Visceral game changer that provides almost too much bang for 15.8591 bucks. No innovations that further the title, though. [Mar 2011, p.104]

Headshot heaven for FPS addicts. [Dec 2005, p.92]

A worthy addition to the Anno series. [Apr 2010, p.100]

There really isn't anything not to like about Altitude. [Aug 2010, p.101]

Incredible looking with atmosphere you could cut with a butcher's knife, but survival becomes frustration too often. [May 2010, p.94]

It may seem like a retrograde step for a modern FPS, but FEAR 2 still ticks all the boxes in terms of no-holds barred action. [Mar 2009, p.94]

A beautiful ancient-myth-set "Diablo" clone with nothing to be ashamed of. [Aug 2006, p.102]

Not the groundbreaking action-RPG it's billed as, but sweeping your malevolent minion hordes across the screen is great fun. [Aug 2007, p.54]

Silly and linear, but still remains compulsive desire the repetitive gameplay. [Nov 2009, p.96]

Simultaneously fascinating and flawed, it's the definition of high maintenance. [July 2005, p.86]

Not without epic moments, but even they can't shift the 'lazy console conversion' feeling that permeates the pant-soiling atmosphere. [Christmas 2008, p.90]

Updated and revamped, FIFA 2004 is a whole new ball game.

It's firmly a team game, rocketing from tense action to a tedious slog, based entirely on how the rest of your team plays. [Dec 2005 p.91]

Brian plays a mean, attractive and thoroughly satisfying game of cricket, perfect for those sunny Sunday afternoons. [May 2007, p.68]

The fact that there's sod-all to do in the city apart from racing and upgrading means that it soon becomes little more than a glorified menu screen; the chance to pull a burnout in front of a crowd would make it more involving. [Christmas 2004, p.106]

Fantasy RTS with a very level head.

Zero innovation evident, but greased eel-slick presentation and explosive, ripping action go a long way to make up for it. [May 2007, p.54]

If you're looking for a fine-tuned, accurate representation of air-sea combat, you'll have to look elsewhere; If you fancy classic arcade dogfights where every battle is against the odds, Heroes is for you. [Oct 2005, p.93]

It's very much in the head-hurting, time-bending, Braid vein. [July 2010, p.101]

Don't let its sweet face fool you. This gardening game's no little weed, even if it's not the prettiest flower around. [Feb 2008, p.108]

There's none of the groundbreaking innovations of the "Total War" series or the gloriously strange "Perimeter," just a conventional game made very enjoyable (more so than it perhaps deserves to be) by a brilliant franchise and spectacular animation... Stunning to behold. [Oct 2004, p.88]

The DRM alone could sink this sim, but the core Carrier Command-style gaming is worth the battle. [May 2010, p.99]

Solid, and cheap enough to warrant dipping into instead of devoting your life to. [July 2006, p.88]

A real shot in the arm for what is becoming a dull genre.

It's smarter and faster than its Ubisoft competition, but it's still the same sort of racer you've played many times. [Aug 2010, p.96]

Paraworld may not be earth-shattering, but it has depth in spades. [Nov 2006, p.98]

A decent game. [Sept 2010, p.105]

Frantic platforming with a whimsical bent. [Nov 2006, p.104]

The mix of real-time strategy and first-person war action works very well in places, but it's a touch lacking in drama. [Apr 2007, p.60]

Crysis: Warhead offers another six hours of more open-world shooting at a bargain price. Still a shame about the aliens. [Nov 2008, p.102]

A proper war game that tries to have its rations and eat them, and chokes because of that. [Dec 2008, p.94]

It's ugly, clunky and stilted, but channel your psychotic Sam Fisher and you'll find some fun. [Oct 2011, p.103]

Needs some polish, but otherwise, this is a true return to form. [Dec 2006, p.104]

A surprisingly competent indie game that can't quite fulfill its ambitions. Time and patches should be kind to it though. [Mar 2011, p.106]

Glossy, engrossing, and still fun, but just not nearly as essential as it used to be.

A strong game, but be aware that you'll have to put in plenty of gruntwork before you'll have the chance to see it at its best. [Aug 2004, p.80]

Exactly what you'd expect, and full of good ideas. [Nov 2005, p.92]

I forsee this causing some severe sleep deprivation. [Dec 2008, p.98]

As exciting as a glass of water, but a whole bathtub more depth. [Sept 2005, p.95]

Not the most innovative of games, but give Darksiders a go and you'll most likely be pleasantly surprised. [Issue#246, p.106]

While beautiful, the sometimes frustrating combat and last-minute rescues aren't quite a patch of the "Sands of Time." [Feb 2009, p.88]

EQII beats any other MMO at release; the developers have learnt a lot from its competitors and there's a full game here, ready to play and have fun with. [Christmas 2004, p.116]

A more in-depth take on strategy than normal, but not quite a "Rome"-beater. [June 2005, p.93]

A successful resurrection, but not quite worthy of legendary status. [May 2006, p.92]

An atmospheric online version of D&D. Best with friends - but what isn't? [Apr 2006, p.86]

A big, dumb shooter that will no doubt become a guilty pleasure for plenty of FPS fans who don't hve the rig to play "Crysis." [Christmas 2007, p.64]

Smart design... Lacks visual innovation. [Jan 2011, p.110]

The world of Lumines isn't always a pretty place, but it looks much better in motion. Try it. Hey, it's free. [Mar 2008, p.110]

As an arcade blast it's an impressively polished and well worth a look if PC's lack of "SSX appeal" has graded for all those years. [Christmas 2008, p.98]

Tightly designed macho action strategy. The best Conflict game yet. [Nov 2005, p.97]

Solid, satsifying violence, but look elsewhere for genuine terror. [Christmas 2006, p.104]

There are times when this can be offensively unimaginative, but the combat and co-op are too good to ignore. [Sept 2011, p.96]

A must-buy for RPG fans who can't wait any longer for Diablo III. [Jan 2010, p.92]

Depth, detail and cars galore, but lacking the spark to be truly essential.

The STALKER game that we've always deserved, it's just a shame that it's three years too late. [Mar 2010, p.90]

A surprisingly good RPG adventure with more content than you could shake an orc at. [Dec 2007, p.57]

It needs a lot more polish, but it's a really enjoyable romp, with some splendid scene-stealing stories. [Apr 2008, p.108]

Deliver on your promises, Mr. Garriott, and it'll be a winner. [Feb 2008, p.100]

A creepy, well-written and refreshingly different first-person romp. [Apr 2008, p.110]

Flawed genius - but so captivating while it lasts that you won't really care. [Oct 2005, p.94]

Superlative urban combat, held back by poor AI and some grinding levels. [June 2006, p.80]

If we're going to have Sims add-on packs, let's have them like this. [Apr 2005, p.106]

There are many reasons to dislike Diesel, this isn't one of them. [May 2009, p.92]

A brilliant introduction if you haven't played before. [Dec 2006, p.108]

A blast from the past, getting away with it this time, but possibly not a third. [Sept 2005, p.96]

Provided you have the necessary levels of patience, Gothic 2 inexorably draws you in. It’s resolutely old-fashioned without being tired, and credits you with, gasp, some intelligence instead of handing over every little thing on a plate. Now if just one single MMORPG could be this good.

Traditional FPS, but it still feels fresh - only the WWII setting and theme tune reveals this is another Medal of Honor game. [Nov 2007, p.46]

Unfortunately, there’s still the irritating third-person camera and chugging graphics to remind you of BGE’s console origins, and it never comes remotely close to justifying the pretentiousness of the title – at a mere 12 hours or so it’s undoubtedly far too short.

An intelligent update that gives you just enough to make it worthwhile. [Mar 2006, p.96]

Tense, drawn-out battles ahoy! Combat at sea has never been such fun. [Sept 2006, p.96]

Frightening and utterly absorbing in equal measure.

There are moments that let Butcher Bay down - the melee combat, cack-handed first-person boxing, feels radom and ridiculous; there's some irritating mystical babble; and it's too short - but overall, the game's a gem. [Jan 2005, p.86]

The amount of content, features and the fact it's still free of subscriptions makes Guild Wars Nightfall a great MMORPG title. [Jan 2007, p.69]

I'm rather impressed. [July 2010, p.101]

Cute, weird, and very addictive. [Aug 2006, p.105]

When it does get going it's a crateworth of time-control fun. [Sept 2010, p.102]

A tremendous value. [Aug 2007, p.61]

Not the advance you may have hoped, but the co-op mode deserves medals. [Dec 2005, p.98]

Doesn't broaden Civ IV's appeal any, but a must-have if you have any Sid Meier love in you. [Oct 2007, p.80]

Yes, to the casual user it feels little different – and not that much faster – to the original game; but frankly, no one can criticise Firaxis for giving Civ junkies the multiplayer hit they’ve been demanding for the last year.

While it may be all kinds of multiplayer fun, either in deathmatch or co-op, it does get pretty old pretty quickly. [Aug 2007, p.62]

Ignore the media furore, and enjoy this as a standalone puzzler. [July 2006, p.97]

A good game, but a little slight. [Jan 2010, p.93]

There are still bugs and little really new on offer here. [Feb 2011, p.108]

It puts up a brave fight, but can't quite defeat the champion of war games ("Rome: Total War"). After all, Rome wasn't beat in a day. [July 2005, p.96]

If you can haul a high spec rig into the living room, then go for it. Otherwise, this may not inspire that vital spirit of rocking out. [Feb 2008, p.104]

The problem is that the more you play it the more you realise just how slight and limited it is as an experience. The tracks are pleasingly long, but once you've got them figured out they don't represent anything of a challenge.

The best golfing sim on the market. [Dec 2007, p.62]

It's a good representation of the sport, but "Pro Evolution Soccer 5" is still the benchmark for all PC football games. [June 2006, p.93]

The naval combat and countryside levels make a change from the urban warfare that ran through the original, but it's the engaging, conspiracy-fuelled storyline that keeps this feeling fresh. [June 2006, p.96]

Obscure rewards innovation over frenzy, and it seems only fair to do the same in return. [Dec 2004, p.94]

A fantastic concept struggling against the weight of realism, and a community that can be frustratingly silent. [Mar 2009, p.99]

We wanted to love it, but Borderlands doesn't do enough to differentiate itself from thew current slew of desert games. [Dec 2009, p.84]

Interaction can feel clumsy at times, and some levels suffer from stifling, linear design, but if you're a graphic novel or action game fan, you could do worse. [June 2006, p.85]

Flawed brawling in a beautiful world you never quite get to explore. [July 2011, p.90]

Luckily, get into the actual game to practice your skills and failure is quite painless. [Jan 2009, p.101]

If you're after something laid-back but enjoyable you could do far, far worse. [June 2010, p.101]

Still a superior RTS, but it's not as impressive an update as we'd have liked. [Dec 2006, p.113]