Firaxis not only added a pair of high-difficulty levels, but also clearly improved the A.I. [Apr 2004, p.88]

With all the action and unlockable DVD-like special features, this is not only a good game that drags you right into the movie, it's also a fantastic supplement for die-hard Rings fans. [Feb 2004, p.70]

A textbook case of glorious buildup and shattered expectations. [Feb 2004, p.72]

Your troops waste their limited ammunition like they're in a John Woo movie. [Mar 2004, p.91]

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

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]

Probably the best shooter I've played all year. The only real knocks against it are that it's a relatively short game (I finished in about 10 hours) and the multiplayer is lackluster. But let's be honest: If you're into playing a World War II game online nothing compares to "Battlefield 1942" or Day of Defeat.

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

The world feels less generic and more immersive than even "Morrowind's." [Feb 2004, p.88]

Square took the best things about single-player console RPGs and applied them to an MMO - a world densely populated by talkative NPCs, interesting, well-conceived quests, and a whole lot of visual gloss. [Feb 2004, p.84]

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

Brings more than 175 new enchanted items, which alone justifies the purchase. These special objects can take care of the less-pleasant chores in your life, leaving you free to pursue personal happiness.

At a high level and still playing? Grab it. At a low level or just thinking about playing? Skip it. [Feb 2004, p.81]

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 new economic system is marvelous, with more load types than in previous games. [Feb 2004, p.74]

Fun, but it doesn't do anything groundbreaking. [Apr 2004, p.93]

A solid entry that makes some great, if initially unapparent, changes to the standard formula. [Feb 2004, p.66]

A really good game hampered by the same pesky bugs and problematic A.I. as the original. [Feb 2004, p.78]

A rare combination of frustration and boredom. [Feb 2004, p.85]

Although Warlords IV is by no means a horrible game, it's something far more damning: strangely joyless and conspicuously missing the spark of enthusiasm that often manages to find its way into even the worst of games.

An unabashed retread of concepts that were innovative four years ago. Absolutely no attempt has been made to refine or expand anything.

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]

What am I afraid of? Bad games, and Nosferatu seriously scares me. [Feb 2004, p.90]

Unpatched, UFO will drag, stutter, and ultimately die a repeated death while a weird save-game bug devours hard-drive space. It's a profound shame, too, because lurking under the seven layers of ugly is an otherwise very good game.

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

A big step backward for the Commandos franchise. While the game would like to evoke "Saving Private Ryan" and other WWII films, sadly the movie that actually comes to mind while playing is "Groundhog Day," only with Nazis and a Quick Load button.

In this sequel to the award-winning original, the kinks have been pistol-whipped until smooth, resulting in a tightly wrapped, short, sweet -- and familiar -- "ballet of death."

Save your money by just throwing beer cans at the television. [Feb 2004, p.77]