Far Cry 2 is a resounding success. It looks incredible, and the attention to detail is staggering. All it really needed was the added spart and thrill of a really, really good shooter underneath it all. But if you can live with the game's start/stop gunplay you're going to have some real fun playing with fire. [Jan 2009, p.78]

A must-have for any Fabs fan. [Dec 2009, p.86]

Still, this is a definite step forward for a genre in which the idea pool must be running dry. The Beatles: Rock Band has the style and the songs, but GH5 boasts the greatest features for get-togethers.

Virtua Fighter 5 runs effortlessly on Xbox. But it's definitely an acquired taste. [Christmas 2007, p.74]

A stunning extreme sports title that nicely fills the void left by EA Big. [Dec 2008, p.80]

This is the birth of a special franchise, end even with its teething problems the beginning has been well worth waiting for. [July 2010, p.77]

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

NHL is easily the best ice hockey game available - a must for fans. [Dec 2007, p.85]

Rez resurrected. Brilliant with or without a controller, Eden could last you a lifetime. [Aug 2011, p.92]

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

Presents an insanely detailed world and a game unlike any you've played before. [Aug 2011, p.96]

It's unbelievably refreshing, liberating even, to jump into a world free from the laws of gravity after being tied down by Skate's restrictive utopia.

So, turns out there's room in this world for both GTA IV and Saints Row 2, then. Truly, they are utterly opposite sides of the same sandbox coin. If you were in any way disappointed with Rockstar's return with Liberty City then we have absolutely no hesitation in recommending you buy this.

Rich sim blessed with amazing graphics and animation. Just what we expect. [Nov 2007, p.80]

Technical marvel with truly unique appeal - a Dead Space without the borders or boundaries.

There's plenty of diversity here, but not so much in the songs. If you like heavy rock, you're well catered for. Otherwise you won't recognise half the tracks.

Despite the game's undoubted scope for replayability, it is decidedly low on play time. But in the cold light of day, we're not too bothered with all that - because Stranglehold offers something so raw and so hyper-energetic that the next game you play after it will feel positively tired and lethargic in comparison. Woo hoo.

Blue Dragon definitely has the pedigree and quality to appeal to RPG gamers, however long they've been putting the hours in over the years, with enough peculiar touches to keep the old hands engrossed, even if it won't be the best they've ever had.

Very much its own game, Skate is a great start to what should be a stellar series. [Dec 2007, p.62]

[Jan 2009, p.69]

A beast of a game. There's no point owning any other American football sim. [Dec 2010, p.98]

A great WWII shooter. [Jan 2009, p.51]

While far from as deep as the PC games, Revolution is a fine achievement, extremely accessible and great fun to play.

It's still great, though it could (and should) have been so much better. [Christmas 2008, p.60]

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

The same great Dead Rising, issues included, with some teeny-tiny nips and tucks.

An only slightly disappointing update of a superb title. [Dec 2009, p.92]

Despite the name on the box, AODA's latter half makes it a supporting act to Butcher's Bay's main attraction. It doesn't matter how many triple twists and double somersaults a gymnast pulls if he smashes his face on the landing, and AODA crash lands pretty bloody hard. Fortunately, it's a broken nose limited to a small part of a packed box. [Apr 2009, p.82]

Busting semi-famous faces has never been so much fun. Essential viewing for fight fans. [Aug 2010, p.86]

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

An impressive FPS from the masters of scares. A great start to 2009. [Mar 2009, p.70]

Regains the silliness lost in Indy, and tightens up the formula neatly.

It's a stonking sports game, but even the commentary repeats lines from old version. [Issue#98, p.90]

If Condemned was the starter, this is the main course. Gory, dark and great. [Apr 2008, p.64]

Impressive basketball sim that manages to be instantly accessible. [Christmas 2008, p.76]

Shame they couldn't have spruced it up for 360 but it's still great fun. [May 2008, p.85]

As true a game as you're ever likely to see - it's a merciless, but fair, must. [Aug 2008, p.72]

High calibre fun. [Christmas 2009, p.74]

Makes killing into an artform, and backs it with a Score Attack which was nearly great. [May 2011, p.94]

A confident and oddly fresh-feeling adventure, packed with oodles of unusual charm.

As good a band-based music game as we're likely to get. Until The Beatles arrive. [July 2009, p.83]

Definitely the best Skate effort yet - but more of an update than a truly worthy sequel. [July 2010, p.86]

Old fashioned to look at, but packed with invention and things to do. [Christmas 2007, p.77]

The ultimate racing game for fans of slowburning, ultra detailed motoring... a bit joyless for everyone else. [Aug 2007, p.78]

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

Still a brilliant shooter, but needed better levels and more new content. [May 2008, p.81]

Linearity and middling mechanics let the side down, but this is still a cracking sequel. [Nov 2010, p.83]

A smart (occasionally too smart) new take on strategy, teeming with ideas and features.

A technically impressive and deeply detailed fantasy adventure, but one lacking in vision. [May 2011, p.102]

Unites casual gamers and tennis fanatics in the best game in the series. [June 2011, p.95]

A beautiful and varied title, but you feel it might be holding something back. [Aug 2007, p.66]

In stark contrast to the first game, you'll never be at a loss for something to be getting on with. You never feel compelled to do anything by the book and every session you play, you'll find yourself concentrating on a new part of the game, continually getting distracted by something else along the way.

More of a biking "Project Gotham" than "Forza 2" - which is no bad thing. Thrilling. [Nov 2007, p.82]

Everything just feels so tight, so slick, so-self assured. Yes, it might take you five minutes to get used to the lightning quick, almost slippery feel to the controls, but when those controls 'grip', you start to realise you're being guided by one of the best.

Manages the double whammy of being easier to play and deeper than Live.

Simply, one of the most fun games on 360. Defy those who say it won't sell! [Aug 2007, p.74]

Whether it's worth adding to your FPS library, however, depends largely on your own multiplayer desires. [May 2011, p.83]

When Battlestations Midway is good, it's really good.

Not the madden of old but a sober replicant. [Dec 2009, p.89]

Incredible graphics. [Jan 2011, p.82]

A deceptively hardcore and thigh-slappingly funny platformer with secrets and challenges galore. [Nov 2011, p.111]

No forced ending that reeks of a hastily finished game: just a full stop at the end of a seriously good story. [Sept 2007, p.82]

Terrific, original action-RPG that shines despite its ugliness. We're as surprised as you are. [Aug 2010, p.96]

Kinect's best launch title. [Feb 2011, p.102]

Co-op? Great. Single-player? Not so much. Not nearly as good as we hoped - but you'll still love it with two. [Apr 2009, p.62]

A truly fantastic surprise. [Feb 2010, p.86]

You may love it, you may hate it, but for those with the skill and dedication, it's a shooter like no other. [Feb 2008, p.72]

Not a patch on DMC3 but, the moment we finished the game, we played it all over again. It's that good. [Apr 2008, p.78]

EA have upped the game when it comes to sports this year. A huge improvement. [Dec 2007, p.85]

Like this month's "Red Faction," it is an experience proud of its inherently silly gamey-ness; doing for human limbs what Guerrilla does for architecture. Short on frustration, big on satisfaction.

The cliche 'game of two halves' normally conjures up images of classic football comebacks, but after staggering through the glaringly uneven single-player campaign in Bad Company 2, twenty-four hours after spending a whole day solidly playing the superb multiplayer component, there's hardly a more apt description of DICE's wannabe CoD-killer. This is all about the online game.

The sheer number and variety of scenarios will keep you busy and engrossed for plenty of hours, and the numerous multiplayer options will, hopefully, make for a near-lifetime on the ocean waves.

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]

Liberal sprinklings of stardust outside the ring complement solid improvements within. [May 2011, p.92]

A stunning adventure for gaming's first lady...which is still far more flawed than it should be. [Jan 2009, p.60]

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

Fun, imaginative and eccentric, this is a bold revival of a once moribund franchise and one of the year's bravest, most unexpectedly enjoyable games. [Nov 2011, p.104]

Not as smart as Defence Grid but more fun, this is brains, brawn and great big balls for ten pounds. [June 2010, p.121]

A multi-directional adventure that plays almost as good as it looks. [Nov 2011, p.110]

Even pros will struggle to outsmart the caddy, but every other change is for the better. [June 2011, p.99]

Essential for committed fans, but a few curious omissions make Arcade Edition an incomplete update. [Sept 2011, p.110]

The best fantasy looter on 360 (Sacred II included), but the lack of multiplayer hurts the package. [June 2011, p.118]

Three hours of classy content for a classy game and the franchise's best take on multiplayer yet. [June 2011, p.119]

One of the prettiest games on Live Arcade and one of the most fun multiplayer games on 360. [Sept 2009, p.103]

Something for everyone. [Jan 2011]

The same great game it was last year, only with more pointless bolted-on bits.

It is, essentially, more of the same...But even having finished the main game multiple times, we can't get enough of this world - if you're the same, just dive in. [Dec 2011]

A decent shooter with smart time powers and enough atmos to hook you for the duration. [Oct 2010, p.101]

A kiddy game at heart, that's now packing more bang for your buck.

Not the most glamorous of titles, but one of the most well-rounded. [Jan 2011]

A harmonious blend of light, sound and vibration that even "Space Giraffe" can only dream of. [Christmas 2007, p.98]

A masterful blend of genres, but with many ideas of its own. Worth the low, low asking price. [Oct 2010, p.120]

A puzzle shooter that gets better with every play. [Oct 2011, p.105]

Accomplished, beautiful and more than just a kid's game. Recommended. [Jan 2009, p.66]

Like Burnout with balls, it's a blast. [Oct 2011, p.105]

Though it's brevity itslef, you'll be able to busy yourself chasing scores and unlockables for a long time to come. [Mar 2008, p.93]

Our wireless guitar kept losing connection with the 360 when the neck wobbled, and it happened an awful lot. [Jan 2008, p.76]

Several hours of unforgettable oddness. This is no Hollywood blockbuster, but we like it for that. [Aug 2010, p.120]