Despite the flaws this'll be on your mind well after the credits roll. The plot is engrossing enough to make any techno freak froth at the mouth with lust. Human Revolution is a truly authentic Deus Ex game, and a great gaming experience in its own right. [October 2011 p74]

It's a game world that makes you feel like a tourist, like anything and everything is worth looking at. If Team Bondi's Los Angeles was a skirt she'd be a blonde. A blonde to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained-glass window... Combining slow-paced adventure gaming with well-executed open-world action was an audacious experiment. Infusing it with state-of-the-art animation tech that pits you in a game of wits against virtual liars was equally bold. Staging all of that in the most richly detailed videogame environment we've ever seen was outrageous. Not only does it work, it works extraordinarily well. It's the evolution of the adventure game, merging slow-burning discovery with the freedom associated with an open-world backdrop. It's the Concorde of its category, rendering fondly-remembered classics like Police Quest akin to simply flapping your arms. [July 2011 p.78]

Finally this all-time indie adventure is ours to own. Slick visuals and sumptuous sound design make this a must-have. [June 2015, p80]

While the world may be a tad derivative, Corvo's powers more than make up for it. Blink becomes second nature, and it's obviously informed the level design's go-anywhere approach. There's just enough inventiveness here to elevate Dishonored above its numerous competitors, and it's quite hard to imagine going back to games where you can't teleport to the rooftops, or possess fish to access buildings' cellars. [November 2012, p74]

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is a no brainer purchase. [January 2012, p.72]

Well worth the price of admission to earn yourself a seat. But you'll only really need the edge of it. [Mar 2011, p77]

The Dragon Age game people who hate Dragon Age will like. [January 2015, p76]

Buy this game immediately – and a PSP if you must. As well as unfurling the Metal Gear Solid story just that little bit more, and spending more quality time with Snake, it's a truly excellent game in its own right. Engaging and rewarding, this is a solid package no gamer should miss. [August 2010 p68]

Minor gfx hiccups aside, Battlefield 1 is as mustard as the gas it depicts. Winding back the clock and rediscovering its infantry roots has let DICE craft one of the best Battlefields in the series. Oddly, we want more solo DLC. [Christmas 2016, p70]

A stunningly good start to what will surely become a treasured PlayStation series. Brilliant stuff. [April 2017, p.71]

Hardcore lovers of the sport will relish the challenge, enjoy every throttling by the AI, and take their skills online. But there'll only be so many times basketball punters will endure this level of difficulty without reverting to Tourette-like hysterics. So yes, it's complex. And yes, the experience oscillates between sublime and diabolical between each game, but basketball is a complex sport. With such unparalleled presentation and unapologetic gameplay, this is likely the best basketball game ever. [December 2010 p76]

It would be foolish of us to pretend that Dark Souls is a game for everyone. It's perfect at what it does, but a big part of what it does is make you suffer for your mistakes. It is a harsh, uncompromising task master and you will have to work to win its approval, because it certainly won't work to win yours. [Dec 2011, p74]

The visuals themselves, from the evolving avatars and costumes to the stages, sets and recording booths, are beautiful. The gameplay is typically right on the button. The mixes are great. It’s all close to faultless. [Nov 2009, p.70]

Combining the depth and difficulty of a rogue-like with the thrill of a platformer, it's an elegant and endlessly replayable gem of a game that is perfectly suited to a portable format. Co-op multiplayer over WAN (no netplay – boo!) is especially rewarding.[November 2013, p83]

Short, but brilliantly executed. [Christmas 2008, p.74]

As slick to play as it is oddly Japanese, Nier should be blinking bright on the radar of serious Action- RPG fans. [May 2017, p71]

All combined, you’re looking at the biggest and one of the most enjoyable Tomb Raiders yet. Here’s to 20 more years. [Christmas 2016, p62]

All of the augmentations do not unbalance what was already a near-perfect formula. Do yourself a favour, step out of your genre-rut and buy this gem today. [Christmas 2013, p74]

Hereditary sins aside, the core experience of Assassin's Creed IV is one hell of a thirty-cannon salute that has so many tantalising distractions that we honestly can't wait to sail back into its world again. [December 2013, p70]

Will the multiplayer be enough to prise flocks of fans from Modern Warfare 2’s steely grasp? Possibly, because it’s really quite good. It’s primarily the use of destruction that distinguishes it from Modern Warfare 2, because in many other ways it’s very similar. The destruction, however, and its dynamic impact on the maps is a massive point of difference. In almost every way Bad Company 2 technically outclasses the original, but that’s to be expected. We just miss the mischief. [Apr 2010 p.68]

The omission of four-player cooperative play (as seen in its PS3 counterpart) hurts and seems a bit of an oversight but that doesn't stop it from being a damned fine platformer. Rayman Origins looks a treat, plays pretty sweet and walks its own beat. [April 2012, p75]

While patrolling that retail space, you’d be mad to ignore this as it lurks in the corner. It’s every inch a killer game, and worthy of Lasting Possession. [January 2016, p68]

Unusually for an RPG, this is a game led more by its systems than its storytelling. Its intricate yet accessible mechanics make it a unique modern classic. [January 2015, p73]

Call of Duty: Black Ops still represents one hell of a hefty package. It's bursting with hundreds of hours of entertainment that caters to every conceivable configuration of gamer out there, be they an adversarial gamer, a co-op connoisseur or a staunch offline soloist. [January 2011 p60]

Plot-wise, this doesn't match the original. However, the combat has been spliced to near-perfection. [Mar 2010, p.64]

Taking your hands off the traditional controls to manipulate a touchscreen wider than the Nullabor isn't fun. And yet a lot of puzzles in LBP, timed and otherwise, revolve around doing exactly that. You're forever tapping blue blocks to create solid ground, or you're dragging them to solve environmental puzzles. At best, it's disruptive to classic platforming, at worst it'll be the bane of any no-deaths run. [November 2012, p78]

On the surface it may look the same but underneath and in your hands this is complex and wonderful. With a wealth of updates and the impressive inclusion of the training mini-games, FIFA 13 is for anyone who either wants a friendly kick-about or be completely and utterly immersed in the world of football. [November 2012, p64]

Positively hypnotic in PS VR, this is an ideal showcase for your new virtual reality kit. [Christmas 2016, p80]