Even if Sports Story was polished and bug-free, it would still fall strikingly short of the first title in the series. The new sports don’t play well, the fetch quests are tiresome, and the story is tedious and less charming than that of Golf Story. What remains of the retro golf experience is fun, but the whole game feels like a textbook example of being unable to deliver on lofty ambitions.

Thunderforce's control is perfect; it is neither too sensitive, nor too sluggish. Plus, the player can adjust the speed at anytime. Trust us, without a perfect speed, Thunderforce V is nearly impossible. [Sept 1998]

The cheesy sci-fi atmosphere won't do much to convince you to play this game, and neither will the derivative gameplay and level design. [July 2003, p.106]

I appreciate the interesting format AC V employs, and enjoyed the sense of camaraderie I had for my team. However, the story missions are too confusing and difficult, the order missions are too short and repetitive, and there is no in-between.

The concept may delight hardcore fans, but the unrefined gameplay ensures that everyone else is left out in the cold. [Sept 2009, p.92]

I was left wanting more, and wondering why solid gameplay sections were only used once.

It's about on par with a video poker machine in terms of graphics and sound. [May 2004, p.108]

Legendary is by no means awful — it’s just about as vanilla as first-person shooters get. It all wraps up with a completely unsatisfying “wait for the sequel” type cliffhanger. We’ll see.

Brawlout probably isn’t for most Smash fans, including me. It simply can’t compete in terms of roster size, interesting characters, and overall personality. All of those things are critically important. Gating what little it has to offer behind a slow-drip progression feed is a mistake, too. Players who don’t have the time or patience to unlock everything can console themselves with the knowledge that they aren’t missing out on much.

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]

About the best definition of average that I could ever imagine. [Nov 2002, p.144]

The most painful and obvious flaw is the camera. It hangs up on walls, drifts inside your character, and is otherwise difficult to handle. [Sept 2004, p.109]

You became a slave to theTV and a slave to Pikachu. Pokemon fans will be glued to their seats. Everyone else will be turned of, pun intended. [Jan 2004, p.141]

The game basically says, "You're obvioulsy really stupid, so we're going to hold onto your hand and lead you through this stage. [Jan 2004, p.151]

Where Armageddon really shines is the combat. [Jan 2004, p.132]

With so many genuinely good action/RPGs that aren't riddled with archaic missions and gameplay, I have trouble recommending Nier solely on the basis of a decent (but unevenly executed) story.

Basically, play it for the multiplayer, or don’t play it at all. [Dec 2008, p.110]

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

I definitely recommend renting this one before fully committing. [July 2007, p.102]

It looks and plays (especially in the first "go and get this" section) like a cheap "Hitman 2." [Sept 2003, p.109]

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.

The environment designs are not as creative, the stages are way too short, and the boss battles are surprisingly easy. [Feb 2002, p.94]

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

Wayward Sky is an entertaining adventure that never quite takes off. I enjoyed exploring the environments, but it doesn’t build on its delightfully charming world to make it memorable. It’s a good showcase for VR, where you feel immersed in its universe as you take control of several quirky machines, but the alluring concept falls flat as it never manages to be as intuitive as the world it presents.

The nine maps available aren’t nearly enough, the lack of rankings and leaderboards provide no incentive to hone your skills to perfection, and the extremely meager offline options drag everything down.

You'll reach velocities so incomprehensible that your reflexes are paralyzed. [July 2003, p.107]

Edge of Time is a major step back from the formula that worked.

Biomutant consistently shows glimmers of promise but it takes patience and a pair of rose-colored glasses to see them. I genuinely loathed my first several hours with the game, but once I made cooler weapons that made combat more tolerable or admired another postcard-worthy sight, I felt more disappointed than anything. Biomutant has all the ingredients of a unique, entertaining adventure. It just spends too much time doing everything possible to try and impress its audience instead of polishing its handful of strengths.