Red Dead Redemption 2's stark, slow depiction of America's fading frontier is a monumental work straining against stubborn mission design and stability problems.

One of the very best things about this game is its almost total lack of any visible interface. [July 2002, p.56]

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

Action so intense it'll leave you jittery and hopped-up on adrenaline, and characters to come back for.

Its plot is arguably more satisfying than the ham-fisted narratives of the recent Star Wars films, and it certainly does a better job at conveying moral complexities. [Feb 2004, p.65]

By merging some of the genre's best ideas with the appealing Warcraft mythos, the game could well become the first "mainstream" MMO. [Feb 2005, p.44]

Easily the best game in the GTA series, and an all-time classic. [Aug 2005, p.52]

Call of Duty 4 is an exciting shooter package that represents the best of last-generation gameplay. [Jan 2008, p.70]

Resident Evil Requiem sets itself out with a hard task: wrapping all the best elements of previous Resident Evil games into one. Miraculously it succeeds, with very few moments which left me wanting more.

A brilliant game in every facet of its design and execution, with not a single dull moment in the lot. [August 2002, p.62]

A cross-over wargame that has depth, beauty, smarts, and replayability. [Jan 1998, p.218]

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

Minor technical issues and questionable monetisation scuff what is otherwise one of the best fighting games we've seen in the last decade.

I love Blue Prince so much I'm going to spend the next 1,500 words or so telling you as little about it as possible. Unraveling its many mysteries and solving its multitude of puzzles—several of which I'm still working on even after finishing the game—is best done if you go in with nearly no information. Don't watch videos. Don't Google solutions. Don't even finish reading this review. Just go play it.

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

To say that Chaos Theory is a tension-packed ride would be a vast understatement. This is easily one of my favorite franchises, and I'm already hungry for the next installment. [May 2005, p.74]

A masterfully designed expansion to one of the best action RPGs of the last decade that not only complements the base game but expands its thematic and systemic scope even further.

To say I loved every minute of Rome: Total War is a tremendous understatement. For my money, it's the ultimate strategy game. Not only does it effortlessly combine turn-based strategy with raucous real-time warmongering, but it delivers them in a package that is accessibe and easy to play. [Nov 2004, p.76]

Occasionally languid to the point of lethargy, Okami is a gorgeous and unforgettable adventure all the same.

The fact that this is basically a one-person project only makes it more impressive, from the excellent use of simple graphics to convey emotion, to the fantastic lo-fi soundtrack. It may or may not be the best RPG you play this year, but it’s certainly going to be one of the most worthwhile—as memorable as anything in, say, The Witcher 3, and every bit as worthy.

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

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

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

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

Old school still rules. [Aug 2008, p.67]

It's impressive that the team is still able to take FF14's trappings and crystalise them into new forms even so many years on, from the way jobs and dungeons feel like the best they've ever been, to their confidence when it comes to experimenting with the relationship between gameplay and storytelling. But while there are some stunning vistas and lighting effects, and the detailing on new armour designs are enchanting, the age of the core game can't help but show, smooth as it is to play. This is a great final chapter to a story that'll stick with me, and I'm excited to see the team tell a new one—but I'm eager for some bigger changes to shake up Eorzea when they do.

Still the best baseball management sim ever, and predictably so given its similarity to last year's great game.

A beautiful, 100-hour-long journey from beginning to end, Metaphor: ReFantazio takes the best elements of Persona 5 and somehow improves on them.