A faded shadow of "Jagged Alliance 2," minus all the elements except combat. [May 2001, p.70]

The finest modern-day F1 simulation currently available. [Mar 2001, p.75]

Definitely not a classic, but it's a fun way to kill time - and sheep. [Feb 2001, p.54]

A good idea that get tripped up in boring details. [Feb 2001, p.73]

Agonizingly mediocre - and proof that the Blair Witch has had her day in the moonlight. [Apr 2001, p.90]

A surprisingly fun genre-bending pirate game, equal parts RPG and strategy. [July 2001, p.70]

Hand-down the best of the MechWarrior series. [Feb 2001, p.52]

This franchise is as stale as a holiday fruitcake. The new engine is needed NOW. [Mar 2001, p.86]

Better "Half-Life" fixes can be dowloaded for free. [Feb 2001, p.71]

A fun game that gets fatally sidetracked. I coulda been a contender. [Mar 2001, p.96]

The pinnacle of classic, point-and-click adventure gaming. [Feb 2001, p.97]

Despite some blemishes, it's still the PC's best chess offering. [Apr 2001, p.78]

The box says it's guaranteed to improve your real game. I believe it! [Mar 2001, p.83]

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

We'll always love Michael Crichton for his books, movies, and TV shows. [Feb 2001, p.58]

A very fresh action romp with tons of cheekiness - maybe too much. [Jan 2001, p.129]

An "Air Quake" for the masses with no noteworthy features to speak of. [Feb 2001, p.79]

Definitely not the best of the bunch, but still a welcome return to a classic series. [Feb 2001, p.85]

Offers a lot of game time for your money, but not much stimulation. [Jan 2001, p.142]

The best in tis underrated series, but the gameplay hasn't kept pace with the FPS genre. [Feb 2001, p.90]

Not for everyone, but turn-based space-sim fans will be hooked. [Mar 2001, p.92]

If the competition were par, this would be a double bogey. [Feb 2001, p.57]

The best fully 3D real-time strategy yet. [Feb 2001, p.58]

Only diehard "Blair Witch" fans are going to want this one, and then only because it's cheap. [Feb 2001, p.88]

In a field of one, it's king. [Feb 2001, p.71]

A few fouled spark plugs turn a potentially great off-road racer into a good one. [Jan 2001, p.126]

Great for anyone with good reflexes and an appreciation for air-sailing stunts. [Jan 2001, p.167]

Any one of the "Big Three" is a good choice. I'll choose this one, thank you. [Jan 2001, p.165]

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

More ambitious than its predecessors, but ultimately less balanced. [Jan 2001, p.148]

Westwood must have felt that the RA engine didn't need improving - add 7% if you agree. [Jan 2001, p.118]

Offers the best "bang for the buck" of any current racing title. [Apr 2001, p.73]

A solid improvement over the original, though still not up to the standards of prior classics. [Jan 2001, p.137]

A solid game that feels like an add-on. This series needs a 3D overhaul. [Jan 2001, p.157]

If you're into this stuff, there's no need to look anywhere else. [Dec 2000, p.174]

An all-time favorite takes a forward step in its second life as a 3D series. [Jan 2001, p.153]

More scenarios for fans of the breakout themepark sim. [Jan 2001, p.162]

Finally, a hockey game that should appeal to every level of fan. [Dec 2000, p.158]

For the money, it's a worthwhile investment, but it could have used more missions. [Jan 2001, p.155]

This series is suffering from terminal welschmertz. Time to put this warhorse out to pasture. [Dec 2000, p.167]

A bit clunky, but it provides a good RPG experience over the long run. [Dec 2000, p.144]

Definitely flawed, but still a serious threat to Papyrus' stranglehold. [Dec 2000, p.145]

Not as groundbreaking as it could have been, but still an excellent game. [Nov 2000, p.138]

A chance for PC gamers to experience the best of teh lat generation of console games. [Dec 2000, p.156]

A bigger, prettier, better version of Baldur's Gate that's sure to satisfy. [Dec 2000, p.146]

This is the best tank simulation you can buy, and maybe the best one ever. [Dec 2000, p.170]

It's not a vast improvement over the original, but it's just as fun. [Dec 2000, p.168]

The best Star Trek game ever, and a first-rate FPS in its own right. [Dec 2000, p.138]

A great game that narrowly misses classic status due to its bugs. [Dec 2000, p.160]

A worthy follow-up to our 1999 Game of the Year. [Nov 2000, p.130]

If you don't ahve high expectations for a Trek RTS, then you won't be disappointed. [Nov 2000, p.160]

A great buy for Sims junkies; and if you missed the first one, go out and buy both. [Nov 2000, p.137]

Well, there's always the 2004 edition to look forward to. [Nov 2000, p.151]

If you failed to get Age of Empires II before, you have absolutely no excuse now. This is as good as real-time strategy gets. [Nov 2000, p.126]

Not the most advanced F1 sim on the market, but it's the most immersive and enjoyable. [Nov 2000, p.143]

It's the only choice for PC fans, but as luck would have it, it still gets the job done. [Nov 2000, p.128]

This one goes right back to the roots of hardcore action gaming. [Nov 2000, p.118]

Action hounds need not apply, but it you're into strategy, there's a lot to like here. [Oct 2000, p.132]

An intriguing take on the genre that should have paid more attention to the RTS basics. [Oct 2000, p.130]

The best combat helicopter sim on the market, bar none. [Oct 2000, p.128]

A game that really is unlike any other, in both good ways and bad ways. [Oct 2000, p.134]

Shoot stuff, it explodes. Repeat as desired until you either blow up or get tired of it, whichever comes first. [Oct 2000, p.129]

Not too shabby for fans of the comics, but there are better FPS games out there. [Oct 2000, p.114]

Diablo fans will love the combat options, sophisticated magic, and quality graphics. [Nov 2000, p.159]

Expect this one to take up a hunk of your hard drive for many moons. [Oct 2000, p.119]

A mildly entertaining but distinctly clumsy attempt at a Formula One game. [Oct 2000, p.127]

Not much innovation, but a solid 3D RTS that purists and online addicts should enjoy. [Oct 2000, p.139]

A great game for those who loved the hack-and-slash parts of "Baldur's Gate." [Oct 2000, p.110]

Don't steal, but lie and cheat if necessary. As a gamer, it's your duty to own Diablo II. [Aug 2000, p.75]

A must-own...a rare and rewarding game for fans of the genre. [Sept 2000, p.82]

A game that proves there's plenty of blood left in this genre. [Sept 2000, p.112]

A very satisfying wargame, if not the end-all-beat-all game we'd hoped for. [Aug 2000, p.88]

Fresh out of the box, it's disappointing. But with patches, it could be the king of RPGs. [Sept 2000, p.95]

Any problems are brushed aside by the bent-for-hell mayhem and thrill of combat. [Sept 2000, p.104]

A top-notch action-arcade game with a sly, dry sense of humor. [Sept 2000, p.93]

Lots of flash, low substance. Try "Freespace" or "Tachyon" for a more fulfilling experience. [July 2000, p.84]

Except for the game's rather pathetic documentation - made utterly redundant by the tutorial missions that ship with the game - Allegiance is about as good as it gets when it comes to an online multiplayer gaming experience.

More focused and polished than the original, it's a game to get for any fan of the FPS genre looking for something a bit different.

A sublime piece of interactive art, The Sioms is teh first serious contender for Y2K's game of the year. [Apr 2000, p.82]

Quotation omitted. [June 2000, p.112]

One of the most inventive, entertaining RPGs ever created. [Mar 2000, p.82]

A boon to hardcore fans of the original - but probably no one else. [Feb 2000, p.122]

One of the most enjoyable single-player and multiplayer action games ever. [Feb 2000, p.92]

As beautiful as the background and characters are, the entire game has a slightly dated look to it. Once players delve into the story, though, the sense that the graphics belong to a game from two years ago disappears, and only the world of Septerra matters.

The worlds are so huge, and the population spread so thin, that many players will find themselves feeling a bit lonely. Forming parties is easy, but it's often difficult to find players to join your cause.

The gameplay is quite excellent, but Tim Curry is so off-putting that it almost makes this one a tough call. [Mar 2000, p.90]

Breathtaking action, atmosphere, story, and graphics come together to create a truly compelling combat experience. [Jan 2000, p.172]

Despite rough edges, Flanker 2.0 is the best hardcore sim on the market. [Feb 2000, p.119]

The Age of Kings is a work of art, and one of the best RTS games ever.

Engrossing RTS play matched to a vital and visually intense story make this a gaming experience like no other. [Dec 1999, p.122]

One of the most immersive, emotive, addictive, and just plain fun computer games we've ever played. [Oct 1999, p.122]

A potentially solid game design desperately in need of a good patch-up job. TalonSoft, are you listening? [Nov 1999, p.180]

A rare example of an RTS game that's a much more satisfying single-player experience than a multiplayer one. I doubt we'll see anything like the huge groundswell of online fandom and support that its predecessor earned, but solo strategists will still have a whale of a time.

One incredible achievement. It's definitely a must-buy for anyone remotely interested in the Descent series - and unquestionably a front-runner in anyone's Action Game of the Year list.

Give Verant a little while to iron out a few problems, and EverQuest will be everything you could want in an online RPG. [June 1999, p.122]

An incredible strategy game, Alpha Centauri is destined to go down as one of the best ever made. [April 1999, p.92]

This is the best roleplaying game you can buy. Period. [Apr. 1999, p.94]

A completely original, utterly captivating riff on the first-person action game. [Apr 1999, p.114]