Despite not including anything from the third Hobbit movie that could provide a satisfactory ending, Lego The Hobbit has enough content and charm to keep you entertained until the inevitable next Lego game. [July 2014, p.76]

Mild targeting problems aside, Phoenix is the most engaging Potter game to date, with the 3D richness that adults expect but straightforward hidey-seeky gameplay that won't overtax a tween audience. [Aug 2007, p.74]

You can still technically play through the entire adventure with just one Skylander, but to scratch that completist itch you’ll need both a fat wallet and the willingness to hunt down specific physical character figures.

But with a core game that stands strong, and Live matchups that are fairly smooth, Samurai Shodown II remains an enjoyable beatdown for fighting fans. [Dec 2008, p.93]

The overall package could stand to be more robust, but thanks to Mayday, Devastation still packs a punch. [July 2014, p.77]

Eets is fun in small doses, and while it's worth the $10 asking price, few will crown it a new classic. [May 2007, p.79]

Active 2 delivers a solid workout to anyone content with basic exercises. [Holiday 2010, p.59]

Though this re-release lacks any of the nifty extras you might be hoping for, you're paying a mere five bucks for a perfect port of an undeniably classic. [Oct 2007, p.78]

When $30 nets you this much online-multiplayer insanity, it's easy to forgive many of Anarchy Reigns' missteps. Heck, at that price, you can ignore the grueling solo campaign entirely and the game's still a decent value.

When Lego Star Wars III sticks to the basics, it's still a crowd-pleaser. [May 2011, p.76]

But for those of us who love a bit of fruity melodrama to go with our genocidal tendencies, N3's simple, responsive controls--along with the singular, satisfying thrill of netting 2,000 kills in one stage--is exhilarating. [Oct. 2006, p.80]

Puzzlingly, Rage even lacks a competitive FPS multiplayer mode - the very thing id Software is best known for. Instead, you get nine two-player co-op side stories (they're decent 20-minute missions worth rolling through once) and a suite of lackluster six-player buggy-racing modes in which you shoot at someone for a while before someone else swoops in and steals the kill at the last second.

Throw in a few surprise touches--like a flooded compartment and a spacewalk on the ship's hull--and Descent manages to provide the suspense that its predecessors didn't. [Feb 2011, p.79]

With its non-branching storyline and no multiplayer, Force Unleashed is certainly less ambitious than the classic "Jedi Knight" games - and ultimately, its design makes it feel more videogame-y and less of an all-engrossing Star Wars experience than Xbox entries like "Jedi Knight II" or "Jedi Academy." But when the game is on, it's on. [Oct 2008, p.70]

Cars 2 isn't quite gripping or original enough to top the more notable racers that inspired it, and regrettably, its aimless career mode and lack of online play are slight downers. But kids' games and movie games are rarely this polished and entertaining, so we commend Disney for doing this one right.

World at War is like watching a fireworks show that you’ve seen a few times before. You’re simply not wowed by the buildup, the grand finale, or any of it anymore. When - not if - the next sequel arrives, it’s going to have an upstream swim against an apathetic tide of familiarity.

It's good, solid fun, but it offers very little that we haven't experienced before. [May 2011, p.68]

For apocalypse buffs, much of I Am Alive is riveting stuff; we'd love to see a follow-up that improves on its framework.

Nitpicks are plenty, but so are the surprisingly fun aspects — whichever side of planetary strip-mining you fall on.

It feels a lot like that last "007" movie: plenty of fun, but nowhere near as awesome as we hoped it'd be. [Mar 2009, p.76]

There's no end to the action in Alter Echo, and the game succeeds in its deep fighting system... Unfortunately, the game stumbles with PS2-style graphics as well as repetitive and linear play. [Nov 2003, p.102]

There's a definite downshift in graphical swagger (no more heat-haze and speed-blur visual effects), but MotoGP 08 delivers pretty much everything else a two-wheeled racing fan could ask for. [Dec 2008, p.87]

Smart Bomb doesn't try to bite off more than it can chew. [July 2010, p.77]

We'd have appreciated a thicker campaign, more visually diverse missions, and especially the option to play co-op over Xbox Live, but as-is, this hors d'oeuvre is still an entertaining treat.

War in the North is hardly the most memorable adventure through Middle-earth, but you won't regret any of the time you spend fighting across its grim battlegrounds.

Combining the cutesiness of a Pixar flick with the depth of a theme-park tycoon game, LucasArts' Thrillville series smoothly transitions onto the Xbox 360 with Off the Rails, a souped-up and entertaining follow-up to last year's Xbox release. [Dec 2007, p.76]

CastleStorm's unusual mix of elements never quite congeals into anything too brain-taxing. But hurling bombs at buildings and flinging pointy sticks at barbarians is bound to get your blood pumping for a little while. [July 2013, p.76]

If you enjoy excellent, funny voice acting and the simplicity of just exploring areas and collecting items, you'll find a lot to like. [May 2014, p.76]