Play it with your brain switched off and you'll cruise through the whole shebang in something like four hours, but take your time over the game, soak up the world's look and feel, listen to the refreshingly sharp NPC dialogue, experiment with different ways of approaching each conflict and puzzle, and you'll drag it out to a deeply satisfying six or seven. [Aug 2006, p.90]

Just when ragdoll was becoming an irritant for gaming, Toribash swoops in to demonstrate why it's the best thing since shaded pixels. [Mar 2007, p.78]

The player might not be number one any more, but the game reigns supreme. [Nov 2004]

Football Manager 2011 isn't likely to draw in any new players, but it's also not going to lose any either. There are other new features, but essentially it's still that footie RPG with the addictiveness only FM and free-base cocaine can offer.

When Far Cry does what only it can do, it’s a genuine classic (you’ll be waiting in vain to see anything of the scale of the outdoors sections in "Doom III"). When it follows in others’ footsteps, it’s merely a highly superior genre game.

Engaging and absorbing. Prepare to lose yourself again. [Dec 2006, p.106]

An excellent expandalone that irons out many of the original's flaws and adds some welcome variation to the equation. [June 2010, p.97]

Same, but brilliantly different. [Christmas 2007, p.60]

Another masterpiece from the folks at Massive, and one of the most beautiful visions of warfare you're ever likely to see. [Oct 2007, p.30]

Puts its core mechanics before everything else and with good reason - they're as near-perfect as we're ever going to get. [Sept 2011, p.102]

A bewigged, flouncing, educational "Rome." Wonderful stuff. [Christmas 2006, p.88]

It couldn't possibly satisfy all of our hopes, but Fallout 3 is still a glorious experience that will utterly nuke your social life. [Christmas 2008, p.86]

Now play it, because I desperately need to talk to someone about it. [June 2009, p.100]

Great sim thrills with EA's trademark slick presentation. [May 2011, p.94]

As cinematic games go, Mafia is in a league of its own.

This game's fun and makes little effort to hide it behind cumbersome things like plot. [Feb 2008, p.113]

Like going to dinner with a supermodel only to discover she's also as witty as a stand-up comic; GRID is gorgeous and emormously good fun. [July 2008, p.104]

A brilliant reinvention that may stick to First Person Shooter convention, but applies cutting-edge production values. [Jan 2008, p.58]

A worthy sequel with all the parkour fun and swashbuckling joy of the original, and a bunch more game for your money. [Apr 2010, p.88]

I can't think of any game recently that's got me so hooked on insane combat. Step aside GTA, you're about to be overtaken. [May 2010, p.91]

A new classic. It will change every gaming instinct you have. [March 2005, p.110]

Gorgeous and horrifying , but also dumb and repetitive.

Bigger, prettier and cleverer than before and for most the perfect evolution. [Jan 2009, p.90]

The Complete Edition is a great way to introduce newbies to this RTS masterpiece. [May 2009, p.93]

Looks rather simple, but is in fact very deep. [Apr 2010, p.101]

With so many competing FPS games on the market, Red Mercury falls sadly below par..."Splinter Cell" meets "Serious Sam." Not too bad. Not very good. [Dec 2004, p.90]

The most grown-up GTA and the best realised, but it doesn't respect the PC much. Enjoy the multiplayer madness if you can. [Christmas 2008, p.96]

Lush, satisfying and thoughtful. [Jan 2009, p.92]