Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?! is as stressful and satisfying as searing the perfect sirloin.

Hilarious, bursting with charm, and satisfying to play. Untitled Goose Game is a winger.

Packaged with the rest of the Master Chief Collection, it’s an easy way to hop in and see what all the fuss was about 20 years ago. If you’ve spent the last 20 years moulding Halo PC into a custom content chimaera, it’s a harder sell. What Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is offering a clean slate.

This second attempt isn't going to convince anyone who wasn't won over by the first game, but for newcomers, anyone picking this up is still likely to be impressed by the TV presenters, impressive driver likenesses and depth of team simulation. Still, those key areas of racing and car damage need more obvious improvement next year or the series might start to flounder. Sadly, as with those infamous Mercedes sidepods, the new 'multiple lines' feature really isn't much of a step forward at all and it might be wise to revert to something a little more traditional sooner rather than later.

Beautiful and challenging, but the relentless and over complicated micromanagement can be exhausting. [Jun 2010, p.76]

Rainbow Six Siege is an accessible and deeply satisfying shooter that rewards planning and teamwork over a quick trigger finger.

Drowning in bonus content. Not only is it worth the admission price, but it's really a must-buy for RCT 3 owners. [Sept 2005, p.71]

A joyous adventure and fitting swan song for one of Japan's great RPG directors.

Overwatch 2 revitalizes the stagnant hero shooter, but misunderstands what made it great.

A fun throwback to the feel of Dark Souls, but easier than we’d hoped.

Stodgy combat, two-dimensional characters, and technical hitches prevent this from living up to its lofty premise. [Feb 2014, p.58]

Still a compelling sprint through human history, Civilization 7 sheds a little too much weight to match its excellent predecessors.

Even if its new loot system is a bust, Battle for Azeroth is a vibrant expansion full of wondrous new locales to explore, characters to meet, and stories to tell.

Rise and Fall is a great addition to Civilization 6 that doesn’t quite go far enough to be essential.

I have a rock-solid DSL connection and a high-end Athlon rig and still suffered atrocious lag. [June 2002, p.74]

In my 12 years of reviewing wargames, I've never enjoyed a deeper, richer, more historically plausible simulation. [Sept 2002, p.68]

A must-own for "SimCity 4" fans, and for those who found the game too tough out of the box. [Holiday 2003, p.104]

If you're maxed out your character, the 10 new levels alone make "Desert of Flames" a must-buy, but newer players should hold off until they hit that wall. [Holiday 2005, p.70]

Storm Legion isn't the most innovative of expansions, but the vast amount of content added makes it practically essential for Rift fans.

A decent, if unremarkable, cover shooter, elevated by artful scene-setting and memorable set-pieces.

Shadow Warrior 2’s combat is gleefully expressive and varied, but undermined by tired, dated humor.

MechWarrior 5: Clans delivers a strong story of struggling young warriors alongside the best-ever version its iconic, lumbering mech combat.

Outstanding game - indeed, it's what last year's Battlefront should have been. [Jan 2005, p.54]

A smoother, more seamless ride than Hot Pursuit, it's second time lucky for this fast, furious open-world motor show.

All That Remains sets the stage for some great character development for Clementine, but there's not much payoff in this 90 minute episode.

Phenomenal on-the-pitch gameplay is marred by an awkward UI and lots of faff.

The "Quake III" engine has been stretched to its limits here, but it still gets the job done. [Sept 2003, p.70]

Hey may look a lot nicer, but this terrifying toad is still breaking balls in the same old way. [Nov 2009, p.82]

A deep tactical wargame with strong fundamentals supporting a broadly successful campaign system.

The Skywalker Saga's competent design is elevated by its infectious, charming sense of humor.

Owns its bleak theming completely, even if it can get a little repetitive.

Better than Borderlands 3, but not quite reaching the heights of Borderlands 2 at its best.

There's much less game in Tape 2, but a strong narrative conclusion is worth seeing. It won't take long, either.

Baldur's Gate is still a game that's well worth playing, but the Enhanced Edition isn't the version we'd recommend.

Even though Resurrection of Evil might be something of a one-trick cacodemon, I still got creeped out all over again. [June 2005, p.54]

I'm somewhat begrudgingly throwing this Indy the whip. [Sept 2008, p.68]

Not quite as amazing as Papyrus' "NASCAR 2003," but it's definitely on the lead lap. [Dec 2003, p.100]

The "Top Gun" of online aerial-combat sims -- but a so-so offline experience. [Holiday 2002, p.82]

Lost Ember is a wonderful, unique, and unforgettable experience with a love for nature.

A bold and ambitious sequel set in a satisfying, densely connected world.

Indivisible's inventive battle system brings the thrill of a fighting game to a JRPG-like party system but its platforming sections aren't as magical.

A great port of an entertainingly subversive cover shooter. It's short, but the core loop never gets old.

The early game promises an instant strategy classic, but Stellaris is unable to maintain that pace.

Ultimately, while the additions to the core game and Aurora toolset will offer more potential to module-makers, and the new classes do provide replayability options, we'll need a bit more oomph to take notice of the next expansion. [Sept 2003, p.96]

A slap of pain tand an extra dimension can't hide the threadbare plot and archaic gameplay mechanics lurking beneath the surface. [July 2002, p.68]

This game has it all: Newtonian mechanics, intricate programmable logic, applied physics, and every other reason I decided to drop out of electrical engineering to become a film major.

An excellent combat system buffers a classically unhinged anime story in an action RPG whose ambition outpaces execution.

Wantonly enjoyable and inventive zombie slaughter, held back by some unnecessary saving and leveling hassles. [Nov 2010, p.68]

Somehow in this most well-travelled of multiplayer FPS paths, Insurgency: Sandstorm feels fresh and innovative at every turn.

It might be a little conservative, but this is a smart, faithful remake and easily the de facto way to play System Shock in the modern era.

A smart, stylish adaptation that beats the odds to capture Metal Slug’s spirit in another genre, with a few irritating bugs.

The campaign is mostly predictable, dumb fun, and the multiplayer is some of Call of Duty’s best—but still subject to every existing criticism of CoD.

A fantastic return to Superhot’s slick shootouts, at the expense of the original’s deft pacing.

Beneath the lo-fi visuals and simple animation is a sophisticated, thrilling, and occasionally brutal shooter. [Nov 2013, p.64]

The most accessible, rewarding and endearing of DotA's offspring yet. [Jan 2010, p.72]

A really good parody. [Nov 2011, p.76]

The huge selection of great characters is scrumptiously entertaining from start to finish. Too bad it's a Lego game. [March 2014, p.74]

A diet XCOM in a fascinating techno-cultist skin.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is an excellent sequel and a fun Star Wars story, but maybe wait for better performance.

Although Stunts & Effects is an intriguing collection of scraps from Lionhead's cutting-room floor, it just isn't worth the price. [Sep 2006, p.58]

An engrossing survival and crafting game with flawed but engaging endgame systems.

Brainhacking will blow your mind, but you'll want to get the cop out of your head by the end.

It’s quite fun being “bad” for a change. [Jan 2002, p.73]

Uncomplicated but gratifying flying, in scenarios of increasing silliness and therefore likeability.

A beautiful medieval adventure that uses real history and interesting characters to tell a compelling story.

A fine extension to the original story, but its lack of tactical depth gets tiresome. [July 2008, p.54]

This modern remake of the classic puzzle game doesn't stop it from feeling out of date.

A surprisingly good time when you're not forced to reload your checkpoint after a game-breaking bug.

A great cozy yet creepy puzzle adventure packed with dozens of little mysteries to solve.

The game's enormous potential is squandered by bad playbalancing. [Jan 2004, p.82]

Adds a chatty, entertaining social angle to the addictive stable of PopCap-type games that otherwise lead to loneliness, depression, and suicide instead of glory on the lawless oceans. [Aug 2005, p.76]

Battle Chasers: Nightwar is a gorgeous, challenging RPG that’s light on story but big on tactically satisfying battles.

Not too shabby, for a console port. [Oct 2008, p.64]

Ultimately, the developer of "Commandos" has created an amalgam of the two styles, the result of which I will dub a stroke of near-brilliance. But not near enough. [May 2003, p.90]

A great remaster of a beloved, if now very old school, FPS that is handled with great care and attention.

A hearty improvement on Sniper Elite 3 that embraces freeform play, gets better in co-op, and most importantly lets us shoot things from very far away.

While it lasts, Mutant Year Zero is a tense, absorbing and atmospheric new member of the XCOM family. I suppose wanting more of it is a good problem to have.

An undersea soulslike that's cute and compelling, though weirdly crass.

That Dragon, Cancer tells a valuable story despite its uneven delivery.

It's not a vast improvement over the original, but it's just as fun. [Dec 2000, p.168]

In its maiden campaign, there are glimmers of hope for future greatness, but this rookie offering is sufficiently weak in enough areas to keep it lagging behind 3DO's "High Heat" series. [July 2003, p.74]

Condemned maintains an atmosphere of danger and suspense for a respectably long time, but unlike distinguished games that leap beyond the cliches of their genres(such as "Indigo Prophecy), it doesn't do quite enough to elevate itself into the realm of true greatness. [Jun 2006, p.50]

An excellent horror game burdened with action pretensions – but it still delivers a fraught, polished experience.

Strider is a liberating, free-form action platformer studded with frustrating callbacks to an arcade era better left behind.

Satisfying arcade skate-'em-up that's fun from the off, and promises many hours on the hard path to mastery.

A technically excellent educational game, but dry for all but maths enthusiasts.

More good Hitman, although the repetition of style and presentation is taking the shine off the experience.

The dangers of the abyss are well worth facing for Zubmariner’s bounty of fantastic stories and strange adventures.

Funny, philosophical, and deeply, deeply weird, there’s nothing else quite like Everything on PC.

Imaginative, beautiful, and utterly strange, but you’ll need to really love the story to endure its idiosyncratic combat.

Extreme sports made accessible to the point of basic. It's got a tin ear but a big heart.

A revolutionary tale told with memorable characters, excellent combat, and surprisingly forthright politics.

This ghost story is stretched a little thin, but still well worth exploring.

Both genuinely original and a smart physics puzzler, but aggravating in places, Mushroom 11 falls a few inches short of a classic.

Messy, varied and inadvertently hilarious: A Way Out is an unusual but uneven tandem ride.

A flawed but fascinating hybrid, Remnant: From the Ashes is a looter-shooter charged with potential.

Beautiful and stacked with excellent performances, but Eriksholm's stealth feels too much like being led around by the nose to reach greatness.

Rogue Trader gets 40K's atmosphere right, but it's buggy and the rules are a mess.