Crackdown 2 looks sharper, the action is fiercer and the increased number of players pays dividends. Despite all this, we can't shake the feeling that it isn't the monumental sequel that the series deserved. The over-familiarity of Pacific City and the cropping of key features like the gangs and transforming vehicles will leave some Agency veterans feeling a little bit disappointed.

It's cute, and you can use the character creator to build some ruddy adorable puppies and kittens. But if you've got The Sims 3, this might feel like little more than a loveable but only semi-substantial expansion pack. On it's own, it's yet another decent slice of wholemeal life-sim.

Workable horror, but missing some charm. [Mar 2009, p.86]

Kinect aside, it's genuinely smashing.

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

It's a giggle, but it won't last long. [Dec 2009, p.107]

Relic's game achieves so much, almost creating a new console genre, combining the shoot-'em-up with the RTS. While it fails slightly in not being tactical enough (at least in Campaign mode) or quite compelling or consistent enough as an action shooter, the range of game modes and levels on offer means you get plenty of bang for your buck.

Breaking no moulds, but good solid fun. [Christmas 2007, p.90]

I you can't enjoy its over-the-top charms, there's precious little hope for you.

There's no actual reason for this. [June 2013, p.91]

As good as ever, but no better.

Too short to be worthwhile. [Aug 2011, p.97]

The three-player co-op could well help with spicing up repeat journeys, though, and with every character's area worth playing (not least for the lovely hidden endings for those who think around the final section), those intent on searching its every inch will find that The Cave runs very deep - and dark - indeed.

A decent Lovecraft puzzler that’s low on action but high on hallucinogenic plant spores.

Unsophisticated but effective fun. [Christmas 2011, p.105]

No frills, but not without thrills. [Apr 2008, p.96]

At around five-plus hours of fun, Hell Yeah! doesn't outstay its welcome. From that first negative reaction to the title, we never expected to be saying this: Hell Yeah! is a fast, smooth and intelligently designed platformer with boundless enthusiasm, a winning imagination and stellar production values.

Plenty of expense spared, we think. [Sept 2015, p.111]

Low-budget, yes, but there's a beating heart here behind the technical misery. [Christmas 2015, p.78]

Creepy and confusing, this cartoon chiller still delivers some unique scares.

Jet Set Radio may have lost the graphical novelty that made it the jaw-dropper it was back in 2000, but it still has the warm attitude, inexplicable storyline, and outstanding soundtrack that make it such a lovable bastard.

Kids will obviously adore it, but if you've ever enjoyed inching through Disneyland's campy haunted house, you'll be equally at home in Haunt.

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith isn't terrible; it's just by no means an essential addition to the series. Hardcore fans will be left feeling short-changed when it comes to the complete band experience, while others will wish they could buy the support tracks as DLC.

It's a faithful remake, but it dredges up a lot of what was wrong with the original game, and the fun lasts barely as long as it'll take you to hum the theme tune.

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

A faithful sim that overcomes bland presentation thanks to fabulous potting. [Issue#178, p.80]

While the game doesn't sour our love for Suda-51's output as whole, it feels less faithful to his unpredictable blend of Western pop culture and Japanese quirkiness than last year's Shadows of the Damned was. Instead Lollipop Chainsaw seems to purposefully shift the balance in an attempt to pander to some perceived audience made up entirely of sex-obsessed American teenagers.

Alas, the dancing is as spotty and unrefined as ever. [Xmas 2014, p.87]