If you're fond of mindless carnage and have friends to play with you in co-op mode, you might enjoy Earth Defense Force. Otherwise stay clear of it. [February 2012, p.64]

A really simple but fun co-op action game resembling a team-based hack’n’slash. If you played one match you played them all. [06/2015, p.76]

If you need a simple refuge from overly complicated strategy games and you remember Command & Conquer fondly, 8-Bit Armies is a cool little game for you. [07/2016, p.60]

Despite all the simplifications (e.g. plants need just a couple of days to grow) there’s something addictive about FS17 that makes you switch off your thinking and just farm, farm, farm. [01/2017, p.59]

Twenty years ago I was enamored with Startopia’s humorous approach to a space business simulation. Spacebase Startopia does the same but worse. While back then I didn’t mind Startopia’s low level of complexity, because its 3D graphics and humor made up for that, today I was disappointed with the fact that the campaign poses no challenge at all and the whole thing feels shallow. It’s more of a replacement rather than a worthy successor to the classic. [06/2021, p.56]

The quests are painfully repetitive, you wouldn’t also call them creative exactly. But throughout the 15 hours of gameplay the ‘one more mission syndrome’ was more than apparent. [07/2020, p.44]

The game is full of all sorts of flaws and bugs, but thanks to deep mechanics and vast world it’s an enjoyable survival both in multiplayer and played solo (but less so in the latter case). [07/2018, p.52]

The developers from Hakama tried to brush up the series’ formula somewhat and push it more decisively in the direction of serious RPGs, but at the same time they are clinging to old mechanics, even those highly annoying. However, if you can tune out the game’s flaws, you’ll get many hours of decent fun that resembles Zeldas to some extent.

A really great Lego game, surprisingly fresh for a company famous for releasing the same product over and over again. [06/2014, p.56]

Steel Rats is built around a fun, refreshing concept, offers more than meets the eye and is varied enough to keep boredom at bay for the whole duration of the game, but could use better visuals and audio, and more creativity when it comes to enemies’ design. [01/2019, p.55]

The Signifier is pretty unique in terms of both the concept and its execution. I’m sure you won’t regret giving it a chance if you’re into adventure games and can appreciate a highly unsettling atmosphere bordering on horror. [13/2020, p.67]

A game that could have been released 5 years ago and even then wouldn’t be anything special. [03/2014, p.66]

Volition played it much too safe with this Saints Row spin-off, making a game that trails behind Saints Row IV in every aspect. [11/2017, p.42]

A belated game following the band of other Korean MMOs vanishing on the horizon. [03/2016, p.58]

Football Manager 26 never made it out of beta – the game is so unfinished that it cannot be considered a full-fledged product. Wait a year, maybe two, until „early access” ends.

If you want to practice fast typing, Nanotale seems like a good choice, because that’s how you cast spells in this game. Unfortunately, the story is not engaging and fights become tedious after some time. [06/2021, p.69]

The latest incarnation of Silent Hill is really worth visiting as the spirit of the Japanese original is strong in this Czech Downpour. [May 2012, p.77]

Serial Cleaners is a clever story about mob’s crime scene cleaners, unfortunately spoiled with a couple of annoying flaws, e.g. an irritating save system or the tendency to waste your time by making you wait for something idly. Overall, it probably won’t wow you, but is quite engaging and has a distinct, enjoyable atmosphere backed by an excellent soundtrack.

Although the story has good moments and is pleasantly surreal, it’s hard to empathise with the protagonist as her actions don’t make much sense. It doesn’t help that the game is rather short. [05/2020, p.51]

One of the best and most popular series from Japanese arcades finally travels to the West. The single player mode is solid at most, but the multiplayer is worthy of a Game of the Year, mainly thanks to an amazing movement system. [13/2017, p.51]

Seven managed to combine things that seemingly should not come in pairs: fantasy aesthetics with a post-apocalyptic world, mechanics of a traditional isometric RPG with a stealth game that does not avoid action sequences, and – unfortunately – some great ideas with tons of bugs and flaws that buried promising work. [01/2018, p.38]

White Night looks good, sounds great but gameplay-wise it’s unfortunately unpolished. [05/2015, p.70]

There’s a lot of love here, both for the genre and the main character – and that love is contagious, especially since Heroki is surprisingly polished for an indie game. However I have no idea why someone decided that assigning movement and aiming to the same analogue stick is a good idea. [10/2018, p.62]

It’s a very intensive and addictive experience – although it doesn’t get in your head as well as Hotline Miami, nor has it comparably good soundtrack. It’s a game put together from other people’s ideas which simply go well together. [03/2019, p.80]

Strange Brigade is full of dubious design choices, lacks content and gets boring quickly. [11/2018, p.76]

Another solid Lego game, but not as rich in content as great Lego Marvel Super Heroes. Plus this time there was no room for the tongue-in-cheek reinterpretation of the source material, so this is just a movie tie-in. [04/2014, p.64]

The idea behind Paperbound was not bad, but there’s just not enough content to keep you occupied for longer. [06/2015, p.71]

The developers built on the concept of their previous, 60 Seconds!, to deliver a more engaging experience. [12/2018, p.82]

Interesting but unpolished, ambitious but too weak to lift the weight of these ambitions. What bothered me most was that the brilliant idea of bringing other players into your single player mode was not realized properly. [June 2011, p.80]

When Outcast was published 18 years ago, it was ahead of its time in many ways. It can still be impressive, but the remaster does very little to adjust it to modern conditions. I could have turned the blind eye to unevenly refreshed visuals but Second Coming is oppressively archaic in too many aspects and shamefully buggy even after two patches. [03/2018, p.55]

A collection of varied party minigames, great for kids, too easy for adults with some gaming experience. [05/2018, p.80]

The only link between this and previous FromSoftware’s games is pain. Deracine is not painfully hard though – it’s painfully boring. It does tell a good enough story, looks fine and does VR well, but interactions it offers are very limited and it is simply not much of a game. [02/2019, p.32]

The Guest is average in every aspect and you will forget about it in an hour. [05/2016, p.71]

Adventure on Clover Island is a return to the genre’s roots – it’s obvious that inspiration came from classic 3D platformers, e.g. Ratchet & Clank or Jak & Daxter. Tried-and-true solutions were mixed with some original ideas and the result is an enjoyable game with well-designed levels and accessible gameplay. If you’re not a kid though, you’ll probably find Skylar & Plux way to easy. [09/2017, p.44]

A simple story about love, sacrifice and loss that plays out on sheets of paper, where you can draw different three-dimensional figures and play with elements (e.g. start a fire or creating a wind gust) to solve puzzles, often based on physics. The puzzles are usually easy, but well-designed and the game as a whole is a sight to behold. [07/2018, p.72]

Steelrising is completely different from what the fans of Spiders’ previous games could expect. It copies traditional soulslike mechanics but does stand out thanks to an interesting art direction and options that let you adjust the difficulty level to your liking. It should have been optimized better though, because the game’s visual quality does not justify its thirst for processing power.

Half of the game is wonderful, the other half is frustrating, as Yooka-Laylee stumbles in some key aspects. The character feels floaty which makes controlling him a bit tricky. Some portions of the world seem designed for a different genre and break the flow that is absolutely crucial to platformers. And then there’s annoying camera. The first Banjo-Kazooie, which is almost 20 years old, is actually more polished than Yooka-Laylee. [06/2017, p.63]

It’s the best MOBA since League of Legends, pure and simple. [06/2015, p.66]

A great way to take a 15-minute break. [06/2015, p.55]

Kill it With Fire is one of those “so dumb it’s kinda fun” experiences. The game is very simple, intentionally ugly, and unpretentious, which makes killing house spiders with over-the-top weapons (explosives, flame thrower, shotgun, etc.) pretty enjoyable for around two hours. [11/2020, p.76]

It’s a shame Gauntlet’s visuals are not as wonderful as its gameplay. [Dec 2014, p.75]

Isn’t it high time to stop resurrecting this stale series? [07/2014, p.60]

The first Project CARS game designed not only for hardcore simulation fans, but also for more casual racing enthusiasts, was supposed to be love at first sight. Well, it wasn’t. It does boast one of the most enjoyable driving models you can come across nowadays, but it’s not enough. The rest of the game (including the single-player campaign that should have been named Project Grind) falls short of what the best racing games on the market offer. [11/2020, p.52]

After a couple of hours this pigeon dating sim (yes, you date pigeons) turns into a psychedelic post-apocalyptic horror with gore elements. Is any other encouragement necessary? [13/2014, p.67]

Style over substance – I bet Neon Giant has this cyberpunk principle printed above the office entrance. The design of their game is absolutely breathtaking, with huge, vertical, crime-infested cities and masterful use of lights and shadows. Add a pulp-style story and good dialogues (or rather monologues, as the protagonist is silent) immersed deeply in the cyberpunk lore, and you’ve got a pure gem for anyone who enjoys this setting. The shooting mechanics and progression system might be overly simple, but they get the job done and make it easier to catch the game’s flow. [10/2021, p.56]

A new, better Costume Quest. If it wasn’t for the short and easy campaign I would recommend it to everyone, not just fans of the first game. [13/2014, p.53]

By the end arcade sequences get a bit tedious but tactical manoeuvres are still fun. It might not be for everyone but I did go down with the ‘one more round’ syndrome. [CD-Action 04/2013, p.76]

The problem with Neverending Nightmares is that to understand it you need the developer’s sidenotes or your own experiences with depression. Otherwise it’s just a poorly designed, boring horror game. [01/2015, p.76]

It’s extremely good at scare jumps but the point is that scare jumps are an awfully primitive tool. [07/2015, p.54]

Looks good, sounds good and has some cool ideas, especially in the field of level design. [03/2016, p.73]

Down in Bermuda offers pleasant relaxation but its mobile origin weighs it down. When you play it on a PC in longer sessions, it is hard to overlook its length (3 hours) and formulaic puzzles that become less and less rewarding with time. The port itself could have been better too, as the last map suffers from serious performance issues. [03/2021, p.50]

You will probably enjoy Tsioque if you bear in mind that it’s a two-hour (tops) classic animated film which sometimes needs you to do some light thinking and influence the story. A perfect plan for an evening with a kid. [01/2019, p.64]

The PC version of NfS is the prettiest of them all, but it is the same game with all its flaws, including horrible AI that sucks all satisfaction out of races (even if you stop completely, your rivals will wait for you) and scarce content that leaves you with nothing to do after around 12 hours. [05/2016, p.53]

The latest expansion pack has a couple of shortcomings but brings a whole lot of fun. It enriches the game’s world, provides many activities, offers different ways of running a backyard business, and gives a lot of freedom in how you handle the horses.

“Measure thrice, cut once”, my shop class teacher used to say. It’s a shame no one told these words of wisdom to the guys from Frozenbyte. The addition of the third dimension turned out to be very costly, both literally (the game ends abruptly because the developers ran out of money) and figuratively (gameplay and puzzles are shallow in comparison to Trine 2). It’s not a bad game, it looks great, but it is a mediocre Trine. [11/2015, p.56]

A strategy game stripped from everything that’s not essential, boiled down to the essence of what’s really important in the genre. [13/2014, p.65]

WRC 6 is basically the same game it was in the previous iteration, which means its developers still haven’t decided whether they’re making a simulator or an arcade title (the driving model is decent though) and the visuals are far from spectacular. Additionally the game makes an awful first impression with its terrible tutorial. [13/2016, p.74]

Solar Sails’ debut captivates mainly with its atmosphere and graphic style – similar to the most interesting works of Zoink! and Image & Form. And that is why, despite some of its shortcomings, I ultimately spent three pleasant evenings with it. [03/2019, p.76]

A really decent point’n’click game, but I would appreciate higher difficulty level and more inventive mini-games. [01/2015, p.83]

Serious Sam remained true to its legacy and therefore is charmingly archaic – which is not a flaw in this case. It’s easy to point out that side missions are uninspired and fail to provide the diversity they were supposed to introduce, or question the quality of graphics and optimization, but it’s not really that important when burying enemies under piles of bullets is so much fun. [12/2020, p.34]

There’s hardly any game in 911 Operator (your main tasks is to connect colorful symbols) but I appreciate its educational value (i.e. you can learn what stroke symptoms are and how to stop heavy bleeding). [06/2017, p.72]

I think you won’t be disappointed if you choose to return to Albion. Of course some gameplay mechanics are old after 10 years, but it is still a charming fairy tale. [03/2014, p.71]

It’s fun even if you’re not an avid speedway enthusiast. [02/2016, p.42]

It seems the developers were not entirely sure what they wanted to achieve and got caught between traditional and innovative approach, properly employing neither. [13/2014, p.56]

I appreciate Daedalic’s ambition, but I prefer FTL, which is smaller, simpler and offers gameplay condensed to most interesting interactions. [07/2017, p.59]

Despite its dark theme the game gets more fun by the minute and the ‘Hellboy’ and ‘Sin City’ inspired graphics are as pleasant to look at as the soundtrack is to listen to. [04/2020, p.72]

A quarter of a century ago, the original Outcast made its mark on games, but since then its core strengths have become commonplace in the industry. Its sequel is merely an average title done by today’s standards. The overall quality of execution is there and the developers were obviously committed, but A New Beginning doesn’t offer anything that will make you remember this adventure for years to come. However, as soon as the bugs are fixed, you can give it a chance, as long as you have some time on your hands.

Uninteresting, shallow story paired with a combat system that was supposed to be tactical but really isn’t. [09/2015, p.69]

It’s a museum piece and a reminder why we used to love old point’n’click games (and hate some of them). If you’re not a diehard fan of such style, this is definitely not a game for you. [07/2014, p.61]

Let me make a list of all the changes introduced in the HD version of Age of Empires II - higher resolution. [CD-Action 06/2013, p.77]

A fast action game that looks great and is very satisfying in small doses but in long term annoyed me with repetitiveness and wore me down with grind. And where’s the co-op?! [01/2017, p.52]

Despite its very short campaign and some other flaws Deadlight is a strong title with great atmosphere. [10/2012, p.73]

The Falconeer’s undeniable strengths are its distinct, memorable atmosphere and beautiful visuals. I believe it would have been a better game if the developer had ditched combat (as well as arcade elements in general) and focused on exploration and uncovering the history of the realm. [01/2021, p.44]

It's been ages since I wasted 5 hours so pointlessly. I felt like a victim of an exceptionally malicious prank. [1/2013, p.67]

MXGP’s realism might be valuable for motocross connoisseurs, but will deter anyone who just wants to have some fun in the dirt. [02/2015, p.55]

Penile jokes aside, Genital Jousting is based on an interesting idea and offers an exceptionally original single player campaign and a fun multiplayer component (that does however get stale after a while). [03/2018, p.72]

Combining very good components resulted in a disappointingly average game. It would stand a chance as a freemium, but what you get for a full price is a mediocre single player campaign and a potentially great online mode that might soon die away due to lack of interest. [June 2012, p.74]

A decent board game for the fans of The Witcher universe. Simple and not very atmospheric, but really enjoyable. [01/2015, p.66]

It could have been a really great sandbox for one evening. It’s a shame the developers decided to extend it by over a dozen completely redundant hours, because they had fresh ideas for around one fifth of the campaign and made the rest of the game repetitive as hell. [12/2016, p.48]

When designing a new game in a long-running franchise, the developers face a fundamental question: go with the tried-and-true or risk trying something new? In this case the former approach was chosen and it was the right decision, because JC4 is as enjoyable as its predecessors. It has some obvious flaws (e.g. uneven visuals and some repetitive mission types) but they are easily outweighed by incredibly fun gameplay. It is simply a well-made, thrilling open world game. [01/2019, p.40]

After the first hour I really wanted to hate this game, because it hated me and did not teach me how to play. Don't confuse high difficulty level with realism though as the latter is sometimes questionable. After all I gave Men of War: Vietnam a second chance and it returned the favor with a couple of satisfying moments. Only Men of War fans prepared to be driven into the ground by enemy forces should play this. [October, p.62]

With its very diverse (but still pop-oriented) tracklist and varied modes, Let’s Sing 2021 is without a doubt one of the best music games available, especially with SingStar gone. [03/2021, p.44]

A typical game from Milestone’s production line. Improvements over the previous one are visible but never notable enough to call Ride a new experience. [06/2015, p.52]

The game’s title says a lot about its difficulty level. It is unfair and painful at times, but if you’re stubborn enough, Slain will captivate you and give you a lot of satisfaction despite its far-reaching simplicity and repetitiveness that goes with it. [02/2017, p.45]

Falling somewhere between Dark Souls and Shadow of the Colossus, Shattered offers a huge, beautiful world full of secrets and shortcuts that’s a joy to explore, and adds platforming sequences to the mix. The game has a lot going for it, but it’s also full of bugs (minor but very numerous) and most of its bosses are rather bland. [04/2021, p.42]

Decent fun spoiled by poorly designed, frustrating controls and lack of depth. [09/2015, p.47]

The Solus Project finds the right balance between adventuring and survival and sometimes is a real joy to look at, but tends to remind you too often that it is just a game. [09/2016, p.56]

I was not unhappy playing Ancient Space, but I don’t feel like playing it again, because at some point during the 15-hours-long campaign, the gameplay got boring. [13/2014, p.68]

We are probably all familiar with this phenomenon: you spend hours with a game complaining about it all the time, but you simply can’t turn it off. Having spent all evening with it, you feel guilty about wasting your time, but the next day you come back and play some more. For me, Port Royale 4 is one of such games. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the Caribbean and the depth of the trade system, but I’m not sure why I devoted so much time to a title that annoyed me with many ill-conceived bits, and whose low difficulty level often made me feel redundant. [12/2020, p.55]

It’s a decent game but not much more. It has everything a solid dungeon crawler should have, but it is also too derivative and predictable to be truly exciting. [13/2020, p.46]

Godstrike is a well-designed twin-stick shooter, but be aware that it is not just hard, it’s mercilessly brutal. Try it if you dare, but steer clear of it if being butchered is not your idea of an enjoyable evening. [07/2021, p.60]

I wish the devs from Chaosmonger Studio could decide whether they’re making a funny and cute game or a dark and depressing one. Encodya tries to be both and is not great at it, as it pulls its punches when it has a chance to tell something more meaningful, only to bestow some cheap wisdom a bit later. Apart from that, it overwhelmed me with the amount of useless junk you hoard in your inventory (I didn’t use most of the items even once), and disappointed me with uninteresting puzzles. [04/2021, p.55]

This cute Zelda-like 2D action adventure is a remake of Monster World IV, a Sega Mega Drive/Genesis game from 1994. I enjoyed this rad but surprisingly short (6 hours tops!) walk down the memory lane with beautiful re-recorded music. The only things that bothered me were overly old-school boss battles and some minor performance issues. [08/2021, p.47]

If you disregard the nostalgia factor, the game is anything but extraordinary. It won’t win over new, younger players... but on the other hand they are not the target audience. [13/2019, p.78]

Simplicity and mobile origin (at first, Little Orpheus was released on iOS) can be drawbacks but they don’t have to be. If you struggle in hardcore platformers and value challenge less than a fun narrative and picturesque environments, you may enjoy this game.

At first glance The Legend of Legacy offers everything a jRPG should offer, but its really complex and interesting combat system was watered down with tedious running around and leveling up to be able to progress. [04/2016, p.62]

Rogue Mage lacks the scope and ambition of Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, but despite that provides lots of fun thanks to its addictive, well-balanced gameplay. It’s also a great way to get acquainted with Gwent.