While this is all well and good, I simply don't like this series as much as the "Baldur's Gate" or "Icewind Dale" epics. [Aug 2003, p.103]

If you've been looking for an entryway into the flight combat genre this is a great place to start, and if you're already a fan, Assault Horizon has something a little bit different to offer you that you can definitely appreciate.

Off the court, March Madness' Dynasty mode is shallow and doesn't stack up well against "ESPN's" robust Legacy mode. In the end, March Madness performs admirably on the court, but ESPN is the complete package. [Dec 2004, p.168]

The immense roster is a glorious thing, but by altering the sacred Fatality, the action just isn't up to the series' standards or what fans expect.

Stories Untold is a unique four-hour experience that both horror fans and those who love to dissect head-scratching enigmas should check out. Though a number of frustrating puzzles may prove too tiresome for many, those who stick with it will find themselves rewarded with a treasure trove of gruesome and morbid delights.

While this story is rather cheesy, the subtleties Crystal Dynamics used to take this posterboy of evil, and put him in a protagonist role, is fascinating. [May 2002, p.86]

Playing through the single-player story-driven campaign or fighting a real-time global campaign is fun. Multiplayer is somewhat bare-bones, but the matches themselves are entertaining enough.

Only those who thirst for that elusive mastery of the concept will be playing for weeks on end. Even so, this may be one of those cases where the remarkable interaction of different gameplay elements should make it worth a look. [Nov. 2006, p.141]

As an entire production, it’s really quite brilliant, and couldn’t be more frightening. [Feb 2002, p.89]

The AI seems insanely good one minute then misses an obvious attack the next, and the story is completely throwaway, but there is enough gameplay here to keep puzzle fans busy for a long time. [May 2007, p.99]

But the big-time college football moments that it does deliver are worth it--and you won't find them on that new-fangled next-gen console either. [Aug 2006, p.81]

This game does the quivalent of grabbing you by the groin and tossing you off a cliff. [Aug 2003, p.87]

NBA Jam's only major flaw is the lack of online multiplayer. This game was made for competition, and not everyone has three other people to play with in their house.

Home to some of the greatest gameplay that you'll ever encounter, but unless you compete online, it mostly goes to waste. [Dec 2005, p.154]

Pulling off a frictionless heist is the exception to the rule in Payday 2, but the tension is still palpable as you try to orchestrate a robbery without getting caught, and the adrenaline flows steadily as you inevitably repel the barrage of police waves while trying to make your getaway. The overly expensive upgrade system and lackluster AI could use some work, but the minute-to-minute action is thrilling enough to overcome these complaints.

Although it's certainly not a masterpiece, The Warriors gets by on style, flair, variety, and simple fun. [Nov 2005, p.144]

The best way to play Payday 2 is with three other friends; in my experience the teammate AI isn't savvy enough to keep up on the job. The AI-controlled characters can handle a gun, but oftentimes wander out of a building into compromising situations.

This is one wily little puzzler, both charming and challenging enough that even those nauseated by the thought of Pokemon should really pick it up anyway. [Mar 2006, p.118]

Accurate control and savvy level design. [July 2003, p.122]

Pulling off a frictionless heist is the exception to the rule in Payday 2, but the tension is still palpable as you try to orchestrate a robbery without getting caught, and the adrenaline flows steadily as you inevitably repel the barrage of police waves while trying to make your getaway. The overly expensive upgrade system and lackluster AI could use some work, but the minute-to-minute action is thrilling enough to overcome these complaints.

While remarkably little else has been tweaked or improved, the two-mic mode adds tremendously to the value of the party package. [Nov 2004, p.158]

Dark Kingdom isn’t particularly innovative, and it falls prey to a number of RPG clichés, but when it comes to the important things – the hacking and the slashing – it performs admirably.

Stepping back into Monster Hunter World for Iceborne reminded me how much I adore this game, but it also exposes its flaws. Capcom didn’t improve much for the expansion, like once again having a boring tower defense story mission and making you separately watch scenes solo before you can join up in co-op. Even so, surviving together to get that jackpot of materials for better gear hasn’t lost its allure, and Iceborne challenges you to be a better player and teammate with its arduous fights. The return trip is worth it, just don’t expect many upgrades to the experience.

The game may be elementary in the extreme, but sometimes the simple pleasures remain the best. [Apr 2005, p.142]

Amazon Game’s second run at the MMO market is very impressive. The years of content already created for Lost Ark provide an enticing package filled to the brim with fun activities and exciting locals to explore. Each class is wonderfully unique, and the customization systems allow for an abundance of freedom to tailor to a variety of playstyles. I’ve had a great time with Lost Ark in these early days, and I’m looking to sink many more hours into it with friends over the coming weeks and months. Those looking to scratch an Action/RPG itch or sink time into an MMO won’t go wrong giving this adventure a fair shot.

The entirety of Viewfinder, including completing its optional puzzles, only takes a few hours, but its brevity is a strength. The game has no unnecessary fat where you use familiar solutions to solve slight variations of puzzles you’ve already completed. Every level feels like it is trying out a new idea based on the core concept making it a consistently novel experience throughout.

The icing on this cake of RPG happiness is the clever and relatively gaffe-free localization. [June 2005, p.128]

The game’s greatness makes suffering through a few poorly designed bosses worth it for hardcore Castlevania fans and 2D action experts. But unlike many other titles in the franchise, I can’t recommend this much beyond this limited demographic.