A lifeless single-player game and a decidedly bumpy online experience. [Oct 2002, p.96]

It's a slick mix of Total War and Panzer General, but the strategic map is far too chaotic and implausible. [Nov 2011, p.77]

Unique folkloric inspiration and interesting tactical considerations are let down by a slow second half.

I wouldn't strongly recommend this game to vets, but I might give a half-hearted recommendation to first-timers. [Nov 2003, p.132]

A novel structure for competitive play, but can't match the depth of most MOBAs or the feel of a good shooter. [Holiday 2014, p,64]

Only "Evil Dead" diehards need apply. If you're looking for "Resident Evil," buy the original. [July 2001, p.64]

A plodding and predictable 4X strategy game that's relaxing in its own way, but rarely challenging.

There's nothing wrong with Uprising, but neither is there enough right with it to make it worthwhile for any but serious fans. [Aug 2013, p.75]

The scripted predictability of the missions and the relative sameness of each helicopter's flight characteristics significantly reduce the overall replayability. [May 2004, p.71]

Clunky quest structure and uninteresting main characters shoot this weirdly compulsive RPG in the foot.

There's no significant improvement over Trainz 2004, though, so stick with the older game if you have it. [Jun 2006, p.105]

Hardcore adventurers will undoubtedly seek out Dark Fall, if only for the atmospheric journey. No surprise there - nor is there any in the game. [Nov 2003, p.119]

A good-looking game - more so if you're into softcore porn (to paraphrase Tom Wolfe, it's a "one-handed video game") - but "The Sims 2" still looks better and beats it by miles for depth. [Apr 2005, p.66]

When you realize, after a while, that all there is to Fury is to either fight or not fight, you may just decide to take your ball and go home. [Jan 2008, p.90]

Sometimes stripped-down and stealthy, but mostly basic and boring, Liberation can't play in the big leagues.

For existing fans there aren’t a lot of compelling reasons to upgrade from last year’s edition, unless you’re really nostalgic for the Graham Taylor approach to football.

A solid tactical RPG frustratingly buried under a terrible port.

Occasionally fun but often unconscientious, Detroit: Beyond Human takes steps in the right direction but retains too much of the old Quantic Dream formula.

More of an interior-design sim than the Vegas epic you're probably imagining. [Mar 2004, p.61]

Even God would need cheat codes to beat this strategic RPG. [Feb 2006, p.50]

The presentation is aced, but Hard West’s turn-based combat is too rote to be engrossing.

The lackluster porting job doesn't ruin this beloved game outright, just cripples it. [April 2011, p.73]

Adventure fans could find worse ways to spend $20, but the game's emphasis on storytelling with few engaging puzzles may leave some wishing this tale had more involving interaction. [May 2004, p.75]

The best on the track but the weakest everywhere else, F1 2015 is an inconsistent lapper.

An RPG foreign to the PC in every way, and a port that does little to modernize it. There’s fun to be had, but only for the open-minded.

It's shameful the game was released in this [bug-filled] state, especially since it has so much potential – and such massive, involved battles. [June 2002, p.53]

What the game lacks in polish, it somewhat makes up for in cheekiness and an unexpectedly disco-tinged soundtrack. [Nov. 2006, p.120]

Even with the minor gameplay additions and the thrill of deadly creatures, this value-priced game is really just another slow-paced hunting sim. [May 2004, p.61]

This version is fine for a single-player quiz, but it's no party. [April 2011, p.75]

Too brief and inconsequential to live up to expectations. One for Dragon Age lore obsessives and ardent completionists.

Pretty much just an ebook, but its form means you can gamify your progress and listen to some bangers while you read it.

Yes, there is groping, discrete heavy petting, and conveniently concealed canoodling, but it's all rendered in fewer than 10 different animations...which get old quickly. [Sept 2004, p.68]

A frenetic, old fashioned monster blaster best played with friends. Creepy-crawlyphobes, look elsewhere.

With its emphasis on crafting and trading rather than action, Last Epoch puts the cart before the horse.

Among the Sleep succeeds at being a creepy baby simulator, but the real monster turns out to be boring, buggy puzzles and a shallow world and story.

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]

Only for those who are starved for an arcade-style blaster on the PC. [Feb 2004, p.80]

The Surge isn't the same as Dark Souls but comparison's inevitable. Like that cyborg whose torso I severed, it struggles to stand on its own.

For all its technical cleverness, Cloudberry Kingdom fails to get the basics right. [Nov 2013, p.79]

There’s no strong sense of place, and nothing to anchor the high falutin ponderings that make up so much of the game. And even if we were to take it at face value, which seems to be impossible, it’s only a snapshot, a vertical slice of this world without much context, making it hard to reach any solid conclusions.

It's simply an average two-bit thug. [Aug 2007, p.63]

Only big "PR" fans should bother; everyone else, wait for the new "Pirates!" [Jan 2005, p.82]

Wildgate is a fresh combination of a ship battler and an FPS that is a better concept than it is a game.

I know that there's a great, massive RTS beneath all these issues. I've seen glimpses of it when everything works correctly, but at the moment I can't recommend Planetary Annihilation without a warning that it's bound to disappoint and frustrate, even if you do teach yourself to play it.

Repetitive and middling, Crackdown 3 is a totally average open-world game that doesn't give itself a way to stand out.

Its simple and forgiving dynamic, short span, and quirky characters hit its intended "family fun" mark. [Mar 2003, p.106]

A rough port and bungled narrative make The Last of Us Part 2 hard to recommend, though the remaster's additions and moment-to-moment action satisfy.

I quickly tired of War Inc.'s incredibly limited map selection. [Nov 2011, p.74]

The biggest problem in Conflict Zone is map design...It results in tiresome strategies and predictable battles. [Holiday 2001, p.76]

The previews looked fantastic, but the final release of Lifeless Planet fails to build that potential into a worthy game.

Hack 'n' Slash starts as a clever game about game design, but ends up feeling like homework.

Despite the considerable issues with the PC version, I've still had long stretches of fun with Fallout 76. I really wish PvP had more at stake then lost junk (or at least more willing participants) but the world retains a lot of what I love about Bethesda's previous RPGs with finely crafted environments, enjoyable weapons and crafting, and surprising little scraps of story to uncover and investigate.

A formidable simulation, but landlubbers are likely to run aground on its steep learning curve. [Oct 2004, p.90]

Earns points for originality, but with better pacing and a heftier casting budget, it could have been a much better zombie game contender. [Nov 2011, p.79]

Industries of Titan starts strong and has some bold ideas, but they just don't really go anywhere.

Bugs and dodgy design decisions don't quite negate the novelty of spaceshipping in confined spaces.

Lethis has gorgeous art and a terrific musical score, and it aspires to great heights. But the game underneath isn't fully baked, and the result is only an interesting experiment in frustration—when it isn't outright boring.

An open-world samurai adventure with an interesting structure and a lot of personality that is, unfortunately, not very good.

With Definitive Editions of the later installments on the horizon, Age of Empires is once again poised to be overshadowed. If you have an overwhelming sense of nostalgia about the birth of the series, this does an excellent job of preserving it while making it considerably more palatable, but for a trip down memory lane, it sure is expensive.

A well-made remaster with beautiful modern visuals and outdated platforming rooted firmly in the past.

Mediocre. [Jan 2010, p.80]

Does manage to deliver a passable driving experience - but only if unrealistic driving physics, undamageable cars, and an absentee multiplayer game aren't deal-breakers for you. [May 2003, p.88]

Shadwen begins with promise, but has neither the depth nor the variety needed to fulfill it.

CoD's multiplayer is as dependable as ever, but Vanguard's campaign and Zombies mode fail to capitalise on what could be interesting ideas.

A strange animal, Darkspore doesn't seem to want you to like its characters-and won't let you make your own.

Ugly and simplistic, but surprisingly likeable. [June 2007, p.89]

Mediocre. Fans of the setting may enjoy it, but not too many other folks will. [Feb 2001, p.81]

Essentially a B-movie game. Worth buying if you're hard up for an adventure game. [May 2001, p.65]

Syndicate's confused story gives way to passable shooting with a pointless layer of hacking mechanics. [May 2012, p.68]

Shadowgate isn't just retro, it's retrograde, and the visual update really isn't as impressive as it first appears.

An accomplished piece of fan service, but the excitement fades fast and performance problems spoil it for some.

An empty galaxy and endless grinding mar clever writing and engaging combat.

Overstuffed and underdeveloped, Kyn is a buggy RPG with good combat, but without a great story or engaging character progression.

Arcade offroad racing of the like we’ve played four times previously.

A serviceable slice of Soulslike fantasy that doesn’t do enough to stand out from an overcrowded genre.

Tiny Glade is a stress-free building game with some lovely ideas, but it too often feels restrictive rather than meditative.

In all things, World War Z takes ideas that I've already seen done better elsewhere, gives them an interesting little twist—and then makes that twist not matter. It treads familiar ground, but it's not as clever or fun as what's come before it.

There's a decent space sim buried within Dual Universe, but you'll need to do a lot of digging to find it.

This tank shoot-em-up has a lot of energy, but it's simplistic gameplay wears out its welcome quicker than members of a Hitler Youth group at a Bar Mitzvah. [Dec,. 2006, p.56]

It has a fresh look going for it, but Brink's fancy footwork and terrible AI Interfere with its fast-paced gunplay. [Aug 2011, p.70]

Shoddy enemy A.I. Sometimes you can be standing 20 feet in front of a guard in a well-lit room and remain invisible to him, while other times you may be detected from 50 feet or more while crouching in a dark corner. [Sept 2004, p.60]

A gorgeous world dogged by some terrible quest design. [Jun 2010, p.82]

It could have been great, but this gruesome and ridiculous power fantasy is spoilt by a disgracefully shabby port to PC.

The Last Faith is a beautiful but inconsistent rehash of older, better games.

Swinging wildly between inspired and tedious, Deadpool is an uneven and unpredictable as its lead character. [Oct 2013, p.60]

A family-friendly adventure that captures the essence of the show, despite rough edges and a steep price.

Toren is a good story that suffers in the telling, with simplistic platforming that's hampered by a sloppy camera and controls.

What Valhalla is trying to do is interesting, but playing it is boring. The dialogue drags, the main bartending mechanic is tedious and the day-in, day-out repetition becomes frustrating quite early on.

A slow-paced and overly simplistic take on city building and war waging, but blessed with wholesome looks and a relaxing atmosphere.

Streamlined in every way, War of the Vikings cut too much meat from the bone and left nothing to chew on.

The setting is great, but weak combat and limited choices stop this RPG from going anywhere fun.

Adrenaline-fueled crescendos and bosses toss in some welcome fun to the experience, but not nearly enough. [Jan 2011, p.77]

The huge selection of great characters is scrumptiously entertaining from start to finish. Too bad it's a Lego game. [March 2014, p.74]

It's got well-observed characters and some genuinely weird moments, but the actual bug hunting isn't much fun.

More rehashed than remastered, your childhood might be better served holding onto old memories rather than making new ones.

Beautiful and creative, but controls and design issues often drag it from challenging to frustrating.

The simple gameplay will amuse rugrats enamored with the animated flick, but the game's bully-ish StarForce protection and constant sound hiccups mire the experience. [Nov. 2006, p.120]

Blood Bowl 2 is the flashiest iteration of the game so far, but its dice rolls are frustrating, and its amble ruleset isn't introduced well to newcomers.