Reliable, simple comfort food. [Issue#225, p.82]

The version that both fans and newcomers must own. [Issue#225, p.81]

You really shouldn't bother at all. [Issue#225, p.81]

It's a shame that the main attraction - Doom 3 in HD with its add-ons - is (still) such a let-down. [Issue#225, p.79]

A mediocre shooter tainted by the dullest of shootouts. [Issue#225, p.78]

Easily the best arcade racer of this generation. [Issue#225, p.76]

Just pure, solid fun. [Issue#225, p.74]

The campaign is crap. Clearly. [Issue#225, p.70]

Snappy and satisfying, though it loses something of the epic sweep of the home console Assassin's Creeds. [Issue#225, p.64]

A little light on characters and modes perhaps but all the same, Battle Royale is great fun. [Issue#225, p.54]

Yes, it isn't the genre-redefining Far Cry 2 follow-up it could (and perhaps in an idealised world, should) have been. It is, however, a beautiful, thrilling and supremely well-made open world shooter; a true epic. There's enough content to challenge open world RPGs, even, and unlike those games, the combat is as good as any FPS on PS3. If not better.

It's an acquired taste. [Issue#224, p.83]

If you don't meet these criteria (those with saintly patience), chances are you'll get bored after an hour or two. [Issue#224, p.83]

Physical, fast and brutal. [Issue#224, p.82]

This is just a pretty bad game. [Issue#224, p.81]

The DLC adds genuinely good vampire powers and, well - if you don't have it, get it. [Issue#224, p.81]

It's tonally perfect, and it's a hell of a lot of fun. [Issue#224, p.81]

Very awkward to play. [Issue#224, p.81]

A deceptively adult adventure. [Issue#224, p.80]

Bland, boring and all too brief. [Issue#224, p.78]

There's something strangely uplifting here. [Issue#224, p.78]

A surprising turn for the Super Monkey Ball franchise. [Issue#224, p.77]

If you don't like Worms then it's a bit dull. [Issue#224, p.76]

Whether you still harbour fond memories of the franchise or never played it back in the day, Zone Of The Enders is definitely worth another look and the HD remaster team have done a sterling job. Oh, and did we mention the Revengeance demo? You'll want that too.

It's still a bit rough around some edges, but there's no denying the scope, intelligence and passion poured into Hitman: Absolution. IO has made quite possibly the best game in the series and easily one of the best games on PS3.

You'll notice this number is higher than that we gave WWE 12 (50%), even though we complain about a barely-evolved sequel here. Well, the power of nostalgia and the strength of the Attitude era combine nicely. Other than that? This is a pointless game.

Some interesting and fitting additions don't entirely save an aging formula from feeling stale. Assassin's Creed III is fun and can provide a massive timesink should you give it the chance, but it's a disappointing update all things considered, with all the pre-release promises made.

Dishonored basks in artistic brilliance. Dunwall unravels at your feet, reacting organically to your in-game actions in a way that you feel rooted in its rich lore. Stealth has never been so satisfying as it is in Dishonored. One of 2012's finest.

Thinking, planning, failing and dying is back in fashion: XCOM is a phenomenal reimagining of a classic title and an instant classic in its own right. The love poured into it and the sheer depth of the experience has created something truly special.

A good buy for those who still have their copy but certainly not worth snapping up the game again for. [Issue#223, p.87]

The first sign of weakness in the otherwise excellent series. [Issue#223, p.87]

What interesting ideas are here end up lost beneath a tidal wave of bad ones. [Issue#223, p.87]

If the vehicles were up to snuff then this would be a game worth celebrating. [Issue#223, p.85]

Rhythm-action for those with sausage fingers but with a sharp mind. [Issue#223, p.85]

It's a joyous trip down memory lane for the most part but the closer you look, the more grey hairs you see. [Issue#223, p.85]

Stunning value for money. [Issue#223, p.85]

This does just feel like a slight adjustment over NHL 12, which felt like a minor tinkering of NHL, which... well, you get the point. [Issue#223, p.85]

The PES game we've been waiting for since 2007. [Issue#223, p.82]

A solid, enjoyable fighting game held back by an overly mechanical feel to fights and an air of simplicity that's just too hard to ignore. [Issue#223, p.80]

An essential purchase for owners of last year's Madden? Probably not but if you haven't tried this series yet, you're missing out. [Issue#223, p.79]

The eclectic level design makes the chore of unlocking a lot more colourful. [Issue#223, p.78]

It looks bad, it sounds awful, it plays poorly, and it's really expensive with a tacky-feeling joystick. [Issue#223, p.75]

To keep things authentic, it doesn't push out any truly original ideas. [Issue#223, p.74]

Brings a fairly fresh approach to learning a real guitar. [Issue#223, p.72]

On the one hand, it's one of the best entries to the series. On the other hand it's pretty much the same game again, for 50 quid. [Issue#223, p.70]

Odd rough patch or misfire aside, Resident Evil 6 is bursting with innovation, content and confidence that shows Capcom knows exactly what it's doing with it's series. Now fully tooled up for co-op, this feels like Resident Evil worthy of modern times.

Where Borderlands was 'sent out to die', Borderlands 2 has been sent out to kill. And it does just that. It will easily be one of the best games released all year and the more we dream of that delicious four-player co-op, the more we think it's one of the top games this generation.

One of Vita's best puzzle games. [Issue#222, p.81]

Nothing particularly new or thrilling but nice enough. [Issue#222, p.81]

Counterfeit is standard Payday fare but Undercover is brilliant. [Issue#222, p.81]

Just watch the movie and play Monkey Ball. [Issue#222, p.81]

Tokyo Jungle is rough around the edges and mad as a box of spaniels with hammers glued to them, but you know what? It's actually good. We did not expect that – we expected throwaway silliness, not a game we actually want to play between sessions on all the other games that are out or coming out oh god there's too many games to play.

Far from being the sideshow attraction the word 'spin-off' might suggest, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is actually pretty damn brilliant. Some brilliant underlying mechanics support a generous amount of content in a package that helps you realise sometimes you just want to play a game.

Rote it may be in many regards, but an involving, tactical and – most importantly – welcome battle system makes Tales Of Graces f stand out from the me-too crowd of JRPGs. Imperfect, certainly not for everyone, but good fun.

An absolute steal at £9.99, and worth far more than that. Sound Shapes has justified the outrageous hype surrounding it. More than just a good game, it's a great showcase for the system. More of this, please.

It's rough around the edges and sometimes insultingly simple, true. But Sleeping Dogs is also a game where you have to rescue a cake and can do so in your pants. An imperfect, but more often than not fun, sandbox romp. Yes, romp.

Risen 2 is an awkward mish-mash of ideas that struggles to be anything more than promising or intriguing. You could work at it and pick out some of the fun elements out of the mess but should games be this much hard work?

Not only is it boring, but it's dodgy as hell. [Issue#221, p.81]

You can block routes off with loot, and most battles descend into simply turtling into a corner, playing the boring, easy route. A shame, as it's otherwise solid. [Issue#221, p.81]

Recommended. [Issue#221, p.81]

Looks and plays fantastically. [Issue#221, p.81]

There's so much heart put into the game that it's pretty impossible to dislike, actually, warts and all. [Issue#221, p.80]

Besides gimmicks, the core Frogger gameplay is untouched and thus lacks compelling high-score chases. [Issue#221, p.79]

We love this. [Issue#221, p.79]

For the raw, skittish tension of the decisions you make? The Walking Dead is unmatched. [Issue#221, p.79]

A nice little package for those in love with the brand and its heritage, but there are better alternatives out there for pretty much everybody else. [Issue#221, p.79]

Lovingly presented, but when only one of the games in the 'package' is worth playing then you've got a problem. [Issue#221, p.77]

Boring within minutes. [Issue#221, p.75]

Fun in short bursts and sometimes exhilarating to navigate the city, but The Amazing Spider-Man is still washed down the spout by the fact that it's dull. [Issue#221, p.74]

While it's not a huge step up from the original, a break of two and a half years and a bit of polish makes Darksiders II easy to recommend. It has issues, but there's a hell of a lot of game for those who want it. [Issue#221, p.70]

It's a little slow to draw in today's wham-bam crowd, so the score reflects those coming in cold. [Issue#220, p.81]

Odd and strangely unengaging. [Issue#220, p.81]

It's quick, responsive, reasonably over-the-top and keeps you playing for longer than you might expect. [Issue#220, p.81]

Unforgivable bugs. [Issue#220, p.81]

Inversion flirts with the idea of having ideas, but then gives up all pretence of inventiveness and settles for being a bland and forgettable third-person shooter. [Issue#220, p.80]

A purist fighter. [Issue#220, p.79]

Don't bother. [Issue#220, p.79]

Showing its age both mechanically and visually, there's still fun to be had here if you've got the patience and the right mindset. It'll send everyone else to sleep, however. [Issue#220, p.79]

As exciting to the average gamer as eating an entire loaf of dry wholemeal bread. [Issue#220, p.77]

Lacking. [Issue#220, p.76]

What would be a ridiculously bland and forgettable experience is rendered that little bit less so through a fairly interesting setting and narrative. But it's still not very good at all, and not particularly worth your time. Unless you're REALLY bored. [Issue#220, p.74]

If you're a Grasshopper or Suda51 fan, add about 18% to this score. From an objective viewpoint, it's a fun but flawed hack-and-slash game with a quirky setting. From a subjective viewpoint, it's bloody brilliant – so much so you can overlook its clunkier elements.

An absolute stinker. [Issue#219, p.81]

This is the first episode of five but tremendous value and well worth the cash. [Issue#219, p.81]

If you get it for nothing, give it a half an hour. If you don't, don't. [Issue#219, p.81]

The plot is compelling, the visual style is gorgeous, but the combat can't hold up its end of the bargain and sustain excitement. [Issue#219, p.80]

With a staggering amount of content packed in, Mortal Kombat Vita not only benefits from the balance patches from the PS3 iteration but makes for the best version when played on the go. [Issue#219, p.78]

Sorcery is fun and uses motion control in a way that doesn't make you want to claw your eyes out. It's shallow and short, though. [Issue#219, p.76]

If the combat was a little bit tighter this would be absolutely excellent. [Issue#219, p.74]

Provides a decent distraction for a brain that doesn't want to be pressured into thinking at all. [Issue#219, p.73]

Successfully transplants the rally formula into an arcade mould, mainly because smashing stuff is fun. [Issue#219, p.72]

Forgettable at best and a massive step backwards for a series that recently impressed so much. [Issue#219, p.70]

Velocity is great. Really, really good fun. LOVELY STUFF.

It's a brief distraction and sometimes interesting, if you get to watch some kid in Moscow making the most beautiful sounds you've ever heard, but that doesn't exactly happen all the time.

The continuing saga of everyone's favourite terrible cop has been a long time coming. Maybe too long. It's not bad by any means; there are moments of high-fiving, air-punching joy here. The trouble is it's both as eloquent and repetitive as its lead. Moments of glory clash with irritating, baffling design decisions to ensure that Max Payne 3 isn't quite the sequel we all hoped for. Brilliant in places, utterly frustrating in others.

Rubbish, but so bizarre as to be fun. That said, we wouldn't recommend paying real money for this, but if you happen across it in a drainage ditch take it home and play it. [Issue#218, p.81]

Brilliant fun. [Issue#218, p.81]

Special moves are easier to do and the tutorial is pleasingly in-depth. [Issue#218, p.81]