Publisher: Legacy Interactive
Developer: Legacy Interactive
System requirements: Windows XP (SP2)/Vista/7; 1.5 GHz CPU; 512 MB RAM; GeForce3 Graphics Card with 64 MB VRAM
Genre: Puzzle Adventure
Release date: Available now

Robin Hood is a story that nearly everyone over the age of 5 can tell you without a second thought. There are a myriad of versions, re-tellings, re-imaginings, spinoffs and based-ons that approach the tale from more different angles than can be counted, so it’s not surprising that Legacy Interactive took a slightly unusual approach in making Robin Hood a puzzle adventure game.

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Publisher: Tripwire Interactive
Developer: Teotl Studios
System requirements: Windows XP SP2/Vista/Win 7, 2 GHz or faster CPU (dual core recommended), 1 GB RAM, graphics card with Shader Model 3 support, DirectX 9-compatible sound card, DirectX 9, 1.5 GB hard-drive space
Genre: First-person action-puzzle
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

Sometimes small developers can provide the only avenue to deviate from dominant gaming fads, even in their very first release. First-person shooters have fallen into a rut of late on the personal computer, what with an emphasis on ultra-realistic simulation of real-life human-to-human combat. In that context, Teotl Studios—a small Swedish game developer—has released an innovative twist on the genre. Reminiscent of two Valve games—Half-Life 2 and Portal—this new release with the unusual name The Ball attempts to provide us with a decidedly different set of fun challenges.

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Publisher: Phoenix Online
Developer: Phoenix Online
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7; 1 GHz Intel or AMD CPU; 512 MB RAM (1 GB for Vista/Win 7); 256 MB DirectX 9.0c-compatible graphics card; DirectX 9.0c or higher
Genre: Adventure
ESRB rating: Not rated
Release date: Available now

The second episode of The Silver Lining (a fan-made sequel to the King’s Quest series) was released a short while ago. Titled Two Households, it continues from where the first part left off. In this episode King Graham continues his quest to liberate his children from a curse bestowed upon them by an anonymous evil sorcerer. A couple of new locations have opened up, a number of characters are ready to converse, and some new items and puzzles have become available. Of course the game is still free and all you have to do to obtain it is register at the developer’s web site (above).

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Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Hothead Games
System requirements: Windows XP, Vista, 7; Intel Pentium 4 (or equivalent) running at 1.7 GHz or greater; 1 GB RAM (1.5 GB for Vista); 2 GB HD space; ATI Radeon X1800 GTO 256MB or the Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra 256MB video cards with Shader 2.0 and 24 bit depth buffer support; DirectX 9.0
Genre: Action RPG
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now

Greetings, nondescript citizens! I am DeathSpank! A few months back when he first released for the consoles, I had DeathSpank on speed dial. As a promotion, just prior to release, the publishers had created a hotline. The funny that came across their recorded messages just made me want to play the game even more. I mean seriously, “one thong to rule them all” – priceless!

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Publisher: NCSoft
Developer: NCSoft
System requirements: Windows XP SP2; 2.8 GHz CPU or equivalent; 128 MB graphics card or better (GeForce 5900 Ultra/ATI X700); 15 GB hard-drive space; DirectX 9.0c; broadband Internet connection
Genre: MMO
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now
Review by: Remy Ransom

At one point the PvPvE epic Aion was a highly anticipated game on NCSoft’s lineup. Those in the MMO circuit waited eagerly to see what the successor to Lineage II would truly be all about. Its teaser trailers were fantastically done, and most players drooled over its character-creation scheme. Through its time spent finally reaching North America, it received mixed reviews. The game wasn’t pulling the numbers it was doing in Asia, and it’s player population was slowly trickling downward. Its first free expansion, Assault on Balaurea (a.k.a. Aion 2.0), is NCSoft’s current answer to the problem that most developers have: How to keep the loyal players hooked, and how to bring in the new blood.

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Publisher: Her Interactive
Developer: Her Interactive
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, 1 GHz CPU, 256 MB RAM, 1 GB hard-drive space, 32 MB Direct X 9.0-compatible graphics card, 16-bit sound card
Genre: Adventure
ESRB rating: Everyone 10+
Release date: October 19, 2010

Shadow at the Water’s Edge is Nancy Drew’s 23rd PC adventure. Releasing just in time for Halloween, the game is a true horror mystery pitting Nancy against a vengeful ghost at a haunted inn.

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Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7; 1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo/2.4 GHz Athlon X2 64 or better CPU; 1.5 GB RAM (2 GB for Vista or Win 7); 256 MB DirectX 9.0c-compliant graphics card and sound card; 10 GB of hard-drive space
Genre: Third-person shooter
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

The Sam Fisher you know is dead, asked to make one sacrifice too many, crossed one line too far. An unknown drunk driver has killed his daughter, and one of his best friends has died by his hands. Sam left Third Echelon and has been on his own for years, chasing his daughter’s killer, but the trail leads to the last place Sam wants to see again: Washington, D.C. Sam must work with friends whom he can no longer trust to save a country that used him and threw him away. Unless he can stand against a vast, faceless enemy, he’ll never know what happened to his daughter.

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Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Developer: Neocore Games
System requirements: Windows XP/SP2/Vista/Windows 7; AMD64 3500+ or Pentium IV 3.2 GHz; 1 GB RAM (XP) or 1.5 GB RAM (Vista); 7 GB hard disk space; Nvidia 6600 (256MB) / ATI Radeon X70 (256MB) video card; DirectX 9 compliant sound card; DirectX 9.0c or higher
Genre: Strategy
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: October 8, 2010

It is time once again to grab your virtual sword and rush off to war, this time in Neocore’s Lionheart: Kings’ Crusade. Set amidst the epic struggle between Richard and Saladin, players are presented with a strategy game that focuses on tactical battles with some strategic RPG elements, including upgradable units and special heroes. Not quite an RTS, and not quite a Total War clone, Lionheart attempts to give players a strategic gaming experience during the Third Crusade, without tying them down to the historical outcome of the conflict.

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Publisher: Frictional Games
Developer: Frictional Games
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7/Linux/Mac, 1.5 GHz Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent CPU, 2 GB RAM, 128 MB Graphics Card, 3 GB hard-drive space
Genre: Survival horror/adventure
ESRB rating: Not rated at press time
Release date: Available now

Going all the way back to the classic Alone in the Dark, PC game developers have made many attempts to capture and re-create a sense of chilling fear to cause players to jump from their seats and scream in terror. Most of these efforts have fallen flat, resulting in laughably clumsy scenes that have no emotional impact or—even worse—backfire. Now Frictional Games, the creators of the well-regarded Penumbra franchise, have released a new first-person foray into this challenging niche—Amnesia: The Dark Descent. Can this game succeed where others have failed?

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Publisher: Legacy Interactive
Developer: Glyphic Entertainment
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7; 1.5 GHz Pentium IV or equivalent CPU; 1 GB RAM; 128 MB graphics card
Genre: Puzzle
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now

Games based on movies have always met with almost universal critical panning, a fate shared by TV show adaptations. Aside from a plethora of cartoon series games, those based on live-action shows such as the CSI and Law and Order series have not fared well in the gaming world. Undaunted by the trends of the past, publisher Legacy Interactive and developer Glyphic Entertainment offer House, MD, giving you the opportunity to visit the world of one of television’s most reviled, yet adored, characters.

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Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment
Developer: Sony Online Entertainment
System requirements: Web Browser is all you need
Genre: Online Virtual World
Release date: Available now

What is the easiest way for people to play a game? Make it so that they do not need hardware, just software like a web browser. Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures is based off of the popular animated show, that although directed more at a younger audience, doesn’t shun us older people. It is a free-to-play browser-based online virtual world from Sony Online Entertainment, and like most such games includes the option to upgrade your account through a subscription to receive more benefits, and purchase items through micro-transactions.

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Publisher: THQ
Developer: Relic Entertainment
Minimum Requirements: Windows XP SP2, Vista SP1, or Windows 7; Pentium 4 single-core 3.2 GHz; 1.0 GB RAM (XP) or 1.5 GB (Vista); 5.5 GB of free hard drive space; 128 MB NVidia GeForce 6600 GT or ATI Radeon X1600 or better (must have Shader Model 3.0 support); DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
Genre: Real-time strategy
ESRB Rating: Mature
Release Date: Available now

Welcome back to the world of Warhammer 40,000, and the sequel to the popular Dawn of War. Boy, the Blood Ravens can’t catch a break, can they? In the first game, we discovered that the Inquisition had to perform Exterminatus on Cyrene, one of their recruiting worlds, as one of their Librarians had to be executed for heresy, and they inadvertently released a powerful daemon from its imprisonment. Now a threat from beyond our galaxy threatens their other two recruiting worlds. The Blood Ravens must undertake a quest to destroy one of the Tyranid Hive Fleets; if they fail, it will mean the end of their Chapter.

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Publisher: Deep Silver
Developer: Deep Silver
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7; 2.0 GHz Pentium IV or compatible CPU; 512 MB RAM; 64 MB DirectX 9.0c-compatible graphics card; DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound card; 4.5 GB hard-drive space
Genre: Adventure
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now

1936: Soldiers of the Third Reich roam the world seeking occult weapons for their insane plans of conquest. When Fenton Paddock, a former British soldier and hapless smuggler, is asked to look for his friend Richard, who has gone missing in Tibet, he has no idea that this search would lead him across three continents to a secret that could turn the whole world upside down. In the process, he gets to participate in various activities, such as escaping from a Hong Kong Triad, sabotaging an Olympic event, and walking across the icy roof of a castle in winter.

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Publisher: P2 Games
Developer: Doublesix
Requirements: Windows XP, Vista, or 7; Intel Pentium 4 1.8 GHz or AMD Athlon XP 2000 or better; NVidia GeForce 6600 or ATI Radeon X1300 or better; 1 GB of RAM; 2 GB of hard drive space; DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
Genre: Action shooter
ESRB rating: Mature
Release Date: Available now

“Welcome to the char-grilled world of Burn Zombie Burn, where the best type of undead is barbequed. The goals are simple: keep Bruce alive while he tries to keep Daisy alive, and get the highest score possible. Standing in your way is a never-ending horde of the rotting, stinking and stupid undead.”

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Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: BioWare
System requirements: Windows XP (SP3)/Vista (SP1)/Win 7, Intel Core2 1.6 GHz/AMD 64 2.0 GHz or better CPU, 1 GB RAM (1.5 GB for Vista/Win7), 256 MB Radeon X850/128 MB GeForce 6600 GT or better graphics card, 20 GB hard-drive space, DirectSound-compatible sound card
Genre: RPG
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now
Review by: Lieren Teeling

Downloadable content for Dragon Age: Origins seems to vary vastly in quality and quantity for the price. Some of it, such as the Awakenings expansion and the Stone Prisoner add-on, were both extremely well done and very much worth the money. Others, such as Feastday Gifts and Pranks just…weren’t. Leliana’s Song retails for 560 Bioware Points on PC, 560 MS points for Xbox 360 and $6.99 for PS3.

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