Atmospheric, mature, detailed, classy and intriguing, but let down sorely by short-sighted design and sloppy mechanics, the worst of which is the feeble AI. [Issue#76, p.84]

You're likely to have as much success doing this as trying to watch a 3D movie without the free Sugar Puffs glasses - it amounts to much the same thing. [Issue#32, p.116]

When it's good, Black Ops shows the world that Treyarch is far more than just the B-team. [Issue#66, p.70]

This gorgeous game takes a little too long to crank up the difficulty for our liking. [Issue#79, p.79]

Frustrating. [Issue#89,p.82]

Borderline broken as a fighter, but, taken on its own meagre merits, a giggle to mess around with. Still, though, it falls a long way short of what could have been. [Issue#72, p.80]

The way the levels unfold, literally paving the way out before your feet, removes any sense of exploration. [Issue#76, p.100]

The only thing we can definitively say is that if publishers are going to begin overcharging for slight next-gen upgrades, then this is going to be one hell of a long generation.

While GRAW 2 is a good game, it doesn't make for a great game of 'spot the difference' with its predecessor. No advancements as such, just more of the same. But shorter. Whoops. [Issue 18, p.74]

Another highly competent sports sim from EA. We've obviously gone back in time without noticing. [Issue#25, p.102]

A top pinball game to play with friends, but on your own it can get boring. [Issue#116, p.80]

A competent if unspectacular return. Dragon Age: Inquisition offers an abundance of things to do but its pick ‘n’ mix approach undermines any wow factor.

A charming and often ingenious little game. [Issue #81, p.90]

It's the kind of old-school outing that will frustrate and satisfy in equal measure, above control issues proving the major reason behind such frustration. [Issue#38, p.115]

Far Cry 2 is a drawn-out yet ambitious FPS that doesn’t quite align its many ideas into an effective game, due to the confused nature of the open world. Nice atmosphere, though.

Enough of the old charm shines through for the eight online or local players to have a blast. [Issue#24, p.100]

Like playing through a slideshow of a friend's apocalyptic holiday snaps: beautiful at first, but you'll be tired of it by the end. [Issue#71, p.80]

While BF3's multiplayer will speak for itself, very rough scripting and level design mean its single-player campaign is good, but far from great. [Issue#79, p.74]

343 Industries is clearly passionate, but it’s shown a criminal misunderstanding of what makes the franchise work. Halo 5: Guardians has moments of greatness, but it’s a shadow of its former self.

A game with such subtleties and fine detail as Civilization IV would never have worked on a console, and so while purists might carp at Revolution’s necessarily stripped-down feel, its injection of pace makes for a more exciting – if marginally less cerebral – strategy game. And more importantly, it’s still as life-suckingly addictive as ever. [Issue#34]

A good game, but a familiar game. [Issue#90, p.84]

Love it, loathe it or ignore it, the formula always works. [Issue#47, p.100]

Little mis-steps in design and pacing make it non-essential, but definitely recommended. [Issue#116, p.75]

FIFA has PES beaten when it comes to attention to presentational detail and atmosphere, but maybe that isn't enough anymore. For flowing football, though, you should look elsewhere. [Issue#130, p.71]

It's hard to justify it as a full release due to its repeating material and its short length. [Issue#51, p.76]

Not quite enough variety twinned with not quite enough freedom leaves DIRT as merely a snack between Gothams and Forzas. But then we all eat badly, once in a while. [Issue 21, p.82]

In truth, we’re in distraction territory – beyond (admittedly quite a few) graphical changes, its only substantial addition will feel to football veterans like throw-in training might feel to, er, football veterans.

There are enough major improvements to the mechanics to appease your average pucker on the street, but fans of the series' casual roots will be left out in the cold. [Issue#90, p.79]

A competent shooter, but fails to replicate the fun, frantic pace or steadiness its next-gen cousin achieved by quite a way. [Issue#111, p.82]

It has destruction, character and ambience by the truckload, but it should have learned to walk before it started running.

There's plenty of variety. [Issue#105, p.85]

For those who played and loved its debut, this simply insn't as good.. [Issue#31, p.74]

The gameplay could still use a few tweaks. [Issue#53, p.94]

A respectable attempt at adding variety to a modern classic, but one that fails to meet the lofty standards of its ancestors, though there's still fun to be had. [Issue#119, p.79]

Attempts to open up Viva Pinata kind of miss the point. Whether this is a failure in marketing or development is anyone’s guess, but adults will still have fun.

A truly baffling headline gimmick causes obvious problems for the game, but even if you can get your head around that, notably odd physics routines are the true enemy here. [Issue#71, p.74]

It's got potential but it needs less linear gameplay. [Issue 14, p.89]

In fixing FIFA 14’s biggest issues, EA Canada has only created some fresh problems. FIFA 15 is worth your money, but this year’s finest football game may still be to come.

A good effort at bringing the OTT planet of Pandora down to earth for a game that's less about guns and more about characters and conversion. [Issue#120, p.74]

Please make a sequel soon, Capcom. [Nov 2009, p.104]

Blue skies, great control and a real challenge - Transformed has all the hallmarks of one of the classic Sega games it brilliantly celebrates. Still, the less devoted may find it too playful for a hardcore racer, or too hardcore for a playful one. [Issue#93, p.81]

A significant improvement over last time out - requiring patience and guile to succeed - but unfortunately, shadows of its former self still remain, however. [Issue#25, p.96]

At the most basic level, this just isn't much fun to play. [Issue#83, p.82]

A fresh and unique game, but with a steep challenge that some will find frustrating. But it does feature a giant arse monster. [Issue#82, p.92]

Great presentation and a wealth of content make up for technical shortcomings. [Issue#98, p.74]

It feels like the current gen is holding it back from greatness. [Issue#103, p.87]

Not concerned with complex game design or elaborate plot, The Original Trilogy sets out to do one thing only - please gaming SW fans the world over, and it achieves this admirably. [Issue 12, p.90]

No game, regardless of what it may be, can try and get away with developing one level and then replicating it over the course of 12 hours. A massive shame, because there are some truly breathtaking elements. [Issue 27, p.82]

Uno is a good laugh in multiplayer, it only costs 400 Microsoft points and even a dribbling child could get all 200 GamerPoints from it. [Issue 8, p.120]

Its best elements are subdued by a repetitious structure. [Issue#118, p.52]

A violent blast to play, but it could do with a little punctuation to break up the insanity. [Issue#72, p.100]

It's a unique twist on the stealth genre and one that's worth exploring in three dimensions. [Issue#97, p.77]

You can't help but admire the artistry with which Rockstar's world has been created, but too many fundamental elements elements fall short of greatness. [Issue#39]

Often more engaging than its simple puzzles should allow it to be, the presentation and variety of gameplay ideas go a long way to making this an impressive, if small, adventure.

The first truly decent wrestling game on the Xbox format but it's marred by two rather massive flaws that really effect how the game plays. If they weren't there, it'd score much higher. [Issue 14, p.80]

Beyond being easier and ‘more accessible’ Ninja Gaiden hasn’t really evolved these last few years. Not the game we had hoped for. [Issue#34]

Masks untold layers of depth. [Issue#62,p.103]

Stunningly beautiful, easy to pick up and ultimately satisfying to play. Shame about the terrible storyline, tediously long missions and a distinct lack of variety. [Issue 26, p.86]

This could quite easily be the cancelled Xbox port, wrapped in 360 clothing. [Issue#31, p.82]

There is so much to love about LEGO Dimensions; clever design decisions, an excellent script and some real standout moments. But that paywall will either kill your bank account, or frustrate you.

Save yourself some money and pick up an older one. [Issue#48, p.86]

Not the return to glories we were hoping for, but not quite a total disaster either. It's a by-the-numbers open-world racer with a few cursory nods to the franchise's history, and that's about it. [Issue#76, p.88]

Better than the vast majority of Live Arcade's retro efforts. [Issue#44, p.99]

A great concept that works for the most part, but poor ideas like the introduction of trees and play that can sometimes feel wearisome rather than empowering keep it from being great. [Issue#75, p.103]

Lacking in variety and depressingly fixed, Homecourt never develops into anything more than a multiplayer-only option. Once you've seen every gravity-defying leap, the fun is largely over. [Issue 18, p.92]

There's no denying thta Duke's level design was pioneering at the time, however, its humour is just as open to chauvinistic interpretation as it always was. [Issue#39]

A bit of a mixed bag, liable to entertain but for reasons that you'll struggle in vain to fathom. [Issue#56, p.104]

It's arcadey enough to be fun but engine issues and a confusing UI and missions bring it down. [Issue#50, p.91]

We expected big things from Lara's first next-gen adventure and while Legend doesn't quite live up to expectations it still offers a slick, engaging and thoroughly enjoyable experience. [Issue#6, p.88]

Best played in short bursts but it's still unbelievably repetitive and, at times, monotonous. But it can also be fun and you get two games in one. [Issue 26, p.90]

Surprising depth. [Issue#92, p.82]

There's a multitude of different play modes on offer. [Issue#54, p.105]

No one likes finding secret hidden stuff anymore. This is 2006. [Issue 10, p.106]

Another good episode, but the QTEs need to go - this is a game you play for the story, so scenes like the one below just don't need to be interactive. [Issue#110, p.74]

Another fun installment, but it's all starting to feel a little too predictable. [Issue#88, p.82]

Be A Pro's sideshow trumps the main event, which itself is largely unchanged. [Issue#32, p.86]

Clearly an inferior product to Kinectimals. [Issue#78, p.88]

A dark and serious take on an otherwise oversaturated genre. [Issue#86, p.102]

Majestic boss battles are marred by ill-suited (and occasionally unfair) controls. If you like your boss battles epic, this is for you, otherwise, "Gears of War" should be your next port of call. [Issue 15, p.78]

The positive score is fully justified. [Issue#57, p.107]

To complain about Mega Man's difficulty is to miss the point. [Issue#59, p.105]

As good as some of the games in this package are, these golden memories come with a price tag to match.

Don't expect the same longevity from Monday Night Combat as you would a game in a similar vein from Valve or Epic. [Issue#63, p.103]

EA Tiburon may collect a handful of inexperienced fans with this release, but it'll lose a whole lot more from the other end of the scale. [Issue#71, p.78]

DeathSpank's going to thrill some as much as it will frustrate others. [Issue#62,p.101]

As long as you're a fan of the RTS format, it's hard to fault Battle for Middle-Earth II on anything other than the controls. We think most will adapt soon enough, though. [Issue 9, p.84]

A videogame that, though potentially excellent, doesn't have much reason to exist, and scuppers itself time and again through silly design decisions. [Issue#64, p.84]

Resoundingly okay. [Issue#23, p.97]

The mini-games are plentiful and brilliant (and allow online play), the levels are extremely well designed. [Issue 18, p.116]

As a package it is an homage-ridden trip down memory lane that will put a smile on the face of every fan. [Issue#51, p.90]

Gimmicks aside, it's a very short and linear adventure that you'll probably only play through once unless you're an Achievements whore. But then...we had such fun playing it. [Issue 9, p.74]

While the campaign is a damn sight better than Battlefield 3's, it still falls a little flat in spots. [Issue#105, p.82]

Uninspired and sorely lacking invention. [Issue#70, p.78]

Ultimately feels stale. [Issue#47, p.84]

An impressive multiplayer suite. [Issue#57, p.107]

The complexity of it all stinks up the mix. [Issue#23, p.98]

One simple tweak solves a few years of hurt, though trademark trouble areas still exist. [Issue#61, p.94]

Feels closer to a good footballing videogame than the series has for a few years now, but crucially still isn't one. [Issue#64, p.86]