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]

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]

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]

Diablo 3 is what its ancestors were: simple, pure obsession in a beautiful wrapping. Those who chose to ignore the (justified) annoyance/discomfort of the ill-advised decision for a constant internet connection will enjoy many hours of sweet oblivion. The fact that it's Blizzard and not some other company is not reason alone to forgive without second thought. On the contrary, we believe that [Blizzard] must revise at this point and act as with StarCraft 2. This feature, as well as the lack of LAN support, severely influence the final grade. [June 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]

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]

Sadly, the riddles, despite rising in difficulty, fail to offer a true challenge for our brain cells, while boredom settles quick due to half-implemented stealth mechanisms and badly written A.I.. [May 2012]

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]

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]

Rayman Origins re-introduces an intense freshness to a genre that many gamers chose to remember by a couple of well-known brand names that monopolize interest… and the rest consider long dead. It delivers many hours of pure fun (and some discomfort for completionists) and does that in the best way possible. [May 2012]

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]

Jeff Vogel's ability to conjure interesting settings is really brought forward in this game. It is extremely interesting to wander Avernum's world, collecting information about the inhabitants that managed to build a new society from zero. [May 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]

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]

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]

Legend of Grimrock is a gaming milestone, for more than a few reasons. First of all, despite being developed by a team of only four, it displays technical levels that smash the stereotype of the "indie game with mediocre/bad graphics". But Grimrock's greatest success lies in the fact that it reminds us why these games used to be so popular. It might be based on a decades-old formula, but Grimrock's gameplay feels fresher than ever, since you will find nothing like it in the market! [May 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]

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]

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 catharsis that sweeps us in the ending can not be explained, nor foreseen. The game's immersion is not only intense, it's unprecedented. Surely it's not a title for everyone, especially for people that are used to "living" their games through interaction with other characters or objects. But it's groundbreaking and succeeds in its goal for the user to live a story, as in a well-written book. [April 2012]

The alpha and the omega of the game is the chilling mood. A man from the city, unaccustomed to dangers and hazards, is asked to survive in the middle of nowhere, alone versus all. It is an exemplary drama and as such, the psychological pressure on the protagonist manages to affect us, as well. It's like living the whole thing, like actually being there. [April 2012]

Shogun 2: FotS carries its legacy with honor and is an extremely robust title. Given that it's a stand-alone product, if there were more initial clans in the beginning of the campaign, it could easily pass as a unique sequel. It's a title worth investing in, as it offers many hours of entertainment. [April 2012]

You will definitely need a time to adjust, especially if you are not experienced with wargames and this is your first time tackling the genre. But if you are interested in a slow, methodic pacing, then it's worth insisting! On the other side of the rough tutorial course, you will find a rich, profound experience, a strategy game that rewards intelligent planning and advanced tactics, instead of fast reflexes and agility in build order placing. [April 2012]

Its presentation is poor compared to similar titles, but it's what is required. But in the most important element, gameplay, Crusader Kings 2 has no match. It offers a cornucopia of options that grant us the ability to organize our strategy plan in extreme detail. [April 2012]

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]

Mafia and dark forces: check. Guns, violence and gore: check. Overwhelming lust and unfulfilled romance: check. The recent sequel manages to maintain satisfactory production values while paying homage to the cult status of the original game; however, it still falls victim to the inevitable design faults of recent first-person shooters and goes no further. [April 2012]

The efforts to approach a broader target group by ripping to shreds "complex" RPG mechanics, by cutting back on dialogue options and by emphasizing the action element, are painfully obvious. But the epic scale, the magnificent direction, the different story paths influenced by options that skyrocket the game's replayability and, in general, the whole "blockbuster" grandeur feeling outshine the various drawbacks. [April 2012]

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]