An intricate, beautiful playground for some enjoyably open-ended assassinations.

It's lovely to look at, but the process of puzzle-solving feels pedestrian. [May 2013, p.61]

Heavy Rain is poorly written and not as smart as it thinks it is, but has a genuine sense of choice and consequence.

FATE has all the touchstones of a BIT.TRIP game--the hunt for flawless execution, the grueling score optimization. It serves up the same boiled-down punishing appeal. [Nov 2013, p.74]

Many of the game's varied track environments are on par with those in A-list arcade racers. [Mar 2004, p.80]

The problem with this is that death, rather than some looming, ominous, ever-present threat, becomes little more than a minor inconvenience. And sometimes, when you’re stuck on a puzzle, it can be annoying too. Minit has no real stakes, which cheapens the timer system and makes it feel somewhat arbitrary.

A rehash with a flawed engine, but its sense of battlefield tactics is appealing. [Feb 2005, p.53]

Gears of War is fun as ever, but the technical flaws and limitations of Ultimate Edition are disappointing.

Cold War is an inessential distraction from the best Call of Duty on offer.

DayZ has the power to create incredible stories, but the twitchy, weightless combat and buggy zombies let it down.

The one major card it brings to the table is its size - I've never experienced levels as expansive as these. Many of them can take a couple of hours to blast through. [Nov 2003, p.130]

A pleasing world and satisfying jetpack exploration aside, Cutter Slade's return is rarely out of this world.

Sadly, I can't score the game based on what it might become. Right now, Vanguard requires that you turn a blind eye to too many nagging issues to fully enjoy it. [May 2007, p.68]

A wonderfully detailed and terrifying sim. Expanded and slightly improved, but still an opaque and cruel game. [Apr 2012, p.78]

If interacting with it weren't such a pain, it would be a tremendous achievement. [Apr 2012, p.73]

The weak combat and MMO padding hurt the experience, but The Secret World has innovation, atmosphere and charm.

The narrative is strong and dark, but the game beneath it struggles to keep up.

A refreshing hybrid of Metroidvania and roguelite, unfortunately hampered by inconsequential power-ups.

Weak characters kill loftier ambitions, but a brisk pace keeps the combat lively.

Most interesting when you're diddling with the terrain, but it gets old fast when the missiles start flying. Not the breakthrough it could've been, it'll appeal only to experimental-RTS fans. [July 2004, p.62]

I was pleasantly surprised at the simplicity of the hunt. [Holiday 2003, p.105]

A varied, atmospheric space simulator with beautiful Martian sunsets, challenging survival, and frustrating controls.

The crux of the problem is that it’s just plain dull. [Feb 2002, p.74]

Fine fighter with an enjoyably daft story, marred by wobbly port to PC.

Relaxing and brisk, but lacking in the substance needed to please genre fans and live up to the SteamWorld name.

Luckily, there are no real game-ending bugs, so you can satisfy your appetite for destruction if you're willing to pay for an unpolished game. [Dec 2008, p.64]

But the world simulation isn't particularly deep either, and juggling resources makes you feel more like a manager than a god. [Oct 2013, p.65]

While its overbearing narrator robs Season of the wonder and meditation it so clearly aspires to, I still managed to find a little of my own. I just wish its letter to the future was one I got to write, rather than one I only got to carry.