It doesn’t change the reality that Destiny 2 feels greatly stripped back at the moment, even with the addition of several new ventures in these early weeks of Beyond Light. As an expansion, Beyond Light introduces some captivating narrative beats and missions, but it’s not enough all on its own to carry the load of the Destiny universe. I’m left ambivalent, with plenty of enthusiasm for the new content, and excitement about what comes next, but also the sense that for the first time, my longtime hobby game feels lesser than before.

There are plenty of RPG's that manage to be consistently solid without dragging the player kicking and screaming through the first 25 percent of the story. [May 2006, p.101]

Demigod is a solid implementation of a unique concept.

There simply aren't enough changes to make this a must-buy. [July 2005, p.126]

Tales of Hearts R is an adequate RPG, but it doesn’t do much to make itself memorable.

Despite some missteps, Sports Champions is a solid offering for gamers, provided you can accept the shallow nature of a compilation such as this.

Overall, Stray Gods rocks. Between the cast's fantastic performances, a fun twist on Greek mythology, and a genuinely novel game mechanic, it's a game I didn't know I needed, but one I'm happy to give a standing ovation to.

Although Max may provide a better realization of the "draw-in-your-solution" sub-genre of creativity-driven platformers than what has come before, the Wii remote still cannot offer the accuracy truly needed to make a game like this shine.

In tone, Underworld hits the target dead center, delivering the perfect mix of isolation and discovery with larger dramatic encounters. No modern cities mar Lara’s excursion this time – this is tomb raiding from beginning to end. Remarkable visuals sell the experience, and a moving score deepens your involvement. The formula behind the game is ready for some fresh ideas, but as a wrap up of old ideas, Underworld hits the sweet spot.

The camera lock-on and Wii-exclusive split screen co-op are nice additions, but the simplified combat and truncated levels ultimately leave this game a little flat. [July 2009, p.81]

Despite repetitive gameplay, Floor Kids presents a distinct approach to the rhythm genre and allows you to enjoy the music in unique ways. I had a good time in small chunks, but the gameplay of every track just blends together extended gameplay.

With its faults, this title is a good hack-fest with a high body count (which makes for an awesome multiplayer component), but still leaves it short of what it wants to achieve. [Jan 2004, p.148]

The game offers two different story modes that each last a couple hours, but aside from a thin combo challenge there isn’t much to do here other than test your might online. Still, fans of both universes are sure to squeeze hours of entertainment out of this package.

Phenomenally polished and plays incredibly well. It just stalls out early on and gives players little reason to stick with it. [Nov 2005, p.155]

Dead Space 3 is still creepy, but this entry is more action-packed than previous games. That’s a good thing. Isaac’s intuitive new dodge roll makes avoiding the larger nercromorph attacks more manageable.

I don't even need to write a review, this one writes itself. All these games... Buy it. [Dec 2003, p.150]

The only fault I find is that Atlus' otherwise solid RPG (with good-looking graphics) lacks its own compelling reason for being. Just another RPG village? Well, at least the townies are friendly. [Apr 2003, p.96]

Still solid, but it's no "Rogue Leader." [Dec 2001, p.109]

A sexy goth vampire chick shooting and slicing skeleton spiders and Nazis in the 1930s? You gotta love that! [Dec 2002, p.144]

This series has lots of potential, but has yet to live up to it. [Sept 2002, p.85]

Strayed Lights is short, sweet, and mostly excels at what it asks players to do. Its unique parry-required combat brings something new to the table, and I enjoyed nearly every instance of it, especially in the larger boss-fight setpieces sprinkled through the journey. Its exploration doesn’t require much effort, which is a good thing because it largely doesn’t feel great to platform through areas. Its misses are easy to put aside, though, when what I’m looking at and hearing throughout the game is such a delight. Strayed Lights is a strong debut from Embers in almost every way and serves to highlight the importance of a game’s foundation. At its core, Strayed Lights revolves around a simple, intuitive, and unique combat system, and with this strong base in place, it’s no wonder the game shines as bright as it does.

Second Evolution feels like an anonymous and formalic RPG most of the time, but extraordinary moments occasionally rise to the surface. [Feb 2009, p.87]

The game is recommended for anyone who likes taking a close look at a piece of art that goes against the grain of the medium. You should consider checking out Dear Esther the same way you'd appraise a film. If you're interested in absorbing an intellectual story and gorgeous visuals without having to exert a drop of effort, take a chance on this curious experiment.

For zombie fans, this one is a no-brainer - pun definitely intended. [Dec 2005, p.180]

Take 2's under-rated Mafia is still the closest video games have come to capturing an atmosphere similiar to that of this legendary film in a gameplay context. [May 2006, p.99]

MX vs. ATV: Reflex features some great racing moments, but the game's technical ambitions sometimes get in its way. The possibilities of reflex racing with the right analog are clearly there, they just haven't been mastered yet.

Tiny & Big is short; most gamers should finish in under five hours. It's not terribly taxing of your brain or fingers, as the puzzles aren't tough to figure out and action segments have generous checkpoints. It is, however, an excellent way to fill an afternoon or two with a playfully absurd story and godlike power over a heavily physics-modeled world.

It has a cool concept, and when you finally set up your domino effect and see your work play out perfectly, it makes you want more. Those moments are few and far between, and the difficulty ramps up to a point where you're dreading each incoming level, as opposed to looking forward to a new challenge.