Whether it's the first steps of an online franchse via your EA Locker or your life as the equivalent to Budweiser's Leon in NFL Superstar, Madden's exploration of new areas is not to be missed. [Sept 2005, p.92]

Bloober Team’s latest is one of the scariest horror experiences I’ve played in a long time, and its strong sense of place, story, and action put it above the majority of other games in the genre. Observer is simply the best of both worlds and is a must-play for anyone who considers themselves a fan of either sci-fi or horror.

The Evil Within excels at keeping your palms sweaty while delivering a harrowingly rewarding gameplay trial. Watching the credits roll with a sigh of relief doesn’t feel like winning; it feels like surviving.

While the gameplay is still second-rate compared to the story, Faith succeeds most because of its unpredictability. Even longtime Fables fans will be shocked by some of the revelations.

With Sims 3, console gamers finally get a true translation of the gameplay that has made the PC entries such a hit. Engaging new content and intuitive design makes picking up the console port of EA's digital dollhouse a no-brainer.

Bloober Team’s latest is one of the scariest horror experiences I’ve played in a long time, and its strong sense of place, story, and action put it above the majority of other games in the genre. Observer is simply the best of both worlds and is a must-play for anyone who considers themselves a fan of either sci-fi or horror.

So high above the competition it's not even funny. [Mar 2003, p.92]

Shadowbringers is the best expansion yet for Square Enix’s MMORPG, a world that comes alive in the player’s hands, with weight and gravitas moving you through every whimsical corner. Old-fashioned quest design and color-dodging combat add a dull tinge to a truly magical landscape, but those imperfections can’t keep down the scale and scope of excellent environments, grandiose bosses, and majestic music.

Last year's game had a bare career mode and titles before that only produced incremental changes, but FIFA 12 delivers satisfying results in both its gameplay and career mode.

Horror fans shouldn’t let the disappointing story deter them one bit, however. Few Paranormal Activity fans care how these malevolent demons come back again and again – what truly matters is that the audience’s nerves are frayed until they’re raw.

This is the most complete version of Mortal Kombat available.

Last year's game had a bare career mode and titles before that only produced incremental changes, but FIFA 12 delivers satisfying results in both its gameplay and career mode.

Ghost Games has crafted an exceptional experience that captures the classic battle of racers and police in a new light for next-generation machines. The shared world concept is the driving force, making it easy for players to switch factions, team up, and continue making progress in their campaigns. I can’t stress enough just how great of a multiplayer experience this is for friends.

The Lost and Damned makes me feel bad for PlayStation 3 owners everywhere. Gamers on the GTA hate train won’t find anything to change their minds here, but series fans shouldn’t miss this incredibly deep expansion pack.

Dense with managerial options and overflowing with new gameplay features, NHL 2004 is a complete turnaround from last season's disastrous release and is this year's must-have hockey title. [Oct 2003, p.131]

Classic compilations really don't get much better than this...A nostalgic dream come true.

While the gameplay is still second-rate compared to the story, Faith succeeds most because of its unpredictability. Even longtime Fables fans will be shocked by some of the revelations.

I encountered several minor technical issues over the course of my lengthy playthrough, such as pop-in while moving fast or long door-opening loads. And some of the game systems are more successful than others; a flood of useless low-quality gear rewards is one notable, if minor problem that sometimes stalls the fun. But for those who have long wished for a rich interactive playground to live out your own Harry Potter fantasy, Hogwarts Legacy casts an incredibly mesmerizing spell.

Rygar's environments will amaze you from the beginning. [Dec 2002, p.118]

Consider it a stand-alone update priced fairly at 20 clams. [Aug 2003, p.86]

New Horizons has a lot to see and do, and much of the joy comes from discovering it on your own. I still get a kick out of the real-time elements, such as how a construction project that takes a day to complete takes a real day’s time to finish, or how the various merchants keep actual store hours. That little hook keeps me excited to check back in later when I end each session. Animal Crossing: New Horizons has something new to experience every day, and, best of all, it’s built on a foundation of joy and earnestness that’s all too rare. If the tradeoff is that I have to craft a few fishing poles, I guess it’s worth it in the end.

Addicting as hell. [Dec 2002, p.137]

Kingdom Hearts II is a remarkable journey and another Square-Enix masterpiece. [Apr 2006, p.120]

If you’ve been waiting to jump into the digital card game craze, now’s a great time.

Hitman 3 concludes a chapter in the greater Hitman story, but it doesn’t feel like an ending. There’s an abundance of content and side activities on offer, and the trilogy as a whole is bound to be a long-term destination for would-be assassins. IO Interactive’s final act in the trilogy anticipates and rewards player experimentation, features meticulous level design, and has moments of ghoulish catharsis that makes me cackle aloud. My enthusiasm for it all is as indelible as the barcode tattooed on the back of Agent 47’s head.

The Talos Principle is a meaty puzzle experience that will take you over a dozen hours to complete and then leave you chewing on some of life’s greatest mysteries for weeks. You might not be able to solve the nature of humanity, but the rest of this game’s puzzles will leave you feeling brilliant enough to try.

The fact that the gameplay and graphics are still impressive by today's standards shows just how under-appreciated this game was. [Feb 2003, p.100]

Death’s Door is more lighthearted than it looks, and that’s to its benefit. These amusing moments complement weightier themes about respecting the dead (no matter how terrible they were in life), the fear of death’s inevitability, and whether anything we accomplish truly matters when our time is limited. Death’s Door isn’t the most profoundly written story, but it handles these sensitive topics well. My favorite moments, outside of the moment-to-moment action and exploration, are when it reminds us that death isn’t something to be feared. Rather, it’s just a necessary step in the cycle of life; a cycle that cannot exist without it.