4J has turned in an accomplished port, boasting crisp, high-resolution visuals and a reorganised inventory...In terms of console sims, nothing touches it. Minecraft's world is one that everybody should experience.

Human Revolution stands proudly alongside the best in cyberpunk fiction, in any medium let alone just games... So few games allow you to carve a subtly unique path through every single encounter and, while major plot points remain the same, you'll feel like your journey was your own. [Sept 2011, p.80]

So good that it almost seems deceitful: like a CG trailer of what the highest level of fun might look like. After 17 years, it's incredible that the series still has such power to astound and excite.

Perfectly captures the essence of the original while offering something completely new.

It's got a world you believe in, a cast you care about and a script stuffed with brilliant moments... Utterly stunning in every resepct. [May 2008, p.79]

Rockstar's Xbox 360 swansong is probably the console's greatest technical achievement, and as such it's unmissable.

This is a textbook example to other developers of the love, care, attention, polish and guile needed when crafting a sequel. An essential purchase for all FPS fans. [Ryan King]

The presentation, the career game, the online stuff, the load times...everything's better. And with streets packed with spectators, signs and flags, it's a much more vibrant lace than Gotham's sterile cities of old. We simply have no alternative but to crown Gotham 4 the best racing game on Xbox 360. [Nov 2007, p.102]

Long-term fans might feel sad that Kojima doesn't go out in a hail of meta-bullets, but his restraint lets those magnificent ideas breathe, resulting in one of the finest stealth games ever made. [Oct 2015, p.89]

This gorgeous, event-packed racer earns its place as a must-have for your Xbox. [Dec 2018, p.80]

While it's worth replaying to catch the dialogue you missed the first time round - a spectacular rarity in any game - and to hunt out the hidden Rat Man rooms, there isn't enough variety in the way you solve puzzles to sustain repeat runthroughs. We're going to need DLC, and plenty of it, to keep our co-op partnership going.

Brilliantly charming and consistently entertaining, it's a true XBLA classic.

Skyrim may frustrate you at times, but it will work its way inside your skin and replace the marrow of your bones. It never gives you an opportunity to neatly stop playing. Even if you manage to tear yourself away, the locations and the people will rattle around in your head. It'll give you stories to tell your friends, (although you should remember that many people simply won't be interested), and it'll give you an entire region to bend, beautifully slowly, to your will.

It's mature: not because of profanity or nudey bits, but because it tackles complicated themes without telling you what to think. Having already sunk a distressing number of hours into ME2, the second this sentence is finished we're firing it up and exploring the rest of the universe.

This may well be the best tenner you ever spend.

Unquestionably 2018's best game, and an all-time open-world masterpiece. [Christmas 2018, p.89]

This game oozes perfection in its simplicity. Its ideas are well-executed and spot-on, the dialogue is witty and clever, and though it's often tricky, you're always willing to hop in for another blast.

There's absolutely no doubt that Fez is essential. As a fan of games in general, you should consider it required reading - it's one of the smartest, most charming games you'll ever play, let alone just this year or this console generation. Somehow Polytron has constructed something that tweaks our nostalgia for the 16-bit era and yet presents fresh, imaginative challenges.

Mass Effect 3 is brave enough to threaten to destroy its very own legacy. Everything you've worked for is genuinely at risk, and horrifying things are going to happen because of some of the choices you've made. If you've spent as long as we have with these characters, the impact of this final journey will be one you don't forget for years. Brave, thrilling, and incredibly emotional, Mass Effect 3 is a sci-fi masterpiece.

The FPS epic comes full circle. Pure quality.

Amazingly written and beautifully constructed, it's a complete emotional rollercoaster which we can't drawn any parallels with...You'll be playing this game for months to come, exchanging story elements to build up the bigger picture, and arguing about what it all means. [Sept 2007, p.88]

Simple, elegant and hopelessly addictive. [Feb 2008, p.103]

Even when we're note marvelling at this marriage of plastic blocks and Death Stars, there's something incredible going on in this game, and it's all in the little details. [Oct 2006, p.68]

This is a true classic, and a beautifully made one at that. Rediscover Splinter Cell all over again, and we promise you, there's no way this cracker will stab you in the back.

Under seven quid for one of the best one-on-one fighters since "Street Fighter II"? Bargain!

Burnout: Revenge is so achingly pretty that this is one of the few occasions where it's actually worth buying all over again. Seeing it in action makes you proud of your Xbox 360 and what it's proving capable of.

Gears 5 is definitely a success story... it’s just not quite on the same Xbox tier of insta-classic territory as the original Gears Of War. Though combat is satisfying, there’s the nagging doubt it hasn’t evolved enough over the past 13 years – a point hammered home if you play Remedy’s recent Control. Still, despite some overly safe online modes, that refreshed, never-bolder campaign makes Kait’s story a tour of duty you should definitely sign up for. [Issue#183, p.69]

A cover shooter sequel with more wild imagination than we dared expect. [Dec 2016, p.67]

Rogue Legacy mixes up genres and, through some inspired design choices, brings out the best in both. A deep and challenging game designed for small sessions and maximum satisfaction.

Deliciously slow to unravel, full of character and gripping from start to finish. [Jan 2015, p.88]

The game doesn't benefit from the novelty of Rocksteady's first, pitch-perfect effort, but based on the quality and beauty of Gotham's pair of correctional institutes, we're perfectly happy to be incarcerated again.

It's tough, but also bloody funny.

A masterpiece - one of best games on Xbox. [Dec 2016, p.74]

A game with a beautiful world, meticulously crafted missions, and superb stealth. [Jan 2017, p.77]

Don't be fooled by the identikit visuals: Crimson Alliance is frantic, fresh, and utterly brilliant.

Each world is packed with mysterious treasures and treacheries just waiting to be discovered, and learning how to use them to shape the world to your benefit is enormously satisfying. [Jan 2015, p.89]

Far Cry 3 isn't too much of a departure, once you actually get to grips with the landscape that stretches behind that fidgety, histrionic exterior. It is, however, handily the best game in the series so far, and deserves to hold its head high among this winter's noisy crowd of sandbox offerings. If madness is repetition, this is one reworking of a formula I don't mind losing my mind to.

Consistently brilliant - the best Hitman game, and one of the best games of the year. [Jan 2017, p.84]

From giant pandas to Streets of Rage-inspired brawling, this is the most complete fighting game available to-date.

Fast, beautiful and fully featured, it's not only the best Horizon, but the best Forza, too. [Dec 2016, p.81]

It we had to choose just one Hitman episode to keep and replay, it might well be this. [Dec 2016, p.85]

A funny, thrilling, quietly subversive take on the well-worn Telltale formula - this feels like a genuine step forward for the genre but, more importantly, it’s good fun, almost constantly.

It's aspirational, inspirational, educational, and eminently valuable. It's not only an achievement within its own genre, but a landmark for the entire medium as well.

But these disappointments are dwarfed by the game's vast imagination, ambitious scope, entertaining combat, boss battles, Titan battles, puzzles and power-ups. Lords of Shadow is an epic and slightly unexpected triumph.

The only major disappointment is final boss Seth. Given how imaginative the rest of the crew are, going toe-to-toe with a bald, blue baddie that bears more than a passing resemblance to Bioshock's Fontaine feels like something of an anticlimax.

Trimming off dead-weight as often as it adds something new, this is the strongest LEGO game yet. We've had seven years' worth of iterations, but these cheeky blocks of plastic are still fantastic.

Grows enjoyable source material into the finest mind game available on Xbox One. [Sept 2017, p.90]

And that's L4D2 all over: in every game, the world ends a slightly different way. You'll find a different route to take, you'll hear another dud story from Ellis, you'll try a different weapon combination, or a different tactic in the finale.

Cleverer and more creative than the first, this truly complete Titanfall is a game-changer. [Christmas 2016, p.71]

The combat system is deep, satisfying, and just welcoming enough to let you in, before losing the smile, slapping your face and making you pay attention. Ninja Theory has bottled Danté's soul, and given him an excellent new life.

Vampire Smile is the product of just one man. Everything, from the slick lo-fi graphics layered with intense lighting effects, to the urgent, industrial music, is by James Silva....Don't be too quick to be jealous.

This is the old-school, full-bore ultra-violence that many people felt was missing from Niko's adventures. It's less a brooding crime epic and more a particularly ludicrous episode of Prison Break.

Still awesome online. [Aug 2009, p.94]

Dishonored is an evocative game. Even without knowing the pedigree of its key developers, you won't fail to spot similarities to the angular black steel of City 17 in Dunwall's quarantine barriers. The European twist on old London is true to the concept art, and what the textures lack in up-close resolution, the world makes up for in grand complexity and generous options.

Sophisticated, unnerving and reliably unforgiving, XCOM: Enemy Unknown isn't just Xbox 360's finest strategy experience - it's also a strategy game which changes how you think about strategy games. Go into it expecting a deadening flow of unlocks and build queues, and you'll get a nasty surprise. Approach the game as you would an odd noise in the basement, and the Earth might just have a fighting chance.

The heart thumping combat you love in a fantastically realised World War I setting. [Christmas 2016, p.81]

If you want your Christmas to be characterised by tears of laughter, this is an essential purchase.

As good as fighting games get, with great mechanics, and visually a knockout. [Issue#225, p.68]

The proof is in the songs, better balanced and offering enough range to please everybody. Here's to another six months of hard rock heaven.

Wildly chaotic but obscenely enjoyable. [Mar 2011, p.91]

Excellent tutorial for beginners. [Sept 2013, p.89]

It's really bloody good... Take note, other developers wanting to jump on a trend: this is how you do battle royale. [Issue#225, p.82]

The astounding vistas of each planet combined with swelling synth chords and the cheesy sci-fi plots of Babylon 5, make this a game for lovers of sci-fi and RPG everywhere. Roll on the sequels!

Strong, simple concept, executed beautifully. [Mar 2011, p.102]

Rocket League transcends its chaotic mishmash of sports, racing and fighting to create an elegant and endlessly competitive game for the ages.

But if you want a staggering multiplayer fight game that looks better than anything else on Xbox 360, get this.

Our favourite addition is the brilliantly insane Karaoke mode, which enables you to sing along to instrumental versions of the famous theme music. Less hilariously, but more usefully, there's support for eight players over Xbox Live to replicate the legendary showdowns that occurred at amusement arcades around the world in the mid-'90s.

When you consider the revised physics engine and fine-tuned player AI, this year's FIFA steps up as one of the best updates in a long time. A goal machine of a game and a compulsive purchase that not even Arsene Wenger could resist.

We expected a brief, morbid adventure, but we never expected it to surpass Limbo. [Sept 2016, p.80]

The best ice hockey game yet. [Nov 2009, p.96]

A masterful continuation of a captivating tale - powerful, sad and deeply involving. [Sept 2016, p.85]

Exceptional racing with brilliant atmosphere.

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

The first Assassin's Creed's charm was in the sumptuous graphics and straightforward action - that incredible climbing and free-running, and the visceral thrill of stapling evil people to the dirt with a wristblade. With AC2 the rest of the game has caught up with the brilliance of those central ideas to create a complete and coherent experience. We can think of plenty of words that could describe Assassin's Creed 2 - involving, exciting, cinematic - but there's only one word that sums it up beautifully. Killer. [Dec 2009, p.74]

There's a massive amount to say about GHWT, from the factoid videos teaching you the real guitar, and the vastly improved backdrop for gigs, to the superb way you can play as a band. This is a vastly entertaining package and a must buy for music lovers and GH fans.

It was, and still is, a gaming masterpiece. The term ‘Must Buy’ was created for games like this.

Smart, satisfying, brutal: Undoubtedly one of the best shooters of the generation.

Egypt and star Bayek make this a promising forebear to a new age of Creed.

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.

The best game in the franchise to date. It's genuinely good enough that it might even convert diehard PES fans if Konami's update this year ends up being as lacklustre as last year's.

For the price, it's unmissable, and it proves that Liberty City can support far more than the two pieces of DLC Rockstar has committed to.

Despite the blatantly rushed execution, it's impossible not to love The Walking Dead Episode 2. This is thought-provoking, clever, and genuinely grown-up entertainment. Heart-rending decisions and spectacular pacing make this one of the most intense gaming experiences we've ever had.

FIFA 07 is fantastic. The reworked gameplay feels so right and its Xbox Live support is amazing. [Nov 2006, p.66]

A faithful upgrade of a handheld classic.

It's hugely addictive, enormously satisfying and will only set you back 800 points. What are you waiting for? [May 2009, p.96]

It's Virtua Fighter 5, only tarted up. [Sept 2012, p.105]

A clear improvement on its already-excellent predecessor and is now absolutely the dance game that Kinect deserves. Those who can't stomach the more narrow selection of musical genres will be upset, but this is still the slickest, sexiest dance game around.

When all is said and done, this is the 'proper' Call of Duty fans have been waiting for. [Issue#67, p.84]

An absolutely beautiful recreation of a magnificently designed racer. [Issue#180, p.81]

Complex, compelling and beautiful, this is the pinnacle of F1 racing sims. [Issue#180, p.79]

The beauty of Guitar Hero II is it's just as playable and addictive in single-player, with a career mode taking you and your band out of the sticks and onto the road of rock stardom. [Apr 2007, p.80]

Unnecessary multiplayer aside, Dead Space 2 is a corker. It's an unpredictable powder-keg of [a] game; even when you get mulched by the Necromorphs it's great to see just how many chunks your corpse has been blown into. [Feb 2011, p.88]

Even if you're confined to single player, Spelunky is yet another small but perfectly formed nugget of joy to be unearthed on the Games Marketplace. Like Fez, Joe Danger and Super Meat Boy before it, the charm simply oozes out of the screen and leaves a saccharine sticky patch at the base of your TV. That initial infuriation crystallises into solid determination and 1200MP buys you an endless supply of levels against which to test your wits and skills.

COD4 is cutting-edge entertainment, but the downside to this dense and gripping delivery is that it's over far too quickly: five to six hours on Normal difficulty...COD4 is short but immensely satisfying and we can't wait for a post-modern revival. [Dec 2007, p.73]

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.

Without question the best rally sim ever made. Reality without the whiplash.

Bloody, beautiful and still brilliant almost a decade later. [Nov 2015, p.67]

Gears of War is absolutely rammed with excitement, innovation and atmosphere. This is a next-generation game in every respect, trampling convention and really rewriting the shooter genre with flourish and pace.