It's really, really good and you should play it, but damn, it could have been superb.

Easily comparable with titles twice its price. Its core gunplay and design are more airtight than a collapsed mine. [June 2010, p.94]

It straddles the abyss between simulation and arcade, and it does it seemingly effortlessly. [May 2007, p.78]

While it's an MMO, it managed to make me forget it was, and I started treating it just as a wonderful place to explore, full of monsters to shoot, friends to defend and stuff to pick up. In other words, a world. Which was always the idea of this genre, but I'd lost the ability to see it in a fog of numbers and impeccably managed levelling curves.

Beguiles with its military polish and visual appeal. [Apr 2013, p.85]

A brilliantly in-depth and vast war simulator that rewards your patience. [July 2009, p.69]

A quality add-on to revive your habit. [May 2008, p.88]

One of the better sandbox games in existence. [Jan 2008, p.70]

Mount & Blade's new multiplayer is a brutal blast. It's a shame the solo side didn't get more attention, though. [June 2010, p.98]

Big punchy man action, with a surprising amount of brain. [Apr 2006, p.94]

Despite the obvious flaws, the many subtler achievements make this compelling. You'll find better shooting elsewhere, but if you fancy getting more than bullet holes for once, this is for you. [May 2006, p.84]

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

Has all the ingredients for sim greatness, except a strong singleplayer campaign and a robust number of planes. [Jan 2010, p.108]

Enormously entertaining combat in gorgeous settings. [Jan 2008, p.85]

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]

An astounding world, and a flagship for the imagination and capability of independent game developers. [Christmas 2009, p.94]

Surreal castaway adventure for more than just Sims fans. [May 2008, p.85]

Incredible value. [May 2010, p.85]

Despite unrefined combat, Alice: Madness Returns delivers a fun, unforgettable journey in color, design, and images.

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

You will laugh. [July 2011, p.99]

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

In short, not bad for a game where you still can't jump. And you don't need to. So there.

BCR is at once beautifully reminiscent of its era, and polished enough to be palatable to a modern audience. The core grappling and swinging mechanic is satisfying, the weapons a joy to wield and the levels are imaginatively designed.

For all its worthiness it's fairly dry in terms of action. [July 2007, p.90]

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]

You end up playing three intertwined games simultaneously. [Mar 2012, p.111]

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