If you're looking for the thrill of a pirate's life, frankly, you're better off with the Disney ride that inspired it all. [Oct 2003, p.88]

A perfect example of how cheap ports don't help anymore. First and foremost, the port has no multiplayer at all. None, nada, zippo. [July 2003, p.78]

The result is four cool-looking monsters running through poorly rendered cities that blow up blandly, and arcade thrills nowhere near the level achieved by equally mindless arcade coin-ops 20 years ago. [May 2003, p.85]

The techincal aspects of Sonic Heroes are handled well, with the exception of the camera and voice work. In fact, the camera is worse than "Mario 64's" (and that's saying a lot) and the voice acting is downright repulsive. [Apr 2004, p.9]

It's a short, vacuous game that's over quickly and even more quickly forgotten. [Feb 2006, p.93]

A meager grab 'n go meal. [June 2005, p.88]

Worth a family session or two. [Feb 2006, p.66]

And while the game doesn't look very impressive, the main character does resemble Hugh Jackman. [Aug 2004, p.7]

For a game with such amazing art direction, innovative game ideas, and a dedicated developer, it's a shame that it pimps you down unfairly and destroys your entertainment with double-digit deaths. [Feb 2005, p.69]

You've basically got a barely interactive "Splinter Cell for Dummies." [Sept 2005, p.91]

Silly, balking, chuckle-inducing for the wrong reasons, Cold War is the sort of pretender-to-stealth-throne that makes you squint, pinch your nose, and wave your hand rapidly in front of your face.[Feb 2006, p.59]

The sort of game that screams, "average!" at every turn. [March 2005, p.83]

THQ salvaged the wreckage, polished the package, and let the game out of hte garage, where it debuts with middling success. [Oct 2005, p.68]

The biggest problems are the shockingly short play time, and repetitive gameplay. [Jan 2005, p.73]

The problem is that it's not very good action. The whole game has a tired feel to it. [Oct 2003, p.84]

Though it's repetitive and drags toward the end, it has surprisingly good atmosphere and presentation for your $20. [Aug 2004, p.61]

It's obvious that Gothic 3 needed another six months of work. You're forced to overlook a lot of flaws, and it's extremely hard not to be beaten down by the game as you reach its conclusion. [Mar 2007, p.56]

Aura is not about exciting story, interesting character development, or trippy music: it's a crack fix for puzzle addicts. [Oct 2004, p.85]

No other game before or since has so gracefully integrated maintaining apple orchards with setting hundreds of screaming knights on fire. [Aug 2005, p.68]

Despite some appealing graphics, a few compelling moments, and a budget price tag, the reasons to buy Obscure remain...well, you know. [July 2005, p.55]

You’re not likely to be that disappointed with Traitors Gate, but then again the entire experience isn’t likely to become something you’ll cherish, either.

The infernos are absolutely gorgeous, with tons of realistic flare-ups, explosions, back-drafts and the like. [Apr 2004, p.7]

Like most entertaining beat-em-ups, Fantastic 4 develops a rhythmic monotony that easily carries you through the eight or nine hours that it lasts. [Oct 2005, p.67]

An inferior game in nearly every respect, including interface, artwork, setting, game mechanics, and card rarity.

It remains the place for massive (and social) battles, and changes in the wake of Core Combat should bring lapsed players back to the fold. [Mar 2004, p.74]

Might be entertaining enough to play except its interface sucks too much enjoyment out of the game. [Mar 2004, p.76]

Never has contract killing, extortion, and prostitution seemed so pointless. [June 2004, p.78]

A game that solidly hits its clone-ish objectives but seldom elevates itself to anything more than a fun-and-frantic, click-y time killer. [Feb 2006, p.65]

The game oozes style, with high quality sound and nifty visuals that make it a simple matter to know at any time what weapon you've picked up, what your current ranking is, and which players are nearby.

The most glaring error in the game, however, is the pop up. Enemies appear out of nowhere because the engine is unable to draw them close enough. [Apr 2004, p.7]

The whole package is worth the money of any hack-and-slash fan who hasn't played "Dungeon Siege II", but it's a shame that Gas Powered Games didn't close out this installment in better style. [Nov. 2006, p.75]

If you found the original game lacking, this add-on isn't going to change your mind.

An experience that while extremely intense, is difficult for all the wrong reasons and ultimately more frustrating than genuinely enjoyable. [June 2003, p.80]

Republic is further hobbled by a linear storyline that discourages replay. [Dec 2003, p.93]

Odama may not be much of a pinball game, but it's certainly a choice metaphor. [July 2006, p.86]

The whole thing is an embarrassing reminder that there are still plenty of people making, publishing, and buying games who have a lot of growing up to do. [July 2006, p.93]

But an obtuse and under-documented strategic layer with a bad interface can only get you so far when it comes to recycling the same Dynasty Warrior game yet again. [July 2006, p.93]

Its interface is basic but does the job but the AI is non-existent, the puzzles are needlessly complex, and the awkward free-floating camera bogs down the 3D isometric perspective. [Jan 2004, p.85]

Commandos: Strike force tries to shoehorn these series hallmarks into a first-person shooter but fails on nearly every level. [July 2006, p.57]

The worst abuse of all are the 'bot macros, that allow high-level character "bots" to farm areas for loot and experience, automatically attacking anyone who trespasses into "their" zone. [Aug 2004, p.68]

The problems [including the lack of an intermission save feature] are a shame, because they tend to overshadow what is really a very good game.

The canned plot does all the driving and you're just along for the dull weird ride. [Feb 2003, p.71]

The game is mostly an exercise in frustration, although a good tutorial and easy early missions might draw in some players who are new to the genre. Overall gameplay is very disappointing. [Feb 2004, p.74]

The entire experience is crippled by an obtuse interface and abysmal documentation. All in all, this is one of the most unstable and frustratingly erratic games to anchor in software stores in quite some time.

While the mini-games are shallow and sometimes boring, Magna Cum Laude has an interseting adult humor element that is sure to keep one amused while playing. [Feb 2005, p.9]

Contains some of the most fiendishly difficult puzzles imaginable. Even after you understand the solution to many of them, you will probably tear your hair out in frustration trying to solve them. [Mar 2004, p.76]

It's move to 3D makes for an attractive, enjoyable, and relatively easy game, at least until everything comes to a screeching halt during the awful boss battles. [Feb 2003, p.79]

More average than appalling. [Feb 2006, p.70]

A port of a three-year old Swedish game called "Svea Rike III," a lighter precursor to the original "Europa Univsersalis" with weaker AI, sparse strategic options, and an unfriendly hotkey-heavy interface. [Dec 2003, p.95]

But an obtuse and under-documented strategic layer with a bad interface can only get you so far when it comes to recycling the same Dynasty Warrior game yet again. [July 2006, p.93]

It's good for about twenty minutes before it becomes a dull grind and you realize you're basically playing a tech demo ffor a game yet to be created. [Oct. 2006, p.81]

The graphics are sharp and the engine is smooth, providing good control once you get a feel for the slippery vehicles. [Feb 2003, p.85]

One design feature that reduces this game's charm is the limit of eight items in active inventory.

In the end, it does a decent job of bringing the massive battle formula to the King Arthur license. [Feb 2005, p.9]

Considering that the AI seems modeled after a hybrid of suicidal human wave tactics and bumper cars, it's hard to make any sense out of whatever paper/rock/scissors system Zuxxez was trying to create in the name of historical authenticity. [Mar 2003, p.81]

If it sounds a little like that other everyday-life game, "The Sims", that's because it is. But only a little. Both games are about your character's struggle to get ahead in the world, but The Guild 2 makes it a struggle for you as well. [Jan. 2007, p.70]

Even while you're getting a few laughs out of certain moments, the whole enchilada fogs your brain to the point where you don't know how you're supposed to play the game. [Nov 2003, p.92]

Not even the most jaded gamers are this desperate. [Jan. 2007, p.71]

The uncanny shortage of "Diablo" fans with an interest in the obscurities of Chinese history probably limits the game's appeal. [Nov 2002, p.87]

Delivers just about everything except what it's supposed to: a satisfying multiplayer experience. [Feb 2003, p.64]

It may be time for EA Sports to do what it did with its old "Triple Play" series: Scrap the whole thing and start over. [Jan. 2007. p.67]

Ironically, the real sorrow of Seven Sorrows is how laughably, arrogantly short it is: two players can easily finish the entire campaign on the hardest setting in a night. [Mar 2006, p.91]

There's not enough in terms of modes, maps, or weapons to rescue the multiplayer from its slicker competition. [Feb 2006, p.58]

Quotation forthcoming. [Nov 2005]

Although it's an admirable attempt, in a world with games like "Soul Calibur 2," ambition isn't enough. [May 2004, p.62]

Just another military shooter swimming in a sea of camoflauge. [Dec 2004, p.83]

The sort of real-time strategy game that would have been heralded as innovative, or even original, had it been released several years ago.

The game is short and simplistic, but it provides quick-moving action that suits the game's pulp novel feel—likely just what the game's designers had in mind.

It isn't always easy and there are moments where players want to throw down their headsets in disgust. But somehow this makes the game all the more charming and all the more interesting to finish. [Apr 2004, p.8]

Quotation forthcoming. [Jan 2005]

The mythological trappings are nicely done, making it feel more like an adventure than a typical slog through the levels. [Feb. 2007, p.74]

Save yourself the tedium and just read the novel. [Mar 2007, p.72]

If you sometimes had the feeling that less is more while playing "San Andreas," you'll be convinced by this game at nearly every turn. [Feb 2006, p.92]

Playable enough, but it's also devoid of personality.

Lavish aesthetics notwithstanding, Adventure Pinball also plays a mean game. Only the inevitable onset of repetition dulls its luster.

You can see some interesting ideas buried beneath the never-ending combat, but overall, it suffers from a serious case of kitchen-sink-itis. [May 2004, p.62]

In the end, it does a decent job of bringing the massive battle formula to the King Arthur license. [Feb 2005, p.9]

The lush ground terrain and scenery make this one of the richest looking settings for some quick action. Just don't bank on realism.

If you sometimes had the feeling that less is more while playing "San Andreas," you'll be convinced by this game at nearly every turn. [Feb 2006, p.92]

While the mini-games are shallow and sometimes boring, Magna Cum Laude has an interseting adult humor element that is sure to keep one amused while playing. [Feb 2005, p.9]

Really just a glorified scenario collector. [Mar 2003, p.85]

It has entertainingly plausible physics, thoroughly annoying (though realistic) sounds, and solid controls... Enjoyable in short bursts. [May 2003, p.86]

If you sometimes had the feeling that less is more while playing "San Andreas," you'll be convinced by this game at nearly every turn. [Feb 2006, p.92]

What makes the game so irritating is that the flat gameworld textures are laughably dull. [Oct 2002, p.79]

Put aside the dated mechanics and grossly clumsy interface, and you're still left with a fairly half-assed port of a Playstation 2 game, barely gussied up for the big show. [Mar 2007, p.66]

It features a rag-tag special forces group of misfits in Vietnam, rather than the rag-tag fantasy misfits the game was built for, and as a result, Green Berets doesn't stand well on its own.

It's more of a walk down memory lane for lapsed PlayStation devotees than a real game, though it can pack plenty of appeal for those so inclined.

Even if you do solve The Elk Moon Murder the first time around, you're bound to be amazed at the richness of the setting, the fine acting, and the sharp design.

Ironically, the real sorrow of Seven Sorrows is how laughably, arrogantly short it is: two players can easily finish the entire campaign on the hardest setting in a night. [Mar 2006, p.91]

More control of your units is necessary for a strategy title, and more impressive graphics and more complex tasks are important for a city builder. As it stands, this game gets neither right and has little to offer aside from a great concept.

A paper-thin manual "beer and pretzels" strategy game set during the age of Rome. [Sept 2002, p.82]

The action is still highly distinctive fun, though, and for those in search of a challenge, Aquanox 2 definitely comes through. [Jan 2004, p.85]

Outside of its swanky opening credit sequence and the appearance of the classic Bond theme throughout, it lacks any sense of style or sophistication. [Feb 2003, p.66]

More of a focus on customers and personalities, using grotesque caricatures and stereotypes, as apposed to a detailed simulation of the realities of running a hotel would have done wonders. [Nov 2002, p.83]

Compelling yet demanding, Conflict Zone is best reserved for grizzled recruits who demand a rugged challenge.

This is one game that might become a classic, but it isn't one now, despite a New York Times story on the front page of the business section. A game that requires a credit card and Internet access before the player can get even a glimpse of what's going on had better be incredibly engrossing or at least immediately accessible. Ultima Online is neither. The "undoubted future of interactive entertainment"? God forbid. At best, it might eventually grow into a solid, mature game that delivers the goods, but for now, caveat emptor.

This will do just fine until the real first-person shooters come out. [Oct 2005, p.90]

It's too bad Midway is so caught up in the me-too game when it's just children like the Rush series who get hurt. [Dec p.93]