Smite makes the MOBA more approachable with smart tweaks to the formula and action RPG-inspired combat.

It's the outdoor areas - roughly 25 percent of the game's 20-plus hours of playtime - that host the kind of epic confrontations that you'll tell your buddies about. [Holiday 2003, p.98]

One great RPG and one curio. Not a perfect port, but definitely Square Enix’s best stab at bringing Final Fantasy to PC so far.

Combines robust storytelling with consistently inventive, surprising missions. Not just a return to form, but a new series peak.

Not the most inventive MMO expansion, but a robust chunk of new maps that flesh out the best MMO around. [Christmas 2017, p.66]

Hellblade could benefit from more exploration and enemy variety, but it's a powerful portrait of the strength of will over personal demons.

Climb aboard if your system has the juice. [Mar 2002, p.58]

A terrific game...Not a revolutionary leap like its predecessor, but it's still a satisfying experience. [Dec 2003, p.128]

Addictive, solid, and smarter than all of its competition combined. [June 2003, p.82]

Pretty visuals and fun multiplay aren't enough, though, and ultimately Zero Hour is cut off at the knees by a surprisingly long list of problems...There's simply no excuse for this expansion's bug-riddled state. [Holiday 2003, p.102]

Refreshingly different, Silent Storm is a must-own for fans of the squad-tactics genre. [Mar 2004, p.61]

Crash 4 is the kind of retro throwback that actually earns its spot as a successor to the original trilogy. There’s the occasional bandicoot stumble, but it's a responsive, precise platformer that looks as good as it plays.

A flavourful and inventive 4X full of incredible spells and engaging empire management.

Not since lemmings has a game so seamlessly mixed humor, cutscenes, and cruelty. [Holiday 2011, p.77]

Beautiful, touching and messy. Life Is Strange is good—not great—but I'd recommend it to anyone.

Fun, but it lacks depth compared to other PC roleplaying games. [Nov 2005, p.78]

A quality-made but unsurprising multiplayer FPS that offers refined versions of the current most popular modes and top-tier shooting.

What the Golf? has been in development for a while—I feel like I've tried it at several indie game events over the past few years—but now that it's out I'm delighted to see its a fun, funny, extremely inventive puzzle game and a pleasure to play from the first hole-in-one to the final cat-in-seven.

Looks better than it plays, but it's got a good heart.

A beautiful, smartly designed game set in a gorgeous futuristic city, but with a story that doesn’t quite do it justice.

Parkitect, for all its quality, is content to be a fairground attraction: fun and mechanically sound, but not something you’re going to queue up hours for.

Those of you still playing UT2K4 won't find many core gameplay changes in UT3; the advancces here are primarily aesthetic. [Feb 2008, p.66]

A stark statement about war delivered through deftly designed stealth survival and resource management. Important, but unrelentingly cruel.

A beautiful and engrossing detective game packed with mysteries, puzzles, and intrigue.

The high-point of a consistently strong series, and a great showcase of adventure game design that fits the story's theme.

What could've been a pure moment of celebration for a series that's overdue for a great videogame is complicated by the fact that its success is a win for JK Rowling, and all the bad feelings associated with the desire to play the cool new wizard RPG.

It's truly rewarding to see your tactical decisions pay off (and devastating to see a tight lead blown). [Dec 2009, p.77]

Consider this game a creative homage rather than a remake of all things Lara Croft, and a perfect chance for newcomers and diehards alike to jump back into the series' seminal single-player action. [Aug 2007, p.60]