While its pacing can be hit or miss due to its procedural map generation and unpredictable player behavior, Wildgate stands out amidst other PvPvE multiplayer offerings. Working with teammates to overcome challenging scenarios to unearth new equipment and upgrades for the spaceship is excellent, especially when it often culminates in larger-than-life dogfights that require every person to play a role, resulting in cinematic, often white-knuckle match-ups.

Lore enthusiasts will appreciate several significant developments, and no matter your choice, both new organizations have memorable characters and conversations. I had a blast returning to Skyrim after a few months away. Even so, Bethesda did such a fine job of entertaining me the first time out that Dawnguard feels more like an added bonus than an essential ingredient of the whole.

Almost feels like an exercise (albeit a beautiful-looking one) exploring many of the franchise's classic components. But the end result just proves that Castlevania is more than a set of ideas, it's a gameplay experience that remains not fully realized. [Nov 2003, p.138]

Creating a compelling zombie game in a generation with too many of them is a hard task. Tequila Works manages to do this while successfully merging it with the unlikely action-platforming genre. The lame narrative and lack of consistent challenge can't overshadow the fun I had with Deadlight. I'm crossing my fingers for a sequel.

After finishing the first episode of Before the Storm, I was impressed at how well it retains the essence of the original Life is Strange, despite being handled by a different developer. That feeling doesn’t change with this episode; it draws you in with interesting characters, then builds them through quiet moments and big decisions.

Regardless of how the finale plays it, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the journey of trying to rehabilitate one of comic’s greatest villains.

Thematically, developer Rockstar San Diego has hit the nail right on the head. You really do feel like the toughest cowboy to ever step foot in the west. [June 2004, p.124]

Sound, suspense, storyline, and action make RE 2 a classic on any platform. [Apr 2003, p.89]

Mega Man X was a great experience back in the day, and this faithful re-interpretation with a sleek new look is nothing to complain about. [Mar 2006, p.120]

Fighting genre fans who spent countless hours mastering the intricacies of the Street Fighter Alpha, Guilty Gear, or King of Fighters series may find Tatsunoko vs. Capcom's control layout to be too forgiving and easily learned, but at the very least it gives casual fans a taste of the maniacal action that they never experienced with the more hardcore titles. [Feb 2010, p.96]

For fans of this long-running series, Skies Unknown doesn’t live up to its name. This is the Ace Combat we’ve known and loved for decades, and it’s great to have it back. The dogfighting is rightfully the highlight and will give your reflexes a good workout.

My only real gripe about the game is the insane load times, which is more a fault of the PSP than the actual game. [Feb 2006, p.113]

Offers everything a solid action title needs. Unless you're burnt out on Mega, you can't go wrong. [Mar 2003, p.91]

Danger. Intrigue. Beauty. Frustration. During my playtime I felt all of these, but by far the greatest emotion was triumph. Etrian Odyssey IV finally has the polish and accessibility previous entries lacked, but it’s hardly perfect. The mandatory slow-moving grind, lack of guidance, and unforgiving nature at times turned me off. But as someone who couldn’t get into the first three, it’s clear Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan has jumped leaps and bounds from where the franchise was before.

Anomaly's short length doesn't make the time I spent with it any less amusing. The chance to explore this well-executed unusual concept is well worth its $10 price tag. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for this talented studio.

Invisible, Inc. doesn’t always feel like it’s playing by the rules, but clever thinking and a good loadout empower you to fight from the shadows.

It's RPG aspects exceed the GameCube Mario Golf entirely. [June 2004, p.138]

I especially enjoy the assorted tricks you can perform in the air, but the controls needed to successfuly execute those moves seem to be a little hit-or-miss. [Mar 2003, p.85]

For diehard fans of the series, this one's a must-play. For everyone else, Case West is fun, but hardly essential. [Feb 2011, p.95]

In all, Galactic Civilizations II is worth a play for any genre enthusiast, and exactly what stranded Master of Orion fans have been waiting for. [Apr 2006, p.131]

The full-team on-court action plays the best it ever has, and the graphical leap is impressive to boot, but it still comes up short in some key areas.

With compelling storytelling, and one ingenious mission after another, Mafia has enough firepower to keep you playing until the end. [June 2004, p.132]

There is also a fair amount of backtracking, and the game doesn't always point you in the right direction, which is more annoying when you accidentally leave one area for a few seconds only to come back and find that the enemies you just beat have magically returned. If these kind of ancient gaming weaknesses don't bother you, then Majin will deliver an experience that you won't soon forget – even if the rest of the world does.

The lack of online play is a shame, but the list of titles included here is a true all-star lineup from the Genesis era.

This game goes from zero-to-60 fast enough, but that only brings it upon the question of “now what?” that much more quickly. I don’t want to say that being a sim-racer is a dead end, but it’s hard to know where the Shift branch of Need for Speed can go from here.

Those interested in games that stretch the boundaries of interactive narrative will appreciate this startling and emotionally nuanced examination of a complex topic.

Be prepared to repeat levels. Do it and you will be rewarded with beautiful graphics, great sound, and smart level design. [Mar 2003, p.92]

It beats "Cubivore," "Vib Ribbon," and even "Mister Mosquito" in sheer quirk factor - and this fact makes up for a lot of the game's faults. [Oct 2004, p.134]