The nice backend clan support is wasted since the game just isn’t much fun to play. The shooting lacks the high-intensity lethality of Counter-Strike, the lightning-paced speed of Tribes, and the great cooperative mechanics of Battlefield. You won’t spit this hamburger out, but you probably won’t tell your friends about it, either.

This is pretty much a status quo "Puyo Pup"-style game featuring a license (Tiny Toons) tht ran its course a decade ago. [Jan 2003, p.122]

Heroes is better than the typical Move cash-in, and every now and then the action is reminiscent of what makes these three franchises popular. However, with more characters than gameplay events, and no interaction between the protagonists outside of a few cutscenes, it's hard to imagine a fan that wouldn't feel disappointed by this (non)mash-up.

The new weapon wheel makes firefights less stressful, and adding more missions is never a bad thing, but the basic design of the game remains painfully dull. The uneventful stretches of driving, repetition in interrogations, and simplicity of missions has not improved.

It doesn't excel at anything. [Aug 2003, p.99]

I might have recommended this simplistic formula for younger gamers except for the fact that encounters with Omnidroid are some of the most tedious and unforgiving bouts I've ever fought. [Jan 2005, p.118]

Natural Doctrine isn’t noteworthy outside of it’s combat, if you feel like strategy games have grown stale, Kadokawa Games’ curious take on the genre is an interesting change of pace.

On one hand, the lack of polish and the glitches cause me to give the game a less-than-stellar score. On the other hand, I can’t deny that my co-op partner and I were laughing and enjoying ourselves for the large majority of the campaign. As a mindless co-op shooter, it delivers.

Gardening Mama could use more of a Harvest Moon crop economy instead of rewarding players with lawn decorations and new slacks. But if you like Cooking Mama, this is certainly on par.

MediEvil still deserves to be heralded as a classic for its time and place in gaming, and I love how it looks in revitalized form on PlayStation 4. However, its gameplay is a relic of yesteryear, and an example that shows us just how far games have come over the years. Rest in peace, Sir Dan.

Not only behind the times, but it's buggy and not very much fun to play. [Feb 2006, p.102]

If you don’t mind playing a game for six or seven hours before getting to the good stuff, Web of Shadows eventually packs a nice little punch. However, if you want instant gratification from your games, this experience won’t do much for you.

There’s certainly a lot to love, yet equally as much to shake your fist and scream obscenities at in Lethal Alliance.

Episodic games can be tough to evaluate without seeing the story as a whole, since effective storytelling relies on narrative peaks and valleys. I don't expect every chunk of a multipart tale to knock my socks off, but this abrupt shift in density and quality of puzzles is tough to ignore. I'm hopeful that the series is able to conclude on a high point, and that this was just an unfortunate misfire.

The trick system gets points for being integral to building speed, but its execution is uneven, meaning you don't always perform the tricks you've punched in. [Feb 2004, p.108]

Whether you are defending the colony from a hornet invasion by manning goo cannons, racing an obstacle course with a team of ants, or foraging for food, the game keeps things fresh. Too bad none of it is exciting. [Feb. 2007, p.102]

I have nothing against mega-difficult games, there are just better ones to spend your time with than Fenix Rage.

Empire Earth III’s handful of units per tech tier, problematic unit AI and pathfinding, and lackluster factional differences between the West, East, and Middle East types do little to give RTS players anything they haven’t seen before.

With no engaging story or personalities, this title doesn't even come close to hooking you with its shifting, convergent story lines - unlike Without Warning's supposed inspiration, the show "24." [Nov 2005, p.148]

Strange missteps abound in Heroes Over Europe, but glimmers of fun WWII arcade flight shooting shine through from time to time. [Oct 2009, p.90]

With other exceptional titles out there like "Street Fighter Anniversary Collection" and "Guilty Gear X2," I just don't see a reason to waste your time with this jumble of problems. [Nov 2004, p.163]

The unique abilities of Constantine and scary atmosphere that Bits has established will make your mouth water, but you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone who can tolerate the shoddy gameplay. [Apr 2005, p.120]

Stepping into the shoes of the lead guitarist adds a new layer of excitement to the Rock Band formula, and the new gameplay mechanics are fun to mess around with, even if it feels completely different from the original gameplay style. Harmonix has always prided itself on giving players new ways to experience their music, and Rock Band VR succeeds in that regard. Though lacking in content, Rock Band VR is a fun, new way for the long-running series to let you live out the rockstar fantasy.

Depressingly lackluster. [Mar 2004, p.106]

Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles tries to capture the essence of hard-boiled sleuthing, but it falters mainly because it takes itself way too seriously. [June 2008, p.101]

The Wii version has less annoying traits than the others and still retains all the usual mediocrity. The motion-control elements in the Werehog levels add an extra dimension to the action, and the hub worlds are entirely text-based and aren’t nearly as annoying. If you can stand the diminished graphics, the Wii version actually edges out the PS3 and 360 entries.

Whether you are defending the colony from a hornet invasion by manning goo cannons, racing an obstacle course with a team of ants, or foraging for food, the game keeps things fresh. Too bad none of it is exciting.

While the first episode fails to evoke the fond memories I have for Telltale's superb work on The Walking Dead, I haven't completely abandoned hope for the adventure to come.