Devilishly tricky. [July 2010, p.95]

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

An original take on the arcade time-trial formula. [Dec 2013, p.95]

Set to doom a generation of pony-mad girls. Perfect if you have love in your heart and Sims 3 on your Steam account.

Dazzling, vicious fighting extravaganza, with tons of replay value. But you have to work hard to find out what's going on, or to care. [Aug 2009, p.68]

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 crueller sequel is bursting with evil potential, but the fun is dragged down by clumsy execution. [Aug 2009, p.80]

Ultimately, this flipping from scary to stupid, from harrowing to humdrum, leaves FEAR 2: Project Origin a competent but slightly unsatisfying experience. [Mar 2009, p.72]

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]

A joyous and addictive action puzzler. [Sept 2010, p.102]

Lovely, if a little drawn out. [Mar 2009, p.70]

A surprising treat. [Dec 2009, p.109]

An impressive game, but not one that will be to everyone's tastes, especially not those after a quick thrill. [Sept 2010, p.88]

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]

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]

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]

No singleplayer game I know offers more scope for creativity, more surrealism, or a more original commercial model. [Aug 2006, p.82]

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]

Deal with all these niggles and there's an undeniably fun core of stupidly acrobatic, combo-heavy fighting. DMC4 doesn't move the series on, but when it's firing on all cylinders it's still enough to make you snigger with glee.

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

The new scenarios are enlivened by the fantastic timeline system. [June 2012, p.97]

FIFA 07 is still entertaining, but it's about as workaday as it gets. It goes through the motions of offering team updates and a smattering of new features, but fails to address core problems or significantly innovate in its approach to football. [Nov 2006, p.96]

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

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]

A rare sim triumph, although it's forced to make a ton of compromises to appease two distinct audiences. [Mar 2010, p.86]

Ultimately, Rise is meant for the BFME hardcore. [Christmas 2006, p.74]

While everything works, there are a few odd quirks which don't exactly break the game but do make it a little bizarre. [May 2006, p.89]

Still playable, but coasting on a years-old reputation that needs to be renewed sharpish if Pro Evo is to stay relevant. [Dec 2009, p.82]