An MMO for kids that doesn’t patronise. Accessible, sometimes repetitive, but with enough adventure to hold interest.

A fun and flexible swarm shooter that’s a little too reliant on being played alongside friends.

An uneven epic whose historical richness guides it through some awkward pacing.

Puzzle design does the heavy lifting for Trine 4, a fun but ultimately hollow experience.

A fun, unconventional RPG with interesting new ideas that aren’t entirely overshadowed by its repetitive nature and stale combat.

The teammate AI is at times very helpful and other times is just plain whacked. [June 2003, p.84]

Be forewarned though: Once you launch Arctic Stud Poker Run, it can become every bit as addictive as real poker. [May 2008, p.64]

An atmospheric, imaginative cyberpunk adventure with a human heart beating beneath its metal exoskeleton.

CMBfN is a very good tactical wargame saddled with pre-alpha looks and controls. [Dec 2011, p.74]

Nothing sensational, but it provides a fun diversion for shooter buffs. [Sept 2005, p.68]

A good shooter that’s buried under a baffling UI, confusing rulesets, and a movement scheme that’s needlessly complex.

Only the Microwave Emitter energy weapon is likely to stay in my inventory. [Sept 2009, p.81]

Still, Survivor's variety of characters, aliens, and weapons deliver enough diversity to keep you entertained, especially for a game that will set you back a mere $20. [Apr 2008, p.70]

Mabinogi offers a lot of engaging play for a free game, but you'll quickly wish that its "free" price tag included WASD controls. [Aug 2008, p.74]

Designing a coaster has never been easier, and the circuit-closing auto-finish feature is a stroke of genius. [Holiday 2001, p.76]

A solid expansion addressing the right problems, but still shackled by its core game’s choices.

It may not be the most authentic simulation of American politics, but Political Machine does have some educational value in helping you understand the nitty-gritty of how 270 Electoral Collage votes are cobbled together. [Dec 2004, p.96]

The disappointing second half lets it down, but even at best, Broken Age is far from the genre’s greats.

A good Metroidvania trapped in the shadow of too many better ones.

Dread Delusion brims with an exhilarating sense of discovery that starts to wobble in the final act.

The PC version lacks multiplayer, which is disappointing, and its low-res visuals are console-tastic. [Oct. 2006, p.108]

The fighting is BG&E's weakest element, and there's a bit too much of it for the game's own good. [Mar 2004, p.71]

A battle royale game that's fun to play in a loose, aggressive style, with melee combat that's trickier than it may first appear.

Resurgence is the perfect mash-up of dramatic Star Trek storytelling and Telltale-style decision making, but with too many QTEs.

Like "Starfleet Command," an untilmatey rewarding game that may demand a bit too much patience. [Mar 2001, p.70]

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles has the rush of excitement of the courtroom but chooses melodrama over mystery.

In fact, World at War is a deeply symmetrical reapplication of CoD4's brilliant design, though executed with noticeably less polish. [Jan 2009, p.44]

Star Wars Outlaws is Ubisoft's most ambitious game in years, but it plays the basics way too safe.

A fine purchase for Simholics, but don't expect too much bang for your buck. [June 2001, p.58]

Marvel Rivals is a well-made hero shooter that is easy to enjoy, and while it's managed to distinguish itself from Overwatch 2 in terms of heroes, it's fallen into the same pitfalls.

A calming, likeable adventure with an engaging premise, but Waking Mars’s roots could go a little deeper.

Climb aboard if your system has the juice. [Mar 2002, p.58]

The one design flaw I can't forgive is the lack of in-mission saves. [May 2002, p.65]

The best adaptation of the Magic: The Gathering card game yet, but with too many frustrating elements still intact. [Oct 2012, p.70]

Mainlining is mostly a success. Even though many cases are simple to solve, how to solve them remains satisfying throughout [April 2017, p.91]

Entertaining storytelling and fantastic naval combat marred by terrible mission design and endemic feature creep.

More LOTR action is always welcome, be aware that Rise doesn't add a whole lot on. [Feb. 2007, p.67]

Compelling, but not quite there yet. Needs two seasons to grow the beard.

Classic Gearbox shooting with an experimental MOBA twist, but it’s no Borderlands.

A slick cinematic thriller, but interaction is limited and the story loses focus in the final act.

All these practical problems obscure Sum's flat-out brilliant mission design. [August 2002, p.70]

Hell is Us' rich world and gorgeous design prop up its uninventive structure and simple combat.

An immaculately presented arcade racer with a thousand good ideas, but the twin-stick drifting wasn’t one of them.

Tennis nuts will like it, but I'm still pining for a control-perfect "Virtua Tennis" port. [Nov 2002, p.132]

A palatable metroidvania with a mediocre story, my biggest frustration with The Lost Crown is how long it takes to get to the good stuff.

At best, Bokida's story is effective at linking visuals. [Aug 2017, p.87]

A great example of how to craft a new game from an existing idea.

A fun platformer that gives random generation an online twist, but lack of depth stops this from being a job for life.

It's cruddy combat system aside, it's an entertaining high-seas adventure. [Jan 2004, p.102]

The intricate level construction and enhanced AI are appreciated, but I still felt like I was playing nothing more than a glorified expansion pack. [July 2004, p.66]

For Sims owners, Vacation is one of the better add-ons (along with "Hot Date"). [June 2002, p.76]

Introduces so many cool new weapons - like the blistering flamethrower, an incendiary alt-fire on the shotgun, and seeker orbs - that you feel cheated not getting to play with them against others online. [Apr 2003, p.112]

There's no camera control/But don't be so droll/You've still got a prayer/In head-to-head multiplayer. [Aug 2006, p.91]

Underneath its tarnished exterior is a game that's surprisingly engaging and intense. [Feb 2004, p.83]

Bursting with ideas, enthusiasm, and a solid physics model, but JDM seems more preoccupied with throwing another idea in than polishing what’s already there.

A fun martial-arts romp that could have been a multiplayer classic. [Apr 2001, p.96]

While I might disagree with the notion that Carrion is a truly great Metroidvania, a genre that has buckets of both older and modern classics, it is at very least a refreshing take on it. It controls like a dream with an analog stick, and there's a fluidity to the monster’s movements that I honestly feel like I will be searching for in other games for years. It just falls short of greatness, settling quickly into its comfort zone as a series of interconnected puzzles, and then failing to surprise me much after that.

While Prisoner of Azkaban lacks the all-ages appeal of the books and movies, its colorful graphics and not-too-challenging gameplay should certainly do a good job of keeping young kids entertained. [July 2004, p.58]

Visually beautiful and emotionally affecting thanks to strong characters, A Plague Tale suffers from missing gameplay variety and tonal inconsistencies.

With a little more polish, Silverfall could have made a run at toppling the genre's heavyweights. [June 2007, p.68]

It simply wasn't polished enough before it was booted out the door. [Jan 2003, p.96]

Some good fun to be had here; just odn't expect an RPG revolution. [May 2001, p.80]

F.E.A.R. 2 fails to innovate, which would make it merely a respectable but forgettable shooter if not for some good scares. [Apr 2009, p.80]

A fun, nostalgic platformer and a cool use of VR, but repetitive design makes its short length a boon.

A must-buy for diehard "DS9" fans, and a decent game otherwise. [Feb 2001, p.87]

Team Ninja serves up some solid Soulslike combat with a generous helping of cheese.

This second attempt isn't going to convince anyone who wasn't won over by the first game, but for newcomers, anyone picking this up is still likely to be impressed by the TV presenters, impressive driver likenesses and depth of team simulation. Still, those key areas of racing and car damage need more obvious improvement next year or the series might start to flounder. Sadly, as with those infamous Mercedes sidepods, the new 'multiple lines' feature really isn't much of a step forward at all and it might be wise to revert to something a little more traditional sooner rather than later.

A relaxing adventure that's at its best when focusing on the romance.

A cool idea with a well-realised theme, but this game would've benefitted from longer in Early Access.

Strafe skillfully recaptures the look and experience of a full-tilt twitch 1990s shooter while faltering at building upon its potential.

Has its flaws, but with more polish and improved naval and air AI, this could be one of the great light wargames.

A compelling story and speedy stealth make up for Disjunction's less even moments.

As long as online play isn't a dealbreaker for you, it's one Marvel-ous action RPG. [Holiday 2005, p.58]

Transport Fever 2 offers a pleasingly detailed logistics simulation, although it does move mightily slow at times.

It's great to have Max Caulfield back, but I'm not sure she ever needed to be in the first place. A somewhat unnecessary-feeling sequel that still manages to tell a compelling story, if not a little messy and underbaked.

The result is an endearing, intelligent little game that's sadly a bit wobbly at the knees. [Feb 2013, p.79]

Obsessed with teaching a lesson in morality, Fable III loses focus on its charm, and is far less interesting for it. [Aug 2011, p.64]

An above-average time-killer for stupid-shooter fans who won't miss multiplay. [July 2003, p.70]

Brilliantly captures the look and feel of classic Star Wars, but beneath its cinematic flair lies a pretty generic multiplayer shooter.

More a novelty than your next roguelike obsession, but it has enough creativity and left-field ideas to be well worth experiencing—especially if you're still pining for the lost potential of Spore.

However invested you become, however much enjoyment you take from competency and victory, however many times you watch that replay back of the Volta goal you scored by flicking it backwards over a defender, losing another with an elastico and backheeling it into the net (at least double figures now), FIFA 20’s biggest failing is in producing an enjoyable football match.

Good but not great, it's sweetly bland adventure porridge. [Feb 2004, p.79]

Despite variable success with the choice element, this is a kingdom you’ll want to save.

A fine superhero SWAT team tactics game smothered by a little too much admin.

A promising mystery concept that doesn't quite give players a truly mind-melting temporal puzzle.

With its fast-paced combat, Tabbula Rasa offers a fantastic change from the usual elvish offerings in the MMO landscape. However, its lack of community-building tools and single-path progression may hinder its long-term appeal. [Feb 2008, p.78]

A punishing take on the Rogue-inspired genre, Bedlam is weird and colorful and stressful.

Gory, beautiful chaos, if a little frustratingly rough behind the scenes. A good afternoon's chaos, and that's what matters.

A fun blend of puzzle and roguelike that inspires forward-thinking, but cuts your strategy short.

It's at its best when it simply flows, painting items into existence or hurling fireflies into the darkness. [Jan 2011, p.77]

In the interest of accommodating it all, the awful maximum resolution and the tiny sprites are just about excused. [March 2014, p.73]

Beautiful style, polished interactions, but ultimately it just runs out of things to do.

An accomplished Lovecraftian adventure with a bunch of potential that gives up its deeper secrets too easily.

An enchanting adventure that boasts some magical hand-drawn animation, but will inevitably leave some players perplexed.

Witty interactive storytelling that’s best with a group and weakens significantly after a few brief playthroughs.

Perhaps the beat-'em-up genre's best ever roster of playable characters, let down by an inconsistent campaign that wears out too fast.

An interesting setting let down by frustrating checkpoints and rough UI.

The constant threat of chaos adds tension and fun to an otherwise basic management sim.