It looks incredible and controls beautifully, but Inside’s best ideas are spread too thin.

Adds a chatty, entertaining social angle to the addictive stable of PopCap-type games that otherwise lead to loneliness, depression, and suicide instead of glory on the lawless oceans. [Aug 2005, p.76]

Not a classic, but it's a desperately overdue addition to the tank-sim library. [Sept 2005, p.58]

To be clear, Destiny 2 is still an engaging shooter that—when you step back and take stock of all it has to offer—is absolutely packed full of stuff to do. Shadowkeep is both an entertaining assortment of new activities and a solid base from which the game at large can build and improve. But Shadowkeep also doesn't feel like Destiny 2's final form, and there's a real sense that there's still much left to be tweaked and tightened. The subway is being refurbished slowly, one station at a time. That doesn't stop me from enjoying the ride.

Excellent VR combat and movement wedged inside a repetitive quest system.

Unsettling and narratively ambitious, this is the best Alone in the Dark game since 1992.

A beautiful, if simple, puzzle game that remains faithful to Myst without feeling dated.

I'm a sucker for giant robots. Especially when it's giant robots dishing out beautifully rendered displays of mass destruction. With Arena Wars, that's exactly what you get, wrapped in an extremely simple but nonetheless fun RTS package. [Holiday 2004, p.94]

With a local co-op buddy Aegis Defenders becomes a fun mix of genres, but when playing solo it can be an exercise in frustration.

A little abstract in nature, but Genesis Noir is an all-around stunning audio-visual adventure.

A satisfying, if conservative, return to the seminal roguelike's 2D roots.

While Toy Story 3 may not be all that it could've been, there's still a lot of enjoyment to be had while interacting with the Toy Story cast of characters in their natural environment. [Nov 2010, p.83]

A smart, stylish adaptation that beats the odds to capture Metal Slug’s spirit in another genre, with a few irritating bugs.

Little Nightmares 2 understands exactly what it wants to be, and mostly pulls it off.

The clips provide great primers for how you should approach many of your starting hands, and for that reason alone, World Class Poker can be a valuable learning tool. [Dec 2005, p.96]

Brings a generous number of new elements to the Sims 2 core game. But you're forced to focus on the more mundane, tedious aspects of Sim life, and that makes it a bit too hard to enjoy all the cool new stuff. [May 2005, p.68]

A confident mishmash of a few different Resi games. [July 2015, p.70]

Sadly, the one thing that's fairly consistent is the opposing AI's late-game heroics. [Dec 2003, p.114]

Quality point-and-click puzzle adventuring among impeccable artwork.

Never quite the sum of its parts, Octopath Traveler is a game with brilliant moments rather than a brilliant game.

A beautiful and difficult action-RPG that rewards risk-taking—the complex magic system makes up for the bits that just aren’t worth playing over and over.

A great combat system is restrained by thoughtless multiplayer mode design.

Beyond a fairly daunting control and difficulty curve, Brigador is a gorgeous top-down shooter with a remarkable level of strategy.

Pitfall has enough charm to win me over, even if linear platformers are a bit dated. [Jan 2005, p.81]

A shining indie gem, yours for a throat-cuttingly reasonable price.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is by no means perfect, but it’s a solid RPG that very efficiently covers the entire Dragon Ball Z saga. The game sometimes crumbles under the weight of its own systems, but Kakarot is still a fun way to revisit (or even experience for the first time) the Dragon Ball Z saga.

A few too many minor annoyances gang up to keep Paradox's most polished release from reaching greatness. [Nov 2010, p.76]

A PC port that minimizes Halo: Reach's flaws and highlights its strengths, from the unique campaign to the joy of a clean headshot.