This year's model leaves you feeling like it's nothing more than one big, full-priced retail patch. [May 2003, p.98]

The pacing seems a little off in this game, and to compound the issue, there's no in-mission save. [Dec 2002, p.120]

For all its technological wizardry, RtCW brings almost nothing new to the table gameplay-wise. [Mar 2002, p.74]

If Ubisoft can fix the slew of multiplayer problems, the company just might have a real classic on its hands. [June 2004, p.84]

No one should play "DAOC" without Shrouded Isles. [Apr 2003, p.106]

Shadowlands injects into the game a quadruple dose of what it most desperately needed: namely, compelling gameplay content. [Feb 2004, p.91]

Despite a spectacular-looking engine, intriguing units, and some original gameplay, Generals doesn't capitalize on opportunties to be a shining light in the genre, and instead ends up as just decent. [Apr 2003, p.74]

Has that woefully underbaked, released-just-in-time-for-the-holidays taint to it, and that's just a colossal shame, because underneath that nastiness is a great, great expansion. [Mar 2004, p.78]

The new combat system is an almost unmitigated disaster. [July 2002, p.73]

Unlike many expansions, Titans gives a lot of bang for the buck—it's just not a very loud bang, falling short of energizing an aging game.

The multiplayer and mechanics of combat are finely tuned, but aren't enough to lift Halo past its dated single-player, lack of graphical upgrades, and only competent performance. [Dec 2003, p.124]

A sort of misguided reworking of "Homeworld," halfway between a rehash and a remodeling job, but with the intersting bits sanded off. The vividly distinct sides added in the "Cataclysm" expansion are gone, the clean interface is now a mess, and much of the strategy has been methodically cut out. [Dec 2003, p.126]

Fun and ambitious, but not nearly as substantial as it wants you to think it is. [Nov 2005, p.96]

The biggest problem is that the province-based movement system doesn't lend itself well to re-creating the kinds of huge land campaigns that give a good strategic war game its sense of scope. [Apr 2005, p.91]

It does so much right that the poor defensive A.I. is much more of a disappointment than it would be in a lesser game. [Feb 2003, p.76]

While the Career mode is a little too steep for beginners, it's still a good day at the races. [June 2003, p.91]

Like playing on a beautiful course in the middle of the summer in the deep South – it's a lot of fun, but the bugs can really get to you. [June 2002, p.92]

The multiplayer learning curve is a short, sharp slide into the deep end with the sharks. [Holiday 2004, p.80]

If you have any inclination to explore the inner workings of business, Capitalism II has a lot to offer. [May 2002, p.86]

Exactly what you expect from a Total War expansion.

It balances an equal number of frustrating and appealing elements to create a love-it or hate-it experience. [Mar 2002, p.72]

MVP makes up for its lack of polish with good looks and plenty of polish. [June 2004, p.85]

The visual treat that is the hyperdrive effect becomes painfully boring by the time you've crossed your hundredth navigation marker. [Feb 2003, p.72]

Breaks no ground, but good old-school stuff with amazing graphics. [Jan 2005, p.100]

Rockstar Games has taken what it learned from the "Grand Theft Auto" series and used it to deliver a solid driving experience. [Oct 2003, p.122]

Delightful, disappointing, and frustrating.

If you can get past the absurd control hurdle and the fact that the beginning is the best part of the game..., Gothic is a satisfying RPG to fiddle with. [Apr 2002, p.92]

I consider myself at least a competent player, but even on the lower difficulty levels I felt overmatched. [Dec 2002, p.130]

Offers the most accessible, best-looking EverQuest yet, but it's still getting awfully dated, both in looks and gameplay mechanics. [Feb 2003, p.77]

The graphics are upgraded but still feel dated, and in the absence of any gameplay improvements, Combat Mission: Afrika Korps feels suspiciously like a scenario pack. [Apr 2004, p.83]

The least inspired "Jedi Knight" game yet still has some thrills. [Nov 2003, p.100]

The pathfinding problems suck a lot of the joy out of this WWII tankfest. [Nov 2004, p.86]

Clever, stylish, and fun to watch, but it's a little too hard to control. [Nov 2003, p.144]

Unfortunately, Ghost Recon’s AI is little improved over the ugly R6 original, and the RPG element is given lip service at most. Add a handful of familiar R6 bugs, and you have a potential blockbuster game marginalized. [Mar 2002, p.70]

A seriously intended and well-made game and its heart is in the right place, but I got tired of it sooner than I expected. [May 2004, p.90]

Dungeon Siege II errs by giving you way too much, all teh time... ultimately diminishing the impact of everything you do. [Nov 2005, p.92]

Invisible War's mechanics are often repetitive and frustrating, but the choices you make are not, which helps keep things interesting even when you're unlocking yet another door with another multitool for the upteenth time. [Mar 2004, p.72]

Somewhat repetitive, but never so bat that it's offensive. [Nov 2005, p.99]

It'll eventually dawn on you that you're playing the world's most elaborate version of tic-tac-toe. [Holiday 2004, p.94]

While it ultimately fails to be an easily accessible, helpful tool to teach the true novice how to play chess well, Majestic Chess is a well-made product that provides good competition for amateur players who aren't too serious about their game. [Dec 2003, p.142]

This game looks great and its two play modes are fun. [August 2002, p.72]

A fun mix of strategy and role-playing, minus all the pencils and dice.

Love it or hate it, DOD's war is an apparently contradictory compulsion.

Anyone who gets off on the violence in this game is reveling in violence solely for violence's sake. [Sept 2002, p.78]

A fairly standard action game redeemed by some true suspense and fear. [Oct 2004, p.79]

Myst V isn't a rosebud twist ending to the series but rather a distinguished, picturesque, and more-than-sufficient finale.

If Divine Divinity had come out for Christmas 1992, we'd have raved about it unreservedly. [Dec 2002, p.128]

Superb physics, killer graphics, and an agreeable price point. [Feb 2002, p.96]

While I found the game a refreshing diversion from the usual slash-and-loot online fare I've become a little worn out on after years of play, I did find the heavy focus on interaction with other players to be too much of a good thing. [July 2003, p.82]

The humbling slam-dunk competition attempts to cement EA's street credibility but fails. It's just too unforgiving to be considered anything other than a flashy extra. [March 2005, p.77]

It has flaws, most notably unimpressive graphics and an agonizingly slow start, but it has everything that made "Privateer" great, and then some. [Mar 2002, p.84]

With its low price tag, it's definitely recommended for shooter fans with even an inkling of interest in WWII. [Mar 2003, p.103]

Offers a great blend of combat and economic strategy. [Aug 2003, p.79]

Unfortunately, the game shipped with its pay-to-play multiplayer unfinished and nonfunctional, so the only groundbreaking you'll do until that's fully completed is the kind that results from plummeting off cliffs.

The Auran graphics engine is flat-out stunning. [May 2002, p. 77]

The AI, for both team and enemy, is absolutely atrocious. [July 2002, p.64]

This system lacks some of the tension of a tactical game, but it bodes well for the follow-up scheduled for this wiwnter. [Sept 2002, p.88]

Just competent, not compelling. [Sept 2003, p.92]

A definite improvement upon its predecessors and is loaded with playworthy features. The efforts to reach a wider audience are laudable; however, with the new features still in need of work, hardcore drivers should look elsewhere.

Barely a step above a patch. An expansion pack like this makes you ask, "Is that all?" [May 2002, p.91]

EA Sports delivers an unprecedented level of control and innovation to PC baseball. [June 2003, p.105]

Planet Moon's Armed and Dangerous is "Kelly's Heroes" meets "Shrek" by way of Monty Python and Guy Ritchie. [Mar 2004, p.74]

Unfortunately, this stellar tactical engine serves as the only highlight in a game with a lifeless campaign and enough technical problems to give Data a run for his money. [Mar 2003, p.100]

I really enjoyed this game. The string of battle after battle can get a little tedious after a while, and the lack of any compelling story line keeps you from getting completely sucked into the game. But it's a great antidote for those who were disenchanted by "Magic." [Dec 2003, p.130]

With the new AI and multiplayer features, Austerlitz finally does justice to what was a revolutionary game system. Sid Meier should be proud. [Nov 2002, p.129]

The real bonus here is the campaign editor, which allows for the creation of linked campaigns. [Dec 2004, p.99]

Offers up the delight of "RollerCoaster Tycoon" with a historical bent and a sharp, colorful Asian edge. [Nov 2002, p.126]

Fast paced and flawed, but ultimately enjoyable. [June 2005, p.88]

The surprise, given the unplayability of the strategic game, is that this is easily the best "Magic" rip-off ever done for a PC, handily beating the official game from a couple years back. [Mar 2002, p.93]

The simplicity of this system betrays the insidiously difficult gameplay. [Feb 2004, p.82]

It distinguishes itself through its presentation, gameplay system, and a subject matter that's neglected in computer war games. [Apr 2005, p.90]

NHL 06's online features, combined with a great single-player dynasty mode, create a much more dynamic playing experience than 2005's. At last, offense takes center ice and defense moves from the blue line to the goal crease, where it belongs.

It might be a rough console port, but it's still the best soccer game on any platform. [Feb 2004, p.89]

A great concept but is filled with crippling annoyances that drag down the entire experience. [Nov 2002, p.120]

The problem here isn't so much with the game's content, which remains as ambitious and poignant as ever, but rather with Konami's sloppy porting efforts to the PC. [Aug 2003, p.78]

The developers get credit for trying something new, but the slow gameplay, some dull missions, nonsensical story, and annoying micromanagement make Perimeter unenjoyable. [Sept 2004, p.78]

For kids, it's great. For adults, eh, not so much. [Aug 2005, p.78]

SR2 might stop you from using monosyllabic words, but I wouldn’t recommend picking it up for an action-packed gaming session. [Mar 2002, p.81]

Call me a mullet-wearing redneck, but I prefer my off-road action a little more exciting. [May 2002, p.77]

It has a depth few games of this genre can match. Fewer still can equal the level of micromanagement. [Feb 2002, p.92]

Once things are set in motion, there's not much to do aside from the occasional tweak. [June 2003, p.85]

Everything is improved in what's still the coolest railroad builder around, but oh boy, you better love trains. [Apr 2004, p.85]

The makers of the well-received "Monopoly Tycoon" have created an entertaining sim - Vegas Tycoon gets the look and feel of Sin City just right. [Apr 2004, p.92]

Battlefront gives fans a perfectly good way to act out their fantasies of being a grunt in either of hte series' wars. [Holiday 2004, p.82]

With some A.I. tweaks, flyable torpedo bombers, and various bug fixes, this game would be a sim junkie's dream. [Jan 2005, p.97]

Great for joystick jockeys who like their games tough and frantic. [Jan 2005, p.102]

Detailed terrain, buildings, water, and effects lend an unprecedented feeling of speed to low-level flight. [March 2004, p.82]

Controls are fuzzy, and the overforgiving targeting, combined with weak enemy A.I., makes it nearly impossible to miss. The game is also extremely easy. [Feb 2006, p.81]

The real challenge comes not from a smart enemy, but from a bad interface. [May 2003, p.90]

A surprisingly decent stealth shooter. [Jan 2005, p.90]

A clever combination of real-time strategy and The Sims isn't clever enough to hold your interest for long.

A competently done city building game with nothing to set it apart from the crowd. [July 2003, p.80]

If you've recently discovered a fetish for selling barrels of picked herring, there is no game better than Patrician III. [Feb 2004, p.89]

If the C&C faithful really build up a strong multi-player community, this game could be a must-buy in a month or two. [May 2002, p.73]

It can take a long time to earn enough money to explore beyond the initially accessible towns. But once you have a nice fleet at your command, it's a continually engaging experience. [Dec 2004, p.98]

Here in beats the heart of a classic.but casual simmers should wait and see if patches fix the problems.

Decent combat system, good-looking engine, mediocre scenario design.

Could have been great. Instead, it's a near miss - a great idea poorly presented and inadequately explained. And that ain't my bag, baby. [Dec 2004, p.94]