Fans of the series will appreciate it for what it is, but Syndicate doesn't repair all of Unity's damage. [Christmas 2015, p.72]

Despite feeling the need to shower regularly during much of Twisted Metal, though, this should still be considered a successful return. A super violent serving of chunkily satisfying motor carnage, it offers a unique P53 joyride. Just tone down the Ronald McDonald homicide next time, eh?

Despite the inconsistent online mode, this is an instantly satisfying slice of arcade sports, and the most fun you can have with a Frisbee without heading to the beach. [Nov 2017, p.93]

Generations always draws you back with its level design and compulsive simplicity.

The format's best sports game. [June 2012, p.105]

Substantial, and makes us excited to see what’s next in Remedy’s Connected Universe. Our only question is ‘Alan Wake remaster when?’ [Issue#180, p.81]

The brutal pacing soon exhausts. [July 2015, p.86]

Aesthetically, it's a sweet piece of 2D Americana. [Apr 2011, p.101]

A splendid adventure, but it's also one that never steps out of the comfort zone. [Aug 2007, p.112]

A well-executed game. [Christmas 2011, p.98]

Swings wildly and rapidly from the incredible to the mundane. [Mar 2010, p.108]

Ultimately The Golf Club 2 may land in the rough more than the green, but it has enough about its controls and modes to take a swing at. [Aug 2017, p.93]

As ever, what it comes down to is the track list - and Vol 2 is a belter. [July 2008, p.99]

The difficulty curve is satisfying. [March 2012, p.115]

Looks awesome in a retro, scattering-of-bright-pixels way, but playing is like trying to perform keyhole surgery after a unicorn has barfed glitter straight into your eyes. [June 2011, p.111]

The trouble is, this gets old very fast. [Jan 2009, p.104]

Not as experimental as it wants to be, as Far Cry recycling hampers its endearingly silly premise. Primal finds itself stuck in the past in more ways than one. [Apr 2016, p.85]

A likeable follow-up that addresses valid criticisms of its predecessor and provides gory fun, but loses a little of what made it special in the process. [Christmas 2017, p.90]

A must for genre lovers. [Issue#158, p.87]

Guitar Hero for kids. [Christmas 2009, p.106]

It's a fine example of how licensed games should be done. [Sept 2008, p.96]

A pleasant PSN surprise. [Dec 2011, p.91]

Deeply frustrating lack of checkpoints holds it back from retro greatness. [June 2011, p.103]

This is a fantastic alternative to the main series – offering up all the thrills of your Monday-night work league, without the worry about talk of P45s after 'accidentally' shouldering your boss into a wall.

From side-scrolling platforming to something that reminds us of Super Monkey Ball just a wee bit, there’s a good variety of levels in each world. While we say there are plenty of hidden collectibles to find, Lucky’s game doesn’t quite nail the sense of exploration and discovery in the way its mauve forbear does; you probably won’t need the finest-toothed comb to see all there is to see. But just because it doesn’t resonate in exactly the same way Spyro did for us all those years ago, it doesn’t mean that cute-as-a-button Lucky won’t be some small person’s favourite, or that the game won’t get them all nostalgic years down the line. [Issue#180, p.80]

Part of me wanted to give WWE 13 an even higher score. Namely, the 14-year-old part that would love to dust off his '98 King Of The Ring VHS and watch it on repeat until it disintegrated. Although my inner Attitude-loving teen doesn't quite win out, this is still the most authentically detailed, lovingly crafted grappler ever committed to disc.

After a couple of years in the wilderness for the series, this more thoughtful Hawk's is a welcome reboot. [May 2007, p.114]

An intense, brutal and gorgeous ARPG. If you've got withdrawal symptoms from Diablo 3, look no further. [Aug 2017, p.96]

Tense at first, the initial thrills dampen the more time you spend in the company, but The Flame In The Flood's warm ambience and unusual design are worth discovering for yourself. [March 2017, p.94]

If there's one reservation about Endwar it's that, offline and playing against AI opponents, victories will inevitably begin to feel a little hollow. Play against other people online, however, and Endwar's pleasures are only limited by teh callous deviousness of the human mind. [Dec 2008, p.108]

Modern Warfare’s a tough act to follow, and Cold War struggles to keep up. It’s still enjoyable though, and with many updates to come, it’s just getting started. [Issue#184, p.95]

An online experience of wildly fluctuating highs and lows that demands a lot but explains little. [Apr 2015, p.89]

There’s a surprising number of changes, and most work. With an enjoyable campaign and a generous amount of online content, Cold War deserves a warm reception. [Issue#183, p.68]

The new modes are feeble, the missing modes are lamentable and the shift to sparse but always-deadly traffic is a backwards step. [June 2007, p.110]

Despite tweaks to the formula and some interesting ideas, Mortal Shell is tired and familiar while also much less than its inspiration. This Dark-Souls-like should stay dead. [Issue#180, p.77]

Anniversary features disappoint. [Nov 2013, p.94]

The overall experience may be a little on the bitty side, but Stuntman Ignition still delivers a bracingly unique driving game. [Oct 2007, p.96]

At heart this is still Bejeweled doing what it's done for more than a decade. [July 2012, p.117]

An inventive puzzler built around using pseudo code to fight enemies and overcome obstacles. It's no more than an evening's play, but a brilliantly unusual one. [July 2016, p.82]

There are some familiar elements – Arkham City’s ice grenades reappear as the mechanically identical glue grenades for example – and most of the gains are in scale and size rather than substance, but this is still a satisfying adventure with only a few minor faults that’ll keep all but the hardest to please happy.

The series to beat for nostalgic platforming. [May 2011, p.112]

Come for the change of scenery, stay for the change of abilities. Even if you don’t usually enjoy the grind, you should end up warming to this chilly package.[Issue#183, p.97]

Just buy it. [June 2009, p.97]

A delicious amuse-bouche made of fun. [Aug 2011, p.105]

Sometimes you'll want to hit yourself hard in the head with your controller, jus to break up the monotony. [Christmas 2011, p.105]

The problem is, it's all a tiny bit unbalanced. [Christmas 2008, p.102]

If you’ve played the previous games you’ll be able to spot the scares a mile away... and you’ll likely pine for the panic and purity of the original in the face of so many changes. But taken in isolation, Dead Space 3 is still an enjoyable and worthwhile experience: well-produced, polished and with enough narrative ups and downs (emphasis is very much on the downs) and set-pieces to sustain its ten-hour duration.

The difficulty is pitched just right. [Jan 2011, p.115]

IF you're into this kind of thing, you'll probably play it until you go temporarily blind. [May 2013, p.109]

Puzzles range from using your jolt to bump a radio-controlled car into objects to solving the simple maths sums featured on a terminal. These eventually crescendo into mechanics and obstacles that are much more narrative-driven, as you discover more about your ultimate purpose. Short, revelatory, and deeply atmospheric, 7th Sector is a smart puzzle-platformer with a mysterious edge. [Issue#173, p.84]

Still one of the most unique character action games we’ve played, combined with a heartwarming story and retro-futuristic setting that is just pure feel-good. Simply… wonderful. [Issue#177, p.150]

One of the strongest JRPGs on PSP. [Apr 2009, p.107]

It's like seeing all of "Street Fighter's" crazy uncles together in one room. [Mar 2007, p.120]

Builds on the solid foundations of its predecessor. [Nov 2017, p.88]

Plucky. [Oct 2014, p.92]

More of the same but the familiar formula is polished to an impressive degree, featuring some of the reboot series’ most majestic environments and its best puzzles. [Issue#154, p.82]

While the game feels padded and the animation creaky, DMC4's crisp combat wins through. [Sept 2015, p.95]

It's like Mila Kunis on a bobsleigh - sexy, fast and hard to take your eyes off. [July 2010, p.118]

Wonky tech and punishing challenges will leave your cold, but with our without VR, this has moments of brilliance that are worth the price of admission alone. [Oct 2017, p.88]

The core combat loop delivers a unique and very satisfying soulsborne, and the push to an open world is a win. But technical problems and a lack of enemy variety hold The Surge 2 back from greatness . [Issue#168, p.80]

A decent game. [Spring 2011, p.113]

There's no risk of failing the puzzles. [May 2011, p.117]

Uniquely, irresistibly charming. [Dec 2012, p.114]

There's just too much wrong at the grass roots level. [Nov 2014, p.92]

If you're home alone avoid this entirely, but if you're all about riotous social gaming, get involved with Buzz! now. [May 2007, p.112]

There are promising ideas here but it's too messy overall for anything to really shine through. [Christmas 2007, p.100]

This PS4 release includes two new difficulty levels, with Easy making enemies less daunting thanks to increased damage output. Hard, meanwhile, should satisfy any cravings you have for a challenge when gunning for Diamond rank. And unlockable outfits add extra character to a whimsical 2D platformer that already had enough to spare. [Issue#164, p.90]

It's not that deep, and it lacks the furious, deranged pack-racing of "Motorstorm," but it is very fast, looks gorgeous and handles ever so sweetly. [Nov 2007, p.92]

Technically, this is a pretty half-hearted "in no way super" port. Yet Re-Elected remains a beefy package with a heroic amount of content and a set of enjoyable mechanics. [March 2015, p.90]

A little piece of retro vampire-blasting joy. [Mar 2010, p.111]

The ground-play remains kinda naff. [March 2018, p.84]

Just a tad overpriced. [Jan 2012, p.114]

Measured against the rest of EA's high quality pro sports line-up, NBA 09 looks and plays a distinctly amateur game of B-Ball. [Oct 2008, p.103]

It’s a clever use of Disney licences that kids will absolutely adore, even if grown-ups will be less enamoured by the mission – and merchandise – structure.

The potential for a huge payoff in the final episode is undeniable. Still, the choices in this first episode will rarely make you stop and think for long, and there’s too much downtime, until a thrilling final half-hour. It’s good, but more undead than determined survivor [Issue#154, p.90]

It's rarely short of absurd charm or interesting things to do. [Oct 2014, p.88]

Back out on the streets and nothing much has changed. Eyes forward, pedal down. [May 2007, p.94]

An intriguing but all-too-brief 3.19 curiosity. [July 2010, p.118]

A haunted walk through beautiful Norwegian countryside. Come for the mystery, stay for the chat, leave with more questions than you bargained for. [Issue#173, p.88]

Beyond beautiful visuals and taxing puzzles, there’s also a hefty sci-fi story. Inspired by Japanese visual novels, Dysis’ investigation as she pushes inland into the ruins of a forgotten civilisation is intriguing, and full of twists. The dialogue that punctuates the puzzles rarely feels too long, and this mystery makes you want to keep pressing on. It’s a mixture that feels fresh, and the two halves of puzzle and story feel highly polished: more than enough to keep you remaining in this puzzle paradise. [Issue#177, p.144]

This gruesome shooter is a must-have for any zombie-slaying aficionado. Know that its solo mode pales in comparison to co-op, where utter havoc can be wreaked. [Jan 2016, p.117]

Running around robbing ancient artefacts, desecrating temples and cracking intense puzzles is just as satisfying as ever, and feels like vintage Tomb Raider through and through. [Dec 2008, p.92]

The mechanics of Awesomenauts initially feel overly shallow – to its detriment. Combat mostly consists of repeatedly pressing one or two face buttons, and there's no real diversity in your objectives. But as you become more familiar, the game's tactical options reveal themselves, and honing your approach to capitalise upon your favourite character's skillset is an enjoyable process.

Outrageous special moves - Barrage of Lions, anyone? - will have anime fans squealing with glee. [Apr 2007, p.118]

Amazingly it works - particularly in online co-op. [May 2009, p.97]

Solid, if slightly dreary. [Apr 2012, p.115]

A beautifully judged, moving tale with puzzles cleverly entrenched in the story's take on mental illness. [July 2015, p.93]

Ground Zeroes offers a couple of evenings of essential PS4 stealth. And really, who could put a price on that? Other than Konami… who plumped for the overly stingy one. Rich in depth and quality, if not quantity, this prologue provides an exciting peak into a potential PS4 classic. Just steel yourself for a bite-sized Big Boss.

It’s always nice when a rhythm game’s story is as strong as its action, and Deemo’s gentle and touching narrative is a great example of one that works. Refreshingly for its genre, it revels in its tranquillity rather than strives to be a wild night out encapsulated in a screen. Simple, yet satisfying. [Issue@#171, p.92]

A perfectly serviceable level concept and map with a few neat ideas, but its balance is off and replay value is much lower than that of the other episodes in the series. [Aug 2016, p.84]

Delightful, demanding and inspired. [May 2017, p.92]

Persona 2 isn't for everyone. The esoteric style and ageing looks will see off many a curious gamer, but persevere through the niggles and you'll uncover a stylish, incredibly written, charismatic experience.

Given the dodgy quality of Batman games in recent years, this may be the best one ever. [Dec 2008, p.121]

No matter the scale of the fight, the combat system works. Each character’s unique fighting style is represented so they all feel different to play. It’s robust enough that Omega Force’s characteristic style, all about mowing down thousands, feels satisfying even when you go toe-to-toe with a single powerful enemy. Other One Piece games are welcome to try, but Warriors still has the treasure mark firmly painted over it. [Issue #175, p.70]

Dante's set its own standard in levels of exploity, B-movie style unpleasantness. [Mar 2010, p.112]

There’s a lot to love about Ryza’s new adventure – Atelier’s cutesy charm is still infectious – but it ends up feeling less sure of itself as a game about alchemy than prior entries (such as the great Atelier Lulua), while also being a promising setup for things to come. [Issue#170, p.86]

You’ll see everything Donut County has to offer in the few hours it takes to finish. Like a doughnut: short but sweet. [Issue#154, p.97]

The story's not great, but the battle system behind it is carefully thought out. [Dec 2017, p.87]