Fans of frequent save points will be frustrated, but devotees of the old hack n' slash will be satisfied tenfold. [Feb 2004, p.96]

From the commentary to the cutscenes to the chants, this game breathes the college football experience. [Dec 2003, p.150]

I'm blown away by how well this title has been ported to PSP. [May 2005, p.136]

Odin Sphere’s story, systems, and combat mechanics are easy enough to describe, but the game’s biggest strength is the way it cultivates a sense of wonder.

It's a rare sighting of a beast that's increasingy hard to find in the wild: the pure third-person shooter. [Nov 2003, p.156]

Telltale’s Batman looked to be a disaster in the making that didn’t quite grasp the Batman source material, but is now shaping up to be a unique take on this beloved character that everyone should play. "Wow” moments are plenty in this episode, and they hit you when you least expect them. Best of all, this story makes you think about Batman’s storied history as much as it wipes the canvas clean to tell a new tale with faces you’ve never seen before.

Invisible, Inc. doesn’t always feel like it’s playing by the rules, but clever thinking and a good loadout empower you to fight from the shadows.

WarioWare D.I.Y. is a commitment, but one that Nintendo made as intuitive and digestible as possible. [May 2010, p.96]

While tech backdrops of futuristic cities are great, the fundamental racing mechanic has inched forward at a snail’s pace, delivering an experience that is almost identical to every Wipeout game that came before.

New and old players alike should feel no hesitation about seeing this as the definitive way to play the opening story of the Gears epic. The new edition doesn’t remake the cog, but it certainly makes it shiny again.

Death Howl is cohesive and well-crafted. The game's dour tone complements its surreal art style and soundtrack. Its myriad genres coalesce into consistently engaging combat and tactics. But most of all, across story and gameplay, Ro's journey taught me to embrace obstacles to overcome them. Having reached its end, it's a journey I'm glad to have taken.

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

A hell of a package. It's sort of a shame that so much of it is recycled from the last game, but nobody stops eating their favorite food because it's similar every time - and this is the Kobe beef of tactical FPS. [Apr 2008, p.80]

Pure fun that increases exponentially has you add more friends to the mix. [Nov 2005, p.138]

Beyond its refreshingly straightforward feedback loop, even more enthralling is how your personal success impacts the overall narrative. Helldivers 2 operates on a live map, with players around the world slowly liberating quadrants of planets, their actions influenced by Major Orders passed down by central control. In an already collaborative game, this compounds the sense of community, making you feel like you're part of something bigger than even the heady emotional beats of your squad's missions.

This is some of the most fun I’ve had playing an RPG this year, proving that Ys has what it takes to keep afloat.

Minerva's Den also offers a tightly wound narrative that is easy to digest and unlike any other tale told under the sea.

As I played Laser League people walked by my desk, saw the vibrant colors and figures scurrying around, and told me that they had no idea what was going on. Play the game for just five minutes, however, and its addictive frenzy will become readily apparent. The future is dangerous, chaotic, and unpredictable, but it's full of exciting possibilities.

Watch Dogs 2 addresses many of the issues of the first game, putting hacking at the forefront, but its narrative struggles to stay engaging. Although the cast is unlikeable, the parodies and its ability to not take itself seriously brings charm. The stellar hacking mechanics can make your actions, such as taking control of a satellite in outer space, feel grandiose and unstoppable in entertaining ways.

The last Toca shot itself in the foot instead of putting the pedal to the metal by restricting players with a linear career structure. Luckily for us, Codemasters has rectified the situation in this newest Toca. [Mar 2006, p.100]

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.

FIFA 16 isn't going to blow you away with any single feature. Instead, it falls back on its strong gameplay to provide a fresh experience.

F1 2011 offers a fun driving experience and a welcome change to the traditional career schedule, but in the franchise's second year running, it's in need of a pit stop and some fresh tires.

Nuclear Throne somehow manages to be both fun and frustrating at the same time, making for an interesting roguelike shooter that will keep you coming back for more.

This game’s predictable ceiling is mitigated by the fact that it stands on solid ground. If I could find this much reliability in my real life golf game, I’d be in the same league as Tiger, too.

SingStar’s karaoke action may be somewhat limited in an era that follows the release of Rock Band, where so many other ways of playing are available. However, for enthusiasts who aren’t looking for anything that complicated (or expensive), SingStar should deliver some amusing Friday nights with friends.

When Lost Judgment stumbles, it never recovers. While there's a lot to love in the story and gameplay, at the end of the day, its issues become too much to ignore – especially when those issues are messy and irresponsible.

Gameplay, meanwhile, makes some minor adjustments this year--giving a few more control options including the ability to play with a scheme that is identical to Konami's "Winning Eleven" button layout. [Oct. 2006, p.94]