Gorgeous, immersive and packed with game modes, NBA 2K13 is one poorly designed keyboard setup away from b-ball glory.

Lacks the polish and panache to be a true champion, but Viking is still solid, no-thrills entertainment.

Disappointingly old-fashioned. Nostalgia isn't enough to save this boring shooter from stagnant FPS limbo.

A fun platformer that gives random generation an online twist, but lack of depth stops this from being a job for life.

A frenzied, elegant action game that pulses with great music and demanding thrills, for only £2/$3.

Unexpectedly engrossing. Heed the mockers and you'll miss one of the PC's finest and freshest driving games.

Evolutionary shooter that creates an involving, sometimes terrifying, tactical battle between two distinct races. Brilliant.

Entertaining storytelling and fantastic naval combat marred by terrible mission design and endemic feature creep.

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

For those with the machine to handle it, PlanetSide 2 is never anything less than staggering. On your own, it's a spectacle. Stand far enough back and you can almost take it all in, but there's just too much there to focus on. With teammates, the picture comes into glorious focus.

It's not a big or clever game, but there's value in the small and stupid too, and there's something truly wonderful about it being Steam Greenlight's first release. [Jan 2013, p.69]

Weird restrictions aside, this is a funny, unique, and charming way to kill some time, even if only in small amounts. [Jan 2013, p.69]

You've got a huge island to explore, ridiculously effective tools for scouting every hostile situation, and so many clever intersecting systems to inspire creative ways to conquer them. It's a better stealth game than Far Cry 1, set in an open world that feels richer than Far Cry 2's. That's an amazing thing to play.

I desperately hope the reaction to it is strong enough to convince the developers to change direction, because I couldn't stand to watch the series die like this.

This much belated franchise-resurrection trips in execution due to unit pathfinding issues and the lack of multiplayer.

Though hokey, tired and periodically shambolic, the campaign has a few new tricks, but it's the fulsome multiplayer that saves Blops 2 from shame.

Occasionally entertaining, but plagued by AI bugs and hamstrung by a clunky user interface. Less than the sum of its parts.

Gory, beautiful chaos, if a little frustratingly rough behind the scenes. A good afternoon's chaos, and that's what matters.

A promising enough idea, Lucius shoots for the depths of hell – but poor execution lands it merely six feet under.

A stealth game that turns you into a predator rather than prey. Mark of the Ninja is an engaging sandbox of stealth.

It still feels like a six-year-old game, and that's probably a sign to move on to something a little newer. [Holiday 2012, p.73]

After some missteps, it's Battlefield back to focusing on what it does best. [Holiday 2012, p.73]

Snapshot is a charming, challenging platformer with innovative puzzles and a generous helping of good ideas. [Holiday 2012, p.72]

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

A boring, unoriginal, morally bankrupt, ethically dubious glorification of war, that's not worth your time or money.

Transgressive like Grand Theft Auto hasn't been for years, Hotline is violent, quick and compulsive but lacking in depth.

Beautiful game, with some nice puzzles, ruined by your character's inability to perform the platforming as well as you need.

Some subtle tweaks make this the most polished, accessible entry in the Football Manager series in years.