An engrossing story of urban vampirism, but with a touch of glitchy anemia. [Jan 2005, p.92]

Imaginative, beautiful, and utterly strange, but you’ll need to really love the story to endure its idiosyncratic combat.

Age of Mythology still has a lot of value beyond nostalgia, then, but I’d wait for a discount before committing your cash, especially if you already bought it a decade ago. This isn’t a total remake, so don’t go in expecting one. The Extended Edition is still a really well-paced and entertaining RTS, one that revels in over-the-top imagery and remains a one-off in subject matter within the oeuvre of the sadly departed Ensemble.

As fresh and insightful as it is slow, Pride of Nations offers major rewards to the patient player. [Nov 2011, p.76]

Excellent writing and vibrant characters help to overcome prominent technical issues and unwelcome repetition.

A tactile, inventive and lovely platform adventure.

It's light on the strategy, but an intriguing dark fantasy tale and RPG elements lift King Arthur II above the average. [May 2012, p.76]

Tropico passes as a strategy game - just don't expect it to rock your world. [July 2001, p.58]

Aside from its supply tedium (and lack of multiplay), the game's horribly wonky pathfinding AI remains the ultimate knock against an otherwise great title. [Sept 2004, p.61]

A Wonderful Life is the first that's properly forced me to settle down and I've found its focus on slowly and carefully tending my farm isn't defunct; it's a different strain of sim that deserves to bloom again after being left fallow for so many seasons.

A lot of work remains to be done here, but for what amounts to a first-time effort, NASCAR Thunder 2003 shows a helluva lot of promise. [Jan 2003, p.92]

Strategically delicious, Phoenix Point’s biggest problem is lackluster technical execution.

Fae Tactics takes an enjoyable swing at streamlining a complex genre, but doesn’t reinvent it in the process.

Bloody playable. [Aug 2009, p.77]

If your idea of a rousing good time is cracking open skulls like chestnuts to feast on the goo inside, you'll have plenty of fun with this one. [Feb 2006, p.86]

Galaxies has a few annoying aspects that seem endemic to MMORPGs - with tedious cross-country treks and features that are broken upon initial release - but it still delivers a lot of varied and innovative gameplay. [Oct 2003, p.92]

A cinematic, high-octane, but short-lived adventure, lovingly remastered for a new generation.

War Front is a solid and entertaining game, though far less original than it purports to be. [May 2007, p.62]

Its incredible depth certainly nets the game some major kudos, but there's a serious caveat in the near absence of any structured gameplay. [Dec 2001, p.100]

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

This content-rich general-aviation sim is built for serious flight buffs. [Mar 2004, p.68]

The city builder sequel is packed with big improvements but a fair share of disappointments.

Exciting, suspenseful gameplay is an innovative twist on survival-horror. [Feb 2006, p.38]

It's just a few new features away from glory. [Holiday 2002, p.85]

Free-flowing strategy with a wealth of features. An element of grind, but plenty of satisfying moments too .

Homeworld 3 takes some big swings, but while it's a very good RTS, it never quite comes together in the same way as its predecessors.

Dungeon of the Endless pulls from many popular games and genres from the last couple of years, but what's wonderful about it is that all these elements come together to create something entirely new.

Bloodstained: ROTN faithfully recreates the metroidvania experience of the 2000s—a feast for fans of a very specific experience; a bit too old-fashioned for anyone else.