Europa Universalis III is still one of the best grand strategy games you can find. [Apr 2007, p.64]

The Burning Crusade adds some much-needed high level content to a game that had grown pretty stagnant for the Level 60s who spent all day and night dancing in front of the Auction Houses in Ironforge and Orgrimmar. [Apr 2007, p.58]

This is as good as gunplay has gotten in a videogame. [Mar 2007, p.60]

Medieval II is a good game a couple of patches away from true greatness. As it stands now, it's a beautiful, well-crafted experience with some minor balance issues. [Feb. 2007, p.56]

Everquest II has come a long way since its original launch. With Faydwer and other recent enhancements, though, it's pulled alongside "World of Warcraft" in the race to be an MMO for everyone. [Mar 2007, p.68]

Ubisoft just executes the hell out of Splinter Cell, and in the end it makes its familiarity one of its strengths: The sight of Sam Fisher is always a welcome one. [Feb. 2007, p.64]

But Forces of Corruption is a great expansion. And once you've splattered a few Ewoks into hellish party streamers and done a few doughnuts in the Executer, you'll admit it could be much, much worse. [Feb. 2007, p.66]

It's a guilty pleasure, but one with good puzzles. [Mar 2007, p.72]

Still, it delivers an excellent—albeit it extremely short—experience. [Dec. 2006, p.72]

And, in terms of design, there's still no better way to go online and shoot people than DICE's battlefield games. [Jan. 2007, p.54]

Throwing super-powerful native tribes into the mix may not mesh with the history we all know, but it does make every map they inhabit a more dangerous and challenging place. [Jan. 2007, p.57]

But, more than any other adventure game, Evidence puts you in a darkly atmospheric world: part fiction, part history, part reality. [Feb. 2007, p.70]

Dark Crusade is another real-time feather in Relic's cap, even without the Tyranids. [Jan. 2007, p.56]

To get the most out of GTR 2, you have to be willing to invest a serious amount of time in becoming both a confident and a successful race driver. [Jan. 2007, p.64]

DEFCON is a simple idea developed with style by a group of obviously talented game designers. [Mar 2007, p.73]

But if you're willing to look, there are very few games that show you as much as you'll see here--a nearly infinite variety of rising gods and dying empires and a fat man with a magic belt--and no games that do it with focus, depth, and extraordinary economy of Dominions 3. [Jan. 2007, p.60]

Caesar IV deserves an ovation, if not a triumphal procession, for merely reminding people what a good historical city sim looks like. [Jan. 2007, p.68]

This is where we've been waiting Relic to take us, and with Company of Heroes, the company has confirmed what many folks suspected after "Dawn of War". This is a developer whose name belongs alongside Blizzard, Ensemble, and EALA(nee Westwood)when it comes to real-time strategy games. [Nov. 2006, p.71]

It combines simple controls(you use the shoulder buttons to tilt the world and to occasionally flick your blob into the air, letting gravity do its job)with the pop of color on the PSP's screen and the rich music you can stream from a disc. [Oct. 2006, p.81]

It’s altogether an attractive package that will appeal both to racers who love precision and to gamers who thrive on panic. [Mar 2006, p.59]

This is not a stingy game. Nearly everything you do will earn you some sort of profit, but it's about the long-term gratification. [Oct. 2006, p.66]

It's the best evidence of games' actually having some value beyond entertainment, and it's a total bonus and not necessary for game enjoyment. You can play it just as a game, and it works fine too. [July 2006, p.62]

In fact, the reason to get Warlords is for the scenarios. It's worth noting that there are already plenty of scenarios available for free, thanks to the generous modability Firaxis built into Civilization IV. [Oct. 2006, p.65]

It's exactly like one of those big-budget Hollywood summer blockbusters: You wish it gave your brain as much of a work-out as your finger, but there's no question that its superb action, terrific pacing, and actual puzzles combine to make Prey the best single-player first-person shooter since "HalfLife 2." [Sept. 2006, p.73]

Chromehounds isn't just the most exciting giant robot game since MechWarrior 2 opened with that famous Digital Domain cutscene; it's absolutely a reason to buy a 360 and a Live subscription. [Oct. 2006, p.81]

City Life is all about creating a provocative and challenging social model, then giving you the tools to play with it and the 3D engine to admire it. [Sept. 2006, p.66]

Overall, Out of the Park Baseball 2006 is the most ambitious text-based baseball GM simulator ever, and one of the best games of the year. [Sept. 2006, p.65]

It's Capcom's welcome variation on conventional RPG's, the difference being that you don't really go anywhere. [Sept. 2006, p.81]

The 2007 model adds a few necessary tweaks, such as multiple levels of minor leagues. and a more detailed almanac so that you can track more information about your leagues history. [Oct. 2006, p.69]

Following up a grand slam nuclear blast like "Nations" with a bottle rocket may seem like an odd choice. But in many ways, the smaller fiddle plays the sweeter music. [Sept. 2006, p.54]

All it does is present some interesting tactical action, a lot of graphically impressive--if somewhat too amber-colored--carnage, and a lot of intense pointing and shooting. And that's more than enough. [Sept. 2006, p.55]

Still, if you were intrigued at all by the PvP aspects of the original design but frustrated by the steep learning curve--or if you're just brand-new to the game--Factions is the best place to jump in and experience one of the deepest and most rewarding franchises in gaming. [Sept. 2006, p.79]

Second Manassas is not a surprise; it's testimony that these guys know what they are doing. [July 2006, p.67]

The real treasure here is the addition of new jobs, which is a first for the game's North American player base. Overall, this is a great package, with even more promises down the road, including Chocobo breeding. [Sept. 2006, p.80]

Dreamfall is the adventure-game equivalent of a page-turner, one that doesn't make it a hassle to turn the pages. [July 2006, p.54]

Doomsday is a lot of game for 20 bucks. [Sept. 2006, p.71]

This little game is addictive, if not more so, as gems like "Bejeweled", "Bookworm", or pretty much any downloadable puzzle game out there. [Sept. 2006, p.76]

Though it can be hard on a novice, Space Ranger 2's amazing breadth and considerable depth more than make up for its initial difficulty and intermittent lack of polish. [Nov 2005, p.74]

Now, however, the game is here, the hype has receded...and we're left appreciating what might be the best role-playing game ever made. [Jun 2006, p.61]

Hunters is a grand handheld shooter with as darling an interface as you could hope for. Everything else--and ther's plenty--is gravy. [July 2006, p.90]

You've got a surprisingly full-featured shooter slickly adapted to Sony's PSP. [May 2006, p.93]

Don't expect to like Red Orchestra Ostfront 41-45 right off, as it's downright nasty for the first couple of hours. After that, however, the depth of the game and the emphasis on skill becomes apparent. [July 2006, p.59]

The translation ot what seem like a bazillion Yu-Gi-Oh! cards to a handheld game isn't easy, but for the most part this is as perfect a translation of a CCG as you could wish. [July 2006, p.88]

As such, not only is The Outfit worth having, but it's probably the best reason to have an Xbox 360. [Jun 2006, p.90]

Complaints aside, GRAW is possible the best-produced and most engaging entry in the whole Tom Clancy milieu. [Jun 2006, p.89]

It's a modern-day "Spy Hunter", minus the oil slicks and smoke screens, and it's both repetitive and difficult, but in a very old-school "Ghosts 'n Goblins" way that makes it perfect for portable gaming. [Jun 2006, p.93]

All that said, Battle for Middle-Earth II is undeniably a labor of love, a grand work of art, and easily the best-looking game of 2006 so far. [Jun 2006, p.65]

Unlike last year's model, it has a career mode that supplements its season and exhibition play. [Jun 2006, p.90]

TOCA 3 is just TOCA 2 with a lot more stuff, but that makes it just about perfect. [Jun 2006, p.66]

Galactic Civilizations II may not lead to a resurgence of space conquest games, but as long as it's available, the renaissance can wait. [May 2006, p.53]

Who would have guessed that some of the most seasoned real-time strategy veterans on the planet would take one of the most well-worn licenses in gaming and turn it into one of the most inventive game in years? [May 2006, p.45]

"Advance Wars" is well and good, but this is a more mature, varied, and sophisticated strategy game, arguably as deep as you'll see on a handheld. [Apr 2006, p.93]

Instead, it offers some of the best old-school 2D platforming this side of Mario's jump to 3D. [Jun 2006, p.91]

And it's another clever import from Japan that will remind you why you're not done with your Gamecube just yet. Last generation talent will always trump next-gen technology. [May 2006, p.90]

This is the best and most spirited of the Ape Escapes, which is faint praise if you're only familiar with the recent half-assed PSP version. [Apr 2006, p.91]

Hall of Fame was released for the major console systems in 2004, but this PSP port comes with extra tables, all presented as virtuoso 3D recreations, fully playable from your choice of six camera views that can easily be switched on the fly. [Mar 2006, p.91]

Wild World is more of an expansion than a sequel. The DS version adds online play and a camera that follows you instead of one that shifts from screen to screen. [Mar 2006, p.89]

Quotation forthcoming. [Mar 2006]

What Special Forces lacks in innovation, it more than makes up for in new maps. [Mar 2006, p.50]

Unlike its PC counterpart America's Army also serves up some excellent single-player missions. [Feb 2006, p.88]

For any fan of racing and/or handheld games, this is a perfectly laidback combination of user friendly racing and noncommittal handheld gaming. [Mar 2006, p.93]

Quotation forthcoming. [Mar 2006]

Just what the PSP needs more of: the perfect match of a game and its system. [Feb 2006, p.90]

The actual story is as sad as it is malevolent. [Jan 2006, p.88]

Mirrors its PC version so closely that you could own just one version without missing much. [Feb 2006, p.88]

Guitar Hero is accessible to anyone that has a classic rock station programmed into his or her car stereo. [Mar 2006, p.93]

It doesn't reinvent the original, but it's a very solid and worthwhile addition to an already successful game, especially at the two-for-one monthly subscription fee. [Feb 2006, p.77]

The last great fighting game of this generation. [Jan 2006, p.92]

Infinity Ward lays claim to the creation of the ultimate WWII shooter with Call of Duty 2. [Jan 2006, p.63]

This is easily the best version of Civilization ever made. [Jan 2006, p.52]

Quotation forthcoming. [Mar 2006]

it just goes to show that not every game has to be an 80-hour sandbox of something for everyone. [Dec p.87]

Luckily, it has that challenging, supremely polished, turn-based gameplay to fall back on. [Jan 2006, p.91]

Most certainly a pleasant console role-playing game of a faded breed. [Jan 2006, p.89]

when you've got a game this good, "just a port" is all you need. [Dec p.93]

Quotation forthcoming. [Mar 2006]

If you dream it, you can do it here. [Jan 2006, p.64]

one of the best-looking and wide-open Castlevanias since the series began. [Dec p.93]

Trauma Center is an experience you can't really get anywhere else. [Dec p.89]

Dragonshard is more concerned with recapturing the long-lost energy of those dorky all-night session then with remaining faithful to the math and canon per se. [Dec p.53]

Teetering on the edge of greatness. [Jan 2006, p.52]

Quotation forthcoming. [Jan 2005]

It's at times annoying, but mostly just challenging, presenting American RPG players with a welcome, exciting, and unique new arc. [Jan 2006, p.89]

Though the controls are somewhat klunky, getting too hung up on the flaws of Total Overdose misses its greatest pleasures. [Feb 2006, p.54]

There is certainly enough new here to recommend it to even casual fans. [Jan 2006, p.60]

This is a crowning achievement in a wonderful witty series, further highlighting that you really need a PlayStation 2 to see where some of the best developers are working these days. [Dec p.93]

Indigo Prophecy so unabashedly wants to be cinematic that the menu prompt for the new game is "New Movie". [Dec p.56]

It's remarkably imaginative, whimsical, and full of life. [Nov 2005, p.68]

Quotation forthcoming. [Nov 2005]

They just made the experience bigger, better, and easier to share with your friends. [Dec p.92]

Ingenious new ways to beat the typically insane Myst enigmas lends a fresh feeling to an old hat, and gives you a greater sense of control. [Dec p.59]

less noisy, flashy, and chaotic, but still full of crashtastic goodness. [Dec p.91]

Quotation forthcoming. [Nov 2005]

Quotation forthcoming. [Nov 2005]

Quotation forthcoming. [Nov 2005]

It's all just another example of how well Nippon Ichi's strategy role-playing games are continuing to evolve. [Sept 2005, p.87]

There isn't anything revolutionary in Phase Two, but everything is top quality. [Nov 2005, p.76]

It's brilliant and obscure and like all the best satire, you probably don't even know that it's laughing at you. [Oct 2005, p.88]