"Quotation Forthcoming"

Yes, this is the Batman you've been waiting for...It's a wonderful experience, beginning to end, never taking the easy or familiar route, and infusing each shift of the story with original ideas that cut no corners. [Oct 2009, p.70]

Skyrim is a gorgeous production that truly does justice to the words "roleplaying game." It doesn't just tell us a story, it gives us the chance to tell a story of our own. At its best, that's what an interactive art form should be all about. [Jan 2011, p.73]

If you're a fan of the God of War universe, of action-adventure titles, or of the PSP, you must pick up Chains of Olympus. [Apr 2008, p.68]

The graphics only represent the topmost layer of a pervasive meticulousness, and every last detail feels thoroughly polished. [Apr 2010, p.66]

Mass Effect 2 has touched a place in our hearts few other games have. Despite the abundance of science fiction-themed games availble today, none has rivaled the depth of a classic sci-fi book the way this does. [Feb 2010, p.76]

Forgive the sometimes long load times and other minor quibbles--Assassin's Creed is a resounding success that no one should miss. [Jan 2008, p.76]

Perhaps Resident Evil 5's most remarkable achievement is how it deftly straddles the line between the franchise's sometimes endearing, sometimes frustrating, legacy gameplay mechanics while incorporating more contemporary action adventure elements like enhanced interaction and exploration of environments and a decidedly more shooter-like control scheme. [Mar 2009, p.38]

If you're still wondering if BioShock 2 is better than the original as you enter the final level, by the time you beat it, you'll have no doubt. This is one of the best games you'll ever play. [Mar 2010, p.62]

It's true that Killzone 2 is filled with moments that can handily be described as inspiring awe. Each scene is incredibly well detailed, from the gaps in jerry-rigged cover points letting you sneak in a killing headshot to scarred and scratched textures, the planet feels entirely believable... Without a doubt Killzone fans, action and shooter fans of any stripe will instantly tag this sequel as a powerful contender for best game of 2009. [Feb 2009, p.38]

If you come to the game with no prior MGS knowledge, you'll still uncover one of the most absorbing stories ever told. [July 2008, p.38]

By striking a balance between fresh and familiar, and by delivering the best aspects of Street Fighters past, Street Fighter IV is easily one of this console generation's best fighting games. [Feb 2009, p.66]

A remarkable achievement, a triumph of gameplay and narrative that everyone should choose to play. [Nov 2008, p.70]

A seriously engrossing game that really, truly blends shooters and RPGs to brilliant effect. [Nov 2012, p.75]

Beyond its highly polished gameplay, the sheer breadth and depth of what 2K12 offers will keep basketball fans happily playing for hundreds of hours. [Dec 2011, p.72]

We're enjoying it immensely... It is a game like none other. [Mar 2010, p.66]

It's a fantastic epic adventure and a title that belongs in every gamer's library. [Aug 2010, p.80]

The group co-op challenges alone are some of the most fun we've had playing online in years. [Feb 2008, p.76]

The sequel has arguably changed for the better in just about every conceivable way...Assassin's Creed II truly offers an experience like no other, one that mixes history and brutality to sheer perfection. And it's absolutely massive. [Holiday 2009, p.38]

The new version of MLB: The Show is available. Play ball. [April 2011, p.86]

"Quotation Forthcoming"

Buying the game is buying into its potential. Its prefabricated campaign is fun enough - especially with four players - but experimenting with its Create mode is hugely addictive, and imaginative players will find themselves sucked in for hours on end. [Feb 2010, p.78]

The all-new Control Stick system highlights this year's gameplay improvements, allowing more precise ball handling through the Right-analog stick. [Dec 2012, p.82]

With CoD4, developer Infinity Ward throws you into real-world situations, but places the focus on fictional bad guys. [Holiday 2007, p.70]

It's intuitive, and we loved the precision it allows on tight through passes. [Apr 2012, p.59]

Limbo is simply one of the most impressive titles that PSN has to offer, and at $15, it's an experience that no gamer should pass up. [Oct 2011, p.80]

It's worth every penny; the fun you'll have with friends--and even alone--is truly priceless. [Jan 2008, p.78]

This is an amazing technological feat, and anyone with a PSP, an imagination and a sense of fun should play it immediately. [Jan 2010, p.79]

A veritable master class of all-round game development. From a sensational single-player experience that never takes any short-cuts and maintains its story's mythological credibility right to the end to the co-operative online play to the robust, balanced, and just plain fun multiplayer modes, this is a package of content that more than earns its $60 price tag... [It's] this season's biggest PS3 victory. [Nov 2009, p.42]

Like the powerhouse race thoroughbreds that populate it, GRID is an unrelenting ride that keeps rewarding you the harder you push it. [Aug 2008, p.64]

For Playstation gamers who might not have played these game on other platforms, The Orange Box is the best value package available on the PS3. [Feb 2008, p.72]

For now, all you need to know is this: UT3 is the killer, exclusive PS3 app we hoped it'd be, and if you're not playing it, you're missing out on some damned good times. [Feb 2008, p.82]

Like many games earning classic status, FNR4 generates repeated standout, jaw-dropping moments, and none of them are pre-scripted. [Aug 2009, p.64]

A beautifully told, smartly paced, and relentlessly addictive shooter. [July 2012, p.70]

It's too early yet to declare a new era or direction in gaming, but LittleBigPlanet feels like the birth of a revolution; like through sharing our collective creativity we'll somehow become better, stronger, closer to each other. [Holiday 2008, p.56]

Arkham City should be celebrated as a shining achievement for the action-adventure genre for its masterful execution. [Holiday 2011, p.70]

Third may be dumb fun, but it's the smartest realization of the sandbox spirit we've seen in a long while. [Holiday 2011, p.72]

Viewed strictly as a videogame, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception represents the height of technical achievement--the state-of-the-art, if you will--for the interactive console experience. [Holiday 2011, p.49]

Modern Warfare is everything you'd want from a sequel. [Jan 2010, p.72]

God of War III is beautiful. It's bloody. It's brilliant. But it's not perfect. [Apr 2010, p.44]

The light cast across the spectacuarly detailed facades, the slick road affecting car handling and causing footsteps to kick up splashes, the imposing skyscrapers, the flashing neon, it all changes wiht each passing street, and weather system...That's what you'll take away from GTA IV, along with the multiplayer gift that will keep on giving. [June 2008, p.36]

The blade shines brightly and with a razor's edge; the time for killing is here. [March 2011, p.44]

Indeed, Sparta is not only a great PSP game but a great God of War game with an absolutely incredible ending. [Dec 2010, p.42]

Aside from a couple of infuriatingly obtuse puzzles and perhaps the game's overall difficulty level, there isn't much to complain about here. [Dec 2010, p.72]

PES may not be evolving at the same rate as its competition, but that makes it comfortable and familiar. [Holiday 2009, p.84]

It's also packed to the gills with lengthy, real-time cutscenes, which, true to the series' form, are filled with awesomely over-the-top action sequences. [Mar 2008, p.74]

The game's charming story and characters are accompanied by fun, compelling gameplay mechanics in both time-tested and totally new styles. [Holiday 2009, p.64]

Instead, much like Bioshock 2, the single-player portion can't quite recapture the magic of the original, but there is no denying Portal 2 is a brilliant and satisfying game in its own right. [June 2011, p.72]

You can have a very different gameplay experience depending on how you develop your character. [Feb 2010, p.68]

Rock Band's greatest achievement may be that it's not just another Rock Band game; it's an ambitious step forward for the genre. [Dec 2010, p.80]

The game looks and feels just that much more authentic without feeling like we're sitting through 90 minutes of Stoke City versus Wigan. [Dec 2010, p.85]

You'd best get ready to rock. [Holiday 2008, p.70]

Guitar Hero 5 still emphasizes challenge over fun, but if that's the beat you march to, this may well be your new favorite game. [Nov 2009, p.73]

As a shooter, it always succeeds, with tight control, thrilling gunfights, subdued stealth missions, and over-the-top explosions. [Holiday 2008, p.72]

It might not be a perfect way to extend the experience, but it will surely help tide you over while you eagerly await the sequel hinted at in Persia's pitch-perfect ending. [Jan 2009, p.66]

Best of all, by the 11th hour, Split/Second had us doing something few racing games can accomplish: it kept us smiling. [July 2010, p.71]

Fast-paced. [May 2009, p.78]

These were two of the PS2's greatest games, and they're just as compelling--and much better looking--on PS3. [Jan 2010, p.83]

WWE '09 provides enough content and depth to last the armchair wrestler for years and is one of the most accessible yet deepest sports games I've ever played. [Holiday 2008, p.64]

While we were occasionally frustrated by trial-and-error tedium and forced micromanagement of multiple items, these annoyances were easily overshadowed by Closure's highly unique mechanics and presentation. [July 2012, p.78]

Atlus didn't rest on its laurels with this revival. [Sept 2010, p.84]

Indie studio Hello Games' debut release hooked us from the get-go, and with good reason: It's one of the best original games to hit PSN. [Sept 2010, p.82]

Even without the Vita-specific additions, however, this is an easy recommendation as the game retains everything that made the franchise reboot an accessible alternative. [July 2012, p.83]

The first leg of what promises to be an emotionally jarring five-part journey delivers a very different and refreshing take on zombie apocalypse survival. [July 2012, p.83]

While a departure for the franchise, Soldier delivers some of the most fun we've had in cloaked camouflage. [July 2012, p.84]

This is probably Atlus USA's best work yet, with a script full of lively, natural-sounding dialogue and a cast of talented actors who take that dialogue and run with it. [Feb 2009, p.72]

InFamous 2 easily meets and surpasses these requirements, but it's a number of subtler tweaks that make it a better game than its predecessor. [Aug 2011, p.80]

In many ways, L.A. Noire is similar to an AMC series...It's a slow build, but once hooked, we couldn't get enough of this provocative adventure, with its compelling characters and innovative gameplay. It's not perfect, but it's also unlike anything else on the PS3 right now. [July 2011, p.77]

Still, EA Tiburon delivers a game that might finally challenge Madden for the gridiron crown. [Sept 2012, p.86]

If "LocoRoco's" too-cute art style turns you off or its odd gameplay still confuses you, trust me. Give LocoRoco 2 30 open-minded minutes. You won't regret it. [Mar 2009, p.74]

This is a charming and fun adventure that easily earns its place among PSN's elite--and we could all do with a bit more thinking(whether with portals or dimensions)every now and then. [Sept 2012, p.84]

So while it's no shock that LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes succeeds admirably as a platformer, we were surprised to find that it also manages to reinvigorate a series that has every reason to feel overly familiar and tiresome by now. [Sept 2012, p.83]

SSX on ATVs. Not a perfect analogy but it's darn close, and fans of the seminal snowboarding franchise should probably just stop reading now and go buy this game. [Nov 2008, p.78]

There's more content and variety here than in any other entry in the series, and its stories - while a little too goofy to really take seriously - are nonetheless fascinating, particularly for those of us who've watched these characters grow and develop over the years...RE6 is a strange experience, to be sure - but more importantly, it's an unforgettable one. [Nov 2012, p.56]

The gameplay in Child of Eden is simple, but its relative lack of complexity is easily outweighed by its fervent dedication to turning each player's experience into an inimitable work of art. [Dec 2011, p.80]

The "Be a Pro" career mode is incredibly enticing. [Nov 2009, p.80]

With great visuals, fully featured commentary, and a depth of content that will absolutely keep FIFA fans engaged, this 2012 iteration will easily satisfy the crowd. [Dec 2011, p.73]

A top-notch addition to the genre. [Aug 2009, p.67]

It's very good, as we now expect. This year's installment just isn't a revolutionary leap. [Nov 2012, p.81]

Really, though, The Show is all about the modes. Road to the Show in particular is much less of a grind now. [May 2012, p.84]

As a $15 stand-alone download, Showdown is an absolute steal. [Aug 2012, p.80]

It's consistently fascinating story and ever-evolving world - along with its minimalist and elegant gameplay - make saving the world a magnificent endeavor. [Sept 2011, p.80]

There've been a few games that have made owning a Vita worthwhile, but Gravity Rush is the first to make it absolutely essential. [Aug 2012, p.78]

It's particularly satisfying on Vita, where the back panel is used to move and adjust pieces, but Sound Shapes otherwise plays identically across platforms. [Nov 2012, p.84]

Flight sim fans looking for more realism won't find it here, but if there was ever an argument for fun over reality, Assault Horizon is it. [Dec 2011, p.68]

And that's the draw of the game: interacting with a living, breathing world that centers on you as the star. [Holiday 2008, p.60]

After its tumultuous history, Sleeping Dogs needed to emerge from cancellation as something special, and it doesn't disappoint. [Oct 202, p.77

Fresh, funky, and super fun. [Nov 2012, p.82]

In other words, even when this punished, superior sequel is kicking our ass and crushing our soul, it still feels fair, fun, and rewarding as hell. [Oct 202, p.80]

This is the football game we've wanted since the PS3 era began. [Nov 2012, p.83]

Yet for a mere $8, we highly recommend this all-you-can-eat buffet of awesome. [May 2012, p.81]

Despite its brief tenure(less than four hours)and light mechanics, it's one of the most powerful and impactful games we've every played. [Oct 2012, p.82]

The infectious beats of DJ Professor K washed all our frustrations away in no time. [Nov 2012, p.85]

When a series' 13th installment leaves us amazed with its highlight moments and has us playing all-nighters again, it's an easy pick-up-call. [Nov 2012, p.86]

Even for first-timers who aren't craving a nostalgia fix, this one's an easy recommendation. [Nov 2012, p.86]

A well-produced, polished 3D fighter that no PS3 owner should be without, and is definitely one of the system's must-have party games. [Oct 2008, p.78]

A fright-filled ride worth sinking our fangs into. [Jan 2012, p.79]

ACIII certainly has its high points: the addictive multiplayer, refined mechanics, involving characters, and unique setting all help to create a rich, compelling experience that surpasses both Brotherhood and Revelations. [Holiday 2012, p.67