It's addictive, it's finely tuned. [Issue#24, p.82]

A more than worthy update to last year's blip. No b-ball fan will be disappointed with this. [Issue#25, p.100]

A very pleasant surprise. Accomplished way beyond our expectations and some of the best fun we’ve had inside a videogame this year, Saints Row 2 says nay to the naysayers.

A festival of both passing and movement, which is probably appreciated best by fans of the series. Pro Evo just - and we mean just - manages to trump "FIFA." [Issue 26, p.80]

Has some invigorating moments but is harmed by a weak strategy mechanic that easily frustrates. [Issue#52, p.82]

We're already crying for the many people that just aren't goign to get this brilliant blaster. [Issue#30, p.119]

The traditional approach will put off as many as it pleases, but Lost Odyssey is a cracking RPG which looks great, plays better, and is genuinely affecting. [Apr 2008, p.80]

This is top-quality shooter fare, blessed with visuals bright enough to be pleasing on the eye, yet not garish enough for bullets to be easily obscured. [Issue#29, p.119]

A practically endless set of challenges has also been included. [Issue#30, p.118]

Pure takes racing all the way back to basics and emphasizes fun over complexity yet still incorporates enough depth to have some serious longevity. Excellent stuff. [Issue#37, p.86]

Crazy acting, crazy units and a crazy story but the gameplay is solid and the visuals are highly stylised. A great edition to the Red Alert series.

Flashbacks make this a thrilling racer, but they wear thin after a while and take their toll on the racing. As a result, we love Race Driver: GRID as much as we hate it, which is quite a lot! [Issue#33]

Red Faction: Guerrilla is a fantastic, laudably fun tech demo funneled into a rather awesome game. Undoubtedly this year's most gratifying and original title so far. [Issue#46, p.76]

In its own ragged way, Alpha Protocol takes a more sophisticated approach to its plot than Mass Effect or Dragon Age. [Issue#60, p.88]

Along with the redefined tag team matches, Road To Wrestlemania and create-a-finisher, the multiple tweaks and touches make this the best SmackDown for a while.

With some really innovative gameplay, exciting missions, fantastic set pieces, and the overall lack of competition, H.A.W.X. is probably the best game in its genre. [MC Issue#43, p.88]

Still brilliant, but the amount that’s gone in to please noobs is grossly disproportionate to that which aims to please fans. Nonetheless, Tiger keeps up his impressive run.

This game is so rammed full of air-punching testosterone and screen-shaking explosions we're surprised it wasn't developed by Sylvester Stallone. [Issue#34, p.117]

It has enough cutesy charm to just about justify the admission price. [Issue#34, p.117]

An exemplary piece of game design that makes narrative ignorance all the easier. [Issue#55, p.86]

The biggest surprise of EA’s 2009 American sports round-up, and the most likely to appeal to non-fans.

Too close to call between NBA Live, do you prefer gameplay or visuals? Stats or modes? Ah, the age-old question for sports fans. It really depends on what you prefer and how you play.

COD: World At War is a battered warrior that more than earns its stripes. Leading the charge with a meatier and lengthier single-player campaign, Treyarch has won the battle in producing a true standout in the series.

Big improvement over previous games and the new features add masses of depth. This offers basketball fans the best way of following and playing the game. [Issue#37, p.85]

It should have been released months before "Soulcalibur IV" comes out, not the Wednesday before. [Issue#35, p.114]

One of the finest adventure games you're likely to find on the 360. [Issue#39]

The game employs some brilliant animaitons for dying enemy units. [Issue#33, p.116]

What really makes this game stand out is its b-boy stylings. [Issue#36, p.115]

As good as we always expected it to be – no more, no less. Battlestations: Pacific is well worth the heavy time investment needed to fully master it, but that’s quite an investment.

A fabulous surprise. [Issue#40, p.103]

You can't put a price on innovation. [Issue#34, p.116]

It's essentially "Golden Axe" for the 'more pixels, more joy' age. [Issue#38, p.115]

Considering the beyond-favourable roster, the fact that you can import every character from SmackDown 2009, all of which come packing the new approach that Legends takes, and the back-to-basics gameplay, which is ultimately more fun, and THQ’s next step in the wrestling market is one of the finest sports entertainment experiences in years.

A well-made and mostly fun interpretation of hte Batman universe, Arkham Asylum lacks evolution and can wear thin, but it stands up admirably in a very competitive genre. [Issue#50, p.84]

A faithful update with an excellent swing mechanic, giant set pieces and a meaty challenge, Bionic Commando is an action game with a twist. [Issue#46, p.80]

Truly a cult classic. [Issue#38, p.115]

Big, dumb, and loads of fun. Enjoyable throughout, but even though it’s never quite intelligent enough to push the genre very far forward, it’s still worth your money.

A slightly dodgy and questionably balanced new gameplay mechanic aside, this is reliably entertaining fare. [Issue#52, p.89]

Every bit as fun as the last Scene It?, Box Office Smash adds online multiplayer and an energetic interface that elevates this year’s outing above all other similar games.

Such innocence with a secret mean streak pleases us immensely, and even if you play fair there must be many hours of gameplay trying to see your little guys into a fortified castle. [Issue#37, p.117]

If there's one genre the 360 is short of it's platformers, and Banjo is still one of the best within it. [Issue#41, p.113]

A really pleasant experience. [Issue#48, p.78]

If you're looking for something a little bit different from Live Arcade, 3 on 3 NHL Arcade is an addictive and seriously fun title that definitely deserves some attention. [Issue#44, p.98]

A fun little brawler with an addictive and fast-flowing feel. [Issue#51, p.104]

An accomplished shooter that just fails to capitalise on the groundwork of its predecessor and offers a shallow and stilted campaign that feels, unfortunately, a bit dated. [Issue#57, p.92]

Flawed in single-player but exceptional fun with three friends. [Issue#59, p.88]

One hell of a taster. [Issue#45, p.100]

It's just a shame you'll lose all interest in friends or sleep when in Peggle's inescapable grasp. [Issue#45, p.101]

As a high-octane action game this is among the best in recent memory. Everything it does falls just the right side of ludicrously fun, so that it's hard to really criticize anything too harshly...Only the tiniest of niggles drag what is an excellent game back to earth. [Issue#56, p.77]

One of the most satisfying racing games for some time that has captured the intense nature of the sport incredibly well. With a few tweaks, this could be something very special. [Issue#51, p.88]

Refines its engine to the most impressive degree. [Issue#50, p.92]

Fun for everyone, fans or not. [Issue#49, p.91]

Master it, and you won't be disappointed. [Issue#51, p.91]

The series is beginning to lose some of the charm of its youth. [Issue#51, p.82]

It's impossible not to recommend, even to people who don't normally play racers. [Issue#60, p.94]

One of the best fighters around. [Issue#56, p.86]

Combines last year's excellent gameplay with a collection of features that should last the entire year. [Issue#51, p.72]

Astro Boy on the GBA might be better, actually. [Issue#48, p.99]

An excellent basketball simulation. [Issue#52, p.92]

The fighting is surprisingly fun and insanely deep - this is not a game to be taken lightly. [Issue#49, p.103]

It's still not as good as N+, though. [Nov 2009, p.104]

Starts off brilliantly but, like a loose thread, it begins to slowly unravel until you're left with just another God Of War clone. [Issue #56, p.78]

A worthy update that could have done with another year or so in production, to ensure that the flawless handling and lush visuals could be matched in the longevity department. [Issue#51, p84]

Satisfying, to say the least. [Issue#51, p.104]

Resolutely playable, and tricking around the world is still a joy. The 'crazy' additions make us worried for later games, but right now we're too busy smashing our heads open to care. [Issue#59, p.96]

Nowhere near as much fun or as addictive as the competition. [Issue#52, p.104]

Laugh-out-loud stuff. [Issue#52, p.104]

It's just grand. [Issue#52, p.105]

Solid, addictive and astonishing to behold, Split/Second: Velocity is a shot in the arm for the arcade racer. It's just a shame that you're left chasing the high after the first dose. [Issue#59, p.80]

As a piece of South Park merchandise, this is absolutely perfect at what it does. [Issue#53, p.105]

The puzzles lack inspiration. [Issue#53, p.105]

The dialogue's nicely quaint. [Issue#54, p.104]

The dialogue's nicely quaint. [Issue#54, p.104]

The dialogue's nicely quaint. [Issue#54, p.104]

One to heartily recommend. [Issue#54, p.104]

Those looking for a traditional game may find the linearity restricting. [Issue#57, p.88]

Easily the finest platformer on the console (up there with Mirror's Edge) and a touch of genius in its own right. [Issue#59, p.90]

Superb. [Issue#56, p.105]

Provides an experience altogether less pretentious and more accessible than the intensely referential platformer. Which is nice. [Issue#57, p.106]

Understandably minor changes to what we know to be an exceptional football formula add up to create the greatest World Cup videogame of all time. How very predictable. [Issue#58, p.92]

A perfect fit for XBLA. [Issue#58, p.105]

Deliciously tactical and exciting, with a sombre mood akin to the ever-wonderful Blackadder Goes Forth. [Issue#58, p.104]

It's as fast-paced and addictive as you remember. [Issue#58, p.104]

The perfect example for developers looking to resurrect old series. [Issue#60, p.107]

Its whole package oozes charm. [Issue#60, p.106]

The real problem lies with RE5's focus. Played with two people it's a delight, showing the world that co-op in campaign modes is becoming a necessity in any game that can incorporate it. Even played on the same console, with the most hideous splitting of the screen we've ever seen, it works. Unfortunately, a vast array of individuals will play this as a lone wolf and, to be honest, done this way it can be aggravating. Sheva is simply not competent enough, and her irregular bouts of hopelessness transform a sublime portion into a testing run. [Issue#43, p.76]

The archetypal videogame worth more than the sum of its parts. A much simplified and similar experience to the original game, but it remains one entirely worth sampling. [Issue#61, p.88]

A distant yet thoroughly tangible sense of being "the man." [Issue#61, p.105]

Pretty, engaging, funny, utterly inoffensive. [Issue#61, p.93]

So little experimentation yet so few mistakes in a genre that's littered with notorious misfires. More freedom would have wowed us, but this one for impatient "GTA" fans to investigate. [Issue # 11, p.76]

A cracking effort that has everything under control, taking no liberties so far as quality is concerned. [Issue#46, p.100]

Compelling. [Issue#62,p.103]

From a pure gamer's perspective, then, Empire Bay feels half-finished. [Issue#63, p.80]

More than strong enough to chill out with the likes of Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon without embarrassing itself. [Issue#63, p.82]

The satisfaction to be found here is immense. [Issue#63, p.]

Improved in a fashion that will delight gamers of all competence levels and experience. [Issue#63, p.90]

The digital equivalent of a stress relief ball. [Issue#63, p.98]

A deep, involving and beautifully put together adventure. [Issue#63, p.99]

A fresh take on one of the 360's most established genres, bringing cover shooters, conversely, out in the open. [Issue#64, p.72]

Fans of racing or Formula 1 games will be nothing short of impressed. [Issue#64, p.90]

Foibles aside, Enslaved is an engaging fusion of genres with a flair for characterisation. [Issue#64, p.92]

If you don't already have Red Dead Redemption, this is definitely worth getting your hands on. [Issue#66, p.87]

With EA's NBA Elite 11 now canned, there's no reason not to pick up this effort if you're a basketball fan. [Issue#66, p.90]

A high-end conversion of a PC stalwart, marking the first time the Sims formula has migrated intact to a console. [Issue#66, p.89]

One of the most bizarre, yet enjoyable, games we've played in a long time. [Issue#65, p.87]

NHL 11 plays a fine game of ice hockey, and it never ceases to surprise us just how much fun every installment of the series is. [Issue#65, p.91]

The latest offering from independent developer Twisted Pixel mixes reference-laden humour and twin stick shooting with considerable aplomb. [Issue#66, p.105]

This adventure doesn't do as good a job of pointing you in the right direction as the original, but all the same, it's a thoroughly entertaining action RPG... [Issue#66, p.103]

This is the Fable we know and love, which is its biggest strength and weakness. [Issue#66, p.80]

A hugely accessible and addictive game for anyone. [Issue#67, p.89]

The underlying game has aged brilliantly. [Issue#67, p.103]

The perfect antidote to Street Fighter's seemingly endless difficulty curve, offering tactical play by the bucketload without that prohibitive dexterity. [Issue#68, p.82]

If you don't intend to play online, don't even bother. [Issue#68, p.102]

Funny, addictive and engaging. [Issue#69, p.98]

Cutesy looks mask a videogame of near malicious difficulty, though it still proves to be endlessly entertaining for those with the patience. [Issue#69, p.100]

The 'big' new mode is pointless and instantly forgettable, but the rest of the game is as solid and cocksure as ever. [Issue#70, p.84]

Fully fledged and extensive, this is a great tennis simulator that becomes much more enjoyable once you get past the initial frustrations. [Issue#70, p.86]

In need of stronger incentives for those who play alone. [Issue#71, p.76]

Not exactly ambitious, but it is expertly made, brilliant fun to play and absolutely fantastic value. [Issue#71, p.100]

A classic formula tweaked for greater tactical variety. By and large successful, besides a needed AI tweak or two. [Issue#72, p.86]

Utterly beautiful and reasonably creative. [Issue#73, p.82]

It offers a new angle on the genre and one that will excite fans. [Issue#73, p.84]

The premise transfers comfortably enough. [Issue#73, p.101]

A damn good tactical strategic game that has a ridiculous amount of depth for an XLA title. [Issue#73, p.102]

What FEAR 3 lacks as a horror game it makes up for as a solid shooter. [Issue#75, p.80]

Anyone with a passing interest will find a lot to like. [Issue#76, p.90]

What F1 2011 really needs is some drama and a touch of glamour. [Issue#77, p.86]

Some control and physics tweaks are needed, but to remedy distractions rather than critical errors. [Issue#77, p.90]

Not quite as outstanding as it once was, but still a benchmark release. [Issue#77, p.102]

The game we always knew it wanted to be. [Issue#77, p.103]

Technically the best game in the series so far, but not as refreshing as Saints Row 2 due to a slight shortage of new ideas. Remains a fun alternative to GTA, though. [Issue#78, p.67]

The first real Kinect classic. [Issue#78, p.85]

It's actually quite fun this time. [Issue#78, p.87]

Basketball done right. [Issue#78, p.89]

Open, satisfying and playful. [Issue#78, p.99]

An addictive, impressive-looking and fun shooter. [Issue#78, p.102]

Feels like the game we worried that Brotherhood would be. [Issue#79, p.60]

This is easily the best Call of Duty campaign in quite some time. [Issue#79, p.68]

A dedicated homage to one of the greatest games ever. [Issue#79, p.72]

As fun as ever. [Issue#79, p.77]

It's the most accurate home port yet. [Issue#80, p.102]

It would still be worth it even if it was just Metal Gear Solid on its own. [Issue #81, p.86]

A refreshing take on the genre. [Issue #81, p.102]

Occasional hiccups and pacing issues can't damage the soaring highs The Darkness II hits when all its elements scream in blood-curdling harmony. [Issue#82, p.80]

The best Undisputed game to date, and arguably the best MMA simulation currently in existence. [Issue#82, p.84]

One of the best-designed but least original games we've ever played. [Issue#82, p.86]

Successfully combines elements of both franchises in an imaginative, fun and impressive fighting game. [Issue#83, p.76]

It manages to overcome its linearity problems in some imaginative ways and is well worth your time. [Issue#83, p.84]

While its ambitious ideas fall by the wayside, the core act of shooting robots is done better than we dared to hope. [Issue#83, p.87]

Another gem on XBLA. [Issue#83, p.103]

A great combination of genres that manages to really tax your brain, be great fun and work as a competitive and addictive multiplayer game. Not so great for solo players, though. [Issue#83, p.104]

DMC and DMC3 have stood the test of time. The real surprise is just how poor Devil May Cry 2 seems now that it can be directly compared. [Issue#84, p.82]

Incredibly polished. [Issue#85, p.102]

A great range of moves and some pleasantly diverse characters. [Issue#85, p.103]

A definitive digital proxy. [Issue#85, p.105]

The sharp thrill of a successful synchronised takedown never loses its edge. [Issue#86, p.76]

A fantastic shooter that does a lot for the genre. [Issue#86, p.80]

A fun and frantic throwback to the days when dirty tactics, outlandish manoeuvres and sheet aggression were the brutal, mangled order of the day. [Issue#86, p.84]

It's what the original always should have been. [Issue#87, p.84]

Switch off your brain and bask in the silliness. [Issue#88, p.80]

This kind of purity is exactly what's been missing from the series for years. [Issue#89,p.77]

As much as it may lack polish and finesse, Sleeping Dogs makes up for its minor shortcomings with pure entertainment. [Issue#89,p.78]

You'll get bored before the end, but Dust's fantastic characters, brilliant combat, engaging platforming and beautiful visuals will keep you smiling for the majority. [Issue#89,p.89]

RE6 has something for pretty much everyone. [Issue#90, p.66]

High Moon has put its soul into this one, and it shows. [Issue#90, p.70]

There's work to be done, unquestionably, but for the first time, FIFA feels like it's going to capture the essence of football along with the mechanics. [Issue#90, p.82]

A rich and varied score attack game of surprising depth. [Issue#90, p.86]

Definitely better teamed with friends. [Issue#90, p.91]

What is there is so compelling that the lack of additional stages can't help but feel like a disappointment. The game's strengths are a double-edged sword. Regardless, this is still one of the best games of this year. With a bit of work, a potential sequel could be one of the best games of any year.

True, the content available on Xbox Live continues to improve, but even with the spate of excellent titles to hit the service over the last year or two, there are very few as good as Hell Yeah! Wrath Of The Dead Rabbit.

There's really no excuse to see frame rate issues spoil what is very nearly a perfect conversion, but it's a price worth paying to see Jehuty fly again.

Far Cry 3 has strong, albeit a little forced, RPG elements. And during its better moments it feels more like Skyrim than it does a typical FPS.

A very slick dance floor mover. [Issue#91, p.76]

Gameplay has a wicked flow to it. [Issue#91, p.90]

It's every bit as stupid, chaotic, flawed and brilliant as it sounds.

It's fun, and an indication that Treyarch is willing to explore ideas that Infinity Ward has thus far ignored. [Issue#93, p.74]

Despite a lack of online play and some design niggles, the game rarely misses a beat. [Issue#93, p.78]

It's hard to deny the sheer amount of fun that Kinect Party offers. [Issue#94, p.83]

Some will take issue with Dead Space 3 on a fundamental level, given that it shirks many classical survival-horror tenets to pursue and action-heavy path. But when the action is generally so good, it's hard to stay crazy with Visceral for long. [Issue#95, p.73]

A brilliant adventure, platform and puzzle game. [Issue#95, p.84]

Gears Of War: Judgment is like a crown with no jewels; it’s still solid gold, sure, but that something is missing is all the more obvious for the size and magnificence of the gems which were once there.

Surprisingly deep. [Issue#97, p.64]

A delight to play, despite the fact that it openly revels in your failure. [Issue#97, p.70]

A marked improvement on the original, and though it does make a few new mistakes, there's a lot here that story-loving FPS fans will appreciate. [Issue#98, p.65]

Warning: highly addictive. [Issue#98, p.70]

If you're any good at all at fighters, give it a go. [Issue#98, p.78]

As absorbing and oddly addictive an experience as you'll find on 360. Just keep an eye on the clock - this game devours hours at a time. [Issue#98, p.81]

Apart from its brevity, it's damn good fun. [Issue#25, p.98]

Certainly not a bad game but this is very much a last-gen title, with a few bells and whistles tacked on. [Issue 13, p.92]

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]

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]

The weak pseudo-jazz music would embarrass a grot movie director, but apart from that, this is good stuff. [Issue#5, p.120]

As pick-up-and-play titles go, this is absolutely top-notch. [Issue#23, p.96]

A rare breed of game that anyone can pick up and play. [Issue#6, p.120]

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 single-player game, while damn hard, is also fun. Shame it's just another Xbox port really [Issue#6, p.97]

Online is clearly the main event here, but nevertheless the experience proves as involving and deceptively deep as ever. Minus a few fairly bizarre design issues, it would score more highly. [Issue 14, p.91]

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

While poker doesn't give a great deal of room for manoeuvre, there's a lot of meat here for fans to chomp through. It's just a shame the marketplace version steals its thunder. [Issue # 16, p.96]

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]

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]

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]

The game itself is fine but the issue is the pricing. [Issue 14, p.116]

It's the ghetto version, which is the polite way of saying it's not quite as good. [Issue 15, p.116]

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

The customisation is dense, providing a far greater subjective feel and hte action and simulation comes thick and fast. [Issue 21, p.88]

The game lulls into tedium's lukewarm embrace far too often for its own good. [Issue#31, p.85]

Beautiful to look at, enjoyable to play, but marred by disappointing aspects that do some harm. Nontheless, Sakaguchi has laid the foundations for an immense RPG franchise. [Issue 23, p.76]