What this franchise did to deserve a sequel I really don't know. [Apr 2006, p.118]

This shambling monstrosity is composed of chunks from other, better games. Rather than blend them together into something new like its predecessor attempted, this one just feels like a patch-work mess. [March 2014, p.85]

Imitation is the highest form of flattery, but Sonic’s mimicry of Super Mario Galaxy’s planet-hopping formula is an embarrassment. Sonic Lost World is a confused mash-up of finicky platforming, aggravating level design, and some of the most aggressively annoying villains ever.

SimCity Societies is ultimately a step down from its predecessors, but it doesn’t fall so far to be considered a blunder. You may not sink as much time into this installment, but the reinvention of the gameplay mechanics results in an inventive array of new problems to solve.

Unfortunately these "extras" are the best part of the experience, because the game's odd RE 4-style aiming mechanic(which forces you to be stationary while firing), oddly hyperactive enemies, and wonky character movement ultimately sink what could have been an over-achieving PSP licensed game. [Oct. 2006, p.110]

Now that these two games have been separated, it is all too plain why this substandard adventure has never been able to stand on its own legs. [Aug 2007, p.103]

The technical and artistic talent on display is astounding, but it comes at a price. The clear desire to embrace the cinematic experience comes at the cost of player agency; The Order: 1886 often places you in the passenger seat instead of letting you steer.

Neither the RTS-style combat nor the castle sim elements of the game live up to today's standards. [June 2005, p.135]

Many points where the puzzle design, level layout and management of the teens' special skills are just plain clumsy and almost unusable. [June 2005, p.127]

Action in the low post can be a mess, the AI is off. [Jan 2006, p.139]

Due to bad enemy pop-up, a lousy camera, and an abundance of crummy underwater levels, it's bad in a different way than intended. [Apr 2003, p.68]

I just couldn't get into the bland fighting half of the game. [Nov 2002, p.128]

Seriously, this is essentially the world's slowest third-person shooter with hoses instead of rifles. [Mar 2004, p.107]

If anything, my largest complaint about this game comes from the fact the number of wrecks onscreen sometimes means that winning a race has a s much to do with good luck as skill. [Dec 2004, p.168]

The graphics can only be described as awful, missions are boring, and combat ranges from dull to frustrating. [June 2004, p.123]

In order to derive any worthwhile enjoyment out of Atelier Iris 3, you pretty much have to be a big fan of both anime and dungeon crawling. [June 2007, p.110]

There's a ton of content here, and even more gameplay to be had. [May 2007, p.97]

Wheels of Aurelia is best when it’s immersing you in the culture it came from, and when it offers you a scope of choice that seems as boundless as the roads you drive on. While it succeeds at that more often than not, the unexciting driving, the stilted and ill-fitting conversations, and the few paths it forces you to take end up taking me out of its fascination with roads not taken.

Overall, I didn't like this as much as the first game, but there's still plenty worth checking out when you get around to it. Rearmed 2 isn't a "must-play instantly" game by any means, but it still ranks above Spencer's awful console reboot.

Good fun - nothing more, nothing less. [Feb 2005, p.113]

The target audience is children, but only for the young tykes out there who are new to the gaming scene. The pacing is just way too slow to appease anyone else. [July 2003, p.107]

The best Turtles game in years, which admittedly is kind of like saying you just got the best punch in the gut you've had in years. Nonetheless, TMNT entertains pretty consistently, delivering fast-paced thrills but almost no genuine challenge. [May 2007, p.82]

If your preference is single-player or co-op, Dog Days' lack of personality (both in the characters and on the battlefield) results in one of the blandest shooters out there. Given how little the story matters, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck could have been swapped in as the protagonists and I probably wouldn't have noticed.

If you don't die of boredom playing the game, you'll run headlong into the most disappointing aspect of P.N.03: It can be completed in a measly four hours. [Sept 2003, p.111]

Even though it drove me nuts, I couldn’t put it down. It’s not a must have, but it’s well worth a look.

Just when you thought the updates and lack of people online couldn't make PlanetSide any worse, Sony Online Entertainment drops perhaps its biggest turd in history: Core Combat. [Jan 2004, p.157]

If you're not able to get your hands on a next-gen system, C-12 is probably the best thing to satiate your Playstation desires. [July 2002, p.89]

Something special lies at the heart of The Occupation, but the gameplay and technical issues get in the way of its most interesting qualities. The storytelling happening beneath all the clunky stealth is great.