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]