There's an odd balance of atypical race cars and super accessible gameplay in GT Legends, but it's a successful one. [Jun 2006, p.67]

Brief moments of brilliance speak of the fantastic game that Anachronox could have been, but it never quite makes it up to anything more than slightly above average.

Its weak campaign notwithstanding, Pterodon has the right idea when it comes to winning hearts and minds. [May 2004, p.59]

A useless co-op mode feels tacked-on. [Feb 2006, p.86]

It's a game that turn-based strategy fans will likely put on their laptops break out regularly. As long as no one is looking. [Feb 2006, p.61]

The story has strength and depth, but the game structure is rather clumsy for storytelling purposes.

With more careers, more objects, and a better-organized option control, Unleashed allows more versatility and easier movement among features. [Mar 2003, p.80]

In spite of its missing sandbox mode and the crappy economic meta-game, Evil Genius has a groovy conceit, bright and unique art direction, and a rewarding and well-conceived base-building component. [Dec 2004, p.87]

Battles are visceral and exciting in ways that may surprise gamers who haven’t really experienced quality turn-based tactics. [Mar 2006, p.61]

"Situation Comedy" is very much in the same style as "Culture Shock", though it's a bit easier and even shorter, clocking in at a couple of hours. [Mar 2007, p.67]

It's a cute idea in the age of SARS and avian bird flu, but the real draw is the Petit-Guinol gore. [Feb 2006, p.93]

Even though it's a sequel, or maybe because it's a sequel, there's really nothing new here. Start with a ship of goods, three hours later you have a thriving sixteenth century metropolis crawling with busy citizens. [June 2003, p.86]

You control territories: It's like a much more fleshed-out version of the gang warfare in "San Andreas". [Jan. 2007, p.72]

You end up with 350 mildly humorous questions that play out like pure cheese. You know what, though? It hasn't lost its age-old charm, and is still surprisingly fun, alone or with a football team huddled around the monitor. [June 2004, p.81]

Don't be surprised if, when you're done - and maybe even well before - you end up feeling like you've gorged yourself on a big old gaming Twinkie. Tasty and sweet, for sure, but ultimately somewhat unfulfilling. [Nov 2005, p.66]

If you are looking for believable characters, good acting and dialogue, lots of bloody, horror-style vampire action, and a nice looking smooth 3D engine, you'll want to look elsewhere. If, on the other hand, you are a history buff entertained by a more thoughtful experience, have the desire to play master sleuth, or really have a thing for Tim Curry and the Gabriel Knight series, give this a try.

There's plenty of depth, just not enough twists and turns not involving the streets you're tarring. [March 2005, p.82]

Everything awful about the modern football player is showcased in Blitz: the League. [Dec p.87]

Like its predecessor, Spellforce 2 is a bad game. It gets so many things wrong. As a real-time strategy game, it's superficial. [Sept. 2006, p.62]

The Trials areras are colorful, imaginative, and cleverly designed with fantastic monsters and wonderful architecture. [Apr 2004, p.71]

And if it's only disappointing because it's exactly as expected, with no surprises, there's little question that it's expertly produced. [Nov 2004, p.78]

There's enough new stuff to see to last maybe three or four sim lifetimes, which is a pretty good deal for your $35. [July 2006, p.58]

Good, and worth the time of BattleTech fans, but unless Microsoft fixes the performance issues it will never be a great game.

Pets makes it easier to keep the fun and social scores up, but they can be very demanding of your all-too precious time. [Dec. 2006, p.71]

The visual artistry that sustains the atmosphere is a bit hit-and-miss. [Sept 2004, p.70]

A goldmine for fans of historically authentic strategy gaming. [Mar 2004, p.78]

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]

It's goofy, satisfying, and unapologetically drenched in hilarious M-rated cussing, blood and ragdollery. [Sept. 2006, p.81]

The Heroes games have always been fun, and this one is no exception. Yet the experience is decidedly short and it's too easy to miss half of the story by beating missions too fast.

One of the most difficult, frustrating, and maddening space sims you'll ever play. In that sense it's brilliant, because you will play it, even while you bang your head against your monitor glass.

A fair example of how classic games can successfully be brought up to modern standards while keeping the spirit of the original intact.

The X-Files repeatedly bellies up to near-greatness but always slips back to mere above-adequacy.

There are some minor additions here and there, but the real selling point here is the scenario design. [May 2006, p.56]

An innovative game that veterans will find to be a refreshing and challenging change of pace. [July 2003, p.82]

The player guild experience is the Shadowbane experience. Get involved with a good one and depth of gameplay becomes clear. Get involved with a bad one and you'll never get past the same old monster farming you've seen before. [July 2003, p.68]

Although no scenarios have the sweep of the Norway scenario of the original and the great OKW lackey voice-over is sorely missed, Scorched Earth is a great learning tool for beginning war gamers and is fun for veteran gamers.

This console-friendly redux has just enough polish to make a bog-standard virtual murderer simulator seem fresh. [July 2005, p.87]

The game does a fantastic job of simulating the sport. [Sept 2004, p.75]

While Most Wanted occasionally shows signs of screwing up the balance and flying off the road, it generally rights itself before it spins out of control. [Mar 2006, p.64]

Clearly not ready for prime time. Abundant bugs, unbalanced campaign prestige, and a non-functional multiplayer campaign all mar an otherwise classic game.

The multiplayer maps and modes in Athena Sword are arguably worth the price; the single-player missions are just icing on the tasty tactical cake. [July 2004, p.65]

Where the game starts to falter is in its handling of the major issues your candidate must address during the campaign. [Dec 2004, p.77]

RPG fans who are weary of the frenzied pace of recent games will enjoy a good chunk of Soulbringer, but it certainly won't win over any non-RPG gamers, as the quirks and frustrations are numerous indeed.

That you can complete the game without really solving the case on your own makes this as much an interactive movie as an adventure. [Jan 2005, p.71]

Soldiers is Hitchcockian: the real payoff's the setup, making it a guilty, grueling pleasure in the time-honored vein of belovedly frustrating isometric classics. [Nov 2004, p.82]

Quotation forthcoming. [Nov 2005]

A solid bit of urban planning in an interesting new setting. Period. [Nov 2002, p.88]

It's incredibly good-looking and very LEGO-esque, and that's always a good thing. [May 2003, p.87]

Far Gate, while it lasts, is a highly entertaining game.

Fun to watch and play, but unless a patch fixes the AI it is only a game for big fans of mecha or RTS games, as that bothersome element makes it that much less enjoyable.

Judged by what it is supposed to be, an RPG along the lines of the Final Fantasy series, it is a fine effort that shouldn't be neglected.

Where the actual game experience falls short, the online community experience impresses. [Apr 2006, p.89]

It never breaks away from the level of great to become and excellent game worthy of high praise, but also never falls to the level of mediocrity. [Jan 2004, p.72]

Neverwinter Nights 2 has enough pluses and a solid enough core design to make it compulsively playable. [Jan. 2007, p.46]

Outstanding 3D graphics and unit animations combine with excellent music and sharp interfaces to create a compelling medieval Japanese setting filled with magic and mysticism.

Delivers its money's worth for true fans of the series, but which is much too hard for anyone not utterly devoted to Jagged Alliance.

More of an incremental advance over its predecessors than anything really new, but it incorporates the best features of the other games and plenty of customer input into what may be the best game in the series.

Rush Hour makes it a better game, but it's still missing something that past editions delivered, the feeling you could create whatever you wanted. [Jan 2004, p.78]

Surprisingly entertaining. [March 2005, p.88]

Yet another one of those blandly respectful WWII shooters, with all the reverence for history of a five-day bus tour. [Aug 2005, p.90]

While veterans of the SRPG wars might be disappointed at the lack of challenge, this is the perfect introduction to the genre. [July 2005, p.89]

The story and setting have some charm, and there's plenty of content along the way. [Dec p.90]

With good physics, respectable graphics, an interesting city to explore, and lots of good stuff to shoot, Starsky & Hutch is way better than it should be. [Jan 2004, p.84]

Despite the amount of promise left unfulfilled in this second add-on, House Party will be a welcome addition if you are still actively nurturing your sims.

Marches behind its predecessor as one of the most polished tactical shooters ever released. [Jan 2006, p.44]

For both better and worse, Quake IV parties like it's still 1999. [Jan 2006, p.40]

Plays like a series of Shakespearean plays with every king having a character arc and every count's struggle up the ladder of power a fascinating narrative. [Aug 2004, p.62]

Lots to do, attention to detail, excrement jokes, and solid gameplay make this worthy of attention from old-school adventurers, and new players should enjoy it as well. [Apr 2003, p.85]

There's the requisite little Goth girl with long black hair to 'creep you out.' Thanks to its overuse, it's become the lens flare of horror. [Jan 2006, p.48]

As the culmination of an epic, multi-part story, the finale mostly leaves you asking, "That's it?" It's a shame, because Syberia II is otherwise one of the most enchanting adventure games of the past few years. [June 2004, p.76]

Pokemon fans will indeed enjoy the game, but there's nothing here for anyone else. [July 2004, p.6]

There is no good way to communicate with other players, making cooperative play that much more difficult. [July 2004, p.6]

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]

What bodes particularly well for gamers, however, is the fact that gameplay borrows heavily from "NiGHTS" - a cult hit that has yet to find its own sequel. [Sept 2004, p.7]

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]

What it basically boils down to is long animation run times and, as a result, the system taking a second or two to recognize player input for the next movement. [Aug 2004, p.7]

Suffers from the same bad camera angles and shoddy AI prevalent in the original. [June 2004, p.12]

The most satisfying aspects of the game are the fantastic plot, excellent voice acting, and distinct score. [May 2004, p.11]

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]

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

The most satisfying aspects of the game are the fantastic plot, excellent voice acting, and distinct score. [May 2004, p.11]

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]

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]

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

The game grows on you, however, mostly because of its kooky style.

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]

The Gladiators means well, but in the end, it exists only as chewing gum for the eyes and should be factored into any gaming budget or scheduled accordingly. [May 2003, p.80]

Red Alert 2 can be both fascinating and bewildering, neither of which amounts to much when you are launching a tank rush in multiplayer games.

Considering the thin gameplay and locked content, it shouldn't be any surprise that Operation Genesis is a console port. [June 2003, p.81]

It doesn't take much to turn a potentially brilliant text-based sports simulation into an average one. [May 2006, p.55]

Aloof and distant, Secrets of Da Vinci isn't a bad game, just an unfriendly one. [Oct. 2006, p.72]

A driving game with no damage model and no good reason to stay on the track. [July 2005, p.85]

Parallel Lines proves that effective story-telling sometimes makes up for mediocre gameplay. [July 2006, p.87]

Quotation forthcoming. [Nov 2005]

A technically excellent, but ultimately shallow and mechanical, experience. [Mar 2003, p.77]

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

Single-player game lovers will find a worthy entertainment here; fans of multiplayer, on the other hand, will be shocked and dismayed. [Feb 2004, p.80]

Quotation forthcoming. [Jan 2006]