I felt completely confined by the rigid rules, limited skill opportunities, and a between-battle interface that's more complicated than figuring out the rules for grappling. [Aug 2007, p.103]

Dangerous Driving has some hiccups like momentary pauses in tunnels, rare unexpected car swerves (both yours and the A.I.), slowdown, and inconsistent crash determinations, but these aren’t even why the game misses its target. Previous Three Fields titles like the Danger Zone series and Dangerous Golf had a reason for their destruction, but I can’t find it in Dangerous Driving. The racing itself has some thrills due to its sometimes insane sense of speed, but neither it nor the crashes make their mark.

The missions have a shocking lack of variety, mostly just forcing you to do the same handful of things, but with stronger foes.

I want to like Panzers – the basic design is full of concepts that I enjoy, and the presentation is outstanding. It’s a pity that the gameplay sadly lacks the chops to pull it all together.

Outside of the art style, The World Next Door feels generic and doesn’t do enough to make the adventure feel exciting. I expected something to pay off in the long run, whether it was the story, my choices, or time I spent with characters, but I instead ended the game saying, “That’s it?” It made me feel like I wasted my time getting to know this world and the people who inhabit it.

Merging pinball and puzzles isn't a bad idea, but the balance between the two aspects simply feels all wrong. [July 2005, p.119]

It feels like National Geographic and Ultimate Fighting mushed together in a bad, bad way. [July 2006, p.106]

Costume Quest is cute and funny, so it may look like a good game for kids. Let me assure you: After completing the adventure (which took me about five hours), I can't recommend Costume Quest to gamers of any age.

Costume Quest is cute and funny, so it may look like a good game for kids. Let me assure you: After completing the adventure (which took me about five hours), I can't recommend Costume Quest to gamers of any age.

The missions have a shocking lack of variety, mostly just forcing you to do the same handful of things, but with stronger foes.

The gameplay really needs an upgrade before I can recommend this series again. [Nov. 2006, p.130]

Games should always be engaging – at least for a few moments – but I did not find myself interested in what Orwell had to say about terrorism or totalitarianism. For the bold face it puts it on, Orwell is simply content to repeat what novels and films have more eloquently said about the terrifying intersection of our lives and technology. That’s a shame, because games could tackle those heavy subjects in a thought-provoking manner. Unfortunately, Orwell doesn’t.

An amazingly generic action title. It's a shame, as Samurai Jack is easily one of the most unique cartoons on the air today, so this could have been so much more. [May 2004, p.93]

Last time I played this game, it was being released by THQ and was called "MX Superfly." I didn't really like it then, and I don't cotton to this generic motocross stunt title now. [Aug 2003, p.93]

I wouldn't be sad if an RPG initiate tried his hand with Harbinger, but for hard-cores like myself, it's definitely forgettable. [May 2003, p.93]

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]

Without any narrative to speak of, you are just left with the repetition of taking on quests, going into the dungeon, and then returning to the hub town to take on more quests.

Magikarp Jump doles experience out at a steady pace, so it took a long time before I considered looking at the available microtransactions. This bodes well for the game, but even if there is nearly always activity to do without having to wait too long, it doesn’t mean I enjoyed doing them. Training is boring; the jumping competitions are boring; and having to click through the dialogue of the guy who can’t tell if I am a boy or a girl who gives me a handful of coins is incredibly boring. The lack of interactivity sometimes makes it feel like a visual novel, but without any real story. The bits of enjoyment I did draw from the game were based mostly on the goofiness of the silly premise, but repeating jokes only makes them less funny.

These various problems aside, though, The Callisto Protocol is still doing a lot of what Dead Space did, for better and worse. And to that end, there are moments of fun, even if, in contrast, they’re light on genuine terror. I’m okay with The Callisto Protocol being another version of its spiritual predecessor, but it struggles to nail even the basics. As a result, I’m underwhelmed, annoyed, and disappointed. If you wanted anything more out of this second crack at making a new sci-fi IP in survival horror, or something markedly different that acknowledges just how far gaming has come since 2008, The Callisto Protocol is not your answer.

Daggerdale is a lengthy adventure, but most of the monsters and quests start to feel reiterative after the first couple of hours. Nonetheless, there are few other places to go right now for a downloadable fantasy game with co-op included. Someone should really get on that problem, because Daggerdale isn't the solution.

What the deal with the blander-than-bland texturing? If I wanted to be lulled to sleep, I would read a selection from Minnesota's penal code. [Feb 2003, p.104]

The Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins experience is like asking for a complex Lego set for your birthday and finding a box of Duplo under the wrapping paper instead. It’s technically similar, but the differences are critically important.

Daggerdale is a lengthy adventure, but most of the monsters and quests start to feel reiterative after the first couple of hours. Nonetheless, there are few other places to go right now for a downloadable fantasy game with co-op included. Someone should really get on that problem, because Daggerdale isn't the solution.

EA Sports PGA Tour captures the intricate nuance of golfing. However, the systems struggle with what a user can reasonably decipher from a mere analog stick, leading to a frustrating experience. EA Sports PGA Tour is a game at odds with whether it wants to compete with rival 2K’s realism or veer closer to its own more arcade roots, and in the process, lands its first drive on this new round in the rough.

Daggerdale is a lengthy adventure, but most of the monsters and quests start to feel reiterative after the first couple of hours. Nonetheless, there are few other places to go right now for a downloadable fantasy game with co-op included. Someone should really get on that problem, because Daggerdale isn't the solution.

Black Mirror is a difficult game to recommend. The story falls flat, characters are forgettable, and exploration is tedious because of poor environmental design and wonky camera angles. Despite a few clever puzzles, this emotionless journey into gothic horror left me with more questions than answers.

About as much fun as giving an elephant a suppository. [Jan 2006, p.157]

Black Mirror is a difficult game to recommend. The story falls flat, characters are forgettable, and exploration is tedious because of poor environmental design and wonky camera angles. Despite a few clever puzzles, this emotionless journey into gothic horror left me with more questions than answers.