Hell, Speedwalking Arcade would have more longevity than this. [Feb 2010, p.114]

Territory Wars isn't fundamentally broken, it's just not much fun. [July 2008, p.94]

Neither a remarkable FPS nor RTS, it’s nevertheless fun to zoom around in multiplayer with your gunships blasting away. And sometimes, that’s okay. But it’s never really more than okay. [Issue#178, p.78]

The stylistic, themed pieces (aquatic, chaos, etc.) all look the same unless you squint, and the lacklustre animations have no purpose other than slowing down play. [Apr 2007, p.118]

The menu systems are archaic and confusing even for an RPG fan. [Aug 2011, p.111]

Its worst sin? It's boring. [Christmas 2015, p.83]

Content here, like the fighters’ costumes, is slight, and mechanically it only goes so deep. But that’s sort of the point, and it pulls off the look it’s going for very well indeed. [Issue#155, p.78]

There are plenty of ideas here, it's just a shame it's so frustrating to get to the good bits. [Apr 2016, p.89]

Tak[es] a simple idea - roll a cube over and around 3D platforms towards an exit - and mak[es] it impossibly complicated. [Apr 2007, p.118]

At its best, Dark Void is an incredibly fresh and free-form experience. [Feb 2010, p.110]

Somewhat cynical and clearly a little low budget, it isn't always easy to pull for Survive. Thankfully, some of the best wave combat on PS4 saves the day. [Apr 2018, p.91]

It's ambitious, but there's no real spark of life. [Sept 2016, p.111]

Its insistence on your covering the screen in fingerprints is occasionally frustrating, but otherwise this suggests a very bright future for the FPS genre on Vita.

A control scheme and camera that are aggressively opposed to you actually achieving any success or pleasure. [Christmas 2009, p.116]

A game that forgets its key strengths, builds on its weaknesses and throws in a novelty first-person mode that you'll play for ten minutes. [Feb 2008, p.88]

It's nowhere near sexy enough...Heetseeker just doesn't have the quality to deliver on its premise. [May 2007, p.111]

RPGs can be emotional, sadly this one is all about raging dispair. [Mar 2007, p.111]

The short answer to the question, "Why isn't Jericho a fun game to play?" is that the AI is broken and the hackneyed horror stylings would barely have raised an eyebrow back in Barker's '80s heyday. [Dec 2007, p.104]

A deep 3D fighter. [Feb 2011, p.114]

The web slinging...now feels mundane thanks to a randomised upgrade system and the stupidly unpredictable camera. [Aug 2007, p.107]

Sam is implied to be neurodivergent, and is forced to pick between masking his differences for a happy ‘normal’ life or living authentically but miserably in a forced existence. Twin Mirror is bleak, often flawed and far from Dontnod’s best work – case closed. [Issue#184, p.91]

Final Exam is for completionists only. [Feb 2014, p.94]

Cars can be tricked out until they look like four-wheeled drag queens. [Christmas 2008, p.88]

Three-quarters of the way through, the experience becomes much more enjoyable, as you get a new mode of transport2 that expands and speeds up your exploration. This doesn’t last long enough, though, and the game ends as it begins; on a slow, confusing note. [Issue#174, p.86]

Between the unusual character arc at its core, funky beats, and rhythm-based beatdowns, YIIK has a lot more to offer the RPG genre than just doomsaying. J[Issue#159, p.83]

A thoughtful pick-you-own-post-apocalypse worth taking your time to mull over. However, meaty moments of drama are derailed by rouge banana peels. [Jan 2017, p.91]

The delightful mood means you could never hate this pretty little slice of whimsy. [Christmas 2011, p.104]

Oddly immersive. [Christmas 2011, p.104]

Despite the odd frustration, Epic Mickey 2 is a brave platformer. It's intelligent, full of humour and, in typical Disney style, the cut-scenes are musical. Like the theme parks, environments are rich, and characters are OTT and full of enthusiasm. It's an enjoyable journey through the past century of Disney, and despite the pitfalls there are some beautifully created levels and moments of pure magic.

To be fair, SBK-08 feels built down to a [stringent] price rather than unloved or uninspired. [Oct 2008, p.105]

An unsatisfying yarn, where returns diminish as rapidly as the stakes escalate. [June 2017, p.87]

Saw is strong when it comes to setting an intense and intimidating atmosphere. [Christmas 2009, p.110]

It's at its very best when you play it with friends, and the tracks are as fun as ever, but the racing is hit or miss, and ultimately that's what you come for. Shame. [Sept 2017, p.90]

Strives for, and achieves, nothing more than competence. [Christmas 2014, p.88]

It's not bad, just basic. [Jan 2011, p.113]

A heartfelt story and unique take on platforming combine to make this an engaging, yet sadly short-lived, adventure.

Easily confused AI and faltering tech, however, mean it largely struggles to find its voice. [Aug 2016, p.88]

It says a lot about Dust 514's quality when shooting through menu screens is more fun than shooting guns. [Aug 2013, p.88]

Slightly wobbly on its feet. [Issue#158, p.94]

A visually stunning and often satisfying game, but one with more than its fair share of irritating moments. Put up with its nonsense and you'll be rewarded. [May 2017, p.89]

It’s got passion but is far from having all the answers. We can’t recommend what we played but hope that a patch has addressed the bugs obscuring its bright ideas. [Issue#170, p.90]

Worth checking out both as a PlayStation, and gaming, fan if you want to see an evolutionary step on the way to where we are today.

A worthy companion piece to the film - against all odds the stealth is actually fun. [Feb 2009, p.100]

Although visually slick, the cars feel slow. [Christmas 2010]

You certainly can’t fault Defiance for lack of content, then. Sadly, what you can fault it for is being an ugly, buggy and monotonous shooter with a tenuous link to a mediocre sci-fi TV drama.

It’s occasionally clever, and has great art design, but isn’t nearly as smart as it thinks it is. [Issue#173, p.96]

Avoid this like you would a back street endoscopy. [July 2007, p.114]

While it lasts Lemmings remains as addictive as it is cute. [May 2007, p.114]

On paper the game has it all; in reality, Necromunda is clunky, plagued by bugs, including hard crashes and desynced audio, and an old-fashioned approach to the genre. [Issue#181, p.94]

However good this trilogy was, it feels odd bundling it together because the games are such incremental upgrades of one another.

Turgid mess. [July 2010, p.118]

Has flashes of inspiration while magnifying its predecessor's flaws. [March 2018, p.90]

If you never got the chance to experience the original when it came to PS3 and want to pick this up out of curiosity, it’s probably best to avoid it – it’s outright damaging to the legacy of Crysis. [Issue#181, p.88]

Despite solid work, it looks and feels a generation behind "Flatout [Head On]", and never matches the sweet thrill of "GTA: LCS's" wild bike rides. [Apr 2008, p.105]

From Jump to Eruption, the note placement is a joy to belt out. [Apr 2010, p.113]

This is just like every other Dynasty Warriors game ever, but somehow duller. [May 2008, p.115]

Terrifying. [Dec 2009, p.18]

The anti-Hawk. It lacks excitement, it's shy of thrills, and it really isn't worth bothering with at all. [Sept 2007, p.108]

There's sadly no imagination here. [Sept 2007, p.108]

An interesting concept with half-decent story beats, dragged to hell by shonky puzzles, odd dialogue jumps and bugs that are far more terrifying than the subject matter. [Aug 2014, p.87]

The never-ending waves of vigilante violence appeal to my stubborn side. [Nov 2012, p.117]

Given that fans of the movie have surely long-since moved on, there is simply no reason for this game to exist. [May 2007, p.120]

Make this your first PS VR purchase. [Dec 2016, p.82]

An entire ancient city for you to explore at will and combat that regularly rewards is undermined by constant motion sickness; Golem sadly puts the Vomit in VR. [Issue@#171, p.93]

Open world Spyro though? Maybe next time. [Jan 2009, p.97]

Not good enough to be set free, not bad enough to be tossed to the lions. [July 2011, p.95]

Feels oddly hollow. [Aug 2014, p.94]

Too casual and limited to appeal to anyone but die-hard fans of The Dark Crystal and Final Fantasy Tactics, this tie-in lacks the depth and complexity of its retro references. [Issue#173, p.94]

Fans of the show won't won't want to miss the chance to bask in the wonder of Luna Nova. [Issue#150, p.88]

One of the worst lightgun titles ever. [Christmas 2010]

In its defence, Retribution is free to play – so while it can’t compete with Killzone Shadow Fall, that’s an unfair expectation to begin with. But it’s still a PS4 release, and in this regard feels like a grubby stowaway that’s snuck aboard a glitzy cruise liner bound for the golden shores of next-gen.

Brilliantly rookie-friendly. [July 2010, p.114]

This is big, dumb fun for the first couple of hours. [Sept 2011, p.113]

Traditional to a fault, 505 hits every target on the JRPG dartboard...except the bullseye. [Sept 2016, p.107]

If you crave a slice of nudge-nudge, chop-chop weirdness, it's a curio shop worth visiting. [Dec 2012, p.105]

It won't be dislodging your go-to online game from the play queue any time soon. [Feb 2016, p.90]

It's the repetition that grinds you down. Boss battles provide brief breaks in the monotony, but they're just the seeping gizzard of consolation inside a disappointing, fleshy haystack.

Shambles. [Aug 2008, p.104]

Even the light cycle sections...are reduced to a forgettable, linear scramble. [Feb 2011, p.104]

The likes of Spider-Man and Just Cause are many knots ahead of this one. Even when you upgrade to get more skills, everything feels oddly stiff. Movement lacks momentum, and fights are either trivial or annoying as you’re peppered with gunfire. World Seeker is an entertaining take on an anime open world game, but this ship’s a fixer-upper. [Issue#161, p.83]

There's nothing amazing about this Spidey. [Christmas 2011, p.115]

The odd firefight generates some excitement, but this is all too rare considering that you're piloting a 30ft tall walking tank of death. [Issue#51, p.111]

The two-player co-op prevents total shame. [Jan 2008, p.114]

With "Oblivion" looming, Untold Legends' one-noe gameplay feels woefully outdated. [Apr 2007, p.116]

Repetition limits the fun. [Oct 2011, p.115]

Hours of carving out tiny chunks of land and cowering in corners. [Dec 2009, p.18]

Frustrating and tedious. [Apr 2010, p.113]

A crummy-looking Magic Ball, but it's not without its charms. [Dec 2009, p.18]

A contemplative seafaring adventure that tickles the brain in more ways than one. Occasionally the tide is choppy but you should stay the course nonetheless. [Issue#166, p.88]

The challenge drops out of the game entirely. [Apr 2008, p.112]

Punishingly samey environments. [Aug 2017, p.93]

Ultimately less party popper and more party pooper. [Apr 2018, p.85]

The rally fundamentals are there, but so is a disappointingly shoddy career mode. Genre fans will find a lot to love, but this is far from taking pole position. [Issue#155, p.86]

It's so weighted down by uninspired foundations. [Aug 2007, p.114]

Everything from the ideas to the backdrops feels rushed. [Feb 2009, p.100]

The frame rate is embarrassing. [Christmas 2010]

Combat itself is a stuttering fit of clipping, incorrigible AI an dropped frames. [May 2015, p.93]

It doesn't have to make sense - just go with it. [Oct 2015, p.94]