Solid tactical engine. Now, if it only had a brain to back it up. [Feb 2006, p.52]

Huge engagements that should run several times as long feel more like football downs, and you can easily swing a half-dozen matches in less time than it takes most NFL teams to inch forward 10 yards. [Mar 2006, p.63]

Exciting, suspenseful gameplay is an innovative twist on survival-horror. [Feb 2006, p.38]

If your idea of a rousing good time is cracking open skulls like chestnuts to feast on the goo inside, you'll have plenty of fun with this one. [Feb 2006, p.86]

Unacceptable bugs and slowdown detract from an otherwise great expansion pack. [Feb 2006, p.36]

Though the game isn't deep enough to keep it from growing repetitive rather quickly, there's something satisfying on an almost primal level about being able to squash hordes of invading space bugs. [Jan 2005, p.83]

A must for hardcore RTS nuts, but not the best option for casual players. [Feb 2006, p.48]

It's still a fine adaptation, offering a surprising amount of gumshoe depth. [Mar 2006, p.102]

The transition from celluloid to digital bytes is a mess of missed opportunities. [Feb 2006, p.37]

A superb arcade racer that's a feature or two away from greatness. [Feb 2006, p.88]

Narnia could be an all-time great movie adaptation, but its difficulty makes it unsuitable for its kiddie audience...and for pretty much everyone else, too. [Mar 2006, p.102]

It also takes tremendous patience to grow your commercial space empire to a healthy payoff stage, but for many, that's part of this franchise's allure. [Feb 2006, p.90]

The most innovative sim in years, even with its manageability issues. [Jan 2005, p.66]

Save your money, fellow muggles: it's best spent elsewhere. [Mar 2006, p.102]

An exceptional Old West action game that everyone should play. [Feb 2006, p.34]

Seeing poker-star Howard Lederer on the box piqued our interest, but once you get in the game, WCP2 hits you with weak voice acting, substandard graphics, and wonky animation. [Apr 2006, p.100]

This game doesn't take itself too seriously (especially the new surprise ending), which is either a credit or a fault depending on how seriously you take the movies. [Feb 2006, p.35]

Disposable content. [Jan 2005, p.85]

Super Slam busts out with destructible environments and plenty of sight gags--enough to make this fighting game good entertainment for kids who aren't ready for "hot coffee." [Apr 2006, p.100]

An excellent extension of "City of Heroes" with a too-mild mean streak. [Jan 2005, p.80]

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

What's lacking in ATTWN is, regrettably, the most essential element of any mystery: suspense. [Jan 2005, p.110]

A tense, sweaty-palmed experience that will appeal to your inner sniper. [Feb 2006, p.39]

Wild! is a must-buy for critter lovers and coaster-builders alike. [Apr 2006, p.100]

This well-crafted aerial shoot-'em-up makes no apologies for its arcade roots. [Dec 2005, p.92]

If you're looking for a pure action game, I can recommend no better, at least not for single-player. If you're looking for the bleeding edge of digital storytelling, however, you'll find it at Valve and Monolith. [Holiday 2005, p.60]

One of the most compulsively playable strategy games of all time. [Jan 2005, p.72]

Lacking the tension of jungle warfare and adding deathmatch multiplay that's utterly bland, Vietcong 2 ends up being just another passable effort that neither flops nor inspires. [Mar 2006, p.51]

Road also boasts snore-rific multiplay that adds nothing. Even if the game's selling for less than its $19.99 M.S.R.P., leave it to rot. [Mar 2006, p.51]

It's not quite the Serious Sam that you've known and love, although there are plenty of great moments. [Holiday 2005, p.76]

Delivers the bare minimum for an expansion pack. [Jan 2005, p.71]

Balanced, innovative, gorgeous. Truly worthy of the series. [Holiday 2005, p.52]

Our advice: check out the game, skip the movie. [Mar 2006, p.102]

As a shooter, F.E.A.R. succeeds admirably. It's the first game to convincingly channel the kinetic exhilaration of "John Woo violence" in the FPS format. [Nov 2005, p.48]

Spend enough time with it, and you'll happily overlook its missteps. [Jan 2005, p.70]

Even though this game is an indie effort, the art and sound production are professional-quality. [Jan 2006, p.57]

The genius here is how well the expansion integrates with the regular game. [Jan 2005, p.85]

This old-school shooter suffers from a lack of 21st-century game design. [Nov 2005, p.72]

You can probably find single-player games that are just as fun. [Jan 2005, p.84]

This intense semi-sequel significantly ratchets up the enemy AI. [Holiday 2005, p.56]

A fantastically addictive and realistic management experience. [Feb 2006, p.90]

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

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]

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]

This game is terminal. Let it find the peace it deserves. [Mar 2006, p.50]

A bit on the shallow side, but it's the only D&D RTS game in town. [Dec 2005, p.80]

A chilling sequel that improves on its forebear in almost every way. [Dec 2005, p.66]

A pretty good RTS that knows its limitations and succeeds within them. [Holiday 2005, p.79]

Anyone who enjoys spy thrillers and retro settings should check out this oddball sneaker. [Jan 2005, p.55]

Another "GTA" clone bites the dust. [Jan 2005, p.56]

A fantastic addition to an already fantastic strategy game. [Dec 2005, p.94]

Regrettably, BOS is an FPS that's a POS. You can definitely do better. [Holiday 2005, p.68]

The actual gameplay is quite solid, although a few AI quirks remain from "Live 2005." [Jan 2005, p.106]

Great fun, but tough to recommend until more maps are available. [Holiday 2005, p.72]

The best in Activision's Spidey lineup, packed with comic-book excitement. [Holiday 2005, p.78]

Patience pays dividends, but won't cover these clubhouse fees. [Feb 2006, p.49]

If the Warhammer universe intrigues you, get this add-on AND "Dawn of War." [Dec 2005, p.82]

It's refreshing to be able to just jump into a strategy game and play. [Feb 2006, p.49]

A classic adventure pumped up with massive doses of adrenaline. [Nov 2005, p.82]

Fun, but it lacks depth compared to other PC roleplaying games. [Nov 2005, p.78]

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

Lots of nice tweaking and some sweet new courses. Otherwise, par for the course. [Dec 2005, p.70]

An underwhelming finale that's a must-buy for Myst completists only. [Dec 2005, p.86]

Newcomers to Bone are better off putting their money toward the collection graphic novel. [Mar 2006, p.102]

Enough new features to keep Sims 2 fans sated 'till the next expansion. [Dec 2005, p.84]

Battle of Britain II's enhanced stability and updated graphics are compelling enough on their own, but when you toss in a 140-page printed manual and a bonus 52-minute "Battle of Britain" DVD, that $50 game box starts to look even better. [Oct 2005, p.66]

If you're maxed out your character, the 10 new levels alone make "Desert of Flames" a must-buy, but newer players should hold off until they hit that wall. [Holiday 2005, p.70]

While the new zones look nice, they're not getting heavy use, at least on my server. [Jan 2005, p.82]

Maybe Global Star's next "Jetfighter" studio will get the formula right. We hope. [Apr 2006, p.100]

Not as rich an experience as it should be, but it is finally fun to play again. [Oct 2005, p.62]

While I am all for a rousing 2D game, Dofus gets old way too fast. [Apr 2006, p.78]

It's not as bad as a Pauly Shore film marathon, but neither is it worth your time, energy, and money. [Holiday 2005, p.70]

Worth buying if you missed "West Front," but it's not the sequel fans were hoping for. [Dec 2005, p.85]

The Paris Hilton of motorcycle racers: rich, pretty, but a little too easy. [Nov 2005, p.72]

Factor in BMT 2's dated graphics, clumsy truck physics, and lack of multiplay, and even liquored-up yokels will have a tough time finding any play value with this tiresome retread. [Jan 2005, p.110]

The clips provide great primers for how you should approach many of your starting hands, and for that reason alone, World Class Poker can be a valuable learning tool. [Dec 2005, p.96]

After last year's excellent installment, it's disappointment to see Madden 06 take a step backward. Maybe next year, the game will focus more on the fundamentals and less on razzle-dazzle. [Nov 2005, p.70]

Looking dated, but it beats the first Dungeon Siege in every way. [Nov 2005, p.66]

Underworld doesn't fundamentally change Sacred, but it provides worthwhile value to an already solid product. [Jan 2005, p.82]

Nothing's particularly well done. [Dec 2005, p.96]

There are better games, but not too many better B-grade scripts. [Dec 2005, p.88]

It doesn't have much depth, but BloodRayne 2 delivers on its simple promise of offering non-stop carnage. If that sets your blood a-boil, give it a shot. [Oct 2005, p.65]

When the inevitable patches and mods do start shipping, Lock On is likely to transform from a stunning but gawky debutante into the Grand Dame of modern flight sims. [Feb 2004, p.82]

A must-play for serious tacticians and World War II buffs. [Nov 2005, p.85]

Guaranteed fun for strategy fans of all ages, but especially retro gamers. [July 2005, p.68]

An unapologetic arcade smash-'em-up that gets the important stuff right. [Aug 2005, p.70]

With little satisfying gameplay to back it up, Charlie's $30 price tag borders on insult. [Nov 2005, p.80]

One of the most welcome and significant new flight-sim releases in years. [Sept 2005, p.71]

Has nothing in common with the original series, but it's a solid action/RPG. [Sept 2005, p.81]

At its core, it's a simplistic console game with all the usual trappings - brainless combat, lame puzzles, and shoddy controls. [Oct 2005, p.70]

Drowning in bonus content. Not only is it worth the admission price, but it's really a must-buy for RCT 3 owners. [Sept 2005, p.71]

ProSIM's wargames aren't for everybody - Falklands War has a 126-page manual, and it needs reading - but grognards will be in heaven. [Nov 2005, p.77]

It's finely tuned maps and balanced gameplay prove that you CAN improve on perfection. [Sept 2005, p.56]

Those seeking a PvP-based massively multiplayer game may want to wait for "Guild Wars," which will offer PvP straight out of the gate as opposed to 70 levels in. [July 2005, p.61]

An ambitious attempt, but substandard physics and AI demote it to the B-list. [Sept 2005, p.62]

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

Easily the best game in the GTA series, and an all-time classic. [Aug 2005, p.52]

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]