Hardcore fans of the series will no doubt love the additions; for the rest of us, the most fun you'll get out of this will be dropping your visitors into the shark tank. [Feb 2007, p.83]

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]

Refreshing. [Mar 2009, p.73]

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

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

A lacklustre affair that we've seen many times before. [Dec 2006, p.85]

Arrowhead paints the most chilling picture of the horrors of war than any game has done yet. [Sept 2010, p.84]

Excellent humour. [Nov 2008, p.76]

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

By peddling this sort of single-minded crud to children EA are creating a new generation of absolute morons who won't be able to think one step ahead of themselves. [May 2008, p.86]

Makes you feel clever. [Oct 2008, p.64]

If you like slide puzzles, it's disastrously addictive. [July 2009, p.73]

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

It's just not good enough and, crucially, makes Holmes and Watson do things they just wouldn't do in the books. Which is, at the end of the day, the biggest flaw. [Apr 2010, p.89]

Apart from throwing in a fair few wacky units converted from steampunk, like ice-spitting Rooski tanks and jetpack-wearing Nazis, and wrapping the game in the counter-factual, War Front is about as unique as a new series calling itself "How Clean is Your Wife?" [June 2007, p.75]

Tactical yet still accessible. [Jan 2007, p.60]

Ceville is a pleasant enough game that doesn't demand to be played (and, let's be honest, is too expensive), but adventure fanatics should get enough joy out of it to warrant a purchase. [May 2009, p.65]

You'll get a few hours of intriguing and fresh puzzling for your six quid and singing's fun too. [July 2010, p.83]

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]

Avoid combat and it remains an extremely smart adventure game with a lot to offer. [May 2007, p.82]

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

In adding to the weight of maps and playable factions, as a collection, Dawn of War with Soulstorm alongside it sets itself apart from a lot of the more youthful games out there. [Apr 2008, p.66]

The sex is still great, and I'd love to say we could still stay faithful to one another for many years to come. But it may well be that we've come to a point in our lives when it might not be a bad idea for us to start seeing other people. [Dec 2008, p.72]

A deeply satisfying game, beneath a humble facade. [May 2010, p.92]

Ten years late. [Jan 2010, p.78]

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

To say that the game is shallow would be harsh, but it certainly doesn't plumb the potential depths of the period, and while it has multiplayer I can't see it having much longevity. [May 2009, p.77]

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

The definition of solid, but unspectacular. [Feb 2010, p.82]

An anorexic "Oblivion" set in a budget version of Tolkien's Rohan. [Nov 2008, p.65]

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]

Had Life Stories...been a little more mature in its scripting, I might have even recommended this. As it is, your mum would find it patronising. [June 2007, p.86]

It's nothing more than average, and occasionally nothing less than irritating. [May 2007, p.76]

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]

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

An admirable amble across the African wilderness at a fraction of the cost of the real thing. [Oct 2006, p.82]

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]

It's an improvement on the original and if you fancy landing a plane on the Champs-Elysees, this may be your only way to wing it. [Christmas 2007, p.75]

Lots of tactical freedom. [Christmas 2009, p.89]

Lacks a coherent structure. [Dec 2009, p.68]

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

If the game suffers, it's from over-explanation, the occasional lapse in the combat, and the repetitive nature of the environmental weaponry. But I was kept entertained all the way through, and I've never felt so directy responsible for chopping off a goblin's arm. [Dec 2006, p.70]

Addictive. [Sept 2008, p.74]

The Halo 2 Vista experience is as forgettable as it is tardy and somewhat deptressing. [July 2007, p.72]

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

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]

A hastily-ported and frustrating slap in the face for PC gamers, and I cannot gather enough venom towards how little respect there is here for the PC platform. [Apr 2009, p.46]

I wanted so badly to be enjoying myself, with all the effort that had gone into the characters and likenesses, but I wasn't allowed to. And now I am cross.

Tedious side quests. [Mar 2010, p.78]

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]

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

While it does nothing spectacular, it has enough pretty colours and plain, shallow addictiveness to hold your attention for the two or three hours the game lasts. [Sept 2008, p.76]

A strangely satisfying and therapeutic experience. [Jan 2008, p.86]

There are only a handful of official maps to play , although each one is substantial in size. [Aug 2009, p.77]

Off the pitch of course, FIFA 10 is the usual feature packed, licensed to the gills affair. It's just a shame about the actual football. [Christmas 2009, p.85]

The track editor...is fantastic. [July 2006, p.84]

This is one for gem completionists, but it won't be raising any bars or breaking any moulds. [Feb 2010, p.84]

The X series' universe is much more dynamic and vibrant. DSO does story better, but very little else. [Oct 2006, p.72]

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]

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]

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

That Elven Legacy is so badly presented is a shame, as there's a surprisingly good strategy game hidden underneath the amateurish exterior. [July 2009, p.75]

It's a reasonably effective swing at a cricket game, with a nice range of shot and bolwing types, which suggests that it might find its mark in the multiplayer sector. But if you're expecting a spot-on simulation of the sport, you'll find youself stumped. [June 2007, p.82]

You can download content of similar or even better quality for free off the internet. Sorry guys, but we don't appreciate the thought.

It's really hard to put into words how excruciatingly bad the acting is, but the phrase "unnecessary pauses" comes to mind. [Nov 2008, p.77]

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 odd moment of frustration aside, this is a shallow, but entertaining strategy game. [Oct 2008, p.71]

An occasionally frustrating and overpriced brain-fondle. [Aug 2008, p.72]

It's leagues behind the subscription-based MMOs of the world. [July 2009, p.74]

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]

If you liked "Diablo" and are salivating at the prospect of getting back into its dungeons, Sacred 2 will keep you going until "Diablo III"'s release. If you didn't, Sacred 2 will be an experience comparable to having your eyes pecked out by eagles. [Jan 2009, p.74]

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

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]

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

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

It lacks the logical connections that most strategy games have. [Oct 2008, p.62]

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

Uninspired levels. [Aug 2010, p.88]

It's one of the few Bond games that come close to the N64 classic. [Feb 2009, p.78]

While some elements are playable and, occasionally, fun, this mixture of Fisher-Price "Theme Park" and a bunch of Flash-esque minigames isn't recommendable in the slightest. [Jan 2008, p.73]

That Overclocked isn't better is sad because there's a good story being told. [July 2008, p.85]

In terms of the Need for Speed series, this is a dud note. [Feb 2008, p.79]

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

A decent bit of strategy, but it's hardly treading new ground. [July 2007, p.84]

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]

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.

There's not enough reason to come back after the initial wow factor from the visuals wears off. [July 2010, p.90]

Dreadful voices. [Aug 2010, p.83]

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]

An unexpectedly and unpredictably decent point-and-click game. [Dec 2008, p.71]

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]

A good puzzler if you're prepared to not only outwit, but second guess the quirks of the development team. [Sept 2008, p.75]

It does nothing to expand upon the base game and therefore make itself worthy of notice, except for those of you with a burning desire to see how a sub-par fantasy story turns out who can't be bothered to look it up on Wikipedia. [Christmas 2007, p.88]

Finally though, kudos to the scriptwriters and actors for providing a stream of banter that never once made me want to pull my jaw off and mash my teeth against my forehead. Something so rare, I added two to the score.

Boasts a horribly uninteresting storyline, mundane point-and-click tasks and blindingly dire voice-acting. [Aug 2006, p.83]

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]

Unfortunately, the conversion to PC is a sloppy affair, leaving it with a number of issues, such as a frame-rate that's at times slower than a bed-ridden sloth, a bizarre lack of sound effects, an option to change resolution that doesn't work and the fact that the game defaults to running in a small window.

Recommended for FPS horror fans, although the environments are by definition a tad repetitive. [May 2009, p.72]