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

Like a good meatloaf, it expertly scratches that comfort food itch, leaving you well-satisfied until the craving hits you again, months later - just in time for the inevitable expansion. [Jan 2005, p.94]

If you harbor any interest in strategy games and want something with more depth than the average mindless RTS, then you would do well to immerse yourself in Civilization IV and let it soak in.

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

Sam II's wild, random charm makes for a twisted Duke Nukem meets Alice in Wonderland sort of roller coaster ride-a perfect change of pace from the scads of grim 'n' gritty shooters steeped in WWII war zones and dystopian postapocalyptic futures. Just don't take it too seriously, OK?

Delightful, disappointing, and frustrating.

F.E.A.R.'s troopers try so hard, you almost hate not fighting fair. [Jan 2005, p.96]

A war game for casual gamers. [Jan 2005, p.88]

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]

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

In many ways, Blood feels like the polished game Gearbox couldn't completely nail last time around. Most of the evolution takes place under the hood.

Offers amazing depth of play for even the most discriminating hockey fans. [Jan 2005, p.88]

Disappointment is the litany of B&W2. As an evil god, I can build prisons and worse...but why? There's no payoff. Pointless minigames that eschew the game's central morality conflict end up being stupid, insulting, and/or infuriating.

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."

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

Although the horror element here suffers from one-trick-pony-itis, I was, over time, compelled enough by the story to keep going-not just because I had to, but because I was kinda interested to see how things turned out.

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

For $35, you get a ton of replayability plus new downloadable planes and campaigns each month. For those who don't mind abstraction in the name of fun, DIF is a must-have.

A cheese-filled jalapeno of action. [Jan 2005, p.98]

Exactly what you expect from a Total War expansion.

The newest addition to the offensive game-Freestyle Superstars-allows you to execute a dazzling and fun array of passing, shooting, and dribbling moves with your star players. Unfortunately, the joy of these moves is counteracted by the extremely frustrating inability of players to make layups and other close-in shots.

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

Good lord! This game wasn't created, it was excreted... Basically, you'd have more fun putting starved ferrets in a feedbag and strapping it to your crotch. [Jan 2006, p.46]

Winter Assault further cements Dawn of War as one of the great next-gen strategy titles. If you thought you were sick of the genre, come back. This is worth it.

Indigo Prophecy marks a tremendous rebirth for a very stagnant genre. Let's hope its mature style serves as an inspiration for other developers.

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

If you happen to be an X-Men fan and enjoy running through fairly linear, enemy-filled levels, smashing up highly destructible environments, and collecting scads of shiny items, Rise of Apocalypse ain't a bad way to spend a few Friday nights with some friends-and it's still a hell of a lot better than those damn comics.

Tiger 06 is a hardcore character-building RPG wrapped up in a sports game, letting you craft your own story of spectacular success or crushing failure. If a nongolfer like me can love it, pretty much anyone can.