More game than you can shake a stickman at. [Sept 2015, p.84]

A colourful feast for the ears and reflexes, Dyad's issues can't ruin this trance party. [Jan 2013, p.114]

The best in the series since PES 3 way back in 2003. [Christmas 2014, p.82]

A solid and joyously colourful racer with plenty to explore, and the Transformed element is thankfully no mere add-on. Each track is well-balanced, with a variety of vehicle sections and shortcuts through the water or air. With friends and online, this shines – and there are plenty of positive comparisons to be made between this and Mario Kart.

Where it counts, 2K9 is hard to fault. [Dec 2008, p.121]

A complicated rootin’ shootin’ tactics puzzler that plays like a miniaturised Hitman-headswest. It can get muddled when all the parts are moving, but this is a must-play. [Issue#177, p.153]

The best we can expect for now. [Apr 2011, p.112]

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]

The only thing holding it back is the whiff of old age. This is a two-year old PC game ported to PS VR, and visually and technically it’s no Blood & Truth. But if you can overlook the low-textures and simplistic storytelling Sairento VR remains a sharp slice of neon-ninja fun. [Issue#165, p.96]

Among the most enjoyable episodes Telltale has released – it just doesn’t let you take ownership of events to the extent previous episodes did. A thrilling two hours rippling with tension, but interactivity is becoming marginalised in favour of an cinematic pacing. You won’t use the pad much – and you won’t care.

There's too much repetition, too little excitement, and it all feels like it's been done before. [Feb 2010, p.104]

Whether you find its t&a-heavy stylings cheap or charming, the unique combat and constantly entertaining animations are almost enough to elevate it into the realms of the genre's giants. At present though, without an on-screen moves list it's too fiddly to put the hours of training into – which is frustrating, because you will want to put those hours in.

Well-designed and beautifully animated. [Apr 2011, p.118]

For successfully melding the best of its recent ideas with the time-honoured core combat and introducing the best tutorial mode we've seen in fighters to date, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 brings renewed vigour to the fighter war. It's so much fun, we can almost look past its creepy girl-fascination, and can just about forgive it for occasionally confusing presentation.

It looks lovely and the frantic combat is delightfully nuanced. [Oct 2015, p.89]

Despite the steep entry barrier, it's essential for partying types. [July 2014, p.86]

Unquestionably an improvement on the original. [Apr 2011, p.106]

With an engaging main quest and a multitude of extra goodies to keep you entertained, Dragonborn justifies its price tag. If you’ve rinsed Skyrim’s dense main map – and let’s face it, you probably have: it’s now been a whopping 14 months since the game came out – this is a meaty, if long overdue, slice of additional adventuring to finally get stuck into.

Only minor control issues hamper this deceptively clever and immensely entertaining game. [Nov 2015, p.100]

With limited-time elusive targets being added over time, and user-created hits, Hitman 2 is a platform that should have more to come. What’s here is superb but we’re already asking “what’s next?” [Issue#156, p.80]

A lengthy open world experience that manages to evolve constantly instead of becoming dull and repetitive, and a unique online experience that needs to be played to be believed. Get out there and get yourself connected. [Issue#169, p.76]

This is the first proper horror experience on PS3 and it's a truly terrifying one. Whether it's a set-piece scare or a random hobo jumping out at you, it genuinely can make you jump out of your seat. [Mar 2008, p.90]

Obsidian has taken the dehydrated sands of apocalyptic Nevada and made them feel like a theme park of blood, blackjack, and Brahmin. [Issue#51, p.96]

Gorgeous visuals, accessible combat, and a gleeful sense of humour make this one of the most unabashedly fun fighting games around – and it’s packed with content. [Issue#163, p.93]

While familiar faults persist, PES 2013 marks the biggest step forward for the series on PS3. FIFA 13's liquid animations and peerless physics system still give it the trophy-hoisting edge, but now PES' unique strengths are refined enough to make it a genuinely worthwhile alternative.

This package contains a huge amount – and it’s almost entirely some of the finest 3D platformer design plus enhancements that are simply gorgeous. Go on, puff the magic dragon. [Issue#157, p.90]

The lack of an engaging drama or choice means this one isn't so much a digital page-turner but best enjoyed at your leisure, ideally with a nice cool drink to hand. [Issue#150, p.88]

Impactful gunplay bolstered by a telekinetic twist, and a mystery you’ll be turning over for a long time afterwards. Welcome to the Oldest House, Director. [Issue#167, p.79]

The deaths caused by the controls being not as responsive as we’d like may annoy, but there’s a whole world out there you’re going to want to feast your eyes on. [Issue#186, p.79]

Fantastic improvements on and off the pitch, from licences to new gameplay refinements and a visual upgrade, ensure this year’s PES is the best it’s been for a generation. [Issue#168, p.82]

A fine send-off for the Dishonored series, with enough new tricks to let you experiment freely, explore, and execute in a shorter but no less satisfying campaign. [December 2017, p.83]

Combat so crisp it punches your nostalgia into next week, Streets Of Rage 4 is a time capsule well worth cracking open for a short bursts of expressive thuggery. [Issue#176, p.79]

Between your staff and the by-the-numbers building options, there’s little opportunity for the emergent story moments the genre is known for. Mind you, when there’s an epidemic of Mock Stars swaggering through your halls, it’s not such a bad crowd to get lost in. [Issue#173, p.84]

Lacking its predecessors’ ideas, but a worthy twilight joyride for the Ego engine that nails the white-knuckle speed and screaming tyres like few others.

Story mode suffers from some weird plot touches. [Jan 2010, p.108]

It's hard to be cross with any game that has you rescuing space rabbits. [Apr 2016, p.94]

A beautiful puzzle platformer with a clear artistic and mechanical vision. However, its story holds you at arm’s length and makes it tricky to find its heart. [Issue@#171, p.96]

Enjoyably challenging. [June 2016, p.86]

You can let out a disappointed sigh out at the bawdiness of Dragon’s Crown, but you should remain allies for the heroic fighting, hidden depths and looks that will make the even sternest knees knock. A lute-played love song to everything fantasy, Dragon’s Crown brings crisp combat with all the RPG trimmings.

An impressive PS5 upgrade that makes excellent use of the DualSense. This does a rally good job of letting you feel the road as well as see it. [Issue#184, p.92]

Unless you're a disciple of the first "Digital Devil Saga," you'd be better off investing your RPG funds in "FFXII." [Mar 2007, p.116]

It's an enjoyable and surreal experience. Smart dialogue and pointed cultural comment make this no different from its Oddworld predecessors, and a very welcome addition to PSN.

Battles rarely deliver on the promising setup and there's no sense of peril. [June 2014, p.82]

"Quotation Forthcoming"

A magnificent, deeply personal tale of a boy and his monster. Smart, subversive and emotionally enriching, this is one of the most evocative games to grace PlayStation in the last decade. Clearly, you can't rush genius. [Jan 2016, p.102]

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]

Among clumsy PS2 ports and tedious retro collections, it comes as a bracing gust of sea air. [Apr 2007, p.103]

It actually works on the handheld in a way no other 2D fighting game has before. [June 2010, p.117]

Hit your stride and the confluence of hard-won experience, favourite ride and the unmistakable kick of nitrous will see you threading through rush-hour traffic at speeds bystanders will scarcely believe possible. [Dec 2008, p.102]

In gameplay terms this is a distinct step down from Far Cry 3 itself – DLC should enhance the core game, not make you pine for it – while from an experiential perspective, the trouble with setting out to make something disposable is that, even when you’ve done your job well, you’re left with exactly that.

In between setting off on field expeditions, where you assist Erebonia’s inhabitants by taking on quests, you learn more about your students and colleagues by helping them out at the school. Narrative is still the focus, and with a dizzying amount of dialogue for even minor characters it manages to feel epic and sweeping and personal and intimate all at the same time. [Issue#169, p.84]

This PS4 exclusive still merits Hall of Fame consideration, but with nothing truly original it will feel underwhelming to the hardcores. For casual players, it's a must-buy. [June 2018, p.89]

Combine the racing with the vast creative options and this is a splendid package for which the best is yet to come, via community-created tracks, cars and freaky figures. [June 2010, p.114]

Not fussy like GT or exhaustively varied like Grid, just simple, metal-crunching competition that delivers tons of reckless fun. [Dec 2008, p.96]

NBA 2K19 is fantastic at all the times when it isn’t asking you to part with real cash. Although sadly, in MyCareer, you’ll be tempted to open your wallet way too often. [Issue#155, p.95]

Much of the risk here is in keeping your precious resources in check: you don’t just need a decent health bar to make it here, but also good reserves of water and serviceable light levels. Find the right balance of those elements, though, and you’re in for a satisfying nugget of platform mining action.

Welcoming back old hands and encouraging newcomers, Tekken 7 beats its own path and ensures that you want to walk it, kicking various backsides along the way. [Aug 2017, p.83]

There's still loads to like here. [Oct 2011, p.115]

This deftly made return to Mega Man revives the core series beyond being a novel retro throwback, giving it a gorgeous coat of fresh paint at the same time. [Issue#155, p.94]

Some changes aren't for the better: strength and pace are kings this year. [Dec 2014, p.80]

Too little remade to justify the price? Perhaps. But we've not had a racing game quite like Burnout Paradise since it debuted. Still essential. [May 2018, p.95]

To be fair, this is a game that degrades everyone. [Dec 2008, p.106]

Beguiling and unique. [June 2016, p.93]

In terms of gameplay, think of Dark Resurrection as "Tekken 5.5" - the basic combo-based fighting is pretty much identical in execution. [May 2007, p.102]

The quality is a little uneven, but a good sense of humour and a determination to be inventive takes Pixel Ripped 1995 a long way. It’s rippedjeans- tastic! [Issue#177, p.157]

A beautiful pseudo-historical tale about family ties in all their forms, with a last act the rats have clearly had a nibble at. But the journey is still worth making. [Issue#163, p.88]

Want to blow up stuff and drive faster than a greased weasel stapled to a Catherine wheel? Blur is your new best pal. [July 2010, p.110]

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

Better than the already-out Inferno Pool, and worth a look. [Feb 2010, p.111]

Games don't get much more friendly than this. [JPN Import; Nov 2007, p.100]

Fails to offer enough content that's new. [Feb 2015, p.92]

Five years on and Skyrim's quality still stands head and shoulders above all RPGs not named The Witcher 3. It's well worth a revisit, even if the mod support is sorely lacking versus other formats. [Christmas 2016, p.94]

Worth playing for the visuals alone, to take in and explore these strange and beautiful environments, which will be timeless. The puzzles are fun, but not as revolutionary. [Issue#179, p.68]

The post-game wrap-ups are especially good, enabling you to look at each player's top moments from the match. [Dec 2007, p.111]

An engrossing ecosystem. [Nov 2014, p.90]

The colour coding of the environment is phenomenal, meaning a lot can be going on from screen to screen without feeling too busy. [Issue#151, p.94]

For all its good intentions and moments of skin-crawling tension, the areas it impresses in aren't as important as the ones it doesn't. Ultimately, it leaves you hollow. [Oct 2017, p.83]

Its childish veneer won't win over Call of Duty vets, but the open-minded will find a shooter that's sweet in all the right ways. [May 2016, p.94]

You must download this now. [Sept 2009, p.110]

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]

It's fun, it's frenzied. [Dec 2009, p.18]

It's ace. [Feb 2012, p.107]

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]

A fantastic end to a fine season of assassination. [Issue#130, p.93]

The most fun we’ve had with a music game in ages. Sophisticated yet approachable for those who belt out bangers and virtuosos alike – it’s got real potential. [Issue#183, p.64]

Bigger and more beautiful than its handheld form, with only a few concessions made along the way to make it fit. [Nov 2015, p.93]

A princely suite of tracks, modes and features all wrapped up in a colourfully boisterous package. It's fast, frenetic and occasionally just a bit bloody frustrating. [June 2016, p.85]

Playing with four is the most fun. [Aug 2009, p.115]

If, like us, you found the first game a bit sticky and imprecise to play, you can rest easier with this sequel - this is a crisper experience. [Apr 2008, p.110]

A vintage slice of survival horror. [Apr 2010, p.116]

A fascinating and absorbing game. It's also infuriating and chaotic. [Dec 2011, p.97]

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]

I genuinely don't know what's going to happen next, but I can't wait to find out. [Aug 2015, p.94]

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

More of that same set menu you know and love, spiced up with plenty of frantic action, this sequel will see you salivating over its little flourishes. We could take or leave the garnish though. [Issue#153, p.84]

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

This violence-’em-up’s improvised armoury delivers frenetic fights that makes you feel like your favourite action movie scrapper. A bloody great time. [Issue#173, p.95]

Fractured. [Christmas 2015, p.79]