FATE has all the touchstones of a BIT.TRIP game--the hunt for flawless execution, the grueling score optimization. It serves up the same boiled-down punishing appeal. [Nov 2013, p.74]

A work of sulky blandness that does itself no favors by latching onto better games and cooler vampires. [ Nov 2013, p.68]

A smart top-down reimagining of the Halo experience, let down by mobile game monetization. [Nov 2013, p.66]

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

Smart co-op shooting slightly undermined by poor stealth mechanics and dogged insistence on withholding the best toys.

An elaborate horror setting with plenty of effective scares – but not quite enough to last the entire game.

Wonky mission design and technical issues drag down a solid stealth game that still has enjoyable multiplayer.

A cerebral and spooky sequel that expands on the franchise’s story and themes, while slightly dialing down the terror.

Straightforward and replayable, Spelunky is precision engineered to make death fair, funny, and a story worth sharing.

Fight past the niggles and you'll find a truly epic grand strategy game with a tremendous sense of spectacle.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified feels confused and half-finished, a hollow but beautiful slog through XCOM’s early years.

An RTS designed for entertainment rather than e-sport. Colourful, fun and memorable, its elements mesh surprisingly well.

A significant upgrade, supported by a clever eye for tactical diversity. An eye that is sadly poked by uneven execution. [Oct 2013, p.74]

While Rogue Legacy lacks the balance and crispness of Spelunky, it mostly makes up for its shortcomings with heart, imagination, and a killer compulsion loop. [Oct 2013, p.75]

Pinball FX2 is still pinball, and pinball is still best played on a real pinball table. But this is so good that it takes an extremely close second place. [Oct 2013, p.75]

The design could be tighter, the story a bit better paced, but it's still a fine couple of evenings' worth of puzzling, atmosphere, mystery, and magic, with animals cute and fluffy enough to see you through its more turgid bits. [Oct 2013, p.69]

Fun and deceptively simple, Joe Danger will have you laughing at the ridiculous ways you can fail(or succeed). [Oct 2013, p.69]

Joe Danger 2: The Movie manages to build on the fun of its predecessor--and make it even more preposterous. [Oct 2013, p.68]

Element4l knows what it wants to be, a new kind of platform game, and nails it with audacity. [Oct 2013, p.66]

But the world simulation isn't particularly deep either, and juggling resources makes you feel more like a manager than a god. [Oct 2013, p.65]

Van Helsing is long and unwieldy, but its schlocky tone prevents it becoming too frustrating of a grind. [Oct 2013, p.65]

Swinging wildly between inspired and tedious, Deadpool is an uneven and unpredictable as its lead character. [Oct 2013, p.60]

It might not have the sheen of Grand Theft Auto, but Saints Row IV is both gloriously stupid and stupidly good.

More rehashed than remastered, your childhood might be better served holding onto old memories rather than making new ones.

A textured and engrossing simulation that conquers the common ground between your average Civilization V player and the long-time devotees of grand strategy. Never before have I felt that “World at your fingertips” feeling as strongly, and you owe it to your sense of discovery to give EU IV an hour of your life or two (hundred).

Everything that you loved and hated about the 1994 original—ludicrous gibs, explosives, boss fights, and first-person platforming.

An original and pleasantly demanding puzzle-style game that leaves you wanting slightly more and slightly more variety.

A deep and rewarding competitive game that becomes something special when taken on in the company of others.