If you're mad for the online modes, this might be worth a look, just to add some variation. [Feb 2012, p.112]

Packs a fancy new jet that can take off vertically. [Feb 2012, p.112]

An RPG backbone adds a meaty sense of progression. [Feb 2012, p.110]

An energetic brawler with deceptive depth. [Feb 2012, p.107]

Hogwarts is the most alive environment TT ever created. [Feb 2012, p.106]

2D platforming is back. [Feb 2012, p.98]

The driving in this driving game is fast, sexy and frequently exciting. [Feb 2012, p.94]

As a remake it holds up better than any other shooter from the same era. [Feb 2012, p.90]

There's no denying the quality of these maps. The Firefight level is superb and the multiplayer levels are design classics. The only downside is the cost, which is as much as some full games.

I never expected Modern Warfare 3 to go toe-to-toe with EA's juggernaut this year, but it came out of the gates with a tour de force campaign and co-op mode. It loses points with a perhaps too-familiar multiplayer that caters to the juvenile on Xbox Live; though don't be mistaken, Modern Warfare 3 is one hell of a shooter and a highlight for a series that just won't die – no matter how much we wish it bloody would, at times.

Still good, still unbalanced like a fat bloke on a see-saw, and Remy is still a crap Guile replacement. [Dec 2011, p.111]

Tighter, playable and surprisingly deep, only the stilted visuals and ability to explain its intricacies prevent it from becoming the XBW favorite again. [Dec 2011, p.106]

This year's game plays ultra-slick. [Dec 2011, p.104]

Shows diminishing returns for the solo gamer. [Dec 2011, p.102]

Matches now have a more combative feel. [Dec 2011, p.102]

Gruelling but rewarding. [Dec 2011, p.101]

An unmissable, unbeatable offering. [Dec 2011, p.95]

The best Dragon Age expansion to date, and well worth the admission price - for a change. Plus, the end-game loot is a decent bonus.

Mind-fryingly difficult but extremely well designed score attack game. [Christmas 2011, p.101]

The best shooter ever...simply isn't. But it's still bloody brilliant fun, even if it's beyond the skills of most gamers. [Christmas 2011, p.111]

A smart mix of retro twin-stick shooter and current tech, and a glorious throwback to arcade blasters of olden times. [Christmas 2011, p.111]

Essential for nubies - not for historical purposes, but because it's still an exemplary shooter, even now. [Christmas 2011, p.109]

A lengthy campaign which stands the test of time. [Christmas 2011, p.108]

The chopper and bomber bits just end up getting in the way. [Christmas 2011, p.107]

It's another sound update but just lacking the fluidity and polish to mark it as one of the great sports sims. [Christmas 2011, p.103]

It captures you imagination like few other worlds in games. [Christmas 2011, p.100]

The best racing game on any platform and a game that works for young children, arcade racers, and the most dedicated sim enthusiasts. A masterly release. [Christmas 2011, p.98]

Predictably and brilliantly mind-blowing. In every way that matters, this really is "The Dark Knight" to Arkham Asylum's "Batman Begins." [Christmas 2011, p.92]