Ultimately, the licence both saves the game, by giving even the most basic of its scenarios a degree of weight, and hinders it by causing regular moments where you double take, realising something isn’t quite right.

It's certainly not worth more than a third of the asking price. [Apr 2008, p.115]

Solid but wholly uninspiring. [Aug 2005, p.95]

Quickly repetitive actin, with ultra-violence that soon becomes mundane. [March 2005, p.100]

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

Mostly, it's just pants. [May 2010, p.101]

There are hidden depths to the game mechanics, but only a dedicated killer will stick with it long enough to plumb them. [Aug 2007, p.50]

It's plagued by page after page of 'I don't daren't [sic] skip this' tutorial help, but there are rewards for those who persevere. [Dec 2005 p.89]

A well-timed cue to buy the original game, but not worth buying by itself. [Dec 2004, p.101]

The equivalent of a lusty, full throttled fling - it's good fun for a little while, but it's hardly a solid base for a lengthy love affair. [Mar 2008, p.98]

Impressive as the scale and visuals are as a technical achievement, the game itself is little more than a hollow shell. [Aug 2009, p.90]

A decent game. If the subject matter grips you, or you're coming to it from "Civilization," it's compelling and well designed. Exciting it isn't, and in the end, the glory of Rome demands a level of oomph that it just can't quite muster. [Aug 2006, p.101]

A disappointing, mediocre shooter at best and a frustrating swear-a-thon at the very worst. I can't honestly recommend it. [Jan 2008, p.66]

The game’s combat system is competent and fiercely enjoyable for fans of the ‘quick, kill that heavily armed hotelier’ genre.

Misses a few crucial tricks which could have given it greater mass appeal. [Mar 2006, p.97]

A bit like Paul Daniels, its magic is only really going to work on the kids. [Aug 2004, p.86]

Looks great, but not quite as full of variety as you might expect from NYC. [Mar 2006, p.92]

Diplomacy, sea battles, trade, construction - it's all here, but sadly it never quite gels to fulfill East India's potential. [Oct 2009, p.96]

A step too far in EA's attempts to make the franchise print more money. [Sept 2007, p.62]

Just as serving a delicious cheesecake on a bed of rotten mackerel kills the appetite, so OpFlash: Red River turns the stomach with its nauseating intro. No matter how appealing the main event might be, you just can't get that image out of your head.

Someone obviously told the voice actors that the script was dreadfully witty as they proceed to deliver e-ve-ry li-ne slo-oo-w-ly just so you can get the full effect. It makes every conversation impossible to listen to without wanting to cut your ears off. [May 2007, p.67]

Still a superior RTS, but it's not as impressive an update as we'd have liked. [Dec 2006, p.113]

Until EA decides it's going to port the 'next-gen' versions, it's sports titles, such as NBA Live 08, are always going to be a huge disappointment. [Christmas 2007, p.67]

It's only long-term adventurers who are likely to get much out of it, not least because of the hideous controls, irritating voices and glacially slow pace, but there's more under the surface than first appears. [Apr 2008, p.115]

Just don't blame us for the clumsy controls, dodgy camera angles and ultra-frustrating gameplay. [Sept 2006, p.104]

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

This is totally outclassed by new stars like "Company of Heroes,", "Faces of War," and old favourites like the "Close Combat" series. [July 2007, p.68]

Confusing, often nonsensical execution, and a bit slow on the draw. [June 2006, p.91]