Rise & Fall manages to bring some welcome action to a normally slower-paced genre, but it sometimes feels like this is at the expense of tactics.

Homecoming is too old-fashioned and lacks the originality and tension that made the previous games so enjoyable. [Mar 2009, p.70]

Annoyingly, there's no way to change the controls and looks-wise, it won't win any medals. [Sept 2007, p.84]

At its best, Impact is an exhilarating, old school blaster that's very easy to dip in and out of. But at its worst, it's simplistic, repetitive fare with not enough to it. [Sept 2010, p.88]

An effective, old school strategy game of properly strategic proportions. [Oct 2006, p.70]

Blandly fun for a bit. [Aug 2009, p.73]

Challenging, but not infuriating. [June 2009, p.70]

May EA blight us with more Harry Potter games than our PCs' hard drives can possibly tolerate. [Oct 2009, p.71]

If it is indeed the last gasp of C&C as we know it, it's an incredibly sad way to go out. With a little more money, a little more time and a whole lot more reverence for what makes C&C C&C, the tiny exploding acorn underneath this confused, scrawny thing could have become a mighty oak of modern strategy.

Officially generic. [Oct 2009, p.70]

Excellent recreation of Hogwarts. [Sept 2007, p.80]

NecroVisioN is out-and-out old school corridor (or rather trench) blasting and is unrepentant about it. [Apr 2009, p.69]

An above-average sci-fi adventure, but if you're fond of rollercoasters, join a different queue. [Aug 2008, p.71]

The Godfather II is an improvement over its predecessor, though that's hardly a gratuitous compliment. How about this - The Godfather II is surprisingly not as plain as you might have thought it would be, all things considered. [May 2009, p.70]

Despite it being more intuitive than the Combat Mission games, Africa 1943 is no picnic. [May 2010, p.88]

Curious, patient gamers add 20. [Mar 2010, p.81]

Considering there's nine years' worth of work here, there's relatively little in terms of content, and you'll tear through the career mode in a couple of sessions.

If you can turn a blind eye to the ropey skirmishes, you'll be in for weeks of city building goodness. [Apr 2006, p.85]

The game manages to blend just the right amounts of combat, NPC interaction, character development, exploration, and epic save-the-world storytelling into the sort of potion that your typical beardie will gulp down with wild-eyed abandon. [Dec 2006, p.94]

You're a passenger watching a crime solve itself - except you get to do all the donkey work. [Mar 2008, p.79]

Too much micro-management with virtually zero autonomy and common sense. [Oct 2007, p.85]

The action is quite a laugh and oddly refreshing. But it repeats and repeats and repeats. [Dec 2007, p.78]

There's an illusion of depth at play. [Jan 2008, p.74]

This game is clever, deep, multifacted and a strategy nerd's wet dream. It's just a shame that it all comes at the expense of being very, very boring as well. [Dec 2007, p.84]

There's little point bothering with Mata Hari, unless you're looking to sedate a relative and lack Rohypnol. [Dec 2009, p.75]

The level design appears to be somewhat lacklustre (there's too much 'take this point! And now this one!'), but it's still an enjoyable romp. [Mar 2008, p.85]

Delivers the goods in spades, with an improved engine and a new emphasis to real-time rather than turn-based action. [Oct 2007, p.82]

Still feels like watching Oh Dae-su slog his way through that goon-filled corridor. [Nov 2006, p.62]