It all feels a bit sterile, too, and the weird floating pool cue doesn’t do much to alter that. Solid, but hardly exciting. [Feb 2010, p.77]

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]

Zombie Army Trilogy is a real treat until it gets bogged down in repetition. Best served with a side of friends. [May 2015, p78]

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]

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

Unimpressive graphics and animation make this an experience that is better than average, but really not much more than that. [Nov 2009, p.71]

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]

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

Nothing new, but add enough throatal lubrication and it's a hoot. [June 2009, p.65]

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

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]

It's hard to imagine casual types persisting with Apache for too long. It's certainly good enough for a game of its ilk but, once the novelty of pounding the ground wears thin, that's it. With just a single type of helicopter available it lacks the variety you get in most other air combat sims. [March 2011, p78]

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]

An above average shooter that suffers from a lack of imagination. [Mar 2009, p.74]

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]

You’ll praise this for its picture perfect Parisian playground, killer co-op and infectious customisation. But you’ll also want to baguette out for its aging mechanics and slippy framerate. [January 2015, p56]

So dumb it's dangerously good. [Apr 2009, p.72]

Each time it wows you with a neat touch it dashes your enthusiasm with something else. For instance, we get working convertibles but we don't get working windscreen wipers (odd in a game with cabin view and wet weather effects). Just when you're getting into the driving an unskippable cutscene full of people who share more in common with trust-fund babies and hotel heiresses than actual racing drivers yanks you away from the open road. And why is everyone on Ibiza American, including the police? It's jarring and cringe worthy. [April 2011, p.74]

The fighting component, however, is where the game hits a stumbling block. More depth to the combat could have really made this a winner, as you really only have a dozen or so regular attacks and "specials" (and that's when you level cap out at 30) combined, so it can get old after a while. SOE may be hard pressed to sustain interest. [April 2011, p.76]

True evil never dies. It gets a decent facelift. [May 2012, p76]

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]

Things get better with faster cars but too often it feels like you’re trying to guide a brick through thick porridge. Drifting just shouldn’t this much of a chore, and we constantly crave more momentum when we’re loosening up the rear wheels. Online’s more attractive as these problems are masked by the thrill of the chase. [August 2010 p73]

Novelty and genius are not the same thing, and after a weekend with Wolfenstein you will most likely have seen enough. It’s fun, corny action, but it’s not a keeper. [Nov 2009, p.76]

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

The biggest problem Bulletstorm has is that it's at odds with itself. It wants you to have a blast killing imaginatively, but gives you limited ammunition, uses cheap tactics and saves the best toys until way too late in the game. It wants you to revel in the wonderfully hackneyed story, but then suddenly gets all touchy feely, serious and humourless for no reason. [May 2011 p.75]

It's a head-slicin', chest beater of a slash 'em up. It's derivative though. [June 2009, p.58]

This third game in the Ninja Storm series is going to feel like a small step backwards from the previous title for longtime fans. Conversely for newcomers it's perhaps the easiest game ever to get into despite the manic on-screen action – if you have a sense of timing. [May 2012, p77]

Movie karaoke isn't a new phenomenon but Yoostar 2 has brought it into the videogame space with some digital wizardry. Yoostar 2, in that case, is to movie karaoke what Rock Band is to drumming along to the radio on your steering wheel. There are some technical imperfections; we found the lights in our office played hell with the camera and resulted in elements of the kitchen behind us popping up during gameplay as on-screen artefacts. Dimming the lights mostly fixed this but it remained a little grainy... Yoostar 2 is far from perfect but it is very different. [May 2011 p.76]

Fans of Batman will love it, others may want to wait until the next LEGO title. [December 2008, p.79]

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]

Offline, it's a slightly better game than last year. To make it a substantially better sequel you must be willing to be perma-connected to the PSN. That's all fine-and-on-the-fairway for hooked-up Aussie gamers, but it's a sizeable sand trap for the many who aren't. [May 2012, p78]

There’s no co-op, which is odd (there are cooperative modes in multiplayer though) – but there are some truly memorable moments, like your first shootout at high noon. Horse mounted battles and even stagecoaches get a look in. [Aug 2009, p.70]

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]

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]

A shade under 50 tracks feature on the disc itself and they’re pretty passable. It boasts a better hit/miss ratio than Guitar Hero World Tour to be honest, even though career mode is a bit nobbled (and not entirely crucial considering every track is unlocked the moment you boot up the game). [Sept 2009, p.68]

Although multiplayer rocks, the single player loses its shine rather quickly. [December 2008, p.78]

Fun in small doses... it's a good knockabout title. [June 2011 p.74]

It’s more WWE – packing a presentation which, despite being in need of a next-gen overhaul, does a fantastic job of replicating the exhilaration of real-life fights. It’ll satisfy your bodyslamming desires – just don’t expect perfection. [Christmas 2013, p78]

The graphics are solid, the level design more than adequate and the game itself surprisingly fun. Plus it’s AU$15.95 – so unless you loathe tournament shooters you might want to grab this one. [Sept 2009, p.79]

Basically, the same great PS3 title we reviewed a while back, but portable and with exemplary CrossPlay functionality. Being able to whip out your Vita and pick up from where you left off (by downloading a Cloud save) is an absolute godsend and the synching process is flawless. [January 2015, p80]

It's a hell of a slog to win a match and characters are fairly underpowered at the start. It is tactically deep and responsive, but make sure you have mates to play with. [May 2012, p80]

The robust character progression is your first clue that Disney isn't dumbing down the formula, the second arrives with the puzzle sections. Some of them are fairly taxing, as they require a lot of doo-dad flicking and switching between the three 'solver' bears at your disposal. Kids may get annoyed. [September 2012, p72]

The Vita’s augmented reality answer to Pokémon. [Christmas 2013, p81]

Wrecked is the remake of the PS2 game Mashed. To anybody possessing gaming experience and at least three friends, that opening sentence was the end of the review - the verdict received: must-buy. [May 2012, p81]

It's a bit rough here and there but it can also deliver a lot of good times. If you have co-op on your mind, leveling up with mates has its moments but it quickly devolves into a frustrating group training mode. Single-player gamers? Jog on elsewhere. [July 2011 p.82]

It’s not Symphony of the Night, but if you’re a long-time fan, you must whip it. [Christmas 2013, p82]

Shaky camera work is the mortal enemy of the on-rails shooter, and it raises its ugly head far too often here. [September 2012, p75]

Production wise, there's little reason why this couldn't have been on PS2. With a little patience and a lot of forgiveness, you will have fun with Nier and it's very easy to get into, but there are far richer experiences elsewhere. [June 2010 p79]

A 2-hour repeat-fest isn't an odyssey. Still, an interesting hybrid of genres that succeeds more than it fails. [October 2014, p77]

Exploration and experimentation that's clever but runs out of steam far too quickly. [October 2014, p83]

Only Hobbit-sized improvements to the formula. May as well wait for the inevitable re-release that includes the third movie DLC. [June 2014, p77]

Technically solid and fun to engage with. Its bland narrative and iffy UI will cause genre newbies to eject prematurely. [June 2014, p82]

Liberation has plenty of interesting things going for it, but is only essential for completionists. [March 2014, p80]

Great idea, not so great execution. Contrast's really only suited for the hardcore puzzle lover. [January 2014, p82]

To play its best moments, requires a 3 hour tutorial of sorts. Juice is worth the squeeze though. [April 2015, p79]

An unpolished gem that dug deep for fun, but came up with repetitiveness. [January 2014, p83]

Shorter than your average LEGO adventure, doesn't build upon the formula in meaningful ways. [May 2014, p81]

Load times are an issue, but this tap-dancer proves to be pretty, and pretty taxing. [May 2014, p83]

Technically sure-footed and still a wonderful multiplayer experience. But overpriced and more rehashed than a Cheech and Chong movie sequel. [August 2014, p74]

It may need help to stand tall, but when it's pumped with blood, it rocks. [Christmas 2014, p76]

With more oven time this could have been that novelty birthday cake you always wanted but never got as a child. Instead it's just a muffin of disappointment. [March 2015, p76]

Very pretty, but pretty shallow. Unchallenging – both emotionally and as a puzzle-platformer. [September 2014, p71]

Well presented, technically solid and fun. Runs out of challenge and interesting concepts roughly halfway through, however. [September 2014, p73]

Solid and respectable enough of the source material to be a fan-pleaser. Feels like button-bashy busywork to anybody else. [September 2014, p81]

A lot of the ideas we loved in the original have been pared back to nothing. In their place: brutality. [June 2015, p79]

A noticeable decrease in hilarity turns Brighter Darkness into the series' first sin in a long time. Only the most dedicated will forgive it. [December 2013, p83]

The Crew isn't as fast or furious as we want it to be, but it's an ambitious opening chapter to Ubisoft's super-charged racer. [Feb 2015, p70]

At full retail we would have ripped this racer to shred, but at less than half the price you just might enjoy ripping up the dirt-filled tracks. [Feb 2015, p77]

In almost all other respects Castle of Illusion pales in comparison to the Rayman Legends of the world. We’d also recommend Duck Tales Remastered over this in a heartbeat, too. But if you prefer your platformers easy and protagonists in pants, Castle of Illusion is still worth the price. [November 2013, p85]

Aqua Kitty is certainly no catastrophe, but it left us feline kind of mangy. [Feb 2015, p81]

I'd say for “fans of the genre” but this game simply isn't good for anyone. [May 2015, p75]

Not without its rough charm, but clearly the bridesmaid to FFXV's babe. [May 2015, p76]

MXGP isn't without its flaws, but if you're a motocross fan, you don't have a lot of options. [July 2014, p80]

All-star Battle is strictly for fans, unless you want Japanese culture to slap you in the face. [July 2014, p80]

A worthy entry that cannot escape being pinned down by some crucial flaws. [Christmas 2013, p82]

It was a worthwhile dig, but it just isn't a patch on genre leaders. [May 2009, p.64]

Pure Pool is as succinct a product as its name suggests. Expect solid ball-on-ball action but little more. [October 2014, p82]

The cinematics, while cobbled together from a ‘90s cop movie handbook, are more polished than most. If you were starving, you could lick this dish clean and be satisfied. But it wouldn’t taste like anything you hadn’t eaten before. [June 2010 p74]

You'll burn through each movie pretty fast; there are only a few hours of gameplay here. The levels are designed with unlockables in mind to prompt multiple playthroughs. If you get sucked into high scores you'll likely want to give it a few goes to try and boost it. [December 2010 p79]

Artistic, and absorbing for a time. But the whimsy gives way to shallowness. [October 2014, p83]

Just follow the quest arrows, and spank everyone in your path. Rinse and repeat. Mental patients weave baskets because it’s calming - this is the same deal. [Sept 2009, p.70]

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]

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]

Start the Party! is great for younger kids, but the young at heart will find the fun is spread pretty thinly. The game also doesn't completely live up to its title as a 'party starter', or its exclamation point for that matter. This mainly because 'multiplayer' is a missed opportunity thanks to it relying upon a pass-and-play style rather than head-to head. [November 2010 p67]

Clocking in at a paltry five hours to complete on 'hard', The Force Unleashed II feels shorter than an Ewok's genitals. Length hang-ups aside, Lucasarts has tightened up almost everything iffy about the original game, but they also managed to drop a hydro-spanner into the parts that were working fine to begin with. For example, TFU had a stellar, award-winning Star Wars plot – this sequel's storyline comes dangerously close to breaking established canon and, like Jabba's Sarlacc, it sucks you in, only to take you absolutely nowhere. [January 2011 p74]

Each time you start [a minigame] it feels like you're forcing yourself to drink your own urine whilst frying in the desert: you don’t want to do it, but must to make it to the end. [Sept 2009, p.66]

Multiplayer is pretty limited in variety, all team-based, and with a fistful of maps. Couple this annoyance with the fact that the rest of the game doesn't attempt to raise the bar in any way – and only lasts a paltry five hours – and Blood Stone starts to feel like a very pedestrian shooter. Honestly, we doubt even Xenia Onatopp on herbal Viagra could squeeze thrills out of this short ride. [January 2011 p79]

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]

Attacks are doled out with three face buttons and although there's a tights fistful of combos to learn and modifiers on the shoulder buttons for variety and occasional defensive manoeuvres, we literally took down a clutch of enemies by bashing the controller against our butt. No joke. [October 2012, p78]

Obviously, after eleven years the visuals haven't fared so well either. Back in the pre-GTA days Sega's take on San Fran was drool-worthy. Nowadays it's like driving through a bad cubist nightmare. Newer gamers who go in expecting some of the modern creature comforts – like traffic AI, lip synching or a physics system that makes a lick of sense – will be slapped in the face with a culture shock. Anyone who doesn't want their objective arrow to act like a broken ouija board won't like this game much either. [February 2011 p81]

If you like Terry Gilliam's work you'll love the art aesthetic here as you romp through art history, visiting historical figures as you go. It's quite funny if you can appreciate its sense of humour, too. [October 2012, p79]

As the final nail in the coffin of this two-part series, CLoS2 is more than a little rusty. [April 2014, p78]

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]

Riding boats, a new character, a couple of new skills and light tower defence mechanics is pushing that full retail tag, especially when you can pick up the original for less than half the price. [June 2013, p70]

A bold and innovative reboot of a classic, but definitely geared for the hardcore. [June 2013, p76]

Solo players might enjoy this, as long as they don't stray online. [June 2014, p82]

Critically the balance from FIFA 12 has been exaggerated and attackers now have emphatic control when set. So aggressive defence is out, replaced instead by ad nauseam jockeying that slows the action to a grind while attackers dangle the ball with footloose poetry. It's fist-in-thetelevision frustrating at times, and at one point we perused the pause menu looking for the "Hire cartel sniper to take out dribbler" option. [April 2012, p68]

What you’re left with is Max Payne 3 if it was stripped of half its budget, created by Michael Bay and forced into a co-operative experience. Fans might get a kick out of the fire and limb filled explosions, and the cameos from older characters in the series, but make no mistake, it will be short-lived. [June 2013, p78]