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]

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]

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

A good naval warfare sim undermined by bugs and missing features. [June 2002, p.93]

Provides some new and unique features that bridge the gap between the fanatical, hardcore sim racer and the casual gamer. [June 2002, p.82]

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

Offers just enough new content to warrant being called a sequel...It is like "Doom II" was to "Doom." [Apr 2002, p.96]

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

This game is so not fun, it almost put me into a coma. [May 2002, p.86]

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

The grand total of six events feels rather skimpy, and they're very uneven in how well they play. [May 2002, p.90]

The presentation is second to none, the gameplay is addictive without being overbearing, and Sid Meier's signature "I-can't wait-to-see-what-happens-next" magic is here in full force. [Apr 2002, p.97]

The most remarkable aspect of Disciples II is how carefully all of the units have been balanced. [May 2002, p.82]

It may have spectacular AI, but it's still just an elaborate virtual pet forced to perform a tedious sequence of often frustrating tasks. [May 2002, p.89]

Just about everything in this game feels <I>right</I>, sometimes almost in spite of itself. [Mar 2002, p.68]

While the visuals are good, they aren't nearly as spectacular as they could have been. [May 2002, p.76]

Underneath its underwhelming exterior lurks an enjoyable, well-balanced game that grows on you if you can just stomach the painful delivery. [May 2002, p.74]

The combination of wretched design, brainless financial models, and buggy gameplay leaves you with the realization that you got suckered into buying a lemon. [May 2002, p.87]

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

You&#146;ll suspect you&#146;re that fool if you purchase this disappointing game. [Feb 2002, p.92]

Is there nothing this game does right? No, nothing. [Apr 2002, p.102]

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

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

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

Luclin's quest structure is EQ's best yet. [Apr 2002, p.90]

All breasts, no game...a game that isn't just bad, it's literally unplayable. [Apr 2002, p.103]

Some of the quests you'll receive are actually quite cool..., but mostly the chores are mundane and the gameplay very linear. [Apr 2002, p.94]

Outbreak should get recognition for having one of the most bizarre weapons in any shooter. [May 2002, p.88]

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]

It distinguishes itself from the pack by its visual effects, excellent physics, and a longing backward glance at vintage cars. [Apr 2002, p.106]

SR2 might stop you from using monosyllabic words, but I wouldn&#146;t recommend picking it up for an action-packed gaming session. [Mar 2002, p.81]

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

Gorgeous, with great lighting effects, tremendous fireballs, and richly detailed models. [Mar 2002, p.79]

A game you'll probably either love or loathe. [Apr 2002, p.104]

The best World War II flight simulator ever. [Mar 2002, p.90]

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]

If you&#146;re a Harry Potter fan, this is a surprisingly fun title. The 7-year-old gives [it] four stars. [Mar 2002, p.88]

Hearts and souls have been poured into Wizardry 8 and it shows. [Mar 2002, p.87]

The 2D graphics are slow, jerky, and eye-strainingly tiny. It&#146;s almost impossible to distinguish different unit types from each other. [Feb 2002, p.88]

Unfortunately, Ghost Recon&#146;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]

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 graphics engine has the thick, slow feeling of dragging through syrup, and the interface looks surprisingly chintzy. [Mar 2002, p.83]

The missions are interesting and, let&#146;s face it, every once in a while, it&#146;s a cathartic blast to wade into the middle of swarms of bad guys and teach them the folly of opposing truth, justice, and the American way. [Mar 2002, p.91]

If you haven&#146;t downloaded the nude patch yet, go and grab it off the Web right now. Hot Date, like most things, is better with a little nudity! [Mar 2002, p.80]

Empire Earth&#146;s kitchen sink design is too massive (if at time unwieldy) to be darkened by the shadow cast by a dozen games. [Feb 2002, p.94]

Even a screensaver of Richard&#146;s flabby ass crack is preferable to this. [Mar 2002, p.88]

Fun and engrossing, an experience to remember. [Apr 2002, p.100]

Fun, pure and simple. And it does a nice job of recreating all the glorious conflict and warfare of the Star Wars saga. [Mar 2002, p.82]

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

Although SH2 can&#146;t be considered complete until the release of Destroyer Command and multiplayer support, what&#146;s here is very good indeed. [Feb 2002, p.91]

We&#146;re lucky enough to be blessed with two Kohan games in one calendar year that both deliver some of the best RTS action we&#146;ve seen in a while. [Feb 2002, p.102]

A worthy expansion. [Apr 2002, p.95]

It&#146;s a very solid add-on for fans &#150; Cyberlore did a good job of adding a nice mercenary slant to MechWarrior 4 &#150; but it won&#146;t convert anyone new. [Mar 2002, p.89]

Black Thorn&#146;s multiplayer additions will be its main attraction. The rest is fine, if unexciting. [Feb 2002, p.86]

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]

There are a multitude of play modes, but even the straightforward deathmatch and team deathmatch games are a blast, thanks to the species structure. [Feb 2002, p.85]

Considering the lack of realism and the repetitiousness of gameplay, I can&#146;t imagine computer gamers getting into it. [Feb 2002, p.99]

Fast and temporarily thrilling, SSC nevertheless lacks the depth and polish today's racers demand. [Apr 2002, p.106]

It was difficult to write this review, because each time I started the game to check on some detail, six hours mysteriously vanished. [Jan 2002, p.92]

Vastly superior to the previous Myth games. [Feb 2002, p.80]

It&#146;s unfortunate, but the experience &#150; at least for now &#150; is awkward, plodding, and, worst of all, inconsistent. [Mar 2002, p.76]

Conjures up an engaging mix of tactical combat and RPG gameplay with good replay value thanks to skirmish and multiplayer options. [Feb 2002, p.82]

While the game does suffer from the homogenization that the game system imposes, for traditional wargame-style play it works quite well. [May 2002, p.81]

The game was pretty fun&#151;for about two levels. After that, MHPBMX began to feel way too repetitive. [Jan 2002, p.118]

It isn't a great game, but it's a decent challenge. [June 2002, p.87]

Stronghold&#146;s deft mix of economic, building, and combat challenges makes it one of the best strategy games of the year. [Feb 2002, p.79]

The most impressive civilian sim ever. [Feb 2002, p.97]

There are only two view levels, and they&#146;re both fairly distant. This makes it not only hard to find animals or workers in a crowded zoo, but also, frankly, less fun to watch. [Feb 2002, p.98]

Absurdly archaic in how it rewards tank-rush techniques. The only path to victory often involves churning out a mass of units and then rushing. [Feb 2002, p.88]

In every way an improvement over its predecessor. [Jan 2002, p.108]

The buggiest game I&#146;ve ever played: I stopped counting types and incidents of crashes after 45 train wrecks spanning multiple, top-of-the-line computers at our lab. [Jan 2002, p.110]

The gameplay&#146;s the thing, though, and in Dark Age it&#146;s the best I&#146;ve yet experienced in an online RPG. [Feb 2002, p.77]

This game is so full of bad ideas that make a mockery of good reading material. [Feb 2002, p.101]

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

Exhausting, repetitious gameplay. [Feb 2002, p.100]

While other games try to improve upon the genre, RuneSword II just wants to be a fun role-playing game. [Jan 2002, p.117]

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

If it&#146;s trivia you&#146;re after, read questions from Trivial Pursuit cards. Or pick up an Encyclopedia Britannica. Don&#146;t, however, buy this game. [Feb 2002, p.99]

Does offer a nice trip down memory lane, but you won&#8217;t exactly be compelled to go searching for lost quarters between the couch cushions. [Jan 2002, p.96]

If the mind-numbing battles and drab scenery haven&#146;t already turned you off, don&#146;t worry&#151;there&#146;s still the annoying interface to send you over the edge. [Jan 2002, p.113]

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]

Real War simply overpromises and underdelivers. [Feb 2002, p.103]

It might just be one of the best strategy games of 2001&#133;one of the most refreshing, engaging games released in a long time. [Jan 2002, p.98]

Incredibly addictive. [Jan 2002, p.110]

Although it&#146;s shot through with bugs and screw-ups that would remand a lesser title to the bargain bin, the game itself is so damn good you&#146;ll forgive almost anything to keep playing. [Jan 2002, p.94]

As a game, Planet of the Apes fails utterly. As a skeet target, it succeeds in spades. Someone shout, "Pull!" [May 2002, p.84]

One of the best-designed games to come along in years. [Jan 2002, p.115]

The biggest problem with Trade Empires is that the absence of everything except the trade engine makes the game seem unusually flat. [Jan 2002, p.100]

It&#146;s shorter than most game demos. It&#146;s shorter than most game installations. [Jan 2002, p.119]

This is a realistic simulation, unashamedly difficult to master, but offering the kind of satisfaction that only comes from conquering a difficult challenge. [Mar 2002, p.78]

The developers created an interesting game with some novel features, but they then saddled it with controls that completely negate the experience. [Jan 2002, p.114]

The attention to detail is extremely high, the Direct 3D graphics are fantastic, and the story is worth pursuing. [Jan 2002, p.106]

You won&#146;t lack for things to fiddle with in this game, and at times you may feel a bit besieged by how much you need to manage. [Jan 2002, p.102]

While it’s fun to go back in time for a little while, I found my attention flagging after a few rounds of each game. [Jan 2002, p.96]

Trying to create a winning team through trades and the draft is remarkably compelling. [May 2002, p.90]

A great scenario editor can't lift this average grand-tactical war game above "Korsun Pocket." [Nov 2003, p.142]

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

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]