As always, the music and the mixes make or break this package. The reuse of tracks is nowhere near as abusive this time around and, honestly, if you can't appreciate the overwhelming majority of tunes here then you're probably squarer than Spongebob. Drop these morbidly obese beats into some new multiplayer modes (that are actually worth playing this time), or let them run forever in the GH5-inspired jukebox mode to create one hell of a party apparatus. [December 2010 p72]

A wild ride, and worth the price of admission, but you've been on this one before. [December 2010 p71]

Do you have a job? Book holidays immediately. Girlfriend, boyfriend? Dump them, or tell them not to call for the next few weeks. We've found one of the most addictive and accessible PSN titles ever. [November 2010 p80]

Combat is both satisfyingly bloody and bloody satisfying. [November 2010 p80]

Evolved's fun but you'll feel little attachment to it and once the campaign's over you won't ache to go back through. [November 2010 p78]

What it doesn't do, however, is evolve the series in any truly beneficial way. Rather than make meaningful improvements to the game itself, Neversoft has focused on the more immediate gimmicks. [November 2010 p77]

Dead Rising 2 is what you wanted it to be, but it unfortunately suffers on a technical level with too many loading screens and bogus screen tearing. Despite these minor setbacks this is one of 2010's best games. [November 2010 p77]

It's a superb rally game capturing the spirit and the thrills. Recommended. [November 2010 p74]

The facial animations, the explosive combat moves and virtual acting are all top notch, elevating Enslaved to being an above-average action game. Also, there's an enthralling story being told here with entertaining characters and it proves difficult to put the controller down. [November 2010 p72]

This series is no longer for football puritans. Its for Pro Evolution puritans, and has the same strengths and weaknesses as its last few iterations. The animation and player models are brilliant, but there's still an oppressive, drab tone that could suck the fun out of a happy meal. [November 2010 p70]

Yes, we have a deeply romantic view of FIFA 11. After our initial concerns it would be too sim-like, EA have rounded the edges and made a representation of the world game that rings true. Every soccer fan will be playing this for the next 12 months. Acquire on sight. [November 2010 p68]

There's a difference between a game that is wacky and a game that is wack. Kung Fu Rider desperately tries to be the former but winds up being the latter. [November 2010 p67]

Start the Party! is great for younger kids, but the young at heart will find the fun is spread pretty thinly. The game also doesn't completely live up to its title as a 'party starter', or its exclamation point for that matter. This mainly because 'multiplayer' is a missed opportunity thanks to it relying upon a pass-and-play style rather than head-to head. [November 2010 p67]

We're impressed with this, and you should be too. Sports Champion is a strong first showing, and a great example of the strength of motion controls. [November 2010 p66]

F1 2010 is Codemasters doing what it does best. Unadulterated, realistic racing. It doesn't lose its way with a trailer full of empty energy drink cans and promo girl panties; it focuses on the job at hand. That job is to make you feel like an F1 driver and, in this department, F1 2010 far exceeds our expectations. [November 2010 p64]

The Medal of Honor series has been a bit of a shambles ever since Medal of Honor: Frontline. The quality of this contemporary reboot, then, might surprise you. The presentation is terrific. It's a far more realistic and compelling single-player campaign than either Modern Warfare 2 or Bad Company 2; we were hugely engrossed and thoroughly recommend it. [Nov. 2010, p.60]

The graphics are as strong as the combat. While everything's very simple it all runs smoothly and everything's nicely animated. Cutscenes tend to drag, though, and some of the voice acting will have you cringing, but we're truly impressed by the size of the game and the direction. [Oct 2010 p78]

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]

As an RTS game R.U.S.E. succeeds. It's tough and it's tight. As an RTS game, however, it's destined to only be embraced by a small, hardcore community. [Oct 2010 p.75]

You're missing the point if you barrel through this trying to complete the chapters like a workman ticking off his list of tasks. For better or worse, Mafia II sometimes feels like more of a guided experience than a game but then you'll be totally engrossed some of the most epic firefights ever seen, and the sound design is amazing. [Oct 2010 p.68]

Shank is one of those games that sums itself up in its own title. It's also a game wears its influences proudly on its arm like a 'mum' tattoo. You're looking at a 2D brawler that nods at classic beat 'em ups and pretty much every arcade game released in the late '80s. Aesthetically it's a beautifully animated homage to the greatest graphic novels and golden-age comics. [Oct 2010 p.75]

The other main problems with Dog Days (besides the limitations of its ambitious visual style) are its length, its threadbare story and its realism identity crisis. Dog Days is a decent game by a talented developer, but it's still weighed down by these flaws. [Oct 2010 p.74]

Our biggest gripe is it's just too cheap and mean, leaving you very alone and swamped in single player against the hordes of enemies and overpowered bosses. Foes come thick and fast and players who charge at the edge of the screen whilst it's scrolling will get a sudden foot to the face for their eagerness [Oct 2010 p.76]

Enemies are flat-out dumb. On more than a dozen occasions we left Perseus (not voiced by Sam Worthington) standing in front of a foe, completely inert. He stood there for so long, not being attacked, that he sheathed his sword and stared back at the dullard in front of him. It took 18 seconds before anything happened. [August 2010 p78]

For the money you're laying down, Deathspank is like the glittering bags of swag it depicts. Highly-amusing and addictive as all hell. [September 2010 p78]

What LEGO Harry Potter is, then, is most probably exactly what you're expecting. A robust yet simple homage to an international phenomenon unleashed upon the world via the medium of coloured, plastic bricks. It's not going to give your PS3 an aneurysm, but it may cause children to spontaneously combust in excitement. [August 2010 p75]

Raven Software's deft handling of the oft-tricky notion of time travel disrupting the workings of the world is very clever. It's clever enough that, as you stand poised to make one of three ending-altering decisions at Singularity's calamitous finale, you're really not sure which choice to make. The question is, will you stick around that long? Most of you probably won't. [September 2010 p.74]

The biggest problem with Naughty Bear is, while it's subversive, unique and wildly imaginative, it's flawed in a few crucial areas. The camera is the worse offender. It isn't beyond managing, but it could've been more cooperative. [August 2010 p74]