A.I. is A-crappy. I have rarely encountered a game that evinces more clearly the rigid, stimulus-response nature of algorithmic thought. [Jan 2005, p.100]

I don't think I've ever seen worse pathfinding in a game. [May 2002, p.75]

Numerous bugs and missing features indicate Strike Fighters was pushed out the door a few months before its time. Again. [Mar 2003, p.105]

A clumsy, series-ending combo of real-time and strategy...You must kind of hang out and gawk at numbers and icons. [July 2004, p.72]

Sure, it has loads of snazzy graphic features like persistent footprints on clay courts and nice shadow effects, but all they do is slow the game down to a brain-twisting crawl. [Jan 2002, p.119]

A game that mostly excels at being better than you think it'll be. [June 2002, p.86]

The overwhelming masses of numbers and options make MOO3 harder to comprehend than its more intuitive predecessors. [May 2003, p.88]

It's a lot more of the same - the same grinding disenchantment. [Feb 2003, p.80]

Good game, but it's a warm glass of milk when you really wanted a shot of your favorite poison. [Dec 2003, p.128]

Decent but dated, this is best for the die-hard Matrix fans who still believe. [Feb 2006, p.70]

An example of mediocrity dragged much further downward by sheer ineptitude. It could have been another so-so tactical stealth shooter, but the saves, the idiots, the cliches, and the crashes shove it into coaster territory. [July 2003, p.72]

No, you never, ever get a weapon. All you do is creep around avoiding conflict. This is supposed to be suspenseful. It's not. It's tedious. [Jan 2003, p.102]

It has a few great moments, but it seems like an incomplete collection of half-finished ideas. [Nov 2003, p.126]

Further compounding the game into sheer mediocrity is the downward spiral of the A.I. [Sept 2003, p.102]

The only thing missing from Ryzom's customizable battling, harvesting, and crafting systems is a lack of bothersome bugs. [Jan 2005, p.102]

The problem: I've played Serious Sam. I've seen Serious Sam. And this, sir, is no Serious Sam. [Nov 2003, p.131]

A long exercise in target practice, with lifeless enemies in dull levels. There's no saving during a mission, the graphics are weak, and there's no team-based action. What's worse, there's just no depth, artistry, or genuine thrills to be had. [Aug 2004, p.79]

A huge letdown that only the most hardcore Empire Earth fan might enjoy. [Jan 2003, p.125]

MIT could use a few of this game's puzzles as its early admissions test, but Aura's still enjoyable overall. [Oct 2004, p.81]

In the end, though, there's just not enough fruit underneath all the rind. If it's an all-in-one medieval strategy game you're after, just Alt-Tab really quickly between "Medieval: Total War" and "Castles II"--that'll come closer than Stronghold 2 does.

Frightful fun is ultimately obscured by an even more frightful co-op camera. [Aug 2005, p.88]

Comic aficionados may be eager to become a part of an interactive comic world, but fanboys, prepare yourselves for a terribly average adventure. The only reason to consider Fantastic 4 is to cope with PC gaming's summer drought.

A decent-enough RTS bogged down by a lame RPG and the mistaken belief that milk is funny. [Feb 2004, p.77]

Coercing people to buy Core Combat so they can get more-potent weaponry seems shady. This expansion should cost a lot less - or be free. [Feb 2004, p.76]

The game's fast pace makes managing your turf a hectic, confusing ordeal. [June 2004, p.87]

A game that, wile not cutting-edge, is simply fun to play... A great game for the money. [Feb 2006, p.86]

All tension drains away as the game turns into the equivalent of a deathmatch against sheep. [July 2003, p.74]

Republic would have been good as a pure strategy game with more varied gameplay, or as a straightforward role-playing adventure with developed plot, characters, and actions. Instead it feels like the effort put into both parts prevented either from really being finished. [Dec 2003, p.134]

Slow. Frustrating. Not the best idea for an escape. [July 2002, p.81]

Fighting endless hoodlums, mercenaries, and thugs is not necessarily a bad thing -- monotonous fighting in repetitive missions is. [Dec 2003, p.136]

There isn't much variety in character appearance, which is disappointing, since other games are offering an incredible amount of customizability. [Aug 2004, p.74]

A cheap excuse to shoot things out of the sky. [June 2005, p.88]

It's the exact same game you've been playing for about the past four years. Except with ninjas. [Feb 2005, p.81]

Although it offers a mix of strategy, vehicle-based shooting, and third-person action, none of these elements surpass mediocrity due to the lukewarm gameplay. [Feb 2003, p.84]

With a total of four hours of gameplay (eight if you count the times technical failings made me repeat the first half), you don't get much for your money. [Oct 2002, p.110]

The game is aesthetically stuck in the past, the single-player campaign is a typical helping of fantasy storytelling, and the multiplayer experience feels way too familiar. [Mar 2004, p.76]

A lot like "Freelancer," only boring and with a monthly fee. [May 2005, p.94]

Adult gamers will find it too basic, children may find it too frustrating, and fans of lord of the Rings will prefer a more authentic Tolkien experience. [Feb 2004, p.73]

Clusterball is one serious cluster-fu...No, I said I wouldn't do it, and I won't. [Apr 2002, p.101]

The environments, while beautiful, are disappointingly void of interaction, and the story, while interesting, is wholly irrelevant to the gameplay. [Mar 2004, p.81]

It's easily the best yet, in the sense that it's the first Dragon's Lair you generally won't hate playing. [Mar 2003, p.90]

From start to finish, it is a poorly conceived, ill-executed, and time-wasting piece of coasterware designed to suck money away from both fans of the much-lauded series and unsuspecting newcomers. [Nov 2003, p.138]

There's some high-flying fun in this racer, but the numerous unnecessary hurdles will send you cruising back to the store to return Beam Breakers. [Feb 2003, p.88]

If you're a big fan of the show, not a big computer gamer, and not that bright, then this game is well worth your time and money. [Aug 2003, p.90]

The only time the game comes close to evoking WWII is in the cleverly done faux-newsreel footage that is a backdrop to the game credits. [Mar 2003, p.104]

The concept wasn't bad, but N:D's uninspiring execution and lack of depth make for a forgettable gaming experience... Rock/paper/scissors is a more challenging strategy game. [Nov 2003, p.136]

For every potentially cool element in Prince of Qin, there's a worse one waiting to kneecap it. [Jan 2003, p.124]

The worst implementation of multiplayer gaming in recent memory... An utter debacle. [Feb 2003, p.91]

If the VC don't kill you, the pesky game-crashing bugs will. [Feb 2006, p.81]

BCT fails so dismally at playability that the realism doesn't matter. [August 2002, p.81]

A pretty limited fighter, though its online features save it from beingi a complete loss. [Apr 2004, p.83]

It's never outright terrible. Which qualifies Big Mutha Truckers for some kind of best in breed award. [Sept 2003, p.99]

Just so very average. It does nothing spectacular, nor does it do anything truly grievous. [Holiday 2004, p.96]

Despite the somewhat rough production values, Original War delivers interesting small-scale RTS action. [May 2002, p.81]

It’s shorter than most game demos. It’s shorter than most game installations. [Jan 2002, p.119]

You will find mothing but carpal-tunnel-inducing mouse clicking, pointless chitchat, and a stat system that plays out like a shallow "Sims" rip-off. [Oct 2005, p.80]

Le Mans is boring, the deadliest of sins for a racing game. [Oct 2002, p.104]

While Assimilation is entertaining for short periods of time, it lacks the addictive quality that makes a puzzle game truly great. [Sept 2002, p.91]

While Joan has some serious flaws, Enlight has shown it can create an interesting character; better A.I., for one, would do a lot to improve future titles. [May 2004, p.88]

The maps look boring, the units have few and bland animations, the sounds are awful, and someone seems to have forgotten combat effects. [July 2002, p.69]

Why pay when they can find plenty of custom scenarios to download for free? [Apr 2003, p.106]

SCI took just six months to publish a PC conversion of the generally ignored PS1 game based on the largely forgotten film. [Feb 2003, p.98]

Like "Gladiator," Legion is so epic, engrossing, and downright fun that you overlook its shortcomings and simply have a great time, time after time. [Sept 2002, p.84]

A lobotomized first-person shooter. Invisible walls and glass ceilings abound throughout the briny deep, ensnaring players in a boring series of follow-the-leader and circle-strafing style stages. [Dec 2003, p.144]

Simply the most incompetently crafted shooter in living memory. [Mar 2003, p.98]

Anyone who wants a game of this sort will be happier with one of the modern versions of "Gauntlet." [Jan 2003, p.120]

The game plays a lot like "Sims 2" - just without the charm, animation, possibilities, freedom and, and ability to generate a desire to keep it installed. [Apr 2005, p.84]

All told, it's a solid and enjoyable game that should appeal to both business tycoon fans who want to focus more on their customers and fans of "The Sims" who want to play a more goal-oriented game. [Oct 2002, p.110]

I prefer to spend my time playing games on my computer, not getting them to run. If that also describes you, stay away from Conflict Zone. [Mar 2002, p.92]

Call it a "StarCraft" homage, call it a "Starcraft" clone, Dark Planet is still a good, entertaining RTS. [June 2002, p.90]

Though it's not an entirely offensive game, in its attempt to be individualistic, Locomotion has learning nothing from other games in the genre and ends up feeling like a 10-year-old game with a 5-year-old coat of paint. [Holiday 2004, p.103]

In short, boobs will not make a man endure a bad videogame. [Holiday 2004, p.102]

If the actual battle engine were better, this would be a great game. [Mar 2006, p.86]

A stunning example of why adventure games aren't as popular as they once were. [Aug 2004, p.82]

A whirlwind global tour for diehards... and a bumpy ride for everyone else. [Feb 2006, p.77]

Play it for the movies, don't play it for the play. [Aug 2003, p.84]

It will always be clear what's expected of you - in fact, you'll likely identify the killer long before your character does. [Feb 2004, p.87]

Attack Squadron's high points are in the bomber missions...The immersion is excellent. [July 2002, p.76]

This putatively naughty game should come with fetish clothing options, dungeon equipment, and the option to call up a friend or five to join our hero and heroine in their erotic adventures, but it doesn't. It's sterilie, soulless, and ultimately a tease that doesn't come close to delivering. What a gyp. [Sept 2004, p.73]

Victoria could be a classic after a few patches, but in the initial release, you're paying Paradox to beta test their game. [Mar 2004, p.79]

The 2D graphics are slow, jerky, and eye-strainingly tiny. It’s almost impossible to distinguish different unit types from each other. [Feb 2002, p.88]

Like David Hasselhoff's singing career, Settlers is popular in Germany and just sort of barely tolerated elsewhere. [June 2005, p.96]

A chunky mix of features from other titles in a fully 3D bladder that has some merit, but will probably leave most gamers why on earth they should take a bite. [May 2003, p.91]

Besides a game-killing lack of a chat function, Diplomacy's negotiation interface makes it impossible to propose long-term deals, except for the all-encompassing "permanent alliance."

Poor graphics, unbalanced weapons, and tired level design can't begin to help this game. [Sept 2002, p.90]

The degeneration continues. [Aug 2003, p.90]

Even if you tolerate Ripper's lack of interactivity because of its swiftly paced, absorbing story, the game's anticlimactic, unsatisfying finale will leave you feeling as frustrated as those original London police were back in 1888. [May 2004, p.89]

I'm going to be blunt: It looks like complete crap. [July 2002, p.65]

A familiar-feeling game with absolutely no personality. [Apr 2005, p.87]

Since only LAN play is supported, it's doubtful you'll ever experience multiplayer. [June 2004, p.86]

The whole thing feels more like feature creep in a box than an expansion pack. [Mar 2006, p.84]

The only good thing about The Partners was that myriad technical flaws prevented me from having to suffer through completing the game...I have never been so happy for programming incompetence in my life. [Sept 2002, p.93]

Everything about this game prolongs your agony, right down to the soundtrack. [Dec 2002, p.133]

If the mind-numbing battles and drab scenery haven’t already turned you off, don’t worry—there’s still the annoying interface to send you over the edge. [Jan 2002, p.113]

Imagine the frustration of being Batman and still getting your ass kicked by a bunch of thuggy mimes. [Jan 2003, p.121]

Simply without depth. [Aug 2005, p.87]

Unbalanced, tedious, buggy, and lacking in imagination - and those are its good points. [Nov 2003, p.134]

A game for which the adjective "tolerable" was invented. There's nothing terrible about Harbinger, but there's nothing much good, either. [June 2003, p.89]