The authentic Sherlock Holmes, never uttered the phrase ‘Elementary, dear Watson’. Instead he said ‘when you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth’. Thusly, when after six games, Frogware refuses stubbornly to acknowledge the fact that Sherlock Holmes’s character and nature fits perfectly in a traditional adventure game, the truth is that, as a studio, it cannot, or does not know how to, create correct puzzles. [January 2013]

There's something vaguely heroic when you have set your desperate, one-in-a-million trap and you pull the lever, just when Kasabian's 'Club Foot' crashes in and you witness the satellite plummeting from the heavens, while oil-rigs explode all around you and the Taken scream for your blood. American Nightmare is a journey that you can't abandon, until you have reached its end. [August 2012]

Bridging the chasm between the subtle complexity of Braid and the abstract genius of Closure, fleshed out by the unique perspective of M.C. Escher. [April 2013]

Despite limited environments and unstable puzzle design, Critter Chronicles is saved by the subtle charm of its characters and by some witty ideas. [February 2013]

An amazing game with air races that can be suggested even to gamers that are not crazy for the genre- really difficult to find something to whine about in this fun, addictive game. [February 2012]

A worthy descendant of the original Serious Sam titles, it's a FPS that deviates from the standards of today's games: its difficulty level is high, it challenges your reflexes, it's utterly addictive and it's honest, as it delivers on what it promises. [February 2012]

If you love demanding arcade racing games, heavy on OCD, give it a chance, as soon as its price is lowered. Otherwise, you can find much better games of the genre out there. [May 2012]

Unique presentation, flawless voice acting, interesting plot, many promises for a sequel, plentiful puzzles, smooth design and memorable characters: in a nutshell, that's the first episode of Journey Down. [June 2012]

The debut of Phoenix Online Studios in the scene of commercial adventure games is superb and leaves us with high expectations for the future. [January 2013]

Mark Yohalem has penned a truly impactful story, more profound than first impressions would suggest. Its strength lies with the characters, the deep symbolism and various philosophical questions raised. [February 2013]

A worthy sequel that handles most of the original's shortcomings and adds a wonderful survival mode… but would have made a more appealing offer, if there was more content and co-op support. [May 2012]

For strategy fans that wish to go a step further than your normal RTS and Civilization/Total War clone, that want to touch a more hardcore subgenre, but without getting choked by endless menus, numerical stats and graphs. [April 2013]

A noteworthy stealth/action hybrid, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier executes successfully some nifty features, while offering a solid multiplayer mode- but the developers' insistence on including foreign elements, will probably alienate fans of pure and demanding tactical gameplay. [August 2012]

As most of us are not even aware of its existence, expectations have been really low with Metal Dead, which proves to be a pleasant surprise. Pure fun, solid and satisfying action and some really intelligent puzzles. [March 2012]

Warlock does not offer something truly new to the genre and the components borrowed from Civilization far outnumber its renovations. The gameplay options offered may feel many, but are in fact, very limited: combat is over-simplified, diplomacy is poor, the religious element is non-existent and the actions you take in one turn are 90% the same. Despite that, the 'one more turn' magical effect can be felt at times. [July 2012]

Visualizing the unjust battle of a boy with the demons of child abuse, Papo & Yo tells a warm, but tough story of growing up, while carefully dodging cheesy clichés. [June 2013]

From the random clicking and solving the first strains by mistake, up to the most complex efforts of deliberate scheming through the last sequences, Splice can make someone feel stupid and genius, at the same time… [August 2012]

The puzzles are truly brilliant, in both concept and execution. No disagreements here. But this core should have been dressed with a more tasteful wrapper to make the whole package more appealing. [February 2012]

Risen 2 offers all those features that have become synonymous with Piranha Bytes throughout the years: a wonderful setting, interesting quests, a robust battle system, variety and replayability. But along with those, Risen 2 drags with it some known issues, which have always been around with Gothic and Risen. [May 2012]

An interesting experiment of an “intellectual” action game, with unique protagonists, a story with strokes of magnificence and dilemmas. Alas, its launch is badly-timed (many blockbusters around this time of year). Of Orcs and Men is not for everyone, but at least all fantasy fans should have a peek. [December 2012]

If we forget the roots of the franchise, we have ourselves a pretty awesome and addictive 3rd person shooter. [May 2013]

The addition of Team Dynamics is the face of the new FIFA Manager series. We now have full control of team interactions- we can not only talk to each player, but to interfere as well, either peacefully or aggressively, within the whole hierarchy of the team. [January 2013]

Obviously, Syndicate does have the eye-candy factor, as well as interesting battle features, a large number of available weapons and palm-sweating moments of action. But its lack of personality betrays it, as does the completely predictable finale, the absence of remarkable opponents, the colorless locales and the lacking multiplayer mode. [April 2012]

An interesting and honest action/shooter, it should have worked more on the features that strive to set it apart from other games of the genre. But even in its current version, Binary Domain is fun and worth investing time into, especially if you are a fan of sci-fi and frenzied shooters. [June 2012]

A dialogue system and a fully functional inventory would not only vastly enhance the game, we could be talking about the birth of a new sub-genre. Even so, we enjoyed it. From now on, when someone asks, what the heck of a game is The Cave, we will answer “a really great game”… after all, that’s what really matters. [March 2013]

If you thought that game developing is a game, you’ve guessed right! Now you will probably start to appreciate more the developers of your favorite games and realize the obstacles they face. [June 2013]

Mixed emotions, overall. On the one hand we have the same graphics, not at all improved. On the other, Steam offers functional multiplayer and workshop support, that breathe life into an old game. [May 2013]

Little Inferno has a story to tell. It has neither beginning, nor end. It sports but a few characters, and does not care for correct narrative structure. It will leave you with plenty of questions, all of them unanswered. But it will accomplish what few games can. It will mesmerize you. It will awaken your imagination and force you to think of your own ending. It will move you and make you beg for more! [February 2013]

A surprise hit indie for me. It fails to score some high marks in particular areas, but overall is an exceptional endeavor and will offer hours of entertainment if you take the time to know it better. [March 2012]

Following Magicka’s bad example, we have the same formula. Fun gameplay, miserable connection problems. [May 2013]

It’s not a bad game, the problem is that it’s too generic. No character, no identity, nothing to make us remember it by, after reaching the end credits. [November 2012]

Bold and fresh, despite its shortcomings. Moreover, if the original vision of the developers had been fully fleshed out, this would have been one of the best games of the year. [November 2012]

In essence, it’s Strike Suit Zero without the (let’s face it, mediocre) story, focused only on arcade-style action. No missions, no objectives, just a goal to survive the endless waves of spacecrafts that attack each round, ever chasing an even better high-score. [June 2013]

Dawnguard basically adds a storyline/side quest of roughly ten hours, that introduces the Vampire Hunters regime of Skyrim, the notorious Dawnguards and a royal fraction of Vampires that could care less about this whole fuss. More of what we like, but hardly worth the 20 euros. [November 2012]

It's really a "diamond". The infinite options within the strategic map, the unique soundtrack brimming with symphonic choirs and the sheer "epicness" that accompanies your every move, all mark a game that will conquer the hearts of fantasy culture fans. [March 2012]

The features of DR2:OTR would have been welcome in a DLC priced at 10 euros, but are unacceptable for a standalone product, despite the somewhat lowered price. [February 2012]

Many better shooters out there, where you can assume a sniper's role as well. What does V2 have to counter-offer? Had it followed another path, with more emphasis on stealth and the preparation of the shot, it could have made a difference, as a game of another subgenre. [July 2012]

I’m under the impression that Strike Suit Zero’s developers paid attention to aspects of the game that, although important, like graphics, music, presentation, were not the truly essential ones- thus leaving important elements, like gameplay, A.I and action, to chance. [March 2013]

A great example of what horror can bring to gaming- especially when not even a handgun is used. [May 2013]

The first gaming slap in the face of the year. Expectations grew as we learned news during its development as well as the early gaming experience. Alas, we are let down by a very low difficulty level, a very short gaming duration as well as bad story narration. All the major plot elements are revealed too soon, the game rushes to its finale and we are not met with the anticipated climax. [May 2012]

It’s one of the games that got me excited because its story is intertwined with the gameplay and with a philosophical view on our reality. Highly suggested for people that enjoy stories in any form. [June 2013]

Choplifter HD might help you pass some pleasant moments with its arcade action and simple interface, but once you are done with it, you will put it aside and within seconds, you will forget it ever existed. [March 2012]

Traditionally, the problem with these games is that the developers churn them out mechanically, in short development cycles, without attention to detail. London 2012 is no exception. Despite its flaws however, some games are actually fun and that grants the game high replayability values. [August 2012]

Sub-par presentation, naïve A.I., that can easily be tricked, many meaningless missions, almost dead multiplayer, many technical problems and crashes. But Naval War has one thing working, that always adds interest: the unpredictability factor. [June 2012]

It’s an addictive game that seems to become even better as you play. If it keeps getting the right support and if the tie-in with the TV series proves successful, we might have a game that will keep us occupied for a lengthy amount of time. [May 2013]

Given enough patches and DCLs, SimCity might eventually become the game that should have been on its release and justify the ambiguous choices that its developers made. [May 2013]

Schizophrenic, old-school platform-euphoria… and everything that goes with that. [November 2012]

It’s pretty obvious, Inquisitor is not a game for everybody. The hardcore mechanics, the increased difficulty curve, the old-school aesthetics, will undoubtedly irritate those accustomed to playing only polished and streamlined action-RPGs like Skyrim. [November 2012]

Underperforming in crucial (for its genre) aspects, Blades of Time is nevertheless a decent suggestion for action game fans, when it inevitably finds its way to the bargain bin. [June 2012]

Death Rally accomplishes its goal to a great extent: it presents an updated version of a loved game, without overdoing it with modernized novelties. [October 2012]

There’s a simple test that will easily let you know if you want to play this game. Read its title. Does it look interesting? If so, just buy it now- it’s tons of fun. [May 2013]

Ignore Back in Action and just buy Jagged Alliance 2 to cherish the original version of a great game. Then again, if graphics are so important to you, go ahead and buy Back in Action- you might enjoy it but you will have paid four times more, for an inferior product. [May 2012]

If you haven't played any of the franchise games and are looking for a recent sim city game, this will keep you busy for a while. To the rest, Cities XL 2012 will probably feel more of an expansion (fully priced though), than a new, independent addition to your collection. [March 2012]

One word is enough to describe the experience of playing E.Y.E.: variety. As an FPS/RPG hybrid, the game offers so many options for your character, from the DNA in the genes to the kind of armor worn. [February 2012]

In short, Stardrive is the best descendant/clone of Master of Orion 2. Its theme and mood might be derived more from the Star Trek school, but the philosophy that runs through its spine is, undoubtedly, from the amazing Microprose title, the king of the 4x genre of the nineties- along with a pinch of Galactic Civilizations and Sins. [June 2013]

The old-school approach of the gameplay is not that fresh anymore and the steep price cannot justify the overpriced sentimentality. [May 2013]

This is a world so crazy, so original and eerily psychedelic, you will often wonder what you’re actually looking at. [June 2013]

A.I. problems and hollow FPS segments aside, CC:GM offers a kind of gameplay that we don’t see that much these days. It remains faithful to the original Carrier Command, modernizing the basic recipe with an improved interface and meticulous tutorial, and grants complete freedom to the player, in game-changing decisions. [November 2012]

This small studio has done remarkably well, despite limited funds and has presented a sci-fi RPG with a slight cyberpunk mood, that has gathered all the good elements from various genre blockbusters. [June 2013]

Lucius’s main premise is amazing. But the execution could have been way more solid. It limits the player, it’s ruthlessly and unjustly difficult in some cases, the characters pale and the graphics fail to impress. Lucius will be remembered as a great idea that “could have been”. [December 2012]

The potential for something strong was here- but the mediocre level design and the repetition of the mechanics, hold Inversion back from 'diamond' status. That's not to say that it's a bad game: the 9 or 10 hours of gameplay are fun, but only that… there's not enough thrill and excitement to hold you from other games. [September 2012]

Despite its flaws, Operation Valkyrie proves to be a beautiful adventure game that manages to completely immerse the gamer in the most terrible war to take place in human history. It showcases exceptional atmosphere, a very intriguing story and has a low price to boot. [March 2012]

It tries to set itself apart from the cornucopia of tower defense games, but fails. Despite the efforts for character and new features, the overall execution is messed up. If you are a true fan of the genre or you want all fantasy games in your collection, wait for it to enter bargain bin status and go for it. [May 2012]

Fans of the books and the series will be thrilled, as all the classic features are here: multi-faceted characters, schemes, betrayals, incest, twists and genuine anti-heroes that seek redemption desperately, but in vain. [July 2012]

Nitpicking aside, the fact remains: SOL Exodus is a first decent try from a new developer, especially if we consider the complete lack of titles in the story-driven, space combat sim genre. The game is entertaining, holds our interest until the ending of the campaign and the developers seem determined to support their game for a long time, given its initial commercial success. [April 2012]

Jurassic Park has as much to do with adventure games, as dinosaurs have to do with modern times. Save your money and don't encourage its developers, lest they decide to make a sequel… [February 2012]

Some clichés (like the staff recruiting for the ship) and the usual winks towards the Monkey Island series are not dodged. Still, it will keep you pleasantly occupied, offering more than a handful of puzzles- even though the last one proven to be too easy. [June 2012]

Despite its elaborate nature, Omerta does not offer a great deal of variety, while giving the impression of a 10-hour-long tutorial, constantly guiding the player. Such a repetitive game will not take long to get tiresome. [March 2013]

Mixed emotions… Krater tries to be a squad-based action RPG, but ultimately it does not fully deliver, neither as squad-based, nor as action-hack/slash, nor even as an RPG- and that is truly a shame, for there was something really brilliant here. Still, it remains a fun way to pass many game-hours. [August 2012]

It somehow manages to mix cyborgs and aliens in the campaign, it offers two new weapons and eight new multiplayer maps (four are new, four are from the Hail to the Icons parody pack), it lasts for about 6 hours and it costs 8 euros- it's a decent package for Duke fans. [March 2012]

The technical aspects are all below medium. When will the sniper shooter sub-genre catch a break? [May 2013]

Fans of the old Descent games will go mental, no doubt about it. Miner Wars 2081 will also be a blast for gamers that want a sci-fi space shooter with an interesting story, charming setting and solid gameplay. [March 2013]

Cyanide Studios used a low-budget production to bring a relatively unknown setting to our PCs. Unfortunately, the effort failed. Any good ideas were lost in repetition and underperformance. The script is a messy mix; the logic behind it is "pour as many components from the Aarklash setting as possible into a cauldron and cook it", but the result is something rather tasteless. [June 2012]

Despite the moody atmosphere that is elaborately built and the smart puzzles, knowing that you always have another mediocre battle around the next corner turns the game into a chore with no real incentive. [February 2012]

Tryst will not win an originality award but it’s a ‘solid’ RTS, catering to those that yearn for an old-fashioned game, sporting a decent single-player mode and robust multiplayer features to keep them, and their online friends, entertained. [January 2013]

While failing to revolutionize the horror genre, Eleusis is still a decent, alternative suggestion. [April 2013]

Its character, when compared to contemporary games, is undoubtedly naïve and the game in whole does not avoid the occasional repetition. On the other hand however, it faithfully and successfully revives a legendary game of the nineties, is fun and rich in duration. [April 2012]

The few strong points of the game (the variety of well-designed aircrafts and the occasional exciting moments in combats) do not justify even half of the unreasonably high price. [February 2012]

Every section of the game is either lacking or non-functional and, personally, I am trying to figure out what Capcom is trying to accomplish, launching a mediocre, even bad product, while the competition is light years ahead. Maybe it's expected to cash in on the brand name, but the end result is only a black page on the long history of the franchise. [June 2012]

A charming strategy, with pleasant gameplay, some original ideas and humorous wackiness. A must have for old friends of Dungeon Keeper. [April 2013]

Judging by the result, Gearbox could not handle the tremendous success of Borderlands 2. On the other hand, there’s this erroneous notion that franchises can exploit their name and are justified to produce mediocre titles for ever. Those two facts were enough to condemn Aliens: Colonial Marines. While it’s true that the console version is even worse, the competition in the PC shooter genre, is relentless. [April 2013]

No, Star Trek is not the best gaming experience you ever had, but it’s a solid, fun title, that follows the philosophy of the J.J Abrams reboot: fast-paced action, adventurous challenges, generous doses of humor and a casual, but entertaining, experience. [June 2013]

Recurring evil is not a bad game. It's just that Painkiller, in its current form, has ran its course. It's imperative to make that bold step ahead, to make sweeping changes across the board. With 5 or 6 new levels every semester or two, and all the rest features remaining absolutely the same, it only manages to shrink its target group. Revival, now! [May 2012]

What’s frustrating is that Terminal Reality, whether you believe it or not, had laid the foundations for an extraordinary game. WD:SI includes all the activities that a decent zombie survival game should have. [May 2013]

Sadly, technical problems make this game nearly unplayable- it’s like Legends of Pegasus launched half-finished. Somewhere, deep inside, there’s a great game, with an interesting space-opera story, presented like a graphic-novel … but in the end, the worst alien menace in Legends of Pegasus is not the race of X’or or Arthrox but the bugs. And not like the bugs in Starship Troopers… [January 2013]

Hoodwink's scenario is unusual and at the beginning, it looks interesting. That is the only good thing happening with this game, a title that sinks in a flood of disappointments that never stop appearing as one struggles through the game. [August 2012]

Why put yourself through this ordeal, when there are so much better games out there? Don’t waste your time with this monstrosity… [December 2012]

It's pretty ironic that Dead Mountaineer's Hotel could have been an amazing, strong experience of a game. But sadly, with all its flaws in design, the inconsistencies as well as the missing finale, it feels like a missed opportunity. [March 2012]

Although I do not normally side with gamers who prefer digital versions of games, in the case of episodic games, it's perfectly rational, especially when it's accompanied by a very logical price- priced at 7 euros, Sonic 4.1 does not disappoint. [March 2012]

TLODK offers a rather poor package. The main quest, mildly disinteresting, will keep you company for about four hours (side quests included), the level cap is unchanged and only two new types of creatures are added (not counting the four bosses of medium difficulty). [May 2012]

The interface uses only the mouse, and you start out with three available classes and the option to chose different quests. Your aim is always to survive and make it to the end of the dungeon. Unfortunately, the extremely limited scope of the game is quickly made evident. Hack, Slash, Loot does nothing wrong, but it fails to impress. Limited foes, a handful of items, small maps and zero character development (no experience/skills/levels). [May 2012]

Better than expected. It might be lacking in important realism aspects and it is most certainly inclined towards arcade elements, but MUD is loaded with many features that will keep you entertained for hours. [June 2012]

This abomination is something like a poorly-executed HAWX, gutted from even the slightest hint of realism, where airplanes dodge like belly-dancers and Quick Time Events are the basic components of dogfights. [June 2012]

Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land is obviously a tablet game and if judged in comparison to PC titles, it falls behind in production values. This confirms the notion that tablet and smartphone games don't display the necessary depth to hold the gamer for long, however, when compared to the average tablet game, it really shines. [July 2012]

WIB might not be an innovator, but it's balanced, addictive, is backed up by a dedicated dev team and the community has reached the critical mass point that guarantees a match, 24/7, There are aspects that can be improved generally, but WIB is a worthy game, particularly for shooter fans. [August 2012]

It's definitely a strong "fix", reminiscent of the single-player joy that we experienced throughout Arkham City, but Harley Quinn does not include some fascinating set piece or an essential scene that will ascend the general experience. [August 2012]

The final picture of the game, as well as the unbelievable, beautiful, emotionally charged adventure that precedes it, are clearly on a league on their own. Kyratzis's writing is edgy and through a Monty Python lens, displays a need for action, for awakening, for breaking a damned sleep that makes people fade away. It's an unforgettable, dreamy journey that every adventure-gamer should experience. [September 2012]

It combines generic strategy values with combat tactics as well as the empire management element, presenting an overall result that keeps the gamer glued (as long as you don’t expect a Starcraft clone). [February 2013]