For every one success, there are four other times when the game gets it wrong through fault of your own, and you end up drowning in toxic guff. Which, coincidentally, is exactly what this game is. [Nov 2015, p.87]

A very limited online shooter with a somewhat superficial design mode. Shame. [July 2018, p.87]

What takes all of this simple arcade fun and elevates it, of course, is Lionhead's flair for detailing, whether the design team's throwing in nods to the rest of the Fable series via the locations - which range from the sunflower meadows of Millfields to the sandy wastes of Aurora - or tossing in classic enemies, including bobble-headed reinventions of hollow men and balverines.

A frustrating, joyless platformer that buries its few good ideas under apathetic nostalgia. [Sept 2016, p.77]

Decent idea, but far too fussy to be fun. [May 2013, p.85]

A treat for fans and better than "NBA Street." [June 2008, p.66]

Teeth-grindingly frustrating platforming. [Christmas 2011, p.111]

A strategy romp that's as much hit as it is miss. [Nov 2008, p.84]

Fails to convert its potential. [Oct 2011, p.101]

While Lost tries to encapsulate the spirit of the series, it ends up smothered by it, restricted from being anything more than a shiny tourist guide to the set and characters. [Apr 2008, p.84]

Way of the Samurai's freedom is also its biggest problem.

Unfortunately, there are two key aspects of the Lego games that The Infinity Gauntlet fails to emulate: their sense of humour and their lifespan.

Flashy and frantic brawler hamstrung only by its devotion to online co-op. [Aug 2016, p.79]

Seriously, there's nothing incredible about this. [Aug 2008, p.79]

There comes a time when you start to hope that the Circle of Doom in the title is actually the red ring of death so you won't have to play it anymore.

It's all very limited and mind-numbingly repetitive - but the game's also challenging. [July 2007, p.105]

Nicely filling, but could do with some relish. [Dec 2011, p.103]

The career mode is a repetitive series of unlocked events and the addition of an extremely rudimentary Trick Battle mode doesn't do much to break the tedium. At the very most, this is no more than an afternoon's entertainment.

More failed conversion than touchdown. [July 2010, p.102]

Initially quite interesting but ultimately frustrating and unsatisfying. [Sept 2017, p.91]

Easy to play, but not a whole lot of fun. [June 2008, p.79]

Optional extras for your home include a garden, livestock, and even a live-in bard if you're suitably masochistic, and if you manage to build in all three available holds you get an Achievement. However, despite being a very nicely made, commendably affordable bit of DLC, Hearthfire is little more than a quirky cosmetic bolt-on that doesn't add anything exciting to the game. It does give a pretty good approximation of the frustration actual homeowners feel during the building process, though.

A refreshing change of pace and damn good fun. [Feb 2009, p.82]

Ride only really comes alive when you're the only person on the tarmac. [Aug 2015, p.93]

A sweet idea, hobbled by the hardware. [Jan 2012, p.99]

Looks like Potter has lost its magic. [Jan 2013, p.97]

Makes us feel deathly cold inside. [Apr 2010, p.109]

The sole selling point of Devil's Cartel is the fact that you can blaze through it in a haze of blood and brick dust in the company of somebody else. It's never bad enough to truly offend, but it's never good enough to justify its status as a full-price game.