The matches themselves typically last less time than they take to load. [July 2004, p.115]

State of Decay 2 has a lot to love, but it’s overwhelmed by legacy issues and a slew of all-new ones that came along for the co-op ride.

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]

In this day and age, you just can't get away with not sharing user-created content online. [Mar 2009, p.95]

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.

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. [Oct 2009, p.92]

Even with its twisted takes on nostalgic ride designs and copious whimsical fanfare, I was left feeling deflated by Park Beyond's business-oriented objectives and lack of investment in unbridled player creativity. For a game that endeavors to push the limits of your imagination, it's a little too concerned with whether you’re tall enough to ride.

It's not worthless, but I can't find anything to put it ahead of "Mortal Kombat" or "DOA 3" for my playing time. [July 2003, p.116]

A lot like riding with a mechanical bull: sort of fun, sort of painful, with absolutely no sense of control. [Feb 2004, p.105]

State of Decay 2 has a lot to love, but it’s overwhelmed by legacy issues and a slew of all-new ones that came along for the co-op ride.

This brings us to the juncture where Fist of Mars unfortunately falls to keep itself together: its story. [Mar 2002, p.90]

One year after the initial launch of Job Simulator, Virtual Rick-ality doesn’t do much to expand on that VR experience; Owlchemy Labs has applied a new coat of paint to an old foundation. This game achieves its modest ambitions of letting fans to dive head-first into the Rick and Morty universe. While I enjoy the faithfulness to the subject matter, Virtual Rick-ality doesn’t have the depth or variety to make it successful on other levels.

It just needs to get its butt back into training camp to iron out the fundamentals of the game. [Dec 2005, p.190]

It’s equal parts silly, gory, and stupid – exactly what you’d expect from the concept.

There is so much mindless shooting and wandering in Bullet Witch that when you actually are having fun, it feels accidental. [Mar 2007, p.104]

Absurdly unpolished.

If you have the option, definitely play Yaiba on PC. The textures, resolution, and framerate are noticeably better and worth the extra few days’ wait.

It feels like a lot of a sizzle for such a small piece of steak. If this had been packed in with the Xbox One to demonstrate the new Kinect, it would seem like a nice extra. As a standalone game, it's just not compelling.

The rigs get hung up on everything from pylons to small picket fences, tip easily, and generally bounce all over the damn place like superballs. [Feb 2004, p.103]

It's impressive how much content Treyarch managed to cram onto this Wii disc, but it's by no means the way to experience Black Ops. The campaign is well-paced, and the multiplayer is packed with features that can keep you coming back if you can get over the less-precise controls. If you have a choice, however, this version is not the one to play.

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

This is the first licensed game I’ve played that is actually shorter than its movie. I’m not exaggerating; in a little over an hour I had received trophies in all of the main surf events.

Play it for the novelty and the rapid-fire assault of jokes, but don't be surprised if most of them miss the mark.

Like its second-fiddle protagonist, Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z resides in the shadow of many other better third-person action games, but it’s not terrible if you’re specifically looking for a schlocky Saturday.

It's generic in just about every way, from cheesy dialogue to predictable enemies. [Dec 2001, p.95]

If it got a visual downgrade, Pid would be right at home during the 8-bit era. Might and Delight have created a fine homage to retro gaming, but it comes with that era's often redundant gameplay and maddening boss battles. Game design has moved on, and unless you're ready for a frustrating experience (with a few key moments of promise), I suggest doing the same.

It’s a mix of exciting and overwhelming as you try to maintain what feels like 50 pots boiling over at different times. [Mar 2007, p.104]

I left my time with The Eternal Castle Remastered extremely impressed by its aesthetic achievements but more than a little let down by how much the gameplay feels like a chore. The quality of its visuals are undeniable, but sometimes it’s better leaving certain things, like clunky controls, in the past.