While Evolved may not be a game of the year contender and definitely has some faults, it is also probably the most fun I have had in a mech game since the original MechAssault on Xbox.

It detracts from the enjoyment value when a "puzzle" game is almost more of a game of chance.

White Knight Chronicles is simply an enthusiastic game that falls short of what it could have been.

It innovates from the usual set of strategy titles in so many areas without falling flat on its face, and it’s a meaty title besides.

This game could use a little more polish, but it's entertaining for the right people. [Sept 2007, p.62]

Despite its gameplay and audio flaws, WireWay manages to deliver a satisfying experience that should please anyone who likes either platformers or puzzle games - more-so the latter, as the platforming element is secondary to puzzle-solving.

n the end, you’d think a game with a see-through plot, derivative gameplay, a mess of bad cut scenes and stinky voice-acting would be a total turn-off, but that’s just not the case. There are times when Ninja Blade is just fun.

With its budget price and most of its bizarre humor intact, you could most certainly do worse than pickking up a copy of Beautiful Katamari. [Dec 2007, p.65]

XI is fantastic when playing against another player rather than the CPU, which is unfortunate because there's no online play. Ultimately, RTK XI is a game you should rent before you buy it. [Mar 2007, p.62]

It's too hard for its own good in places, making it far too easy to just exasperatedly credit-feed to see the end, but with a ridiculous amount of practice and ninja skills almost everything is (probably) survivable. Even with all that, though, Metal Slug XX is merely decent enough in its way and little more.

Any gluttons for punishment or those with an open mind for SRPGs should enjoy it. [July 2007, p.65]

As a singleplayer experience, Shining Force EXA lacks the druglike addictiveness that makes a good dungeon crawler more than something you kill time with. [Mar 2007, p.54]

Soul Nomad is a surprisingly radical departure from type for NIS, and it's largely successful. It's just more frustrating than it needs to be. [Oct 2007, p.57]

Overall, it’s not the most sophisticated title on the block, but it’s worth it for the nostalgia value alone.

In the end, Velvet Assassin is definitely worth a playthrough.

For all of Odin Sphere's innovations, few manage to have a meaningful impact upon gameplay, and the experience fails to gel into a cohesive whole as a result. [July 2007, p.56]

The biggest disappointment about Ripples is that technical issues overshadow many of its positives. It’s an episode that is pure frustration not for its story, but for not fulfilling its true potential and arguably falling short of the standards expected from any gaming title, whether it’s triple-A or indie.

Simple fun will only get you so far and players who are looking for a truly “next generation” experience right now will find that Dead Rising 3 simply doesn’t deliver.

Sadly, Labyrinth of Refrain is a game far too convoluted with illusionary depth to be considered wholly enjoyable. With a dispensable story, poor mid-game communication (that often feels like a deliberate attempt to waste player time) and a hefty number of interfaces requiring a fair amount of cleaning up, Nippon Ichi’s attempt to alternate from their usual Disgaea forte, though intriguing in a few areas, ends up being frustrating and cumbersome to the point of cancelling out the enjoyment it initially creates.

Sadly, its invasive microtransaction structure and otherwise lack of engagement as a Metal Gear/stealth entrant is what will likely stand as its greatest downfall — inevitably cancelling out all the goodwill the game creates in its shorter spells. Metal Gear Survive as a whole isn’t the utter abomination many had suspected it would be, but it doesn’t push itself beyond the still-waning status of being tepidly average.

When all of the parts are added together, it becomes apparent that Rogue Trooper Redux doesn’t quite meet the standards of modern day gaming. Instead, this is simply an underrated classic with the dust of age knocked off. Instead of making a few quality of life improvements, such as with the controls, the powers that be were happy to keep the game as is. For fans of the original title, this is absolutely great. It still manages to be enjoyable when viewed with the understanding that this is an older title. When contrasted with other remasters that took some time to tinker with what wasn’t great the first time around, Rogue Trooper Redux comes up a little short. Seemingly simple items like improved use of cover and a basic reload button would have gone a long way towards improving the experience. For fans of gaming history interested in the evolution of a genre, this release provides some much desired context for the times. People looking for a top notch shooter should realize what they are getting into before they go on a tour with the militant version of Arrested Development’s Tobias.

My Night Job is an entertaining homage to older video games and the horror genre, but its repetitive nature and lack of replay value hold it back.

Lily of the Valley is best enjoyed in a single sitting on a quiet day. It doesn’t take long to finish both endings and deserves being completed rather than left hanging with only one ending. Over the brief playtime you’ll get to know a few characters and (hopefully) feel for them by the end. However, even great visuals and a decent soundtrack can’t turn this into a total tear-jerker of a visual novel. But, since that is variable between people, it’s worth checking out if you’re at all interested in short visual novels which have little to do with fanservice or silly hijinks.

At the moment of this writing, There Was A Caveman can be recommended for fans of nostalgia laden platformers, but there are some major caveats.

At a mere $4, puzzle fans will have some fun with UFO Dad.

Though there’s an air of nostalgia and goodwill towards Rebellion and their continued efforts to keep this IP as entertaining as it remains, Sniper Elite V2 Remastered seems primarily focused on touching up the most selective of visual and graphical assets, and little else outside of it. Immediate access to the game’s arsenal of weapons, though appreciated — and opening up a welcome extension to the core tactical prowess the series has flourished on — the continued presence of issues from the original and the game’s now-aged design end up working against it. Moment-to-moment marksmanship still as delightful a spectacle to watch, as much partake in, as a proclaimed improvement on the original, V2 Remastered falters just enough, unfortunately, to fall short on that achievement.

Natural Doctrine is an exhausting game. It’s punishing, unfair at times and hell-bent on funneling players through a narrow corridor that leaves little-to-no room for tactical experimentation. That being said, it has its moments.

The title would be deserving of a higher score if it had more accessible play, but currently Nour has more variety in themes than in play which makes it feel like it lacks substance. Yet the developers at Terrifying Jellyfish should be praised for creating an aesthetically-pleasing atmospheric title that still offers entertainment value in sitting down and making a glorious mess.