Fast-paced. [May 2009, p.78]

If you've never swung a club in your life, Out of Bounds makes perfecting your golf game easy--maybe a little too easy. [May 2008, p.73]

While we were occasionally frustrated by trial-and-error tedium and forced micromanagement of multiple items, these annoyances were easily overshadowed by Closure's highly unique mechanics and presentation. [July 2012, p.78]

It's the best Monster Hunter game yet. [Sept 2009, p.81]

Think of it as the roguelike version of NIS's Disgaea or Prinny games, complete with a similar snarky style, unlikely characters, and slightly cruel sense of humor. [Holiday 2010, p.77]

Just like any good trip to Vegas, the sights and sounds will absolutely assault your senses. [May 2008, p.74]

From Dust takes the god game to a slightly flawed but intriguing place. [Dec 2011, p.77]

Unleashed has significantly improved on the original and found an almost perfet blend of arcade racing thrills and technical simulation challenge. [May 2011, p.84]

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]

We dug the re-worked campaign mode, but multiplayer matches for up to four players just can't be beat. [Holiday 2011, p.78]

So while it's no shock that LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes succeeds admirably as a platformer, we were surprised to find that it also manages to reinvigorate a series that has every reason to feel overly familiar and tiresome by now. [Sept 2012, p.83]

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]

The PSN port doesn't look as pretty and there are frame-rate issues when the on-screen actions becomes too intense, but it's still a credible FPS contender. [Holiday 2011, p.78]

Vita or PS3, just be sure to take advantage of one of the collections. [Sept 2012, p.85]

Jak and Daxter Collection feels more like a lightly upgraded historical document than a lovingly tweaked attempt to make these aging classics shine for a modern audience.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

Besides the indecipherable Evolution Map, Patapon 2 is well made, with plenty of reasons to replay levels: to bask in the music, to unlock more secrets. to farm for more resources, for example. [June 2009, p.80]

Forgive the sometimes long load times and other minor quibbles--Assassin's Creed is a resounding success that no one should miss. [Jan 2008, p.76]

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

Change can be a scary thing, but the developer's gamble paid off: SCV is the most fun we've had with the series in years. [Mar 2012, p.78]

In all, NCAA 09's sharp visuals, immediate sense of control, and its robust, fleshed-out modes make this year's version a winner. [Sept 2008, p.77]

Reckoning may not set new RPG standards by any means, but it's an earnest attempt at encapsulating everything we love about the genre as a whole. [Mar 2012, p.82]

This bundle of PS2 games proves that no matter the resolution, it's one of the best game trilogies this side of Olympus. [June 2011, p.83]

The gameplay in Child of Eden is simple, but its relative lack of complexity is easily outweighed by its fervent dedication to turning each player's experience into an inimitable work of art. [Dec 2011, p.80]

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]

It's clear that the user-creation tools, mixed with the improved base game, will make this the SVR that lasts you into next year. [Dec 2009, p.70]

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

Live 10 has taken a few solid steps forward, and is certainly a pick-up-and-play option for NBA fans. [Dec 2009, p.75]