Visage creates a palpable playground for fans of horror to revel in, tapping into different flavors of fear to create an unsettling experience. All too often, genre titles fall back on repetitive jump scares and shock value, but Visage lets the house burn into your brain and leaves you questioning every decision to open a door or descend a staircase.

The controller simply lacks the precision to effectively transform a dodge into a flip, and then nail the enemy. [Jan 2003, p.110]

Overall, it’s still an impressive experience with powerful protoss style and flavor, a handful of cool levels that play with the genre in unique ways, and a cache of fun multiplayer components come together to create a solid conclusion to one of the most iconic real-time strategy games of all time.

The one area where Saints Row really goes outside of anything that "GTA" has to offer is through its amazingly diverse and highly enthralling online. [Sept. 2006, p.95]

If Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War excels at anything, it’s options. This isn’t uncommon for a Call of Duty title, but with a vast array of game modes for myriad player profiles and a fun campaign that retains a summer-blockbuster feel while getting weird and wild, the ride is a good one.

With so many ways to approach any given combat situation, Predator is more cerebral than other shooters, and allows you to play the way you want to. [Jun 2006, p.114]

Modern Warfare should have received a new Call of Duty subhead given just how different its avenues of play are. Not every one of Infinity Ward’s ideas works, but a few are successful enough that I could see them as series staples. Modern Warfare’s accomplishments may not be as pronounced as Black Ops 4’s (Blackout being one of them), but it still delivers a hell of a multiplayer experience. Gunfight alone is worth the price of admission.

Gunpoint is short, but it feels like the right length. You can get through the whole game in about three hours. The story is dense and the dialogue choices are varied, offering incentive to replay the game.

As a Battlefield 1942 fan, I can't help but get excited about the new stuff; but at the same time I feel like I'm ready for something really new to push this game beyond its basics. [Sept 2003, p.123]

Offers 500 percent more flexibility than anything that has come before. [Dec 2005, p.185]

You're in for one hell of a good time. [Oct 2007, p.108]

Tomb Raider: Legend fails to be a reinvention of any genres, but succeeds in every way at reinventing itself. [May 2006, p.96]

While the game could use some enemy variety, overall the good mix of encounters and potential outcomes shine and keep things interesting the whole way through.

Can't be praised enough for its truly excellent storytelling, but the greatest coup for the title is that the game wrapped around this tale is engaging, surprising, and very well done. [July 2003, p.103]

Uncovering all the Schwarzwelt's secrets will keep you glued to your DS for hours of intense RPG action. [Issue#203, p.96]

Overall, Mega Man 10 offers all the nuts and bolts a diehard blue bomber fan could want in a retro sequel, while boasting even more content than Mega Man 9 with all its DLC combined. The game's technical ambitions are modest and it's not a life-changing experience, but it delivers nostalgic fun in truckloads.

I noticed a difficulty spike toward the end, but overall the card-based journey is a fun, challenging jaunt that should leave you craving more as you run into disasters and tough battles, taking your tokens and licking your wounds as each attempt brings you just a little closer to the next boss.

With true stealth games a rare breed today, Volume stands as a declaration that the formula can still work.

This remake of a legendary RPG finds an impressive equilibrium between its past and its present, crafting a distinctive world and exciting combat system that feel modern.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie is not your average game; near decades of world-building, character arcs, and detailed lore have led to this culmination. The franchise isn’t perfect, but this series is wholly one-of-a-kind. It is a monolith that should be recognized alongside icons like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts, and Persona. The details of the continent of Zemuria are unlike anything else I have experienced in gaming, and its cast now has several of my favorite characters in the medium. Reverie has the intimidating task of closing the page on three arcs that expanded across almost twenty years of characters and storytelling. Even if the narrative in this chapter falls short compared to past entries, it still stands above most other games in the genre. If Trails into Reverie is the last time we see most of these beloved characters, it serves as a terrific send-off.

This game rules the base paths with its remarkable gameplay.

As much a platformer as it is an action/sports title...I just would have liked it better with more Tony and less Mario. [Sept 2002, p.84]

Investing hours in a game that rewards you for some degree of athleticism and coordination is not only an incredible workout, but ultimately makes you feel like a better dancer in the end. Dance Central shines among Kinect's otherwise bleak launch lineup and is undoubtedly a step in the right direction for the hardware.

At around two and a half hours long, it's not an epic experience, but another window into Ellie's life. Instead of blunting the impact as I feared, Riley and Ellie's story adds resonance to the original game's ending. For The Last of Us fans, this is a ride well worth taking.

Fire emblem is good, but be prepared to sit through some boring tutorials, restart often, and cry like a little girl when you lose a key member of your party. [Dec 2003, p.184]

Dark Crusade can be enjoyed by new and experienced players alike, regardless of whether you own the earlier installments – even if the hefty challenge makes it more appropriate for veterans.

In the great football war, Pro Evo may come up short to rival FIFA when it comes to an across-the-board feature set, but I think the gameplay is better in Konami's title. With this iteration Konami is inching the franchise forward by both refining its product while not being afraid to try new things.

In the great football war, Pro Evo may come up short to rival FIFA when it comes to an across-the-board feature set, but I think the gameplay is better in Konami's title. With this iteration Konami is inching the franchise forward by both refining its product while not being afraid to try new things.