With its well executed timeloop concept, Lemnis Gate could be the sleeper shooter of 2021.

Door Kickers is a difficult, rewarding puzzler so obsessed with its tactical ideas that it rejects all else​—which is probably for the best anyway.

Naturally, once you've beaten the main quests you can continue exploring the world, and the biggest compliment I can give Origins is that I'd much rather be playing it than writing about it. It's a got a dazzling and beautiful setting, lots of enjoyable systems for mischief and mayhem, and has just the right amount of diversions and distractions to keep you busy without ever feeling like busywork. The extra year Ubisoft took with Origins didn't result in a completely new and novel experience, but it did provide one of the best games in the Assassin's Creed series.

Thirty dollars may seem a bit hefty for a free modification, but the incredible experience is well worth the price of admission. [Aug 2003, p.72]

Star Wars: Squadrons delivers on great dogfighting, even when its campaign doesn't live up to its full potential.

Modern Warfare 2 sets a new bar for Call of Duty all over again.

The only drawbacks to Soldiers are its murderous difficulty and speed. [Sept 2004, p.72]

Just what a visual novel should be—fun characters and the rush of solving mysteries make you eager to keep going.

I was bowled over by the level of quality of all this one person has achieved. Olija is clearly Olsson's personal work, and its story, of Europeans lost in mysterious and frightening Eastern waters, in part reflects his own experience of moving from his birthplace in France to Japan to be with his wife. But I felt sometimes a disquieting air of orientalist fantasy, as we encounter an inscrutable culture headed by the beautiful Lady Olija, who we chase into submission. But I also loved the clash of rough and ready mariners facing a strange and terrible world of corrupted beauty. I only wish their voyage was a little longer.

It's mad. In fact, it barely makes any sense at all. But for all its wonky bits, there's an odd charm to Volition's decision to leave nothing on the drawing board. It's not the largest sandbox, but it is packed full of brilliant toys. Saints Row: The Third's commitment to unrestricted, ridiculous fun is unflinching, and the product is a city full of glorious slapstick debauchery.

What could've been a pure moment of celebration for a series that's overdue for a great videogame is complicated by the fact that its success is a win for JK Rowling, and all the bad feelings associated with the desire to play the cool new wizard RPG.

It's the only choice for PC fans, but as luck would have it, it still gets the job done. [Nov 2000, p.128]

As good as tennis fans may ever see on their PCs. [Holiday 2002, p.83]

With more pronounced effects than the first expansion, Snowfall adds new challenges and complexity.

It's well written, the pixel art and animation are nicely done, and the fact that you can draw your gun whenever you want, and that you can shoot key characters dead and just keep on playing, gives it a great sense of freedom.

Undoubtedly an excellent game, with its strengths far outweighing its weaknesses. My central frustration, though, is that it doesn’t allow you to play a deliberate, defense-oriented, puck-control style of NHL hockey.

Defense Grid 2 isn't just another tower defense game, it's the best new tower defense game.

If you're tired of cold weather, Castaway Stories could be just the thing to warm you up. [May 2008, p.61]

A grim reminder of the senselessness of war and the best old-school survival horror game in ages.

If you're into this stuff, there's no need to look anywhere else. [Dec 2000, p.174]

There's no emotional soul, but Dead Island is an excellent open-world zombie hacker, slasher, and co-op loot party. [Nov 2011, p.65]

A perfect balance of accessibility and strategic depth, elevated by charming visuals and buckets of personality.

Safecracker strips away all the narrative hoo-hah of traditional adventure games and tosses you into a labyrinth of mind-benders that range from simple sliding puzzles(requiring extreme patience)to code-breakers that throw you with unexpected twists. [Nov. 2006, p.120]

Just like in the old days, performance issues and bugs don't stop Stalker's mad, wonderful heart from shining through.

Combat quibbles and muddy graphics do little to spoil the fun of this enjoyable RPG.

A terrific game...Not a revolutionary leap like its predecessor, but it's still a satisfying experience. [Dec 2003, p.128]

Outstanding game - indeed, it's what last year's Battlefront should have been. [Jan 2005, p.54]

An excellent turn-based strategy that shines in spite of some minor annoyances.

Hearts of Iron 2 acolytes will dig Doomsday; I just hope its scope doesn't scare off new players. [Aug 2006, p.50]

With the right hardware, Invisible War offers a thought-provoking, multi-layered journey with a side order of free choice. [Jan 2004, p.81]

Still untouchable on the footy front—but shelf life and that inconsistent 3D engine chip away at its tender Achilles.

If you can forgive some small gameplay faults, Nexus pleases like a deep space production on the scale of a Roddenberry saga. [Apr 2005, p.74]

Donut County is a short, entertaining tale of a trash panda who just wants a sweet quadcopter.

Obsidian manages to distinguish itself as a truly different adventure, where traditional puzzling melds with abstract thought. [May 1997, p.124]

Almost everything you'd want of a TrackMania, but as a TrackMania 2 it leaves a lot to be desired, and hopefully fixed. [Holiday 2011, p.76]

It may not look like much with its dated 2D graphics, but beneath the surface is one of the richest empire-builders around. [July 2005, p.85]

It's a little hobbled by old-school stylings and the story could be better, but few modern hack-and-slash RPGs are quite so fun.

But despite the visual inadequacies of the graphics engine, the game more than compensates for deficiencies with its constantly challenging gameplay. [Oct 2007, p.54]

Trine 2 is far from mould-breaking, but the edges have all been smoothed and it's lovelier than ever.

The pace may not win over fans of first-person shooters or real-time strategy games, but it's a darn good yarn for adventure gamers who can stomach a double-helping of gore. [July 2005, p.73]

Everything you've ever loved about the series has been given a gorgeous new visual treatment. If you've got the patience to handle the tough difficulty, it'll be a fun game. [Mar 2003, p.112]

This deep off-road sim delights in giving you a hard time, but every victory is all the sweeter for it.

Great for anyone with good reflexes and an appreciation for air-sailing stunts. [Jan 2001, p.167]

Wasteland 2 lives up to its legacy. It’s a game that has come full circle—from inspiration for Interplay’s Fallout, to spiritual successor for that franchise’s roots. This wasteland is deep and dark and dangerous, and a great place to get lost in.

My initial impressions of Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords wasn't very favorable, but as I invested more time in it, and really dug deep, I realized that this is indeed a highly complex and addictive strategy game. [May 2006, p.70]

There are a couple of Arkham games better than this, but also a couple that are worse.

A refreshingly asymmetrical FPS with terrific competitive depth, but the thrill of the hunt eventually begins to wane.

This is the sort of smart, focused resurrection of old games I want more of, something that feels old and new with every expedition step. I managed to put more than 40 hours into this quote-unquote small game.

A beautiful story-driven adventure game with a compelling story and great characters, set on an island filled with intriguing mysteries.

A fitting end to a hilarious trilogy. Frog Detective, you will be missed.

A fantastic, morally ambiguous detective tale that sometimes struggles to make its interactivity meaningful and fun.

Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic in particular has long been a cult classic, and Age of Wonders III certainly doesn't let it down. It could use a couple patches to adjust balance and minor things such as occasional lag on the strategy view, but the core game is an immediately engaging mix of strategy and tactics.

Fragpunk's bold decision to break almost every rule in the book leads to a captivating shooter.

My nit-picking gripes aside, the sheer amount of gaming to be found here is dizzying. [Dec 2003, p.78]

Don't be fooled by its drab exterior, Wartales is a deep and richly rewarding exercise in party creation.

Gears Tactics' structure couldn't quite sustain the 25 hours or so it took me to get through the campaign, but slap the combat into a sequel with a couple more strategic systems that balance out the variety and pacing, and I'd honestly rather play it over XCOM, a recommendation I never expected I'd make.

South of Midnight's action may not have the strongest hook, but its poignant tale of hope and sorrow tailored to Deep South mythos keeps its head raised high.

Much deeper than "Axis & Allies," but just as accessible. A new strategy addiction. [June 2005, p.70]

One part detective sim and one part chaos generator, Shadows of Doubt lives up to its influences as an immersive sim that actually makes good on its ambitions.

A fine balancing act of challenge and intrigue, with stabiliser wheels courtesy of Ron Perlman's voice.

If you're a PC racing fan, you should buy this game immediately. If you aren't, buy it anyway - it'll make you one. [Mar 2006, p.102]

Still, its charming in its disgusting way, with a thoroughly entertaining story, great gameplay, and a cast of detestable-yet-oddly-likeable characters. [Aug 2011, p.73]

Despite these issues, the game mechanics and Warhammer atmosphere make Mark of Chaos a must for fans of tactical wargaming, and unlike the tabletop game, it doesn't cost a fortune. [Jan. 2007, p.78]

On your first puzzle, you'll notice helpful features, such as spot-lit columns and rows that intersect at selected squares, highlighting each instance of a chosen number on the board. These extras elevate Zen of Sudoku into an original experience, making it an improvement over other Sudoku games and books on the market. [Oct 2006, p. 58]

Beautiful, bold and varied. Slightly Mad are uncompromising in their simulation.

For all its style in terms of graphics, backstory, and iterface, EVE remains a complex and slow-paced game that will prove anathema to anyone currently hooked on the simpler, more immediate delights of, say, "World of Warcraft." [March 2005, p.71]

B:TD is a great online shooter when it gets going, but an awful lobby system makes that way harder than it should be. [Nov 2010, p.72]

"Not every conspiracy has to be the f.cking Templars." If that made you smile, buy with confidence.

A little too streamlined in places, but Rise of the Tomb Raider does a lot to improve upon its predecessor.

After some missteps, it's Battlefield back to focusing on what it does best. [Holiday 2012, p.73]

Defcon is delightfully fun in its simplicity and payoff, so don't expect incredibly deep strategy. [Dec. 2006, p.78]

Hordes' goodness mostly comes down to its deliciously vicious weapons, brawnier spells, phatter loot, and more monumental ass-whupping (allowed by the higher level-cap). [Mar 2004, p.64]

A bright, fun and surprisingly substantial racing experience that does interesting things with Forza Horizon 3's core design.

Its complicated missions and gameplay mechanics make Enemy somewhat time-consuming for newcomers to pick up, but the benefits are worth the effort. [Sept 2003, p.79]

Absolum is ultimately a beat 'em up with a bit more depth and progression than we've seen before in this style of game that has been so resistant to change since it was born in the arcades. Absolum lacks the extensive variance of a true roguelike, but delivers enough intricacy to push the genre into a more interesting space than it's ever occupied.

Accessible yet complex, chaotic yet beautiful, this is the real fighting game deal.

Black Plague actually made me scream aloud in fright at one point. Even horror movies don't have that effect on my anymore. [July 2008, p.68]

Slightly overpriced, but a more than worthy successor to one of PC gaming’s greatest franchises that nails the important part: combat.

A seamless continuation of the series that makes up for its limitations with pure heart. It's like Ryo never left us.

Pinball FX2 is still pinball, and pinball is still best played on a real pinball table. But this is so good that it takes an extremely close second place. [Oct 2013, p.75]

A barbarous twist on Rome II, with a handful of fixes.

An excellent response to the criticisms of its predecessor. [Holiday 2005, p.74]

Maintaining an almost impossible level of polish across its many modes, FIFA 19 might not eclipse PES 19 on the pitch, but it demonstrates its worth via The Journey.

If you want great depth and bang for your buck, you can't go wrong with Dominions 3. [Feb. 2007, p.66]

Aside from a somewhat anticlimactic ending, Santa ranks as one of the series' best and sharpest-written episodes. [Feb 2008, p.86]

A superb retro-style smorgasbord in real danger of drowning out its own consistently good work.

Like any good ride, it delights at every twist and turn and leaves you wanting more. [Jan 2005, p.74]

Refreshingly different, Silent Storm is a must-own for fans of the squad-tactics genre. [Mar 2004, p.61]

A peaceful and utterly charming adventure that left me wishing for more.

Whatever your thoughts on the redesigned Dante, this is a worthy entry in the series with a marvellous combat system at its core.

An epic ode to the joy of football, but with room remaining for improvement.

It won't win any awards for innovation (or its horrofic yacht-rock soundtrack), but City Life is still a great, slightly offbeat take on an old-fashioned formula. [Sep 2006, p.58]

An RPG with a great sense of fun and whimsy, as well as surprising depth to its character building.

Despite being the first The Sims 3 expansion not to include a new town and not adding the biggest load of new clothing and items, The Sims 3: Generations isn't skimping. [Sept 2011, p.76]

It was never going to be a revolution, but you feel the new features on and off the pitch.

Death's Door boils modern action-adventure game design down to its fundamentals, and the reduction is excellent.

A fantastic return of The Walking Dead, letting Telltale experiment with form without losing any of the magic.

A fine finale, which more than makes up for the failings of the first DLC and tells a great side-story of its own.