Seeing poker-star Howard Lederer on the box piqued our interest, but once you get in the game, WCP2 hits you with weak voice acting, substandard graphics, and wonky animation. [Apr 2006, p.100]

The resolution maxes out at an ultra-cruddy 800X600, the sound effects are wimpy, and the dialogue is like a sad butchery of Hong Kong subtitling. [Apr 2004, p.70]

Though the game isn't deep enough to keep it from growing repetitive rather quickly, there's something satisfying on an almost primal level about being able to squash hordes of invading space bugs. [Jan 2005, p.83]

The simplified avionics are well-suited for novice PC aviators, but with Wings' bland terrain and cookie-cutter campaign missions, it just doesn't pack enough ordnance for disconcerning jet-sim fans. [Jan 2005, p.90]

Not even close to being a worthy successor to "NBA Live 2000." [May 2001, p.60]

Mistmare has some truly wondrous landscapes and jaw-dropping monsters and such, thanks in no small part to the LithTech engine, but it just came out of the oven too early. [Nov 2003, p.118]

Half enjoyable adventure, half clunky mess, Beat Cop is a talented rookie in need of a long talk with HR.

A great world and an interesting story, but this short second entry lacks the tense decision-making of the first.

A pleasant, samey slasher that may bore your digits while making your GPU sweat.

For Disney fanatics, its biggest flaw will be stingy access to real Disney props and settings. [Dec 2002, p.110]

Visually stunning but mechanically lacklustre, Valiant Hearts gets in the way of its own storytelling.

There’s solid storytelling and mechanics behind the numbers, but the art and sound could be much more interesting.

Occasionally amusing and sometimes bewildering, the latest "Runaway" is an odd mixture of flaws and fun. [May 2007, p.65]

Uneven, bleak and unflinching. You won't enjoy it, but it's one of a kind.

Out of the box, the game falls disappointingly short of its promise--there's plenty of content here, but not nearly enough challenging ways for gamers to use it. [Feb 2008, p.80]

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

Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny represents the design tenants of a bygone era, more often for worse than better.

Rhem 3 doesn't reinvent the graphic adventure genre "Myst" pioneered in the 1990's--it downgrades it, if anything--but it does make the argument that sheer quantity can sometimes trump visual quality. [June 2008, p.72]

GRAW's bipolar AI makes the single-player campaiggn a punishing excercise in babysitting. [Sep 2006, p.44]

Gearbox has tried to match the pace and storytelling style of Telltale's Tales from the Borderlands but falls short with a rushed story and uninspiring characters.

A joy to view but sometimes a chore to play, Last Day of June delivers a touching story that’s worth finishing.

Air battles is a quality product that'll likely find an audience, but discerning PC pilots, new or old, can get much more bang for their buck by simply accessing the options menu in the original "BoB II" and toggling all the hard stuff to easy. [June 2007, p.57]

Does little to innovate or excuse its technical shortcomings. [Holiday 2004, p.102]

Tactical systems and satisfying ballistics marred by irritating levels and punishing sight-detection by the enemy.

Manages to pull of a surprising amount of chuckles with its well-written dialogue. [Apr 2002, p.80]

Still, if you can get beyond the cluttered interface and the tedium of reading so much text, ardent adventure fans might find the clever concept worth checking out. [June 2008, p.75]

Know someone who's never experienced Fable, or has only played Fable 3? Get them on this.

If feats of mind over matter were really possible, this game would be a lot better. [May 2005, p.72]