Innovative features lift this game above mediocrity - but not by much. [Oct 2003, p.108]

Despite some memorable imagery, Monochroma plays like a budget-price Limbo. [Sept. 2014, p.69]

Though not the game "Freelancer" fans have been waiting for, space-adventurers will still find plenty of targets to blow up here. And we'll take what we can get. [Oct. 2006, p.105]

It starts promising and gets better in the final act, but the bulk of Betrayer's journey is let down by inconsistent quality, repeat enemies, and investigative drudgery.

There are some good ideas in Rue Valley's depressioncore time loop, but the execution makes it feel more like a chore than a charm.

The contrived plot gets spiced up with convincing voice acting and smooth cinematic animations, but slick style doesn't hold up against bland levels and repetitive missions, making this just another GTA clone, but with even more f-bombs and bloodshed. [July 2006, p.55]

A fine combat system soured by poorly explained complexity, and a lovely looking game let down by a lack of graphics options.

An over-ambitious and technically flawed tactics game that can't live up to its more accomplished influences.

This is yesterday’s MMO by the merits of its own content, but compensates by potentially ushering in a DIY revolution.

A significant upgrade, supported by a clever eye for tactical diversity. An eye that is sadly poked by uneven execution. [Oct 2013, p.74]

Confused and weightless, APB doesn't satisfy on any front: the shooting, driving, story and objectives are all average at best. [Sept 2010, p.65]

The combo of roguelikes and gambling should probably be more addictive than this.

Unfortunately, there's so much frantic micromanagement involved in keeping your biz going that you scarcely have any time to do anything that feels like play. [May 2006, p.102]

Atomfall can be a fun diversion, but it really needs to take a gap year so it can find itself.

A promising setting and clever systems are let down by simple enemies, simpler characters, and strange balancing.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified feels confused and half-finished, a hollow but beautiful slog through XCOM’s early years.

Do be advised that the game is shockingly short: If you were to pay it and watch the movie side-by-side, it'd be a toss-up as to which you'd finish first. [Holiday 2004, p.93]

A competent MMO shooter marred by a lack of polish, whose TV tie-in ambitions only seem set to cause problems.

Newcomers to Bone are better off putting their money toward the collection graphic novel. [Mar 2006, p.102]

It's strong on setup but extraordinarily weak on payoff. [Jan 2003, p.101]

Little more than a rudimentary console port replete with dated graphics and sub-par vehicle physics. [Nov 2002, p.134]

Between muddled gameplay and conflicted writing, Mineko’s Night Market can’t decide on an identity to fully embrace.

If you approach Ship Simulator as educational software(albeit flawed)rather than a game, then there's definite value on tap. Those too cool for school, however, will likely want to give it a wide berth. [Dec. 2006, p.128]

Ubisoft's true crime is in trotting out lame production values... again, for the third time. [March 2005, p.74]

True multiplayer support could've nudged this expansion over the top, but as it is, it's mostly a tinker tool and not for those seeking substantial new content. [March 2005, p.71]

Soviet Assault doesn't expand on World in Conflict enough to make it an automatic purchase. New players will get the best experience here. [Apr 2009, p.84]

It'll occasionally crash to the desktop, and has an extremely annoying bug that sometimes kills you when you start lobbing grenades. [July 2002, p.75]

If converted to a turn-based game, many of D-Day's concepts, graphics, and missions would work well. In their current form, however, they don't. [Apr 2005, p.73]