The great battle system, the witty main characters, and the play length aren't enough to overcome the lackluster graphical updates and the fact that the game doesn't really work for anyone who has bought a computer since October of last year. [May 2002, p.92]

It's an addictive little game for a while, but after you've beaten it a few times, you won't go back. [Nov 2002, p.129]

The buggiest game I’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]

Above all, the writing and voice acting are far superior to most other videogames'. [Oct 2005, p.76]

Ultimately, Advent Rising shoots for the stars but barely breaks orbit. [Nov 2005, p.94]

Bad A.I. and no realism, but who cares? The nonstop rat-a-tat-tat of automatic weapons in hostile environments gives Team Sabre its charm. [Apr 2004, p.91]

This stunning mood is crushed by an interface that has all the charm and convenience of a TPS report. [Sept 2003, p.95]

A game of amazing promise delivers mostly crushing disappointment. [Jan 2003, p.122]

A stunning sci-fi-themed shooter that makes "Halo" look hollow. [Feb 2004, p.80]

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]

Anyone who's made it through puberty will likely be embarrassed by the game's lame toilet humor. [Jan 2003, p.127]

It's a bit repetitive, and it should be about four times longer—an experienced prankster can finish it in a single afternoon. Other than that, this one is a keeper.

Considering the lack of realism and the repetitiousness of gameplay, I can’t imagine computer gamers getting into it. [Feb 2002, p.99]

Isn't as bad as getting trench foot or being castrated by shrapnel, but it's still so full of tedium and frustration that paying for the game is pretty much an act of self-flagellation. [Feb 2003, p.98]

The camera pans and zooms as it pleases, so keeping tabs on yourself is tough enough, let alone pretzel-bending into a stamina-boosting lotus stance while ducking baddies. [Jan 2006, p.103]

By far the best-looking and most entertaining simulation in the series so far. But the improvements are marred by A.I. oddities and performance problems. [Feb 2003, p.82]

Honestly, it looks like Digital Extremes spent its entire time perfecting the proprietary map editor (which works fantastically) instead of making the game fun.

A fairly standard MMORPG that may be too little too late. [Aug 2005, p.80]

A great-looking game with a few good ideas, but it just gets too many things wrong. Despite the initial promise, the result is a pale imitation of "Total War" and a poor attempt at simulating history.

A solid war game with the worst dialogue and acting ever. [June 2005, p.90]

Calling it an homage, an interpretation, a clone, or even a rip-off doesn't change the fact that it's a damn fine game. [March 2005, p.75]

The incessant clicking is reminiscent of, but nearly as gratifying as, using a retractable ballpoint pen. [Apr 2005, p.86]

Graphics aside, the final nail in O.R.B.'s coffin is its pace. Ships crawl across the screen, and even at triple speed (as fast as it gets), it seems to take an eternity for anything to navigate the map. [Mar 2003, p.86]

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

If I want impossible, I'll call my mother. [Apr 2004, p.89]

The game tries to cover every aspect of the campaigns - economic development, technological research, diplomatic overtures, military operations, even technical battles - but none of it is particularly gripping. [Oct 2005, p.80]

With any luck, this game is only the beginning of a rich, rewarding series. [Jan 2005, p.96]

A solid racing game that still pales in comparison to Papyrus' "NASCAR Racing 2002." [Feb 2003, p.92]