The graphics seal the deal. This just doesn't look like an Xbox game. The slowdown notwithstanding, the lighting is bad, the car models look wrong, and the trackside objects are sparse and ugly. [Oct 2003, p.77]

Hiding an otherwise mediocre game behind story and setting doesn't work twice.

The game's charm doesn't save it from supershort (though plentiful) levels and opponent A.I. that'll keep you playing the early levels over and over and over again. [Apr 2003, p.71]

Armageddon, real or video style, should not be this uninspired. [Jan 2004, p.91]

Adding to the pain are the annoying escort and defense missions, the meaningless story line, and throwaway two-player modes. This is the rare sequel that gets it all wrong.

The specialized tag-style modes are fun for a while, particularly because they involve explosions, but even these modes quickly wear thin. [June 2004, p.83]

Adding to the pain are the annoying escort and defense missions, the meaningless story line, and throwaway two-player modes. This is the rare sequel that gets it all wrong.

Without the cel-shaded aesthetic to bolster what's an otherwise mediocre shooter, even those seeking simply to relive their glory days of after-school anime and protoculture will find this sorely disappointing.

A game designed solely and specifically to appeal to nostalgia-addled fans, released in a country where that nostalgia doesn't exist. [Dec 2004, p.102]

Unlike "GTA's" open-ended gameplay, DRIV3R is both linear and confined. [Sept 2004, p.83]

While this may at first seem like a great way to pit all of Capcom's best fighters against each other, in reality it makes for an unbalanced mess. [Jan 2005, p.102]

So the pretty cool quests and diplomacy are sacked by sad combat that makes you frustrated and impatient. [Nov 2003, p.80]

The game alone is worth the price of admission, but this version features an all-new Mission mode that, while fluff, is nonetheless fun, plus 12 entirely cool Sonic games taken wars and all from the Sega Game Gear. [June 2003, p.72]

It's one of those games that nobody really asked for, so that leaves only one group of people who will be buying Starsky & Hutch: suckers.

The nice thing about Fullmetal Alchemist that you don't always get in a licensed game... is that the gameplay actually seems inspired by and drawn from the source material, rather than simply being generic with some recognizable characters plugged in. [Feb 2005, p.106]

Bomb-collection out the wazoo, a grim but bland story line, and everything old packaged as if it were new. [June 2003, p.75]

It's competently done, but fairly dull.

The inferior prequel to the outstanding "No One Lives Forever" series, having none of the charm, humor, or creative gameplay of the other games under the NOLF umbrella.

Isn't a remake of the PS1 game of the same name, but rather a conceptually similar reimagining. [Jan 2004, p.68]

A good concept with fun trappings, but it doesn't quite have enough going on under teh surface. [Nov 2004, p.108]

A kick for a while, but it quickly becomes unmanageable. [May 2003, p.72]

Parents will probably have to play this one along with their toddlers. When they do, they'll find a fun but flawed kid's program.

A plodding pace serves to slow down the showdown - something as simple as escaping from a steel cage is an extended, boring affair. [Sept 2004, p.81]

Factor in the lack of two-player action and all that's left is a tepid experience.

Unresponsive controls, repetitive scenario design, and inconsistent A.I. [Oct 2003, p.74]

The game feels oddly piecemeal: From its bland anime hero on a quest to collect "data chips" to its "downloadable" special abilities, Virtua Quest seems more like a Mega Man Battle Network game than a VF title.

Despite the evolution of the UFC itself, the series has gone absolutely nowhere. [July 2004, p.92]

Physics don't play a big part in the proceedings; it's possible to ride a character full-speed into a wall, without any ill effects. [Feb 2003, p.72]