An intense and unrelenting stealth shooter, and it treats its subject matter with respect. [July 2003, p.85]

It's a benchmark for finely tuned balance, interface, and polish. It has nearly all the little features we cry out for in these types of games but never overwhelms or frustrates.

For those tired of frantic building in fantasy worlds, Sudden Strike 2 serves up something pleasantly different and satisfying. [Jan 2003, p.82]

This design alley is a dead end. [Jan 2004, p.80]

If you got a Nintendo DS, there are just too many better way to, ahem, feel the magic. [May 2006, p.91]

For casual adventure fans, it's a decent alternative to some of the more graphic murder-mystery games, such as last year's superior "Still Life". [Sept. 2006, p.76]

Mobile forces is vanilla near-future sci-fi, and this non-descript, and non-story sensibility hurts the game a bit. [Nov 2002, p.83]

A perfect example of trying too much an doing nothing in a particularly standout way. [Sept 2004, p.63]

Forensics is inherently intriguing, and hardcore fans of the show will most likely find the game worth a look unless graphics matter to them in any way, shape, or form. [Oct. 2006, p.74]

Even a decent team play mode can't overcome the pervsive sense of blandness that accompanies the tired 1996-era mechanics and style-free visuals. [Jan 2003, p.79]

That it comes up short isn't too much of a shock; if anything, the fact it holds up as well as it does is perhaps the bigger surprise. [Feb 2004, p.68]

It's not bad, but some straightforward tweaks and adjustments could have resulted in a much better game. [Feb 2006, p.60]

Has some lovely visuals but in the end is so passionless and denuded, it makes you feel dumb for having looked forward to it. [Feb 2004, p.54]

The weapons are uninspired, as are the levels, and the enemies are just barely smart enough to move toward you and attack. [Sept 2005, p.49]

The best modern military tactical shooter available right now. [July 2005, p.49]

Unfortunately, getting there is a dull journey full of leaden exposition, mouse hovering and clicking, and inventory manipulation. [July 2006, p.67]

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

In short, X is a fairly good game that could have been great. With more missions, a better flight model, and better pacing, it might have dethroned "Elite." As is, it joins a long line of games like "Privateer II" that entertain but leave you wanting more.

Unfortunately, you need human players to get away from the awful AI. [March 2005, p.88]

The games biggest draw has got to be Artistic Director Jacques Simian's fabulously atmospheric world. The other characters (and there aren't nearly enough of them) are gorgeously 3D rendered right down to the last bloody facial capillary.

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

No wonder the actual Romans threw up walls. [Nov. 2006, p.74]

Everything about BloodRayne 2 - save some of the snazzy 3D effects - screams "1998." [Nov 2005, p.72]

The design throughout is superb, a model of how to drag the player through the game without making it feel like, well, like it's dragging players through the game. [Sept 2004, p.74]

As an urban sandbox, Tycoon City: New York is passable. As a strategy game, it's the dumbest deal since that urban legend about the Indians selling Manhattan to the Dutch. [July 2006, p.61]

A retread suitable only for hardcore Tom Clancy completists.

Superb visuals still impress despite their age. [Jan 2003, p.73]

Its mix of classic adventure-style gameplay, intriguing storyline, logical puzzles and just a touch of action make it a topnotch choice for fans of thought-inducing gameplay.

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]

Whether you want--or need--to play all of these in the same game remains a question that Pacific Storm is unable to answer. [Jan. 2007, p.65]

Released within days of THQ’s “Company of Heroes”, a game with much higher production values and infinitely sharper focus, Faces will most likely go down in history as 2006’s other WWII RTS, even if it does have a leg up in some areas. [Dec. 2006, p.77]

Some games—AquaNox, for example—seem like they were made up of leftover game parts and assembled in total darkness by a team of deranged, acid-dropping monkeys...What's really crazy is that, oddly enough, it ain't half bad.

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

If golf was indeed dull, as many non-fans wrongly suspect, True Swing Golf would be the perfect golf game. [Apr 2006, p.90]

After two moderately interesting "Soul Reaver" sequels, the "Legacy of Kain" series ahs finally been stripped of any worthwhile gameplay, storyline, or atmosphere, leaving only a classic example of a dull, unimaginative, soulless game design... Please someone put a stake in the series, because it's done. [Sept 2002, p.80]

Just say no to half-assed porting, folks. [Mar 2007, p.69]

It's not particularly new or original, but it's a well-done adventure for all ages. [March 2005, p.79]

Quotation forthcoming. [Nov 2005]

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

Majestic doesn't really need you. It's all about watching and waiting while other characters do stuff.

However, the puzzles are downright asinine, suffering from illogical design and poor execution. [Mar 2007, p.72]

The military aspect of the game is almost non-existent, while the economy is overly simplified. [Oct. 2006, p.78]

It's impossible to dislike, despite its flaws. [Jan 2005, p.63]

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

The gamplay is pretty standard fare. [March 2005, p.78]

The ultimate nostalgia trip—a classic game that plays just as you remember it, untouched by the hand of time.

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

There is a great deal of depth in the game's history for the developers to build on, and a great deal of depth in the skill system for players to explore. [Mar 2003, p.82]

The AI improvements make it worth picking up if you don't have a console system, and if you like big dumb vaguely hockey-like fun, but just barely. [Jan 2005, p.65]

The graphics, aside from being ever so shiny, are entirely unremarkable - they're decent, but nothing more, with rather coarse character design. [Dec 2003, p.95]

A pretty bad role-playing game published here in the states by folks who should know better. [Feb 2006, p.92]

Boasts a good selection of showroom-shiny cars and famous tracks, but it lacks options, features controls that border on the unresponsive, and is missing a personality. [May 2003, p.81]

Quotation forthcoming. [Mar 2006]

The connection to other players is too abstract to make the game anything more than a vaguely interesting and simple business simulation. [Oct 2003, p.92]

It's pretty much more of the same. [Feb 2004, p.79]

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

It's a grand maze without dead-ends. [March 2005, p.84]

A Johnny-come-lately budgetware version of "Majesty." [Dec 2004, p.88]

For grand tactical combat poured sweet and clear, Boku's Combat Command 2: Danger Forward is an excellent choice.

The story mode proves dull - heavy on the text, skimpy on the action. [Aug 2004, p.6]

Unfortunately, the arcade game is neither unique nor exciting. It's probably best to save your spare change for better things.

Given the epic scope and the gorgeous visuals, it's a shame that so much extra micromanagement was thrown in and so much of the balance and Trek-ness was crowded out.

If there is a patch by the time you read this, and you're the type who pegs the name Peter Johnson as a redundancy, then you'll probably get a kick out of it.

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]

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]

Because the game features no narration, it holds you at arm's length, preventing you from ever becoming immersed in the environment. [Mar 2007, p.72]

Despite the superficial resemblance to “Rome: Total War”, Legion Arena is just the latest 3D version of the same simple wargame the developer has been peddling for a while. [Mar 2006, p.55]

All the complexity and depth of a frying pan.

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

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

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

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

Heroes fails to deliver on some promises, and games take too long, but for a certain audience, it's worth a serious look. [Mar 2007, p.62]

The PSP version is similarly structured as a set of constrictive quests through three areas that are tied together by a contrived collecting game in which you gather coins, here called “secrets”. [Mar 2006, p.88]

A schizophrenic title, caught somewhere between its teenaged visual aesthetic and some moments of truly solid game design. [July 2003, p.84]

Provided you keep the sound on mute, pump up the resolution, and have a few hours to spare, this is decent down-home motor madness, served the finger lickin' way.

But for the time being, this is as close you're going to get to a Pocket Diablo, and that counts for a lot. [May 2006, p.93]

This Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Columbo meets Medium concept shows potential, but, in the end, Daemonica only creates disappointment. [Sept. 2006, p.75]

It contains many individual elements that are quite good, but those elements don't pull together into a cohesive—or enjoyable—whole.

One of those half-baked ports of a console game that someone figured might squeeze a few bucks out of PC owners. [Feb 2004, p.77]

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

Scenario design in the new campaigns is overly reliant on puzzles. [Oct 2003, p.95]

Toss in s shoddy padlock system that provides dramatic views of your plane but tends to throw off your aim completely, and you end up with an arcade game that's more difficult to play than a full-blown simulation. [July 2006, p.63]

It's a hard lesson that designs are not always interchangeable, and is overall one of the most disappointing games of the year. [March 2005, p.72]

To be fair, the humor is almost invisible when you're actually playing S.W.I.N.E., which is an entirely conventional real-time strategy game.

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]

The game could have been stellar, but it falls flat in one critical area. You never, ever hit a ball out.

As a single-player game, Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain is quickly lost in the crowd. But thanks to its online cooperative mode, the game truly shines. [June 2004, p.12]

It’s all in the cards. Play the campaign to earn them and then use them to build your decks. [Mar 2006, p.91]

As you spend more time with the game, you realize that much of it is out of your control, thanks to the most annoying and unpredictable AI since HAL 9000. [May 2003, p.76]

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.

There's little new in terms of original content... [Feb 2003, p.83]

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.

A potentially good tactical strategy game marred by a lack of inspiration.

Rise & Fall means well. Considering the competition out there and the ever-rising stakes, good intentions and mere competence are no longer enough. [Sept. 2006, p.67]

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

Unfortunately, the game's most consistently medieval aspect remains its interface. [Jan 2004, p.74]

The lack of polish is most obvious in the awful pacing and terrible controls. [Feb 2006, p.62]