That exhilarating core deserves more than the pretty rancid crust that tops it. [Aug 2010, p.76]

An effective, old school strategy game of properly strategic proportions. [Oct 2006, p.70]

Hellgate's done itself a disservice, because it's hidden some decent fun underneath a dated, linear and difficult-to-love veneer.

If you can struggle past the interface, the game itself if baseball gold. [Sept 2009, p.71]

Pretty absorbing. [May 2008, p.87]

An absolute ton of very German micromanagement. [June 2010, p.87]

That this is the last game in the Penumbra series is a genuine tragegy, because the series has finally found its footing. [Apr 2006, p.84]

Not PC friendly. [Dec 2008, p.75]

More Tufnell than Warne. [Nov 2009, p.74]

If only it didn't look like such a dog's dinner. [Jan 2010, p.80]

That the developers have endeavoured - and succeeded - in modelling the social turmoil of the period makes this a unique, rewarding, and dense experience that demands dedication and will reward players with weeks, if not months, of unique historical wargaming. [Sept 2006, p.80]

A really involving little sim. [Christmas 2009, p.78]

The problem is that most of the downloadable content is aimed at specific character types: a pure combat character probably won't give a stuff about spell tomes or a Wizard's tower, while the average mage will find the powerful new quest items totally useless. You're far better off just choosing the content you want online, and this works out a hell of a lot cheaper too, even if you buy everything (£12).

For 20 quid, it's a half-decent ride while it lasts. [Sept 2007, p.73]

The joy of breaking things apart with giant hammers really is enough to prop up any amount of dull shooting. [Oct 2009, p.58]

Playing Toki Tori is like putting your finger into a kitten's mouth, only to realise that the kitten is actually a great white shark. Except this is a good thing. [Oct 2010, p.86]

The problem with Jack Keane is that it's just not funny. The game tries too hard to be something its not. [May 2008, p.78]

A worthy successor to the Caesar family of titles. But chances are, you already know if this is going to be your cup of tea - follow your heart, young governor. [Christmas 2006, p.92]

A better proposition than the first remake. [Aug 2010, p.86]

Cossacks II remains an enjoyable re-enactment of wholesale slaughter as any of you couuld hope for. [Sept 2006, p.74]

Effective time Hoover. [July 2008, p.84]

More of a solid warrior and less of a gaming god. [Oct 2007, p.80]

Deserves praise for artistic flair, but when it comes to gameplay approach with caution. [Jan 2010, p.81]

Two Worlds isn't a masterpiece, but it is entertaining. It's deep. [Nov 2007, p.78]

With the superior "Company of Heroes" looming over the proceedings, JTF's lovely graphics, underused media twist and modern settings mask a solid but perhaps rather uninspired take on the genre. [Dec 2006, p.82]

Anyone with half an eye can see how the presentation levels have been slipping like a ferret on ice over the last few years. [Nov 2007, p.84]

As a sandbox game, it shines in the hands of those who take it for what it is - an "A-Team" simulator - but as a narrative shooter, it falls flat. [Dec 2008, p.72]

And even though the game is rich with tension (certainly enough to offset the mediocre graphics), unless you're at her majesty's pleasure, you probably won't have the time.

One of the most challenging and addictive city-builders we've played this year. [Jan 2007, p.70]

Dramatic, entertaining and charming in the way that every Fallout expansion should be from now on. [Nov 2009, p.72]

Puzzles aren't too hard, but they aren't too easy. [Feb 2009, p.80]

However, once you pass the infant stages of the game, play becomes all too familiar, all too repetitive and all too unpolished. I'm not saying avoid Age of Conan - feel free to give it a go and enjoy the early stages with your free 30 days of play.

Falls a little short of the bar set by the likes of "SimCity 4." [July 2006, p.80]

A good game, but it won't hit Peggle-esque heights of fame. [May 2010, p.87]

"Quotation Forthcoming"

Dark Corners is at its best when you can immerse yourself in the story and get to work solving the biting mysteries on offer. Unfortunately, by the end of the game everything succumbs to a bit of FPS butchery, putting you in shotgun shootouts rather than mysterious crime scenes.

The PC market should revel in the fact that it can do console games, and do them better than the consoles can. [Sept 2006, p.70]

Boss battles are explosive, brutal encounters, while some perfectly cast actors bring each character to life with genuine aplomb. If you leave your brain at the door, you just might find hours of mindless fun here.

Easy to pick up and strangely compelling. [Feb 2008, p.91]

Strategy gaming doesn't get much more hardcore than this. But if you, as I, have ever harboured ambitions of serving of quartermaster to a major military formation, this is for you. [Oct 2006, p.70]

Graphically dated. [Feb 2010, p.76]

While there's still a decent driving model underneath, it's hard to see RACE appealing to fans who've driven Simbin's other titles, and so, this time at least, the hare comes out on top. [Jan 2007, p.87]

Trine deserves recognition for bringing the Lost Vikings template back to our PCs, but it isn't a classic. [Oct 2009, p.66]

The balancing could do with some tweaking, with some enemies too hard to defeat and some bosses too easy. [Aug 2007, p.70]

It still doesn't address the simplistic combat. [Christmas 2006, p.77]

Wannabe "Age of Empires". [July 2007, p.82]

It might sound trite, but if you like god games there's nothing here you won't have seen before. [Sept 2009, p.70]

If I have a gripe, it's that the introduction of Hugh Bliss's magical talismans makes for some rather force puzzles. [July 2007, p.80]

Even though it feels so very wrong to say this, Open For Business is a Sims expansion worth buying.

Mad Doc needs to do the full makeover in the expansion. [Jan 2008, p.72]

So while it's a Sims 2 expansion, and while it's about pets, it's a wellmade, superbly polished addition to the original game.

The admirably innovative gameplay still feels like it's from Mars. [Feb 2007, p.80]

The spectacuar way in which the game is presented is enough to make the most players want to overlook the deep-running problems it harbors and plaudits must be paid to a setting this original and so excellently realized. [June 2008, p.64]

Surprisingly deep. [July 2009, p.66]

A flawed gem. [Jan 2010, p.79]

The Last resort is still enjoyable for fans of Wallace & Gromit, but seasoned adventurers will run through it like a summer breeze. [Aug 2009, p.74]

These dinosaurs may be beautifully drawn and animated, but there's just not enough blood and thunder pouring out of them to generate that shaking-glass "Jurassic Park" 'Oh my God, here comes the T-Rex' moment. [Dec 2006, p.90]

A worthy follow-up and well worth your time if you are an enthusiast of the gem-matching genre. [June 2009, p.75]

Stylish, funny, but sadly disposable. [June 2010, p.87]

If you want a simple game that doesn't require you to devote the whole of your brain or your evenings, can buy into the game's modern-retro visuals, and can forgive a few flaws; it's undeniably worth a spin. [Dec 2008, p.76]

As long as you realise that Crayon Physics Deluxe is a sandbox in disguise, you won't be disappointed by this charming physics puzzler. [Apr 2009, p.70]

Culpa Innata will surprise you with its non-linearity. [Feb 2008, p.81]

Essentially, things fail to get moving in Disciples III. [Sept 2010, p.91]

Lag and server issues. [July 2010, p.88]

There's a platoon of issues lurking to ambush the unwary. [July 2007, p.70]

Much as I was thrilled by the action, I was equally nonplussed by the lack of emotional connection to the characters and the plot. [Mar 2009, p.64]

If you're a fan of the board game, you'll like this adaptation - but if you're not, it's not going to sit well with any logical imagining that you've ever had for a Blood Bowl game. [Nov 2009, p.68]

Early levels too underpowered. [Christmas 2009, p.87]

Despite its flaws, CM08 is easily BGS's best game to date and is a commendable step forward for the series. Fun and accessible, it provides a decent alternative to the complexities of Football Manager. However, a weak tactical spine and the hit and miss match engine negate the need for any serious tactical tinkering, meaning that while its personality may be split, its mainstream characteristics still dominate its make-up.

It's the shortest and easiest yet, with the episodic formula's skeleton (office/street intro, on-location puzzle, three-pronged task, conclusion) showing more obviously through the tighter, more linear flesh.

Despite design cleverness and an engaging cityscape, there's just no joy here. [Christmas 2006, p.90]

This update isn't monumental. It's merely the bacon topping on an already bulging turducken. That's turkey, duck and chicken. [Dec 2006, p.99]

It's fun, tough, cheap and really hard to stop playing; sometimes it's good to look back. [Oct 2007, p.86]

Not only is the game accessible, it has a couple of novel game-modes to kick back with and offers a pretty exhausting career modes too. It's also quite technical, but it reveals itself in layers, a bit like "Pro Evo." [Mar 2007, p.72]

The Battle For Middle-Earth II may look impressive, and its basic, by-the-numbers RTS approach is fun in a mindless sort of way. However, in no way is it anywhere near the game we hoped for. What a waste.

Barely explicable scantily clad slo-mo sequences aside, Velvet Assassin is a really solid game. [Aug 2009, p.66]

Good fun, if a little short for the money. [June 2009, p.68]

It has numerous problems, most notably the A.I. But there's something beneath all its faults I can forgive; a Western game that has Reverends, shows reverence and even features the occasional smear of puerile humour. [Nov 2006, p.66]

There's little content on offer here, with only three islands and four new miracles making this hardly an essential purchase. [July 2006, p.86]

Consoles, you win this round. [Feb 2008, p.82]

In a disappointing move, we don't get to play any of the Ghostbusters. [Oct 2009, p.64]

A hit-and-miss product that'll no doubt satiate the hardcore, but probably prove a tad too irritating for the rest. [Christmas 2007, p.86]

The fundamental problem is that it all feels a little detached - for an MMO, solo play feels far more natural, as the speed turns most of the battles into one-on-ones dotted around the map. [July 2006, p.88]

A bit crackers. [Nov 2009, p.76]

It's still one of the best basketball sims available, just don't expect much beyond recycled goods. [Dec 2006, p.85]

If you own the first, then there's little reason to upgrade. [Apr 2010, p.90]

If you've exhausted X3 to an inhuman degree, you could do a lot worse than check this out, especially given the bargain price tag. [Sept 2007, p.86]

This will genuinely engage the creative side of a child. Just knock 30 off the score if you aren't in primary school. [Feb 2009, p.81]

East India Company manages to whisk you on a sedate journey through teatime. [Nov 2009, p.75]

Something about Granado Espada is fiendishly addictive. What stops it from being truly great is the fact that it's both simple and rather boring at times. [Oct 2007, p.83]

It can be good fun when you've got the hang of things. [Feb 2009, p.81]

A vaguely comical arcade shooter in the clouds, and one that never pretends to be anything else. [June 2009, p.64]

It's for the patient. [Aug 2009, p.62]

With more ambition in the table design, Dream Pinball 3D has the potential to be great. As it stands, it's just good. [June 2008, p.82]

FreeTime isn't bad. Actually, it's very good. [June 2008, p.80]

Plenty of tactical depth and a wealth of historical information. [Nov 2006, p.73]

You'll be having Duke Nukem flashbacks and shouting "I've got balls of steel" in no time. [July 2010, p.84]

The plot is a bit of nonsense and the NPCs' AI is dumber than a bag of hair, but slashing up civilians with the Claw is always amusing. [Aug 2009, p.68]