A decent game, but it feels like the developers invested too heavily in the physic-based destruction and neglected to create a well-rounded experience that could contend with the likes of its own "Saints Row." [Aug 2009, p.70]

It's a motif that permeates Crysis 2: everything functions agreeably but nothing engages exceptionally. [May 2011, p.76]

If you want a challenge, World Tour will still rock your world. But a joyous homage to the music you love? Not so much. [Jan 2009, p.80]

Despite her considerable charms, this Lara is best experienced alone. [Nov 2010, p.84]

This may be a well-made rat maze, but a rat maze it is and that's all. [Holiday 2012, p.73]

What a bummer--we had high hopes for this one. [Jan 2011, p.83]

Eight years after the fact, the game remains a curious muddle, but this time it's a curious muddle in high definition. [June 2011, p.83]

Open Tee 2 sticks to the formula introduced in Open Tee. [Aug 2008, p. 83]

Certainly the impact of this year's improvements is less significant than those showcased in Madden, NBA Live and even NHL. [Nov 2008, p.82]

Dyad remains a worthwhile trek, but it mesmerizes in spurts rather than with a consistent tenor. [Oct 2012, p.83]

The fighting doesn't feel significantly changed or enhanced. [Nov 2012, p.78]

It just doesn't feel as fresh - or as fun - as Dark Resurrection. [Feb 2010, p.76]

The core racing experience makes the misstep of celebrating failure rather than making the actual winning of races definable fun. [Dec 2008, p.90]

Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love is not a bad game, either, but it does require a certain tolerance for the absurd. [Jun 2010, p.80]

The campaign feels awkward and unfamiliar and the multiplayer doesn't allow for direct head-to-head competition (oh well), but the game still manages to fuel our competitive juices. [Apr 2012, p.82]

Jak and Daxter Collection feels more like a lightly upgraded historical document than a lovingly tweaked attempt to make these aging classics shine for a modern audience. [Mar 2012, p.81]

Straightforward, aerial combat. [Holiday 2009, p.85]

FIFA 08 delivers a pretty complete soccer package that we still hope will improve as the specter of pressure from Konami's "Pro Evolution Soccer" looms on the horizon. [Holiday 2007, p.84]

It's a feeling that encapsulates Rage: a deeply layered, exhilarating game in parts, but one that never coalesces to deliver a cohesive new experience. [Dec 2011, p.66]

Sadly this year, it's hard to find a compelling reason to upgrade if you played 09. [Aug 2009, p.76]

More than enough for hardcore fans to justify the purchase. [Jan 2012, p.83]

The story is so meandering. [Jan 2012, p.76]

A game this pretty should be a no-brainer, but as soon as the characters open their mouths, your beleaguered brain will ache for a return to the action. [Holiday 2008, p.78]

When cheesy '80s action flicks dream of being chaotic top-down, twin-stick shooters with motion-comic cutscenes, they dream about being Renegade Ops. [Nov 2011, p.87]

Despite the new animations, new moves, and features, this year's model plays a lot like last year's game, with very subtle, often ineffective changes. [Sept 2009, p.79]

Not quite a new game but certainly more consequential than regular DLC, Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition exists in a strange middle ground. [Aug 2011, p.84]

Developer Blue Castle has done a solid job taking over from Capcom Japan, maker of the original Rising. [Dec 2010, p.74]

Fortunately, the design is still fun, even if it doesn't quite hold up against modern FPS fare. [Dec 2012, p.86]