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.

Bangai-O Spirits is a revival of an original franchise that blends puzzle solving and action in a way few other games can. An unfair learning curve and some noticeable technical bugs haunt the title, but it’s also filled with varied content.

A Plague Tale is a double tragedy. On one hand, Amicia and Hugo’s tear-filled journey through rural France is marked by adversity, but the bigger misfortune is how this powerful story of sibling love is soured by simple puzzles and clunky stealth mechanics. A Plague Tale is a forgettable game wrapped around a memorable adventure.

While I appreciate the large player counts and wide-open battlefields, the on-foot gunplay and lack of multiplayer modes are disappointing.

Project Spark offers an impressive collection of tools for tinkerers, or even someone who might want to try prototyping an idea, but the experience is what you’re willing to make of it. It won’t make a designer out of everyone, but if you’re eager to invest and study, it can be a versatile and enjoyable tool.

As the WWE 2K series churns out another game each year, they’re becoming tougher to remain enthusiastic about. Visual Concepts found a strong formula with 2K22 and has steadily iterated on that without rocking the boat too much, making for a consistent but gradually less exciting package each year. Starting with The Island’s debut last year, the VC infiltration is becoming irksome, especially in a package that already has multiple expensive editions and paid unlocks. Art is starting to imitate life – it’s never been more expensive to consume the WWE product, thanks to sky-high ticket prices and the pricey streaming subscriptions required to even watch everything. My feelings while playing 2K26 began to mirror my current relationship with the on-screen product: It’s still enjoyable, but the negatives are catching up to the positives.

You need serious tenacity and perseverance to see the sights, but they are wonders worth seeing.

If, like me, you’ve cooled on the music genre in recent months, I don’t think Green Day is the band to reignite your love affair with Rock Band. In the future, maybe Harmonix could attempt a single band title based around a more complex – and more fun to play – band like Muse or Rush.

Overall, NBA 2K23 is a fitting tribute to the historical legends and iconic moments that made this sport what it is today. Though the game has its fair share of issues with its poor narrative choices and omnipresent microtransactions, it’s still a solid improvement over the previous game. This year’s release isn’t quite the flashy free-throw line dunk that lands a perfect score, but it is a worthy, all-around effort that would earn M.J.’s shrug of approval.

A been-there-done-that title that does pretty well by itself. [May 2002, p.93]

I enjoyed my time with the first Halo Wars, so I’m glad that Microsoft took a chance with a sequel. Unfortunately, aside from Blitz, I don’t feel like Creative Assembly pushed the envelope. Simplified base building, smaller maps, and outdated level design keep Halo Wars 2 for achieving great heights. However, if you loved the first Halo Wars, this entry delivers more of the same.

If you can forgive some frustrating control and AI issues, République’s first episode is an intriguing start to this ambitious episodic title.

Looks great, and moves pretty damn fast, but it does little more than meet the average requirements of any car game... Despite the new-fangled PSP, this game remains stuck in the arcade era. [May 2005, p.138]

Many repeated playthroughs of Out There allow for a marginally higher survival rate, but the arbitrary chance for failure on an otherwise perfect run can be infuriating. If that indiscriminate failure is part of what you enjoy in roguelikes, Out There is a fascinating attempt to combine strategy with storytelling, and a worthy distraction for science-fiction enthusiasts.

Nocturne has truly slick and innovative concepts, but you've got to wade ankle-deep through some garbage before you can experience them. [Nov 2004, p.154]

It’s a beautiful, original concept that falls just shy of something special.

Guardians of Middle-earth is an excellent game hobbled by bad network performance. I am continually drawn back to the exceptional gameplay, only to be repulsed by a disconnection or unbearably long matchmaking queue. I can see myself playing this for months on end if and when Monolith solves the lag and connectivity problems.

Here we have a tactical shooter that has all the thrills in all of the right places. [July 2002, p.91]

Guardians of Middle-earth is an excellent game hobbled by bad network performance. I am continually drawn back to the exceptional gameplay, only to be repulsed by a disconnection or unbearably long matchmaking queue. I can see myself playing this for months on end if and when Monolith solves the lag and connectivity problems.

This may not be a revolution in gaming, but as a fresh premise and interesting gameplay for $30, even with some flaws packed in, isn't a bad deal in my book. [July 2006, p.109]

Despite its long and circuitous course to arrive at port, Skull and Bones is the type of game that may change significantly in the coming months. But to evaluate it as it stands, fellow pirate enthusiasts may discover what I did – a flawed but beautifully presented historical fantasy in which one can take to the water and make a fortune, even if absolutely everything about the pirate life isn’t always pretty.

House of Ashes never came close to terrifying or surprising me, but I still found it a respectable thriller that should make for an entertaining night alone or with up to four friends passing the controller. If you’ve enjoyed the Anthology up to this point, you’ll likely get a kick out of this too. But if you’ve been waiting for The Dark Pictures to reach the heights of Until Dawn, don’t get your hopes up for another year.

All in all, families that loved the first one would be well advised to pick up the sequel. It’s a better game, and for the price of admission you get an accessory that will (hopefully) allow for improved gameplay for the future.

I can't marshal too much frustration at Solatotobo, even if I'm bothered by its overly simplistic mechanics. It's a fun introductory action/RPG, but experienced players should consider a more sophisticated title. That is, unless you love your game heroes to be covered in fur.

The humor is certainly there, but Hypnotix really needs to get the polish onto this simulation before people will revere its hilarity. [Oct 2004, p.125]

MTX is simply the fastest motocross game I've ever played. [Apr 2004, p.89]

Falls a bit short of the excellence displayed by the franchise so far. [Dec 2005, p.190]

Commander Lilith is another solid DLC arc that fits right at home with the previous Borderlands 2 expansions, and it’s a great way to prepare yourself for the sequel. As someone for whom Borderlands’ formula has already worn a little thin, however, Commander Lilith left me yearning to see what improvements Borderlands 3 may bring to the table, even as I enjoyed the moment-to-moment action.