Cubemen's simplicity is of the arrogant, even brash kind. [June 2012, p.95]

A genuinely charming entry in the point-and-click catalogue. [Apr 2011, p.83]

A welcome gulp of sea air for jaded real-time strategy fans, slightly tainted by campaign conservatism. [June 2012, p.108]

Too similar to RailWorks 2 to be a sequel, and with little fresh content, but the series is chugging along in the right direction.

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

Play the game the way it asks you to and you can have lots of fun, but Brink can be a bit too needy for pick-up-and-play.

Despite the criticisms, it's as good as the last couple of Lego outings; slightly better, actually. It just lacks the novelty value. [July 2008, p.76]

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

This DLC passes the fun test in a way the previous games didn't. [Sept 2013, p.97]

CMSF is fit for duty at last. Roll on the Brit module. [Apr 2009, p.69]

A passable single player game that's hilarious fun in co-op. Full of weird and enjoyable multiplayer ideas. [Sept 2011, p.78]

It may feel somewhat underdeveloped, but it is an intriguing experience. [May 2006, p.90]

Remarkably entertaining, if limited and repetitious, thanks to the comedy spark of the original movie cast and writers. [Aug 2009, p.76]

Less adventurous heroes might be scared off, but if more is merrier, LoL is perfect for your advanced tower defending fix. [Christmas 2009, p.112]

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]

Enjoyable city planning but a timid foray into MMO territory. [Christmas 2009, p.100]

The stunning views and wanton destruction are ample compensation. [Feb 2011, p.92]

I'd like to have seen more impressive rendering of the incredible geography of the continent, but nevertheless: 18 Wheels of Steel, you are weird and brave. We salute you. [Apr 2008, p.79]

Brilliant, unthinking and unfair in equal measure. [Jan 2010, p.110]

MoH's inventive and thoughtful sections are undermined by its desire to mimic other games it just can't beat.

Flawed, intriguing art-game. [May 2009, p.70]

A game like this lives on the quality of its script, and Denby and Raze have written a tender, human story that doubles up as the game's primary puzzle. [Apr 2013, p.91]

Even more annoyingly, it requires Windows Vista, although there's no real justification for this: it's Direct X 9 and could happily run on XP. [May 2007, p.72]

This odd land is worth exploring, and its meaty questline worth bashing through. Whether it's worth £18 for the privilege comes down to your appetite for Oblivion's combat.

It's a cute and pacey game. [June 2012, p.105]

Fun. There's nothing else like it available on PC, either. [Apr 2008, p.86]

With or without others to play with it's a lot of fun. It's just not something to should about from the rooftops. [May 2008, p.82]

Terraforming insanity imbued with a clunky wonder. [Dec 2006, p.97]

It's a good entry into the often neglected motorbike racing genre. [Aug 2012, p.105]

The humour, too, is a little underplayed. [Sept 2010, p.95]

Just like a cheesy action flick, Bionic Commando is a satisfying rollercoaster of explosions, profanity and bizarre plot twists. [Sept 2009, p.82]

A welcome return for one of adventure gaming's patron designers, if not quite a glorious return to form.

Button-mashing combat and new powers aren't particularly inspiring, but the large-scale level puzzles are rock solid. [Aug 2010, p.96]

Builds on the classic rules while keeping their timeless charm.

It's quite broken in many ways, but it quickly grows on you, and becomes surprisingly endearing. [Nov 2009, p.82]

A mad experiment that mostly pays off. [June 2008, p.86]

A very fair price for the pleasure of their covert company, even if you only end up leading them for a couple of campaigns. [Mar 2012, p.109]

While Tiger 07 is as good as ever, it's also the same as ever, making it hard to recommend, despite its manifold pleasures. [Nov 2006, p.90]

Stylish street art, but lacks substance. [Apr 2006, p.90]

In the grim darkness of the Warhammer 40K future, there is only a solid, satisfying game let down by a lack of variation. [May 2010, p.100]

This offers sufficient substance and challenge in a nostalgic, turn-based package reminiscent of the earlier days of gaming. [June 2009, p.99]

No surprises, just great ease-of-use and an endless supply of puzzles. [Apr 2007, p.100]

As an indie release, it's exactly the kind of thing we like to see - something writing its own rules, and leaving us excited to see just where its ideas go next. [Mar 2008, p.84]

Its various components are limited, but this is a clever puzzler/simulation whose flaws aren't too bitter a pill to swallow. [December 2015, p.84]

A steep learning curve and lack of starting characters will turn many away from Bloodline's fun and frenzied arena battles.

Its lighthearted retro puzzling gets under your skin very quickly. It's unlikely to stay there more than a couple of days, but for four quid that's plenty sufficient. [Apr 2013, p.85]

There's too little vim and variety to rival the great online shooters, but Battlefield Heroes is definitely worth a look. [Oct 2009, p.80]

If you can relax into the game, get past the learning curve and ignore being hit on by an ugly Scottish man, there's a mass of strategy here. [Dec 2006, p.110]

Without prods from the story to push onwards, Retrovirus is reliant on the appeal of its three-dimensional shootouts to push you towards the end. Thankfully, they are up to the job. [Apr 2013, p.107]

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

A technical improvement on past efforts, let down by a lack of atmosphere and irritating AI flaws. [Nov 2010, p.92]

A bit too familiar, but fun while it lasts. [May 2009, p.72]

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

For its price and playability it's well worth a look. [June 2012, p.97]

Nice looking, moderately rewarding. [July 2006, p.78]

An undeniably fun space-combat MMO, with the bones of a rich universe but still plenty of catching up to do. [Apr 2010, p.102]

The new elements it adds feel more like a patch than a genuine expansion whilst the mods are hit and miss - and you can already get the best ones for nothing. Would I want to go back to playing Civ IV without what Beyond the Sword adds? No. But should I have to pay this much for the privilege of balancing a game that, by the very intent of this expansion, its developers clearly feel needs it? Again, no.

Wormed its way back into our hearts, but don't expect the relationship to be any different.

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

Battlestations: Midway lacks this depth. There's masses of stuff to do, there's just not enough places to actually do it in, which is something of a shame.

Some conservative choices, and it's tough for tourists, but stoical series vets will relish the change of scene and kit. [Nov 2011, p.132]

The game's later levels get brutally devious, and the trial and error can become tiresome. [Apr 2012, p.113]

Not pretty, plump, or progressive, CaW succeeds in spite of itself. The gripping subject matter, the refreshing absence of turns, and the fact that victory and defeat are often just a couple of bomb or torpedo hits away, combine to produce pace and levels of excitement you don't often find in hardcore wargames.

A disappointingly uneven offering. [June 2013, p.96]

Stability issues notwithstanding, this explosive new arcade racer is just about as compulsive as they come. [July 2010, p.102]

It's good to have a sim like RailWorks forging ahead. [Sept 2009, p.79]

It's a highly polished, occasionally satisfying, wholly unremarkable game set not in WWII, but in an imagined reality where it had a sequel. Not World War III, but WWII 2. [Apr 2009, p.78]

Hellgate: London hooked me, and I think it'll do the same to a lot of other players. But no matter how much I adore its juicy roleplaying sub-systems, I can't get past its wobbly core game. [Dec 2007, p.52]

Lively, but as deep as the red puddles you leave in your wake. [June 2006, p.85]

Still too dour for most. [May 2012, p.110]

A surprisingly moreish zom-bomber. [Dec 2009, p.109]

Gloriously beautiful, infuriatingly fiddly. [Christmas 2009, p.98]

Still a solid sports sim, but more features means less fun. [Nov 2007, p.78]

PopCap charm permeates the experience - the dialogue and tool tops are hilarious - but the halfway mark signals a massive surge in difficulty, and you'll frequently get pinned for hours on a single stage. [Dec 2009, p.117]

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

It's only really good for two or three novelty-endowed playthroughs. [Aug 2007, p.72]

Paper overcomes these minor quibbles because it's just good fun. [Apr 2014, p.83]

A bit meagre, perhaps, but for a fiver this is a nostaglia trip worth taking - a short, simple RPG that's a neat pop culture homage. [Apr 2014, p.93]

A clever music based puzzler, that is unfortunatley restricted by the small amount on offer.

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

Tense, if limited fun. [Apr 2010, p.107]

Behind the name, there's solid hack and slash with some decent enemies. But Sacred? Not to anyone, it seems. [Oct 2014, p.94]

A solid, squishy eyeful of Germanic RPG charm. [Apr 2009, p.81]

A parody that's funny throughout. [Jan 2011, p.94]

A short but sweet adventure game. Bears the wrinkles of age but it's still with spending your time on. [Feb 2014, p.90]

It's not a great leap forward, but growing bananas and rigging elections remains remarkably entertaining. [Oct 2011, p.84]

Like the series itself, there's satisfaction to be had in sticking to the well-worm path. [June 2014, p.91]

Multiplayer is a fun aside, but be prepared for your PC to struggle with the choking throng of units on screen. [Aug 2006, p.92]

Vietnam's story mission is pants, but the new weapons and survival map will please devoted Magicka fans.

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

Solid, workman-like zombie slaughter, with a strong hint of amateur mod-making love and enthusiasm. [Aug 2009, p.72]

Carbon manages to look uniformly bland. [Christmas 2006, p.82]

Technically creaky but ultimately fun. [Nov 2008, p.82]

The pattern of play - building a base, waging war - has ended up as middle-of-the-road as a Tiger on a country lane. [June 2007, p.88]

It's so fundamentally flawed that most gamers are going to simply bounce right off it. [Mar 2008, p.72]

Thankfully, the designers chose to drive down a more unusual route. For the price of the ride, especially, it's worth a spin... Team-based racing with a difference. [Apr 2006, p.92]

Turn-based strategy made accessible with a casual philosophy. [Feb 2007, p.90]

Imperfect spaceship engineering and asynchronous online dueling combine to deliver a flawed star. [Dec 2009, p.94]