A masterpiece in both form and function. [Dec 2001, p.98]

Having the freedom to tackle challenges in a less linear fashion is definitely a strength, but the open-ended play that comes with traversing a massive city is more of a curse than anything. [Nov 2003, p.136]

Not only is this game incredibly deep, but for a strategy fan like myself, it is addictive enough to destroy your social life. [Sept 2003, p.124]

A lot of fun to play, but it's more of a 12-yard run on first down instead of the 40-yard bomb down the field. [Aug 2005, p.96]

While some of the missions seem uninspired, the fun of Red Dead Redemption is still there. Its colorful characters and fantastic cutscenes are as good as ever, with a wicked sense of humor this time around.

Excitement is delivered consistently from the outside of play right up to the last story frame, which is a real shocker that contains a reveal that will make the wait for the sequel almost unbearable.

It doesn’t matter if your first gaming system was the NES or DS; New Super Mario Bros. Wii proves that 2D platformers are still a blast. Longtime gamers will love the countless throwbacks to previous titles, and the multiplayer gameplay is fantastic (albeit hectic) fun for everyone.

Sun & Moon feels significantly different from previous Pokémon games. X & Y may have marked the series’ biggest visual change, but Sun & Moon shows Game Freak is willing to re-examine Pokémon’s tenured mechanics in order to improve the game. Sun & Moon is still Pokémon, but it showcases some of the biggest changes the series has ever seen – and that’s a good thing.

Something always felt a little off when using the touch screen. I just don’t think this kind of touch interface is well suited to the rhythm game genre. After awhile I actually did start to enjoy myself a little, but Nintendo was never able to convince me that the game works well.

Every moment of Beyond Good and Evil looks as good as a traditional RPG cutscene. [Dec 2003, p.156]

The art and combat are killed in their tracks by the game's downright shameful dialogue. [Nov 2004, p.158]

I’m hooked on DJ Hero. In many ways, it feels like a new beginning for the music genre. Freestyle Games has pulled off an impressive trick, crafting a game that holds true to its sister franchise while at the same time putting a unique spin on both the gameplay and the music.

Crystal Dynamics has nailed a pitch-perfect new vision for one of gaming’s most recognizable characters, and revitalizes her for what I hope will be many more installments.

Raises the character-based racing bar yet again. It's also the must-have GameCube title this holiday season. [Dec 2003, p.152]

Yes, the action is still exhilarating at times, but without Kojima's story and cinematics, I found Snake's Tales to be rather dry. [Apr 2003, p.85]

Nothing even comes close to touching its encyclopedic approach toward statistics. [Apr 2003, p.83]

Opponents' AI could be improved also, as it sometimes causes the cars to take some strange routes – especially as they crash into each other at the start of races. [Apr 2002, p.81]

The Witch Queen is an especially robust expansion, with a particular focus on customizing the play experience and rewarding longtime players’ investment in story and systems. If it’s not the most welcoming moment for players to jump in, that may be a price the developers at Bungie are willing to pay at this point. The long-running story arc that opened in 2014 is gradually steering toward a climax, and it’s possible the developers are increasingly interested in building a ride for those who have been in the vehicle for a while now.

We've seen the career mode change from iteration to iteration, with the developer unable to define where it wants to go and therefore build upon a foundation in successive years. Turn 10 talks about its passion for cars, and that's evident on the track, but players have to feel it elsewhere, too.

It's not only the best Donkey Kong Country, it's also one of the best platformers I've ever played.

A decent game, but its lack of depth makes it the poster child for an average game...On a side note, the music is some of the best I have heard in a game in a long time. [Mar 2002, p.83]

Ironically, the very thing that made Bully the subject of so much criticism – the school setting – is also its greatest strength. In Bullworth and the surrounding town, Rockstar Vancouver has created an extremely detailed universe, full of secrets, humorous characters, and hidden activities.

"Quotation Forthcoming"

The campaign is a grueling challenge all the way through, but every time I snatched a win from the jaws of defeat I felt an undeniable surge of satisfaction and pride, one that made my victories that much sweeter. If that sounds fun to you, Conquest is the ideal way to play Fire Emblem Fates. If you want all of the fantastic gameplay with less pressure, don’t feel any shame about sticking to Birthright. You can’t go wrong either way.

If you have a PlayStation 4 and some friends, you must have this game at the ready on your hard drive.

Tearaway is brilliantly out of step with much of mainstream game development. It’s gentle, distinctly British brand of whimsy and imaginative visual style makes it an experience unlike any other you’ll have this year. The core gameplay isn’t exceptional, but it’s solid enough to let the brilliant puzzles, art, and level designs shine.

One of the best games ever made for the PSP. The single-player ties flawlessly into the multiplayer, where you can test your loyal soldiers against up to five other people via ad hoc, infrastructure, and even game sharing.

Despite that lack of propelling factor, I’m still completely engrossed in this game, playing it during any 15 free minutes I can find throughout my day. Though I’ve technically completed the game, I want to SSS rank all of my favorite songs, dig deeper into the libraries from Final Fantasy games I’m less familiar with, and show off my rhythm prowess against other players. This is a fantastic rhythm game set to the tune of arguably the greatest music catalog in all of games. While I would have liked more guidance in how to proceed, the musical content on offer is so diverse, so nostalgic, and so well done, that I have no problem composing my own fun.

In the Wii's expansivve gutter of shoddy third-party ports and minigame garbage, Capcom is showing that it's possible to make something original and fun. [Nov 2007, p.148]

The gameplay has some rough edges, but as an interactive story, this is an experience that shouldn't be missed.

MLB 13: The Show turns the bats loose and finds stability online, but the numbers reflect MLB’s juiced era more than the pitcher-friendly league we see today. This year’s game is about making contact more consistently and shoring up the other aspects of a well-rounded baseball sim.

I adored almost every second of Psychonauts 2. It achieves something I don’t often see in games – a continual sense of awe as each of its worlds unfold. It took 16 years to reach release, but Double Fine has delivered an incredible sequel. I hope we get a third installment that doesn’t take nearly as long to create.

I am referring to how much I think Microsoft's controller will feel more natural in your hand, due to the rough similarities between it and the DC's. [Mar 2002, p.85]

The damage modeling in this game is second to none. [Dec 2002, p.136]

Thanks to its excellent utilization of well-worn Zelda-inspired conventions and enough unique twists to differentiate it from the pack, Minishoot' Adventures delivers an outstanding bullet-hell experience with less frustration than most entries in the genre. I didn't set out to 100 percent Minishoot' Adventures, but by the time I reached the end of the the story, I had experienced everything the game has to offer, a testament to how enamored I am with this fun, twin-stick title. Minishoot' Adventures bridges the gaps between disparate genres with outstanding gameplay and thoughtful level design to deliver one of the best games I've played all year.

FIFA 14 for the next-gen continues the good work done by the current-gen iteration when it comes to synching up players' footwork during shots to produce varied and realistic results.

It's like a simple "Sims"...but it's a lot of fun, I swear. [Oct 2002, p.86]

In my tenure as a game critic, I haven’t come across a game that fluctuates between highs and lows as frequently as Spirit Tracks. I often found myself taken aback by an amazing puzzle, only to be bored to death on a train moments later.

A monster of a sequel, offering bigger scares and more excitement than I expected... The tease for Dead Space 3 has my head spinning with questions. [Feb 2011, p.92]

The game contains the sophistication of a sim-racer while still packing enough pick-up-and-play fun for anyone watching from the couch. I don’t imagine, however, that there are going to be a lot of people content to simply sit and watch Dirt 2 without getting their hands on ­it.

This cult classic has lot nothing--and gained quite a bit--in the translation to PSP. [Nov 2007, p.163]

Even though the classic Pokémon formula still works as evidenced by HeartGold, I can’t help but hope for a new Pokémon title that breaks some new ground.

But the big-time college football moments that it does deliver are worth it--and you won't find them on that new-fangled next-gen console either. [Aug 2006, p.81]

The story and its multiple branches will grab your attention, and the combat – while different in style – delivers plenty of thrills. I prefer the PC iteration, but it’s still good on PS3 and 360, and way better than not playing Dragon Age at all.

A lot of people will look elsewhere for gameplay depth, but what BG&E sacrifices in control comlexity, it makes up for in story and pacing. [Dec 2003, p.174]

With a staggering revamp that touched upon almost all aspects of the game and modes that keep things interesting, Reaper of Souls isn’t so much an expansion as it is a completely new game.

I can't fault a game that offers such a fun, engaging, and lengthy adventure on the Wii. [July 2009, p.87]

PES 2016 is about more than just a few additions for the year. It ushers in a new era for the franchise that needs to be experienced.

EA Tiburon has gone far beyond a simple roster expansion. By making its career mode even more complex, it has succeeded in giving players of all stripes quite a bit to chew on. [Sept 2004, p.102]

One of the greatest games of all time... [but] feels as though it was rushed off of the development floor well before completion. [Jan 2003, p.112]

The new material that EA has implemented is minimal at best, and most of the additions don't generate a lot of excitement. With that said, this is still the best-playing baseball game on the market. [March 2005, p.118]

Rayman Origins is an undeniably beautiful game, with vibrant environments and richly defined characters. The graphical fidelity is astounding, even when you scrunch your face against the TV screen. Characters kick up eyelash-sized tufts of grass when they land, and the backgrounds are layered with loads of tiny details.

While showcasing significant enhancements on the field, The Show finds itself down in the count thanks to some archaic game modes and unreliable online. The Show remains the best baseball series to date, but if it wants to be heralded as one of the best sports games, the Franchise and Road to the Show modes need to catch up with the current trendsetters in the genre.

Pokemon Black and White do a great job building upon already solid features and taking them to the next level. [March 2011, p.95]

Seeing your choices carry over across three games is exciting, but it’s also about the squadmates you meet along the way. So, become Commander Shepard, rally people to your cause, make painstakingly difficult choices, and watch others around you grow stronger because of your influence. The sacrifices and rewards will stay in your memory, and the Legendary Edition is a terrific reminder of why all these years later, people still can’t stop talking about this series.

When I finished my playthrough, I sat watching the credits roll with a huge grin on my face, quite convinced I hadn’t played a better first-person shooter in years. I’ll keep coming back for a long time thanks to bountiful epilogue missions, plus an alternate-timeline playthrough that grants access to another side character, scenes, and weapons. But these things are just gravy. On its own merits the campaign is unbeatable, packed to the gills with unforgettable story moments and fantastic combat sequences.

It's not cripplingly difficult, but a definite challenge even for FPS veterans. [Nov 2004, p.165]

With so many annoyances fixed, this feels like the game Odin Sphere was meant to be. The presentation is top-notch, and the action is fast-paced and satisfying.

Absolum is a game I’ve wanted to play since I was a kid. We get simple, approachable brawling battles, high production values in art and music, and a richly imagined fantasy world, all wrapped around a narrative that makes replay and progression worth coming back to advance again and again. It’s not a game that is going to change anyone’s opinions about the genre, but it is a brilliant implementation of a very old formula into something that feels modern, deeply replayable, and unmistakably fun.

Embrace the lack of handholding and complete freedom, and you have an incredible title that provides many hours of entertainment.

Doesn’t do anything terribly interesting outside of adding two new factions (a defensive British division and a highly mobile German counterpart). The added campaigns are very average, but will no doubt be entertaining enough to satisfy the needs of offline-focused players. By all means, grab Opposing Fronts if you simply need more CoH – just don’t expect anything particularly revolutionary here.

The game contains the sophistication of a sim-racer while still packing enough pick-up-and-play fun for anyone watching from the couch. I don’t imagine, however, that there are going to be a lot of people content to simply sit and watch Dirt 2 without getting their hands on ­it.

Unless you feel that the (somewhat disappointing) fight against the Brumak or a minor splash of new single-player content is worth $50, the only gamers that should be thinking about purchasing this are 360-impaired PC owners that never got into the fun last year – especially considering the multitude of superior multiplayer options in the PC action sector.

Rayman Origins is an undeniably beautiful game, with vibrant environments and richly defined characters. The graphical fidelity is astounding, even when you scrunch your face against the TV screen. Characters kick up eyelash-sized tufts of grass when they land, and the backgrounds are layered with loads of tiny details.

The easy respawns also add to the game's biggest issue: it's incredibly short. Then again, I'm not sure Treasure could have crammed much more insanity into this game without needing to put in a break from the exhilaration that makes it so awesome. [July 2010, p.95]

For a game that's been billed as a modest little action game, that's a hell of a lot of replay value. [Nov 2001, p.116]

Botany Manor is a blissful, smart, and creatively conceived puzzle adventure. It’s just challenging enough to be engaging without veering into stressful territory, and its whimsical elements add fun, fantastical touches. I don’t think it made me better at gardening, but unearthing its appeal was satisfying.

I may have a hopeless addiction to Spelunky, but it's not an entirely pleasant one. As exciting as it is to play a platformer with an infinite number of new levels to jump, whip, and bomb your way through, the novelty comes at a cost. You need ample patience, time, and skill to make it through Spelunky's ever-changing caves, and much of the hidden content is virtually off limits to all but the most hardcore (and masochistic) gamers.

In the meantime, Star Wars Pinball provides players three more entertaining tables well worth a spot in their ever-growing collections.

Scholar of the First Sin is best suited for two types of player: Complete Souls newcomers that insist on playing with the latest hardware, and returning warriors who soaked up every bit of new game-plus content loaded into the original. While I don't think the encounters are quite up to the level of the original, it's hard to argue with more of one of 2014's best games.

For multiplayer fans, Resistance 2 delivers everything you could want from a game, but the single-player experience sadly falls short of expectations.

It’s different in all the right ways. With an engaging new control scheme, fewer online hurdles, and all the depth of the original, taking on Diablo’s legion of demon lords has never been more enjoyable.

Dispatch isn’t a triumph of mechanical innovation. It doesn’t reinvent the narrative adventure game, but it doesn’t pretend to. On the other hand, it delivers one of the most compelling interactive dramas in years, an adult animated superhero story with the emotional punch of prestige television and a script that truly shines. I didn’t want to stop playing just because I needed to know what happened next; I kept playing because I cared who it was happening to.

Grief catalyzes a blossoming partnership that anchors this exceptional action platformer.

NBA 2K16 is the first true classic sports game of this console generation. I can only hope other sports games follow Visual Concepts’ steadfast dedication to innovating on both the gameplay and game mode fronts.

Pikmin 3’s control issues are buoyed by solid improvements to the series and easily accessible alternative inputs. It’s adorable, and if you’re a Wii U owner, consider this an essential game.

Sunless Skies is a strange amalgamation of genres with even stranger stories to tell, but the weird world and nightmarish encounters come together to create something special. Combat and repetition may weigh down the Homeric adventure, but the overall journey is well worth the ticket.

Warhammer’s long legacy in gaming has found a perfect partner in Total War. If you’re a fan of strategy games, chaotic rat-men, or rampaging dinosaurs, this isn’t one to miss.

It’s a great game, but it lacks the bells and whistles within the founding PS2 release. [Feb 2002, p.87]

Tales of Arise harmoniously balances beloved systems like visual novel-inspired skits and upgradable titles with new-and-improved gameplay tweaks. Intricate world-building in sub-quests and even mundane discussions help with pacing and narrative cohesion. Campy JRPG-centric themes like the power of friendship and slow-burn romantic tension are prevalent throughout. Nevertheless, I found myself completely invested in the tragedies and achievements the cast faced, even when awkward pauses and stiff cutscene animations threatened to break immersion. Tales of Arise is a fantastic reinvention of Bandai Namco’s tried and true formula. It might even be the best installment in the franchise to date.

Another nice addition is the "woozy" camera angles that appear when you or an opponent is nearly knocked down. It's a small touch, but a very dramatic one. [March 2005, p.115]

An absurd tone with surprising pockets of earnest pathos, fun characters, and bombastic action are all present and accounted for here.

Velocity Ultra looks, plays, and sometimes feels like a traditional vertical scrolling shooter, but has a level of accessibility and innovation that separates it from comparable games. Its main hook is one I never felt fully comfortable with, but it didn’t hinder the overall experience. The genre convergence on display here is exciting, and worth playing even if you typically avoid shoot ‘em ups.

Hex lacks some of the features initially promised in the Kickstarter campaign, like multiplayer raids, guilds, mercenary allies, and “endgame” PvE content. Even without those features, it is a well-designed, robust digital trading card game with a wealth of exciting content offerings.

Great platformers are a rare breed these days, so I hope PSP owners take a chance on this pint-sized powerhouse.

Like many, I’m sad that Halo Infinite doesn’t offer cooperative multiplayer at launch, if only because it’s been a bulwark of the series’ identity. It’s a disappointing omission, but I have to judge the game before me, not the features I wish might be there. And by that measure, Halo Infinite is a rousing success. Whether you want a big, mysterious sci-fi adventure or a chance to engage with some intense PvP, Halo Infinite nails the shots where it counts and heralds a new era for one of gaming’s most recognizable mainstays.

The concept is original, the aesthetics are striking, and the game behind it all is a simple, condensed package of fun.

Dark Crusade can be enjoyed by new and experienced players alike, regardless of whether you own the earlier installments – even if the hefty challenge makes it more appropriate for veterans.

Lumines Arise is stirring, beautiful, and always engaging. Like its cousin Tetris Effect, it's the kind of game that I won’t delete from my hard drive because I will always want the option to lose myself to the game periodically, which Arise is consistently excellent at.

The complete package for RPG enthusiasts. The exhilarating heights of the story are equaled by great gameplay depth. [Mar 2003, p.80]

Although the drift racing is too dependant on the hand brake and I’d like more emotional investment in the cars in my garage (some tweaking would be nice, as would more of a sense of pride in each car I own), Grid is a shining example of how to make a fresh racing game that captures that age-old, fundamental desire to go screaming down the asphalt like a rubber-shredding, hell-bent maniac.

The only time I felt that the downgraded graphics were really an issue was when I was using night vision in the PS2 multiplayer - everything looked so muddy that it was almost useless. [Aug 2004, p.92]

With its Metroid trappings, Iconoclasts began as a familiar experience, but by the end I was left thinking more about the impactful character and narrative moments. Despite its bright and colorful aesthetic, Iconoclasts' world is a dark one, and the journey across it is one I did not expect to be so affected by. Couple that with design that would excel even without the narrative hooks, and you have a game that stands above its peers.

Kingdom Hearts II is a remarkable journey and another Square-Enix masterpiece. [Apr 2006, p.120]

It can still hang in terms of both looks and play, and the co-op mode was very innovative. [Dec 2001, p.91]

The mission mode being reason enough to warrant a purchase. [Mar 2003, p.83]

I realized that playing this game is a little like having a girlfriend: You experience brief periods of joy followed by extended intervals of utter confusion. [Nov 2001, p.29]

When you’re chaining combos together, switching between weapons, and punishing otherworldly opponents, Bayonetta is the epitome of its breed. It isn’t so much an evolution of the genre as a well-tuned and highly polished culmination of its history.