Tailor-made to please its boy-racer target audience, but if you want more sophistication in your racing go back to GRID. [Dec 2009, p.93]

Photogenic arcade action lacking in any real long-term appeal. Wafer thin. [May 2006, p.94]

As dated as the Cold War, but fun. [Christmas 2005, p.96]

It’s a strangely deflating experience. There’s the bare bones of a good title here, and as a FPS, Elite Force II does dish up some satisfying action. It’s certainly an improvement on the first instalment. But it should have been far more than a game fighting to get out of the paper bag, rather than one that was ultimately suffocated by its own franchise.

A simple but entertaining take on the game of golf, if you don't pay for it. A shallow meaningless farce if you do. [June 2010, p.98]

Acceptable, but like a photo of the Mona Lisa rather than the real thing. [Nov 2004]

We admit that the dynamic has changed. Weaponry feels less accurate, the maps are smaller, though we don’t see the inherent problem in that. It’s true you can no longer hear the enemy’s footsteps, but this isn’t a fatal oversight.

Unfortunately all the flaws from the original are still glaringly omnipresent - from the awkward mouse cursor to the tedious mini-games. [June 2006, p.96]

It looks spectacularly awful. [Apr 2007, p.71]

[July 2005]

Plus you have to "insert a coin" each time you play. How warm and fuzzy is that? Enjoy. [June 2006, p.97]

This is a flawed game, but it's getting better. [Feb 2010, p.95]

Harry Potter may posses a certain charm that transcends the generation gap, but don’t expect this game to weave the same magic.

A robust addition to a titan of real-time strategy that plays well on PCs. But it's past time for Dawn of War 2 now. [May 2008, p.108]

Sigil says "The only limits are your own." I'd suggest that most players will reach the outer limits of their patience very quickly. [Apr 2007, p.68]

Not as complex, but more focused than "CivCity." For resource geeks only. [Dec 2006, p.112]

Not strictly a failure, but it is potentially 2008's most disappointing PC game, and will certainly need a hefty post-release patch. [Oct 2008, p.100]

Frontloads truly excellent stuff, then has a snooze shortly afterwards, becoming formulaic and lacking quests. [Dec 2009, p.88]

The problem is that what worked so well in "Kohan" can't help but feel a little artificial when applied to a more realistic milieu. [Christmas 2004, p.110]

An expansion pack for the C&C fans who still hunger for new units, which adds a forgettable campaign and a minor ocnquest map. [June 2008, p.98]

If it’s championship kicks that you’re after, get yourself a copy of "PES 3," because what it lacks in glitz it makes up for tenfold in terms of gameplay. We certainly wouldn’t be seen kicking about with anything else.

This is neither a great racing game nor a particularly terrible one, but it does feel like a missed opportunity. [Issue#244, p.108]

Hack, slash, repeat. Clumsy but functional. [Dec 2006, p.118]

There aint no one-more-go mentality lurking in this one. [Oct 2009, p.99]

A huge number of options, but the graphics are dated and the sound effects are monotonous.

Like a good pie, but with crap pastry on top. This is a game weighed down by an army of faults, but it's still periodically entertaining. [Jan 2007, p.64]

Leaves on the line may cause brain delays in strategy management.

A neat platformer that misses the final leap to triumph. [Oct 2005, p.98]

Everything in Northern Strike is fine. None of it, however, is vital. [Apr 2007, p.65]

This is a blunt bronze dagger to the shining steel halberd of "Rome: Total War." [Jan 2005, p.92]

A reasonable amount of content, but lacking in genuinely new features. [Mar 2006, p.96]

More expansion pack than full game, without the same level of challenge. [June 2006, p.89]

A well-executed sim, on the whole, but it lacks genuinely unique features. [June 2006, p.86]

Simple, entertaining platform/puzzle fun for the little people. [Feb 2005, p.89]

ToV's singleplayer campaigns will do nothing for CoH vets, but the MP extras might just keep its head above water. [June 2009, p.90]

Unfortunately, sheer numbers alone are just not enough to set this apart from the competition. [Nov 2005, p.90]

Slightly grotty in parts, but entertaining. [Feb 2005, p.93]

Momentarily entertaining clicky clunky puzzling, but lacking enough real imaginative freedom to make it truly essential. [Sept 2008, p.110]

Some nice cosmetic effects, new jobs and, er clothes await you the, Sims fans. If you really have to. And we know that some of you do. You sickos. [Apr 2007, p.73]

It's a fresh idea, more than worth a few of your Earth lunchtimes. [Feb 2009, p.101]

Played the original? Then you'll probably enjoy this. [June 2005, p.92]

Utterly unremarkable. [Jan 2008, p.72]

Challenging, but not always in the right way. Invade elsewhere.

Mildly engaging. [May 2009, p.97]

For the jaded gamer with a few hours to spare it's like a zen garden for the soul. [Oct 2011, p.104]

It's just not as 'hilarious' as perhaps it seems in its native land and, although it's sometimes a pleasing adventure, at 30 quid, I'd struggle to recommend it. [June 2009, p.101]

Pretty funky and fun - but only for a short while. [Christmas 2005, p.96]

A love letter to PC gaming, scrawled in crayon by an alcoholic bigot. Wait for the bargain bin to say goodbye to Duke. [Aug 2011, p.98]

The best comparison is a C-list Hammer Horror film. Yes, clearly utter trash – but trash that attempts to overcome its limitations through determination and imagination.

If, however, you've played Myst before and hated it for its slow pace, its limited movement and the distinct lack of (perceived) gameplay, then this new version will do nothing to change your mind. [Dec 2004, p.88]

The idea is excellent, but overall a weaker expansion than the first and not as exciting. [July 2010, p.98]

If you can stand the aesthetics, fun lurks within. [Sept 2006, p.97]

Pretty but tedious, Alpha Prime is a solid but supremely derivative shooter that's more often a chore than a pleasure. [June 2007, p.60]

A damp squib, really. The single player is far too short and the multiplayer only occasionally rises above the average. [May 2011, p.90]

Claustrophobically restricted by some uninspired level design, and all too often your soldiers are boxed in by clumsy dead ends, making more complex troop manoeuvres virtually impossible. [March 2005, p.109]

All that leaping and fighting doesn't fit very well with keyboard controls. [Jan 2005, p.98]

The unique graphics engine much vaunted by CDV sadly enables little innovation in the rendering of 3D effects, and only the magical powers offer something a little different, which is telling – overall the emphasis is on over-the-top adventure, rather than realistic recreation of history.

Just manages to scrape into the "different enough to be interesting" category. [Oct 2004, p.100]

A frustrating experience. [June 2008, p.106]

Stuck halfway between the arcade slots and po-faced flight simulation, and in the process takes itself far too seriously. [Oct 2011, p.105]

An unexpectedly charming diversion of a game, but one that ultimatey fails to deliver on its early promise. A shame, really. [Apr 2007, p.62]

A largely by-the-numbers real-time strategy effort that twinkles but never shines. It's just a little bit too irritating to score highly. [Apr 2007, p.63]

Homecoming adds a few small elements to the mix. [Jan 2009, p.100]

It's as repetitive and automatic as running in with the shotgun was in Doom 3. This joke isn't funny any more. [June 2005, p.90]

A bona fide labour of love that evidently had the blinkers on.

Slow progress and lack of originality detract from a fun if bland title. [Aug 2006, p.100]

It is engaging, interesting, and definitely a little bit of a break from the norm. [July 2007, p.71]

It's not all bad - a few neat touches will bring a tear to old-skoolers' eyes, such as the random random generator for invasion battle odds. It's not enough to wow those spoilt by "Civ IV," though. [Apr 2006, p.95]

Solid, but hampered mostly by a terrible lack of depth. [Oct 2006, p.95]

Creativity and gags galore, but we’re too close to falling asleep.

There are no real uprisings to be found in THe Warchiefs' colonies. [Christmas 2006, p.102]

Stormtroopers shouldn’t be easier to kill than llamas, and Rodians shouldn’t wear hotpants and start dancing in campsites.

Not an unwanted game, just one that's an uninspiring, run-of-the-mill shooter - aside from the lead curving. [June 2009, p.97]

Largely solid, but it's just not exciting. [Jan 2009, p.99]

I'm convinced that the captain of a supertanker has more to do to shift 350 metres of iron than press cursor keys. [Oct 2007, p.64]

We’re left with a terribly flawed gem that catches the light one moment and cuts with a jagged edge the next. We hope the dozens of glitches, bugs and random crashes can be wiped away with a patch.

All the freedom in the universe and nothing much to do with it. Prepare for a slog. [Christmas 2005, p.88]

Most Puzzle Quest aficionados will quickly end up returning to the original.

It's cute in an exploding flatulence kind of way, but the actual gameplay itself is pretty tedious and repetitive. [July 2007, p.70]

Great sound and visuals, but unremittingly repetitive gameplay. [July 2006, p.101]

There is fun to be found in Infernal, but you have to go through purgatory to find it and even when you get there, it's certainly not my idea of heaven. [Apr 2007, p.71]

It lacks enough of a hook for existing MMORPG fans to sink into, and there’s many, many competing titles that offer a more exciting holiday in the land of orcs, elves and shrieking demons with gold up their bottoms.

Accurate rugby, but re-mapping controllers requires fiendish text file editing. [Mar 2006, p.101]

The "Serious Sam" of the "D&D" genre: fast, brutal, and ultimately a teeny bit dull. [Apr 2005, p.100]

Even the addition of well animated and suitably menacing dinosaurs can't save this from being a bland, forgettable FPS. [Aug 2008, p.100]

There's fun to be had, but it's harder work than it should be - a case of feature overload. [Aug 2004, p.82]

Nice ideas, poorly executed in the main. Shows some promise online. [Dec 2005, p.96]

Not pretty or that clever, but tykes may find this amusing for a few hours if they're not already hooked up to "The Sims." [July 2008, p.113]

Overall, there’s certainly been an effort made to do something interesting with The Godfather II – an engaging business model has been strapped onto the familiar crime-sim, but with middling results. If you like your games mediocre, dive right in, otherwise heave a little sigh and move on.

With the lack of a more complex skill development system, I found the clicky happy combat became repetitive fairly quickly. [May 2007, p.69]

Unquestionably the most impressive thoroughly mediocre game you'll play this year - but hardly a religious experience. [Nov 2005, p.98]

Interesting ideas, but far too shallow. [Apr 2006, p.91]

It's designed to be more cerebral than current RTS war titles, and can't match the visceral thrill of "Rome" or even "Medieval Total War." [May 2005, p.102]

Relies on trial and error over good intelligence. [June 2008, p.108]

It's the presentation and numerous glitches that let it down. [June 2010, p.101]

It's a one-trick pony, sure, but at least it's innovative and fun...Fun, but neat physics offset drab visuals. [Sept 2006, p.104]

The enemy AI is slow to react, your character is slow to move. [July 2005, p.98]

A mildly diverting shooter that's more concerned with telling its story than retaining the interesting aspects of the original. [Aug 2009, p.92]