Funnier than any game in years, and delightfully rude. Point-and-click adventuring done right for a change. [Sept 2009, p.74]

A shadow of the awesome original. [Nov 2008, p.70]

Despite providing three well-balanced, distinctive races, a host of spectacular units and powers, and some novel play factors like national borders and peaceful expansion, away from the rationale of the story of RoL can feel a tad generic. [June 2006, p.76]

Defcon is an equation that looks simple but can never quite be solved, and it always leaves you scratching your chin, your mind bristling with ideas for new atrocities to engineer. [Nov 2006, p.70]

A brave and courageous publisher would have let the sublime source material dictate the design rather than reach for the nearest proven formula. [Apr 2006, p.80]

Something of a triumph...Simply the best Guild wars yet. [Christmas 2006, p.76]

It's a game with relentless pace, but where flanking, careful sniping, and support actions are all a part of a successful co-operative experience.

A punishingly tough light RPG that'll draw you in and spit you out without a second thought. Worth it for the presentation.

Standard quests and a throwaway story can't dent the thrill of Rift's invasions, or the depth of its soul system. [May 2011, p.92]

Shift 2's sheer weight of stuff – from mud-ring circuits in a VW Golf to Bugatti duels at the Nurburgring – gives it a deep bag of appeal. There's an array of fiddly details for car geeks to poke at, and a range of control-difficulty settings that allow you to tailor races to your ability. The only downside to such a complete package is that it demands so many hours of acclimatisation before the cars start to make sense.

Manages to repeat Civ IV's trick of delivering something that's hugely playable and yet dares to be profound and intelligent. It's an invigorating complement to the original and adds some essential refinements. [Sept 2006, p.86]

Codemasters manage the near-impossible - delivering a fresh, approachable, and (largely) credible F1 game.

A perfectly pitched horror-themed add-on for Borderlands, but lacking the essential undead magic. [Mar 2010, p.102]

The most enjoyable independent game I've played since "Defcon." Funny, challenging and cute, in the old school it's absolutely top of its class. [Mar 2007, p.76]

This is UT3's contribution to the formula: spectacle, drama, mad heroics. Hurling yourself on the enemy Orb like it's a live grenade, dodging bullets on the hoverboard as you escape with the flag, bailing from an explosive bike aimed at the enemy's star player, and yeah, hanging from a flying metal octopus. That's why it's essential, even in spite of the AI shortcomings.

This expansion is aimed squarely at existing LotRO players rather than newcomers, but it definitely hits the mark.

It's clearly worthy of the spit and polish it's received. [July 2007, p.70]

An excellent balancing act between arcade racing and simulated driving, with shudderingly fast cars. [Dec 2009, p.102]

A smooth, reactive game, FIFA is the best option for PC footballers, even with some niggles in the updated code.

An expansion to delight EverQuest die-hards. [Jan 2007, p.86]

Something that raises a smile in your inbox, instead of spam. [Christmas 2006, p.93]

Lack of tutorial, buggy netcode and wobbly combat aside, it's hard not to love the sense of wonder and discovery.

Better than previous seasons, but far weaker than episode one. [Aug 2010, p.99]

For all its singleplayer niggles of slightly gutless, meagre gunplay, the astonishing-looking Prey is often great fun, occasionally very creepy and frequently highly impressive. Just don't go taking it seriously. [Aug 2006, p.74]

A mammoth update that caters for mid to high level players. [Aug 2010, p.90]

An amazing blend of high stakes and comedic timing, one that will leave you hungry for constant four-player action.

Fun with physics, if you're happy to dig to find your treasures, Universe Sandbox has them in spades. [Dec 2011, p.112]

Soccer sim solidly cluttered. [Christmas 2008, p.78]

Lavish, but retrograde and unbalanced. [Christmas 2008, p.96]

An addictive, attractive, thoughtfully made dungeon crawler. But it could have taken some risks. [Christmas 2009, p.114]

Much better than last year's effort. The improvements come through broadening the experience rather than heightening the quality. [Dec 2007, p.62]

A wonderful toy that easily justifies the price. [Sept 2008, p.82]

Excellent espionage, with superb cooperative play. But we can't recommend you buy this game with the current DRM. [May 2010, p.73]

A brave attempt at a promising genre, but not hard-boiled enough to earn the traditional $25 a day plus expenses. [Jan 2012, p.120]

Still a remarkable strategy game, and for newcomers it's proof that trading doesn't mean tedium. Unfortunately, it's not quite the grand resurrection that Colonization deserves.

Given the incredible scope and the devs' track record for turning out hard-to-get games, EU3's riches are surprisingly accessible. [Mar 2007, p.92]

An impressive second season that fixes our gripes from the first game and turns F1 into an accomplished racer.

The combat is a bit rubbish. [June 2006, p.96]

The pacing is damned smart, the difficulty curve pitch perfect. [Nov 2009, p.92]

There is a certain charm to Anno 1404's dinky people going about their business, and a lot of pretty detail to revel in, but this familiar collection of well-worn elements only preaches to the converted, offering little to attract new believers.

An anarchic lo-fi MMO with a refreshing disregard for your sanity. Unrepentantly simplistic and fun. [May 2012, p.94]

Still fun, but disappointing. Here's hoping for a great finale. [June 2007, p.83]

It's not a rehash, nor a reinvention, but instead an appropriate incarnation in a post "Prince of Persia" world. [May 2006, p.74]

An exciting, surprising and thought-provoking adventure rendered in a beautiful art style. Gemini Rue earns respect.

It's warm, deep, intricate beyond belief, so very funny (just wait until you meet the gnome bard), and opulently involving... A marvellous RPG with stunning tools. [Dec 2006, p.68]

Although it's a shorter, shallower and less sexy version of Dragon Age: Origins, this is nonetheless still long, deep and sexy. [Apr 2010, p.88]

As a continuation of the story, however, the episode works well. [Dec 2009, p.91]

If only it could have retained its sense of humour, this would be really good stuff. [Dec 2007, p.90]

There's nothing else like it out there - only the original "Football Manager" series gets close. [Apr 2009, p.65]

Cynical and unimaginative - but fun. [Jan 2007, p.102]

A gem of a game on a par with the type of shiny jewels that Lara herself might travel all over the world to acquire.

Atmospheric and gorgeous, an excellent indie calling card. [Feb 2008, p.83]

The bravest, most futuristic survival horror game since "System Shock 2"...A singularity in the landscape of PC games, it deserves careful exploration. [Apr 2007, p.90]

Too garage for its own good. [Christmas 2006, p.80]

Bulletstorm is not art by any metric. It's difficult to defend, like a friend you take to a party who ends up pissing in a vase. You don't want to be associated with him, but sh.t, he provides an evening of excitement. It's a game that's very proud of the f-words it's learnt, and it uses them a lot. Fast. Frantic. Fatuous. Full-on. And yes, that other one: fun.

If you haven't completed [the main game] yet, though, there's no real reason to pay for this. [March 2013, p.111]

Bite-sized, colourful chunks of randomly generated adventure. It's the perfect casual roguelike experience. [Nov 2011, p.114]

Packs goofy characters, great loot, and a few bugs into an interesting new zone for the Fallout series. [Oct 2011, p.86]

Wacky before funny, showing no signs of progress. [Jan 2008, p.81]

It's an exciting business, but not one for fainthearts or fumblers. [Christmas 2007, p.76]

None of the three strategy games I just mentioned can match Red Alert 3's spirit of bloody-minded fun. [Christmas 2008, p.92]

There are no hidden depths in Waves, but it's worth splashing out on it. [Feb 2012, p.112]

I could walk away in disgust, but that would be madness. In between the bouts of befuddlement and frustration, I'm having too much fun. [Mar 2009, p.74]

Great fun, but goes out on a whimper, rather than a bang. [Feb 2009, p.62]

Dumbed down; drawn out; deeply annoying. [Jan 2009, p.84]

Entertaining online war, in the shadow of beastly "Battlefield 2." [May 2006, p.96]

A brilliantly realised world wrapped around a story-driven shooter that occasionally forgets you want to play it. [June 2013, p.71]

Sweet as a kitten, and improving your personal lexicon. [Feb 2007, p.81]

There's so much to do and see in this game, so many possibilities. It suits the careful player, but caters for the psychopath in you as well. You simply won't find a better executed execution game. [June 2006, p.86]

Remarkably detailed, but desperately needs a tutorial. [Sept 2008, p.95]

An essential expansion pack, though be prepared to play hard and work even harder. [Christmas 2009, p.108]

Aesthetically, emotionally, narratively and in terms of the interactions it demands, Supreme Commander is hard. [Jan 2008, p.82]

An indie platform game with endearing retro looks, style, sophistication, and a sadistic streak. [Mar 2010, p.96]

An RPG in poor action-game disguise. [Christmas 2007, p.90]

Elegant and refreshing. [Apr 2007, p.76]

The tidier interface is certainly welcome. [June 2006, p.97]

There are times when - beaten by twitchy analogue controls, insufficient feedback and maybe just a sheer lack of hardcore skills - it can feel like a dispassionate sim rather than an affecting, involving game. [Jan 2007, p.90]

Funny and smart, but for a weak ending. So far, so good. [Dec 2008, p.92]

A novel use of fluids, but sometimes scuppered by cumbersome platforming and the annoyingly happenstance physics. [May 2012, p.104]

An arcade game par excellence, as inviting as the open road and just as compulsive. [Sept 2006, p.104]

The sweetest car combat game in years. [Aug 2010, p.94]

An incredibly refreshing reinvention of the S&M games, much funnier, and far, far more interesting to play. [June 2010, p.96]

A good FPS and a good RPG come together to make an excellent game. Or FPSRPG if you're being fancy. [Dec 2009, p.86]

Not brave or bright enough to wow Total War veterans, but the battles and improved multiplayer save the day. [Mar 2010, p.80]

If Overlord is a villain, then it's one of those buffoon-ish sidekicks in a Disney movie. It tries and tries hard to be dark, to carry out depraved deeds and thwart the heroes. But it just can't help but cutely (and it is cute) bumble every attempt, conform to cliches at every chance, and grin gently at its own sophomoric humour. [July 2007, p.82]

Distinguishing between friend and foe is the most brutally realistic touch of all, and the first thing you'll hve trouble with. [May 2006, p.82]

An engrossing but overly geeky sortie. [Jan 2007, p.84]

While it's limited, it's also a lot of fun. [Sept 2011, p.89]

It's a formula that works surprisingly well, and, at such a small price, Waveform is a bargain. [June 2012, p.95]

Once the dominion diarrhea is sorted out, an essential purchase for owners of Victoria II: A House Divided. [July 2013, p.96]

Decent fun, but lacking the challenge of earlier episodes. [Jan 2009, p.71]

Rochard is just four or five hours long, but it has boatloads of charm and a surprising amount of character. [Feb 2012, p.99]

Broken Steel enhances the entire Fallout 3 world with new items, quests and monsters, extending an awesome experience. [July 2009, p.88]

Original, fun and funny. A demanding, adrenal pleasure that's a few critical tweaks short of true brilliance. [Dec 2009, p.104]

It's Far Cry 3 dressed as trashily as you can imagine; the joke only goes so far, but it's definitely fun to play. [July 2013, p.90]

At a mere 2 quid, you'd have to be insane not to pick Wizorb up. [June 2012, p.101]

It's jaunty, silly, and extremely fun. Best played with a good friend, and a good joypad. It's just a little bit too short.

The visual dazzle and cinematic set-pieces are let down by bad scripting, glitchy multiplayer and increasingly dull firefights.