Moving between moments of greatness and moments of glaring ineptitude, State of Decay leaves me with mixed feelings. It has a great idea at its core, and I want to give the developers at Undead Labs credit for that. But lots of games begin with great ideas; executing those ideas well and letting the player experience them fully is the challenge. That’s where State of Decay falls apart.

With only a few minor play control tweaks and touch ups, Dynasty Tactics 2 feels much more like an upgrade than a new chapter. [Oct 2003, p.120]

Outside of an odd tutorial sequence that completely derails the experience for a few minutes, the action and story flow nicely from moment to moment, creating a fun ride into the inner workings of the Dark Side. The lack of involvement you may have as a character is a minor quibble in an otherwise fascinating Star Wars story that puts its iconic villain in the spotlight more than I expected. I can’t wait to see where this series goes next, as the tease at the end implies the Force will be explored in big ways.

Retro/Grade is a weird but admirable attempt to rekindle the popularity of a genre that has fallen out of favor. Though its timing may be off, fans of games like Amplitude and Guitar shouldn't overlook this one.

Sonic Team's most recent Wii offering is evidence that it's attempting to claw its way out of a deep grave crammed with disappointing titles. Some diehard Sonic fans with unlimited patience may find enjoyment here, but the rest of us should pick up one of Sonic's fully 2D titles until they get it right.

A complete turnaround from last season, and a direction that I hope EA steers clear of in the future. The user should always have control over the most basic gameplay functions. [Sept 2005, p.96]

With so many ways to approach any given combat situation, Predator is more cerebral than other shooters, and allows you to play the way you want to. [Jun 2006, p.114]

Trap Team is an expensive proposition (see sidebar), but one that pounds out thrills and gives fans plenty of reason to visit Skylands for a fourth time.

Open for Business doesn't take advantage of the Sims' best qualities and also falls short as a stand-alone idea. [Apr 2006, p.131]

Little effort has gone into crafting a game that belongs on the Wii – very few upgrades distinguish it from the graphical quality you’d see on that earlier system.

It stands head-and-shoulders above the bar that's been set for GBA action games. [Jan 2004, p.160]

Bangai-O superfans have a lot to chew on here and should enjoy the many challenges, but others should think twice.

Naturally, building and managing a city should take work, and Tropico 6’s work can be rewarding. Unfortunately, some accomplishments are bogged down by the slow pace of building and production and a repetitive campaign. You can build an idyllic getaway, but you can’t walk down these streets without tripping over a few potholes.

Mega Man fans that missed out on the Zero series should pick up the Mega Man Zero collection, as it makes the drought of new Mega Man titles a bit more bearable.

Square Enix's minimal attempts to address the first game's issues won't win any new fans, but the company knows how to pander to an audience. That's one area where Dissidia 012 is firing on all cylinders. [Apr 2011, p.95]

While Lunar is certainly dated (the Genesis-esque) graphics are archaic, and the simple animations get a tad annoying at times), it more than delivers with a big quest, a great story, beautiful music, and lots of full-motion video. [July 1999]

Ghosts had potential to be more than it is. As the first series entry on new consoles and the first of what will assuredly be a new brand, I was disappointed to see it resemble its predecessors even more than the franchise typically does. Even without its own significant hook or sense of identity, however, Ghosts is still fun thanks to Call of Duty’s polished and reliable backbone that’s been established for years.

Even with its shortcomings, EA Sports UFC 5 delivers an exciting MMA experience regardless of the mode in which you compete. Fighting your favorite UFC stars never gets old, and the adrenaline rush that comes with knocking your opponent out in a fierce back-and-forth battle makes it hard to resist the allure of stepping back into the Octagon for one more fight.

This is one adventure you’ll want to see through to the end, even if the seek-and-fun gameplay can get a little irritating.

Ghosts had potential to be more than it is. As the first series entry on new consoles and the first of what will assuredly be a new brand, I was disappointed to see it resemble its predecessors even more than the franchise typically does. Even without its own significant hook or sense of identity, however, Ghosts is still fun thanks to Call of Duty’s polished and reliable backbone that’s been established for years.

The economy might be a little wonky, but Shakedown: Hawaii delivers a nice blast of classic arcade action and some solid laughs. A wealth of entertaining missions and a generous overall structure show that while the game’s CEO might be out of touch, developer VBlank most definitely isn’t.

From somber deaths to one satisfying slap, Amid the Ruins has a lot of memorable moments. As you approach the end, you're left in an unexpected place that keeps your head spinning. Telltale was smart to involve players in this final moment, forcing them to make a knee-jerk reaction to a complex situation.

For the ongoing Final Fantasy VII re-examination, which Square Enix has officially dubbed the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core feels like required reading. Its place in the larger story is important and will likely grow in significance moving forward, but making your way through those story moments sometimes feels like a school assignment. Reunion is a well-executed remake of the 2007 game that delivers fun combat alongside a stilted story with an interesting and narratively important final act. If you plan on starting or continuing the Final Fantasy VII Remake journey, make sure to do your homework.

Examined on its own merits, Rock Band Blitz offers highly tuned rhythm matching fun, and the new approach to multipliers makes score chasing a blast. Harmonix has leveraged its obscenely large music library to boost the appeal of Blitz, and the game's draw may be directly proportional to how much previous money you've already invested in the series.

Naxxramas is an excellent addition to the core game, and an exploration of sorts to examine the potential for additional single-player Hearthstone content. While there is little replay value to the encounters themselves, the adventure provides a substantial amount of new content that spills over into ranked, casual, and arena mode and changes how you approach the game.

My experience on NovaWorld was much better this time around. [Jan 2005, p.143]

Even with everything that bothered me in this episode, I'm still entrenched in where Maxine's story is headed. Life is Strange has plenty of potential left, and Dontnod is making choices matter. However, characters and circumstances need be more natural and plausible for me to buy into this world. So much is too overblown.

The disruptive menu-tinkering and poor checkpoints cause plenty of frustration, but Charlie Murder can be a blast if you’re playing with three friends who understand the game. Ska Studios has created an entertaining 2D brawler, even if it doesn’t stand alongside the elite entries in the genre.