As good, if not slightly better than all the other FIFAs before it. And as long as this is all anyone asks for, it looks like FIFA will crawl along from year to year knowing that it never has to fully pull it all together. [Nov 2004, p.149]

The one thing that makes this game worth it to NASCAR rubes like you and me is that the new speed blur makes side-by-side racing pretty damn cool. [Oct. 2006, p.94]

After a while, the recycled environments and repetitive battles start to feel like a chore rather than a reward. [Mar 2007, p.96]

Awakening enriches the universe with new revelations and characters (two of the new party members are particularly awesome), but only makes half-hearted attempts to improve the basics. [Issue#204, p.95]

If you’re looking for the next big thing in wacky racing games beyond a capable online framework, don’t look here. If you’re looking for straightforward Mario Kart clone with a glossy Sega veneer, then this game is for you.

Unfortunately, the only place this intriguing design has a place to shine is in multiplayer. The campaign is laughably awful, with a tepid story told through awkwardly acted cutscenes surrounding poorly scripted scenarios.

For all my frustration with unwelcome tutorials before every level, slow speech, having to replay levels, and hiring helpers, I enjoyed the core action and running my store. The muck you must wade through before you get to the action is unavoidable, but when you do finally get through, it’s compelling. Speeding around the levels as Dillon, slamming into enemies and pulling off last-second saves as animal versions of my friends and family cheer me on is exhilarating.

The gimmick of Kingsway is rather glorious, but the grandeur fades quickly as you take up your sword and staff for the third or forth completion run. The novelty of Kingsway is quite potent, but it just doesn’t have any staying power. As something to hammer out in a day and put down never to play again, it’s a fun diversion – but don’t count on it to keep you exploring the ever-changing island for much longer than that.

In other words, the series (at least the 360 version) is back to being Madden's waterboy. [Aug 2006, p.87]

There is something here for you if you're willing to stick it out, but you have to commit without rolling your eyes at the melodrama to truly appreciate it. [Apr 2012, p.87]

The battle system is unexciting overall, but there is some mysterious draw to seeing all the different beast forms that keeps you playing. [Feb 2003, p.110]

Merely mediocre in terms of graphics (including the pitiful draw-distance in multiplayer), and simple problems like the inept camera have yet to be fixed. Its strong gameplay manages to squeak out a passing grade. [May 2004, p.97]

What I really enjoy is buying painted Muscle figures from the in-game vending machines. [July 2003, p.110]

The one problem I have with this package, overall, is that high scores aren't kept when you turn the GBA off. [June 2002, p.87]

Legends of Aranna delivers. With about fifteen hours of gameplay, lots of new items to collect, and a horde of monsters and boxes to destroy, this expansion offers plenty for gamers who love to increase stats and find fancy weapons and armor. [Jan 2004, p.155]

I think this desire to innovate in the genre comes at the expense of what's ultimately good abuot pinball itself...There's not one individual stage that has that incredibly addictive "I could play this until I die" feeling that you get from a well-made traditional pinball machine. [Oct 2004, p.147]

The best Turtles game in years, which admittedly is kind of like saying you just got the best punch in the gut you’ve had in years. Nonetheless, TMNT entertains pretty consistently, delivering fast-paced thrills but almost no genuine challenge.

Boasting fantastic locales from Cairo to the Himalayas and strange experimental fighters never seen in the history books, the titular secret missions in question are pretty unbelievable. The exaggerated weapons and battles are actually the most exciting and engrossing aspect of the title; much of Blazing Angels 2 veers heavily into frustration and obfuscation.

The disturbingly dwarf-sized characters may serve as an analogy for the game’s place among strategy RPGs: It’s shorter and uglier than most that have come before, but it’s also unique in a way that some will find charming.

Blazing Angels is definitely a sight for sore eyes. Its visuals will leave you gazing in wonder, but at the same time, the gameplay will have you fighting back tars. [May 2006, p.94]

Gat Out of Hell comes up short in mission variety, but concludes in a tantalizing way: with five different endings.

The game's Read and Lead passing system is simply a blast to play. It's not perfect, but it's a breath of fresh air to the sport. [Sept 2003, p.116]

I can see FPS fans having fun with BlackSite since it provides all the standard FPS rollercoaster thrills, but most of us have been up and down those hills a few too many times.

Juggling different weapons and dodging enemy fire makes the gameplay feel frantic and exciting, but too little enemy and level design variation hold this competent shooter back from greatness. [Apr 2011, p.96]

For now, NHL 21 gets the job done, especially if you want to play a fancier, flashier game. I still had plenty of fun, and when you consider that it’s the only way to experience the NHL until the real league gets back on the ice in January, it’s not a bad way to get your hockey fix.

The game is still basically a 2D title with multiple horizontal planes. [Dec 2001, p.118]

The production values are pretty abysmal, but this absorbing strategy title has hours of potential playtime packed in – more than worth checking out.

Frogwares doesn't pull any punches in its irreverent yet thoughtful portrayal of the detective, and is similarly unflinching in the intelligence and attention to detail it demands of players. The Testament joins that small, respected group of M-rated games that actually require maturity from players; recommending this case to adventure game fans is elementary.