The best game to carry the name since '95, but more than that - it's the best straight racing game you'll find on this console and indeed one of the best pure racers you'll have played in years...Every second is a second you'll spend on the edge of your seat. Thrilling. [Nov 2007, p.74]

A monster adventure at a stunner of a price. People who don't buy this shouldn't call themselves gamers.

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.

Like its predecessors, GRID is a bewitchingly addictive racer, astounding in how much content it has to offer.

A purer football game than FIFA 10 and the perfect companion to this year's World Cup. [June 2010, p.86]

A super-comprehensive racer...Impressive. [Dec 2010, p.90]

Not quite the perfect sequel we envisioned, but still pretty close to it. [Mar 2009, p.76]

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.

A wonderful sandbox title that branches off from the "GTA" tree rather than feeding off it; when you set off a huge chain reaction of barrels, you’ll see the game "Saints Row" wished it was. When you climb to the top of the Agency HQ and peer down at the world, you’ll see the game "Just Cause" could never be. And every so often, you’ll see another moment of brilliance; a reminder of the game you want GTA IV to be.

Enslaved is a rare game: a title with shades of Beyond Good & Evil great-ness set in a decimated world that's genuinely striking to explore. You'll have played better adventures before, but you'll be hard pressed to name a more captivating one.

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.