For every moment awed in the presence of a monumental celestial body, there are ten in which you’re lonely, humbled, and really quite bored. [October 2017, p79]

Superhot VR was a proof of concept that won the hearts and minds of any non-gamer we handed it to. But for serious gamers, this is an offering lazier than the bullets depicted. [October 2017, p77]

Gorgeous eye-candy (mostly) and tunes that stay with you for decades. But years of rhythm games make the once revolutionary Patapon feel simplistic. [October 2017, p76]

Kinda ugly and bereft of new ideas, but also challenging and fun. Sets a higher bar for PS VR co-op, too. [September 2017, p76]

There’s simply not enough variety to the various insult chunks on offer to sustain more than a few rounds before the repetition sucks the fun dry. [September 2017, p73]

Veterans should vacay here. New players from Skyrim will still get hit with the culture shock of lots of grinding over emergent exploration and nuanced combat. [September 2017, p74]

It can be a little frustrating, but thankfully these flaws are not so insurmountable that Shards of Darkness stops being a diverting and fun misadventure [June 2017, p81]

It’s an imaginative concept, executed poorly. Unless you’re a Lego fan with acres of patience, stick with Minecraft, block enthusiasts. [June 2017, p79]

Don’t put out an APB on what is a hilarious yet technically flawed Lego adventure. Apprehend it for little ‘uns at a reduced price. [June 2017, p77]

Rain World may not be the most forgiving adventure, but stick with it through its trickier times, and when it all comes together it’s capable of producing some genuinely brilliant moments. [June 2017, p76]

Much more fun than it is frustrating, and don’t go in expecting evolution. That said, this is still a quill in the cap for a genre that is slowly making a comeback. [June 2017, p72]

Bulletstorm has been lavished with a fine new coat of 4K paint. Its linear, skill-based shooting is worth revisiting, too, even if new content is thin. [June 2017, p70]

While it’s underwhelming in places, there’s a lot to like as you venture into the weirder parts of Andromeda. Frequent technical issues hamper the experience a bit, as does an uninspiring main story. [June 2017, p66]

Alright, the new Overwatch it ain’t – but it’s far from tearable. (Sorry.) [July 2017, p83]

Deck13 has stepped up to take a lash at Souls’ patented sadism. Some swings are short of the target, but the bulk have landed where they should. [July 2017, p80]

Not exactly taxing in the puzzles department, and its price-to-runtime ratio is a little out of whack. But gorgeous, memorable and oozing with atmosphere and love. [July 2017, p78]

You need to sit patiently and wait for the perfect opportunity. Only mark this as a serious target after much time, patching, and price drops. [July 2017, p77]

But no mask – no matter how flamboyant – can fully hide The Sexy Brutale’s faults. [July 2017, p74]

The result is a charmingly clunky yarn that doesn’t wow, but has more to offer than clichés alone. [July 2017, p73]

Red Barrels has tried to create something rather different to the first Outlast, but the result is a game that, while feeling undeniably grander than its forebear, is considerably less enjoyable. [July 2017, p68]

A chill platform puzzler whose dazzling production values aren’t matched by stable framerates or especially memorable moments. Rime’s only reasonable. [August 2017, p79] [August 2017, p81]

Get Even needed to get even better to be more than a chocolatey handful of our favourite things.[August 2017, p76]

The result? A flawed, beautiful contraption – which is appropriate, given how common those are in Tides’ Ninth World. [May 2017, p82]

Plenty of Guts, then, but not enough glory. [May 2017, p80]

Flatout’s schtick is its physics-heavy racing, but that engine is antiquated now. Like the nitro it ungenerously ekes out – fun in short bursts only [May 2017, p79]

While Rhombus is a fun, self-referential, VR puzzle-playroom, it’s also a stopgap. [May 2017, p77]

The campaign might disappoint, but the game’s one-on-one online duels will take you to Valhalla. [May 2017, p75]

Top co-op, but solo is forgettable. Unpolished, too. Drug addicts with severe delusional parasitosis will see fewer bugs than a Wildlands player. [May 2017, p73]

There’s a level of complexity and polish that belies the lo-fi visuals, the gore, the bonkers story and the motley crew of nutbags that you encounter. Under new ownership, Grasshopper has – dare we say it? – grown up. [March 2016, p70]

But for the last round in this mag’s Reviews chamber? This one’s hardly a magic bullet. [April 2016, p83]

So why should you bother to make it to the credits? Even in the weakest moments, there’s a rich mystery to this world that remains captivating. [April 2016, p78]

At this point you’re probably wondering: if 2.8’s best bit is that brief, is 2.8 even worth it? Honestly, you’ll have to follow your heart on that one. [April 2016, p77]

Having a plethora of events is all for nothing if it’s just a blizzard of deja vu. If you can’t keep the grind compelling, you’ll freeze players out in no time. [February 2016, p80]

In a budget game, the occasional dino delights would be worth a punt – Crytek has crafted a sumptuous world that oozes effortless depth courtesy of PS VR. [February 2016, p78]

And on that bombshell, may the next fledgling Final Fantasy fly fans to a realm that values a clear plot and strong characters over pinball machines. [February 2016, p74]

This gallery space shooter shares the loosest of connections with the EVE mythos, and it lacks the frantic spectacle and VR dogfighting drama of Valkyrie. [January 2016, p80]

CCP hasn’t adjusted the game’s free-to-play Oculus Rift structure, however, despite the game costing $79 on PS VR, and the resulting grind to acquire everything is spirit-sapping. [January 2016, p80]

While they look lovely, the puzzles aren’t quite challenging enough, and more brain teasers would have been welcome in the game’s three-hour run time. [January 2016, p76]

It’s a shame Ace Banana can be so flustering, because there is a decent shooting gallery to unpeel here. [January 2016, p76]

For all its face-plants, still offers a reasonable amount of entertainment for what you’re paying. Maybe just wait a little while for Ubisoft’s Steep instead. [January 2016, p83]

There are wonderfully horrifying moments and some lovely little details, but they’re too few and far between – and getting to them is an exercise in resilience rather than pleasure. [January 2016, p77]

There are many little bits to love in WOFF, but there’s far less cohesion than there should have been when it’s all thrown in together. [January 2016, p72]

Despite the MP issues, Watch Dogs 2 hacks this series back on track with its gorgeous locales, and silly emergent fun. Marcus isn’t *quite* our cup of tea, but he sure beats the hell out of the last guy. [January 2016, p71]

Until Dawn doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, but the sense of immersion is real, as are the heart palpitations. [Christmas 2016, p75]

It’s never a good thing when gamers have to blindly drop their hard-earned cash on an unpolished ride. Especially one whose engine needed way more time spent up on the hoist in the tuning phase. [Christmas 2016, p58]

In the end, its linearity, lack of gameplay diversity, and the low latency feel of your in-game actions all conspire to trip this tiny dancer up. Wait for it to become a PlayStation Plus freebie. [November 2016, p78]

Given time and future updates, the gap between this and the top-tiers could be shortened considerably. Give this a budget buy today, and mark the name for future greatness. [November 2016, p69]

How long that buzz takes to wear off is down to how much respect for ASCII games you really have. [November 2016, p67]

A proper, faithful blast, and it's much better than its release as a stopgap between seasons of the anime might suggest. Who says licensed games suck? [November 2016, p66]

If you’re looking for a chill experience, are ok to wait for content patches, and have a high tolerance against repetitive tasks, we say boldly go. But probably only after a price drop. [November 2016, p62]

Like a demolition job, Dangerous Golf starts off with impressive explosions but clouds of dust soon obscure the chaos. [September 2016, p79]

The story is such fun, and its world rendered with such affection for the source material (and for Victoriana, in general), that you can’t help but be swept up in the mystery. [September 2016, p74]

The battles are greatly improved over The Last Hope, but that’s squandered on a predictable journey that’s woefully short, and lacking in artistic direction. [September 2016, p70]

Initially exhilarating, but ultimately deflating, its sensational setup is disappointingly squandered. [October 2016, p77]

The bait is nostalgia. The victim is your wallet. Wait for that price drop, true believers. [October 2016, p73]

Sweet, small, but imperfectly formed. It’s the game that teaches you to be angry at leaves – but it’s this fish that needs to go back to school. [August 2016, p78]

Sure, there are neat ideas here, no question. But problems with Dead Star’s mechanics mean this is one space race that’s only occasionally worth running. [August 2016, p76]

While not an outright disaster, this offshoot leans heavily on the past while misplacing all the elements that make Lee and Clem’s tale so compulsive. [August 2016, p74]

A reboot for the God Of War generation, but one in which the combat sadly lacks the tight flow and impact required to keep up with Kratos and co. Still, it’s an interesting misfire. [August 2016, p73]

There’s stunning art direction and addictive platforming, but none of it’s reflective of a reboot that’s risen to new heights. The old edge has been maintained, not honed. [August 2016, p68]

The randomness can grate, leaving you facing a boss with your starter weapon, or having an enemy at the entrance of a room take your last sliver of health. [July 2016, p74]

Only buy into this with a dedicated online crew, or watch your enthusiasm for Battleborn die in its infancy. [July 2016, p70]

It’s a world that feels remote, hostile and bloody mysterious, and you’ll want to persist in order to unthaw its buried secrets. [June 2016, p78]

Two games deep and two systems later, the grappling simply still isn’t as much fun as slugging it out, especially for those who have a more casual interest in MMA. [June 2016, p75]

Controls could’ve been tighter, given the high-stakes nature of things. Otherwise, this randomising, very replayable experience is hard to put down. [April 2016, p78]

Endearing, gorgeous platformer that tugs on the heartstrings early, but ultimately winds up feeling mechanically threadbare. [April 2016, p77]

Dares to ask us how we deal with mistakes. It’s a shame the answer it provides is flat and unfulfilling. [April 2016, p76]

Riotous fun to begin with. But when the difficulty ramps up faster than a halfpipe, frustration creeps in due to loose controls and mechanics. [April 2016, p75]

Don’t look at its brevity with a frown: Gone Home is a hugely important game with something meaningful to say. [April 2016, p74]

Think of Arslan as a fast-food joint’s seasonal range: a few flourishes make it more appealing than the standard menu, but it still ain’t top-tier chow. [May 2016, p78]

This is a welcome return to its predecessor’s winning formula, with an extra helping of blood and guts. [May 2016, p76]

Ultimately, we found Sheltered to be engaging, purely due to its brutal difficulty. It’s quite a shame then that its brand of survival is far too often mundane. [May 2016, p74]

While engaging modes shake things up when it all gets a bit shallow, think twice if you’re looking for a fighter with depth. But as a series send-off for obsessives? It’s a knockout. [May 2016, p75]

The dearly departed P.T. finally has some notable competition as your chief nightmare provider. [May 2016, p74]

For every idea that’s been given care and thought, there’s one that is far past the realm of cliché. This is less a diminishing return and more a warning that the series is flirting dangerously close with creative extinction. [May 2016, p66]

A serviceable attempt at polishing up an antique. Controls are still wonky. Visual presentation is more up and down than that pesky zombie who just won’t die. [February 2015, p76]

It’s gaming’s equivalent of the earnest-but-terrible B-movie; its manifold flaws made enjoyable and riotously funny by its good intentions. [February 2015, p75]

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India does little to curry favour from fans left unimpressed by the last game. [February 2015, p72]

Looks gorgeous, rewards driving out of your comfort zone, has pleasing physics and sense of velocity... but needlessly online-only, pumped full of irritating live-action pap, and runs out of fuel early. [January 2015, p77]

While the episode does provide a conclusion to Max’s bittersweet story, its splintered things apart more than tied them all together. [January 2015, p75]

More accessible than Rock Band 4, and there are odd endorphins to be had from actors praising your efforts. It’s the tight-fisted nature of DLC that holds this back from greatness. [January 2015, p71]

Still hilarious. Still addictive. But while the toy/game mechanics are cleverer than competition, far too much extra investment is required to make Dimensions as satisfying and features-full as ye olde TT LEGO games. [Christmas 2015, p76]

This is the prettiest and most polished Omega Force game to date. [Christmas 2015, p72]

The game’s dystopian, drowned burg a pleasure to explore. It’s just a pity the engine is a little bit of a shambles. [November 2015, p78]

QUBE packs a remarkable amount of variety into its three-hour campaign. [November 2015, p74]

We didn’t get even remotely close to any sense of rapture. We had long since gone to the napture. Great as an exploratory piece of art. Average game. [November 2015, p76]

Currently an uneven mix of old school vs. new, and goofy vs. serious. A somewhat shaky start. Hopefully this won’t make for a receding heir line. [November 2015, p75]

You’d think a game about wanton destruction with split-screen co-op would offer lots of content and fun times to chew on. Sadly, that cud turns to crud in a few short hours. [November 2015, p74]

There’s a lot here – a lot of scrap to collect and cars to push off the side of the road – but nothing gluing it all together. [December 2015, p75]

On a technical level, sadly, Zombi disappoints. That said, Zombi is saved by an evocative world and a few innovative features that make it feel newer. [December 2015, p71]

Although completable in a single sitting, Grow Home is just as long as it needs to be without overstaying its welcome. [December 2015, p70]

Most people won't feel the need to replay this eight or so times to piece together all endings into one full nest of a whole. [October 2015, p79]

Buy this looking for massive evolution, and you'll be the one who gets tormented. [October 2015, p79]

Content-wise, F1 2015 has shed more parts than a car cheese-grated into a barrier. Fancy new visuals and some engineer add-ons prevent this from total disqualification. [October 2015, p72]

Doesn't quite live up to the jumbo expectations that come from being a Sega-backed platformer. But there's enough bad ass in here to take its competitors to tusk. [October 2015, p72]

Don't let the fresh new franchise face and the Frostbite screens fool you. Rory McIlroy's has applied some serious back-spin to this once features-rich series. Budget buy this duff. [October 2015, p71]

Not the smoothest brick-fest ever built, but our complaints aren't game-breaking ones. After careful consideration, TT, we've decided to endorse your park. [September 2015, p76]

MotoGP 15 is, by default, the best PS4 motorcycle sim out there. [September 2015, p76]