This game isn't one you invest in for its looks: it's a smart and absorbing title that stands out from the "fantasy strategy" pack. [Sept 2003, p.75]

Yes, it's formulaic - creep forward, trigger an onslaught of attackers, circle-strafe, save, flip a switch, and repeat - but the gameplay captivates in short bursts due mainly to inventive level design. [Sept 2003, p.86]

"SimCity" elements tend to bog down the fun factor, but if you don't mind some biz sim with your strategy, you'll find this game pretty entertaining. [Sept 2003, p.77]

Living as a werewolf is still pretty cool. You can inflict serious damage with those claws, leap amazing distances, and take on more enemies than would be possible in your human form. [Sept 2003, p.74]

Being forced to tap the left/right keys to navigate every corner makes for some decidedly non-fun gaming. [Holiday 2003, p.113]

Its complicated missions and gameplay mechanics make Enemy somewhat time-consuming for newcomers to pick up, but the benefits are worth the effort. [Sept 2003, p.79]

Me like game. Me like unlocked mini-challenges, movie trailers, and other extras. It only $29.99. The Hulk is strongest one there is. [Aug 2003, p.63]

Does a bang-up job of communicating the unique, topsy-turvy physics at play in keeping a 180-mph GP bike on the straight and narrow. [Sept 2003, p.80]

A stunning achievement in RTS design. [Aug 2003, p.74]

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

Take away the Matrix setting, and you're left with an action game that really does nothing new - and looks pretty average doing it. [Aug 2003, p.64]

Overly simplistic gameplay, repetitive jumping puzzles, and all-in-all monotony. [Sept 2003, p.97]

It'd be a heck of a lot of fun, too, if the gameplay wasn't plagued with rampant technical issues. Between pauses, hiccups, and slow-downs in heavily populated areas of StudioTown, it's a complete lag-drag. [Aug 2003, p.62]

Thoughtful and packed with units, but it should be more intuitive to play. [Aug 2003, p.66]

An extremely immersive and detailed game that builds on the celebrated strengths of its predecessor. [August 2003, p.58]

With a title like Wacky Worlds, I expected this first add-on for "RollerCoaster Tycoon 2" to be a little, well, wackier. [Aug 2003, p.67]

Viking doesn't have all the enhancements I would've liked, but its new gameplay mechanic is refreshing, and Medieval fans will definitely enjoy it. [Aug 2003, p.60]

A beautiful universe with a sophisticated interface, but it's essentially a desolate wilderness of constellations, space debris, and guesses. [Sept 2003, p.92]

Thirty dollars may seem a bit hefty for a free modification, but the incredible experience is well worth the price of admission. [Aug 2003, p.72]

The game wields enough classic strategy and roleplaying elements to make up for its lack of visual flair. [July 2003, p.86]

When you insult your audience by coughing up some of the weakest physics and AI ever coded for a PC racer, then kudos quickly turns into Bronx cheers. [May 2003, p.62]

Its control niggles make it more suitable for console platforms, and it's nowhere near as enjoyable as last year's "Spider-Man" movie game. [July 2003, p.90]

Nearly every game I played (via a cable-modem connection) was hindered by lag issues at some point, and "network disconnects" were common. [July 2003, p.80]

A nonstop tour de force of insulting insanity. And even though I should be disgusted by the potty humor and derogatory caricatures, I had a blast playing through it. [June 2003, p.74]

The most annoying shortcoming is the narrow path you follow, with no option to roam freely. [Aug 2003, p.67]

The pirate decor is barely a skin-deep covering on a sim that could just as easily have been made about the ACME Widget Factory. [July 2003, p.68]

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

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

The true Achilles heel of Substance is hardware support. [July 2003, p.92]

Addictive, solid, and smarter than all of its competition combined. [June 2003, p.82]

It's too shallow for gamers, and the stars' lackluster effort may disappoint the show's fans. [July 2003, p.78]

The control scheme is horrifically oversensitive to any analog input: it's often a huge struggle just to keep the car tracking in a straight line. [June 2003, p.86]

Don't be ashamed if you find yourself gleefully yelling along with dialogue like "Eat crap, flaming craphead!" [Apr 2003, p.99]

Satisfies as a polished-looking shooter, but needs a more energetic design. [June 2003, p.70]

Despite its minor flaws, RE successfully combines the excitement of the restaurant biz with the deep number-crunching of a dedicated business sim. [July 2003, p.81]

Though it's no classic tale, Emperor's Tomb has both actioning and adventuring in spades, whisking you off on a gorgeous cross-continental tour of exotic locales. [June 2003, p.68]

Its innovation definitely injects a shot of adrenaline into a genre that desperately needed it. [June 2003, p.78]

In its maiden campaign, there are glimmers of hope for future greatness, but this rookie offering is sufficiently weak in enough areas to keep it lagging behind 3DO's "High Heat" series. [July 2003, p.74]

Definitely an RTS for cerebral types, but it's a welcome change from tank rushes. [May 2003, p.76]

BHD has environmental richness to spare, and lots of flash and thump. [June 2003, p.64]

As if the flat, static gameplay weren't woeful enough, there's also an apparent bug: sometimes you get hit with high interest loans that you never took out! [June 2003, p.88]

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]

A slide-show adventure, so it's required to have at least one confounding maze in it. Skip it unless you were a fan of the original. [July 2003, p.93]

The entire game is just one big jumping puzzle... Right from the get-go, Rayman 3's puzzles are irritatingly difficult. [May 2003, p.78]

Its individual parts are pure hit-and-miss, but if you overlook the misses and get on with killing bad guys, you'll have a good time. [July 2003, p.82]

The contrast between cartoonish characters and sprays of blood only continues the rollercoaster of pain and confusion. Make sure to play on an empty stomach. [June 2003, p.88]

Ultimately, the developer of "Commandos" has created an amalgam of the two styles, the result of which I will dub a stroke of near-brilliance. But not near enough. [May 2003, p.90]

Forget about the Xbox version. Enclave is an action-packed joy to behold on the PC. [Apr 2003, p.98]

Genesis' gameplay would really benefit from more depth: once you get the basic structures in place and the cash starts to roll in, there's little challenge left. [Apr 2003, p.104]

We've always been major supporters of this series, but it's time for the developers to inject some new life into it. [July 2004, p.75]

At just 12 missions long, the action flies by too fast, but a surprising amount of detail is packed into this well-made little package. [June 2003, p.71]

The interface itself is just plain bizarre: A complete lack of mouse support makes manipulating your rosters and searching through stats more of a chore than it should be. [June 2003, p.72]

Suffers from a severe lack of character development in almost every nook and cranny of its design. But it offers an interesting main story, bottomless value for the dollar in terms of sheer open-ended exploration, and a very cool co-op mode. [May 2003, p.96]

The Gladiators trades in bumpkin-building for fast-paced and hilarious arena combat... An eminently chewable bit of bubble-gum entertainment. [Mar 2003, p.94]

Looks are pretty much the only appeal. The main culprit in sabotaging the attractive premise is the horrible AI. [May 2003, p.82]

The finest WWII prop sim of its era. Perhaps even of all time. [June 2003, p.80]

A directionless excercise in solving incomprehensible puzzles. [May 2003, p.70]

This game should tickle the hell out of most "Diablo" fans. [May 2003, p.78]

Few games have had me scratching my head over design decisions like this one, and yet I'm still avidly playing it nearly three weeks later. [May 2003, p.64]

It's not all stealth. Ubi Soft's Montreal studio did a terrific job sprinkling the missions with spasms of frenetic action and tech-savvy stunts. [Mar 2003, p.84]

This shooter's imbecilic AI and laughable weapons-modelling all scream "rush job," through each of its nine sleep-inducing missions. [July 2003, p.75]

We're especially tickled by the game's delightfully campy '50s-era moster-movie trailers used to introduce our origins, and how you can play the game in black-and-white. [May 2003, p.84]

Easily the finest of the series. [Apr 2003, p.94]

Perhaps the most impressive feature is the remarkably deep Career mode, where careful management of sponsorship deals, vehicle upgrades, and race purses will help you advance from the minor leagues to the pros. [May 2003, p.94]

If Generals had shipped with a more compelling story and more skirmish/multiplayer options, I'd be calling it one of the greatest RTS games ever made. [May 2003, p.56]

A decent boost to the already feature-packed gameworld. [June 2003, p.86]

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]

As any fan of this outstanding multiplayer game will explain, six new maps for Battlefield 1942 is almost like adding six new sequels to the game. [Apr 2003, p.100]

Lacks the polish of a quality title. It's not a bad game - it's just got nothing under it's kilt. [Apr 2003, p.108]

Everything you've ever loved about the series has been given a gorgeous new visual treatment. If you've got the patience to handle the tough difficulty, it'll be a fun game. [Mar 2003, p.112]

Though the puzzles are usually more frustrating than challenging, the game art is quite creative and the voice-acting pretty solid. [May 2003, p.94]

Impossible creatures really shines in its multiplayer mode. [Mar 2003, p.86]

Extremely social chatters will enjoy it, but everyone else will be thumb-twiddling. [Mar 2003, p.96]

A conspicuously mediocre chapter in a perpetually flaccid series of arcade-racing games. [Apr 2003, p.95]

The background scenery is attractive, but the game's floaty vehicle physics significantly undermine the actual driving experience. [May 2003, p.70]

It's nice to see that the developers actually tried to make a good game, rather than just take advantage of the LEGO brand. [Apr 2003, p.102]

Vigorous and addictive. [May 2002, p.72]

In my 12 years of reviewing wargames, I've never enjoyed a deeper, richer, more historically plausible simulation. [Sept 2002, p.68]

A cleverly written adventure game, and offers a thought-provoking twist on the ol' murder-mystery genre. [Sept 2002, p.76]

There's a good wedge of new content and some polished visuals in the Shrouded Isles package, but what's missing is any sort of improvement to the game's Realm-vs.-Realm premise. [Mar 2003, p.108]

It's strong on setup but extraordinarily weak on payoff. [Jan 2003, p.101]

Nightfire has some of the worst AI I've ever seen in a big-budget game release. [Feb 2003, p.61]

Has something to offer for anyone with a working trigger finger, a penchant for aerial destruction, and $10/month to spare. [Mar 2003, p.92]

A compelling WWII grand-scale sim. When I say "grand," I'm talking about a King Kong Burrito Supreme with extra sauce and tripple toppings. [Feb 2003, p.74]

Two groups of players should consider buying Notum Wars: High-level diehard clan members, and those who have never played Anarchy Online before but would like to try it. [Mar 2003, p.109]

The only feeling of authenticity you'll get from Platoon is the same sort of futilitiy that pervaded the actual Vietnamese conflict. [Feb 2003, p.68]

A far simpler game than many veteran fans were hoping for. [Feb 2003, p.62]

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

Like visiting Disneyland during the off-season: crowds are few, there's not much pampering of customers, and many attractions are closed or under renovation. [Mar 2003, p.90]

It may be a little short for some - you'll probably finish it in under 10 hours - but god kows there are worse licensed games. [Feb 2003, p.77]

An enjoyable squad-based game... Think of it as "Commandos" for the tights-wearing set. [Feb 2003, p.84]

It's certainly impressive in its own over-the-top way, but if you're looking for depth and strategy in a basketball game, you'll be thoroughly disappointed. [Feb 2003, p.76]

An enjoyable interstellar romp, wrapping rich resource management and hypersonic combat around a gourmet 3D engine. [Mar 2003, p.93]

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]

Effectively dodges dull micromanagement in pushing faster tactical action, but it still throws some sticks in the spokes of smooth gameplay. [Feb 2003, p.81]

The compelling story, gorgeous graphics, and innovative magic system are more than enough to make this journey worthwhile. [Jan 2003, p.86]

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]

Squeezing the last possible drop of gaming goodness out of aging technology yields a tasty treat indeed. [Jan 2003, p.80]