A truly unique experience. [Aug 2004, p.6]

By far, it's more fun to play against a human player with experience, than to play against the weak A.I. - the one area of the game that was glossed over. [Aug 2004, p.6]

By far, it's more fun to play against a human player with experience, than to play against the weak A.I. - the one area of the game that was glossed over. [Aug 2004, p.6]

A truly unique experience. [Aug 2004, p.6]

A ham-fisted and passionless retreat of "Halo." [Aug 2004, p.70]

Despite non-existent AI and a lack of polish, the simple mechanics and decent missions provide some minor entertainment. [Oct 2004, p.87]

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

Unless you're just here to admire teh decent-ish graphics, suck it up and play "Combat Mission" already. [Aug 2004, p.60]

The game is shockingly deep; in fact, it rivals the sheer volume of "stuff" found in most sports text games. [Aug 2004, p.71]

If you're an action-RPG fan, you definitely don't want to miss this one. [July 2004, p.6]

It's very short, and can be beaten in a matter of hours, but at $20, it's an excellent buy as it is inspired, and engaging. [Aug 2004, p.70]

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]

The truly shocking thing about Nemesis is that it is, for all intents and purposes, identical to "Celtic Kings," with the only noticeable improvement being the name. [July 2004, p.64]

It just plods along in mediocrity from start to finish, smiling contently all the way. And there's nothing innately wrong with that. There just isn't anything innately right with it either. [July 2004, p.58]

Despite some rocky stretches, FarCry delivers one of the best action game experiences of recent vintage, a superior blend of technical sophistication and gold old fashioned visceral combat. [June 2004, p.76]

The second game in this box, the multiplayer Splinter Cell, is as bold as the single-player is mediocre. [July 2004, p.60]

One of the best-looking games on the Playstation 2, Cy Girls' character models are absolutely gorgeous, as are the game's levels. [May 2004, p.11]

The soulless interface just grinds you down. [July 2004, p.68]

The reason to keep coming back for more is the game's online multiplayer component. [July 2004, p.7]

But don't come to the title expecting flashy graphics; most of the too few animations look pretty shoddy. [July 2004, p.7]

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

It is truly a shame that many clever ideas are obscured by the game's lackluster manual, because its blend of real-time strategy and tactics is an innovative re-working of the genre. [July 2004, p.62]

Truly makes gamers feel as if they're controlling a lost episode. [July 2004, p.7]

Unreal Tournament 2004 might be the superior product, but "Battlefield Vietnam" is the better game. [June 2004, p.73]

While the actual gameplay doesn't look as nice as it probably could, the sound is well done and the game's commentators have plenty of good quips. [May 2004, p.12]

"Unreal Tournament 2004" might be the superior product, but Battlefield Vietnam is the better game. [June 2004, p.73]

Bright, colorful, and absurdly caroon-y, Worms 3D is great fun to watch. [Aug 2004, p.64]

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

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]

Multiple endings, strategy behind weapons, smooth gameplay, and a terrifying experience make The Suffering one of the biggest surprises of the year. [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]

Batting can be a hit or miss experience, however, offering players control over where the ball goes but ultimately making the effort a matter of timing. [June 2004, p.11]

Patches are in the works (one was available shortly after the game shipped), and fans are already modding the game to make the Dynasty mode actually work. [July 2004, p.63]

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

Multiple endings, strategy behind weapons, smooth gameplay, and a terrifying experience make The Suffering one of the biggest surprises of the year. [Apr 2004, p.9]

Batting can be a hit or miss experience, however, offering players control over where the ball goes but ultimately making the effort a matter of timing. [June 2004, p.11]

In the end, being a remake holds these snakes back. [June 2004, p.11]

Batting can be a hit or miss experience, however, offering players control over where the ball goes but ultimately making the effort a matter of timing. [June 2004, p.11]

If you feel like a little frenetic shooting and don't really care if it makes any sort of cohesive sense, then you won't feel bad about picking up this title. [July 2004, p.67]

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

From its training mode (which teaches players all the ins and outs of racing a bike) to its responsiveness and intuitive nature, the gameplay is incredibly fluid. [May 2004, p.12]

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]

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]

It is probably one of the hardest action games in quite some time, and requires extremely quick reflexes and skillful gameplay. [Grade = A+; June 2004, p.12]

From its training mode (which teaches players all the ins and outs of racing a bike) to its responsiveness and intuitive nature, the gameplay is incredibly fluid. [May 2004, p.12]

While the game is not very impressive when it comes to graphics, it makes up for it with goofy character designs and brightly colored backgrounds. [June 2004, p.12]

The best bond game since "Goldeneye." [June 2004, p.11]

Kung Fu fans will ultimately rise to the occasin, leaving all others to enjoy the excellent combat system. [Apr 2004, p.8]

The best bond game since "Goldeneye." [June 2004, p.11]

The best bond game since "Goldeneye." [June 2004, p.11]

But as a hybrid of the two genres, SpellForce has a funky sort of synergy that elevates it above the sum of its ho-hum parts. [May 2004, p.58]

There is very little newness here, but the game proves infinitely more playable than its predecessor thanks to reduced difficulty. [Apr 2004, p.8]

The Two Thrones addresses the balance between fighting and jumping around in brilliant fashion. [Mar 2006, p.51]

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

Finding [four] people who would sit still for a single session of Alien Blast would serve as a remarkable testament to the power of sedatives. [June 2004, p.80]

The true standout here, though, is the area design. The zones are absolutely stunning with a palette of rich colors and textures. [Sept 2004, p.67]

While some may balk at the cost involved, it's a ton of fun to play (multiplayer). [May 2004, p.11]

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]

This isn't a quick play, and games can drag out for ages, making the battles either a labor of love or just plain laborious. [May 2004, p.68]

An amazing bargain, particularly if you like the idea of exploring a dynamic universe and don't mind filling in a few gaps with imagination while you live the Captain Kirk fantasy. [July 2004, p.67]

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

The game suffers from severe graphical issues. [June 2004, p.11]

Said crimes are only marginally more heinous than this bug-ridden, empty, lifeless, un-engaging, shoddily designed excuse for an adventure game. [July 2004, p.69]

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 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]

As a pure single-player action game, the expansion is a mixed bag, but there's still some great gaming to be had with the whole "Black Hawk Down" experience. [May 2004, p.64]

Even in such an obvious "as is" state, it remains the best turn-based strategy release since 1999's "Jagged Alliance 2."

Although the extremely steep learning curve and unforgiving penalty for any "ooop" moment make this an exercise in frustration from time to time, the sheer volume of things to do, the amazingly detailed construction aspect, and the solid economy base make this a really good bet for hard-core sime fans. [July 2004, p.66]

The problem is that the gameplay itself is just downright awful. The missions are poorly thought out, excessively long, and inadequately defined. [May 2004, p.12]

The problem is that the gameplay itself is just downright awful. The missions are poorly thought out, excessively long, and inadequately defined. [May 2004, p.12]

The gameplay is far too unbalanced, making for simple wins and an experience that gets old quickly. Still, fans of the old "NFL Blitz" games or "NBA Street" won't be disappointed. [May 2004, p.12]

The gameplay is far too unbalanced, making for simple wins and an experience that gets old quickly. Still, fans of the old "NFL Blitz" games or "NBA Street" won't be disappointed. [May 2004, p.12]

The gameplay is far too unbalanced, making for simple wins and an experience that gets old quickly. Still, fans of the old "NFL Blitz" games or "NBA Street" won't be disappointed. [May 2004, p.12]

With the addition of any type of multiplayer Yu-Gi-Oh! would have been a solid competitor to other CCG videogames on the market. As it stands, it's merely a satisfying and addictive upgrade to Solitaire. [June 2004, p.81]

Despite being too hard for its own good, it's still oddly appealing in short bursts. [Apr 2004, p.75]

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 overall quality of the 'bots in the standard Counter-Strike matches keeps Condition Zero from being a disaster. [May 2004, p.57]

The experience is so immersive one can build a fishing rod, catch a fish, and bake it in an open fire. [Apr 2004, p.7]

Carl "Kung Fu Fighting" Williams would be happy about the addition of kung fu combo attacks (to the hack-and-slash formula), but everyone else will be bored silly by mindless repetition and deeply flawed design. [Apr 2004, p.73]

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

Romping through "Diablo" one more time is both more gothic and more fun. [Apr 2004, p.75]

Despite being colorful and friendly looking, it doesn't have the charm of "Re-Volt" for some reason. Still, at a budget price, it's a decent deal. [May 2004, p.69]

One of the most realistic wargaming experiences in years. [Apr 2004, p.74]

With its engaging advancement system and visual feel that invokes the best of "Morrowind," Horizons may not be the true home for wandering seekers, but it's an excellent place to stay. [Mar 2004, p.77]

While it's true that none of the individual puzzles glue you to the screen like the latest quest in "Star Wars Galaxies" or "Guild Wars" might, it's still frighteningly easy to sink several hours into this ocean before realizing it. [Oct 2005, p.82]

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

Even a game with outstanding eventual depth needs to give players some evidence early on that rewards will eventually apprear. [Mar 2004, p.69]

A must-have. It's an incredibly beautiful and artistic game that manages to balance eye-candy and gameplay gimmickry with truly solid game design, all paced with perfection. [Mar 2004, p.68]

It's fairly hard to put a finger on why it all works. [Mar 2004, p.70]

When matched up against the complexity and challenge of similar PC titles like "TRON 2.0," the compromises made in the name of console game design are painfully evident. [Mar 2004, p.67]

Some of BioWare's finest storytelling and scripting work. [Mar 2004, p.73]

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]

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]

Perhaps the biggest plus is that these Elves aren't fey forest pansies like the usual Tolien-influenced woodland folk. They're as dark and pissed-off as everyone else in the Disciples world. [Mar 2004, p.71]

It's just a trucking game, where you pick up and deliver cargo...It's not awful, and that's part of the disappointment - it's merely boring. [Feb 2004, p.85]

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]

An enjoyable game for its 10-12 hours. It's still better played on a console, but if your siblings have the PS2 cornered, the PC version will do just fine. [Mar 2004, p.80]