Brilliantly captures the look and feel of classic Star Wars, but beneath its cinematic flair lies a pretty generic multiplayer shooter.

An awkward story doesn't hold Capes back from being one of the best turn-based strategy games of recent years.

Sunday Gold didn't set my mind on fire like those artsy fartsy RPG/adventure game hybrids, but it makes up for it with honest, lunch pail, hardcore resource management.

A robust puzzler whose colourful visuals can't mask a lack of personality.

Beautiful pixel art and tight controls make Chasm a fine, if reserved, modern take on the Metroidvania.

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

A better Warhammer game than the last few.

The Last Faith is a beautiful but inconsistent rehash of older, better games.

Creepy, mostly excellent gameplay marred by a few glaring technical and design problems. [Feb 1999, p.216]

Cloudbuilt’s platforming-as-time-trial-racing premise puts Sonic to shame, but its visual design detracts rather than supports it.

Wildgate is a fresh combination of a ship battler and an FPS that is a better concept than it is a game.

Frontiers of Pandora's stunning presentation and fantastic world design are failed by atrocious technical issues.

A curious amalgam of campy storytelling and abysmally simplified flight dynamics. [Feb 2004, p.68]

Life Stories was designed to be laptop-friendly, and it shows: I had no problem controlling the game entirely by keyboard, sans mouse, thanks to numerous shortcut keys. [Apr 2006, p.49]

That sloppiness nags at me because it blows what could have been a great immersive experience, but given that The Awakened managed to engage my brain without demolishing it, lets just say I wouldn't kick it out of bed for eating crackers. [Nov 2007, p.74]

An unapologetic arcade smash-'em-up that gets the important stuff right. [Aug 2005, p.70]

I can't recommend NHL 07 to anyone who owns NHL 2001 or later. [Dec. 2006, p.126]

A calm and realistic marine-diving simulator that unfortunately never goes deeper than the surface.

Another "GTA" clone bites the dust. [Jan 2005, p.56]

Story-wise, the device would work better if the player characters were more likeable. [Oct 2007, p.56]

Charming and accessible, but this is a game to play with the sound off while you're watching TV. [Nov 2015, p.62]

Dirt Showdown provides thrills while it lasts, but afterwards you're left wanting the deeper experience of its parents. [Sept 2012, p.60]

Van Helsing is long and unwieldy, but its schlocky tone prevents it becoming too frustrating of a grind. [Oct 2013, p.65]

You only get one chance to make a first impression, and Ubisoft Romania's Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII executes an awkward face-plant immediately upon take-off. [Holiday 2007, p.84]

Despite an attractive veneer, Planet Alpha offers rote and shallow platforming. Try Playdead’s Inside instead.

The new Medal of Honor is an unoriginal duck hunt laden with compromise. You've played this before---and better. [Jan 2011, p.64]

Primordia starts abruptly and ends just as suddenly, and the good story that we’re teased with doesn’t quite ever get told.

A mean-spirited character leads a big-hearted game; you’re unlikely to dwell on its lore but its features combine well to create a satisfying stealth experience.