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

As another foray into the world of interactive storytelling, it's an interesting experiment. But as a game, it doesn't come together nearly as well as it should. [December 2013, p74]

Feels positively ancient, gets by on retro charm. [May 2009, p.65]

Challenging, with a massive variety of gun customisation, held back by unfortunate bugs. [June 2014, p81]

Perhaps 'ambitious' is the absolute best thing we can say about Hydrophobia Prophecy. List its features and goals as bullet points and it sounds incredible, but in the end it H2-blows. [January 2012, p.75]

When everything is laid out in the debriefing, it's clear that H.A.W.X. 2 has made worthy improvements on an already solid concept. True, the adversarial multiplayer still won't ignite many people's afterburners, but almost everything else about the game has been tweaked as per player feedback. If you enjoyed the first title, you should definitely engage. If you were on the fence, we think there's enough new stuff here to make you bank over. [Oct 2010 p.72]

It really seems as though Monumental Games focused more on flashy presentation and cheap thrills rather than handling and physics with any true depth. That said, it is a much more fun and accessible racing game that will attract new fans without hitting them over the head with a super-hard technicality. MotoGP 09/10 stands as the antithesis of racing sims like SBK-08 Superbike whose superior track-side feel was marred by bare bones presentation. There’s eye candy and pizazz here now, but it comes at the expense of handling purity. [May 2010 p.78]

The top seed of tennis games made even better. [July 2009, p.83]

There is no story. There is no characterisation; just bland characters and blander NPCs with stupid names like "Ed Orable" who speech-bubble the same banal crap over and over again. What this game ultimately boils down to is playing a ton of repetitive and often laborious turn based battles in a bid to do nothing much at all. It's an RPG without the "RP," and the "G" that's left doesn't really have much to say for itself. [September 2012, p73]

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

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]

The atmosphere is top notch, and the game bristles with a raw energy that is a joy to behold. The art direction is excellent, particularly in Rage Mode, and the soundtrack is one of the best we’ve heard. It’s unfortunate the gameplay can be a little repetitive and dying is just plain annoying. [Nov 2009, p.78]

Shallow combat, annoying upgrade system, and a forgettable plot. Rainbow Moon is no pot of gold. [January 2014, p83]

Sword in the Darkness shouldn't be viewed as a bad episode, but it does lack the expected drama. [June 2015, p75]

Great multiplayer. Quality, yet anorexic single-player. Knock [20] points off this score if you're an offline-only gamer. [April 2011, p.68]

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]

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]

Take time to learn its ways, grasshopper, and this will become the most technical and rewarding MMA game you've ever faced. [August 2014, p75]

Only for those desperate for a winter escape! [Jan 2009, p.80]

It’s very punishing due to the random roaming nature of your monsters and the lack of a timer between levels. It takes a lot of effort to get right. When you do it is very rewarding, a real lightbulb moment, but getting there might prove too frustrating for many. [Christmas 2009, p.79]

At its core this is Konami's Ninja Turtles beat 'em up re-skinned for Matt Groening's cash. But whereas everybody gets a rad turtle in TMNT, one poor bastard in every four player posse gets stuck with Marge and a vacuum. [April 2012, p80]

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]

Stupid, emergent fun that's unlike any game you've ever play before. Two hour run-time hurts the package if you aren't a local co-op person. [June 2014, p83]

A handful of extra content and a bit of a spit-shine do not a great next-gen package make. [May 2014, p75]

Post-"Dead Space," this just doesn't cut the mustard. [Summer 2009, p.72]

It's slickly presented, but it's just not R-Type. [Jan 2009, p.79]

The visuals may be as appetizing as earwax, but this is still inexplicably fun, especially with a cohort. [March 2014, p79]

Few differences from last year. [Feb 2010, p.75]