Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: 2K Czech
Genre: Action
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

Vito Scaletta is just the right kind of tool for the mafia. He makes himself available at all hours, he’s a snappy dresser, and he can handle a gun when the situation calls for it, thanks to his war experience. He’s a man who anyone with a wad of cash in their hand can trust to do whatever it takes to get the job done. So when the big guy slurping pasta at the end of the table says, “I got dis job for ya….” or “See dat guy? Whack ‘im” in between chews, Vito calmly nods, says “Alright,” and heads out the door, no questions asked. He’s the perfect tool for the job, and in Mafia II, you play as that tool.

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Publisher: Wadjet Eye Games
Developer: Wadjet Eye Games
System requirements: 1.5 GHz Pentium 4/Athlon XP 1500+ or better CPU, 64 MB GeForce 2 MX 400/Radeon X300 series or better graphics card, 256 MB RAM, 512 MB hard-drive space, DirectX 9-compatible sound card, DirectX 9
Genre: Puzzle adventure
ESRB rating: Not rated
Release date: Available now

“There’s a big secret at Dr. Hugo’s Factory for Making Robots. When the inventors aren’t looking, their tiny robots go on big adventures! It all starts when Zander – possibly the world’s most absent-minded inventor – trips over a metal box buried outside the factory. When nobody can figure out how to open it, the robots sneak out and try it for themselves.” Actually, this info from the Puzzle Bots home page pretty much sums up this point-and-click adventure game. Dr. Hugo has hired five top-notch inventors to design robots to sell that do nothing but chores. Not only are they tiny, but they’re also self-aware, so when they’re put in the “robot habitat,” they decide it would be fun to escape and explore their surroundings.

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Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Double Fine
Genre: Action
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

Of all the forms of rock and roll, heavy metal boasts perhaps the most hardcore fans, and has branched out into other forms of media more often than some of the other genres. It has spawned a well respected animated feature film (Heavy Metal) and several video games, including KISS Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child and Heavy Metal F.A.K.K. 2; indeed, metal music is the centerpiece of Guitar Hero III. Adding to the headbanger legend is developer Double Fine’s metal fantasy, Brutal Legend, a violent and challenging journey through a world built on hard rock.

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Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Developer: Paradox Interactive
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, Pentium IV 2.4 GHz or AMD 3500+ or better CPU, 2GB RAM, 2 GB hard-drive space, NVIDIA GeForce 8800 or ATI Radeon X1900 or better graphics card, Direct X-compatible sound card, DirectX 9, Internet connection for multiplayer
Genre: RTS
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now

It has been almost seven years since Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun was released, and I have to agree with Avault’s Jim Richmond in his description of its enormous depth and complexity. Victoria, a strategy game of imperialism, politics and economics in the 19th century, was the kind of game that could overwhelm even the most hardcore gamers, and yet its minutia was part of its appeal. It was a game that made sure every single person in the game world, from farmers in Manchuria to factory workers in London, had an economic impact. It rewarded smart, patient players instead of mindless violence and button-mashing. It even provoked online discussions that demanded a minimal understanding of economics to follow what some players were saying. It’s no surprise, then, that some of the staff at Paradox Interactive were reluctant to make a sequel. So reluctant, in fact, that Paradox CEO Frederick Wester promised to shave his head if the sequel turns a profit (high pre-order sales have since triggered Wester’s promised trip to the barbershop). But the real question facing strategy gamers is whether Victoria II can live up to its promise of complicated, nuanced gameplay, while at the same time being a game that you can learn to play without dual PhDs in 19th-century political science and economics. The short answer is that Victoria II achieves these goals and gives strategy gamers a game that can keep them occupied for hours on end, with a few reservations as to how some mechanics currently work. The long answer is about as complicated as the game itself.

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Publisher: Valve
Developer: Black Cat Games
Genre: Action
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, Pentium IV 3.0 GHz or better CPU, 1 GB RAM (2 GB for Vista), 128 MB DirectX 9-compatible graphics card with Shader Model 2.0 support (ATI X800, NVidia 6600 or better), 2.5 GB hard-drive space, DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound card
ESRB rating: Not rated
Release date: Available now

For some reason, when we think of a swarm of something we automatically think it’s coming after us. It’s always, “I was attacked by a swarm of bees” or “My family’s farm was decimated by a swarm of locusts!” Well, in Alien Swarm’s case, this association holds especially true, because before you’re done playing, you’ll say, “My entire squad of marines was attacked, eviscerated and scattered about the corridors like piñata innards by a swarm of aliens!” Or something like that.

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Publisher: Telltale
Developer: Telltale
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7/Mac (OS 10.5 or newer), 2.0 GHz CPU, 1 GB RAM, 128 MB DirectX 8.1-compatible graphics card, DirectX 8.1-compatible sound card, DirectX 9.0c or better
Genre: Adventure
Release date: August 31, 2010

All good stories must come to an end, even strange ones such as Sam and Max Season 3: The Devil’s Playhouse. So it is with the series’ final chapter, The City That Dares Not Sleep, a fast and funny wrapup that brings back favorite elements and characters from past adventures of the Freelance Police.

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Publisher: Square-Enix
Developer: Crystal Dynamics
Genre: Action-Adventure
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now

Lara Croft is arguably the first true celebrity of video games. Sure, there have been mascots that have crossed over to the mainstream and become household words, but Lara did what neither Mario nor Sonic could ever do. She made gaming seem cool and adventurous to those who often looked upon the hobby as child’s play. With her initial title leading gamers into a brave new world of 3D adventure – launching fairly close to Mario’s first foray into that extra dimension – Lara put forth more than just a pretty face – even if those good looks helped her vault the velvet rope, repping appearances on everything from Entertainment Tonight to the U2 concert tour. And yes, she eventually fell from grace but that was largely to do with the poor handling of her core product and less about the character herself. Square-Enix, the new owners of Eidos’ darling, hopes to trade on her fame with their download-only release, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light.

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Publisher: Disney Interactive Studios
Developer: Disney Interactive Studios
Genre: Action
ESRB rating: Everyone
Release date: Available now

I haven’t seen the recent movie upon which The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is based. I come into this game only knowing that it’s probably loosely based on the famous animated segment from Fantasia. So, a cartoon short and a movie might make an interesting combination for an action game for the Nintendo DS.

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Publisher: NASA
Developer: NASA
Minimum requirements: Win XP SP3; 2.0+ GHZ Single Core Processor; 2GB of System RAM; NVIDIA 7000-series or ATI Radeon X1900 Video Card; 2GB of Free Hard Drive Space; DirectX 9.0c
Genre: Sim
ESRB rating: Everyone
Release date: Available now

Sometimes I look at my life and wonder why I didn’t choose to pursue one of those little-boy dreams, like becoming an astronaut. And then, every so often, along comes a video game like Moonbase Alpha to remind me. Mind you, I’m not knocking astronauts. I’m sure that, in reality, it’s really exciting to know that the only thing keeping you from being turned inside out is a thin piece of glass that’s mere inches from your nose. But when you strip away the lurking danger of the vacuum, the fact that a missing screw could ignite the hundreds of tons of rocket fuel you’re sitting on, the natural splendor of space, and the feeling of weightlessness, you’re really just a slow moving piece of meat in the middle of nowhere. And with Moonbase Alpha, you too can be a slow moving oaf in a spacesuit.

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Publisher: Ignition
Developer: Zombie Studios
Genre: Shooter
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now

Looking for a good, engaging, story-based game? Then keep looking, because Blacklight: Tango Down isn’t one of them. From the first moment I delved into the game, I got the immediate impression that its developers put all the big bucks into the action and a few dollars into the story. It didn’t take me long to see that the game lacks an engaging plot and gives me no real sense of identity in the big scheme of the gameplay. I’m just a person with a gun who needs to shoot enemies – who they are and who I am seem irrelevant. Yet I find this to be the case with nearly all FPS games, so we shouldn’t judge the developers so harshly in this respect. For some of you this will be a bonus; you certainly don’t have to sit through hours of cut scenes, you just plough on straight ahead, guns blazing. Blacklight does have its merits, enough to keep the FPS lover happy.

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Publisher: Alawar Games
Developer: Boolat Games
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7; 1 GHz CPU; 1 GB RAM; 110 MB hard-drive space; DirectX 8.0 or later
Genre: Time management
ESRB rating: Not rated at press time
Release date: Available now
Review by: Lieren Teeling

Time management is a bigger game genre than most people think. They’re extremely popular with casual gamers, with hundreds available for download or as flash games all over the Internet. Amelie’s Cafe: Summer Time is the latest in Boolat Games’ and Alawar Games’ Amelie’s Cafe series.

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Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Vector Unit
Genre: Racing
Release date: Available now

Back in 1999 (I can’t believe that was 11 years ago), Hydro Thunder hit local arcades. A relatively simple game, it quickly became popular as one of the most exciting boat racing games on the market. As a result, the title soon found itself gracing all of the current generation platforms and consoles, from the Dreamcast to the PC. Now after nearly a decade-long hiatus, Hydro Thunder has been revamped and repackaged for the Xbox Live Arcade.

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Publisher: Her Interactive
Developer: Her Interactive
System requirements: 1 GHz or greater Pentium or equivalent class CPU; 256 MB of RAM; 1 GB or more of hard drive space; 32 MB DirectX 9.0 compatible video card; 16 bit DirectX compatible sound card; 24X CD-ROM drive
Genre: Adventure
Release date: August 24, 2010
Review by: Lieren Teeling

Secrets Can Kill is Her Interactive’s latest point and click adventure starring iconic girl detective Nancy Drew. A remastered version of the first Nancy Drew game, the title celebrates the 80th anniversary of Nancy’s book debut in 1930.

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Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Zen Studios

Originally published in July 2009, reprinted for additional content.

Few things in my life actually bring back childhood memories. Lemons, “The Goonies” and pinball. The lemons is a long story. “The Goonies” is obvious. But pinball? Yes, it was nothing short of magical to go to the arcade with my father and beat that shiny marble ball around inside those exotic tables of gaming goodness. So when I was given the chance to play Zen Pinball on the Playstation 3, I knew I’d be rehashing those fond memories.

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Publisher: Blizzard
Developer: Blizzard
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7/Mac OSX 10.5.8 or newer, 2.6 GHz Pentium IV or equivalent CPU, 128 MB GeForce 6600/ATI Radeon 9800 Pro or better graphics card, 1 GB RAM (1.5 GB for Vista/Win 7, 2 GB for Mac), 12 GB hard-drive space, broadband Internet connection, 1024 x 720 minimum screen resolution
Genre: RTS
Release date: Available now

StarCraft II continues the saga of Terrans, Protoss and Zerg, the three space-faring races that plot (in real time) each other’s demise. The original StarCraft (1998) took the world by storm. Although it was somewhat lacking in terms of technology and advancement of the RTS genre, its sheer polish, for which Blizzard is so famous, has made it one of the best selling games ever. Some claim that it went further than all others and became something more. For example, when traveling in Korea a few years ago, I fell sick and had to stay at home for a few days. During that time, I entertained myself by watching non-stop StarCraft matches on four channels of Korean national television.

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