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

Obsidian has interpreted ‘be an aggressive hardcase’ as ‘be an obnoxious brat’ and, when it comes to suave, Thorton is about as subtle as sexual assault. It doesn’t help that his voice is about as intimidating as a slightly larger-than-usual cupcake. Basically Thorton is a jerkbag in need of a major identity realignment. [August 2010 p72]

A respectable take on the Gundam metaseries that's sure to please the faithful. Not particularly approachable for anybody else though. [September 2014, p80]

The bargain basement price should entice fans into reliving their glory days but offers very little else. [Christmas 2012, p.80]

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]

For all its unfamiliarity and family-over-friendliness Legends of Chima is a technically solid production that should please its intended audience. Oldies can skip it and continue to vainly hope for LEGO Die Hard. [September 2013, p75]

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]

Above-average Rogue-like space RPG action. More-ish. [June 2009, p.71]

Many set pieces simply do not work smoothly, and sacrifice fun for punishing perfection. Even replaying the tracks to memorise when to open the throttle or the best way to land can’t counteract this, and Urban Trial Freestyle ends up being not just unforgiving, but also plain unfair. [May 2013, p77]

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]

Shines where it ought to, but much too soggy around the edges. [March 2012, p76]

An entertaining distraction needing more variety for true longevity. [Feb 2015, p79]

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]

This has all the content you'd expect. But, technically, this production is more troubled than Crazy Earl. It's not watchu want. [July 2014, p82]

You can go online and play with your mates, but it doesn’t do enough to be exciting or even pretty to look at. Diagnosis: take one dose of Final Fantasy XIII and start another of Valkyria Chronicles. [May 2010 p.79]

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]

Hard on the thumbs but just as hard on the eyes and ears. Wait for a markdown and play with friends. [November 2014, p77]

Looks like Zelda, totally isn’t. What you’ve got here is a farming concern which deserves to be spoken in the same breath as Harvest Moon. [September 2017, p71]

Your dyslexia serves you well, this should have been called 'Akiba Strip'. Par for the course brawling with lite-rpging, bewbs, but also some man-bulge, too. [September 2014, p75]

Only comes alive with the right four-player crowd. Soloists, avoid. [February 2014, p83]

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]

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

WRC 2 is a game that, if you were to it to someone, sounds like the perfect rally game. Once it's in your hands, though, you can't help but feel a bit glum. Whether it's a lack of time, money or skill, we're hopeful that Milestone comes back next year with a title to do the license proud. [Dec 2011, p76]

Warframe is an enjoyable free-to-play co-op shooter that's held back by confusing interface. [January 2014, p81]

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]

[O]nline modes can be great fun, but they have one glaring weakness – within a week of release, they were all but deserted online. Getting into a 2v2 competitive match – which is the only thing that anyone has been playing at all – has been a struggle since launch, which is never promising. If you've got friends who also bought the game, this won't be a problem, but if you're hoping for something to play against random folk online we wouldn't expect this one to have a sudden huge surge in players. [February 2013, p76]

Sadly Dead Souls simply bolts a zombie apocalypse onto Yakuza 4's broken template, without making any effort to improve it. What is it about Dead Souls that feels painfully dated? The clunky and overly complicated combat and camera controls, combined with inconsistent rules are the main offenders. [April 2012, p72]

We're happy with the decent foundations that TNA Impact! has laid out, but the content - which is a big deal in wrestling games - is paltry. [December 2008, p.80]

While the narrative is bonkers, Killer Is Dead iterates on tired gameplay to make a gorgeous game playable. [November 2013, p84]

Insect Armageddon succeeds in one small regard. Good games should make you feel something. Unfortunately the emotion it frequently elicits is rage. While the price is about right, and measured against the games that came before it in the series Insect Armageddon doesn't look that bad. But that's a bung comparison in the wider tapestry of quality games out there that can be had for a few bucks more. [September 2011 p74]

Do the right thing and get spiritual sequel Dying Light, plus all its DLC, instead. [September 2016, p75]

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]

Superb concept, poor execution. Needed more balancing. [August 2012, p81]

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

This would be a great deal if it was packed with a $4.25 happy meal, but at almost full retail it's a thieving shamburger. [May 2015, p76]

A shade too workmanlike in most areas. [Feb 2010, p.75]

Offers a great visual upgrade, but the UI and various other tappy mechanics break down in later difficulties. [August 2014, p78]

You can see the improvements in the car models compared to the years before, and the hardcore audience of the sport – the handful that there are – will appreciate WRC 3's spirit to following the source material. Everyone else looking for slip n' slide action should load up DiRT 3. [January 2013, p77]

Cross-buy, cross-play, cross-save: the three non-words every ‘PS3ita’ gamer hungers to hear. Zombie Tycoon 2 has all of these, and that’s what it does right. What it does wrong: its solo play is boring, and gets in the way of its rather decent multiplayer action. [July 2013, p80]

While the learning curve is a little steep, the combat and weaponry has an extremely different feel and is well worth a look for the bargain price of 20 bucks. [February 2011 p81]

A sturdy, dependable effort that fails to excite. If it was a colour, it would be beige. [June 2009, p.64]

With rewarding physics and plenty of content, our main complaint is the tech used to render the game. To be blunt, it looks damn average. Racers are known for pushing the PS3 to its graphical limits, but SBK looks like it's running on two cylinders. While the frame rate and anti-aliasing is tight, the tracks are utterly devoid of detail. The world also appears to be lit by fluorescent tubes, giving it a stark, artificial feel. [August 2012, p80]

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

You’ll not find a prettier AAA game on PS4. Unfortunately, you'll probably not find a shorter one either. Doesn't reinvent the wheel, just affixes the blingest steampunk spinner rims you can imagine. [April 2015, p70]

Mindless, shallow fun if you’ve never played one before but it really is the same as 6 and 5 and 4. [April 2013, p77]

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]

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

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

Fanging through the snow just gets old far too quickly. [Summer 2009, p.79]

Generic in most senses of the word, but still dumb fun with friends. [August 2013, p80]

Thankfully, Sega's made some tweaks to its Sonic 4-mula that manage to both advance the platforming while bringing the 'feel' of things closer in line with the series' halycon days on the Mega Drive. [June 2012, p 81]

A more than solid base to build a fuzzy franchise on. A bit thin on breeds, and the dog voices are rather annoying. [August 2014, p80]

ROTF is a snack to finish - expect to knock the whole thing, both Autobot and Decepticon campaigns, over in a day - yet there's a perverse sense of accomplishment when the credits roll, despite the hit-and-miss graphics, awful music and weak sound effects. [Sept 2009, p.69]

They aimed for The Truman Show and hit Dumb & Dumber. For diehard puzzlers only. [May 2015, p79]

Plays great, looks great, and there's enough in here to keep you entertained 'til next year but the lack of online multiplayer is a real blow. [March 2012, p62]

The power unit mechanic offers too little an incentive to re-buy what is essentially a lesser F1 2013. [Christmas 2014, p80]

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

Chronicles runs smoothly, but we just wish we had more room to see what was going on in the gem-filled half of the screen. [Apr 2010, p.77]

Persevere past the tail-happy nightmares from Ferrari's silver age and there's a wealth of content here to play with. To the average gamer, looking for something to tide them over until DiRT 4 arrives, this will be seen as a barebones experience that only gives up the goods after a very long courtship period. This is more geared towards the people who remember Richard [Ball Busting] Burns' Rally on the PS2, or the diehards who will do anything to have a sado-masochistic relationship with all things Ferrari. [October 2012, p75]

The other main problems with Dog Days (besides the limitations of its ambitious visual style) are its length, its threadbare story and its realism identity crisis. Dog Days is a decent game by a talented developer, but it's still weighed down by these flaws. [Oct 2010 p.74]

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

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]

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]

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]

A dodgily produced cash-in of a chestnut anime. [May 2012, p81]

Only look into this one if you’re a big fan of the Sacred series and have similarly minded friends. [August2013, p76]

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

Multiplayer pushed the score up, but the overall experience left us wanting. [December 2008, p.84]

Like a new wrestler getting a push, the fans will determine if 2K’s series succeeds or fails. [January 2015, p86]

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]

Brilliant ideas, but the game feels old. Worth a weekend rental but that’s it. [October 2013, p76]

Shaun White Skateboarding just feels a bit limp. The skating itself is competent but not tactile, and trekking back to a skate shop, rather than just an in game menu, to buy moves wears thin after a short while. Kudos for finding a way of distinguishing the game from its competitors, but Skate 2 is still chairman of the board. [December 2010 p75]

The real shining star of Medieval Moves, though is the bow and, considering the game was developed by the same team behind Sports Champions, this comes as little surprise. We regularly ditched the sword and shield in favour of the bow at every opportunity. [January 2012, p.80]

Killzone 3 this ain't. Avoid. [June 2009, p.68]

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]

If you’re all for the idea of chuckling at a game that’s under budget, intentionally offensive and a bit archaic – here you go. But when you find out that same punchline includes a pitiful seven hour runtime and a 70 dollar price tag, we think it’ll probably wipe the smirk right of your face. [August 2013, p72]

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

You'll never powerslide around a corner. Seems odd, doesn't it? Kart racers in general have implemented this move since day dot, and while it's one missing attribute that sets Race Stars apart from the competition (apart from the official licence, of course) it feels weird and frustrating. Tight corners need to be taken wide as the karts are especially stubborn in the twisty bits. [Christmas 2012, p.80]

Truth is, Batman is the hero the Vita deserves, but Blackgate just isn’t the game it needs right now. [Christmas 2013, p78]

A solid Lemmings-inspired puzzler that's bound to make you feel a bit sheepish every now and again. [December 2014, p76]

When you take into account the bargain basement price and what benefits you'll reap from it (assuming regular use), Move Fitness could be one of the wisest game purchases you ever make. [January 2012, p.81]

A brave competitor to Sony's mud king, but it's all a bit too bland to get revved up over. [Nov 2008, p.96]

A technically troubled, budget production that tries to compensate with gore and 'edgy' characters that are ultimately obnoxious. [August 2014, p79]

Captain America: Super Soldier is rudimentary gaming at its worst, a tired old melange of linear corridor crawling and basic brawling. It's utterly unsatisfying. That the whole thing weighs in at a squidge over four hours only further sabotages any shred of quality that managed to smuggle itself into the final game. Don't play this. [September 2011 p76]

While your characters are nimble – able to double jump, slide on the spot, cling on to walls, ceilings and sporadically placed platforms – the melee combat is pretty tiresome as enemies overwhelm often by number rather than by skill. Cross your fingers you have a ranged attack in your repertoire else you're screwed. [July 2011 p84]

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]

If you've got a 3D TV, buy it. [Jan 2010, p.74]

Bare-bones stuff, really, but the music makes it worth it. [Mar 2009, p.76]

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]

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]

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]

Gameplay-wise, marginally better and prettier than the last. Content-wise, the worst example in recent memory of the tight-fisted annual sports game model. [Christmas 2014, p79]

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]

There are some neat ideas here, like the random modifiers that trigger in each area, and being able to turn on ‘oaths’ that increase the challenge while rewarding you with extra XP and coins. But these features aren’t original, and it’s hard for an unoriginal game to hold one’s interests after the 500th skeleton has had their head shot off. [July 2013, p79]

Someone forgot to add "fun" to the jetpack. [Mar 2010, p.75]

Familiar foes and even familiar ideas await to present a paint-by-numbers challenge. Despite occasional clipping, frequent atmosphere-breaking occurrences of bodies blinking out of existence, and an ally who literally warps to your next objective point, Burning Skies isn't a terrible game – it's just horribly average. Admirable ideas are matched by disappointing decisions. [July 2012, p80]

Taken on its own, this is a vaguely competent racer let down by some horrible technical issues. [Summer 2009, p.64]

Epic Mickey 2 smacks of the brilliant game designer many of us admire as Spector attempts to redefine what has defined his great games for years within the confines of a world that can't really allow it. The end result is it's a compromise that, by default, isn't able to wholeheartedly please anyone. [Christmas 2012, p.72]