It doesn't do enough to raise itself beyond being just a solid (albeit fun) brawler. [May 2009, p.70]

At $10, Shank 2's hardly a regrettable purchase. Just a largely forgettable one. [May 2012, p.71]

Adding to the frustration is that too often you’ll crash when landing, even though you’re lined up perfectly with the ramp. [Holiday 2001, p.62]

A smart historical 4X that doesn't quite match the inventiveness of the studio's best.

If you're looking for nothing more than a vampiric tale of killing and consuming folks, Blood Omen 2 should be right up your dark, haunted alley. [July 2002, p.67]

Piloting insect mechs in a beautifully tiny world is a breeze, but heavy resource grinding stops this adventure taking full flight.

The series desperately needs a bigger leap forward, but this sequel fills the obvious Indy gap with no small style. [Mar 2010, p.82]

Though hokey, tired and periodically shambolic, the campaign has a few new tricks, but it's the fulsome multiplayer that saves Blops 2 from shame.

Initially stunning but lacking the depth and variety to support mammoth playtimes.

A comfortable adventure on a noble path, but wearing spurs of a squire instead of the crown of a king.

A brave effort with interesting puzzles, but boring RPG elements really make you want to see how PopCap alone would have handled the same concept. [Mar 2010, p.84]

A vibrant mystery adventure but maybe not for you if you're picky about picross.

Fun and frantic, with plenty of challenge. GoNNER is weird and beautiful, despite its lack of depth.

Much deeper and more complex than it looks to be on first acquaintance; it could be a real sleeper in the wargaming community.

Multiplay is fun, but it's not THAT fun, especially since there are plenty of turn-based games with free multiplay. [June 2005, p.65]

For the price, though, it's bloody fun. [Feb. 2007, p.72]

The real issue with ALA is its brevity...Even so, Apache Longbow Assault delivers an entertaining ride while it lasts, and I suppose that's all one can reasonably expect from a budget title. [Apr 2004, p.81]

Free mode is definitely worth trying, but don't go out and buy the store copy unless you're comfortable spending extra cash for in-game items. [Sept 2007, p.60]

Wobbly and unstable in all the right ways, and some of the wrong ones too.

All three of me agree, there's nothing quite like it. Quantum League is worth your time.

En Garde! flares brightly with its slick, slapstick combat, for a while at least.

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

Though eclipsed by "Company of Heroes," JTF is a tough but attractive military RTS. [Holiday 2006, p.74]

A stylish metroidvania with crunchy combat and a delightfully melancholy mood, but some will find it too safe and frictionless.

Pyre's campaign is repetitive and its combat never quite clicks, but a touching and thoughtful story makes it worth sticking through to the end.

One good idea--the racer's scoring system--spoiled by a thuddingly dull cop campaign and dumb design decisions. [March 2014, p.68]

There are a handful of intriguing puzzles, but with its sumptuous atmosphere and superb voice acting--slightly stylized and exaggerated to pump up the melodrama--Murder succeeds less as a classic adventure game than as a splendidly illustrated piece of interactive fiction; in this case, a subtle but important distinction. [Mar 2007, p.65]

The design could be tighter, the story a bit better paced, but it's still a fine couple of evenings' worth of puzzling, atmosphere, mystery, and magic, with animals cute and fluffy enough to see you through its more turgid bits. [Oct 2013, p.69]