A convoluted narrative muddies the waters too with a series of dubious decisions that affect the ending, and the game fast outstays its welcome with a stack of tenuous puzzles. It’s impossible not to feel like there’s something special hidden between the chases, but for a game with such a wilful director, all it actually needed was an editor. [Issue#164, p.96]

Lost Sphear buckles under the weight of its own ambition. [March 2018, p.92]

Despite some minor technical flaws and a few clumsy moments, Metrico is a smart and rewarding experience that uses PS Vita's features brilliantly. [Oct 2014, p.94]

Fighting fun. [Feb 2012, p.107]

Traditional FPS gameplay is given a new spin with PS VR as the frighteningly fast, wide-eyed fun of flying in 360 degrees is matched by tight controls and a welcome lack of motion sickness. [June 2017, p.88]

It loses a point because of its Virtual Currency (VC) obsession, a recurringissue in 2K games. It’s supposed to ensure that all your actions in every mode – career, MyTeam, even watching 2KTV – secure rewards, but they’re often someagre that the entire game comes across as a grind, aimed at funnelling you towards the PS Store to part with real cash.Please don’t do that. The only way games like this and FIFA will change in the next gen is if their players make a sustainedeffort not to exchange any of their hard-earned dosh for digital trading cards. Otherwise this is solid, but on that front 2K (and EA, and the rest) must do better. [Issue#181, p.94]

Fine for fans, but no-one else should touch it with a greasy finger. [July 2007, p.114]

Can be as thrilling as the season it's based on. [Christmas 2009, p.113]

Unresponsive controls. [Christmas 2011, p.111]

Not as inventive as Wes Anderson’s films, as bizarre as Twin Peaks, nor as quirky as Double Fine, Trüberbrook is merely a casual, occasionally surprising, but always gorgeous adventure. [Issue#161, p.90]

A capable and involving massacre-'em-up shaped from a rusting cookie cutter, but one begging for modernisation via an engine overhaul and some good ideas. [Sept 2013, p.90]

For fans of the franchise, or anyone with an urge to battle robots, there's much to love here, but its technical flaws and stingy mode options may disappoint others. [Dec 2017, p.95]

As far as being an actioner that's worthy of your time, this is not up to the standard we'd expect. In fact, it's nowhere Nier. [June 2010, p.105]

A pleasantly filling 7.99 cod supper. [July 2010, p.107]

Excellent online action offers hours of Stormtooper-shooting fun, but the so-so campaign stumbles, while cynical loot crates leave a sour taste. [Jan 2017, p.83]

With a light and airy story, a number of insubstantial game modes and a limited roster of characters, this is a package that has about as much substance as the twin protagonist’s battle suits. It’s one for Lady Satsuki’s Elite Four, assorted devotees and few others. We’d rather be watching the series. [Issue#166, p.84]

The wrestling element has been butchered. [May 2007, p.90]

These additions are all obviously welcome, but the racing itself doesn't really show much sign of progress. [Aug 2017, p.93]

Somewhere in the confusion of half-baked genres, messy visuals and flawed design are some great features. Battleborn does itself no favours trying to convey them. For the persistent only. [July 2016, p.92]

A one-trick pony. [Aug 2012, p.117]

Happily, I can report that it's all chaos in the best possible way. [May 2018, p.78]

While mechanically stiff, like an automaton, this is still a compelling VR fairy tale. Lore hunters are rewarded, but even the less dedicated will want to go digging. [Issue#157, p.89]

A charming, uncommonly smart spiritual sibling to Contra, full of awesomely crafted homages to action cinema, but troubled on PS4 by a few bugs I'd like to nuke from Orbit. [May 2016, p.95]

A briefly brilliant bug hunt, then. Just don't expect the war against these aliens to last. [March 2013, p.115]

By turns infectious and infuriating, this is a glorious throwback for the most part, but its inconsistencies hold it back from greatness. Likeable, but flawed. [May 2017, p.77]

The theatre of destruction around your ship will leave you in awe. [June 2014, p.90]

The combat's big and forceful, but you can only shoot dudes for so long when you know that your reward will just be more dudes to shoot. [June 2010, p.118]

An accessible, and crucially, fun scrapper. [May 2009, p.96]

None of it is enough to keep you coming back for long, though; it’s stuck in the stone mage (sorry). [Issue#161, p.84]

Slickly presented, but under the decals it's more mobility aid than motor storm. [Apr 2011, p.112]

It's better than it sounds. [May 2010, p.113]

Tactics makes the most of its medium with neat battle animations and a variety of view modes, but it’s no substitute for shouting at a friend across the table. [Issue#157, p.88]

An underwhelming Batman game, but a great Bruce Wayne one. A satisfying counterpart to Rocksteady's Arkham games, but it won't win over Telltale naysayers. [Feb 2017, p.93]

The visuals are an improvement on My Hero One’s Justice, but there’s still a lack of English dub, despite the series’ popularity. This is a game made for fans, and it’s clear Byking’s staff are fans themselves. Plus Ultra! [Issue#174, p.92]

Recommended for the popular and TV-less. [Oct 2008, p.103]

It's painstaking but satisfying. [June 2009, p.103]

Cleverly laid out levels. [Dec 2009, p.18]

The levels are an inventive joy. [Christmas 2012, p.111]

Counterspy's scrappiness makes anything beyond [a few hours of fun] rather dicey. [Nov 2014, p.90]

Arcade fans might be willing to muddle through the comms breakdown, but while enjoyable, this is nothing to phone home about. [Jan 2016, p.94]

Higbrow exploration of revenge and the afterlife it ain't, but if you want to wring the most blood, pound for pint, out of your PS3, then Ash is your lop-eared new god of gore.

A worthy partner to the PS3 version. [Jan 2009, p.98]

The original's art style divided fans, but at least in Epilogue we can all agree to being disappointed. [June 2009, p.107]

Project 8 is a breath of fresh air after Tony Hawk's Underground disappeared up its own halfpipe. [Oct 2007, p.112]

The game keeps you busy collecting crafting recipes and materials while giving you a purpose other than to simply survive. Sure, most of Smoke And Sacrifice comes down to inventory management and what are essentially fetch quests, but unlike the sandbox-y nature of other survival games, this one gives you a solid reason to keep going as you root for Sachi to uncover the secrets surrounding the fate of her missing son. [Issue#159, p.82]

Levels are served at random, so you’re not forcing yourself to do the exact same thing over and over again, but we ran into a lot of repeats. There’s something to love here, but it’s all incredibly basic, and perhaps a bit too fiddly to quite deliver with how the controls are translated to an analogue stick. [Issue#186, p.85]

Placing your shots feels random. [July 2007, p.109]

While the atmosphere, scares, and narrative are successful, the game suffers from sluggish controls and the odd confusing puzzle. [Issue#169, p.96]

Play alone, if you dare. [Jan 2016, p.115]

Buy the vastly superior "Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters" before going near this. [July 2007, p.114]

A poor, watered-down substitute that even the most devoted space junkie can afford to skip. [June 2011, p.110]

This is exactly the kind of simple but hugely playable offering that the PlayStation Store was made for. [May 2007, p.93]

A scary adventure that sacrifices as much gameplay as the cult in its story does followers. It also, unfortunately, suffers when compared to Resident Evil VII. [June 2017, p.79]

Once Season 2's open gets going it's a solid adventure story that's best enjoyed with a friend. Just don't expect to be directing too much of the action yourself. [Sept 2017, p.91]

The longer you spend in New Bordeaux, the more exasperating you'll find its stylish flourishes. Worthy topics and good kill list missions mask a so-so open world. [Dec 2016, p.67]

MXGP 2019 is certainly well-made, offers a variety of game modes, and is decently engrossing, but that finicky handling and relentless undulation makes it difficult to enjoy. [Issue@168, p.92]

There are enough touches for fans to feel the source is appreciated, but outside of seeing your favourites smash each other in the faces, it’s bare bones. [Issue#157, p.88]

A mini marvel. [Jan 2010, p.115]

Exiles tries to expand beyond the traditional Conan power fantasy, but has a frustrating lack of polish that affects any enjoyment. It's a missed opportunity. [Issue#150, p.89]

Well polished and accessible. [May 2009, p.99]

There's some mild appeal. [Christmas 2010]

A packet of steak McCoy's next to Dark Souls II's ribeye. The action is handsome and combat can bite, yet with Bloodborne on the horizon, Lords is a bit of a hard sell. [Christmas 2014, p.86]

A fussy but enjoyable slice of strategy that serves up the very best dinosaurs in PlayStation history. Mr. Hammond, consider your park endorsed. [Issue#152, p.83]

Despite some irritating moments, Legasista does possess some cool play concepts. [Nov 2012, p.87]

While the detective stories are fun enough, there’s often not a lot to them. This makes the game feel a little too lightweight, as it flirts with the idea of having more detective gameplay but never really manages it – for example, you’re able to save statements in your diary, which is fairly pointless, as the most complex it gets is giving you some multiple-choice decisions to make. [Issue#159, p.82]

If you liked the look of Dark Souls but bounced off the difficulty, Chronos offers a solid (if cheaper), more user-friendly, yet still demanding alternative. [Issue#184, p.90]

Unfortunately, this is a 2D platformer that incorporates semi-realistic physics, and is an excellent case study in why those two things don’t always mix. While we enjoyed the puzzle design overall, one particular quandary really ground our gears. [Issue#163, p.86]

Silly, smart, and rewarding, all at once. [July 2016, p.85]

This is Capcom in fine and original fettle, with a gut-punch of a shooter that's guaranteed to thaw out your wintry fingers. [Mar 2008, p.104]

A solid remake of a cult game from a bygone era, MediEvil’s flaws lay in its past. The eight hours you’ll spend in Sir Dan’s metal boots will, however, have you smiling until the credits roll. [Issue#169, p.82]

The mechanics are nothing new and the shooting's oddly twitchy. [Jan 2012, p.114]

In the harsh light of modernity, this just [whisper it] doesn't seem that great any more. [Nov 2012, p.105]

The cute visual style of the cutscenes aside, the story mode is just plain ugly...Basic at best, boring at worst. [Issue#152, p.86]

Sorry, Sam old buddy, but its time we dropped you off at the great retirement castle in the sky. [Nov 2011, p.112]

A fantastic idea that looks to the past for both its visuals and mechanics. The underlying roguelike itself is solid, but the eye-catching ASCII style is a big part of its appeal. [Oct 2016, p.86]

It's fast and tricky. [Apr 2011, p.101]

It's fun, frantic and, yes, quick as a flash. [July 2016, p.91]

Lollipop Chainsaw's core gameplay is distinctly second-tier, and for every endearing exchange between characters or LOL-worthy line, there's a crude sexual innuendo or lingering shot of Juliet's jiggling breasts. Maybe we haven't come a long way, baby.

The flying is pleasant, if a little dull and the inverted world is fascinating to see in motion but it's no nearly enough. [March 2018, p.93]

It's no Diablo, but this is decent nonetheless. [July 2011, p.95]

It's a genuinely clever use of the guitar controller. [Aug 2010, p.115]

Be afraid, be very afraid (and a little infuriated, too). [May 2015, p.94]

What's here, while less fully formed in some areas than others, is still an impressive show from a developer working more or less alone. [Issue#152, p.79]

Broken Sword 5 is clearly a real labour of love on Cecil and co’s part, but their desire to recapture the spirit of the beloved early games has left this one feeling more than a little dated.

The team-based multiplayer is undeniably good. [June 2011, p.108]

Warning: if you hate hard games, don't play this. [Aug 2013, p.94]

Broadens and enriches the racing sim landscape. [May 2014, p.93]

Do Not Fall is a game of constant death & gnawing tension, rather than enjoyment. A very well put together platformer; it just utterly barbecues your nerves.

Half-arsed superhero rubbish. [Christmas 2008, p.119]

Reasonably pretty, totally inoffensive, and crazy cheap at 3.19 quid. [Mar 2010, p.107]

It's not on par with Flower or the like, but its similar vibe impresses. [Feb 2017, p.96]

An innovative PS VR shooter that too often puts the political message ahead of the fun. It's destined to become a cult classic, but not an essential experience. [May 2018, p.90]

If this had been the whole game, it might have been something special. Unfortunately, it throws all the previously mentioned elements in too, none of which are given the time, care, or attention that they need.2 Thus you have sections that are poorly explained or feel almost superfluous, choices with consequences that don’t always make sense, a judge who for some reason wants to control the whole of Paris, and characters who it is very difficult to become attached to. [Issue#165, p.84]

More characteristic of the franchise. [June 2013, p.101]

There's a sense of satisfaction to slogging through each challenge in normal mode, but with only six levels to beat even this proves to be a hollow victory. [Aug 2007, p.109]

Some shoddy finishing touches ruin a shooter that's genuinely full of potential. [Aug 2014, p.86]

Doom 3: BFG Edition has its darkly atmospheric highlights. But a generous amount of content can't salvage a package that's decidedly dated. If you want a cracking Id shooter, buy Rage on PS3 for about a tenner, because this is one mission to Mars you're better off skipping.

It's such a shame the visuals end up spoiling an otherwise harrowing experience. [Aug 2017, p.96]