Sadly, too often your powers feel anything but godly.

From its questionable (albeit largely ignorable) microtransactions to its inconsistent lore, Foamstars feels about as sturdy and enduring as the substance that powers it. [Issue#396, p.118]

There's little satisfaction in downing an enemy who can't see you, less in getting flattened by an unseen assailant. [Issue#296, p.114]

It's hard not to lament the potential wasted here. [Issue#386, p.120]

We'd much rather play the awful unicorn levels in [Trials] Fusion's Awesome Level Max DLC, which probably ranks among the most damning things we've ever said about a game. [Issue#296, p.123]

Had The Official Game provided a consistent overall challenge, it would have been bearable, if unexciting. But it hasn’t, and it isn’t. [July 2006, p.88]

Baffling design decisions and over-reliance on the same tricks further mar this already unpleasant journey.

Bet On Soldier’s non-linearity of progression, its riot-shield combat and internationally ranging scenarios suggest a game that might well have looked exciting on the drawing board. The final production, however, will leave anyone better off putting their money on the dogs. [Nov 2005, p.112]

Unlike its namesake, Quantum Theory makes no attempt to depart from classical mechanics - it merely diminishes them. [Nov 2010, p.96]

Successful only as an interactive showcase of Jurevicius' art – and arguably the Flash original was more effective in that regard – it's almost criminal that a world this vivid should be so wearying to explore.

The left to right weaving that gave Secret Rings old-fashioned zip has been jettisoned for narrow paths, funneling you from one fight to the next. Add on-rails cart rides and regular pauses to hand rings over to local villagers and this becomes Sonic's most static adventure yet. [May 2009, p.97]

We at least have a chance to marvel at the hectic cost of ambition, and to be mystified, once more, at the strange, stupid, painful things that some of us will do for love.

Die-hard roleplaying game fans might have shrugged off its technical flaws and turgid combat if only the story had a pay-off. But instead of a tragic hero, Jason’s a dud. [Feb 2009, p.86]

While we’ll accept that Deadpool the character is an acquired taste, this is an indisputably poor game, one whose knowing winks and quips come off not as metacommentary but as tacit apologia for its litany of specific failings.

Astonishingly, there's no replay function for your defensive performances. [Feb 2016, p.122]

Gotcha Force has all the requisite cute and vibrant stylings of another Japanese phenomenon, but it's let down by a pallid game dynamic. [Jan 2004, p.99]

The game's ambition far outstrips its creator's abilities: damned by execution rather than intent, but damned nonetheless. [July 2009, p.99]

This recurrent rehash is branding to serve the genre, and of little benefit to Poke-fans. [Sept 2008, p.96]

Technologically something of an embarrassment and devoid of any vitality or personality, Undercover seems a sharp downturn for one of EA’s traditional bastions of seasonal sales. [Christmas 2008, p.101]

There are minor things for which The Fight can take credit. The progression of skills is well-paced, its 'street' aesthetic pioneers a delightful new direction for extreme cheese, and your flailing proves quite the workout. [Christmas 2010, p.101]

European Assault is one of the ugliest current-gen games we've seen. Boring textures, a weak palette and a flimsy design ethic all round make it appear like slightly dressed up PSone data. The animation seems inspired by amateur puppetry and even the menus look like they were knocked up in the last day before submission. [Aug 2005, p.94]

A bitter reminder that pedigree is no guarantee of quality.

Puzzles are of the ‘give doughnut to the doughnut-desiring character’ variety, rarely extending beyond chores. [May 2008, p.97]

Die-hard roleplaying game fans might have shrugged off its technical flaws and turgid combat if only the story had a pay-off. But instead of a tragic hero, Jason’s a dud. [Feb 2009, p.86]

The cinematic videogame thriller depends on budget and craft. Remove these ingredients and the thinness of the underlying design is shown up. The Farm 51 has neither the money nor the talent to compete on this well-furrowed ground. Deadfall Adventures is a poor man’s imitation, a thoroughly bad videogame and one which, most frustratingly, is bad in uninteresting ways.

Inspired moments, such as the vehicles' mulitple weapons systems, are forced from the mind by the relentless slogs across the levels... In the end, you're likely to discover that the real battle is to continue playing. [May 2004, p.100]

It's the first game we can recall, for instance, to feature a them tune comprising a single note. [Sept 2009, p.96]

The ideas and content here are thin on the ground, and limply implemented, too - it's inexcusable that a game whose sole interaction is hand-to-hand combat should not be able to tell the difference between dodging and headbutting. [Christmas 2010, p.98]