My biggest gripe involves gangland's implementation vehicles. You're occasionally given cars for drive-by shootings, but their awful handling makes completing those levels a chore. [June 2004, p.74]

The Great War: Western Front is a bleak, conservative attempt to capture the brutal battles of World War I.

A good squad-wargame for those patient enough to forgive the awful interface for making the strategic component a chore. [May 2012, p.74]

Evil West delivers on its big dumb action game premise, for better and worse.

Eye of the North is mainly for those players who have exhausted Guild Wars' three chapters and just need more content. [Dec 2007, p.64]

There's virtually no plot, and a lot of the mid-level game seems like a repeat of the novice-level game. [Jan 2005, p.84]

Great physics and blood effects give fights more depth and oomph than many arcade beat-em-ups, but tutorials and more options are needed to enhance its gut-kicking goodness. [Mar 2007, p.65]

Early missions can be a bit of a grind, and you can't buy anything fancy right away, even if you have the cash. [March 2005, p.66]

More ambitious than its predecessors, but ultimately less balanced. [Jan 2001, p.148]

A fiddly take on management, survival and city building that you can still lose a weekend to.

A prickly 2D Metroidvania with a curious twist, Dandara admirably finds something new to do with the genre, but it's tough work to get onboard.

An often spectacular space shooter that lacks the variety and depth to justify serious investment.

This is a good FMV game. Just don't expect to be entertained for very long. [Oct 1996, p.172]

A streamlined, easy-to-play strategy game with a uniquely dark premise that's ideal for sporadic sessions. [Nov 2017, p.83]

A great PC port and lovely open world don’t give depth to Watch Dogs 2’s shallow combat and stealth design.

Unaware of its absurdity, Blacksad: Under The Skin fails at much of what it attempts.

An ambitious attempt, but substandard physics and AI demote it to the B-list. [Sept 2005, p.62]

My chief criticism of Missing is that it relies too heavily on arbitrary puzzles and too little on sleuthing. [Oct 2004, p.100]

A pretty but simple action game that makes the right decision to not attempt to be something more than it is and concentrates on a well-executed bullet-curving gimmick. It just happens to be overpriced at $50. [May 2009, p.76]

Exciting combat and a plethora of sexy costumes can't totally save Stellar Blade's middling story and occasionally questionable level design.

Being so devoted to Final Fantasy 7 means that there’s a lot of love to be found in Rebirth. And as a fan of that original game, it was so easy, for a while at least, to be swept up in the dazzling sights of Gaia, in the vibrant amusement park of games and sidequests at my fingertips, to hop on this rollercoaster journey with many of my all-time favorite characters and give myself to the joy of being able to spend more time with them. But all the charm and pageantry in the world can only distract me for so long before I realize: nothing has happened this whole vacation. The ship hasn’t even left the dock.

Capy’s tough-love approach and well-worn survival systems makes it harder to appreciate Below’s singular look and feel.

Sunset's themes, setting, and plot are plenty interesting, but the player's interaction with them feels incongruous.

Moscow to Berlin doesn't bring much to the RTS table, but war gamers familiar with "Desert Rats" will enjoy the new missions for the budget price of 30 bucks. [Sep 2006, p.60]

This modern remake of the classic puzzle game doesn't stop it from feeling out of date.

Enjoyable in places and very pretty, but sadly blighted by sloppy design, terrible boss battles, and a lack of new ideas.

A dreadful-looking but surprisingly playable simulation of a truly complex game. [Feb 2004, p.84]

An underwhelming finale that's a must-buy for Myst completists only. [Dec 2005, p.86]