All in all, the Enhanced Edition is a triumph. Projekt Red took a great game and made it better. While the new content won’t take too much time to plough through for a veteran, it’s worth playing the original campaign again just to marvel at how much has been tweaked. [Nov 2008, p.54]

A stunning example of cross-game persistence, genre-blending and adaptive narrative. [Mar 2010, p.62]

As good as open world action gets. [May 2011, p.58]

This is about as good as an indie game can get. Treat yourself. [June 2011, p.60]

Bethesda's finest hour and one of the greatest RPGs of all time. [Christmas 2011, p.47]

A love story. A private story. A rare privilege. [Jan 2012, p.40]

The rarest of all expansions: the one that's better than its base game. [Aug 2012, p.58]

Delivers on every promise of the original, being an instant classic that proudly stands alongside the PC's finest shooters. [Oct 2012, p.62]

Nothing short of a stealth masterpiece, Mark of the Ninja highlights everything we love about the genre. [Nov 2012, p.77]

Dark, ambiguous and deathly refined, Dishonored delivers a world as strikingly beautiful as the stacked simulations within. A masterpiece. [Nov 2012, p.58]

The pinnacle of full-scale multiplayer warfare, Armored Kill is Battlefield perfected. [Nov 2012, p.85]

An incredibly powerful, emotionally engaging experience; a watershed moment for videogame narrative and storytelling. [Feb 2013, p.70]

It rises above its problems to provide the kind of RPG that reminds you what made the genre so great in the first place. This game was a labour of love for CD Projekt and it shows. [Jan 2008, p.53]

The question you’re asking is: “Yes, but is it better than World of Warcraft?” Well, is it? Undoubtedly. Easy to get into, awesome combat, great story, and massively detailed world, gorgeous to look at. [Aug 2008, p.57]

In the end, Spore seems to me to be like the gaming equivalent of a massive meal at McDonalds. It tastes great as long as you’re eating, and there’s certainly plenty there. But once you start to get near the end, you realise that it wasn’t quite as ‘deep’ as you thought. [Oct 2008, p.61]

Sins has inherited the most prominent feature of 4X games; the ability to make time completely disappear. [Apr 2008, p.65]

It shows how a development team can tackle a new era with the techniques they’ve refined over the years, and rather than lose what made the originals so great, actually improve. [Jan 2008, p.47]

If Gears of War had appeared on PC first, we’d sing its praises as a straight-up FPS which displays refreshing game dynamics. But the fact remains it’s old news. Many 369 owners who are also PC gamers will already have it… But if you’ve resisted, it’s worth playing on the platform that can properly do it justice. [Jan 2008, p.43]

The exhilarating rush of climbing a hill as a song builds up, and crashing down a slope as the music explodes through the speakers is incredible. At first it may seem like a fancy visualiser, but after mastering the more difficult modes it becomes insanely addictive. [May 2008, p.65]

As an expansion pack, Mines of Moria is practically perfect. It breathes new life into the Lord of the Rings Online, and if that life is occasionally plagued by deja vu, it's certainly worth the trade off for the new feature set it brings to the table. [February 2009, p.55]

Solid backbone to a bright Warhammer future. [Mar 2009, p.50]

Minor niggles aside, Fallout 3 is almost entirely spectacular. Everything from the graphics, to the sound, to the plot is first-rate. The VATS system worlds like a charm, and it’s so easy to get the hang of, you’ll be cracking skulls like there’s no tomorrow. [Dec 2008, p.55]

It’s more than just new content, it is a concerted effort to make Galactic Civilisations as polished and complete a product as possible. And you know what? Mission accomplished. [Sept 2008, p.58]

Regardless of whether you're a Batman fan or not, or whether you're angry that Batman's name has once again been taken in vain, the reality is that Lego Batman is just fun. And even angry people like fun, right? [January 2009, p.61]

One of the most thoroughly enjoyable RPGs of all time. [Jan 2010, p.73]

The way the game is a whole response to the shortcomings of the original just goes to demonstrate how GSC believes in this title and IP. [Nov 2008, p.51]

A new benchmark for superhero games, and a serious GOTY contender. [Dec 2009, p.56]

One Must Fall before this barrage of fighting goodness! [Nov 2009, p.54]

Immersive, engaging, versatile, and packed to the brim with character and backstory. [Mar 2010, p.56]

I was pleasantly surprised. [Jan 2010, p.86]

If you're after a basketball game that's more than just over the top dunks, 2K10 will most definitely satisfy. [Feb 2010, p.62]

A reminder that games can be simple and satisfying all at once. A triumph of focused, self-consistent design. [Jan 2010, p.84]

Third time's a charm for this quintessential PC franchise. [Feb 2010, p.58]

Beautiful to look at and a thrill to play, Blur combines speed, strategy and style into a thoroughly entertaining package. [Aug 2010, p.62]

A must-have for Age of Conan players. [Aug 2010, p.64]

Drink the kool-aid and go to a happy place. [Oct 2010, p.56]

A labour of love that successfully captures the spirit of the original. [Oct 2010, p.64]

Totally free, and totally worth your time. [Oct 2010, p.65]

Radically reinvented and beautifully presented, Civilization V is a must-buy for fans and just as accessible for newbies. [Nov 2010, p.52]

One of Mass Effect 2's most thrilling missions. [Dec 2010, p.64]

A stupefying number of bugs and an aging engine can do little to hold back this slice of brilliance. [Issue#185, p.60]

As beautiful as it is hard. You'll love it and hate it at the same time, but ultimately walk away satisfied. [Feb 2011, p.59]

Still one of the most polished and purely addictive games around. You know exactly why you're here. [Feb 2011, p.61]

No one can touch Total War and Shogun 2 simply furthers the point. [Apr 2011, p.48]

Beautiful, bacon-fueled carnage. [Apr 2011, p.62]

Moving even further from the classic RPG, strong story and clever combat are nonetheless still found within Dragon Age II. [May 2011, p.52]

Sharing the experience of tense, realistic flight simming does wonderful things for the game's appeal. [May 2011, p.62]

Quite simply one of the most exciting strategy games to come out in years. [Aug 2011, p.58]

This game won't be everything to everyone, but it does what it does with supreme confidence, foul-mouthed grace and seemingly effortless attention to detail. [Aug 2011, p.70]

More than a mere Minecraft clone, Terraria takes 2D platforming to a whole new level. [Sept 2011, p.54]

One of the finest PC games ever created. Eidos Montreal has touched the sun. [Oct 2011, p.40]

An unusual yet beautiful game bound to remind you of nature's power. [Oct 2011, p.50]

A superb, harrowing experience, guaranteed to crawl under your skin and stay there for a long time. [Oct 2011, p.58]

A gorgeous game, featuring expert narration and meaningful mechanics, where story, lore and gameplay are effortlessly weaved together. [Nov 2011, p.56]

A challenging, rewarding and sublime homage to the early days of the first-person shooter - with a few modern twists. [Dec 2011, p.58]

Sexy, sloppy, silly, sassy, and substantial; everything you could want in a sandbox. [Christmas 2011, p.50]

Both a triumphant leap forward and a return to form for the Battlefield series. This is the best multiplayer shooter on PC. [Christmas 2011, p.58]

DX11 and DRM issues aside, Arkham City is not just Batman at his best, it's a brilliant game in its own right. [Jan 2012, p.42]

Pure mayhem, pure fun, pure Serious Sam, pure first-person shooting. [Jan 2012, p.66]

An indie classic on par with Braid or Limbo. [March 2012, p.50]

A significantly more accessible setting makes this latest Anno a must play for all city management fans. [March 2012, p.52]

So good that it's become the only way to play Battlefield 3. Buy this now, and enjoy a bit of nostalgia in a new light. [March 2012, p.56]

Both challenging and elegant, Unity of Command is perfect for both novices and hardcore gamers alike. [March 2012, p.58]

A masterful rendition to the franchise. [Apr 2012, p.58]

Simple controls don't mean a simple game. A great game for those of you up for fiendishly complex battle. [Apr 2012, p.60]

A surprisingly detailed add-in for this controversially received sequel. New approaches to encounter design and smarter enemies stand out, although story remains a strong feature.

A few tweaks and concessions aren't enough to stall this brilliant revival of the fastest multiplayer shooter on PC. [June 2012, p.50]

Classic dungeon-crawling brought back to life. [June 2012, p.52]

As ridiculous and over the top as Max's loud shirt, with similar undertones of tension and internal conflict. [July 2012, p.60]

The Secret World is a breath of fresh air in a stale genre. It is the adventure reimagined for a new era. I love this game, unequivocally. And I sincerely hope you do too.

Jumping out of nowhere with a confidence that beggars belief, Endless Space is galactic strategy at its best. [Aug 2012, p.54]

Miles deep, loaded with options and gorgeous art, Sins: Rebellion is a great, genre-transcending strategy game. [Aug 2012, p.60]

Strange, brilliant, and exceptionally well-crafted, this action-RPG deserves your love despite the lack of care from its developers. [Oct 2012, p.66]

FTL posits that managing oxygen and engines is but a metaphor for balancing the noxiousness of hope with the crushing weight of despair. [Nov 2012, p.72]

Massive in scope without sacrificing strategy or teamplay, PlanetSide 2 shows us what only PC gaming is capable of. [Dec 2012, p.66]

Lightning fast gameplay with an unexpected depth of subject matter. A surprise indie gem. [Dec 2012, p.76]

The most comprehensive football aim on the market just got a little less comprehensive - and is all the better for it. [Dec 2012, p.80]

A true exemplar of intelligent game design, Waking Mars is a compelling and imaginative masterpiece. An absolute must-play. [Feb 2013, p.74]

A fresh take on the survival simulator with a few key innovations that instil contrasting moments of zen and sheer terror. [Feb 2013, p.76]

Don't play it as a puzzle game. Play it as a way of recalibrating your perception of reality. [March 2013, p.96]

Everything you could want from an archeological adventure, except having to press six keys to mantle. [Apr 2013, p.80]

The game is addictive as all hell. [May 2013, p.88]

Monaco offers a new and unique kind of chaotic co-op stealth gameplay, resulting in a work of indie art worth stealing. [May 2013, p.94]

UT3 has all the elements of a solid, well-executed deathmatch multiplayer game, with a passable singleplayer campaign and some vehicle modes bolted on. [Jan 2008, p.41]

Overall a good mix of realistic action and tactical gameplay will appeal to the Private Ryans rather than the Rambos. [Dec 2008, p.73]

In full stride Kane & Lynch comes up trumps. It offers an action-packed ride of memorable settings wrapped around a couple of gritty-as-hell characters. [Jan 2008, p.55]

Play this game like a hack-n-slash violence festival and it just doesn’t work. Play it according to the Creed, and it’s sublime – in the strictest sense of the word. [May 2008, p.53]

Whether or not L4D should form part of your gaming collection can be decided with your reaction to a single word: Zombies. If a little chill of excitement tingled down your spine right now, you know what to do. [January 2009, p.47]

Frontlines is a great and engaging game that may not steal your life, but if you are a fan of FPS and online combat, this is definitely a worthy game to have nestled beside Battlefield 2142. [May 2008, p.58]

We found the different races to be surprisingly equal on the battlefield and if this holds up under super competitive online play UAW could become very popular indeed. [Feb 2008, p.59]

It seems Gas Powered Games has really been listening to the fans because forged Alliance builds on the Supreme Commander legacy to make a great game downright amazing. [Jan 2008, p.58]

Chessmaster: Grandmaster Edition maintains the franchise’s unassailable position as the king of chess sims. [Mar 2008, p.64]

Prefer a beastly PC over a console? It’s about time you played some Guitar Hero. Fun for kids and adults, great alone or with friends, and perfect for pretending you’re awesome at something you may well suck at in real life. [Mar 2008, p.57]

In a genre that’s looking for new ideas, this would be a nice achievement for a brand new franchise. That Relic has managed to surprise us this late in the Warhammer day is all the more remarkable. [May 2008, p.59]

FM 2008 proves that sometimes a minor tune-up is really all you need. [Mar 2008, p.65]

Some say the Point-and-click adventure is dead, but with a combination of fun gameplay and humorous send ups, Sam & Max 201 proves that good things come in small packages. [Jan 2008, p.62]

MMO gamers will be surprised to find that there is still a lot of adventuring goodness to be had inside the world of EverQuest II. [Feb 2008, p.56]

If you ever find yourself staring at your computer monitor longing for a well made, easily accessible and thoroughly enjoyable action game then Aquaria is for you. [Mar 2008, p.63]