As much as I enjoyed the world of the original Blue Dragon, I'm just going to pretend this dismal follow-up never happened. [Mar 2009, p.95]

Collecting puzzle pieces and 3D figures should be a nice distraction, but they're certainly not enough incentive to replay these tedious levels. Rabbids Travel in Time 3D offers no real sense of what you're doing, who you're fighting, or why you should care. This wouldn't matter if the platforming was interesting, but its low difficulty and lack of variety make this an entirely forgettable experience.

I kept waiting for Daemon X Machina to pull the curtain back and reveal some sophistication in its gameplay, or some narrative twist that might make the uninspired combat worth slogging through. Those things never arrive. While the game ostensibly scratches the itch for players who have longed for something like Armored Core on the Switch, it’s a model that feels out of step with recent innovations in the sphere of action games. There are better worlds to save than this benighted future.

This game will please neither action fans nor followers of the "Tekken" franchise, and comes off as a marketing scheme gone horribly awry. [March 2005, p.132]

I want to say there’s something enjoyable, interesting even, buried beneath the flawed execution of Code Vein II, but that something is the corpse of other games in the genre this vampiric creation is feeding on for inspiration.

With Beholder's no frills (and I'm not exaggerating) isometric combat, there's little here that really screams out for attention. [Mar 2003, p.91]

Just rent "Hackers" again and forget this junk heap. [Oct 2005, p.134]

Kinect Star Wars is a bad game. If you go into it knowing that you are getting full-on camp like The Star Wars Holiday Special rather than a legitimate Star Wars experience, it can be fun, but you do have to tolerate faulty Kinect recognition the whole time. Ever since Nintendo introduced the Wii, I've been hoping LucasArts would deliver a great motion-based lightsaber experience, but Kinect Star Wars left me wanting a controller again.

Though Supersonic Warriors retains the show's flavor, it fails to measure up to the standards of a passable 2D fighter. [Sept 2004, p.118]

It's not a complete failure, per se, but its gameplay is generations behind games that were released five years ago. [June 2002, p.79]

If I had more space I could detail the game's numerous flaws in control, design, and AI, but I don't. Thank God. [Jun 2006, p.112]

Outside of tournaments and multiplayer, the game doesn't have a mode that you can sink your cleats--or time--into. [June 2008, p.101]

Telltale's flawed but entertaining approach to the Back to the Future license left me hopeful for the developer's take on Jurassic Park. Despite some early reservations, I still felt like that goose-bumped 13-year-old boy as the game's opening theme started and Jurassic Park's logo popped on screen. Unlike my younger self, however, I was in for a disappointment.

Even the most patient of strategy nerds will be hard-pressed to maintain interest in Spectral Souls. [Nov. 2006, p.146]

Beating the entire game takes less than two hours, but it still somehow manages to drag. You can return to the game’s six stages to try and get higher scores, but I had zero interest in doing so. The arcade games of yesteryear sometimes lacked depth, but they at least had a hook that stuck with you and kept you itching to return to pump more quarters into the cabinet. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants strives for the greatness of the influential arcade hits of the past but falls well short. Thanks to uninteresting and annoying gameplay, repetitive enemy and boss encounters, and grating audio design, Wrath of the Mutants is little more than a shell of the series’ glory years.

Combat just plain sucks. [July 2005, p.120]

I can't put my personal feelings on crarpy games aside enough to recommend Don't Try This At Home to anyone but people who think that getting thumbtacks stuck in your ass and scalp are a fun way to spend a Saturday. [Dec 2003, p.148]

With unresponsive skating and stickhandling skills, NHL 2K10 is a troubled hockey prospect. With so many red flags, we recommend passing this prospect over.

For all of the shock and hullaballoo following its path toward release, Hatred is nothing special or particularly egregious in the world of video game violence, except for the fact that it relies on that violence alone. The game takes itself extremely seriously and has plenty of extremely violent content and murder, but it ends up feeling more like camp.

Pulling off tricks is frustrating at first, and boring and simplistic once you get the hang of it. [Dec 2001, p.109]

For the very young, or serious Harry Potter collectors only. [Jan 2002, p.88]

With choppy play, no strategy, and an asinine betting system (bet on the most dunks and you'll win every time), Street Hoops is a tall guy paper doll simulator at best. "NBA Street" wins in a rout. [Sept 2002, p.81]

If robots ever do take over, I hope the human race doesn’t succumb to a force this stupid.

Metal Saga is like a bastard mash-up of Mad Max and Lawrence of Arabia...tanks, deserts, and a post-apocalyptic future that manages to be super boring. [May 2006, p.101]

The strategic elements are painfully shallow and are accompanied by archaic visuals. Sadly, a crayon drawing from a five-year-old shows more detail and realism than the military units in this game. [Oct 2003, p.122]

The cutscenes are great, making an episode's worth of good animation here for the viewing, but I wouldn't want you to pay $50 and suffer through this hack-job of a game just to get to it. [Sept 2003, p.109]

A decent shot at motion-controlled rhythm gameplay aside, this shameless cash-in game of a shameless cash-in TV show is what it is. What is it? Stacy Keibler is in this game!

This is a brawler. It allegedly has stealth, too, but it's the most pathetic, poorly done sneaking around I've seen. [Jan 2003, p.96]

The graphics can only be described as awful, missions are boring, and combat ranges from dull to frustrating. [June 2004, p.123]

With levels that redefine “linear,” there is no need to collect objects in a game like this, but that’s mostly what you end up doing.

But the list of shortcomings is so long that you wonder how the company has the cajones to charge $10 more for this version over the current-gen titles. Those are some big brass basketballs.

The graphics can only be described as awful, missions are boring, and combat ranges from dull to frustrating. [June 2004, p.123]

A grotesque abomination that should be burned at the stake. [Aug 2007, p.93]

A jabronie, but it could've been worse. [May 2003, p.83]

The isometric view means that you can frequently get stuck behind things or die because you misjudged distance and/or height. [Nov 2003, p.177]

This button-mashing brawler offers decent combat functionality, yet cannot deliver one adversary that you would actually feel good about punching…unless you get a kick out of clocking knights that are as passive as Buddhist monks.

Games like this make defending the adventure genre harder work than it already is. [July 2006, p.109]

A disastrous misstep. [Jan 2006, p.149]

The graphics can only be described as awful, missions are boring, and combat ranges from dull to frustrating. [June 2004, p.123]

As Velvet Assassin’s story unfolds, a realization begins to dawn. Events have nothing to tie them together. No overarching plot shapes your gameplay experience. Instead, these are vignettes devoid of character or emotional resonance.

Circle of Doom’s problems all seem so frustratingly obvious the first time you see them that it makes you wonder why they were never changed.

The sad thing is, blasting these hostile extraterrestrial invaders is a thrill-less and somewhat aggravating endeavor...The world would definitely be a better place without it. [Mar 2002, p.85]

Eureka Seven could have been decent if the LFOs didn't feel like they were slliding on thin ice, or the lifting delivered any sensation of speed or excitement. [Oct. 2006, p.100]

I suggest Midway go back to the drawing board and mix realism with its brutal attitude, similar to what it did with "RedCard Soccer." [Oct 2002, p.84]

In all honesty, I enjoyed the main bulk of gameplay about as much as I do that throbbing sensation when a Q-tip is jammed just a little too far into my ear. [July 2003, p.115]

As Velvet Assassin's story unfolds, a realization begins to dawn. Events have nothing to tie them together. [July 2009, p.83]

The game is nothing but an exercise in pressing X at the right time. [Nov 2001, p.110]

Some of the most antiquated and broken gameplay available on modern consoles. [June 2005, p.126]

Many of us lived through the era of video games that was overflowing with bad movie-to-game adaptations, and Crossroads is a pointed reminder of those days, showing just how far games have come since then. It’s a mess of a game that hones in on why the Fast movies are great, but will make you want to put the controller down to watch one of those movies instead.

The entire package, whether it's boring fetch missions or jokes that fall flat, feels uninspired and rushed. [May 2008, p.95]

Some games run into problems trying to be everything to everyone, but SimCity Creator suffers from the opposite affliction. It doesn’t try to be anything to anyone. Well, that’s one thing it does right.

I don’t completely regret playing Goat Simulator, but I also don’t recommend it to anyone looking for more than disposable entertainment involving goats making people fall down and blowing up gas stations. I appreciate that Coffee Stain Studios is in on the joke, but acknowledging a game is bad doesn't suddenly make it good.

Despite debuting as part of PlayStation Plus' Instant Game Collection, the barren lobbies and long matchmaking times tell you everything you need to know about the state of Secret Ponchos. No one wants to play a laggy, imbalanced, and punitive multiplayer-only game, even if it's free.

For better or worse, Rise of Nightmares doesn't support a standard controller. Even if it did, the game would still be just as guilty of blandness. Combine this sin with the constant control struggles, and it's tough to recommend this game for even the most desperate Kinect owner.

The dreary level designs and overly repetitive gameplay sours the overall experience. Also, for the love of God, please stop with the coin collecting. It's over. [Oct 2004, p.136]

Please, just don’t play this.

Some ideas here might have worked well if the developers had honed in on a few systems to perfect. Instead, the game throws so many overwhelming systems at you that many get lost in the shuffle. As much as I like to root for the underdog and want to see niche games catapult to new heights, Mugen Souls needs so much refining that I can't cheer it on.

EA should be ashamed that it’s trying to bilk some kid out of $50 while offering so little in return. I can understand simplifying the controller in an otherwise button-heavy sport, but that doesn’t mean the gameplay itself has to become uninspiring and so lacking.

To say that Over G Fighters is a phenomenally terrible game isn't an exaggeration or a quippy joke. [Sept. 2006, p.97]

The dull, simplistic puzzle-solving relies on a gimmicky control scheme to distract you from the fact that it’s barely a game in any sense of the word.

It's too bad none of this care and effort went into the actual combat engine, which is a simplistic throwback to 8-bit brawlers like "Double Dragon", minus the old-school charm. [Nov 2003, p.167]

The game looks okay, but combat is dull and it doesn't compare to its PC counterpart. [Dec 2004, p.168]

Even though events like a serial killer and political intrigue pop up to break up the action, the day-to-day monotony of the gameplay takes its toll. Content is repeated, and causes the experience to drag on. If the goal was to convey the drudgery of this kind of work, I was sick of it halfway through. It all culminates in one of the dumbest imaginable confrontations.

Silent Hill: Book of Memories devolves from a mediocre dungeon crawler into a frustrating grind over the course of too many hours. WayForward's attempt to do something different with the Silent Hill universe is novel, but the clunky combat and imbalanced difficulty make this impossible to recommend.

Not only does its gameplay come nowhere near replicating the physics and control of rally racing, but it also looks like a chunky ass. [Mar 2003, p.92]

Offers nothing but mindless button-mashing, boring level design, and horrible pacing. [May 2004, p.100]

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India is a disappointment. Outside of the gorgeous, painted art style, it has few redeeming features.

The combo system is definitely cool, and the controls are fashioned nicely, but the remainder of the game is just downright appalling. [March 2005, p.132]

Carnival Games: Monkey See, Monkey Do is too realistic for its own good. Outside of evil carnies appreciating the attention to detail, I can't see anyone enjoying the frustration and feeling of helplessness that undermine most of the minigames.

The game fails in the simple task of capturing the excitement of actual bowling. [July 2004, p.112]

Frankly speaking, Generation Zero feels unfinished. A massive trail of narrative bread crumbs exists for players that might culminate in a great yarn about this robotic invasion, but the sheer dullness and technical issues makes this game not worth seeing to the halfway point, much less the end.

I think I'd rather have Gandalf turn me into something unnatural - like a hairy newt - rather than play this game again. [Dec 2002, p.150]

Difficult to recommend. [Mar 2011, p.98]

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 feels like a bad parody of military shooters, but with poorly textured environments and sub-par mechanics. I like being the lone-wolf sniper as much as the next shooter fan, but City Interactive fumbles the power-trip from start to finish.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 feels like a bad parody of military shooters, but with poorly textured environments and sub-par mechanics. I like being the lone-wolf sniper as much as the next shooter fan, but City Interactive fumbles the power-trip from start to finish.

Looking at the world of Redfall, I become sad by its wasted potential. For every great location, there are a handful of forgettable ones. The result is an empty-feeling game with several puzzling problems, like a lack of proper stealth takedowns, a tedious quest and waypoint system, and the inability to pause gameplay in single-player mode. Rampant technical issues hinder brighter moments, including frequent server crashes during multiplayer, inputs failing to work, broken animations, and numerous other bugs that make playing Redfall a frustrating experience. For a game about fighting the undead, Redfall feels soulless in all the wrong ways.

Some of the most antiquated and broken gameplay available on modern consoles. [June 2005, p.126]

While the controls aren't as big a deal on the PC, the spotty AI, poor pacing, and lack of depth doom both versions. [Nov 2008, p.118]

I'm sure Microsoft fans are thankful for the chance to experience the painfully simple level designs, erratic targeting, inane storyline, and hideous graphics of Sarge's War for themselves. [Oct 2004, p.140]

My time with Wayward Manor felt more like a trial than a macabre puzzle adventure about a haunted house. Wayward Manor isn’t frightening, but it sure scared me away.

Chronicles' biggest problem is its repetitive combat.

For all of the disgust Ninja Reflex slowly draws up from the pit of your stomach, it should have been branded Gag Reflex instead. [June 2008, p.99]

I was too busy questioning character decisions (theirs, not mine), rolling my eyes, and grappling with an overwhelming feeling of déjà vu to ever enjoyably engage in Directive 8020.

Despite some creative visual tricks, Layers of Fear doesn’t have sharp enough teeth to maintain its bite.

Despite some creative visual tricks, Layers of Fear doesn’t have sharp enough teeth to maintain its bite.

Please, just don’t play this.

I looked forward to each installment of the Planet of the Apes movies, and I enjoyed the strange, brutal future they outlined. Last Frontier is an interesting take on that world that trades in the same themes of the struggle between compassion and forgiveness versus the appeal of tyranny and vengeance. It’s a shame that the interactive elements and choices have about as much effect on that world as the close-door button in an elevator. It’s a ride that might be worth taking once, but don’t bother going back in when you’re done.

I still can't stand the passing system, and I'm certainly not going to fork over the cash just for better looking players. [Apr 2002, p.77]

EA should be ashamed that it’s trying to bilk some kid out of $50 while offering so little in return. I can understand simplifying the controller in an otherwise button-heavy sport, but that doesn’t mean the gameplay itself has to become uninspiring and so lacking. [Feb 2008, p.96]

The dialogue in Korea can be offensive in its use of racial stereotypes in a failed attempt to be funny. The real joke's on the game itself. [Jan 2004, p.157]

It's simplistic, clumsy, unresponsive, and boring, even with the improvements over last year's entry. [Jan 2005, p.122]

To be clear, I have no problem with non-violent flight games. In fact, I loved both Pilotwings games in their day. But Wing Island went down a dark path somewhere in development and somehow killed any potential for fun along the way.

Barely even a game. [Nov 2005, p.154]

As with most poor racing titles, the control is only solid in the first-person view - the mark of mediocrity. [June 2003, p.113]

A lesson in what happens when there is an unwillingness to evolve or risk new ideas. [June 2005, p.126]

The play is way too shallow and unforgiving. [May 2002, p.89]

The control scheme is horrific and cannot be changed. [Nov 2004, p.156]

On any system the combat stinks, but on the 'Cube, it's absolutely horrid. [Dec 2003, p.159]