Great script but a mediocre game.

There's no actual reason for this. [June 2013, p.91]

A classic game spoiled by the controls. [July 2009, p.96]

Tired and lacking ideas, this is the most disappointing CoD in years that follows, not leads. [Christmas 2018, p.72]

Ultimately, what should have been a very entertaining game is spoiled by levels that are too short and too uninspiring. It's like having a really cool motorbike but only a couple of miles to drive it on.

It'd make a great TV show, though. [Nov 2011, p.107]

Simple and proud, 10tons' retro shooter offers large-scale murderisation for you and some friends - just don’t expect much of a looker when the bloodlust wears off.

A lot of fun at heart, bloated by a cluster of dubious design decisions. [Christmas 2018, p.77]

An energetic, skillful action-platformer that rewards experimentation and practice...but frustrating scenarios encourage neither. The core of a great game is here, but hidden. [Apr 2016, p.83]

Menus are slick, and everything works well. If the thought of a game dedicated to The Black Eyed Peas doesn't make you want to rearrange the contents of your skull with a screwdriver, this is worth a punt. Otherwise check out the far more palatable Dance Central 2, which features more songs and venues, and tunes that aren't catastrophically tasteless.

The basics are just a little too basic to make the delightful presentation anything other than a distraction. [Apr 2016, p.85]

A simple, strange, and flawed game. But quite memorable at the same time. [Christmas 2018, p.83]

In between Screamride’s occasionally dull take on ’coasters and its indecision over acceptable amounts of hurt, there’s a decent game - but it’s the destruction that wins it.

Playable and expansive, but extremely familiar-feeling and technically clunky. [Christmas 2018, p.84]

It's arguably more fun to build than to play. [Apr 2016, p.90]

A big-hearted game with some rip-off DLC. [Dec 2008, p.101]

A matter of surviving endless similar rooms, and repetitive mini-bosses with too much health.

The fiddly controls, narrow field of view and slow pace make this game much more frustrating than it needs to be, but it's built on solid foundations. [Apr 2016, p.90]

We think it's too unforgiving, but try telling that to the people who've maxed out the scoreboard! [Jan 2007, p.97]

Ugly and complex, but still worth a flutter. [Nov 2011, p.110]

So beyond the handful of menu options with flashing "NEW!" logos next to them, and the potential of the Story Designer to deliver some hilarious content, Smackdown vs. RAW 2010 doesn't do a great deal to progress the series. The sweat isn't even noticeably shinier.

We can generally overlook a bit of going-through-the-motions in campaign add-ons, but not when the add-on in question mishandles the backstory of a trilogy that defined a genre. Though serviceable, RAAM's Shadow never does its own premise justice.

Not entirely welcoming, but worth exploring. [July 2011, p.101]

Looks and feels awfully tired. [Apr 2010, p.103]

A monster mash but no graveyard smash. [Nov 2008, p.101]

No frills, but not without thrills. [Apr 2008, p.96]

There's fun to be had, but the idea feels too lightweight to sustain a whole game. [Apr 2016, p.91]

The problem is the pacing of the game. Missions are too long and repetitive, which causes the drama of the dogfight mode to wear out. The problem is worse in helicopter missions, where the strategy of the dogfight mode is replaced by panic rolls when missiles are close and some rude checkpointing.