It's so utterly satisfying, you simply won't care that you're hammering two button for 12 hours. [Issue#184, p.70]

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.

A truly enchanting game. [Issue#203, p.99]

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.

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

The boss battles may let it down slightly, but Guitar Hero III is another magnificent rhythm-action beats, sure to appease fans and newcomers alike. [Issue#160, p.70]

There are some brilliant moments, but it's too specific to be recommended to anyone but the serious metal contingent. [Issue#185, p.70]

Genuinely funny humour meets a great turn-based battle system and ludicrous levels of depth for those fond of levelling up ad nauseam. [Issue#190, p.77]

A superb conversion to a portable gaming format. [Issue#196, p.90]

A gorgeous action RPG that'll inspire passion in the hardcore, Odin Sphere is only marred by its minor unbalance in combat, and occasional repetition. [Issue#164, p.91]

There's no great leaps for the series and it doesn't take huge advantage of the hardware's unique features, but it's still very bloody good.

Nothing new as far as the franchise is concerned. But the formula is so brilliant, why change it? Studio Liverpool tried once with "Fusion" and it took "Pure" to get it back on track. Pulse helps keep it there. [Issue#159, p.94]

Even the shockingly bad likes of "Altered Beast" are mildly entertaining. A good compilation, but not quite great. [Issue #147, p.90]

It's still good-ish, just not very enjoyable, which in the scheme of things is probably something of a handicap. [Apr 2006, p.114]

Progressive and intelligent, FIFA 16 is a much more considered and more precise game than its recent predecessors, and it's an absolute delight to play. [Issue#262, p.60]

A lack of sustained excitement and some truly horrendous graphics hold back all the good work. [Issue#211, p.93]

Cruel and unforgiving yet wonderfully satisfying when it comes together, Nuclear Throne is an accomplished roguelike capable of challenging even the most skilled players. [Issue#266, p.72]

It's like a portable anti-depressant. [Issue#167, p.93]

It's SingStar but with just enough tweaks and additions to make it feel part of a different generation. It might be tainted with slight cynicism, but there is no getting away from the fact that this is still an incredibly good party game. [Issue#159, p.86]

Excellent player movement and passing make for a beautiful game, but dodgy defenders and predictable goals make it feel slightly lightweight. [Issue#146, p.78]

It has its issues, it has its drawbacks, but Saints Row: The Third is an utterly wanton, totally ridiculous bag of laughs. It's difficult to dislike anyway, and even harder to dislike with such an enjoyable, escalatory campaign. Great stuff. [Issue#211, p.72]

Very good indeed. [Issue#216, p.84]

With some major tweaks to an old formula, Tiger is back to his best. As ever, we wonder what on Earth EA will do next year, but for the time being we have one of the best golf games in some time.

This is far too flimsy to to take up more than a few hours of your time. [Issue #150, p.78]

Every bit as engrossing as before, Season Two could hardly have begun in better fashion. [Issue#240, p.66]

Excellent gameplay and presentation can't make up for the fact that the package isn't substantial enough to justify the asking price. [Issue#192, p.80]

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

The difficulty will leave some cold but there's immense satisfaction to be had here. [Issue#261, p.68]

The Germany of football games - intelligent, exciting, controlled, technically impressive and a world champion with a bright future. Every game feels fresh and exciting. [Issue#250, p.62]

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

While this will probably be embraced by the fans, it’s just a little too realistic for its own good, and as such isn’t as fun as it could be. Anyone considering looking for a change could start this year.

Action is tactically deep, yet ultimately staccato. [Issue#203, p.87]

An inferior entry in the series to its predecessor. [Issue#243, p.68]

Do not let Darksiders become another Conan, it deserves a better fate. [Issue#188, p.76]

Charming, but far from essential. [Aug 2008, p.104]

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

More of the same in a good way rather than a lazy more of the same. [Issue#204, p.96]

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.

An improvement over the original, but still suffering technical issues and is decidedly old-fashioned in many regards. [Issue#203, p.72]

It just has failed to carpet-bomb let alone surgically strike the problems of the previous two and so as such provides something of a disappointment. [Issue 141, p.112]

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

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]

A unique, clever, satisfying and endearing game. There's very little negative to say about this brilliant time-travelling shooter - we enjoyed every second of our time with it. [Issue#262, p.74]

Despite being awash with new features and ideas, Condemned 2 is no match for its predecessor thanks to clumsy pacing and a lack of any real craft of subtlety. Still, fans of extreme violence won't be disappointed. [Issue#165, p.88]

New Vegas is packed with detail and humor, but not as engrossing as we would have liked. [Issue#198, p.80]

Over in a flash, Legend is great in parts, rubbish in others. There's simply not enough tomb raiding. In fact, there's not enough of anything. Despite some great moments, there's just not enough gameplay, leaving this sadly lacking. [Issue#139, p.66]

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

Longevity is assured thanks to a variety of maps and plans to land and only the fact that stages can take a while to get going lets it down. [Issue#198, p.103]

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

Fantastic to look at and fast and fluid to play. [Issue#187, p.76]

A great-looking game with a hell of a lot of content hidden inside it, but the steep difficulty curve and lack of real progression may not sit too well with more casual players. [Issue#269, p.82]

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

It has an interesting, if bizarre, story but does tend to suffer from too many random battles. Not one for newcomers. [Issue # 149, p.84]

Brilliant. [Feb 2012, p.83]

It's still a lot of fun to explore the world and engage with the battles, but Child of Light pushes its whimsy too far. [Issue#244, p.66]

Two thumbs up. [Issue#196, p.91]

A near-perfect port. [Issue#194, p.99]

The best, fastest and most exhilarating ride you’ll get for a long time. It’s got all the options you’ll want from a ‘street’ racer of this ilk, but it really doesn’t need it. The real joy is in the toughness and thrill of the races. Simple.

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]

The formula here has already been pillaged, but it's not as suicidal as the PS3 version. [Issue#160, p.98]

A great example of a good DLC. [Issue#188, p.87]

Some of the best edge-of-your-seat multiplayer gaming we've had in ages. [Issue#192, p.78]

The PS3's most dramatic and beautiful racing game. [Issue#172, p.72]

Smooth, slick and sexy, setting a bench mark for PSP. [Issue#139, p.102]

That’s a large part of the appeal of FIFA – the fact that there are so many different ways to enjoy the game of football at its core, all of which are compelling in their own way. We’ll have to wait and see if FIFA 15 is the best football game released this year, but it sure as hell sets a high bar.

Anyone disappointed that GTA IV left behind most of the silliness and anarchy of its PS2 past will love Saints Row 2, but don’t expect anything especially polished. It’s rather too similar to its prequel.

A brilliant beat-'em-up marred by its lack of modes, especially in the multiplayer department. It's also showing its age at a worrying time, with Virtua Fighter 5 on the horizon certain to claim the title. Good but no longer essential. [Issue#150, p.68]

There's a real sense of calculated attack and defence throughout each race. [Issue#193, p.88]

Resistance: Retribution comes off feeling like it’s stuck between the PS3 and PSP, not knowing which way to go. Get past its faults and there is some solid shooting to be had, but we can’t help but wonder what it could have been.

Great fun. [Issue#190, p.91]

Finely honed, beautifully crafted and offering a mountainous challenge, World Tour reels you in with stat boosts and loyalty rewards and never lets you go. Satisfaction is definitely guaranteed. [Issue#165, p.91]

A reduced price point for two of the best games from their respective platforms is a no-brainer. Square has done a fantastic job bringing these games up to modern standards. [Issue#252, p.72]

While not without foibles, Garden Warfare 2 stands out in an overcrowded genre and delivers a polished, deep and substantial dose of shooter action. [Issue#268, p.72]

One of the best PlayStation Network multiplayer experiences you can get. [Issue#185, p.87]

Genuinely entertaining play modes. [Issue#186, p.87]

The best puzzle game on PSP by far, but owners of the original might be more disappointed that it doesn't take more abmitious steps to stretch its formula further and see what happens. [Issue #147, p.76]

While numerous changes and enhancements have been made to Tearaway Unfolded, it never flows quite as well as the Vita original. It's still fun, mind. [Issue#262, p.68]

Not exactly the tight arcade racer some might have been expecting. [Issue#269, p.72]

It's a no-brainer for fans of the series, but noobs will struggle even with the low-end missions for at least a few hours. Be patient because investing time in tutorials and online guides yields a very worthwhile game. [Issue#181, p.77]

Still good but little different from last year's effort so it's only really worth picking up if you're a massive basketball fan or a newcomer to the series. [Issue#146, p.93]

It's simply not as good as the last version. [Issue#164, p.82]

A highly recommended piece of DLC. [Issue#209, p.99]

A beautiful game with plenty of good intentions, but a near-vertical learning curve and some baffling AI render it art more than enjoyment. [Issue#211, p.98]

Shift 2 has a bevy of neat ideas but none of them are executed to a degree that makes them worthwhile. [Issue#204, p.82]

SuperChargers gambles by mixing up the Skylanders formula, but overall it pays off. Vehicles are a welcome addition to another solid (if prohibitively expensive) adventure. [Issue#263, p.72]

Aside from some ramped-up AI, there isn't much depth here to differentiate one match from another. [Issue#212, p.103]

The game is basically an interactive optical illusion. [Issue#169, p.90]

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

Beneath the lavish art style and the high quality production..., Broken Age ends up feeling rather empty and desolate. [Issue#257, p.72]

Frustrates and infuriates as poor design decisions smash into each other with alarming regularity. A real letdown, given the series it comes from, but in actuality this is as close to an SSX game as it is Tetris. [Issue#216, p.70]

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]

They don't make 'em like this any more. [Issue#216, p.72]

There's lots of fun to be had with Homecourt. The problem is that it's sometimes so arbitrary you might as well watch footage of it rather than play it. [Issue #151, p.90]

We just wish that there was a little more substance to the overall package and that it was free of bugs. [Issue#185, p.86]

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

Despite offering a varied structure, missions often disintegrate into wild brawls. [Issue#154, p.83]

The best driving sim on PS4. [Issue#239, p.62]

Patapon 2 is still pretty good fun and definitely not like many other video games out there. If you can match the beats and you don’t get too frustrated when you miss one then you’re in for a great tactical rhythm-based game.