If you’re going to get one of these, go for the faster-paced Beta Wave, but watch out for that nasty addition game.

The first two games balanced out any unsavory elements with mega moments and straightforward fun. The third entry simply doesn’t have enough thermal energy to overcome its many problems.

The enemy AI is weak, and fog blankets backgrounds like a tarp of ugly. [Oct 2004, p.129]

The big problem with Middle Manager is that it feels hands-off, but still demands your attention.

The ideal way to play FBC: Firebreak is as a group of three friends on a Discord call, coordinating moves and synergizing kits, which is a decent way to spend an afternoon. Unfortunately, it's difficult to achieve anything similar while matchmaking, and even then, there's just not much to do. On paper, I don't mind the lack of story, competitive modes, or procedurally generated content, but when the gameplay isn't engaging or interesting enough to keep me playing, the lack of other game modes is especially glaring. Recent updates have eliminated the tedious grind for upgrades, but the lack of a strong foundation underneath leaves FBC: Firebreak with too little, too late.

The Frogger-inspired log jumping stage is one of the most ill-conceived moments in gaming, and is the perfect example of the uneven difficulty level in this title. [Apr 2004, p.110]

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.

Sumo and Elbow Rocket’s insistence on treating a game from 2007 like a sacred text is strange. The original Crackdown was fresh and exhilarating, and bounding across the city as a superhuman agent was a thrilling sensation. Since then, a lot has happened in the genre. Developers have found ways to incorporate destruction into the action as they weave interesting choices and competent world-building into their narratives. Crackdown 3 aims far lower, and manages to hit that disappointing target.

The graphics are dull, the combat is clunky, and the pacing is incredibly slow. [Mar 2004, p.107]

I purposely put off buying upgrades sometimes simply because I couldn’t stand dealing with the smorgasbord of load screens, elevators, and slow-opening gates just to get things done.

I can't deny Hometown Story has charm with its premise and I love the ideas, but the execution needs work. Owning a shop should be more frantic and rewarding. If the developer, Toybox, can smooth out the rough edges, it may one day match the lure of simulation games like Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing. Sadly, it's not in the same league.

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]

You must be a forgiving and devoted fan to enjoy the best that this game can offer. Otherwise, you're better off following the words of Genna Lannister: "Better to mock the game than to play and lose."

Rise of the Argonauts is an average action game. [Feb 2009, p.84]

The simplified game design and control don't offer enough depth to overcome the downgrade in graphics. Also, I'm beginning to tire of the isometric view on these kinds of games. [Oct 2003, p.145]

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.

The last section of the game, where you guide a spherical object through a series of traps and obstacles, is fantastic. It’s one of the rare times when everything clicked, and it was both challenging and fair. I don’t blame anyone who doesn’t make it that far. Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a game based on a gimmick that simply doesn’t work all that well.

Moebius is missing a spark — something that makes you want to keep playing. It has a few shining moments with some standout humorous lines, but they're buried in bad dialogue, empty characters, and a dry mystery. Sadly, I don't think people will be talking about Malachi Rector with the esteem they do Gabriel Knight.

The characters never once defy players’ expectations, the story is poorly paced, and the combat offers no meaningful twists on the formula we’ve been playing for years. I can’t imagine anyone but hard-line genre devotees will get their money’s worth out of Luminous Arc.

Just when I had a solid grasp on the controls and could pull off stellar moments of action, the final stretch morphed into a series of annoying insta-death puzzles and dull boss battles. I had a fair amount of fun blasting fools in My Friend Pedro, but I wish my experience was more about losing myself in the frenzy of its action and less about navigating a tiresome control scheme.

Navigating the chaotic social structure of a medieval kingdom is no easy task, and the day-to-day life of a queen is not as glorious as it first appears.

Ganbarion went out of its way to craft a title that experiments with interesting ideas. Unfortunately, none of its unique elements are refined enough to be successful, making it impossible for me to cheer for this underdog.

I hate to say it, but the best parts of this game are the vehicle desings and environmental details. The rest of it really did nothing for me. [Nov 2002, p.140]

I could forgive the plot if the game was actually exciting, but this is a dull dungeon crawler. Some of the most exciting RPGs work with relationship building, like Persona and Fire Emblem, but this just takes it in a bizarre direction.

Some of the most exciting RPGs work with relationship building, like Persona and Fire Emblem, but this just takes it in a bizarre direction. Merely giving players a chance to pair up isn't enough; the actual relationship building needs have genuine developments and substance, and Conception II hits all the wrong notes.

I can't stress how much I enjoyed the game's art, music, and quirky vibe. Hohokum is one hell of a screensaver. As a game, it lacks depth.

Undeniable Final Fantasy charm flows through Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, and it pains me that the gameplay doesn’t justify a delving into it.

Compared to "Super Mario 64 DS," this is a shoddy port that doesn't scratch the surface of the DS's potential. [May 2005, p.134]