The game spent last two years in Early Access and a few months more would not be a steep price to pay for more polish. Still, its AI and physics do successfully infect the players with the ‘one more turn syndrome’. [06/2020, p.60]

On paper Sunday Gold has the elements needed for a simple but interesting RPG, including enjoyable puzzles and characters who have a lot to talk about. Sadly, most of its promising plot threads remain undeveloped, the enemies are repetitive and the level cap takes fun out of combat. Real shame, because it could have been a gem.

An enjoyable game that unfortunately gets repetitive in a long run. [13/2017, p.63]

It definitely starts better than it ends. While I was truly dazzled by the beginning, the finale – a bit different than previous missions – for me was rather a case of reviewer’s obligation. [12/2019, p.56]

Big Brain Academy returns in decent shape – it’s still a simple but enjoyable and engaging game that additionally exercises your brain. Possibly. A doctor’s opinion would be welcome.

The biggest obstacle on ReCore’s path to greatness is the uneven pacing of the campaign. First couple of hours, when the game gradually unveils its secrets, are almost perfect, but then it becomes unnecessarily hard and the story gets watered down too much. [12/2016, p.44]

I really wanted CoD’s return to World War II to be something more than a solid game – but it’s not. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’ve already seen all this, that the developers (or perhaps the publisher) chose to create something as safe as possible. There’s just one campaign mission that surprised me with its scale, the rest is just a disappointing “best of Call of Duty”. The multiplayer is as good as usual, but it was infused with unnecessary systems resembling mobile titles, e.g spending in-game currency on pointless tasks of the “kill 100 enemies” variety. Missions that make you watch other players open their loot boxes are the pinnacle of absurdity. [13/2017, p.64]

Doom 64 for Switch was overshadowed by Doom Eternal’s release on Nintendo’s handheld, but it would be a shame to ignore it. Do not mistake it for a port of the original Doom. Developed for Nintendo 64, it features a completely different campaign, offers more complex levels, and goes for a darker atmosphere. The enhanced Switch edition looks better, brings six additional levels, and fits the platform perfectly. [02/2021, p.55]

Live A Live is fresh and surprising – there are moments when it’s really hard to believe that it’s a remake of a 30-year-old game. Despite its shallow story and the fact that the combat system’s potential went unrealized, this experimental jRPG is definitely worth your time thanks to its creativity. And if you’re a true fan of the genre, you’ll have lots of fun spotting elements borrowed years later by jRPG masterpieces.

Set in atmospheric Chicago in 1920s, Empire of Sin puts you in a role of a crime boss aiming to become the biggest fish in the underworld. It borrows from many genres and all its intertwined gameplay mechanics (business management, RPG elements, turn-based combat that bears a striking resemblance to the XCOM series) are deep enough to create an engaging experience that requires constant attention. Apart from shallow diplomacy and unsophisticated enemy AI, Empire of Sin’s problem is that while it was skillfully put together from tried-and-true components, it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. [02/2021, p.56]

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.

Championship Edition DX+ was brilliant, because it was deep enough to satisfy hardcore high score chasers, but also offered straightforward fun even to casual gamers. Championship Edition 2 is so fast a lot of people will be overwhelmed by it. [12/2016, p.46]

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.

The problem with the new Super Meat Boy is that it’s not the old Super Meat Boy. We have waited a decade for the sequel and it turned out to be an autorunner, which is not necessarily a welcome surprise. Two buttons is all you need, which makes CMBF very easy to grasp, but limited control over the protagonist can be maddening, especially that the game is even harder than the original. Having said that, the developers managed to squeeze a lot out of the simplified control scheme, and while I understand the game disappointed many fans, I still recommend it to those of you looking for a serious challenge. [02/2021, p.58]

First hours with Banished are very enjoyable, but when the town starts functioning like clockwork, the game loses its appeal, because it's short of features – there’s no campaign here, no scenarios. [04/2014, p.68]

I played the hell out of Warcraft II back in the day, so 20 hours I spent with this tribute to Blizzard’s masterpiece were a pleasant journey to the past. If you enjoy traditional real-time strategies and don’t mind cover versions sounding almost the same as the originals, give Loria a try. [01/2019, p.77]

A simple but effective roguelike. [01/2016, p.75]

Cyanide Studios surprised me by making a game that’s genuinely worth recommending. What kept me from giving it a higher rating were some technical issues that I encountered. [01/2015, p.58]

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]

The freedom to move around the city and the ability to use powers that everyone would like to have as a superhero are this game's undeniable pros. It does not overwhelm you with activities though so those who enjoyed training assassins and renovating shops in Renaissance Rome will probably be disappointed. [July 2011, p.72]

Concrete Genie’s huge potential wasn’t fulfilled the way I would have wished. It’s wonderful to look at but visual prowess doesn’t go toe to toe with providing lots of fun gameplay-wise. The good fun lasts for two hours after which it starts getting tedious. [12/2019, p.60]

Cute visuals and crude humor make this a pleasant game to play if you’ve got nothing else to do. [11/2015, p.67]

Duels of the Planeswalkers is an invaluable tool for learning how to play Magic: The Gathering. [10/2014, p.64]

Infernally fast vehicles racing and blowing each other up on numerous, well-designed tracks where distinction between floor and ceiling is often purely formal. If you still remember Rollcage fondly, you will probably turn a blind eye to average visuals, annoying music and some AI problems to simply enjoy the sensation of speed. [01/2019, p.79]

Warframe is worth your time, especially on PS4 with its limited array of games. [02/2014, p.56]

Due to quick levelling up and relatively small map Mutant Year Zero feels smaller than it actually is, but still don’t expect more than 12-15 hours of moderately engaging gameplay that unfortunately slows down towards the end. [01/2019, p.80]

On paper, Pacer has everything a racing game needs, including a multitude of game modes and customization options, decent physics, nice sense of speed, and a lot of varied, visually attractive tracks. In reality I got bored pretty quickly due to its lackluster career mode, questionable AI, and overall derivativeness. [02/2021, p.63]

The protagonist doesn’t have a believable motivation, while the enemies, the environments and the gameplay mechanics lack variety. Other than that Death’s Door is a really decent action RPG – it’s pretty, technically polished, rich in optional content, and welcoming of inexperienced players. [10/2021, p.68]