WAR is not about redefining the genre, and to complain it resembles WoW is to criticize it for being a fantasy MMO. Where it excels is group-based gameplay. [Dec 2008, p.64]

Despite its by-the-numbers storyline, the game grabs you into its sucking chest wound of a world and keeps you there until the last chitinous spike has been blasted from the final suppurating torso. [Dec 2008, p.67]

An all but perfect condensation of what makes rhythm action good. [Issue#257, p.56]

It doesn't fix larger flaws, but it's still a solid expansion. [Jan 2014, p.80]

So good that it's become the only way to play Battlefield 3. Buy this now, and enjoy a bit of nostalgia in a new light. [March 2012, p.56]

An excellent introduction to the world of MOBAs for anyone put off by the learning curve or community of other games. [Aug 2015, p.63]

Once you get a hang of the numerous systems, Path of Exile becomes one of the best action-RPG experiences you can have. [December 2013, p.88]

An essential purchase for every true Battlefield fan. [Feb 2011, p.55]

A combination of DRM and instability ruins what should be an excellent game. Pick this up on console. [Apr 2010, p.58]

Fast, stupid and thoroughly enjoyable - Rocket League will eat your life five minutes at a time. [Sept 2015, p.55]

The bottle-blonde of racing games; gorgeous and loud, but something you'll want to spend time with in a group of friends. [Jan 2010, p.59]

A bigger, better, prettier sequel to the wonderful Legend of Grimrock. [Dec 2014, p.57]

The best of the Dragon Age series by far and one of BioWare's most accomplished games to boot. [Jan 2015, p.50]

Binge all five episodes and you're in for something pretty damn special. [Dec 2015, p.61]

Solid backbone to a bright Warhammer future. [Mar 2009, p.50]

A well designed competitive brawler that separates itself from the crowd. Battlerite is as rewarding as it is addictive. [Issue#269, p.54]

Lightning fast gameplay with an unexpected depth of subject matter. A surprise indie gem. [Dec 2012, p.76]

If you're after a basketball game that's more than just over the top dunks, 2K10 will most definitely satisfy. [Feb 2010, p.62]

As an expansion pack, Mines of Moria is practically perfect. It breathes new life into the Lord of the Rings Online, and if that life is occasionally plagued by deja vu, it's certainly worth the trade off for the new feature set it brings to the table. [February 2009, p.55]

The most terrifying survival horror game released in years. Buy it. What's the matter, too scared? [Dec 2010, p.58]

Nothing groundbreaking, but polish is ideal for those who escaped last year. [Jan 2010, p.68]

One of the finest TV to game transitions ever made, though not to everybody's taste. [Apr 2014, p.56]

Strange, brilliant, and exceptionally well-crafted, this action-RPG deserves your love despite the lack of care from its developers. [Oct 2012, p.66]

Dripping with passion for motor racing, Assetto Corsa is a racing sim that can only get better thanks to regular updates. [Feb 2015, p.13]

A spectacular heart-warming and utterly enchanting adventure. [Christmas 2009, p.66]

Quite simply one of the most exciting strategy games to come out in years. [Aug 2011, p.58]

The unique setting, brilliant AI and palpable atmosphere, make Far Cry 2 a quintessential PC gaming experience. [Dec 2008, p.63]

The exhilarating rush of climbing a hill as a song builds up, and crashing down a slope as the music explodes through the speakers is incredible. At first it may seem like a fancy visualiser, but after mastering the more difficult modes it becomes insanely addictive. [May 2008, p.65]

An excellent fighting game, even if you're not a fan of Dragon Ball. [Issue#270, p.54]

Rogue Legacy isn't reinventing the wheel, but it is an incredibly well designed wheel and one that's fun to spin. [Sept 2013, p.86]

A masterful expansion that completely revitalises the Civilization V experience. Coupled with Gods & Kings, this is a must-buy. [Aug 2013, p.80]

As much as it can wear you out, Papers, Please is a game to reflect upon and cherish. [Oct 2013, p.90]

A tribute to Doom that leaps to great heights, but fails to fully stick the landing. [Issue#252, p.60]

An average MMO but an excellent Star Wars game. [March 2012, p.42]

It lacks enough pure content to be for anyone but Dawn of War fanatics. [May 2010, p.68]

Sexy, sloppy, silly, sassy, and substantial; everything you could want in a sandbox. [Christmas 2011, p.50]

A stupefying number of bugs and an aging engine can do little to hold back this slice of brilliance. [Issue#185, p.60]

Solid action wrapped in a fascinating simulated Orc society. [Nov 2014, p.52]

OCD-fuelling obsession for some, brain-melting difficulty for others. Choose, and perish. [Apr 2011, p.70]

A mash of genres that feels like a classic game that never was.

Massive in scope without sacrificing strategy or teamplay, PlanetSide 2 shows us what only PC gaming is capable of. [Dec 2012, p.66]

Hilarious, action-packed and engrossing, Tales from the Borderlands is a fresh new take on life on Pandora. We can't wait for more. [Jan 2015, p.55]

A fresh and addictive new riff on Rogue-like gaming that will keep you enthralled to the point of madness. [Issue#248, p.62]

In the end, Spore seems to me to be like the gaming equivalent of a massive meal at McDonalds. It tastes great as long as you’re eating, and there’s certainly plenty there. But once you start to get near the end, you realise that it wasn’t quite as ‘deep’ as you thought. [Oct 2008, p.61]

Both challenging and elegant, Unity of Command is perfect for both novices and hardcore gamers alike. [March 2012, p.58]

I was pleasantly surprised. [Jan 2010, p.86]

Though repetitive with stacks of downtime, Frostpunk has a strangely addictive gameplay loop (more so, I imagine, if you emotionally connect with your people).

With insane stunts and explosions in a huge game world, this is pure adrenaline-fuelled action to the point of repetition. [June 2010, p.60]

It doesn’t really push the genre any further forward in terms of gameplay, and as such loses some of the jaw-drop factor that Crysis brought to the market in spades. But then, it isn’t designed to be groundbreaking. It’s designed to preach to the choir. [Dec 2008, p.69]

Makes up for the failings of AC3, delivering a fantastic, engaging open world experience. [Jan 2014, p.78]

The mechanics aren't always calibrated to work seamlessly with the difficulty, but even so, HLD is a stunning indie masterpiece. [Issue#251, p.65]

FTL posits that managing oxygen and engines is but a metaphor for balancing the noxiousness of hope with the crushing weight of despair. [Nov 2012, p.72]

A tense, grueling, ultimately fulfilling survival experience that's low-fi in nature but brain-melting in execution. [Feb 2013, p.84]

Sometimes frustrating but always compelling, Nier: Automata is a wondrous and strange experience that could only ever be a game. [Issue#261, p.60]

Nioh successfully reinvents Souls with deeper combat and skill trees. [Issue#269, p.58]

A clever and accessible combat system masks a brilliant meta commentary. [Issue#258, p.63]

More of a spit-polish than a full remaster, but that doesn't matter. Grim Fandango remains a genre high point. [March 2015, p.64]

They didn’t disappoint me. Is this the best adventure, full stop? Apart from a few red herring moments, I was delighted by how design exceeded every other one of my expectations.

Solid puzzling, decent combat and gorgeous art - all for cheap! [March 2012, p.60]

If any MMO is capable of beating Blizzard at its own game, it's this one. [May 2011, p.56]

There's a career mode and you can massage the tyres yourself. Or do this. [Issue#267, p.60]

As PC's only alternative to GT5, Shift 2 is satisfactory at best. But true racing enthusiasts will need to go elsewhere to really satisfy their...need for speed. [July 2011, p.74]

One of the best racers in years. However, AI disappointments and bugs may kill the appeal for some. [Dec 2010, p.60]

Stealth-action reinvented as easy-to-digest open world RPG-action. [Issue#268, p.68]

A refreshingly crisp and astutely focused look at one of the greatest 19th century battles. [Sept 2014, p.60]

A little daunting at first, but with some theorycrafting Grim Dawn proves to be an extremely enjoyable bit of hack and slash. [Issue#249, p.56]

Beneath Gunpoint's trench coat is a witty, devious and intelligent shot of puzzling, systematic gameplay - with a healthy dose of punching. [Aug 2013, p.86]

A significantly more accessible setting makes this latest Anno a must play for all city management fans. [March 2012, p.52]

A harrowing, relentlessly grim tale let down by workmanlike combat and puzzles. [Issue#266, p.58]

Maybe too mumblecore for some, Life is Strange is a wonderfully dark story of friendship and personal apocalypse. [Dec 2015, p.63]

Despite some flaws and stability issues, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is an engrossing RPG rich in atmosphere. [Issue#255, p.53]

UT3 has all the elements of a solid, well-executed deathmatch multiplayer game, with a passable singleplayer campaign and some vehicle modes bolted on. [Jan 2008, p.41]

Grim and edifying in equal measure. [Jan 2015, p.54]

The Forest frequently flirts with perfection. A fantastic and engrossing survival-horror experience from start to finish.

More fun than the entire French air force crashing into a firework factory. [Dec 2009, p.62]

Fun but unremarkable sim racing that is impacted by various issues and an overall lack of polish. [July 2015, p.58]

More than a mere Minecraft clone, Terraria takes 2D platforming to a whole new level. [Sept 2011, p.54]

There is a lot of very satisfying shooting to be found in Destiny 2. [Issue#268, p.54]

Delightful and thoroughly addictive genre-blending fun teetering on the cusp of greatness. [Oct 2013, p.80]

Feels like a focused Bethesda, no longer stretched too thin in its task of crafting a world the size of Skyrim. [Apr 2013, p.93]

Borrows a little too much from the original game but features some fantastic moment to moment action. [Sept 2012, p.58]

Thrilling, exciting, and fun as hell, but still a few steps away from true greatness. Nonetheless - it's pure Platinum. [March 2014, p.64]

A must-have for Age of Conan players. [Aug 2010, p.64]

Like an oboe, this game gets ruined in the playing. Well, a bit. [June 2013, p.94]

"A gripping rollercoaster ride." - Stephen King. [Apr 2012, p.52]

Monaco offers a new and unique kind of chaotic co-op stealth gameplay, resulting in a work of indie art worth stealing. [May 2013, p.94]

Gorgeously rendered and scored, if somewhat hazy when it comes to the actual story. [July 2014, p.54]

Brilliant execution of a unique premise. A definite contender for game of the year so far. [Issue#262, p.61]

All in all, this version is the quintessentuial FM experience. Aside from a few very unfortunate bugs, this is the most complete FM game to date. It's a no brains purchase for any fan of the series, and maybe even for one or two people yet to take the plunge. [January 2009, p.58]

Despite some concerns, the game is certainly not a bad one; it's no Call of Duty 3, by any stretch of the imagination – and Treyarch is definitely back in good form. The action is top notch, and the multiplayer will certainly keep people occupied for some time. [Christmas 2008, p.75]

A reminder that games can be simple and satisfying all at once. A triumph of focused, self-consistent design. [Jan 2010, p.84]

MMO gamers will be surprised to find that there is still a lot of adventuring goodness to be had inside the world of EverQuest II. [Feb 2008, p.56]

Even though it's a linear game, Abzu offers a sense of freedom to rival any sandbox. [Issue#254, p.56]

An indie classic on par with Braid or Limbo. [March 2012, p.50]

In trading substance for style, Conviction winds up hollow and unsatisfying. Co-op is the only saving grace. [July 2010, p.52]

A flawed gem that's very much worth playing. [Jan 2012, p.44]

Evolution is a fantastic expansion to an already amazing race sim. [Oct 2008, p.64]

An interactive, aural delight which doesn't quite offer gameplay to match its busy artistry. [June 2012, p.61]