Gears Of War couldn't feel more vital. Some will see the future, some will see the past; we just see a truly great game. [Christmas 2006, p.96]

As we begin to plan our eulogies for a truly superb console, how fitting it is that Sony delivers its final and finest offering. [Apr 2007, p.110]

We would never have thought that that by retreading the same patch of ground a studio could leave us feeling like we have just played one of the best videogames of all time. [June 2008, p.102]

In the vast majority of games, and particularly first-person shooters, quality is entirely dependent on minutiae such as weapon choice and enemy variety. In Bioshock these are merely details, adornments to a far deeper and more complete experience than any game since "Half-Life 2." [Oct 2007, p.104]

If you're not exploring the wasteland then you're cheating yourself out of one of the best games in years. [Christmas 2008, p.94]

Despite all of the ways Mass Effect 2 is more engaging to play and explore, after 35 remarkable hours it was the characters that stayed with us… Game of the year in January? Oh, go on then. [Feb 2010, p.112]

Never have we played a game that punishes so much while constantly providing a reason to keep pushing on and see what brilliance lies beyond the next hurdle.

No matter which side of the gaming coin you come from, this whole new universe of planets is the most inventive, exuberant and, yes, fun set of challenges and diversions yet seen in the platform game genre. It miraculously outclasses a game that many believed could not be bettered, and once again leaves us wondering just how close Nintendo's bar has come to reaching its theoretical peak.

We can't wait to see what LittleBigPlanet 2 has evolved into in a month or three, when we can truly measure the impact that these tools will have had on an already ultra-creative community. We predict that it's going to be like setting off an atomic bomb.

Magnificent controls. [Issue#96, p.100]

Reinvents a genre and unequivocally defines it in one fell swoop. [Issue#106, p.96]

Burnout 3 is special. It's not just another racing game, and despite lacking certain features car enthusiasts hold dear (such as customisation and ultra realism) it's easily the most fun we've ever had with any racing game. [Oct 2004, p.96]

Disgaea is without doubt the defining moment in turn-based strategy. Not since Dark Cloud 2 has a game offered so much in terms of optional further play, and we'd seriously question whether any other title will dare brave this lofty plateau of life-emaciating gameplay. [Jan 2004, p.108]

Patience is still a virtue, and fans of mindless action titles should still give Splinter Cell a wide berth. Unless you're partial to a little online gaming, that is. Put simply, Pandora Tommorrow's multiplayer takes your breath away. [Apr 2004, p.108]

Patience is still a virtue, and fans of mindless action titles should still give Splinter Cell a wide berth. Unless you're partial to a little online gaming, that is. Put simply, Pandora Tommorrow's multiplayer takes your breath away. [Apr 2004, p.108]

This overall approach to MMORPGs is far more social and interesting than anything that has preceded it. [July 2007, p.104]

Playing God has never been as free, rewarding or downright enjoyable as it is here... Quite simply, this is a game so packed with features and so lovingly crated that, for the first time that we can recall, you'll still be discovering parts of it by the time the add-on packs roll around. [Nov 2004, p.102]

If this is only the beginning of what this newly imagined Azeroth has to offer, we can see ourselves living there for a very long time. [Apr 2005, p.98]

If you've already got a version of Winning Eleven 7 or "Pro Evo 3," this is not enough of an update to warrant re-buying, but newcomers who have the means to play import games may want to consider picking it up. [May 2004, p.111]

Easily the finest and most involving product to carry Molyneux's name in years. A stunning achievement. [Christmas 2005, p.100]

The tactical battles are better than ever thanks to an improved engine and significantly smarter enemy AI. You can now take up to 400 units into battle, leading to some impressive large-scale scraps.

Sony leaves the gamer lost in one of the most immersive, reality-grounded worlds we can remember. And that's taking into account the amount of otherworldly hokum on display. [June 2005, p.118]

Your legacy will be as twisted, as exciting or as brutal as your imagination will allow... San Andreas is an experience as unique as you are. Sometimes, it's okay to believe the hype. [Christmas 2004, p.98]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. leaves you no choice but to engage with story and character, deciphering between friend and foe, the truth and the lie. [Apr 2007, p.94]

You get the impression that "The Sands of Time" was just a warm-up for the main event, a game that's familiar at first but soon reveals a level of imagination beyond that of the original, and displays as little room for error as one of the Prince's most daring acrobatic leaps. [Christmas 2004, p.100]

You get the impression that "The Sands of Time" was just a warm-up for the main event, a game that's familiar at first but soon reveals a level of imagination beyond that of the original, and displays as little room for error as one of the Prince's most daring acrobatic leaps. [Christmas 2004, p.100]

Battlefield 2 represents a far better understanding of what war actually entails; an effort to put the player in the heart of a battle where advancement is more strategic than just running around looking for a target. [Aug 2005, p.90]

Games like these succeed because they suck the player into a virtual world of their own creation and never let them go. Football manager does so in spectacular style. [Christmas 2004, p.104]