Immortals of Aveum’s quality is very uneven and for every well-executed element there’s a “but” of some sorts. The combat system is great but not as unique as the developers claimed. We get 60 fps but at the expense of blurry graphics. The game’s intriguing lore deserves attention but is obscured by silly humor.

It’s not an indie blockbuster, but it can arouse some enthusiasm if you enjoy tactical games. [10/2014, p.65]

If you expect a revolution in terms of gameplay, you’ll be disappointed. The developers still experiment in search of the perfect interactive cinematic experience formula, but their attempts are too modest to really make a difference. The Devil in Me is not only derivative, but also squanders the potential of its story and setting, and compared to The Quarry, looks like an unpolished project developed on a tight budget.

For the first couple of hours City of Brass was lots of fun, mainly thanks to the whip, which is a cool, versatile tool, and the game’s unique setting. Then scarcity of content reared its head and despite the efforts of a very capable procedural generation algorithm repetitiveness became more and more wearisome. [07/2018, p.50]

A very decent Mystery Dungeon game and the best Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. [06/2016, p.66]

Supermassive’s newest work is a step back from Until Dawn on every level – including visual design which, though solid, ends up monotonous in comparison. [12/2019, p.58]

Trek to Yomi is a marvel that uses its black and white art style, wonderfully designed environments, and Japanese setting to convey the spirit of samurai tales better than many games employing color and full 3D. The game would be perfect if it had better combat animations.

A simple PC port of a good gamebook adaptation released originally on mobile devices. Both parts can be completed in few hours but they reveal their depth on the third playthrough. [04/2016, p.49]

Bishop Games decided to break the "don’t fix it, if it’s not broke" rule and took a swing at an eternal foundation of platforming games, achieving something between a devastating uppercut and a shy slap. The idea to replace predefined platforms with ones created by the player on the fly sometimes works great, but due to inadequate level design most of the time I felt the developers failed to properly take advantage of the concept. Still I enjoyed the atmosphere of a dark fable, surprisingly good writing and pleasant movement physics, until the terrible last act erased the good impression almost entirely. [07/2018, p.78]

A New Frontier is well written and directed, surprising and touching. Along with Tales from the Borderlands The Walking Dead is still the best series by Telltale. [02/2017, p.44]

It’s an admirably ambitious and atmospheric game that sometimes sparkles like a diamond, but the PS4 version I played was so ridiculously underdeveloped I couldn’t believe someone had the nerve to publish it in such a disgraceful state. [04/2018, p.45]

Humans are worse than zombies. Humans are worse than zombies. Humans are worse than zombies. Humans are worse than zombies. More of the same in every aspect. [05/2016, p.65]

A huge, lively space bazaar is overwhelming at first, but you tame it little by little and get into a bitter-sweet routine. It’s a lesson in accepting permanent destitution, limiting your ambitions, and enjoying small things. If you’re after a breathtaking story, you’ll be disappointed – as opposed to those who take pleasure in constant exploration and have a knack for trading. [03/2017, p.68]

A brilliant idea for a simple, procedurally generated strategy game, held back by repetitiveness. [11/2017, p.71]

It’s a competent game but it won’t show you any tricks you haven’t seen in the genre. [06/2016, p.46]

Another example of a game that was not saved by a well-known creator. The author of the excellent Dragon Age has come up with a title that is a tiresome in the long run, although it has some interesting ideas. Unfortunately, the gameplay is too repetitive, and the fun quickly becomes monotonous.

I’m torn. On the one hand it’s Age of Empires as I remember it, atmosphere and spirit intact. On the other hand despite refreshed graphics it’s simply an old game so sentiment seems the only driving factor here. [04/2018, p.61]

Battleborn can be enjoyable, but only with friends and only for so long, especially when there’s a better alternative – Overwatch. [07/2016, p.52]

An interesting way of spending a couple of evenings, but there is not enough content in Abyss Odyssey to keep you engaged until morning. [10/2014, p.58]

An interesting niche game that requires patience for slow pace and some tolerance for bugs and simplifications. [04/2018, p.58]

Rainbow Six Siege’s co-op oriented spin-off is an enjoyable alternative that closely resembles its cousin in terms of gameplay but puts more emphasis on action. The game is quite rich in content and offers a distinct change of atmosphere but unfortunately fails to properly reward cooperation between players and has some balancing issues.

Ride 2 has the ambition to appeal to as wide audience of motorbike fans as possible, so it offers loads of contents (tracks, bikes, competitions) and is very flexible in terms of customizing your experience. It’s the best bike racing game of this generation. [13/2016, p.62]

Livelock is a case of a one-evening game: you launch it, annihilate hordes of enemies, kick the last boss’ butt and then you forget about it all. It will not be a life changing evening, but nonetheless a pleasant one. [11/2016, p.54]

Sanctus Reach does not offer scale or presentation comparable to Total War series, but it has the charm of an old school turn-based strategy game and seems to be a great basis for future Warhammer 40,000 titles. [03/2017, p.46]

I love Broken Swords and this one returns to the tradition of the first two games, which are the best in the series. If only this new sword were longer... [02/2014, p.64]

The story starts like a million others but it does manage to keep the player engaged until the last minutes. An interesting narrative experiment that tells a simple tale in an unobvious way. [07/2020, p.64]

Great visuals and a huge map are perfect foundations for a good open world game, but Wildlands falls short of expectations (because of unpleasant driving and flight models among other things) and it’s up to Ubisoft to remedy that. [05/2017, p.46]

It can get tiring in long sessions and doesn’t offer enough content to become your new obsession, but works great in co-op and has one of the most interesting combat systems in the genre. [08/2015, p.54]

As consoles lack really good strategy games, their users have to resort to half-measures – and 'half-measure' is a word that illustrates Under Siege perfectly. [August 2011, p.72]

Kingdom Come: Deliverance for Nintendo Switch remains a large, slow-paced RPG full of numbers and choices, set in realistically depicted Middle Ages. The resolution obviously took a nasty hit, so I don’t recommend playing this version on a TV, and the controls are not very intuitive, but I’m still amazed that the whole experience is available on a handheld console. Nevertheless, while the game is definitely worth playing, you should consider whether to play it on a Switch specifically.

As in most roguelike games luck plays a large part in Rogue Stormers. It adds addictive unpredictability but coupled with permadeath may also cause outbursts of fury. I couldn’t stay mad at this game for long though. Actually I feel like playing it right now. [01/2017, p.71]

For its age, Crysis is still quite fun, but I don’t think bragging about the game’s ability to vanquish any PC should still be a thing today. There are many shooters that look much better and at the same time run much smoother on the same hardware. It’s also a pity that the Warhead expansion was not remastered along the base game and there’s no trace of the multiplayer modes. [12/2020, p.56]

Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles is as beautiful as it is original. The developer’s ambition and fresh approach to the city builder genre are commendable, but the decision to force players to discover the game’s mechanics on their own has brought mixed results, while the lack of a proper challenge becomes a problem during longer sessions.

The Sword of the Necromancer tells its love story in an interesting way and may surprise you with a plot twist, but its not enough to outweigh the game’s repetitiveness or the fact that you can’t control your undead and need to rely on their random, silly AI. [04/2021, p.63]

The only unquestionably valuable new feature in comparison to the previous Dr. Mario is the online mode. [09/2015, p.69]

The Callisto Protocol is a strange game in which high production values contrast with serious problems that stem from the very basis of its outdated gameplay design. It looks awesome and sounds great but it is botched in so many ways. Clunky combat, bland weapons, awful boss encounters, heavy scripting, unintuitive interface and run-of-the-mill story built around boring characters with no personalities – it all adds up and amounts to a chore rarely interrupted by some enjoyable moments. What’s more, it’s not even a good horror game, as the designers went for annoying jump scares instead of trying to create real tension.

Captain Tsubasa’s biggest strength is its touching story about friendship, rivalry, and the love of football. Unfortunately, I’m not talking about the game. The narratives of both story campaigns in Rise of New Champions are boring, full of clichés and poorly written dialogues. That’s not the biggest problem though. As soon as a match starts, the abysmal gameplay turns the game from okayish to awful. [11/2020, p.32]

Desync is a niche game that has no chance to appeal to wider audience. Most people will quickly grow tired of its unforgiving difficulty level and return to Doom or Shadow Warrior. Those interested in overcoming their limitations however will enjoy it. [05/2017, p.62]

Move is still a gadget that you can do without – Sports Champions 2 doesn’t change that. [CD-Action 02/2013, p.70]

The concept behind The Invisible Hand is interesting, but sooner or later the game’s blunt anticapitalistic message becomes annoying, while the graphics gave me nightmares. [07/2021, p.63]

I can recommend Wizard Wars to all fans of original Magicka but if you’re looking for a MOBA that puts emphasis on tactics, you have to look elsewhere. [07/2015, p.55]

Jurassic World Evolution has its downs (e.g. when it gives you a task you are simply unable to carry out at that moment) but its ups are undeniable. The game manages to reconcile tycoon’s natural depth with accessibility and makes a great, complex use of the license. And it has Jeff Goldblum. Oh, and raptors. Damn those *#&%@ raptors! How do they manage to escape every time? Well, I guess “life, uh... finds a way”. [08/2018, p.56]

Too short, too easy and devoid of atmosphere. [March 2012, p.69]

First impression is not very good, especially if you're not familiar with previous Piranha Bytes' work. But Risen 2 is so gripping and surprisingly fresh that you turn the blind eye to technical issues and rough edges. I really wish Germans had Skyrim's budget at their disposal and could polish the game properly, but if you're an RPG fan, you still have to play it. [June 2012, p.46]

I was once fascinated with Micro Machines, but Toybox Turbos is a great game in its own right, not just as a stroll down the memory lane. [01/2015, p.71]

Some improvements and gameplay changes make Rivals an enjoyable experience, but not as engaging and revolutionary as the original game. [07/2016, p.54]

A light, short and pretty Far Cry clone with robots. It seems to me the developers implemented all their basic ideas and then ran out of money, willingness or skills to push the game a bit more, towards true uniqueness. [06/2017, p.68]

The last Infinite Warfare DLC is a decent one, but its best bits are recycled (remade Resistance map from Modern Warfare 3 is great!) and some levels are simply poor. [10/2017, p.50]

Death Come True has an interesting narrative foundation which is wasted due to illusory choices (think “Telltale games”), the finale boiled down to choosing one of two options, and mediocre special effects. It’s like a B movie – mostly watchable if there’s nothing better, but forgettable. I’m still waiting for an FMV game to sweep me off my feet. [10/2020, p.92]

Inspired by Franz Kafka, this great mix between weird fiction and magical realism casts you in the role of a man turned suddenly and inexplicably into a little bug and lets you explore a civilization built by insects but resembling our own. In many aspects Metamorphosis is crude, but the unsettling atmosphere of the strangely bureaucratic insect world, unusual music, solid voice-acting, and dialogues full of legal gibberish that illustrates said bureaucracy make the game unique. [11/2020, p.73]

Unexplored 2 is an incredibly ambitious and beautiful game that will captivate the player with well thought out survival systems. However, its lackluster story and lack of polish will be a major hinderance for anyone who wants to become a wayfarer.

As rather ugly and targeted mainly at children The Incredibles is definitely not the best game Lego series has to offer. [09/2018, p.59]

The first Knack was a laughing-stock. The sequel kept the main concept but did everything else differently and surprisingly the result is one of the most enjoyable co-op platformers I’ve ever played. [12/2017, p.44]

This Gloria Victis spin-off is literally a This War of Mine gone medieval. It’s a tale of a bunch of civilians trying to survive a war, and many gameplay mechanics were clearly inspired by the 11 bit studios game. I really liked the fresh concept of helping to defend the stronghold by supporting soldiers with resources instead of actually participating in battles, but awful enemy AI and dull story made it impossible for me to truly enjoy the experience. [08/2021, p.40]

Kao the Kangaroo is a solid reboot, but not in the league of Crash Bandicoot. The game is pretty, runs smoothly, offers great level design and fun combat system, and overall has a strong base, but also contains many elements that fail to reach the level we expect from a platformer today.

The PC version of Pro Evo stayed way behind the console editions and obviously exists only to squeeze some cash out of fans. Don’t buy it – either try FIFA 17 or keep playing PES 2016. It seems we need to wait until Pro Evo PC’s corpse decays completely and turns to dust to see it thoroughly overhauled. [12/2016, p.67]

Despite having spent four years in Early Access the game is still very far from being finished. [04/2018, p.65]

Mobile AC is an all-around decent game but there’s just not enough fun in it to play longer than a couple of hours. [08/2016, p.74]

Shadows of Doubt has the potential to become a highly engaging detective immersive sim, but in order to achieve that, a lot needs to be done about technical flaws and clarity of gameplay mechanics. Right now the game can be summed up as a great concept with awful execution.

This half-baked, technically clumsy game failed to squeeze any emotion out of me apart from the moments when it got on my nerves. [05/2014, p.70]

The game almost plays itself, which is a shame. It’s still made well enough to keep players engrossed in the mystery and scared of the Ripple Man. [04/2020, p.80]

Capcom did not repeat mistakes from RE4, so using keyboard and mouse is almost as comfortable as playing with a gamepad. PC edition was also enriched with some interesting bonus content and patched (but that didn’t save it from some technical issues). [CD-Action 05/2013, p.71]

I rarely had fun playing The Crew 2 and usually after 20 minutes tops my mind was drifting away towards anything more enjoyable (e.g. Forza Horizon 3, which is a better game in every way possible). Once again the developers bit more than they could chew, putting quantity above quality. Yes, there are 250 licensed machines and you can switch between them instantly, but there’s no joy in driving or flying them in the huge but empty and boring world. Plus the AI is very poor and the career mode did little to keep me playing. [09/2018, p.52]

This fresh take on the EDF franchise got almost everything right. Decimating alien invaders is as fun as you’d expect it to be, and the ability to instantly switch between 4 characters (there are over 100 of them to unlock, each with a unique weapon and a special attack!) makes the voxel-powered destruction even more thrilling. I only wish the Switch version ran smoother and the split screen mode wasn’t exclusive to PlayStation. [08/2021, p.57]

A really enjoyable, relaxing game reminiscent of old Settlers. [02/2016, p.57]

The whole ‘turning your console into an HD arcade’ feature is a hogwash (pixels look like paving slabs and there are black stripes on the sides of the screen), but it’s a nice blast from the past. [CD-Action 06/2013, p.65]

If the only question that arises in your head after watching the gameplay video is ‘what for?’, this is not a game for you. But if you’re longing for never-ending summer, endless roads and countless toll booths on the highway, there’s no better choice than SCS Software’s new title. [12/2013, p.70]

Oblitus was so close to being a really good game. It’s inspired by philosophy that stands behind Dark Souls’ design but strays from it in some key elements and having nothing to lean on in these aspects comes across as unpolished and not properly thought through. [5/2015, p.65]

Diversity is Foul Play’s huge advantage – each of 22 levels offers a completely different setting, increasingly unconventional monsters and plenty of bosses. Still the game gets tedious if you play it too long. [12/2013, p.67]

Scarf tries to win attention with its creative puzzles and attractive fairy-tale art style. It indeed does have those qualities, but if I were to describe this platformer with just two words, I’d say it is simple and charming.

Resident Evil 0 was the weakest game in the series when it was originally released in 2002 and still is in 2016. [03/2016, p.43]

It has a taste of an ambitious Easter European game – the budget was tight but the developer had some good ideas and managed to create an interesting, disturbing atmosphere. On the other hand I Am Alive is really ugly, unbalanced and repetitive. [April 2012, p.83]

Not only will World of Tanks fans enjoy Wargaming’s new game. The gameplay is simple yet satisfying – you can feel the differences between planes, but some crude elements distinctive to hard core simulators were avoided. [01/2014, p.44]

Aliens: Fireteam Elite would really have been worth recommending if it had been more polished and offered more content. In its current state the game is definitely no Left 4 Dead, but it’s still pretty fun and you can give it a chance as you look out for a new Aliens vs. Predator. [11/2021, p.40]

The first impression is more than decent – the game looks really nice for its genre. Unfortunately due to limitations of the engine your players are not doing what you tell them to and act bizarrely on the pitch. Forget FIFA Manager 13 and buy Football Manager 2013. [CD-Action 13/2012, p.57]

A very enjoyable game that brings back fond memories of Golden Axe and looks absolutely gorgeous. [13/2016, p.71]

A solid remaster of Neighbours From Hell and its sequel, fun if you’re up for some corny humor. [13/2020, p.60]

The game is most engaging when it doesn’t actually try to flood us with visions straight from a low budget scary movie. It shines most when Mars itself and the base’s secrets get to be in the center of our focus. [13/2019, p.92]

News about Assassin’s Creed’s return to the roots turned out to be bogus, as the infiltration phase ended up being a bunch of the known tricks with a thin layer of makeup. Unique assassinations are a welcome addition, but the game’s formula didn’t really change. Valhalla’s fans should be content though, because the tried and true gameplay loop is still satisfying and the story is decent. [11/2021, p.59]

The best idea for a game ever – an octopus must pretend to be human in front of its wife and kids. When it comes to the story it’s a great cartoon, amusing both to children and adults, but gameplay has some difficult moments and peculiar controls result in some odd bugs. [04/2014, p.62]

Nerd Monkeys’ mix of an adventure game, a platformer and a puzzle game won’t surprise you with any new ideas and won’t get stuck in your head. It looks good though and thanks to its low difficulty level and lack of violence it could have been a great family game, but sadly it doesn’t offer co-op. [09/2021, p.60]

The only thing still attractive about RE5 is Sheva Alomar. Everything else – the design, the mechanics, the visuals (it’s a port, not a remaster) – aged to various degrees, but always noticeably. [09/2016, p.63]

It’s not a must-have game, even for Assassin’s Creed fans, but I had more fun with it than with Rogue. [06/2015, p.54]

After the first 5 hours I was delighted with Lichdom, shocked by its awesomeness even. Then repetitiveness reared its ugly head and my enthusiasm started fading, especially when around the 12 hour mark (when the game should have ended for its own sake) I realized that the story is far from over. Anyhow, Lichdom has a spark that makes you want to come back to it and the spell crafting system is truly amazing. It’s just better to enjoy it in small doses. [Nov 2014, p.68]

It looks great but the difficulty level rises so steeply that you either have to repeat missions and grind to get better gear or consider spending substantial amounts of money for power-ups. [01/2016, p.74]

The biggest flaw of this very enjoyable platformer is that it’s too short. [10/2015, p.71]

Telltale plucks the same emotional string it always does. The “humans are the real monsters” melody played for the 20th time sounds weak and distant, but Episode 2 does just enough to resonate with the audience, in no small part thanks to Melissa Hutchinson and other actors who managed to give this banal story a semblance of plausibility. [12/2018, p.64]

It’s a solid material for a movie. That form might actually be more suitable, because it would eliminate State of Mind’s biggest issues: awful controls and the fact that there are few interactions and decisions to make. However I recommend it to every cyberpunk fan, because even the writers of Deus Ex games could learn a thing or two from State of Mind. [11/2018, p.61]

The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is a great movie and an engaging detective game. The story is its strongest point and even though not all deductions seemed well-grounded to me and gameplay mechanics resemble simple jigsaw puzzle, solving the mystery gave me a lot of satistaction.

The best mobile game I have ever played. [09/2016, p.66]

A perfect example of why things that could have worked fifteen years ago, have no place today. Especially if you sell them as a premium game. [05/2020, p.78]

The developers did what they could to avoid the word “solitaire”, but that’s what Shadow Hand is at its core. It’s not just a solitaire though, it’s a hell of a solitaire. [02/2018, p.52]

The latest Monster Energy Supercross is a fun (but rather hard and not very approachable) game with a great track editor. My main concern is that there are too few notable changes and improvements compared to the previous entry to the series, and the graphics are years behind the times. [05/2021, p.64]

Screencheat is primarily a party game and as such works well, because the idea behind it is cool, but if you prefer to play alone, look elsewhere. [05/2016, p.73]

The potential of both Syndicate as a franchise and Starbreeze as the developer was not fully used. The co-op mode and the video post-processing are great but the game as a whole is a disappointment. [April 2012, p.52]

Maid of Sker was at its best when I was navigating dark corridors unsure of what awaits me around the corner, while unsettling noises of the dreary hotel literally gave me goosebumps. Unfortunately, skillfully built atmosphere evaporated immediately whenever I met one of bland enemies and had to engage in a lame game of cat and mouse that quickly becomes a chore. [10/2020, p.72]

As a man I might not be qualified to judge this, but I think the developers did a great job tackling the subject of maternity. [11/2013, p.79]

It’s a shame that a game with such distinct visuals and narration voiced by Patrick Stewart ended up as just a bland, short adventure. [13/2018, p.64]