Broken. Absolutely and utterly broken. Not the game, oh no, it's my fragile nerves that have been shattered. Adrenalin is still coursing through my veins as I type, and what's more, I absolutely love it. STALKER is a thoroughly affecting game, and it's got me by the short hairs. [Apr 2007, p.56]

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]

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]

To all intents and purposes, this game is identical to "Football Manager." The difference is while Brits understand the beautiful game, we haven't a clue about ice hockey. [Aug 2005, p.95]

A bright, bold and lovably off-the-wall FPS. [Apr 2011, p.96]

Essentially more Sam and Max. [Jan 2008, p.73]

If, however, you've played Myst before and hated it for its slow pace, its limited movement and the distinct lack of (perceived) gameplay, then this new version will do nothing to change your mind. [Dec 2004, p.88]

Unfortunately, what with this being a simulator, the faster you go, the more difficult the flying becomes. [Christmas 2007, p.67]

Even bolder and louder than ever. [Christmas 2008, p.92]

Shiny graphics and slick production can’t hide the tedium.

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

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]

While LOTR: BME has the makings of a great strategy title with its "Kohan II" fixed-bases and unit regeneration elements, the lack of consistency in the campaign, mixed with its more generic elements, make it a difficult game to love. [Christmas 2004, p.103]

Gleeful and entertaining, but sloppy finishing holds it back. [July 2006, p.84]

Games this good are extremely rare things, and as such they should be applauded. [Dec 2005 p.80]

Well worth the price in entertainment value. [Jan 2010, p.90]

Hugely repetitive action game. Hugely repetitive action game. Hugely repetitive (you get the idea).

An amiable enough RPG, once you escape the first two hours, but it's let down by an appalling translation and glitchy combat. [Christmas 2007, p.58]

Translates remarkably well to keyboard control. [Apr 2007, p.72]

While it's nowhere near as theatrical as "GTR2," there's a solid core of tight, exciting racing and impressive physics here. [Jan 2007, p.56]

Hardcore RTS fans are well catered for. Casual players should look elsewhere. [Christmas 2005, p.98]

Assuming that the humour clicks with you. This is a first episode as awesome as the Bad of Much Strong himself. [Nov 2008, p.109]

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

Luckily, thanks to inch-perfect arcade handling, you'll have few complaints. [Aug 2006, p.100]

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]

Now here’s the clever thing – there are three sides fighting for the planet Auraxis but the battle is worldwide. It’s not the simple small arenas of Counter-Strike and Team Fortress, nor is it the enormous maps but frustratingly futile team versus team of Tribes 2.

They're not perfect, but these beloved characters are definitely in capable hands. [June 2010, p.100]

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]