Capcom revives one of its most hallowed franchises and conjures up one of the most rewarding side-scrolling slash-‘em-ups in recent memory. Loud, proud, and always a blast.

Essential. [Christmas 2010]

There are esteemed shooters to draw loose comparisons with, but The Darkness II essentially exists in a field of one – no graphic novel has been bought to life in such a deliciously gory manner, with offing goons turned an art form. It's the game your inner darkness has waited years for.

Never played Dark Souls II? This is essential, even with Bloodborne out. [May 2015, p.92]

The game that changed games arrives on PlayStation in fine form with an improved crafting system, tarnished only slightly by a cramped map size. Until the full-fat PS4 Edition arrives, this’ll do nicely.

And to think it was given away free on PS Plus. [May 2015, p.93]

Like LittleBigPlanet the scope is there to make just about anything, and you can fully expect to see some amazing versions of familiar songs, but you'll need to put the hours in. [Christmas 2008, p.108]

Frostpunk is oppressive, horrific, and preternaturally addictive. The exhilaration at lasting just one more day is enough to drag you back into the next game, and unlocking new modes and scenarios as you go only adds fuel to the fire. Don’t miss this one. [Issue#169, p.84]

By the end you’ll be exhausted. Relieved. And itching for more. In those dark rooms and corridors, Resident Evil 2 provides a challenge and then some. [Issue#159, p.87]

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

Scarily deep. It demands you play it: there's so much to find it's incredible. [Jan 2008, p.88]

The combat's deep and spectacular, the climbing is slick and intuitive, and the story's got enough depth behind the flashy hero/villain hook to fully merit that all-important second playthrough. There's genuinely nothing else like inFamous on PS3. [June 2009, p.82]

The truly incredible opening half alone makes this an essential horror game. Mixed fortunes later on recall the series post-Resident Evil 4, but it nonetheless remains one of gaming's greatest ever comebacks. [March 2017, p.80]

Nidhogg excels when tackled with a mate in local multiplayer. [Feb 2015, p.95]

Whether you want to play explorer, detective, or Bill Murray, Outer Wilds has you covered. We’ll say it again: one of the best games you’ll play this year. [Issue#169, p.93]

We may have a two-horse race on our hands once again, but the thoroughbred in the lead shows no signs of slowing down. [Nov 2011, p.93]

With a wonderful story that actually makes sense to newcomers to the series, brilliantly varied fighting and a world packed with things to do, this is the best Yakuza yet. [March 2017, p.90]

F1 2010 is fantastic. You'll feel cheated at times, but no other racer makes one overtake seem like popping champagne corks on the podium, or makes you feel like Stirling Moss when you cross the line in seventh. Sure, it's cruel: but it's one of the most terrifying and intense racers ever made as a direct result. [Oct 2010, p.96]

A confident first expansion. [Sept 2015, p.92]

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]

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]