On top of the mediocre graphics, translation bloopers, and occasional crashes, these flaws will greatly hasten XIII's fade into history. [Oct 2008, p.70]

If the rest of this Nazi shooting galllery had as much flair as its between-level vignettes, UberSoldier II could have secured an uber-spot at the top of the bargain bin. As is, it's much closer to the bottom. [Dec 2008, p.58]

Although likely to be modded to perfection, SH5's release version is an incomplete, buggy disappointment. [Jun 2010, p.68]

Necromunda is a sight to behold, but it's undermined by wonky shooting, superfluous mechanics, and bugs.

A gripping story full of intrigue and murder that struggles to find its footing as an RPG sequel.

With a little more polish, Silverfall could have made a run at toppling the genre's heavyweights. [June 2007, p.68]

An elegant, pared-down stealth game with echoes of the original Deus Ex, driven by a compelling story of paranoia and betrayal.

Tactics adds layers of depth, but the cost of booster packs quickly makes a mockery of the "free-to-play" label. [April 2011, p.77]

Come for the one of the scariest environments you’ll sweat in, but try not to leave for the punishing level of difficulty.

A pretty but simple action game that makes the right decision to not attempt to be something more than it is and concentrates on a well-executed bullet-curving gimmick. It just happens to be overpriced at $50. [May 2009, p.76]

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

The vintage jets are a delight for the eyes, and Wings over Europe can challenge your air combat maneuvering and bombing skills as well as many A-list flight sims do. [Aug 2006, p.90]

I know that there's a great, massive RTS beneath all these issues. I've seen glimpses of it when everything works correctly, but at the moment I can't recommend Planetary Annihilation without a warning that it's bound to disappoint and frustrate, even if you do teach yourself to play it.

There’s no strong sense of place, and nothing to anchor the high falutin ponderings that make up so much of the game. And even if we were to take it at face value, which seems to be impossible, it’s only a snapshot, a vertical slice of this world without much context, making it hard to reach any solid conclusions.

The main problem with Diggles is that all this micro-management take a long time to execute. [July 2002, p.73]

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

Northland is really a sim posing as an RTS game. I doubt it'll fully satisfy fans of either. [July 2004, p.69]

Too much is lost in the translation between third-person strategy and first-person shooter, with insufficient respect paid overall to the FPS point of view. [Jun 2006, p.52]

Unfortunately, it's the monkey's paw of game ports. [Aug 2007, p.70]

My biggest complaint is the excruciating grind, where you hunt creatures for experience points and money. [July 2004, p.66]

A jog-fest with sluggish combat and inconsistent stealth, but a story that will pull you toward the end anyway.

Bleeding Edge's characters are cool, but the combat is too shallow to hold attention for long.

Smart, savvy, and satirical, but it evokes the drudgery of social media so well it can drag like a long-winded comment thread. [Feb 2014, p.70]

Much deeper and more complex than it looks to be on first acquaintance; it could be a real sleeper in the wargaming community.

Four gigabytes of music and cinematics is a clear sign of self-indulgent game design..., but Aerial Strike ultimately lasers all this extra blubber to deliver a compelling sci-fi shoot-'em up. [May 2005, p.60]

While its new environments are a decent aside, Shattered Space seems largely content to tread water, leaving Starfield the same mixed bag it always was.

Weird, good natured, and pretty funny with it, The Good Life stands apart, like most SWERY games.

Stick with GTA for your gangsta fix. [Mar 2008, p.80]