A quirky, overly saccharine life sim that quickly descends into a dispassionate grind. [April 2017, p.90]

If BlackSite were merely bland, it might be a good time waster, but it has a large helping of technical issues, too. [Feb 2008, p.76]

Trade Empires simply isn’t much fun. It’ll appeal only to fans of maddeningly dense economics sims "with a twist."

While the idea of creating a more "realistic" sci-fi shooter is a good one, Chrome never rises above some bad design decisions and an overall lack of polish... The next mediocre shooter. [Jan 2004, p.115]

Blandoid RTS knock-off. [Feb 2003, p.81]

The dinosaurs just don't do much, whether you plop them down in their own cages or mix them in with modern animals. [Sept 2002, p.88]

A meaty action game let down by a persistently rubbish camera and a lack of variation in its stages.

It's just that not enough of the missions stand out, and the majority feel like sleepwalks through pirate lore that would bore a pre-teen. [June 2007, p.60]

A rush-job, and certainly not worth your time if you already own "FIFA 2002." [August 2002, p.67]

Despite all the ongoing updates and patches, the most critical element is missing: The game hasn't received a fun patch. [May 2004, p.68]

Pleasant but rarely compelling characters undermine this spiritual sequel to Gone Home.

It rips my heart in a spray of gore to have to say it, since the weapons and animations are wonderful and the attack combos have their moments, but Shank's awkward controls really hold it back from being a more satisfying, edgier game. [Jan 2011, p.81]

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

WRC3's excellent track design counts for little when burdened with unnatural car handling and uninspired design.

As soon as the novelty of elemental attacks wears off so does EoW's appeal. [Sept 2011, p.75]

Fans of the Cthulhu Mythos may go straight to heaven with such a faithful adaptation of Lovecraft's spine-chilling years. Others may find that <i>Call of Cthulhu</i> drives them to the mountains of madness. [July 2006, p.55]

Ultima fanatics might stick with it, but most players will give up in frustration. [Jan 1998, p.262]

A solid survival horror experience unfortunately plagued by bugs and control issues.

There's not an original idea in this competent but dull game's pretty little pre-programmed head. [June 2002, p.61]

Burdened with dreary, murky visuals, this Atlantis is better left sunken. [Nov. 2006, p.120]

While I am all for a rousing 2D game, Dofus gets old way too fast. [Apr 2006, p.78]

Dragon Ball: The Breakers is the latest game to cash in on the cat-and-mouse multiplayer boom. Unfortunately, it does so without any of the mechanical depth that makes those games great.

Watching your favourite game genres make out sounds exciting, but God of Rock doesn't quite nail it. It leaves a game that feels at odds with itself, sometimes fun to play but mostly frustrating or uninteresting.

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

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

Not necessarily a bad superhero game, just one we’ve seen countless times before. The web-swinging, goon-bashing, crime-fighting fundamentals simply aren't fun.

ZZZ is a shallow, polished front for a relentless online store.

A wonderful art style and interesting setting can’t make Traverser’s shallow puzzles and exasperating stealth sequences acceptable.