Starts slow then builds into a time sink, and each victory feels like a monumental win. Tacticians and action fans finally have something in common to obsess over. [October 2013, p80]

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]

Madness Returns is in a tricky position. It could never offer pistol-quick mechanics because of the character design and it often feels like a chore to finish a stage. You'll also probably get pretty tired of finding and shooting switches to reveal a hidden platform, or slogging through another round of five or six enemies. Yet it dares to be different, so if you're happy to admire it for is own sake then you should find some fun amongst the insanity. [August 2011 p74]

In many ways, Touch my Katamari feels more like game for your phone than a Vita title: incredibly accessible, yet designed for small bursts only. [April 2012, p76]

Pretty dull. You'll grind rather than grin your way to victory in this limited ride. [Dec 2011, p82]

Not a cut above the main franchise, but a decent stab at a spin-off. [July 2015, p83]

Put the time into it and get used to its unconventional controls and it’ll eventually wriggle its way into your heart. [July 2017, p72]

As with the rest of Virtua Tennis' shtick it's a simple system that hides its complexity well. Along with an addictive, board game-style World Tour mode,it's hard not to recommend Virtua Tennis 4. Perhaps the stellar motion controls are relegated to throwaway mini-game, rather than being fully integrated. [June 2011 p 79]

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

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

Played as intended, with three mates in one room, Screencheat is the most fun you can have in a local multiplayer setting. Worth owning, just to have on your HDD for parties. [April 2016, p71]

The dialogue choices aren’t exactly Mass-Effect-calibre, but it’s a welcome means of disrupting the match-match-match routine. And of finding new ways to insult Reigns every week, should you so desire. [Christmas 2016, p65]

It’s balls-out hard pretty much from the get go, demanding pixel-perfect (snarf) jumps and committing entire levels to memory. There’s a point where it goes from being cute to very annoying, though. [March 2013, p80]

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

Only for diehard fans interested in the mildly enjoyable, but highly repetitive gameplay. [September 2013, p77]

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]

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

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]

Everything about EDF 2017 is a slog. Graphically atrocious and sonically awful, low-res buildings comically disappear after being grazed by heavy weaponry. While the bugs and bots twitch and spasm around their own character models, the bipedal robots are the worst offenders here, often getting caught up in their own limbs. [March 2013, p79]

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]

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

Ostensibly, Lost Planet 2 has been built with multiplayer in mind. As a single player experience is competent but slightly underwhelming. [June 2010 p72]

This year's game is also more of a sim than ever before as the handling model is tougher to crack than a Kevlar-coated walnut... Yet, it's ultimately not worth your time. There's an amazing sense of speed but the feedback's muted in the way the bikes brake, and the first time you jam on the anchors you'll still cascade into the gravel. Adjusting to this is by an approximation of feel – there's little visual indication or general feedback that your rider is yanking on the front lever and squeezing the ball of his foot on the brake pedal, so you just need to guess how much space to give yourself. It's also about as pretty as a bag full of elbows. [June 2011 p.79]

Tenchu's in a dire need to go back to its roots. [June 2009, p.70]

It's anything but predictable, which is good, and there's lots to see, which is great, but it's also a bit sluggish, which isn't. [January 2013, p78]

Great design and syrupy animation. Busy without being chaotic, and humourous too. [December 2012, p81]

It's unforgiving as all hell, too: After you've barely scraped through a particularly insane dungeon, you might run afoul of a boss. This boss will, without fail, instantly kick your ass until you memorise his wicked ways, just like the old days. Then it's back to the start of everything with you. [February 2013, p80]

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]