An oddity that provides richness and balance to the softwre library. [June 2008, p.96]

So much has been improved, and with a tightly scripted plot where a gun known as the Destructor makes a perfect weapon for a Lego Joker, cinematic camera shots and a clear love for the series, TT Games has surpassed its previous titles. This is a huge game, with a world fans won't want to leave.

The upgrade paths and gear-gating lend genuine longevity. [May 2015, p.94]

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.

Dark Room's shadow is so long the series' conclusion may struggle to step out from under it. [Oct 2015, p.94]

Whether it's playing Buckaroo on your board for 15 seconds straight or hearing the game manually mix your custom soundtrack during an über-trick – bloody surreal when you're listening to Bankrobber by The Clash – there's nothing else quite like this on PS3. After years of waiting to get royally piste up, SSX's blizzardy brilliance remains as intoxicating as ever.

These remain absolute must-play games, no matter what format they're on.

Jak can still turn heads. [Apr 2012, p.112]

A fantastic reboot that reworks Samurai Shodown’s best ideas into an accomplished Street Fighter V-alike. It can’t truly escape the trappings of its own heritage, but fans will adore SNK’s return. [Issue#165, p.82]

Ridiculous tricks and the gritty visuals impress, but Street's flashes of brilliance are undone by glaring flaws - such as the ball hitting an invisible wall at the sideline. [May 2007, p.112]

There are absolutely leagues of depth lurking beneath the cutesy surface. [June 2013, p.104]

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]

With just 13 (visually interesting and welldesigned) levels, the long-term appeal lies in loot grinding; earning chests for better weapons and accessories, while levelling up each character individually. Otherwise, it’ll only last you about five hours. Bot AI and server activity can support this approach, though whether your tolerance for playing the same levels again and again can is another matter. [Issue#159, p.82]

Got a PSP and WiFi at home? You've found your next shooter. [June 2007, p.104]

A consistently strong introduction to the Diaz brothers and their plight. We only want the best for them but know full well things are going to get worse over the course of the season. [Issue#155, p.88]

In its single-minded effort to deliver the best console racer handling the world’s seen, Polyphony lets a number of technical issues drive on by for yet another game.

New endings mean the leading ladies feel slightly more fleshed-out, but those aforementioned old chestnuts have deep roots in the game’s numerous and extremely varied – er – routes. That is to say, it’s more of the same. Obviously that’s not a bad thing but, like marriage, it won’t be for everyone. [Issue@168, p.92]

Very similar to Patapon, but it just about gets away with it. Partly, that's because there's loads more stuff (units, weapons and consequently strategic depth), partly because the core mechanic is still top fun (albeit exactly half as fresh as before), and partly because it seems ludicrous to criticise a game about dancing, warlike eyeballs for lack of originality. [Feb 2009, p.96]

Still an excellent port of the game you know and love. [March 2015, p.93]

The large dungeons aren’t the only places for larger-scale puzzling. Every overworld is essentially a dungeon-space: this is a game of dungeons within dungeons. You automatically jump off the edge of platforms, and the game has a great sense of physicality, compounded by the twisty environment design. Combine that with plenty of inventive puzzles, obstacles that react to certain elements, and battles, and you have an intense retro throwback that constantly presents new challenges throughout its 35-plus hours of playtime. [Issue#178, p.76]

Despite a "Miss" in the story slots, series staples and modern-day mechanics converge to create a seamless spectacle. Cue that famous victory fanfare. [Jan 2016, p.109]

Our biggest concern is the putting. The analogue control that's so effective for approach shots lacks sensitivity on the greens. [Apr 2007, p.110]

There’s less focus on building up a single party than in some games in the series. There are so many characters you’ll often switch them around without having time to outfit everyone to perfection. But it’s fun to see everyone come together for this finale, and being an ensemble piece means that four games in, this is an epic-feeling send-off. [Issue#182, p.136]

Despite its shortcomings, Assassin's Creed is still enjoyable simply because of the breathtaking playground you're let loose in. In terms of sheer visual spectacle, the size and beauty of the world alone sets a new benchmark, showing what developers can really achieve with next generation visuals. [Christmas 2007, p.92]

Early frustrations aside, it's compulsive experience that plays heavily to PS Vita's strengths in both the core gameplay and its structure. [Jan 2016, p.93]

A huge surprise - a nerdy, technically accurate flight sim that's also loads of fun to play. [Oct 2009, p.114]

With a beautiful world you'll repeatedly die for and lethal toys to play with, Assassin's Creed Origins finally delivers the game you always wanted from the series. Brilliant. [Christmas 2017, p.87]

Short on innovation but engaging and full of character, Tales Of Vesperia is one of the best tales games and sits well in the collection of any JRPG fan. [Issue#159, p.96]