A better class of more of the same. [June 2006, p.92]

Endearing, yet thin. [Dec 2008, p.86]

Hardcore platforming at its most frustrating. [Sept 2010, p.103]

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

In terms of fulfilling what "Settlers" has always promised - building a city - it's true to its word. It just needs a bit more vim and vigour to it. [Dec 2007, p.68]

If you've got the patience to penetrate this game, and to put up with its dawdling, you're in for a treat.

Where a game like "SWAT4" manages to be fun, GRAW2 just feels a little bit too much like hard work. The fireworks don't crackle with the kind of spectacle we're paying for, and there just isn't enough juicy meat on the tactical bones for us to regard this as a feast. [Aug 2007, p.74]

A great big walloping drive of a golf game. [Nov 2007, p.78]

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.

The perfect warm-up for a long, hot summer of football. [July 2006, p.72]

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

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

It's by far the closest the series has got to nailing the spirit of the original animations. [Oct 2009, p.84]

Refreshing, exciting RTS. [Nov 2008, p.92]

Scoregasm may lack the polish and extra modes of the best examples the genre, but its frenetic pace and level variety ensure it's worth more than a quick fumble. [May 2012, p.113]

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

Crucially, MotoGP 08 translates the speed and thrill of the sport to your PC, which "SBK08" comprehensively failed to do. [Christmas 2008, p.98]

Homefront never quite captures the feel of guerilla warfare, but its multiplayer mode is a warzone worth fighting in.

Visit for the mini-games and fairy dust, but stay for the opportunity to spend 2 quid on a pair of magic pants. [Aug 2009, p.78]

This is a game which takes absolutely no risks, as much Middle-of-the-Road as Middle-Earth...You won't be surprised. You will, almost certainly, be entertained. [June 2007, p.70]

You'll smile at the logic of the solution. [Oct 2007, p.86]

An oddly clumsy reprise of a much loved game. Beautifully hand-pained, wonderfully acted, but strange design choices. [Sept 2009, p.70]

Mindless violence in all the right ways. [Feb 2008, p.82]

A short but sweet platformer requiring ninja reflexes. [May 2014, p.85]

It's hardly the prettiest game ever, and the story is laden with nonsense, but it's a game with a racing pulse - energising, like the best action games are supposed to be. [Oct 2006, p.90]

City Life provides a valuable municipal service by being far more accessible while still providing a decent challenge. [June 2006, p.95]

Plainly the best plane-centric shooter on a 2D plane. Stick through the slow start and enjoy the view later on. [Jan 2010, p.94]

Modern Warfare 3 is linear, badly written and one note. It's still, from a certain angle, regressive. It's also fun.