I Am Alive is a surprising triumph. It's an original and satisfying challenge. A breath of fresh air. [April 2012, p71]

While the predecessor was a solid albeit short outing with optional co-op, this sequel seems less polished. The backgrounds lack the eye-catching finish, the plot is just a discombobulated mess strewn together and while Klei Entertainment has evened out the difficulty spikes it lacks the charm of the original. [April 2012, p71]

[P]layers won't get much out of SSX until they put a lot of time into each of the game's courses – packed with branching paths, high ridges, and suicide leaps – and work out a custom plan of attack. Without one, SSX can deteriorate into a discombobulating frazzle of questions like: where am I going? Is this the fastest way down? And how come the CPU is 15 seconds ahead of me? While the required exploration means a tonne of replay value, it also means newbies will have to board up a hockey stick-shaped difficulty curve to feel in the game. [April 2012, p70]

Even under duress, it's easy to lose yourself in this strange, enchanting world. Sadly, it's all too brief. We felt we'd barely scratched the surface when the credits rolled. Sure, there was a suitably enigmatic ending, but we wanted more. Much more. [April 2012, p69]

Critically the balance from FIFA 12 has been exaggerated and attackers now have emphatic control when set. So aggressive defence is out, replaced instead by ad nauseam jockeying that slows the action to a grind while attackers dangle the ball with footloose poetry. It's fist-in-thetelevision frustrating at times, and at one point we perused the pause menu looking for the "Hire cartel sniper to take out dribbler" option. [April 2012, p68]

Fast, refreshing and full of tactical nuance; these are the ingredients in the Twisted Metal cocktail, but it isn't without an odd aftertaste. Disappointingly, the single-player covers three fiends, rather than a bunch of dedicated mini-campaigns for the full menagerie of maniacs. It's live-action mixed with CGI stuff that gets a bit cheeseball in spots, but is quite engaging. The solo is decent aside from a few checkpointing oddities, but if you're a soloist we'd suggest the budget buy. [April 2012, p67]

[W]e put the controller down (during a 'gameplay' sequence) and watched in stunned frustration as the game continued on happily playing itself for six minutes. It's inconceivable that there are gameplay levels that cannot be failed or be changed by your actions. Even Dragon's Lair, the game that birthed the concept 29 years ago, had consequences. [April 2012, p66]

Right from the start, you feel like a demigod, dispatching enemies with ease thanks to an overpowered arsenal and a whole bunch of 'breaching' powers that let you slow time, enhance damage and decrease ouchies from incoming bullets. [April 2012, p65]

For those expecting a Tarantino-like exploration of the consequences of being a bad person, you're looking at the wrong series. It didn't take long for us to realise that Ninja Gaiden 3 has more cheese than a fondue party, but it works in the favour of this frantic over-the-top hack-and-slash title. [April 2012, p64]

[Y]ou're only allowed to customise and upgrade the character you're controlling. You can determine who'll be in your squad, but you can't tell them what guns and abilities to use. In fact, AI-controlled squadmates don't even have abilities. They're just grunts with guns and act with all the intelligence of tactical awareness of action movie cannon-fodder, and it affects your offensive options. [April 2012, p.62]

Mass Effect 3 is an amazing experience in and of itself. It's also the perfect capstone to a true AAA franchise, offering a poignant conclusion that'll stick long after the credits have rolled. You're standing on the precipice of one of the best games Earth money can buy. [April 2012, p.60]

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

Has its tongue so far in its cheek its poking through to the other side. [Dec 2011, p82]

With a few more tracks this could've been exceptional. [Dec 2011, p82]

More than an update, this is an overhaul. If you have even a passing interest in basketball, or love sports games, get this now. [Dec 2011, p82]

This is Resi at its peak. Shame that it's a straight port, though. [Dec 2011, p81]

It's all very fast-paced too, and rewards players who opt for the highest difficulty, but then it's just a fun knockabout when you drop it down to 'casual'. Soloists always have the highscore to keep them hooked, and it's surprisingly addictive. A winner all round, really. [Dec 2011, p81]

It's still riotous. If Dead Rising 2 shuffled past you last year, now's the time to grab it with two, bloodied, clamouring hands. [Dec 2011, p80]

Surprisingly exceptional and unique. [Dec 2011, p80]

While this version of Crysis comes sans multiplayer, it's also available for a budget price, and the single-player campaign alone is easily worth the price of admission. [Dec 2011, p79]

On Fire is a substantial update to an already excellent game, adding a considerable selection of new features, modes, and unlockables that – taken as a whole – make this the definitive version of NBA Jam. [Dec 2011, p79]

Ultimately, RAGE is soulless and short-lived. Jack up the difficulty for more of a challenge, but underneath a few stand-out moments is a shooter that's been outclassed and out gunned. [Dec 2011, p78]

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]

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]

So that's Pro Evo 12 – not massively different to Pro Evo 11, but enough of an improvement to warrant the upgrade. So far as comparisons to FIFA go, our view is that it is neither better nor worse, but simply... different. And that's just fine with us. [Dec 2011, p73]

In real-life, dog fighting is an elite, Darwinian art form. Here it's often the digital equivalent of school kids running in circles with paper planes, screeching "Nuh uh! I shot you!" [Dec 2011, p72]

Perhaps one of the best things we can say about Sonic Generations is that it feels complete, and that it looks absolutely stunning. 20 years offers a lot of time to draw inspiration from, and Team Sonic's determination to show off everything that Sonic has accomplished is to be applauded. As an homage it's without peer. As a game in its own right it's flawed, but it'll leave you with more smiles than frowns. [Dec 2011, p70]

It's hard to genuinely dislike a game like All 4 One. While it's obviously and quite severely flawed in a lot of ways, it's also possessed of a certain irreverent charm that – while derivative – is often enough to keep you playing irrespective of the fact that you're not really having a great deal of fun. [Dec 2011, p69]