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]