A refreshing rarity. [Issue#237, p.76]

After the disappointment of Assassin’s Creed III, Black Flag being such an enjoyable return to form is a really pleasant surprise. The classic complaints of sticky movement and rubbish combat make a return, but the rest is such an enjoyable package that they don’t ruin the experience.

Existing fans will relish the chance to explore Gotham and drink in the detail while going toe-to-toe with some marque villains plucked from DC Comics’ rich history. It’s just a shame that while Warner Bros Montreal proved it was a student capable of copying Rocksteady’s formula, it didn’t have the confidence to add any real ambition of its own.

It's an easy recommendation for both lifelong Disney fans and Square diehards alike. [Issue#236, p.80]

There's an engaging narrative here focused on an everyman just trying to do the best job he can, but everything surrounding it is just so disappointing, from the truly awful Akrid to the limp guns and the unbalanced and irritating multiplayer. [Issue#236, p.78]

Quite unlike anything else on PS3. [Issue#236, p.76]

The best-looking handheld game ever made. [Issue#236, p.74]

Offers a wonderful package that rewards those who are willing to adjust to it. [Issue#236, p.72]

Gigantic and stupidly detailed, GTA V is everything we hoped it would be. Individual components could be a touch better, but when a game does literally everything, nobody can expect perfection across the board. That it even comes close is incredible. [Issue#236, p.62]

Beyond also seems to have less narrative choice than Heavy Rain, with your ending being mainly decided by a couple of large decisions toward the very end of the game. Choices up to that point can affect the specifics of your current situation, but the end result is rarely affected. Again, it’s similar to The Walking Dead: the end destination is the same, but how you got there might be a bit different to someone else.

It's a beautiful game, and some levels are genius, but Murfy is irritating as hell and we wish he'd go away forever. [Issue#235, p.84]

Worthless solo but superb as an online game. [Issue#235, p.83]

It's perfect for easing a younger generation into more advanced creation tools such as LittleBigPlanet or even Minecraft. [Issue#235, p.82]

Just don't play it around any significant others if you value the future of your relationship at all. [Issue#235, p.80]

Artistically stunning )provided the sexualised style doesn't outrage you) and mechanically excellent. [Issue#235, p.78]

Technical issues, iffy storytelling and some questionable choices make for an uneven experience that fails to capitalise on what a fantastic license XCOM is. [Issue#235, p.76]

A stellar action-RPG that is easily one of the best games of its kind, Diablo III is a dangerously addictive solo loot grind and one of the most chaotic and compelling co-op games we've played in ages. [Issue#235, p.74]

Next time Ubisoft: more focus on stealth and, please, better checkpointing. [Issue#235, p.72]

As a teaser for the next season, it's superb. [Issue#234, p.85]

Brutally tough...As stylish and robust an indie debut as we've seen in a long time. [Issue#234, p.84]

The nimble combat system keeps it exciting. [Issue#234, p.82]

A platformer that will leave anyone who doesn't remember the original cold. [Issue#234, p.80]

Fans of the series will be pleasantly surprised. [Issue#234, p.78]

The combat system works and is intricate and balanced enough to provide for the tinkerers. But the rest is just so banal, so by the numbers that, honestly? We often found ourselves bored. [Issue#234, p.74]

A surprisingly touching adventure with innovative single-player co-op and beautiful scenery and music. If not for the short length, it would be an absolute must-buy. As it stands, this is still a unique treat that deserves a look. [Issue#233, p.83]

You'll get annoyed - really annoyed - but it's worth it. And, as it turns out, it's actually pretty fast after all. [Issue#233, p.81]

It may not be the best-looking thing on two wheels, but MotoGP 13 translates the art of motorcycle racing onto the humble PlayStation 3 controller. That's no small feat. [Issue#233, p.80]

Avoid like the Black Death. [Issue#233, p.79]

Sub-standard gameplay. [Issue#233, p.78]

One of the finest re-releases yet from Iron Galaxy and Capcom. [Issue#233, p.77]

Aside from some control issues, this is an essential for the adult gamer. [Issue#233, p.76]

The gameplay is depressingly familiar, but it's worth preserving purely for the endless onslaught of gags and rare flashes of innovation on show. [Issue#233, p.74]

A pretty, interesting and thoroughly enjoyable shooter that somehow trumps the rest of the Juarez games despite being a fraction of the price. [Issue#232, p.85]

Wonderful stuff. [Issue#232, p.84]

Undeniably funny and entertaining. Too bad it's a dreadful poker game. [Issue#232, p.83]

Plus,it's got Chris Redfield in it. [Issue#232, p.80]

Among the prettiest and most enjoyable games on Vita, not to mention the fact that it'll last you bloody ages. [Issue#232, p.78]

The odd assist-heavy handling won't be to everyone's liking. [Issue#232, p.76]

A wonderful co-op game, but only an average one on your own. [Issue#232, p.72]

A near miss in so many regards, Remember Me's lack of ambition is what ultimately hobbles it - with the balls to go bigger on some of its more original concepts, this could have been something truly special. [Issue#232, p.68]

It will live with us. Here, finally, is a videogame that will live with us. There are inconsistencies here and there, some lulls in its gameplay, but when The Last Of Us is good (winter), it's better than anything else this gen - we do not say that lightly. [Issue#232, p.62]

For anyone who yearns for the days of Knight Rider, new-wave, big hair and cyborg arms, Blood Dragon is an essential bit of bizarre nostalgia. [Issue#231, p.85]

It's challenging, brutal and rewarding, so self-professed hardcore gamers should be all over this noise. [Issue#231, p.84]

As always, one for the dedicated. [Issue#231, p.83]

A joy to play. A huge story mode, rock-hard trials and great online will keep players occupied for a long time. [Issue#231, p.80]

Nothing can quite prepare you for what it's like to actually play Deadly Premonition. [Issue#231, p.78]

A gaming experience that is truly unlike any other, The Walking Dead should be required playing for anyone who considers themselves a fan of our favourite medium. [Issue#231, p.76]

Genuinely one of the worst games we've ever played. [Issue#231, p.74]

Ugly and full of bugs, but also quite fun and possessing some good ideas - an interesting start for an MMO. [Issue#231, p.73]

Despite a few issues Star Trek: The Video Game turns out to be a surprising amount of fun. [Issue#231, p.72]

A wonderful treat for comic book fans and a pretty decent fighting game to boot. [Issue#231, p.70]

A humdrum shooter that runs on unabashed machismo and is completely devoid of imagination. [Issue#231, p.68]

The same slightly wonky fun we had in the first one, and we mean the exact damn same. [Issue#231, p.66]

Wonderfully realised, atmospheric environments and uninspired, slightly dull shooting combine to create a game just above average. [Issue#231, p.62]

An ideal time-killer. [Issue#230, p.79]

A great add-on with an entirely new character to learn, Vergil's Downfall might not set the world alight with storytelling or environmental design, but the core combat is still so fantastic that this is well worth a look. [Issue#230, p.79]

A nostalgic blast for fans and a fun discovery for gamers who missed them the first time around. [Issue#230, p.78]

Well made, but hard to recommend to everyone. [Issue#230, p.78]

The best Naruto game yet. [Issue#230, p.77]

Stunning to look at, but the experience within its gorgeously rendered environments ultimately lacks substance. [Issue#230, p.76]

A good game, but poorly converted. [Issue#230, p.74]

A budget shooter in every sense. [Issue#230, p.72]

One of those rare games that speaks to the player on a personal, emotional level with a thought-provoking, mature storyline set in one of the most amazing worlds conceived in a game. Plus, it's a wonderful FPS with deep, tactical combat. Essential. [Issue#230, p.66]

Does a good job of encapsulating the unique feel of Japanese horror, but only the most dedicated fans of the genre will persevere through the excessive description and dull mechanics in order to unlock every ending here. [Issue#229, p.83]

It's messy, and it gets repetitive too. For some, it'll just be headache-inducing. But for those who yearn for quirkiness, this could become a cult hit. [Issue#229, p.82]

For some, the idea of fighting through repetitive levels will be just that: a slog. [Issue#229, p.82]

Unpretentious in the extreme, comical by accident, irritating when it wants to be. [Issue#229, p.80]

It's not as good as other Double Fine efforts like Stacking and Costume Quest, but there's enough character and intrigue in The Cave to see you past the iffy platforming and sometimes dull puzzles. [Issue#229, p.79]

A totally unnecessary expansion that actually adds very little. [Issue#229, p.78]

No real progression means this one is for the hardcore fans only but the staggering amount of content plus online co-op does help make up for disappointing changes elsewhere. [Issue#229, p.78]

Not the cleanest port in the world, Hitman HD Trilogy nonetheless brings together three of the most beautifully complex experiences released on the PS2 for reasonable price. [Issue#229, p.76]

The occasional flash of design ingenuity isn't enough to save Sly's revival from being just slightly above average. There are too many boring sections with Sly's extended, arbitrary cast, and levels that aren't weighty enough to sustain interest - a patchy return for Cooper. [Issue#229, p.74]

Dragonborn is full of bugs and its biggest selling point is a major disappointment. But this expansion has so much to offer that it's still more than worth the asking price, and just what fans are looking for. [Issue#229, p.73]

It's fresh Skyrim and a lot of it, which is obviously good. On the other hand, the wonky design of the Vampire Lord undermines what should be the standout idea, and so there's a strong whiff of disappointment also present in Dawnguard. [Issue#229, p.72]

Buggy, ugly, and somehow unfinished after ten years...A huge disappointment. [Issue#229, p.68]

A supremely spectacular trip back into ancient Greece, with reworked combat, more puzzles and superb pacing. [Issue#229, p.64]

Mature, thought-provoking and great fun, Tomb Raider is an outstanding introduction to the new Lara Croft. It play well, it looks wonderful. [Issue#229, p.58]

The passion is clear, the charm magnetic and the gameplay enjoyable, but Retro City Rampage does fall back on weak gags a little too often to achieve greatness. [Issue#228, p.80]

One of the best RPGs around, with great characterisation, a gripping story and smart combat mechanics that greatly improve on the formula found in past Persona games. [Issue#228, p.78]

The combat is faultless, the story is bonkers and the bosses some of the finest in gaming history. [Issue#228, p.66]

Diehard fans of the previous two games will have just as much fun this time around, assuming they aren’t expecting broad innovations. Everything is polished and this is clearly a title with a lot of funding behind it, but all the money in the world can’t buy innovation. By no means a bad sequel, it doesn’t quite offer a way for Dead Space to evolve as a series beyond its past two instalments, even if the formula here is still potent.

With some utterly appalling level design, terrible physics and the aforementioned imprecise controls, Multiverse is one of the worst tie-ins of this generation. [Issue#227, p.78]

A very comfortable introduction to the genre - it's just the chronic slowdown during games that drags Guardians down. [Issue#227, p.77]

The papercraft-style visuals are the real treat. [Issue#227, p.77]

As card games go, this is actually not too bad. [Issue#227, p.77]

This'll remind you of the very worst PSone FPS games. [Issue#227, p.77]

An ace little racer. [Issue#227, p.76]

If you're looking for a novel take on the point-and-click adventure then this should be considered an immediate purchase. [Issue#227, p.74]

Somehow this template still feels far from stale. [Issue#227, p.72]

It just ends up feeling like a slog. [Issue#227, p.70]

Eye-caressingly beautiful, and with a score that could tug heartstrings at ten paces, Ni No Kuni is a stirring if over familiar RPG that takes you on a memorable journey to a world that is wonderful in every sense. [Issue#227, p.66]

A staggering achievement from Ninja Theory. DmC injects new life into one of the best genres in all of gaming, and does so with a style and confidence that elevates it beyond its roots. Awesome, truly. [Issue#227, p.60]

The game itself is in need of a good bit of work. [Issue#226, p.82]

Combines excellent tech with first-class production values to create a really splendid Christmas toy. [Issue#226, p.80]

An engaging, if light, co-op platformer. [Issue#226, p.78]

One of the most complete, albeit shaky, packages the series has ever seen. [Issue#226, p.68]

Sharp when played in short bursts. [Issue#225, p.83]

It's this lack of imagination in environmental design that takes Killzone down a notch. [Issue#225, p.83]