The game with the best camera system ever. It's simplicity incarnate, and so intuitive that it makes playing the game extra fun by nature of its unobtrusiveness. [June 2002, p.46]

I had such a good time blasting away at Stormtroopers and piloting speeder bikes through the forest of Endor that I almost forgot about my own fiery death. [Dec. 2006, p.124]

A pleasant toy for building your own idyllic seaside getaways.

A short but sweet amateur detective game with a wonderful attention to detail.

Riven is as impressive, immersive, and unmissable as it's ever been.

Visually near-perfect, but the ample action is bottlenecked by narrower level design and a weaker Nanosuit.

Playing Mass Effect Legendary Edition is a constant see-saw of noticing an improvement, then wishing it went further. You can sprint outside combat, but only for like three seconds. There's a dedicated melee button, yet no way to separate the sprint and take cover actions to separate keys. You can skip the elevator rides, which are the only way to hear banter that could be filling the stretches where you jog from place to place. The graphics are better, but there's no FOV slider. [Mass Effect 1 score = 77]

Modern Warfare 2's convincing weapons, evil enemies, shock-and-awe set-pieces and beautiful-but-unrelated locales suit nothing so well as co-op. [Jan 2010, p.72]

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]

A worthy upgrade to one of the best strategy games ever, featuring the best space battles in the business.

A great detective game gets a lavish remake and an improved expansion in one essential package.

Arc Raiders is a genuinely enjoyable extraction shooter thanks to interesting weapons, beautiful maps, and unpredictable, action-packed PvPvE encounters.

My initial impressions of Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords wasn't very favorable, but as I invested more time in it, and really dug deep, I realized that this is indeed a highly complex and addictive strategy game. [May 2006, p.70]

The New Colossus is a fun and frantic FPS, even if it doesn't feel quite as fresh as The New Order did.

Visually stunning and meticulously staged, but hindered by limited depth and stifling linearity.

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

Nioh 2 runs and plays beautifully. Ever since Dark Souls set the world alight, FromSoftware have had plenty of imitators come for the crown. Often, even the better ones come with the caveat of not being as good. Nioh 2, though, evolves what was already unique about Nioh into something that Team Ninja can very much call their own. It might be operating in the same genre space, but Nioh 2 has its own flavour, and it’s like nothing else out there.

Hrot's very final boss was a joke that didn't land for me after an unbroken string of ones that did, but otherwise it's pure boomer shooter excellence.

Expect many sessions of "just one more click/match/deal". [Apr 2008, p.64]

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

A brilliant final act with the series' most inventive and unusual factions yet.

AI wobbles remain, but this is an excellent racing game, and an authentic Formula One experience.

Tremendously fun and mostly pothole free, this gorgeous and flexible off-roader has something for every driving fan. [Sept 2011, p.70]

Demanding but excellent combat and gorgeous visuals sit awkwardly in a half-baked roguelike structure.

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

Gorgeous gib-filled excitement for deathmatch players with beefy systems. [Holiday 2002, p.112]

Deep, classy, and fiercely addictive. [Sept 2002, p.86]

It may be a little short, but it's one wild ride while it lasts. [Aug 1995, p.80]

But, overall, Lord of the Rings Online serves as proof that a major license can inspire an excellent MMO that immerses you in a beloved setting. [Aug 2007, p.58]

Desperados 3 turns the Wild West into a brilliant tactical playground that will fill you with lead over and over again.

It'll remind even the most jaded RTS fan how much fun total carnage can be. [Holiday 2004, p.84]

Sharp, multilayered satire that remembers to be a game even as it makes fun of us for playing.

But when things do come together, it can be a near-perfect storm that balances questing, instanced scenarios, and open world RvR that makes it feel like you're gliding through leveling rather than grinding. [Holiday 2008, p.64]

This would have been a much more compelling horror game if not for the bizarrely sluggish mouse movement, which feels strangely slow and floaty. [Holiday 2008, p.68]

A terrific return to form for singleplayer Final Fantasy that makes the series' future exciting, in a barebones (though functional) PC package.

PUBG takes the tradition of big-map survival games like DayZ and compresses it into digestible, 3-to-30-minute sprints that are reliably scary and low-key.

A total assault on your ears, eyes and reflexes. Thumper will beat you up, but you’ll enjoy it.

Still, Bionic Commando is packed with enough challenges and modes to woo even the most suicidal Spencer back into battle. [Dec 2008, p.58]

A deckbuilder that will have you doing hit point calculations and liking it.

These single-player campaigns are really the only part of this whole pack that came close to disappointing me. [Holiday 2001, p.84]

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

For a measly 30 bucks, you won't find a better deal anywhere. [July 2007, p.64]

The fantastic Exalt missions, gene mods, and MEC Troopers are an excellent reason to play more XCOM.

I am utterly in love with Wildermyth. With this full release bringing it to five main campaigns and fleshing out endless generic ones, it will satisfy your RPG craving like nothing else.

I keep promising myself one more go… just like I did the last one more go.

A brilliant singleplayer campaign married to inventive, skill-intensive multiplayer that calls back to FPS classics of old.

These four fantastic maps are pricey, but they're more than just a nostalgic throwback. They present Battlefield 3 at its best. [Mar 2012, p.74]

A sprawling survival game in a beautiful subterranean world.

The most any studio has done to open up a complex genre to a new audience. Inviting, entertaining, and deceptively deep.

What makes each Conquests scenario so compelling is that it demands a unique strategy. [Feb 2004, p.75]

An exceptionally generous free-to-play action-rPG. What it lacks in punch it makes up for in depth and value for money.

Football Manager returns with a kitbag full of new and overhauled features. It's the best at what it does, and FM 19 is the best it's ever been.

As Sheogorath would state in a melodious Scottish accent, Shivering Isles is "more of the same, only completely different." [July 2007, p.62]

A lovingly remastered version of a LucasArts classic. Day of the Tentacle is every bit as funny and entertaining as it was back in 1993.

Though the main story suffers because of it, Assassin's Creed Odyssey is a remarkably massive RPG held together by a web of satisfying pursuits.

Some nice characters and stories nested in an astounding open world, undercut by jarring bugs at every turn.

A brilliant climbing adventure that siphons the rage out of navigation puzzlers like Death Stranding and Baby Steps, resulting in something prickly, but warmly approachable.

It's not a sim, but it's the best rally game in years.

Rocket League is fast, fun and relentlessly enjoyable. The best football game without feet.

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.

A great port of a brilliant fighter with a staggering amount of content beyond multiplayer brawling.

Another superlative simulation of the Formula One world, now with an enjoyable story mode too.

The quest for outrageous items makes Risk of Rain 2 a strong action roguelike, but its unlockable secrets give it that little something extra.

At its best when it's strangest, Inscryption doesn't know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em.

An adept and satisfying puzzle game with a narrative that requires a bit of player investment to yield its biggest rewards.

A handful of flaws, but this fun and addictive city-builder still climbs high.

Simplified physics and a few missing parts slow but don't stop this entertaining new Need For Speed excursion. [Jan 2011, p.68]

Despite a capricious early game, Astrea is a very pretty, refreshing & tense spin on the tried-and-true deckbuilder.

Even if I can't see myself logging into WoW every day, The War Within's campaign satisfied the urge to get lost in Blizzard's big fantasy world again. The story will continue as major updates happen and that might be enough to keep me hanging on until the end of the trilogy. But anything past that is a bottomless chasm that I'm happy to skip over, unless Blizzard finds a way to blend its powerful storytelling with a grind that doesn't drain the joy out of its world.

A clear and distinct spin on 4-player co-op FPS with atmosphere, ingenuity… and real navigational problems.

Can you believe it? It's finally out - and the four-year wait was well worth it. [March 1999, p.100]

Undoubtedly one of the most original and best games of the year. [Oct 1998, p.198]

A wilfully strange setting explored through a predictable but enjoyable old school RPG that's been streamlined just enough.

The new defensive controls make it a must-buy (for those with a dual-analog pad). [Holiday 2004, p.108]

A sublime blend of fighting, puzzling and exploration, but the unforgiving difficulty may be too much for some.

Though not quite as genre-pushing as "Chariots" is, Beelzebub masterfully ties up every single loose end left dangling in the first and second seasons. [July 2008, p.69]

How much you enjoy Inquisition will likely depend on what it is you enjoy about RPGs. If you want complex systems and hardcore challenge, it could potentially disappoint. I don’t. I want a rich world, interesting characters, and a dramatic and memorable plot. Judged on those criteria, Dragon Age: Inquisition sits happily alongside BioWare’s best.

Tales from the Borderlands is a big, funny adventure with great characters—worth playing even if you don't like Borderlands.

While Rainbow Six veterans will surely miss the familiar pre-planning elements of the hallowed franchise, most of the changes made for Vegas successfully ramp up its intensity, and more importantly, its fun. [Mar 2007, p.60]

Simple, yes - maybe even simplistic at times - but in the end, it's the first MMOG I've picked up in a long time that I'll keep playing and playing. [July 2004, p.52]

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]

It has a realistic edge and a hardcore, immersive feel. [June 2005, p.66]

Starfield shares plenty of DNA with Skyrim and Fallout 4, but ultimately falls short of both.

Although it lacks in mission variety, Dawn of War II skips the pleasantries of base-building and gets right to the point: action-packed, bloody warfare (with loot!) [Mar 2009, p.62]

Titanium Court is a brilliantly singular roguelite with a surplus of style, but you're going to need to love match-three to want to stick around.

If you like RPGs, you owe it to yourself to play Esoteric Ebb.

Deep but accessible, Battlerite is packed with smart decisions and reliably creates great competitive moments.

It's action-packed gameplay; attractive, colorful visuals; and star-studded videos are sure to draw in both hardcore fans of the series and large numbers of new players. [Apr 2007, p.20]

Travelling along a plane at a constant pace has never been so much fun – Runner2 is an addictive and rewarding experience.

Transgressive like Grand Theft Auto hasn't been for years, Hotline is violent, quick and compulsive but lacking in depth.

An engrossing game that outdoes its strong but rambling predecessors. It’s the crown of a groundbreaking series. [Feb 2002, p.64]

True, few games let you play as a soldier, tank commander, and pilot in the same sitting, but in order to enjoy yourself you must be able to feel comfortable with your controls and navigate the in-game menus intuitively.

There's lots of entertainment here, if you're the patient type. [Mar 2001, p.64]

Tropico passes as a strategy game - just don't expect it to rock your world. [July 2001, p.58]

Better than the original one in just about every respect. [Holiday 2001, p.79]

Offers a fantastic road trip, even if it's not a particularly in-depth RPG.

The online action is remarkably lag-free via a broadband connection, and the game's built-in Voice Over IP component adds a welcome sense of community to the proceedings. [Apr 2005, p.64]

Doom: The Dark Ages is indulgent and deliciously violent, but surprisingly safe.