A good story, solid controls and graphics, and tons of interesting gadgets. [Feb 2004, p.103]

Concocting potions and humiliating dark wizards is fun for a while, but once the novelty is gone, Hogwarts loses all of its magic.

Metroid Prime: Federation Force features strong shooting mechanics, diverse missions, and a high level of challenge, but the frustrating matchmaking infrastructure and lack of checkpoints prevent it from truly achieving the greatness of its namesake.

Beware, waggle controls go from amusing (hammering with the dropship) to pesky (the shoulder-dislocating astro punch).

The rhythm-based combat and malleable difficulty set Way of the Passive Fist apart from most brawlers in an interesting way. But while it starts strong, the combat doesn’t carry it over a host of issues. Without other ways to keep players busy it isn’t worth going back to after the first unsatisfying playthrough. Way of the Passive Fist offers an interesting alternative to the mash-happy games of the genre’s past, but after the novelty wears off, it fails to connect.

Pokémon Quest delivers cute moments, but the novelty wears off fast. By the time I reached the later stages, I was disenchanted by the necessary grinding and random elements permeating nearly every aspect. I enjoy parts of Pokémon Quest, but the adventure never amounts to anything memorable.

I have a hard time putting together what exactly happened in the The Silver Case, but it’s a testament to the writing, characters, and mood that I want to figure it out. Portions are often slow, dense, and overbearing. However, the relatable character moments, intriguing short stories, and strong visual style eventually won me over, even if I had to wade through some rough edges to get to them.

Other than brief moments, no part of The Crew 2 is captivating enough, including the rubberband-based gameplay, the events themselves, and the overall setup of the open world.

Arcania isn't what anyone thought Gothic 4 would be. It's a marginally competent action/RPG with all the depth of a kiddie pool, not the huge open-world role-playing epics the series was previously known for.

Like an antithesis to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, it proves that two great flavors don't always taste great together. [Issue#203, p.87]

With the game's core of boring combat, however, these latest tactical additions aren't enough to make the game's transformation from a lump of coal to a diamond complete. [May 2006, p.111]

The base gameplay is decent, although the inclusion of power-up attacks and platforming obstacles only serves to muddle the experience, making success feel more like a matter of blind luck than skill.

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.

Urban Trial Freestyle may throw in the occasional little tweak, but they aren’t enough to elevate the game past the level of a flattering wannabe. If you're into the idea of a platforming-heavy motorbike game, stick with the tried and true Trials series.

Gat Out of Hell comes up short in mission variety, but concludes in a tantalizing way: with five different endings. Could one of them point to the future of the series? Time will tell, but if this is indeed the last hurrah for this continuity of the 3rd Street Saints, it’s been a hell of a ride, Volition.

Many virtual-reality titles feel more like technical demos than fully formed experiences, and Robinson: The Journey belongs on that list – though it tries to fool you into thinking it doesn’t. A few elements add the illusion of depth, but they feel like shallow afterthoughts. This journey is just a linear tour of the world with no meaningful deviations and barely functional controls, all for the dubious benefit of seeing some cool VR dinosaurs.

An excellent flight simulator, but a poor action game. [May 2003, p.83]

Alias, in essence, boils down to an age-old sentence in the gaming review business: Fans will mostly dig it and newbies won't be terribly disappointed. [Apr 2004, p.94]

There are few games I would sooner recommend to parents for their kids, and if those parents happen to be gamers, they might very well be sneaking down after bedtime to get their own fix. [Sept 2004, p.107]

Going after Koei this aggressively certainly proves that Capcom has celestial-sized gonads. [Nov 2005, p.161]

When Wizards Unite is trying to do something new, it can be good fun. Most of the content sadly ends up feeling like a strange version of Pokémon Go, giving players flimsy reasons to catch or zap ‘em all.

The high-contrast art style lends a cool flair to characters and environments, but works against you on the gameplay front.

Unfortunately, these new features don’t overcome the horrible driving controls, laughable braking, poor draw distances, and the complementary pop up. Only die hard fans of the Dreamcast series should give this game a look.

Need for Speed: The Run is by no stretch a bad game; it just fails to capitalize on its chances. San Francisco to New York is a long haul, and it's even longer when not enough happens in between. [Dec 2011, p.112]

The racing itself is pretty good, and the rest of the game feels like a total hackjob. [Oct 2004, p.123]

Thankfully, the satisfaction you feel when the pieces start falling into place makes it worth the effort – providing you don’t expect any real action out of the gameplay.

I think it's worse than its predecessor. [Nov 2005, p.163]

I don't regret my time with Silent Hill: Downpour, but mediocrity hung over most of my playthrough like a fog. [Apr 2012, p.82]