It's the gameplay that disappoints. Most notably, the white-knuckle sense of breakneck speed and the tight, responsive controls oh so apparent in "Burnout 3" or "Underground" just aren't matched here. [Nov 2004, p.97]

Gets the gunplay and gruff attitude right, but beneath the badge, it's simply, well, not unlike most first-person shooters. [May 2004, p.81]

Despite a few obligatory new features such as a dull off-road car mode (ooh -- the tires inflate!), Hunter 2 feels less like a sequel and more like an add-on disc. [Mar 2004, p.86]

It seems strange that Koei would incorporate these RPG-like features into the game in such a halfhearted fashion and the overall effect is sort of like giving the samurai warrior a sort of cool angular armor but no pants. [Aug 2004, p.94]

You're forced to face off against eagle-eyed, sharp-shooting pricks who are so overpower[ing] that competing against them feels like crossing the piranha-filled Amazon River wearing a 40-pound mean suit. [Dec/Jan 2004, p.96]

It is the scariest survival horror title to date... We would like to forgive its unsatisfying combat and puzzles, but we cannot. [Winter 2002, p.93]

Where most licensed brawlers feel sloppy and half-finished, Turtles is smooth and cohesive. [Dec/Jan 2004, p.81]

It's not the tightest coding ever seen in a videogame. [Dec/Jan 2004, p.85]

It's disappointing to see developer Vicious Cycle nail the look and feel of a Veritech fighter, only to drop the ball on finer details like graphics, level design, and overall story...We wanted something more. [Fall 2002, p.116]

Where the game falters is in the A.I. of CPU players; simply put, these guys fell kicking and screaming from the artificial-intelligence tree. [Mar 2004, p.99]

Everything about it screams budget ,sure, but there are much worse full-priced games on the Xbox. [Oct/Nov 2003, p.99]

The first-person view allows only for awkward movement and exploration, with Townshend forced to turn to alter his view. Invincible ghosts prove to be perpetually frustrating, especially in tight spots.

A cartoony visual style and color palette dilutes the hard-hitting realism of the game. [Oct/Nov 2003, p.95]

The only area where "2" really shines is in its Xbox Live support, which is among the best in golf games today. Otherwise, you can expect the same dodgy controls and eighth grade fart jokes as before. [Nov 2004, p.99]

Although the game's controls remain its biggest hurdle, Murakumo does have its moments, mostly due to its graphics. [Apr 2003, p.91]

What makes an otherwise solid action RPG mediocre is the obscenely slow and tedious beginning. [Mar 2004, p.101]

Competent, but not innovative. [Oct/Nov 2003, p.93]

Multiple game types add some much-needed variety: skins play, challenge, and golf modes exhaust all possibilities for ball-pin interaction. [Aug 2004, p.83]

Rough around the edges. [Summer 2002, p.90]

The slightly clunky controls and contrived level design - with its faux open-ended gameplay - leave the impression of a hack job. Paint-by-numbers puzzles and stolid A.I., sadly, only dig the pit deeper. [Dec/Jan 2004, p.92]

Like playing the slowest, most dropping-laden tactical FPS of your life. [Dec/Jan 2004, p.95]

With a bumpy learning curve, Dark Summit is a pain to get into, but once you figure out the (not SSX) controls, you can have fun with it. [Jan 2002, p.90]

If you're reading this text at above a second-grade reading level, you don't want to play Hot Wheels: Stunt Track Challenge. Everything from the cutesy design to the zany (read: irritating to anyone above the age of 6) announcer screams baby game. [Feb 2005, p.90]

Marginally better than the last. [Feb/Mar 2003, p.84]

Criminals hide in the same places every time, so players can memorize the trouble spots and restart if necessary. [Dec/Jan 2004, p.89]

Unless your IQ is below 17, there are better ways to waste your day. Like drooling. [Fall 2002, p.119]

The game's odd predilection for nighttime levels ensures that players will be doing double duty fighting and squinting. [Summer 2002, p.91]

The same old Cabela's issues - jerky control, clumsy animation, extreme disorientation - rear their ugly heads again. [Feb 2005, p.88]