Several tweaks have helped to streamline the racing experience, but there really isn't a lot I'd label as innovative beyond its excellent appearance on the new handheld. [May 2005, p.132]

Harmonix has done a remarkable job of bringing the Beatles' music to life in an interactive setting, devoting enormous attention to the details of history and authenticity that Beatles fans demand. The developers also added their own flair to the game, making this the most aesthetically beautiful music game to yet release. [Sept 2009, p.80]

War of the Chosen contains so much new content that it could almost have been called XCOM 3. Every mission dishes out a new enemy, mission type, or environment, which allows the game to remain fresh for several dozen hours. War of the Chosen’s wealth of interwoven systems might overwhelm newcomers, but strategy nerds willing to master the nuances will be treated to one of the most rewarding strategy games in years. I don’t know how Firaxis could make a more complex yet gratifying strategy game, but I can’t wait to see them try.

Fallout 4 didn’t blow me away like the previous iteration did, but it did keep me thoroughly entertained and fully vested in journeying across the wasteland.

The first-person shooter has evolved a great deal since Doom popularized the genre in 1993, but, in spite 25 years of innovations, Dusk proves that many of the old tricks still work incredibly well. Dusk might look and feel like a Quake mod, but it's so polished it feels modern. Anyone with even a hint of nostalgia in their bones for classic shooters should dive headfirst into Dusk.

Hello Games has successfully boiled down all the major elements that made the series fun on consoles, making this handheld version just as entertaining as its console brethren.

The Forbidden Lands are an enticing new playground for the series, and I look forward to spending dozens more hours uncovering Monster Hunter Wilds' secrets.

The scope is magnificent, and like "Shogun: Total War," conflict has really taken on this type of epic feeling for me. [Oct 2002, p.93]

After last year's revolutionary success, this game - like "Madden" - is slowing down with age. [Oct 2004, p.125]

It played well to begin with, but now it has depth. [May 2003, p.86]

Even so, FTL is richly imagined and hard to put down, and an impressively deep and complex game for the iOS platform.

On occasion, your CPU opponents will make some silly mistakes along the lines of using a GameBreaker to shoot a three-pointer during a dunk-only contest, but the AI is still mighty impressive. [March 2005, p.114]

From the living city in which you reside, to the incredibly realistic vehicles, this title has the heart and sould of a blockbuster. [Nov 2002, p.147]

Modern Warfare 3 meets expectations. The core elements of multiplayer and the campaign remain fundamentally unchanged, but the game serves as a great example of how many subtle tweaks can add up to an improved overall product.

Juggling multiple perspectives and thoughtful reflections, What Remains of Edith Finch is an excellent example of what makes games unique as a storytelling medium.

Other military games might be more gung-ho or more over the top, but Brothers in Arms gets closer to the tactics and camaraderie of working as a well-oiled maching in the heat of battle. [May 2005, p.85]

Whether it's the first steps of an online franchse via your EA Locker or your life as the equivalent to Budweiser's Leon in NFL Superstar, Madden's exploration of new areas is not to be missed. [Sept 2005, p.92]

Though I was frustrated by the chaos system and how it steers your actions, the heart of Dishonored is about being inventive, adaptable, and ruthless. The team at Arkane Studios has injected an array of cool possibilities into the simulated city of Dunwall, and discovering them all is a blast.

DJ Hero was my favorite music game of 2009, and I'm happy to report this sequel bests its predecessor in nearly every way.

Perhaps Cocoon’s biggest triumph is its pace and how well it hands out new globe-based abilities all the way up to the end. The game excels at making you an expert on how to use a specific ability to solve a puzzle and then continue to use that ability in tandem with the new ones you’ve discovered. World-hopping certainly has the potential to get over-complicated, but Cocoon shows restraint in the interest of creating a better puzzle game, and it pays off. I don’t know that I will ever fully understand what transpired during my molecular journey on Cocoon’s alien world, but its imagery and puzzles will stay with me for some time.

I don’t know that you can consider yourself a successful puzzle game if you don’t hit at least some confusing barriers that feel impassable. Finally overcoming those hurdles is what makes the genre so compelling, and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes finds that successful balance of making you feel smart more often than it makes you feel dumb. Couple that with a mystery worth unraveling, fourth-wall-breaking commentary, and unexpected reality-bending moments sending you to bizarre places, and you are left with a fantastic puzzle game that I already wish I could play again for the first time.

It bests its predecessors in one key area: Every mission conveys a nail-biting tension that absorbs the player as never before. [June 2002]

Mika Mobile has crafted a lengthy and uncomplicated action/RPG adventure, with just enough challenge and depth to draw in gamers of all stripes.

Mario Kart 8 should certainly be added to the list of top-tier entries, and none of the previous titles can boast the rock-solid total package that this one offers. Say what you will about Nintendo sticking with the tried and true, but I have no problem with that as long as it stays this fun.

Super Mario Maker is simple without being shallow and dense without being overwhelming. Its capabilities are limited compared to other creation games (you can only make platformer levels) but I never felt like I hit a wall in terms of creativity, and was consistently surprised by the work of others.

Like a star player at the apex of his career, NHL 11 still shines on the ice. New innovations like the real-time physics engine and UHL show EA Canada still has some room to grow, but as age creeps up on the stalwart franchise and its prior innovations feel commonplace, some of its weaknesses are starting to appear more evident.

If horror is your forte, dim the lights, crank up the surround sound, and take the deepest breath you ever have. I think you’ll agree, no game has ever been this frightening.

The series may feel a little dated, but once you start your training and chain together a massive 10-hit combo that sends your opponent reeling, it's still a tough game to put down. [Apr 2005, p.125]