Old-school fare, old-school swear. [Aug 2010, p.110]

Alan Wake is a strange beast - a great story, told clumsily and strewn with odd characters saying vaguely unbelievable things in an earnest way that might or might not be a joke. However, as baffling as it can be, it really does hold its own, keeping you nervous, excited and rolling your eyes indulgently so regularly that it simply won't occur to you to stop playing.

Red Dead Redemption is a truly epic resuscitation of the Western theme in games. It's also easily the best gunslinging game we've ever played.

The moment-to-moment action of narrowly avoiding explosions and falling buildings produces hundreds of those heart-in-mouth moments that Burnout is so famous for. While comparisons to Critereon's superlative series are inevitable, Black Rock's effort is, if anything, even more spectacular.

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.

Nowhere near clever enough to bother with. [Dec 2008, p.100]

Control is tight and the levels are enjoyable, but even with leaderboards it doesn't draw you for multiple playthroughs. [July 2010, p.105]

Everything's improved except the controls. [May 2010, p.87]

Ultimately, it's all about the online: if you have an active social life on Xbox Live then Skate 3 is near-essential, but otherwise you might as well stick to last year's version.

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

Nothing but a cynical movie cash-grab. [July 2010, p.99]

The few saving graces offered by the inclusion of a scrotum-seeking pooch do little to alleviate the more fundamental problems the game faces as a third person shooter. Dead to Rights: Retribution is a load of balls in exactly the way Volatile Games didn't intend.

Not Nierly as much fun as we'd hoped. [July 2010, p.96]

More of the same, which is fine for now. [May 2010, p.96]

A must buy then, but only if the price is right.

This one's probably best left undetected. [Feb 2010, p.108]

Truly climactic entertainment.

Magic Sword is merely a peculiar bonus: another side-scroller from 1990 that takes a swing at the fantasy genre. Its button-bashing core contains a few RPG fragments, as you can collect protective shields and rescue imprisoned allies who then serve as a support character, and it's a decent, if limited affair.

Splinter Cell Conviction might not have the longest or greatest single-player campaign, but it makes up for this with a substantial selection of alternative modes.

If you're a fan of Prison Break, why not consider assaulting some strangers and being sent to a real prison? You'll end up feeling marginally less violated than if you played this dog turd tie-in.

Mega tough, mega mean, mega good. [May 2010, p.103]

Fun in really, really short bursts. [June 2010, p.103]

Just Cause 2 is undoubtedly an improvement on the first game. The grappling hook is still enormous fun - even more so this time around - and there's generally more variety in the missions. Sadly, it still follows its predecessor in regularly reaching points where none of the challenges on offer seem even remotely interesting.

Looks and feels awfully tired. [Apr 2010, p.103]

Supreme Commander 2 circumvents most limitations of a console RTS and focuses more on strategy than how fast you can click. If you want a truly cerebral experience, accompanied by jaw-dropping mega units, it's the one to have.

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.

Totally gripping from start to finish.

Truncated but still truly impressive. [May 2010, p.95]