This set new standards in creating exhilarating set-pieces and pacing. [Nov 2011, p.96]

[Games are] about delivering a world that you want to invest your time in, full of characters you can have an emotional connection with, and Assassin's Creed II does that almost perfectly. [Dec 2009, p.102]

One of 2015's biggest surprises. [Christmas 2015, p.74]

It's absolutely spectacular. [Oct 2009, p.104]

By sticking to classic Final Fantasy elements – an expansive world, and a deftly-told story that weaves in themes – Shadowbringers is one of the best MMO expansions we’ve ever played. The main drawback is that you have to play through the previous ones to access this new content, or pay extra for a story skip. But with all side-quests in Shadowbringers syncing to your player level, and a New Game+ allowing you to replay old quests on the horizon, this might be something we’ll see further in Final Fantasy XIV’s future. [Issue#165, p.92]

It's taken nearly two decades, but SFII finally has a sequel that does it proud. [Mar 2009, p.96]

All talk of complexity aside, VF is still brilliant. The new characters are excellent, the fighting's just different enough to force long-time players to tweak their styles and the new moves are a definite improvement. [Apr 2007, p.80]

A nearly perfect interactive experience. [Christmas 2015, p.79]

PS3's essential RPG. [May 2009, p.98]

Sucker Punch has raised its game and then some. [July 2011, p.86]

Refreshingly different. [March 2013, p.108]

A huge open-world horror, stealth-action, adventure melting pot that manages to tap into everything we love about Sony’s games while finding its own voice buried beneath the horde of ideas. Days Gone has been worth the wait. [Issue#162, p.74]

Is it better than FIFA? Will the Arse win the league? No and no. [Nov 2011, p.110]

The only flaw? It's occasionally too brilliant for its own good. [Nov 2011, p.113]

Sekiro rewards mastery of its core systems (and perhaps a tiny bit of luck), making you excited to see the next enemy and test your mettle. Everything from environments to battles encourages creative thinking, making it an intensely personal and satisfying experience. Even if you die a lot. [Issue#161, p.79]

Every combo is a perfect and unique snowflake, though some are more conducive to high-score chasing, while others are just a mad curiosities.

Like so much in life, Peace Walker is great fun with a good partner. [July 2010, p.100]

Difficulty spikes are common and may be off-putting to some players, but the addictive nature of what is a seriously smart battle system will usually see you determined to persevere, just as the Mother did in times gone by. After all, like Mother, like Daughter. [Issue#179, p.72]

New mechanics and a cinematic story make this really special. [July 2011, p.97]

It's as good as PES has ever been, but with enough tweaks to feel different with the ball at your feet. As always, give yourself time to get used to the new iteration. [Nov 2017, p.83]

GRID's jostling pack racing and slithery, varied events are almost entirely pure driving pleasure. And that's what it's all about. [June 2008, p.98]

The sprawling yet accessible career mode has been honed and the game engine absolutely purrs. When ‘prettier menus’ tops your wishlist, hats must come off. [Issue#178, p.77]

Crucially, it's a story you'll want to see through. [June 2015, p.94]

An exceptionally beautiful, insanely clever puzzle game that demands only the best from its players. If Mensa did holiday getaways, they'd look something like this. [March 2016, p.83]

Codemasters' best Formula 1 game to date. [Nov 2017, p.88]

It's masterful, and practically unique - which is just about the best way to describe the game as a whole. [Nov 2017, p.88]

Another success for Capcom. Devil May Cry has received a fresh injection of demon blood, and is as SSStylish as ever. A treat to look at, and a treat to play. [Issue#161, p.86]

A true lesson in smart game design. [June 2015, p.95]

This is as close as you'll get to UFC without sharing Shane Carwin's post-fight ice bath, and that's where we draw the line anyway. Buy it. [June 2010, p.99]

That's right, people, a zombie dinosaur. Can I get a "hell yeah"? [July 2010, p.107]

One of the most complete fighting games you can hope to play. A challenging Arcade mode, a bespoke Story, and a comprehensive Training mode complement one of the most diverse genres in the genre. [Feb 2018, p.84]

For a dark, cerebral and genuinely unique journey on Vita, this is peerless. [Jan 2013, p.108]

Simply brilliant. [Nov 2014, p.95]

An unusually complex driving game that demands real dedication and only fully reveals its true power once you've put the mileage in. [Jan 2011, p.108]

Bloober has constructed a little game with a story that feels so much bigger than most Triple-As will manage this year. [Nov 2017, p.92]

The most ambitious game on PS4 and an MMO shooter that rises above story problems by letting you create your own epic narrative with friends every second of play. With continued updates, Destiny will only get better. [Oct 2014, p.82]

FFX/X-2 HD is everything you could want in a hi-def remake – a beautiful re-imagining of two games that are now a bit more brilliant than they already were. Even the music’s been tweaked – it’s the same classic soundtrack, only slightly richer. Everything you loved about the gems in the series over a decade ago, modernised with fanatical devotion and helpful – rather than horned in – PS Vita touch controls.

An essential play if you've never had the chance, Gone Home is an engrossing journey through a universal tale and has a personality unlike anything else on PS4. [March 2016, p.92]

Snake now has a very serious contender. [Christmas 2010]

FIFA 14 is one of the few launch games to have evolved in ways that aren’t solely graphics-based, and every one of its changes brings clear, distinguishable improvement. This is an essential day one purchase and – quite literally – the football game you’ve waited generations for.

While Sleeping Dogs doesn't innovate enough to be considered on a par with Rockstar's finest, the fact that it comes so very close [and even improves up those games in a couple of ways] deserves massive credit. This is the game Saints Row has spent a decade desperate to be... It's unquestionably 2012's most brilliantly brutal surprise. [Sept 2012, p.95]

Out on the park it plays brilliantly, presentation wise it's a massive leap forward for all of EA's sports titles. [May 2010, p.96]

A Tim Schafer-orchestrated adventure as vivid and bizarre today as the original PC game was 17 years ago, remastered with subtlety for a strong dose of nostalgia. [March 2015, p.87]

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

If you don't like this Mini, we can probably never be friends. [Jan 2013, p.113]

Rhythm and roguelike make a perfect pairing complex and undoubtedly frustrating, but always a joy. [March 2016, p.94]

Rarely has a game balanced comedy so well. [Christmas 2015, p.94]

A wild and varied sandbox shooter that dazzles with sublime scenery and delights with a thriving animal ecosystem. Frosty fun guaranteed. [Jan 2015, p.75]

This is a rare gem of a wrestling game which, at under 20 quid, every grap fan is duty bound to try. [Mar 2008, p.98]

There are themes within this that I’m simply not good enough a writer to dissect (and I doubt few will do it justice). It’s incredible, considering the broader perception of video games, what Naughty Dog has managed to achieve in certain areas here.

Gameplay is the best it’s been on PS3, and presentation is improved, too, with Jeff Stelling’s pre-match, half-time and post-match links upping the broadcast feel yet again. Whatever your thoughts on annual sports games, you really mustn’t miss this one unless you want to spend the next nine months feeling like a defeated play-off finalist.

Still looks gorgeous. [Aug 2011, p.110]

The first twin-stick shooter of the next generation has a good chance of being PS4’s dark-horse killer app at the console’s launch. It’s hard to remember ever having quite this much fun whizzing around blowing up things in space. Resogun showcases how stunning arcade games can look with PS4 tech.

Resistance 2 is fixed in all the ways we wanted--it's bigger, tighter, meaner--and the online is trying extraordinary new things. [Dec 2008, p.78]

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

NHL 08 is every hockey fan's dream, but it's so exciting that anyone up for a speedy, skilful sports game should definitely get involved. [Nov 2007, p.110]

The pounding beats and explosions of colour that used to punch you square in the brain fade into the background as time slows and TxK arrests every second of your attention the way few games ever can.

The best couchplay fighting game you can play right now. Both party-starter and competitive tool, its sheer sense of fun will inspire everyone to rise up to the challenge. Reliant on solo or online thrills? Wait for the updates first. [Apr 2016, p.78]

Uncompromising in its challenge, this supremely balanced slasher destroys your fingers and delights your soul with its unrivalled sense of triumph through trial.

From a purely technical perspective, there's no question that it merits full marks. But for all of the things it does right, and there are many of them, Killzone 3 doesn't revolutionize or advance its genre in gameplay terms. [Feb 2011, p.91]

Alongside FIFA 11 and MLB 10: The Show, this is one of the top three sports games on PS3. [Issue#51, p.118]

I don’t want to hear that you don’t like point-and-clicks. You like beautiful things, and Broken Age is truly beautiful. And that’s all you really need to know.

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 far stronger game than the original in every aspect, and a compelling counterpoint to inFamous 2, Prototype 2 is nothing less than a gore-packed sandbox masterpiece throughout. Like the nefarious Alex Mercer himself, it's absolutely worth hunting down.

An absolute rock monster. [Jan 2008, p.94]

Despite the sometimes unbalanced challenge it presents, Children of Zodiarcs is a brilliant tribute to tactical RPGs of old, with the tabletop elements adding a fresh and engaging twist to the beloved genre. [Oct 2017, p.95]

FIFA is still the best football game your money can buy. It's not streets ahead of PES but there's daylight, and this is the most convincing representation of the sport – incorporating both the on- and off-field aspects – that we've seen.

Simply a joy to play from start to finish. It allows you to relish the feeling of being an utter nuisance and a white-winged menace without being in any way cynical. [Issue@#171, p.88]

Not only is Injustice 2 a polished celebration of DC Comics' finest characters, but the new Gear system takes the fighting format to a new level. Rewarding and challenging, Injustice 2 is essential. [July 2016, p.78]

Free-running in Super Cloudbuilt is a weightless wonder, and anyone who envies birds should definitely try it. [Oct 2017, p.95]

Innovative, imaginative and extraordinarily playable. [Jan 2008, p.110]

The Old Hunters is DLC as it should be: an essential challenge that enriches the original rather than diminishing it. Being horrified has rarely felt this rewarding. [Jan 2016, p.92]

This disconcerting gem is a stimulating puzzler, and a well-judged use of PS VR, with a richly ambiguous story. It's not the longest game around, but it'll linger in your memory for weeks. [July 2016, p.80]

It's idiosyncratic, heart-warming funky and one of the most refreshing RPGs to appear on PS2. [Mar 2008, p.102]

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]

A horribly addictive roguelike that spawns endless invention while never forgetting to deliver disgusting thrills or unhinged humour. An essential indie experience. [Jan 2015, p.95]

Distilled gaming awesomeness beamed from the arcade that time forgot. [Feb 2011, p.97]

The Show remains the most authentic sports series of all time. FIFA can't touch it. [May 2013, p.108]

The main draw in Dead Space 2 is that every aspect has been punched up a notch. And given that the original as pretty bloody brilliant anyway, what you've got here is one of the best put-together actioners of this generation. [Feb 2011, p.98]

"FIFA 09" feels like the better representation of actual football, while PES is the more fun, accessible game. And the end result is a score draw. [Nov 2008, p.100]

The small, scattered levels live in the shadows of the Souls/Bloodborne worlds. Otherwise, Nioh matches - and occasionally surpasses - FromSoftware's genre giants. [Apr 2017, p.77]

The best FIFA’s been on current-gen in the purist’s sense, with Champions League implementation strengthening the game’s grip on the genre from a casual’s perspective too. [Issue#155, p.84]

Even the offline AI can't dampen the sheer sweaty joy of Sprint Vector's handling. Speed, frantic movement and not a moment of motion sickness, Sprint Vector is a landmark release. [Apr 2018, p.97]

Visually stunning, mechanically rewarding – Hollow Knight is a game that works on just about every level. It presents challenge, but always fairly, with plentiful options to explore new pathways. [Issue#155, p.92]

More than merely a 20 copy of Dark Souls, Salt And Sanctuary has some of the most multidimensional, exquisite gaming torture you'll ever endure. A must-buy. [May 2016, p.88]

With its mass of finely-tuned additions, it's bigger and more satisfying than you'd ever imagine. [May 2010, p.104]

Blizzard's addictive and tactical team-based shooter is essential - the character-switching mechanic sweetens the genre. Group up with friends to avoid clueless carnage and enjoy the true game. [Aug 2016, p.82]

A nearly flawless package.[Christmas 2010, p.90]

One of the best high-score chasing concepts ever hosted on Playstation. [Aug 2016, p.88]

It may have little in the way of a challenge and takes around two hours to beat, but this is a masterpiece in storytelling and a game that will punch your feels in their feels. [July 2016, p.97]

This not only plays the best on-the-pitch football of any FIFA title, but it has an incredibly smart and compelling way of tying it all together, too. Brilliant, again. [Oct 2009, p.98]

Strung together in gleeful union, it's impressive and exhilarating. [Jan 2011, p.116]

A refined followup with a totally new cast to fall in love with. You should absolutely play Life Is Strange 2. But you might want a box of tissues ready for the ending. [Issue#171, p.85]

Tie-in games can be a shot in the dark, but it’s only blue skies here. The mix of approachable-yet- deep mechanics and a strong co-op story make this a fight worth having. [Issue#173, p.81]

Joyful and strange, Wattam’s a hard game to explain, but not a difficult one to play. Once it wraps you in its welcoming arms you won’t want to let go. Until you end up kaboomed, that is. [Issue#171, p.90]

A return to form for Crytek that defies busy FPS norms. Like its ’orrible spiders, Hunt: Showdown is constantly shifting and very hard to put in a box. Get yourself online and join in the hunting fun. [Issue#173, p.86]

Mechanically, The Last Of Us Part II is a masterpiece that’s as joyous to play as they come, but it’s let down by its messy structure, leaving us pining for the journey of the first game. [Issue#177, p.135]

Crams philosophical discourse, art, architecture, and magical realism into the story of one drifter, resulting in a unique experience that will leave you thoughtful. [Issue@173, p.85]