Multiplayer is what’s really going to get the fans riled. After fine-tuning your ideal mech in single player, you can bring it online and face off against anywhere from one to seven opponents. Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot of match variety outside of deathmatch and team deathmatch, and there’s no respawning so matches don’t last much longer than five minutes tops.

The game's reality, however, constantly reminds you that this isn't the Tony Hawk you remember. Inconsistent framerate, textures that pop in, and physics quirks that launch you into the sky mar the experience regularly.

The game is, for lack of a better term, tired. [Mar 2002, p.89]

Lagging well behind the series’ standards, the Wii remote has a hard time detecting your backswing. Thus, it’s harder to control. There were even times the game putted for me by accident.

Despite the strength of its career mode, it’s too bad AO Tennis 2’s gameplay isn’t more dependable, because the genre has needed a new light for several generations. However, this game can’t muster the consistency needed to be a credible threat.

Magic fans will likely scoff in disgust, but if you're in the market for a game that plays like a fighter but has a little more depth, you may want to give this a whirl. [Dec 2003, p.173]

Combat feels more like a slugfest than an intense tactical experience; not once was I able to recover from bad odds through strategic expertise. [May 2004, p.107]

I did enjoy the escort missions, and the co-op is decent, but they can't hide the fact that 187 is just plain mediocre. [Oct 2005, p.128]

The butchery that Factor 5 has inflicted upon this game has led to a disastrous release that will likely be remembered as one of the biggest disappointments in all of gaming. [Nov 2003, p.155]

These little twists add a fair amount of variety to Dropchord, but the overall package failed to grab me. I loved the soundtrack (you can download it from iTunes), and the visuals are great as well. The backgrounds swirl and change in a funky lightshow that doesn't obscure the objectives. Ultimately, though, it’s a neat-looking (and sounding) game that’s easy to play and just as easy to forget.

Indy’s newest adventure wasn’t built to last.

I have no idea why this title was even made. [Apr 2006, p.118]

Sadly, that gameplay doesn't hold up for very long. Combat is too simplistic, and the unintelligent AI governing your enemies doesn't help. [Jan 2010, p.91]

Even with everything that bothered me in this episode, I'm still entrenched in where Maxine's story is headed. Life is Strange has plenty of potential left, and Dontnod is making choices matter. However, characters and circumstances need be more natural and plausible for me to buy into this world. So much is too overblown.

This game has but one feather in its cap: its difficulty. [Nov 2004, p.170]

As the game wears on, the simple pleasures of the gameplay fade, and the incredibly frustrating boss battles mount in aggravation, leaving us with nothing more than another unsatisfying licensed game. [Dec 2005, p.159]

Never Stop Sneakin’ tried to appeal to my nostalgia for the original Metal Gear Solid. Unfortunately, you can’t judge this book by its cover. Dodging enemy sight cones and building up a stealth combo is only compelling for a short while, and the lack of overall variety made me want to sneak away to play other games.

TNA Impact reminds me of a bratty little kid. You know the type, always running around making bold claims, kicking people in the shins, and talking about how big and strong he’s going to be when he grows up. Since he’s just a kid, you have to give him the benefit of the doubt — someday he might accomplish impressive things. However, right now he’s still just a punk.

In the end, I don't see this title connecting with an audience beyond the most hardcore Rampage fans. [May 2006, p.97]

The gameplay shows potential, but the rest of the game isn’t strong enough to lift it up into an experience that any gamer needs to see.

In the end however, these extra layers can’t fix the subpar combat and disappointing storyline at the game’s core, leaving Avatar a lackluster, though not entirely unpleasant, experience. While forgiving sci-fi fans might still appreciate this intergalactic romp, the average gamer is left with an easy choice: this game is a rental at best.

Being a basketball game that works most of the time isn’t enough. Not being up to par with its stellar rival is forgivable, but Live also lacks a point of distinction that justifies its existence to basketball fans. Without that, it ultimately may not earn a contract extension.

Lost Sphear has some good ideas and mechanics working together when it comes to battle, but everything else falls short and feels dull. The reused dungeons, backtracking, and slow-paced story don’t give me much to fight for, even if the end does come together in an interesting way. Sadly, the tedious grind through a milquetoast adventure is sour for far too long before coming together.

Lost Sphear has some good ideas and mechanics working together when it comes to battle, but everything else falls short and feels dull. The reused dungeons, backtracking, and slow-paced story don’t give me much to fight for, even if the end does come together in an interesting way. Sadly, the tedious grind through a milquetoast adventure is sour for far too long before coming together.

I consider myself a Transformers fan, but no amount of appreciation for the series makes me comfortable recommending Transformers: Prime. The benign gameplay may be a good option for fans too young for the gritty action of High Moon's excellent series, but that's about it.

The AI is bumbling and unbalanced. [August 2002, p.82]

Given the sizeable quality gap that still exists between Live and NBA 2K, you wonder if other voices in the organization may say it’s time to cut their losses and move on.

Lost Sphear has some good ideas and mechanics working together when it comes to battle, but everything else falls short and feels dull. The reused dungeons, backtracking, and slow-paced story don’t give me much to fight for, even if the end does come together in an interesting way. Sadly, the tedious grind through a milquetoast adventure is sour for far too long before coming together.