This bittersweet narrative adventure will play your heartstrings like a fiddle. [June 2017, p.87]

This is a satisfying shoot-'em-up. It won't grip you for hours on end, but its combat will keep you dipping back in occasionally to blast your friends off the leaderboards. [Oct 2017, p.87]

With games often lasting five minutes or less, you don’t feel like you’ve lost a lot when you inevitably cark it. While the familiarity you gain with the opening world does get frustrating – you spend a lot of time there – there’s a one-more-go compulsiveness to Spelunky that leaves you chasing more gold than Jr (they called the dog Indiana).

SOMA's a fascinating interactive story that occasionally wants to murder you dead. [Dec 2015, p.86]

Impossible to recommend as a single-player game. Siege is an absolutely splendid multiplayer shooter for well-organised (and forgiving) teams, with great tactical terrain destruction. [Feb 2016, p.86]

An essential addition to the Elder Scrolls universe. [Feb 2008, p.94]

American football mixes brain and brawn like no other sport, and it's something Madden 09 reflects beautifully. [Oct 2008, p.96]

The best thing is that both the game and the Hogwarts setting feel genuinely big. [Aug 2010, p.112]

The multiplayer stuff is so good that without it, the game simply wouldn't be as enjoyable. World Tour is immensely entertaining, but played solo it eventually becomes a slightly lonely, hollow experience. [Apr 2007, p.98]

You won't find a better way to work through those anger issues. [July 2009, p.94]

A winning piece of minimalist game design that manages to do a lot with a little in an industry which far too frequently achieves the exact opposite, and it deserves much praise for that.

Tasi’s story is a well-balanced nightmare littered with delicious scares. While, like her ill-fated aeroplane, it doesn’t quite stick the landing, it should still sate your desire for atmospheric terror. [Issue#182, p.150]

A must-own puzzler. [Dec 2016, p.89]

Feel the laser burn with this neon-lined rhythm game. Just make sure you have enough room to swing a cat strapped to a laser sabre when you play this one. [Issue#157, p.96]

A disastrously addictive 'rogue-ilke' time sink that clearly benefits from more than two years of PC Early Access tweaking. Don't argue - just get it. Now. [Feb 2016, p.88]

MOH survives its weaknesses because when it's good, it's excellent. [Issue#51, p.100]

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]

Simplicity and repetition may turn off those looking for a challenge, but Last Day of June boasts a heartfelt poignancy that makes for a richly affecting experience. [Oct 2017, p.89]

Strong, but just behind FIFA. [Christmas 2009, p.117]

While far from pushing PS5 to its technical limits, this is definitely one of the most delightful launch titles. Dial ‘D’ for ‘different’ to learn how you can begin your own Snaktooth adventure. [Issue#182, p.134]

While stiff in some ways, Forgotton Anne is gorgeous, and has one of the freshest and most charming worlds and story we've seen in a long while. It'll definitely linger in the memory. [Issue#150, p.92]

Unique, rewarding, and brilliantly conceived both on and off the pitch. [Christmas 2008, p.119]

With a world that you'll end up knowing by heart and characters you'll want more of, Kiwami is unique, moving, and serious; everything you love about games. [Oct 2017, p.92]

This fantastic future sport is easy to learn but difficult to put down, and the very agreeable price point makes this a title that you won't want to leave on the bench. Rocket League has a rival. [Issue#150, p.86]

It also has some excellent riffs on Streets Of Rage, Shinobi III, and R-Type. The pixel art and lo-fi soundtrack are gorgeous throughout, both in-game and out. This bills itself as “part 1” of an episodic experience, but it’s a short, satisfying, and cheap experience on its own. [Issue#166, p.84]

Delightful. [May 2010, p.110]

While the game's temple design is never quite as consistently expansive or ambitious as a Legend Of Zelda, Okami's art, sturdy combat and inventive noodle-teasers have aged as gracefully as Jeff Bridges distinguished chin fur.

Fans of the original need to play this. A fun story sits beside what made the last game special. Combat is mediocre, but flashy enough to bash through. [Issue#186, p.86]

A delight for all trivia hounds. [Jan 2017, p.87]

Unless you hate brown, gory toilets and machines that need power restoring via distant switches, make sure you drift off into Dead Space. [Dec 2008, p.104]

Without a doubt, Wargroove has captured the genre on PS4. [Issue#166, p.84]

But what's really special is how good Battlefield sounds. [Apr 2010, p.102]

Taking us back to the ’90s in a mostly good way, Pacer is a solid WipEout clone with enough new ideas to slowly reveal its own personality. [Issue#182, p.161]

The only real letdown is that you're not really under any serious pressure - the threat of imminent death is an illusion. The spectacle is there: huge explosions, last-minute rescues and desperate stand-offs against impossible odds. But the enemy AI lacks aggression. [Sept 2007, p.100]

At 11.99 this is an expensive slice of PSN, but the end result is so tasty you won't regret it. [Oct 2009, p.117]

This is covered in Dookie - but most definitely not sh*t. [July 2010, p.111]

Push through the early learning curve and you'll find an enjoyable blend of authenticity and gameplay that's perfect for anyone wanting to rank up their PlayStation soldiering. [May 2011, p.96]

Some scenarios really capture the perverse freedoms of navigating an abandoned city. [July 2007, p.106]

The fundamental gameplay couldn’t be simpler, and the dialogue is terrible… but it’s good. There’s a staggering 170 characters to unlock, and you’ll soon find favourites. With an enormous amount of content, online and offline co-op (if you can find other players; I couldn’t), and some cool-looking moves, it’s a shallow but entrancing adventure. [Issue#157, p.88]

The core of the experience is the racing. [May 2011, p.100]

When you've got a series that lets you transform foes into sheep and demands you save tourists from feral intergalactic squirrels, whinging over resolutions seems smaller than its dinky droid sidekick.

Successfully encourages and rewards both patience and quick reactions, and punishes laziness. It’s a VR gameplay loop that you’ll gladly run through again and again. [Issue#182, p.157]

A satisfying return to form. [Dec 2015, p.90]

The core gameplay is so well-balanced. [Mar 2008, p.103]

Once you hit the sweet spots, it's the most satisfying ting on PSP. [May 2011, p.102]

A surprising, raucous, lovingly updated loot-fest. [Aug 2013, p.93]

Ripe with potential but riddled with problems, the new Battlefield will be brilliant six months from now. Right now, however, it’s merely a good shooter. [Issue#157, p.83]

Leaving aside the moments when you find yourself running aground at possibly the worst possible time, this is absolutely a voyage you’ll want to undertake for yourself. [Issue#162, p.81]

The unveiling of Superstar X-Factors had long-term fans of the series cowering, but happily they inject welcome freshness into a stalwart that had grown a tad stale. [Issue#166, p.86]

Translating the series’ brawling to turn-based fights with modern twists, this walks the line between laugh-out-loud comedy and gripping crime drama with ease. More Kasuga, please. [Issue#182, p.144]

Those who don't bother with the solo campaign won't miss much. Indeed, the online experience in its different incarnations is so addictive and gratifying that it's almost enough to let the balance and technical issues slip. But only almost.

The genius of Unit 13 is it doesn't try to take that glossy, cinematic action experience of a console shooter and give it to you on a handheld – instead, it takes all the best parts of mobile gaming and gives them to you in a shooter.

The Ms.-Marvel-centric campaign is almost worth the cover price alone. Deep hero customisation sets the stage for a strong online mode with plenty more to come. [Issue#180, p.67]

If you’re tired of 2.5D puzzle-platformers with a horror tinge, The Pedestrian’s signswitching action will serve as a refreshing roadside alternative. [Issue#186, p.89]

Although it's enjoyable from start to nearly finish, the game's 11-or-so-hour running time (told you it was fully-fledged) is about two hours too long. The last sections just recycle the same set-pieces and environments, dragging out the run-up to a conclusion that, although fitting, comes more as a relief than a busting great climax.

This is right up there along side Trash Panic as the best the Store currently has to offer in the sub five quid range. [Oct 2009, p.121]

It's a huge return to form. [Dec 2008, p.114]

Although the length is typical for a PS VR title (it lasts a just few hours), the depth of emotion this game can evoke during that time certainly is not. Ghost Giant raises the bar, not the dead. [Issue@162, p.88]

There's no reason for it to take any risks, and it doesn't. [Nov 2009, p.112]

Swing and a hit. Contemporaries such as NHL 18 have caught up with Sony’s big bopper of late, but The Show’s myriad modes and authentic feel keep it among the elite. [Issue@162, p.92]

This early bird seizes more than just earworms. A perfect all-ages-adventure with a slew of button-tapping musical numbers. Play it with your young chickadees. [Issue#166, p.85]

The most entertaining entry in the series to date. Aside from a few drops in its pacing, this is one of the most satisfying whodunnits on PS4 and Vita. [Dec 2017, p.86]

For 30quid there's a ton of high-quality gameplay here. [May 2011, p.106]

Even if you only want to do the main missions and enough side-content to level up sufficiently, you’ll get at least ten to 12 hours of play. What’s interesting is the endgame, providing daily and weekly challenges, and allowing you to replay missions for extra XP. Solo this will become tiring, but with a friend? Any excuse to kill Nazis is a good excuse. [Issue#166, p.79]

It’s an ancient evil residing in a new place, and the marriage of Blizzard’s defiantly old-school dungeon-crawling with its mesmerising craftsmanship works unquestionably. A deceptively simple and expertly constructed Beelzebub-basher, translated smartly for a platform not immediately receptive to the genre.

A slow-burner that rewards dedication. [Oct 2007, p.100]

Gravity says you can't put it down. [Dec 2015, p.94]

Beneath this modest exterior lies an absorbing adventure. Its endearing narrative will draw you in and its superb fusion of action and tactics will keep you hooked. [June 2018, p.96]

Precise platforming and readable challenge delivers on the Crash 4 promise. There’s heaps of challenge, but some new additions are a bit of a letdown.[Issue#181, p.81]

With incredible breadth and detail, Project Cars 2 can be absolutely wonderful. Bit it feels unfinished, and so similar to the original game, you really don't need both. [Dec 2017, p.89]

While more could have been done to spruce things up, what’s here is a superb mix of courtroom tension and outright comedy. [Issue#162, p.97]

After a decade of failures, all those extra lives Sonic's collected over the years have finally come to fruition. [Issue#51, p.119]

Worth playing for the humour alone, its twists on genre staples set it apart as a bitesized, approachable roguelike that’ll have you grinning for its duration. [Issue#181, p.95]

Hob is an obscurist's dream, and while it can flummox, Runic's game offers a connected world that demands to be explored, and pulled apart, and remade. It's brilliant. [Dec 2017, p.92]

It's lovably shonky in the classic Grasshopper style, but this is a game of surprisingly layered depth and subtlety, and the studio's best game in yonks. [Feb 2017, p.85]

Sub-par writing holds it back from greatness, but My Time At Portia is still a slice of life well worth tasting. And remember, you can start fights with strangers. [Issue#162, p.83]

One of the best-loved games on PS2 gets a pitch-perfect remake. Thick with atmosphere, Mafia: Definitive Edition just about manages to mask over any agerelated decrepitude. [Issue#181, p.91]

Yakuza 5's combat may feel dated, but its characters, sense of place, and absurd wealth of minigames and side activities are as fascinating as ever.

A disappointing PS4 port of a brilliant game that revived and revitalised its genre. Cross your pitchforks for a thorough reworking on PS Vita in the future. Handheld husbandry? It'd be perfect. [Feb 2017, p.88]

A clever mix of real-time and turn-based battling keps combat fresh and there's real tactical depth. [Nov 2007, p.112]

Unlimited? Not quite. Expansive But Ultimately Shallow would be better, but that probably wouldn't fit on the box. [Mar 2007]

Easy to pick up after only a couple of rounds, this is one of the best social virtual reality experiences you'll have - but only if you find the right people to bark at. [Feb 2017, p.90]

A roguelite first-person platformer that demands to be replayed, City of Brass offers a level of freedom few games can match. It never gets old, even on your hundredth run-through. [June 2018, p.90]

"Quotation Forthcoming"

The combat's a bit bust but not a deal-breaker, and the characters are deep and likeable enough to make for good company for the 12 or so hours you'll spend with them. [Christmas 2008, p.84]

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

A small but mesmerising Firewalk-esque tale inspired by Twin Peaks and The Outer Limits. Just beware: unpicking the ending is a case for Mulder and Scully. [Nov 2016, p.86]

If you want a break from 2K's grind and high skill demands, this is a viable option. [Dec 2017, p.93]

You won't be sweating with confusion over its brainteasers, but the laser focus on making you feel like a super spy earns this bite-size experience a License To Thrill. [Feb 2017, p.92]

A super likeable (if padded) take on Episode VII...mixes belly laughs, block-smashing silliness and ace aerial combat. [Sept 2016, p.99]

The lack of bullet penetration may prove controversial, but this is one of the best PS VR experiences on offer. Essential for fans of objective-based team shooters. [Issue#154, p.96]

It’s the game PS VR was made for; dogfighting is fast and nuanced, but it’s the physical act of sitting inside some of the Star Wars universe’s most iconic cockpits that never fails to impress. [Issue#181, p.84]

Like the game that started all those decades ago, this is a puzzler at heart, but one played out at a lightning pace. A brave, loving, essential update to a bonafide classic. [Nov 2016, p.87]

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]

The best PSP game since Chains of Olympus. [Apr 2009, p.92]

The best fun we've had on PSN for ages. [Jan 2009, p.94]

Basic but beautifully crafted JRPG in the vein of the pre-PS2 Final Fantasy games. If you reminisce fondly about the genre's Golden Era, this is essential. [Sept 2016, p.102]

PES still plays fantastically but much of this year’s changes are slight and offline the game still struggles to find an identity. Online it’s great, as always, but the myClub changes could have gone further. [Issue#154, p.86]