Feels surprisingly fresh. [Xmas 2014, p.85]

Syndicate feels like a deeply average game in a cunning, expensive disguise. Stare at the screenshots and you'll wonder how something that looks so slick can be as disappointing as it is.

An extremely polished, utterly playable update.

Though not entirely soul-destroying, Dying Light will leave you feeling like you've just eaten a box of budget chocolates - unsatisfied, underwhelmed and unsure if it was worth the money. [March 2015, p.72]

It's still a fantastic football game and will get you in the World Cup spirit but don't expect to be playing long after the real tournament ends. One to get if FIFA 14's starting to feel a bit too familiar.

No honor ever inflicted on a Sim compares to this. Be brave and enter its dark world. [March 2018, p.78]

The basics are just a little too basic to make the delightful presentation anything other than a distraction. [Apr 2016, p.85]

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

The enjoyment only kicks in as a two-player experience. [Christmas 2007, p.98]

Not quite the GOAT, perhaps, but definitely very entertaining in multiplayer. [Issue#181, p.77]

Addictive, frantic and a worthy sequel. [Nov 2008, p.100]

True to its heritage, the combat is the weak point. Upping the enemy numbers to double figures for most battles looks impressive, but the fighting system is still surprisingly ungainly for such an acrobatic warrior.

The basic act of playing the game is still enjoyable enough, but with FIFA adding loads of great new features like 10 vs 10 online multiplayer, this seems like a step sideways instead of forwards.

A tasty morsel that won't hurt your wallet. [Feb 2011, p.102]

In 60 minutes, this will change you from tentative, stodgy muppet to an all-round offensive terror. A terrifically balanced platformer that'll coax out the perfectionist speedrunner in us all.

Call of Duty is, and has always been, a series about instant gratification. It's fast food gaming at its most refined, a continual adrenaline rush that never thinks beyond the next kill. Ghosts maintains that heady, intoxicating momentum of shoot, kill, win, reward - but pales at the thought of taking the franchise in any interesting new directions.

Getting to grips with the new features of Live '08 is like watching a superb athlete trying to slam dunk a beach ball.

A unique sci-fi horror which is deliciously complex, if a little ugly. [April 2017, p.94]

A compelling way to stay healthy. [Christmas 2010, p.108]

The interaction between the two main characters extends beyond the trivial buddy moves from the first game and becomes an integral part of the journey. Marry that to some satisfyingly chunky gunplay and the odd spectacular, building-levelling explosion and you have an action game that is far more fun than it has any right to be.

FlatOut 2's a more interesting racer than most, one that's smooth, nice looking and as easy to get into as a really big hole. It's not exactly moved on in any way since the original FlatOut, but if you missed out on that one, or really loved it and want more of almost exactly the same arcade racing insanity, go for it.

Destiny 2 is still easily one of the best shooters on Xbox One. Taken as a whole, its eclectic blend of strikes, night-devouring raids, and exhilarating PvP action outguns most of the competition with ease. As for Shadowkeep, despite some welcome additions, its reheated campaign reeks of a rush job that needed a bit more cooking time. [Issue#184, p.88]

A delicious experience, containing some of the sweetest moments in any console game. The astonishing environment alone is enough reason to give it a shot. However, it's not quite compelling enough as an adventure to make you want to see the set missions through. [Oct 2006, p.82]

Jetpac Refuelled has a lot of charm, and the inclusion of the Spectrum original is a nice bit of nostalgia, but the game lacks the depth and intelligence of other arcade games from that era.

Great script but a mediocre game.

It's still Medal of Honor, and it's still good fun, but it doesn't look or play anywhere near as well as "Call of Duty," and the short campaign somewhat leaves you hanging. [Oct 2007, p.83]

It's difficult to turn your nose up at new content for a game that scored a ten, but if you're expecting something dramatically different or experimental from Dawnguard you're likely to be disappointed.

While in no way essential, there's worse you could do with your money... [Issue#65, p.104]

So much content has been wrung out of this game that there's even a reward for the number of miles you bail out of jumps. That's right: you get rewarded for not being very good. Basically, if you don't enjoy this game you're probably dead from the waist down.

It's heavy going at times, but the imposing sweep of Jotun's world is Asgard as it gets. [Nov 2016, p.79]

It's the story that shines here. All pretense of historical accuracy has been thrown out of the window, and it's the most absurd Assassin's Creed plot yet - which is saying something.

Simmers quietly but enjoyably, before boiling over in a tense final act. [June 2015, p.80]

Traveller's Tales could use a magic compass, we suspect - there's a definite sense of diminishing returns here, a worry that for all the franchise's simple amusements and dumbshow gags, LEGO is sailing close to the rocks.

Titanfall's first load of DLC is a mixed bag of three maps, one dud but two gems. Fans of the game will find it essential, and if you're looking to come back in this is a great temptation.

A nostalgia-filled, well-rounded collection which will keep gamers absorbed for AGES. [Aug 2018, p.86]

It's beautiful, it's comical, but it's a shame that it feels so lacking in solo play. [Dec 2014, p.82]

There's a touch of imprecision that can make platforming a little on the sluggish side. [Christmas 2013, p.105]

Everything it does is solid, workmanlike and shipshape; even the plot has slightly more class than other generic World War II games, tracking two friends and their gradual promotions from Pearl Harbour to being leaders at the mighty sea-battle of Midway. It’s not funny and it’s not clever, but it is slightly more subtle than most of the ham-fisted war stories we normally get. However, the game doesn’t move beyond competent and it’s hardly the most graphically wonderful title – outside of cutscenes, it does betray its Xbox and PS2 origins regularly.

A compelling science fiction drama that just misses the mark of greatness. [Nov 2018, p.90]

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

An unusually exotic cake. [Aug 2014, p.93]

If you've got the Xbox 360 version, there's little reason for you to trade up. [March 2015, p.77]

Another great slice of comic book action.

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

A classic old-school adventure whose story and characters are strong enough to overcome the terrible action parts. [July 2006, p.68]

Whilst missing some of the violent intensity of the opening episode, Smoke and Mirrors keeps things interesting with a deepening mystery and plenty of nice character beats.

Full of imagination, but you'll need a will of steel to get through its toughest trials. [Aug 2016, p.80]