Even if I can't see myself logging into WoW every day, The War Within's campaign satisfied the urge to get lost in Blizzard's big fantasy world again. The story will continue as major updates happen and that might be enough to keep me hanging on until the end of the trilogy. But anything past that is a bottomless chasm that I'm happy to skip over, unless Blizzard finds a way to blend its powerful storytelling with a grind that doesn't drain the joy out of its world.

An extremely refreshing space exploration take on the massively multiplayer genre. [Holiday 2002, p.92]

Great monsters, stunning locations and a quality mystery makes this one of Supermassive's best.

Another charming indie. [Dec 2009, p.83]

A convincing examination of player choice set in an all-too-realistic modern world.

It's entertaining, challenging, and worth playing, but it's not a graphic adventure that will blow you away. [Jan 1997, p.234]

A dark, violent comic book given light and heart. a ripping yarn that tears along as fast as you can tear through bodies.

Elden Ring Nightreign is just as confusing and abrasive as FromSoftware's other games, but there's really nothing else like it.

An atmospheric collection of clever, surprising interactive short stories with a gorgeous retro aesthetic.

But MechWarrior 5 is a game that will get a pass on its narrative woes because, I must concede, the narrative is so thin the gameplay completely trumps it. MW5 is unmistakably a game about being a sandbox mech jockey, and the stories are just a low-quality veneer over some superb robot combat. If you're here for a mech smashing simulator, this is the best new mech smashing simulator around. Here's hoping for more and better from a MechWarrior 6.

Fans of Penny Arcade will get a good laugh out of playing alongside Gabe and Tycho, but the game is a little more than interactive comic strip fun. [July 2008, p.82]

Paradoxiana at its most approachable and bellicose. Engaging engagements, feisty AI, low price.

If it's a bit flabby and messy, though, Nobody Saves the World is far more often a delight. Guacamelee was a showcase for ingenious level design, but here DrinkBox demonstrates a different knack for layering up complex systems, which combine and play off each other in deviously logical ways. Under the brash exterior lies a wonderfully technical game that offers the freedom to let you discover the quality of its craft in your own time. Grinding through quests is a genuine pleasure and, well, who doesn't want to be a horse with the powers of a slug?

Total War: Pharaoh’s battles may be limited by history, but Creative Assembly compensates for this with a complex, thematic, and highly dynamic campaign.

To underestimate this lively RTS game would be a mis-step for fans of the genre. [Mar 2002, p.78]

There are no huge new strides in gameplay, but the story-driven campaign is top-notch -- albeit murderously hard. [Holiday 2002, p.84]

A big ‘ol chunk of game with a lot of things to do, and just as importantly, new ways to do them.​

As mechanically polished as driving sims have ever been on PC. Stately and familiar, but finely crafted.

The story has some issues, but this vast, beautiful city is a joy to take flight in.

If you can maneuver around its speed bumps, Test Drive Unlimited delivers a satisfying and visually opulent ride. [July 2007, p.56]

A few technical issues aside, Quadrilateral Cowboy is a clever puzzle game bursting with personality.

The Signal From Tölva is easily Big Robot's best game yet: a lean, intelligent sci-fi shooter with a watchmaker’s eye for detail that knows its strengths and plays to them beautifully.

A simple yet nuanced roguelike packed with interesting decisions, tense fights and lots of digging.

A great start, but American Truck Simulator will really begin to take shape when more states and trucks are added.

John Wick Hex is a movie tie-in that doesn’t go for the lowest common denominator. What could easily have been a generic real-time action game works wonderfully in this form—converting the pace of the movie action into a very elegant illusion of it. It works admirably despite the within this somewhat sparse presentation, and feels like an idea that the developer could evolve into something really special in the future—with or without the John Wick license.

A roller coaster ride of ball-bouncing action that loves to break its own rules.

The worlds are so huge, and the population spread so thin, that many players will find themselves feeling a bit lonely. Forming parties is easy, but it's often difficult to find players to join your cause.

Partisans combines a classic real-time tactics structure with more flexible systems for a winning formula.

Checkpoint woes and a short runtime couldn't keep this body horror sci-fi game from burrowing into my skull.

Buy Diplomacy for its excellent single-player mode. That's a hard thing to say about a PC version of the world's greatest multiplayer game, but there you have it. [Holiday 2005, p.79]

A great port of an entertainingly subversive cover shooter. It's short, but the core loop never gets old.

A totally immersive management experience creaking under the pressure of annual release culture. It needs extra time.

Wonderful writing resting on top of infirm foundations. Almost a classic, Sunless Sea falls a few leagues short of its final destination.

Not the most inventive MMO expansion, but a robust chunk of new maps that flesh out the best MMO around. [Christmas 2017, p.66]

Like the best of Vlambeer’s cannon, a simple concept executed beautifully. Limited enemy and level design, though.

A great setting, a good story, and more dialogue-based solutions than the base game provides.

Battlefield 2042 makes gutsy changes to a series that needed them, and sets a new standard for built-in custom mode support.

Caput Mortem is a little insubstantial, but reasonably priced for its short runtime and full of so many surprises and great moments, I can't help but love it.

Made with affection and artistry, this retro appetiser is a very pleasant surprise.

It's received some great tweaks and additions, but it definitely plays it safe in terms of gameplay and doesn't try to break new ground, which is disappointing. [Apr 2003, p.90]

Hardly the drive of your life, but easily one of the most memorable--and a great one-time gimmick done well. [Holiday 2011, p.78]

As Irrational's final work, Episode 2 is a fitting epitaph; both in its ability to offer a fresh perspective on the series, and in the way it obsesses over past triumphs.

Find a good outfit and learn the game's nuances, and you'll be hooked. [Sept 2003, p.76]

A stark statement about war delivered through deftly designed stealth survival and resource management. Important, but unrelentingly cruel.

Even though Resurrection of Evil might be something of a one-trick cacodemon, I still got creeped out all over again. [June 2005, p.54]

A pleasant toy for building your own idyllic seaside getaways.

Just about every piece of military hardware you see, from mortars to halftracks to 88's, can and MUST be used to get through a given mission. [Jan 2003, p.78]

A PSP classic with systems that show age, but P3P's retelling remains a series best for its stylishly eerie world and intimate look at mortality.

No polish or refinement, just lots of giant ants and plenty of ways to kill them. Ridiculously fun at its best, which it frequently is.

A brawler that's bursting with content and fan service, but held back by flakey online play.

The actual meat of the game--"battling" by comparing card stats--is very smooth. [Aug 2007, p.68]

There's been better narrative games, but none so achingly familiar as Lost Record's quartet of young punks.

An undersea soulslike that's cute and compelling, though weirdly crass.

Ambitious but uneven, Shadowlands is an exciting evolution of World of Warcraft.

Wordle is a fantastic, mesmerizing daily puzzle that's bundled to a community offering some of the best vibes on the internet.

Doom: The Dark Ages is indulgent and deliciously violent, but surprisingly safe.

A lean roguelite that never feels like it's wasting your time, even if it's got some rough edges.

A tubthumping tribute to the 40K universe, with perfectly grim design. Multiplayer definitely needs work on its balance though.

An old school point-and-click adventure with a captivating story, strong characters, and a rich, well-realised sci-fi setting.

An island full of riveting mysteries, stuck with some truly awful and jarring combat.

Emotive storytelling that puts the tedium and stress of work before pleasure, but somehow still has a lightness of touch. [July 2013, p.70]

An excellent co-op adventure that doesn't take itself too seriously, and that's the only place it falls short.

The best simulation of the Battle of Britain yet, despite its flaws. [Apr 2001, p.77]

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is the best Dragon Ball game we've had since the PS2 and a generous love letter to Toriyama's classic series.

Monster Hunter Stories 2 may look cute, but it still retains the huge amount of depth the series is known for. No, it's not as expansive or as fast-paced as the likes of Monster Hunter World but that works in its favour. Stories 2 is the approachable series entry point I've been waiting for and has inspired me to return to other games in the series to test out my skills again.

A warmly affectionate remake of a browser classic, with enough new pieces to justify its existence.

A sharp, snazzy and accessible fighting game, held back by the unnecessary sexualisation of its antagonists.

Shortcomings aside, Griftlands is another slice of low-key brilliance from developers Klei. Is there a genre they can't do? The balance of narrative and deck-building made for a much more engaging experience than I often have with card-based titles, even if it feels like more could be done to connect those systems and bolster the storytelling. Still, I'm going to remember my adventures with Sal and the little moments of friendship and betrayal throughout each run. I like playing as a grifter; it ain't much but it's a living.

Would have benefited from a little more graphical polish, but the weather and lighting effects do create a strong atmosphere. [Dec 2002, p.122]

Overboard's more complex follow-up is another great evil detective game.

Though Warhammer 40K: Darktide needs more time to develop, its core gameplay is the best Fatshark has ever created.

Frontlines genuinely feels like a game made by Battlefield fanatics for other fans. [May 2008, p.54]

Rise and Fall is a great addition to Civilization 6 that doesn’t quite go far enough to be essential.

The new classes and super villains are excellent, even if the expansion bloats the campaign a little.

Not for everyone, but turn-based space-sim fans will be hooked. [Mar 2001, p.92]

Despite a capricious early game, Astrea is a very pretty, refreshing & tense spin on the tried-and-true deckbuilder.

Beneath the beautiful new look and smart innovations, this is the same Diablo 2 that came out in 2000.

Between the game's classy commentary and its sensational broadcast-style presentation, soccer fans will find a ton of depth in the championship mode, which you can take online to play others in one-on-one match-ups. [July 2004, p.65]

A beautiful medieval adventure that uses real history and interesting characters to tell a compelling story.

A somewhat shallow but brilliantly faithful re-creation of an age-old classic. [Feb 2003, p.72]

Nothing truly groundbreaking, but it's an excellent multiplayer RTS game. [Jan 2004, p.106]

Despite its captivating graphics and enchanting music, Myst IV feels stunted. It ships on a DVD and has a 3GB install, so why can't I move around freely? Where's the adventure in my adventure game? [Holiday 2004, p.101]

An evocative life-sim RPG you won't want to wake up from.

Joyful and surprising, even when you're cracking open an anthropomorphised egg.

The ability to zoom out to get a better view of Spidey's surroundings would've been a huge boon to gameplay, especially during stealth missions and melee combat. [July 2002, p.72]

An immensely satisfying mix of platforming, stealth, action, and resource management, with character.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is an excellent sequel and a fun Star Wars story, but maybe wait for better performance.

A choppy start leads to a compelling survival experience in Raft.

Despite somewhat samey missions and a flat protagonist, Khazan's combat and boss design are some of the best I've seen in a soulslike.

Enjoyably tough and esoteric, if a little uneven, Mortal Shell is a decent debut from Cold Symmetry.

Resident Evil 4 remake is a great game in its own right, but can't hold a candle to the original.

World of Warcraft Classic is still the exact same MMO I remembered losing so many nights to as a teenager, and 15 years later it's still just as fun and as frustrating as I'd hoped it would be.

A small but satisfying strategy puzzler that comes, does its job and leaves without fuss.

A brilliant, brutal survival horror dripping in atmosphere. It’s from the oldest of schools, but still offers a rewarding challenge.

Vast and obtuse in a way that is going to frustrate some and exhilarate others, Crimson Desert is a fascinating journey, even when the destination isn't all that.

An ambitious and unique shooter, World of Tanks starts slow, peaks in a few hours, and soon runs low on fuel. [Aug 2011, p.72]

Definitely flawed, but still a serious threat to Papyrus' stranglehold. [Dec 2000, p.145]

A creative fusion of familiar platformer elements that improves with time and investment, and proof that Evening Star is more than just the Sonic Mania crew.