Once your eyes adjust to the razzle-dazzle, you find that the gameplay isn't nearly as pretty. [July 2008, p.82]

While Beowulf doesn't completely shed the stigma that licensed games are by definition mediocre, it does an admirable job of trying to leap beyond your typical hack-and-slash fare. [Jan 2008, p.80]

It's a pretty game, an ambitious game, a big game--just not a very good one. [Feb 2009, p.74]

Quests do occasionally offer intriguing objectives, but they're a rarity, and simple kill/fetch structures are the norm. [Nov 2012, p.87]

This PSP edition has a lot of extra content compared to the PS2 original, though, so fans of the series might want to give it a shot regardless. [Oct 2012, p.85]

Though a competent simulation racer, it's tough to overlook Legends' many shortcomings. [Oct 2012, p.85]

Too bad non were very exciting to play. [Jan 2012, p.81]

Paradise's bag of tricks is sadly limited, leaving only a violent juvenile romp we're reluctant to recommend. [Holiday 2012, p.73]

A poor pace potholes the proceedings...Alice chugs and chugs and chugs. [July 2011, p.84]

Instead of a solid experience, it feels crippled; a complete game thoughtlessly hacked into DLC bits. [July 2011, p.81]

Unfortunately, the flow of battles and Gretchen's finishing moves aren't enough to overpower the linear "stop the villain from attaining ultimate power" storyline. the conventional action-adventure gameplay, or the near non-existent A.I. [April 2011, p.84]

At best, Impact will barely meet your expectations for what a wrestling game should encompass in 2008. [Dec 2008, p.91]

The only real reason to purchase this port is if the prospect of scouting out a Dreamcast and a copy of the game seems a bit pricey. [Holiday 2012, p.81]

Feel free to scrap this short, bland adventure. [April 2011, p.75]

Ninjas are supposed to be cool. But when a poor control scheme and an even worse camera system make it difficult to perform even one of the three activities mentioned above, they're anything but. [June 2009, p.83]

It's just not that good. [Sept 2008, p.81]

The great truth here is that we, should we suffer this trip down memory lane, are the titular lost souls. [July 2011, p.82]

AT2 features the turn-based combat of RPG yore, albeit broken into offense/defense phases with a rewarding, real-time scheme. [Apr 2009, p.85]

Dimwitted enemies and bland looks also make for a subpar experience. [Apr 2012, p.56]

As a PSN budget title, Trilogy would soar. At $40, though, it's a bit of a turkey. [Dec 2012, p.87]

"Quotation Forthcoming"

The lack of variety leaves a sour taste. [Feb 2012, p.84]

Don't expect much in the way of graphics and sound innovation; there isn't any. [Jan 2008, p.86]

While we like the new ideas, we may just stick to the analog version we have tucked away in our closet. [Feb 2012, p.84]

Alliance is plagued by some rather lengthy load times, which can put the kibosh on short commute playtime. [Apr 2012, p.59]

Every step taken toward creating a cohesive, cinematic adventure is sabotaged by bugs and glitches that thwart the game's attempts at immersion. [Feb 2012, p.85]

Fans of the series know what they're in for, but everyone else can rest their fingers for deeper games. [Apr 2012, p.60]

Only true fans of the series need apply here. [Feb 2012, p.87]

Wants so desperately to be Burnout: Revenge. Unfortunately, the game feels more like a cheap knockoff than a compelling successor. [Apr 2012, p.60]

The moody graphics and compelling story remain impressive nearly a decade after its initial release, but Shadow of Destiny is showing its age. [May 2010, p.85]

Chasing a Mexican drug cartel through the streets of Los Angeles is boring at best, with outdated graphics and gameplay that feel a generation old. [Oct 2011, p.81]

At least fans of the anime will love playing as their favorite characters; the game's not deficient, just generic. [Oct 2011, p.82]

At least the single-player campaign--that you can play through co-operatively with three friends--is mercifully short at around eight to 10 hours. [Aug 2008, p.76]

But for a Hulk title, that's utterly disappointing--the game just doesn't live up to its potential. [Aug 2008, p.75]

The track selection is adequately varied, and online play is functional enough--but on the whole, Ferrari Challenge is just plain forgettable. [Nov 2008, p.89]

Factor in the uncontrollable camera and this third-person shooter is firmly mediocre. [Oct 2011, p.85]

Despite these impressive visuals, ProStreet doesn't quite pull off the all-important sense-of-speed factor. [May 2008, p.83]

As it stands, this one needed more time before harvesting. [Holiday 2011, p.75]

Sadly, this party will end quickly and the guests will leave unsatisfied. [Nov 2010, p.70]

It's fine for munchkins, but if you look older than Astro, this probably isn't going to satisfy you. [Holiday 2009, p.79]

In hindsight, Dog Days' brevity may be its greatest attribute, as the story is a series of unsatisfying plot resolutions topped off by a ridiculously abrupt and unimaginative ending. [Oct 2010, p.76]

Level design and AI are similarly hit-or-miss, and the combat never advances past button-mashing. [Oct 2008, p.82]

This is one unlucky seven. [June 2011, p.84]

Atari Classics Evolved might be more cynical cash grab than fan service, but its sheer game count and variety make up for a lot if you find yourself with a nostalgic twitch. [Feb 2008, p.86]

Completists may want this one to fill out their Final Fantasy libraries, but most fans can stick with the original versions. [June 2011, p.82]

The problem here is the convoluted content and pricing structure: 30 bucks delivers a measly three tracks and five cars. [June 2012, p.79]

Edge of Time aims so low it can't help but manage to be a playable Spider-Man game, but it lacks lasting appeal. [Holiday 2011, p.84]

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

The gameplay presented is a mix of character battles--too many of which are filler--and poorly executed side-scrolling platforming stages; playing these segments often feels like a little more than a required chore to reach the next cutscene or unlockable. [Aug 2010, p.87]

Silicon Knights just forgot to give us anything fun to do with our powers, making it hard to recommend Destiny to even diehard fans. [Holiday 2011, p.84]

Just a solid port of an unremarkable brawler. [June 2008, p.75]

Bogus one moment, brilliant another. [July 2010, p.81]

It demands a level of precision that is tough to pull off with the cumbersome control scheme, making it hard to muster the effort. [June 2012, p.82]

NeverDead does show some promise. Still, these bright spots aren't nearly enough to elevate NeverDead above its frustrating combat and flawed concept. [Mar 2012, p.84]

After eight years. the basic, gut-level hack-and-slash action hasn't changed much, and that makes it hard to keep caring about Dynasty Warriors. [Jan 2009, p.83]

It's best a limited test drive. [March 2011, p.74]

Beyond that, Evolution offers the opposite of its namesake: a big step backward. [Jan 2011, p.81]

Death comes frequently, but infinite continues completely erase the once-brutal challenge of the original arcade coin-op. [March 2011, p.77]

Despite BC's visible level of technical acumen, questionable design decisions combined with an outrageous game ending have produced one of the most frustrating and disappointing games in recent memory. [July 2009, p.74]

On PSP, it's a half-baked port of the already stripped-down PS2 version. [Jan 2010, p.86]

Overall, we recommend passing on this pirating adventure. [Jan 2008, p.84]

But while all the action is there, the action still feels as soulless and bland as its stock-badass protagonist. [Dec 2010, p.77]

Unfortunately, this niche sport has spawned a niche game that lacks the more obvious draw of the beach variant, and will interest only the hardest hardcore fans. [Nov 2008, p.83]

To be clear, new battles, weapons, and character moves are present, as expected, but they feel obligatory at best. [Apr 2008, p.72]

Dumb fun boils over into awful stew when we, as the Greek Achilles, are forced to stab toes during a two-part and cliche-addled boss fight against a giant statue complete with respawning zombie minions, quick-time events, and enough hamartia to choke mighty Zeus himself. [June 2011, p.75]

Rebuilding it using the PS2 game's engine just makes it a much more obvious retread. [Jan 2009, p.83]

Take a game meant for a handheld and put it on the PS2, and all of a sudden every flaw is magnified. [June 2008, p.83]

A major fail. [Feb 2010, p.77]

Chaos Wars might draw in some--like fans of the obscure games it's based on, especially those who long for the days of hand-drawn characters and tiny battlefields--but its old-school aesthetic isn't enough to make up for the lackluster production values and uninspired game play. [Aug 2008, p.82]

What makes this really disappointing, though, is that some aspects actually work well. But without good combat, it's all just academic. [July 2012, p.78]

The fact that I was constantly thinking about what button to push, even as I was rounding into the final set of missions, well...that's just a big design no-no. [June 2008, p.72]

Dokapon's fatal flaw is its wait-to-play ratio; since actual engagement between players happens rarely, watching three players take their turns while you twiddle your thumbs wears thin fast. [Dec 2008, p.82]

Best leave this one out in the wilderness. [Mar 2009, p.75]

One small mistake will leave you eating robbot dust. That's just not the Sonic we used to know and love. [Apr 2008, p.87]

We appreciated specific parts of the game--such as the leveling, animations, and Followers--but it's still the bottom of the JRPG barrel. [Sept 2012, p.87]

Ixnay on the X-Blades. [Apr 2009, p.82]

Seriously, if this dungeon crawled any slower, it'd be going backward. [Dec 2008, p.82]

Perhaps the most frustrating characteristic of Iridium Runners is its wasted potential. [Apr 2008, p.88]

For mech-loving masochists only. [Jan 2010, p.86]

Army Corps is Pikmin in hell. [May 2012, p.77]

We love a challenge, but we can't begin to pretend this game is something for everybody. [Nov 2010, p.81]

As a game, it's abo - game ever, please try again. [Jan 2012, p.86]

The core gameplay simply isn't enough to overcome the technical shortcomings. [Sept 2011, p.87]

This quick-and-dirty movie game lures fans in with the promise of another quality Transformers adventure; sadly, Moon offers much less than meets the eye. [Sept 2011, p.86]

Either way, there's more titillation than fun in Qoga. [April 2011, p.84]

Think twice before exploring this planet. [Jan 2010, p.83]

It's an adventure best left in our (forgettable) past. [April 2011, p.85]

If you're into the cartoon 12-year-olds, adjust the score up a few points. Otherwise, avert your eyes and move along. [Apr 2012, p.77]

The jump mechanic is frustratingly finicky. [May 2009, p.85]

The game cloaks itself in a ridiculous and oftentimes debilitating darkness. [July 2010, p.80]

Also, the presentation is a mix of cheesy music, mediocre pre-rendered cutscenes, better in-game cutscenes, and bad voiceovers. [Holiday 2007, p.78]

The game might shoot for the stars, but it really only succeeds in being a drone. [July 2011, p.83]

Thumb-numbing repetitiveness. [Feb 2011, p.86]

However, quantity comes at the cost of quality--because none of the games are the main focus of the game, they all feel shallow and repetitive. [Holiday 2007, p.82]

Falls short of its price point - the only difference between this and the $5 app version is the playlist. [Apr 2012, p.56]

Getting to the little bit of original story just isn't worth the hours of tedious combat, frustrating level design, and finger-numbing R2-spamming. [July 2008, p.83]

The core Dynasty combat system has needed a serious shaking-up for years now, and even the new RPG-style character-building element isn't enough to fix that. [July 2009, p.83]

Ultimately, The Golden Compass proves way too easy, and much of the "game" feels a lot more like "chore". [Jan 2008, p.82]