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

Moments of horror glimmer among the frustration. [Dec 2011, p.108]

Unfortunately the system chokes as things get more frantic. Manoeuvring often means accidentally popping off cover, and performing tasks like reviving downed teammates whips the camera around wildly – minor complaints, but ones that are frustratingly at odds with the fragility of your character. Later stages see you downed by two or three hits, and it's impossible to keep a lock on foes or stay tucked safely away from bullety harm.

If Gearbox’s quality scale has Borderlands 2 at one end and Duke Nukem at the other, Colonial Marines sits somewhere in the middle.

Yes, the presentation is lacking in some areas, and the comic-aping cutscenes feel cheap, but this is one glitch in the system we’re happy not to fix. [Issue#167, p.92]

Its uneven handling of core mechanics muddles its messaging and obscures its vision. [March 2018, p.85]

A first-person experience that nails the experience part, but - despite flashes of brilliance - reminds you all too often that an astronaut's job can be...well, a bit dull. [Sept 2016, p.109]

The gameplay is too unforgiving for FF to be a timeless classic. [Dec 2007, p.108]

The mechanics are too loose to feel properly competitive in the style of a traditional footy game, which can get especially frustrating when you're defending. [Mar 2008, p.100]

The hot toddy of PSN games, if you will. [June 2013, p.107]

Too technically deficient to get a high score, but the over-the-top voiceovers, evolving combat and ripping yarn make this worth a look anyway. [Dec 2011, p.111]

Its party modes saves the day. [Issue#158, p.84]

Like an internet date reaching for your hand over a candlelit dinner this feels much older than it looks. [Christmas 2008, p.119]

Familiar thrills from this no-frills series. [Issue#158, p.85]

By far the biggest blot on WRC's copybook is the lack of variety on display. [Dec 2011, p.114]

Forward thinking but roughly executed. Lacklustre shooting and winning base-building aren't the best of bedfellows, but they make an interesting couple. [July 2016, p.86]

A competent if slightly unremarkable tactics game. [Issue#158, p.86]

Visceral chose to stay so close to what's gone before. [May 2011, p.112]

As stylish as it is, it's never quite as likeable. [May 2011, p.113]

A disappointment. [Jan 2010, p.109]

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

There's just an awkward charm in its klutziness, but Alpha Protocol is a tough one to love. [July 2010, p.112]

Lost Sphear buckles under the weight of its own ambition. [March 2018, p.92]

Far too serious and combat-heavy. [Jan 2008, p.114]

A PlayStation comeback that’s welcome yet undercooked, almost as though it was released three months too early. Keep track of patches and rejudge in August. [Issue#163, p.87]

Put yourself in the - presumably Velcro - shoes of someone in single digits and it's not nearly as bad as we feared. [Jan 2012, p.110]

Ultimately, this sweet treat is delightful at first but definitely won’t fill you up for long.

The decision to stick with the series' standard FPS format on PSP, rather than a clever perspective switch in the style of "Killzone Liberation," is a major tactical error. [May 2007, p.107]