What ends up spoiling the experience for me, however, is the general slow and clunky feel of the game. If Call of Duty 2 is a blitzkrieg of shooting action, The Outfit is a leisurely zeppelin ride...underwater. It's still exciting, just severely hampered.

I was hoping for more Nazi killing and less clambering over fences, but this is still an interesting stealth-genre diversion. [Nov 2002, p.300]

It's the most fun I've had flying online since "Crimson Skies" for the original Xbox. If only the single-player game flew as high.

While something is lost in the translation [from the arcade], the irreverent goofiness and addictive gameplay remain pleasantly intact. [Aug 2006, p.91]

Factor in obscene load times and overly difficult enemy A.I., and it's a game that only rabid X-fans will enjoy.l [Jan 2003, p.194]

I enjoyed watching the fireworks as my pyromaniac character exploded another radio tower/tank/U-boat/door, but between history class and explosions, Assault didn't keep my blood pumping.

While you'll now find more variety in supermoves, some are still wickedly unbalanced (especially the interception Gamebreaker). [Dec. 2006, p.140]

Only tried-and-true multiplayer modes with smooth Net play save this from utter mediocrity. [Oct 2007, p.86]

Bravely straddles the border between action and strategy, but it needs to take a step deeper into both territories.

I have to hand it to developer Skip and Nintendo--they tried their best to get me to hate their new domestic adventure game, Chibi Robo. [Mar 2006, p.108]

Frankly, playing with the contents of Kirby's tummy will just have you hungry for something of more substance. [Jan. 2007, p.111]

Controls in this game feel clunky. Add a few truly lackluster modes on Xbox Live and you have a game that should, by all rights, be a budget release. [May 2004, p.97]

With a stellar script from the show's writers and outstanding cinematography and voice acting, it really feels like you're playing through a season of 24. Good show. [Apr 2006, p.100]

Too bad it doesn't quite execute in the clutch though. [May 2006, p.98]

Because the controls are overly ambitious (read: complex), instead of being a crack shot with mad skillz, Jake Slade is about as easy to control as a 6-year old kid. [June 2002, p.110]

While it doesn't top Silent Hill 2 or 3, I'll still be proud to add it to my collection. [Nov 2008, p.72]

It's a real shame, though, that the developers thought that simply putting the name of a Hall of Famer on the jersey was enough. [Sept 2007, p.86]

Visually, Rise of a Ninja is one of the system's best-looking games. But from a game-design standpoint, it's less successful. [Holiday 2007, p.80]

As with the previous two 3D Sonic outings, Sonic Heroes is a solid platformer that could've been a lot better if the developers had spent more time balancing the levels and tweaking the unbelievably frustrating camera. [Feb 2004, p.108]

It's hardly original (not to mention short and sometimes ugly), but Namco's got both the control and the difficulty level just right. [Dec 2003, p.184]

The game's wide array of races runs the gamut from interesting to bizarre, but one constant factor lessens the overall impact - the racin' be slow. [Nov 2004, p.128]

The finicky grappling hook controls lack the intuitive ease you'd like from such an integral control element (never mind the fact that you can't hook onto buildings or trees...wha--?). Even by the game's end, I'd still stumble when trying to sling from car to passing helo.

Though the new multiplayer levels are nice, fixing the horrible camera should have been the priority. [Mar 2002, p.139]

It's a real shame, though, that the developers thought that simply putting the name of a Hall of Famer on the jersey was enough. [Sept 2007, p.86]

It's like an action movie that, if you don't set your expectations high, you'll end up enjoying. [Aug 2003, p.109]

I enjoyed watching the fireworks as my pyromaniac character exploded another radio tower/tank/U-boat/door, but between history class and explosions, Assault didn't keep my blood pumping.

With its hokey, R.L. Stein thrills, much of the game feels like survival-horror lite for the campfire storytelling set. [May 2003, p.114]

Control is a bit janky, maknig cheap deaths easy. The camera also tends to obscure things. [Oct 2005, p.120]