A limited mix of mini-games that will delight children, but no one else. [May 2011, p.84]

A strange mix of Western and Japanese RPG that fails to excite. [Mar 2011, p.88]

Bland characters, action-by-numbers. Easily the most disappointing game of 2007. [Christmas 2007, p.76]

Ignore the risk and reward of the real thing. [Christmas 2011, p.95]

It follows the 'bigger' and 'more' rules of a sequel, while neglecting the 'better' bit. [Jan 2008, p.80]

Complex controls put this out of touch. [Aug 2008, p.80]

14 lightweight games. [Christmas 2006, p.99]

The price tag is too high. [July 2010, p.97]

Three flavours of average, and a fantastic opportunity missed. [Apr 2010, p.84]

An occasionally satisfying, but often frustrating experience. [June 2009, p.76]

The man packs a punch, but boring design and repetitive action leaves him hiding in the Dark Knight's shadow. [Oct 2011, p.103]

It's not a very pleasant experience and there just isn't enough fun to persuade you that you're spending your time wisely. [July 2007, p.84]

Looking for a challenge? Steer clear of this casual gamer fodder. [Sept 2009, p.76]

This DLC is quite creative. [Christmas 2011, p.110]

Unimaginative level design, creaky collision detection and an overall lack of polish hold it back. Shame. [May 2007, p.78]

AP's operations are like Saddam himself - badly executed. [July 2010, p.88]

Simple characters and dated presentation tell a bland tale.

It's fun while it lasts, but is more of a distraction - or even an interactive screensaver - than a proper game. [Dec 2007, p.84]

One for younger gamers and franchise obsessives only. [Aug 2007, p.73]

The game's problems are much too loud to ignore. [Issue#174, p.83]

Hasty. [Oct 2010, p.96]

Simply one long fetch quest. [Christmas 2007, p.82]

The new direction is bafflingly generic: a huge disappointment. [Aug 2011, p.90]

More a showcase for Vita's camera than a beat-'em-up. [Apr 2012, p.109]

It's The Godfather, but smaller, more linear and bogged down by a wafer-thin strategy element. Forget it. [Nov 2006, p.80]

It has promise, but poor missions scupper the magic. Potter fans may persist, mind. [Aug 2007, p.72]

Fun but short single player, let down by poor online play. [Sept 2009, p.76]

Playing online is likely to prove more exciting but it's a shame we didn't get the full all-round racing package. [Christmas 2008, p.87]

Smashing is fun, but there's no real depth. [Sept 2008, p.78]

There's still only about six hours of solo play here - hardly a good return on your 35 quid outlay. [Dec 2007, p.84]

Best stick to Monster Hunter. [Mar 2011, p.96]

The early promise soon fades, leaving a repetitive slash-'em-up. A shame, frankly. [July 2007, p.66]

A massive disappointment. [Nov 2007, p.78]

Time has moved on and, even with a few new twists, "Snake" hasn't aged well. [Jan 2008, p.79]

Ugly and uncompromisingly tough. One for bike fanatics only. [Nov 2008, p.72]

There's no story, no extra modes and merely functional presentation. [Sept 2009, p.77]

An uninspired, dated arcade racer that fails to stand out. [Mar 2011, p.94]

The missions are so shallow and samey. [Issue#174, p.82]

Feels a bit half-arsed in execution. A missed opportunity, all in all. [Feb 2007, p.77]

BB Evolution requires a lot of legwork for very little reward and it won't keep you entertained for long. [Nov 2006, p.86]

Shoddy. [Christmas 2009, p.95]

Impressively busy action is let down by repetitious combat and overlarge stages. Mind numbing to all but the diehards. [June 2012, p.109]

Like the last Sims game, but with pets pooing on your sofa. It really feels too much like hard work. [Dec 2006, p.94]

Poor balancing. [Mar 2011, p.96]

The random levels are gone, but the blandness remains. [June 2008, p.84]

It's nothing you haven't seen before, though, and, placed next to the stylish brilliance of "Everyday Shooter," this ultimately lacks the character or variety to make its challenge worth enduring. [Aug 2008, p.81]

We're left plumbing the depths of clone hell. [Issue#174, p.82]

When the effort it takes to move your ball five feet cold trigger an aneurism, it doesn't seem worth the hassle. [Nov 2007, p.82]

SWAT is criminally start/stop. [Dec 2007, p.85]

A lazy port of a dull original - just what PlayStation 3's UK launch could do without. [Apr 2007, p.84]

A real disappointment. [Aug 2009, p.76]

Initially it's OK, but as the variety of ghouls dries up and the camera becomes more of an issue Monster House slides into the type of mediocrity that games publishers believe that young kids deserve. [Oct 2006, p.87]

The concept is imaginative, and not many RPGs are set in Venice, but the ideas are nearly always let down by the execution. [Feb 2011, p.100]

Low on strategy, devoid of inspiration, it's the same hack 'n' slashing that got more tired than man in full samurai battledress doing a marathon. [Feb 2007, p.78]

A lazy film tie-in, barely redeemed by some fan-pleasing extras. Only satisfies in brief flashes. [Sept 2007, p.70]

Predictable, weary, soulless, money-for-old-rope fodder. [Sept 2006, p.85]

The rapid succession of games may be suited for handheld play, but they lack the variety to remain compelling. [Aug 2007, p.78]

At least the level grinding is semi-entertaining. [July 2009, p.76]

Not totally charmless, but the sprogs would be better off with "SSX Tricky." [Nov 2007, p.84]

With loading times between battles lasting an age, you'd be better off playing the real-life card game equivalent. [Sept 2007, p.80]

Managers to nail the Transformers spirit but bores with its repetitive gameplay. [Sept 2009, p.72]

Deeply uninspiring. [Apr 2007, p.86]

A slow and underdeveloped shooter that does no justice to 007. [Christmas 2008, p.70]

Cerberus takes a loved franchise and sullies it with a deeply mediocre and uninspiring third-person shooter. [Dec 2006, p.95]

The action is reasonably fast and smooth and the visuals are pleasingly brash and colourful. But, as an adult, this won't hold your attention for more than ten minutes. [Feb 2008, p.79]

It has some great ideas, but ruins them with mediocre shooting and a truly shocking frame-rate. [Apr 2008, p.76]

There's nothing here for most gamers, but buy it for younglings with a penchant for canines and they'll be happy for hours. [July 2008, p.78]

An average PSP port... Avoid. [Apr 2010, p.97]

At 10 quid, this'd probably score in the mid 70s. Shame. [Jan 2011, p.96]

Not a terrible game, just a terribly average one - and in the busiest genre around, that makes it as good as pointless. [July 2011, p.95]

A disastrous entry for a previously well-regarded franchise. Not even for "Conflict" nuts. [Mar 2008, p.74]

It just isn't that interesting. [Christmas 2010, p.90]

A sub-par stealth game. [May 2010, p.96]

Love the pirate setting, but Risen 2 is a cold RPG experience that lacks decent combat, rewarding exploration or a satisfying plot. [Oct 2012, p.104]

Predictable and uninspiring. Best leave it well alone. [Dec 2006, p.96]

The combat's too easy, and the lead characters are horrible. [May 2008, p.78]

A massive waste of an opportunity for Sega to bring us an MMORPG worth shelling out for. Bah. [Jan 2007, p.67]

Lacks expertise in all-important areas. But hey, there's a cheerleader and she's got a chainsaw. [Aug 2012, p.100]

It's a decent enough shooter, but the lack of ideas and fiddly controls - especially through zero-gravity sections - make this a dead cert for the bargain bin. [Aug 2012, p.102]

A big let-down. [Dec 2011, p.107]

Releasing this as FIFA 13 is a decision that borders on scandalous. It's a decent game - but a new one? No chance. [Christmas 2012, p.103]

Entertains under very specific conditions, but pricey and naff. [June 2011, p.90]

Fans will love V's hardcore complexities and online battles. It's all poorly presented, and impenetrable for newcomers. [June 2012, p.109]

Neat tactical stuff aside, this is still an ugly, unpolished shooter. [Aug 2008, p.78]

There's a slight stickiness to your character's response time that makes all of Ninjamurai's other achievements irrelevant - jumping and slashing just don't feel good. [Sept 2011, p.111]

One epic fail. [Oct 2011, p.111]

The duck-related puns ("Quacked it" and "Billiant", anyone?) soon start to lose their appeal, much like the rest of the game. [May 2007, p.76]

A bit of a stinker. [Oct 2010, p.96]

Without PS2's power, MoH is tiresome and dull. [Christmas 2006, p.98]

Everything we expected and less. Duke should have stayed dead. [Aug 2011, p.88]

We've done this dozens of times before and replacing bearded Chinese men with robots doesn't change a thing. [Dec 2007, p.82]

The exploding levels are a barely-veiled, needlessly complicated, rip-off of Mortal Kombat's hotspots, while fighting lacks imagination and characters blur into one. We'd have settled for a shinier version of Def Jam: FFNY - complete with Blazin' moves (inexplicably taken out here) - instead of this disappointing effort.

What a terrible shame, then, that a game with such weird possibilities really does end up being well...typical. [Jan 2007, p.84]

Hugely samey and mostly joyless. [Nov 2007, p.84]

Imitates better fantasy RPGs poorly. It's interesting concept is buried under poor story-telling, a lifeless world, and dull combat. [Christmas 2012, p.89]

Lacks a strong identity and any real thrills. [June 2012, p.111]

The problem is that it's just too easy. [Jan 2007, p.83]

There are a wealth of better options available - pick up "Burnout" or "Wipeout Pure", instead. [Issue#174, p.83]