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.

If you're looking for one of those rare games that does humor right, Rock of Ages is a stand-out example. It's just a shame that the gameplay didn't quite match up.

Featuring a different assortment of classics than the consoles' Capcom Collection, Remixed even features the first "Street Fighter", which isn't always easy to come by. [May 2006, p.111]

I really have a hard time deciding what I hate more about this game: Is it the horribly grating characters and voices, the lame setting, or the incredibly sticky flight controls? [Dec 2004, p.188]

Majesty 2 is a better designed game than the original in many respects – the balance is improved, the interface is less horrible, and the economy model is vastly superior. However, it fails to project the kind of quirky charm that made the first title such a classic.

Falling somewhere between a traditional Ridge Racer title and a Burnout game, Unbounded fails to fully succeed at recreating either experience, ending up in between the two racing franchises in terms of quality.

With a creepy vibe, solid gameplay, and intriguing narrative, Mundaun is a good time even if it won’t blow away horror veterans. It’s worth checking out if you’re looking to experience a few good scares and to see its wicked art direction in motion. Much like its aesthetic, Mundaun winds up being a rough but respectable depiction of some of the best horror games in the genre.

It’s too bad that the game feels so bad. Literally, this hurts to play. The controls are a mess. My hand cramped shooting with L and aiming with a stylus.

After a while, slaughtering endless waves of enemies gets a bit tiresome. Still, it's a fun way to let off a little steam, and it doesn't take itself too seriously. [Nov 2005, p.148]

It's by no means a blocckbuster that can suck away years of your life, but it offers up memorable thrills that you won't find anywhere else. [Ju;y 2006, p.105]

After four successful episodes, Nest of Vipers is a borderline disaster. It feels rushed and sloppy compared to the ebb and flow of the previous episodes.

The new Ultimate Team mode is addictive as it combines regular gameplay and managerial acumen with a trading card component that entices with a constant sense of accomplishment and attraction...What this UEFA achieves in this new mode it loses in the actual gameplay.

Persona 5’s soundtrack helped define its captivating sense of style when it released last year, and Dancing in Starlight is a good celebration of it. The clumsy dancing interface and short tracklist make it fall short as a rhythm game, but some great remixes and fun progression hooks make it a worthwhile way to revisit the look, feel, and sound of one this generation’s most stylish RPGs.

The Xbox shold definitely be your machine of choice this time around. The PS2 version looks noticeably worse in all respects. The choice is clear. [July 2005, p.118]

It has a mediocre action framework at its core, but the polish and flair that surround it makes for a surprisingly engaging and enjoyable play. [July 2004, p.116]

It's a fantastic addition to XBLA and PSN, and it's a great way to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Galaga.

Despite my misgivings, Madison still offers a respectable evening of frights and is worth a look for fans of psychological horror. It succeeds in building tension and puzzle variety, stumbling when it becomes obsessed with bamboozling players with head-tilting solutions and stopping their hearts with lame jump scares. But when the game hits right, you’ll be glad no one caught the look on your face.

If you don't own a Wii or want to start from the beginning, this HD upgrade of the original No More Heroes is a solid but flawed brawler that will introduce you to the goofy plight of Travis Touchdown. For everyone else, don't hesitate to skip right to the far superior Wii-exclusive sequel. [Sept 2011, p.94]

It’s this buildup of minor annoyances that makes it hard to recommend Dragon Quest Treasures. The experience is driven by charm and nostalgia, but if you don’t have an existing appreciation for the series, there isn’t much here that I could recommend over most other open-world role-playing games. It’s an experience that would greatly vary depending on the player; in other words, one player’s Dragon Quest trash is another player’s Dragon Quest Treasure.

Mirror of Fate takes its cues from MercurySteam’s 2010 console title, Lords of Shadow, and mixes in some light Metroid exploration elements. Once you’ve got your head around that, you’re in for an adventure that successfully fuses Castlevania’s new flavor with the franchise’s 2D roots.

I enjoyed getting dirty in Dead Rising 4’s madcap sandbox, and I’d expect that people who have kept up with the series will also have a great time wreaking havoc in Willamette. Players who wanted to get into it before but were put off by the time constraints should definitely give it a shot, too. In many ways, this is the game that people who just wanted to be a one-man zombie wrecking crew were probably hoping for all along.

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.

Having to wait for two and a half hours to see a little progress is a bit excessive. [Nov 2002, p.148]

The game is equal parts puzzle and beat 'em up. This prevents wear and tear on your thumbs, but some of the searching is tedious. [Sept 2003, p.108]

A great idea on paper, but it simply fizzles when the meaty portion of its plot is exposed to play. [Mar 2003, p.90]

An excellent expansion. [Dec 2003, p.180]

I really, really wanted to like Siren, but in the end, I just didn't have much fun or feel like the innovative parts of the game were used to their advantage. [May 2004, p.97]

I'm sure you'll find the gameplay to be quite interesting and thoroughly entertaining. [Nov 2001, p.123]