There's a comprehensive and remarkably easy-to-use scenario creator, too... Squad Assault is a delight. [Jan 2004, p.86]

Trainz isn't so much a game as a collection of maps, locomotives, rolling stock, and editing tools with which to develop your own Union Pacific Scotsman clones. [Feb 2004, p.73]

Veterans of previous Patrician games will no doubt feel at home, but new players may be scratching their heads at the vague objectives. [Jan 2004, p.88]

Little more than a two-year-old repackaging job that fixes little and adds even less. [Jan 2004, p.107]

It's the 24-mission single-player experience that you'll remember for years. Call of Duty is a first-rate achievement. The sensory overload is amazing, and the interaction with intricately scripted action set-pieces is a big step forward in the art form. [Dec 2003, p.88]

Other than its being a bit too simplistic, I have no complaints about this game. It's the best PC Potter yet. [Feb 2004, p.88]

While the idea of creating a more "realistic" sci-fi shooter is a good one, Chrome never rises above some bad design decisions and an overall lack of polish... The next mediocre shooter. [Jan 2004, p.115]

Its dynamic world is one of the most interesting RPG settings ever. [Feb 2004, p.78]

A better version of everything the MMORPG community has cooked up so far, and more. [Feb 2004, p.60]

When the smoke clears, you're left with a great feeling of satisfaction at having beaten such vicious single-player AI. [Feb 2004, p.66]

Jam-packed with cool content, quirky humor, and the most polished gameplay of the entire series. [Holiday 2003, p.108]

The fixed nature of the Trials precludes major excitement once you've burned through them. But for the money, this pack offers a fun Atlantean holiday. [July 2004, p.75]

Some glaring shortcomings make even the low price a bit too much. [May 2004, p.65]

Hardcore, platoon-oriented players will definitely enjoy what Core Combat has to offer. [Feb 2004, p.75]

Even with its attractive $20 price, Journey offers more aggravation than enjoyment. [Holiday 2003, p.97b]

True to the spirit of its pioneering predecessors, Railroad Tycoon 3 is a richly textured and hopelessly addictive strategy game that's almost certain to steam straight to the top of the sales charts. [Jan 2004, p.114]

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

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

If you like tactical shooters and you're into WWII, you must have this game. [Jan 2004, p.112]

JetFighter V may have the looks, but it's just way too air-headed to register as a serious contender in this genre. [Holiday 2003, p.112]

In spite of its disappointing graphics, it's the best strategy game I've played all year. [Holiday 2003, p.110]

It offers roughly 20 hours of compelling play, with a mystery that's genuinely worth solving. [Feb 2004, p.81]

Bionicle's horrible controls and confusing camera angles (which shift at inopportune times) make it a terribly frustrating experience. [Feb 2004, p.77]

The game's dimly lit rooms, haunting musical score, and aggressively edited cut-scene sequences (reminiscent of the movie "The Ring") more than compensate for the lackluster models and animation. [Feb 2004, p.71]

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

It's far outshined by older flight sims that are available at the same price. [Jan 2004, p.110]

It took me lengthy experimentation before I learned how to even throw a grenade or use a med-kit - the game's manual offered little help. [Feb 2004, p.79]

Subtle surfing nuances are the bulk of the gameplay, but if you're a fan of BMX and skateboarding games, you'll find a lot to enjoy here. [Feb 2004, p.88]

Graphics aside, Geneforge 2 is a terrific game to start with if you're fairly new to the RPG genre. It's easy to just dive in and start playing, and all the help you need is built into the interface - just a mouse-click away at all times. And the game's virtually bug-free. [Apr 2004, p.80]

A fun, refreshingly light-hearted, and deviously challenging sim with genuine charachter-driven comedy. [Jan 2004, p.108]

Those 12 missions might not sound like a lot, but their sprawling scope and elaborate challenges will keep you busy for dozens of hours. [Holiday 2003, p.118]

For its graphics, and those stunning action sequences that you'll be boring your buddies with for weeks, Max Payne 2 is a definite must-have for action fans. But it's not quite the revolution tht made "Max Payne" a must-have for everyone. [Holiday 2003, p.124]

Worst of all, this is a fighting game in which the fighting is neither exciting nor funny. The controls are a wreck, whether you're playing using a keyboard or a gamepad. [Jan 2004, p.119]

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

What this shooter lacks in depth, it makes up for in fun factor. [Holiday 2003, p.114]

It's the outdoor areas - roughly 25 percent of the game's 20-plus hours of playtime - that host the kind of epic confrontations that you'll tell your buddies about. [Holiday 2003, p.98]

At last, Ensemble fully capitalizes on the game's setting, and the result is most satisfying. [Holiday 2003, p.96]

Good for fans of collectible card games, bad for fans of anything else. [Jan 2004, p.94]

The single-player campaign is simply a series of missions with no cohesion other than the fact that they all lead toward your final objective. [Dec 2003, p.106]

Sucked me deep into its colorful, action-packed gestalt. I plan to keep this game on my hard drive for a long, long time to come. [Mar 2004, p.72]

I was pleasantly surprised at the simplicity of the hunt. [Holiday 2003, p.105]

On the whole, this game feels like a retreat of older ones - only with +10 wackiness. It's decent, but hardly heroic. [Apr 2004, p.70]

Despite a few AWOL features, however, it can still deliver a healthy 230-mph kick in the pants when pushed. [Dec 2003, p.102]

A must-own for "SimCity 4" fans, and for those who found the game too tough out of the box. [Holiday 2003, p.104]

All of the money management amounts to nothing, because the ongoing saga of a single-player dynansty is built on a foundation of unrealistic and unsatisfying gameplay. [Holiday 2003, p.97a]

Ball physics are right on the money, with a mouse-swing that really does capture the "feel" of a measured swing. [Dec 2003, p.134]

Pretty visuals and fun multiplay aren't enough, though, and ultimately Zero Hour is cut off at the knees by a surprisingly long list of problems...There's simply no excuse for this expansion's bug-riddled state. [Holiday 2003, p.102]

Brevity is the main drawback here: you can beat the whole game in just a few hours. But it's funny while it lasts. [Nov 2003, p.126]

What we do get are new levels in North Africa and Italy, in which we slog through the same old objectives and firefights we've been executing since January '02. [Dec 2003, p.108]

While this in-game training certainly gets the action moving in a hurry, more of the actual Force-progression elements should have been set in the Academy. [Dec 2003, p.112]

One of D&D's best adventures gets an endearing, if not spellbinding, rendition. [Nov 2003, p.138]

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

Not quite as amazing as Papyrus' "NASCAR 2003," but it's definitely on the lead lap. [Dec 2003, p.100]

Crappy gameplay mechanics, crappy graphics, crappy AI, crappy gameplay options, and crappy controller support. [Holiday 2003, p.110]

The game's RTS and FPS elements aren't anything exciting on their own, but the combined whole makes Savage a fun, fresh game that will likely get better over time as its technical kinks are worked out, better maps are created, and organized clans begin to pop up. [Dec 2003, p.97]

Starsky isn't the grooviest racer around, but the cars handle well and the graphics ain't shabby. [Apr 2004, p.68]

This game simply isn't fun for very long. [July 2003, p.76]

And did I mention massive? The Shadowlands expansion introduces a whole new quasi-metaphysical world to explore, along with two extra professions. [Jan 2004, p.107]

It's stinkin' great, everything about it kicks ass... If you play EverQuest at least once a week, this $28 download is a must-have. [Jan 2004, p.96]

While single-player practice against AI teams feels drab and slow-paced, a full-blown multiplayer melee with more than 20 people per team is flat-out amazing. [Dec 2003, p.136]

Even the combat is boring, since it's entirely automated and gives you no control whatsoever over your troops. [Dec 2003, p.132]

For $19.99, you get 25 different Vegas-quality one-armed bandits(plus video poker)for solo or online multiplayer competitions. [Jun 2006, p.105]

Some of the puzzle solutions...are frustratingly hint-free and unintuitive. [Holiday 2003, p.109]

The impressive 3D graphics lose their luster because of the lack of interaction, and the actual gameplay falls short because of its spreadsheet mentality. [Dec 2003, p.124]

Honestly, I have never seen a hunting game this beautiful... Truly hardcore hunters will probably find Cabela's 2004 a deep, authentic game, but more casual gamers will be happier with the easier and more enjoyable "Hunting Unlimited 2." [Holiday 2003, p.105]

Lighthearted humor and creative story elements are unveiled at every turn, pushing this simulation to the head of its genre. [Dec 2003, p.96]

Some deliciously well-rendered visuals have been used to re-create each of the 16 warships and submarines you control, and the ocean effects - which range from gentle swells to full-blown gales - are so convincing that you may find yourself reaching for Dramamine. [June 2003, p.68]

No matter what you think of the movie, Tron 2.0 stands out as a thoroughly entertaining, infinitely playable, and visually spectacular experience. [Nov 2003, p.96]

Dear Philos: I know we want "hard," but I don't think we asked for "cheap." I guess we're just old-fashioned that way. [Dec 2003, p.97]

Makes me wish more games featured adult-themed language and situations, because in this case, they actually add to the gritty feel and setting we've been delivered. [Dec 2003, p.107]

A promising concept that needs better graphics, camera controls, and AI to really shine. [Feb 2004, p.70]

TH4 is so packed with content and character that even a non-skater should have a wicked time when armed with a solid gamepad. [Dec 2003, p.109]

An admirable chess experience, with enough lessons to keep you occupied for ages. [Nov 2003, p.134]

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

Sadly, the one thing that's fairly consistent is the opposing AI's late-game heroics. [Dec 2003, p.114]

Running around 3D urban locales such as a mall or a corporate office building in the midst of a full-blow riot is sure to hook a few people, but flat gameplay and god-awful controls will make them turn away in disgust. [Dec 2003, p.132]

A monumental achievement in game design...It is the Mount Everest, the Beethoven's Ninth, and Moby Dick of PC Wargames, and it absolutely qualifies as a genuine work of art. [Nov 2003, p.106]

Not a sexy action shooter, but an intricate, richly detailed game of serious turn-based strategy. But hex-heads and "MechWarrior" aficionados will find lots here to suck them in. [Nov 2003, p.122]

For $20, this European import is quite a steal, and should provide plenty of hours of heated gameplay. [Nov 2003, p.112]

Weather effects have been vastly upgraded, with much more varied and convicing cloud layers, snow, and lightning, and even improved rain effects. [Oct 2003, p.120]

SM's grandest new feature is its random map generator. It works, it's terrific, and as much as I wish I could grouse about it so I don't come off as a fanboy, I can't. [Oct 2003, p.100]

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]

While no single aspect of Nexagon is truly unique, the total package is a winner - surprisingly fun and addictive. [Nov 2003, p.110]

With no career options to choose from - and only 30 unconnected missions up for grabs in the single-player menu - the entire Operation Iraqi Freedom experience is a remarkably fleeting and sterile exercise for experienced simmers. [Oct 2003, p.114]

This game should really be called "The Rather Mediocre Escape." [Nov 2003, p.116]

As you're chucking the box, notice how wonderful it feels to be able to aim properly; and as it hits the trash can with a satisfying clunk, you can be assured that you've just experienced the height of its realism. [Nov 2003, p.117]

Galaxies has a few annoying aspects that seem endemic to MMORPGs - with tedious cross-country treks and features that are broken upon initial release - but it still delivers a lot of varied and innovative gameplay. [Oct 2003, p.92]

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

For pirate lovers and diehard roleplaying fans only - a pass for everyone else. [Oct 2003, p.118]

Mistmare has some truly wondrous landscapes and jaw-dropping monsters and such, thanks in no small part to the LithTech engine, but it just came out of the oven too early. [Nov 2003, p.118]

A well-designed and entertaining street racer - "Midtown Madness" on steroids. [Oct 2003, p.102]

Infuriating, buggy, and ultimately boring. [Oct 2003, p.96]

One of the more enjoyable PC arcade racers to come along in years. [July 2003, p.84]

Innovative features lift this game above mediocrity - but not by much. [Oct 2003, p.108]

Sound fun? It is, though monotony may set in for some about halfway through. There just aren't enough roads or storylines to keep the journey captivating over the long haul. [Nov 2003, p.112]

Unlike other MMORPG's with admittedly better graphics, Endless Ages throws so much variety into the overall experience that there's rarely a dull moment. [Aug 2003, p.69]

The "Quake III" engine has been stretched to its limits here, but it still gets the job done. [Sept 2003, p.70]

Easily delivers the most entertaining and authentic Formula One PC racing experience ever. [Sept 2003, p.90]