Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic in particular has long been a cult classic, and Age of Wonders III certainly doesn't let it down. It could use a couple patches to adjust balance and minor things such as occasional lag on the strategy view, but the core game is an immediately engaging mix of strategy and tactics.

Fires a salvo of ghastly, unwarranted features into its own guts, thankfully doing no harm to a defiantly enjoyable series.

A JRPG for people who haven’t played one in a while, basically. Well-made, but disappointingly safe.

An inspired dynamic score makes for some sublime hiking, but it’s somewhat slim and repetitive for the asking price.

An enjoyable squad-based game... Think of it as "Commandos" for the tights-wearing set. [Feb 2003, p.84]

More scenarios for fans of the breakout themepark sim. [Jan 2001, p.162]

While better than its predecessor on almost all counts, SOF II still does little to turn heads in the genre. Instead, it blows them clean off. [August 2002, p.66]

Endearing, compulsive, and just weird enough to want to keep exploring.

Traveller's Tales have stuck to their formula, but luckily the source material is so iconic, and the tribute so thorough, it barely matters.

Wargame AirLand Battle is European Escalation escalated: more Cold War kit, more tactical tension and more replayability.

A mostly fun, realistic football sim with wonky AI.

Nier Replicant is a fabulous remaster of a lauded but messy cult classic, improving it without giving up on its essential strangeness.

For existing fans there aren’t a lot of compelling reasons to upgrade from last year’s edition, unless you’re really nostalgic for the Graham Taylor approach to football.

A first-or-third person shooter that is one of the most chilling, disturbing games I've ever played. And I mean that in the best way possible...The Suffering's main downside is that its graphics engine isn't the latest and the greatest. [Sept 2004, p.62]

It's amazing what you can do with quick reactions and a restart button. [Sept 2007, p.56]

A massive, challenging retro-flavoured shooter that takes the Metroid formula and runs with it. Old school, but with a modern edge.

Hardly the drive of your life, but easily one of the most memorable--and a great one-time gimmick done well. [Holiday 2011, p.78]

Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon puts an interesting spin on Arthurian legend and presents a competent world that plays like a love letter to the open-world first-person RPG genre.

With its emphasis on crafting and trading rather than action, Last Epoch puts the cart before the horse.

Underneath the cosy exterior lies a complex, rewarding shopkeeping sim.

Despite some blemishes, it's still the PC's best chess offering. [Apr 2001, p.78]

It's entertaining, challenging, and worth playing, but it's not a graphic adventure that will blow you away. [Jan 1997, p.234]

As Irrational's final work, Episode 2 is a fitting epitaph; both in its ability to offer a fresh perspective on the series, and in the way it obsesses over past triumphs.

A barbarous twist on Rome II, with a handful of fixes.

A fantastic, morally ambiguous detective tale that sometimes struggles to make its interactivity meaningful and fun.

Call of Duty: Warzone reaches new heights in battle royale by ditching backpacks and throwing me in a Gulag.

A beautiful remaster of a great game that leaves some very old, obvious issues untouched.

True to the spirit of its pioneering predecessors, Railroad Tycoon 3 is a richly textured and hopelessly addictive strategy game that's almost certain to steam straight to the top of the sales charts. [Jan 2004, p.114]