Hugely imaginative. [Dec 2008, p.64]

A huge amount of content. [June 2010, p.82]

Somehow the game, as a whole, comes together beautifully. [Oct 2010, p.70]

For all its merits and imagination, all its potential and breathtaking battles, Universe at War is lacking an essential ingredient of real-time strategy games: strategy. [Mar 2008, p.72]

Undeniably a fantastic sandbox game. [Jan 2009, p.70]

Unfortunately, things like the AI, graphics and crash damage, as well as the Porto track, still could do with some more tweaking. And in comparison to its big brother GTR 2, it's still most definitely a lap or two behind.

All good, except for one very stupid omission - no online multiplayer. [June 2007, p.72]

Though somewhat let down by its combat, Kane & Lynch is still well worth a play, even if it's just for the cinematic feel of the levels, the refreshingly different characters and the excellent multiplayer. [Christmas 2007, p.66]

If the Europa Universalis series is your thing, Rome is a welcome evolution. [July 2008, p.74]

I haven't enjoyed an RTS this much in a long time, not because it's spectacularly unique on a gameplay level, but because it has an aesthetic that's just so different from the pervasive goblin-WWII axis of RTS games. [June 2007, p.84]

Jolly Rover proudly stands on the shoulders of a giant, and unlike other adventure games that imitate LucasArts' greats, it keeps its balance. [Sept 2010, p.89]

A very solid start to the series. [June 2009, p.72]

A noisy, polished and suitably spectacular racer. [Aug 2010, p.84]

It feels like someone at Telltale noticed the baloon was deflating, and brought out a comically oversized pump. [May 2007, p.71]

The beauty of it is that the game doesn't place any restrictions upon your ambitions (or lack thereof). [Mar 2007, p.77]

Not so much an expansion - more six little intricate waterfalls of complexity that siphon hours of gameplay from the vast Civ reservoir. It's a success, but one that runs far deeper than some might like. [Oct 2006, p.62]

The production values are high. [May 2010, p.92]

Excellent recreation of Hogwarts. [Sept 2007, p.80]

Sure, Stranglehold isn't a perfect game - in fact, in many areas it's a bit duff. But even if the stupidity and brevity gets you down, I guarantee you won't have played a better representation of such utter, needless carnage. [Nov 2007, p.68]

Sure, the emphasis on tactics and cover etc make it slower than today's bells-and-whistles RTSs, but the time you get to think makes it one of the cleverest. Some games just don't seem to get tired with age. Chess and Close Combat are among them. [June 2007, p.79]

Strong good humour. [Dec 2008, p.77]

Playing Forgotten Sands is like playing a slicker "Sands of Time." [Sept 2010, p.86]

It's hard, its opening acts don't match the quality of those which follow and some characters grate - but as a modern rendition of a traditional formula, The Angel of Death has both pointed and clicked wisely. It's another nail out of the adventure gaming coffin. [Oct 2006, p.58]

Overlord II's brand of guiltless comic villainy is more entertaining than 'true' evil could ever be. [Sept 2009, p.64]

If you've got the time to master it, there is, as ever, about a year's worth of play to be had. [Dec 2006, p.99]

While it's never going to match "Pro Evolution Soccer" on the pitch, the authenticity does genuinely make a difference. [July 2006, p.79]

If you'd like to know what it's like to keep check on every bullet you have left, or how easy it is to parallel park a Panzer, then Red Orchestra is the war game for you. [June 2006, p.78]

There's no doubt TimeShift is a master of the brand of shootery that cartwheels enemies high, high in the air; but without character, humour or a sustained tone throught the game it never leaps into your affections as much as it should. [Jan 2008, p.66]

Worth buying if you like the "Heroes of Might and Magic" series. [Aug 2009, p.74]

Fans of the series will still find it entertaining, and newcomers will have plenty to see and do, but there's simply not enough new content to recommend it over "NFS: Most Wanted." [Jan 2007, p.90]

A technological feat mingled with a fun, yet shallow game. [May 2008, p.76]

The definitive "IL-2" collection. [Feb 2007, p.79]

Stolen Memories is definitely not big on value, but if you're a Mass Effect fan you'll find it hard to resist. Which is, obviously, what EA are counting on. [July 2010, p.85]

The puzzles are solid enough, too. [Dec 2009, p.75]

Despite my own selfish reservations, the switch to an attack focus is a very good thing. [Christmas 2006, p.78]

So blimmin' addictive. [Jan 2010, p.77]

Ultimately, though, it's more of the same, albeit with a new storyline and exotic new setting. [July 2006, p.82]

Relic have made an admirable stab at redefining the single-player action-RTS experience, but they haven't managed to nail it just yet. [Apr 2009, p.56]

Other than a rubbish level in which you twat statues on the head with a stick you won't find many more issues. [Aug 2009, p.70]

There's only one problem with this expansion: buying it. [June 2009, p.71]

If you've finished the original and want to keep that mouse finger in shape, this expansion is worth a trip to the land of the dead for. [May 2007, p.83]

Once momentum is established there's lots of enjoyment to be had, in both quality and quantity. [May 2010, p.93]

TAD is pricey for an add-on pack, but if you can stomach the cost, there's plenty of succulent, meaty goodness to be had from TAD. Plus it will big up your brain, and that can't be a bad thing for a pony. [Christmas 2007, p.82]

Truly a visceral, retro experience that takes us to a warmer, happier time. [Feb 2008, p.90]

The whole routine of coming to a doorway, deploying your Optiwand, storming the room, arresting the suspects, cuffing them, picking up the weapons, reporting it all to dispatch - it all just becomes a bit of a chore after the hundredth room or so.

Excellent despite niggles. [Jan 2009, p.66]

A decent Transformers game, at last. [Oct 2010, p.78]

It's an expansion that's clearly been designed with passion. [Jan 2008, p.82]

Epic story. [Mar 2010, p.80]

Fans of the series are bound to love it and if you have enough patience, you too might uncover the gooey warmth at the heart of this initially cold title. [Apr 2007, p.85]

The single-player campaign is varied and hardly ever falls into genre convention, which makes Rush for Berlin a decent WWII strategy romp. [Aug 2006, p.78]

It ends up being a fun MMO romp for casual players and a rich PvP hamster wheel if you're sitting out there with an axe to grind. [Christmas 2006, p.84]

It ticks all the boxes that a loot lover could possibly want. [Jan 2010, p.80]

The larger number of tracks, cars and mini-games feel like only relatively minor improvements over the original and the whole thing ends up feeling like more of an expansion than the next evolution. [Sept 2006, p.62]

The satisfaction of finally winning a battle doesn't even begin to outweigh the frustration of having to win it all over again.

An incongruous addition to Fallout 3 that has little or no bearing on the wider world itself. [Nov 2009, p.73]

As a strategy game, very few titles reach the epic scale and excitement of Men of War's biggest battles. [Apr 2009, p.68]

Multiplayer modes are very original. [July 2009, p.62]

Fantastic soundtrack with integrated riffs and tunes. [Aug 2008, p.70]

Every vehicle n this package is an absolute dream to drive. [Jan 2010, p.72]

If you're into the surreal, love your puzzles or you're simply sick of formulaic puzzle/adventure games, this could just be the perfect tonic for you. [Nov 2007, p.89]

It's undeniably charming, but how long you remain charmed depends largely on your patience. [Feb 2009, p.68]

If you can turn a blind eye to the ropey skirmishes, you'll be in for weeks of city building goodness. [Apr 2006, p.85]

Any problems melt away fast with writing as sharp and hysterical as this. [Jan 2009, p.75]

It's all still hard, and it still suffers a little from a lack of intuition and dropping you in the deep end. But the pleasure and satisfaction to be had from completing a mission is still there. [Dec 2006, p.100]

It's very tactical, it's highly polished and I can pretty much guarantee you've never played anything quite like it. [Oct 2007, p.86]

A wonderful idea, and a thoughtful variation on multiplayer gameplay - what intesity you lose from speed, you gain from tension. [Oct 2006, p.66]

With patience, it can be an engrossing experience, as you tentatively eke your way through a foreign town, with deadly threats lurking round every corner. It's dramatic, it's tense, it's infuriating, but is it fun? No. It's not fun, it's war.

Provides a simple, but pleasing action experience, with a refreshingly polished veneer. [Dec 2009, p.74]

This may be Sam and Max at their most entertaining, but it's not their most logically coherent outing. [May 2008, p.89]

Refreshing. [Mar 2009, p.73]

It's not really doing anything groundbreaking. [Dec 2007, p.76]

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]