Those of you who have attention-deficit problems or severe sugar ingestion issues will not like Tactics Ogre. [Apr 2002, p.88]

While the single player is rather ordinary, the multiplayer mode makes Bomberman Generation a must for GameCube owners with friends. [August 2002, p.82]

Certainly a respectable entry into this genre, and is funny enough to bring a few holdouts into its fold. [Feb 2004, p.101]

Alhtough you get used to it, the numerous blind spots are highly annoying. [Jan 2003, p.122]

Despite being periodically uneventful, the Skywalker Saga is a thorough and fun examination of all three Star Wars movie trilogies. It delivers the same sensation of being overwhelmed as opening a Blu-Ray collection of films and not knowing which one you should start with. The player can bounce between trilogies and veer off a story path at any time to explore the galaxy far, far away. Some discoveries may be as dull as sand, but others may deliver something great, like Babu Frik as a playable character or seeing what Kylo Ren's bedroom looks like.

Even with the omission of late hits, NFL Blitz is an old-school arcade experience that hasn't lost the fun factor it had a decade-and-a-half ago. As a casual football fan who hasn't seen more than three regular season NFL games this year, it still managed to win me over with its fast-paced action. Blitz's gameplay will seem unmistakably familiar to fans of the original, but it's still a great title to have in your library to pull out for the occasional game.

A City Sleeps is an intriguing take on shoot ‘em ups, but the limited content and out of reach powers keep it from reaching its potential.

Even with the omission of late hits, NFL Blitz is an old-school arcade experience that hasn't lost the fun factor it had a decade-and-a-half ago. As a casual football fan who hasn't seen more than three regular season NFL games this year, it still managed to win me over with its fast-paced action. Blitz's gameplay will seem unmistakably familiar to fans of the original, but it's still a great title to have in your library to pull out for the occasional game.

Ubisoft has managed to strike some potent emotional chords with Far Cry 2. Combined with the depth and breadth of the sweeping African environment, they may very well be enough to overcome a combat system that isn’t nearly as intricate as the game world in which it is housed.

Building your kingdom is satisfying and engaging, even with the weak narrative hooks. The cycle of rewards became an obsession, and had me staying up late to recruit just one more ally, or complete just one more upgrade. Combat could be tighter, and other supporting elements could use some polish – but like any kingdom, this experience isn’t about individual contributions. It’s about how those contributions come together, and the fun of this experience as a whole outweighs its flaws.

From beginning to end, it’s an entertaining mix of bracing combat, polished platforming, and a good dollop of humor.

Regardless of whether you choose to tackle the game's more difficult aspect or not, OlliOlli2 succeeds because the levels – in conjunction with the runner-like platforming flow – are well designed.

Necrobarista tells a meaningful story about relationships and the memories we create with the people around us. It’s heartwarming, poignant, and pulls at the heart strings in all the right ways. It has some minor issues, but they aren’t what stuck with me. Instead, I’m still thinking about the wisdom this game imparts.

As this DLC ups the shock factor, it makes it clear when season two rolls around that Telltale has no boundaries, and you should prepare your emotions accordingly.

ESPN is a top-shelf pick that has an unrivaled franchise mode, but the gameplay doesn't have the hard-hitting finesse of EA's "NHL".[Sept 2004, p.103]

Striking and intense moments make up the bulk of 400 Days' appeal.

Relic's Dawn of the War series remains the best video game adaptation of this universe, but Space Marine is a close second. The combat – for both single and multiplayer – pumps out barbaric excitement and continues to improve as the adventure unfolds.

The eight new fighting styles for each wrestler in the game are a nice addition that provide some great diversity in the characters, but they destroy the game’s balance.

In some ways, Phantom Doctrine is what you make of it. The sheer depth and lack of guidance allow you to focus on the systems you enjoy while ignoring other systems completely, sometimes to your own detriment. Despite feeling burned by the ploy for an extended replay, I thoroughly enjoyed CreativeForge’s stealthy and methodical take on espionage.

Ultimately, 400 Days is worth playing for invested fans. Telltale has clearly learned the game works best when it presents you with unattractive choices that pull at your humanity.

Relic's Dawn of the War series remains the best video game adaptation of this universe, but Space Marine is a close second. The combat – for both single and multiplayer – pumps out barbaric excitement and continues to improve as the adventure unfolds.

Twelve Minutes is ambitious, both in its narrative and gameplay. It restricts players to its brutal rules, and its tragedies truly horrified me. And while its gameplay never let me experiment as much as I wanted it to – I still wish my cup of water plan had worked – I can’t stop thinking about the experience. I don’t want to be trapped in the game’s time loop any longer, but the entire adventure will stick with me. Twelve Minutes is a case study on a game thinking outside the box, playing by its own rules, and it’s a worthwhile experience for that alone.

Nintendo has always lagged behind when it comes to online offerings, so the quality of New Super Luigi U is reassuring. It may recycle tons of content from the main game, but more Mario platforming action is rarely a bad thing. As a fan of New Super Mario Bros. U, I enjoyed these new twists on the decades-old format.

Conan delivers the best action in the genre, presents an ­amazingly ­immersive world, and has a lot of room for emergent PvP gameplay at the level cap in the Borderlands. However, its heavily instanced design and lackluster PvE content offer little of note to more socially inclined players and PvP haters.

Pepper Grinder is an innovative indie experience, packed with tense battles, fluid platforming, and eye-catching visual design. While its short runtime left me wanting more, I'm happy with what it is: a bright action platformer that's anything but a grind.

Fun puzzles, exciting dungeons, and satisfying exploration makes this retro-style title a joy to play through. With loads of Zelda inspiration and fun, new takes on puzzles and boss battles within the beloved formula, Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King is a delightful take on a familiar style.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is a successful second attempt at the groundwork laid by its predecessor. Fair Play delivers a solid platform fighter that simultaneously improves the franchise's core mechanics and introduces side content to flesh out the overall package. It's nothing mind-blowing, and it's certainly not the next Super Smash Bros., but it's engaging, exciting, and worth your time.

Forgotton Anne is slow and clunky and a bit frustrating at times, but it has its heart in the right place when it comes to story, which challenges the player morally and concludes with a satisfying choice.