Publisher: Her Interactive
Developer: Her Interactive
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, 1 GHz or greater Pentium or equivalent class CPU, 256 MB RAM, 1 GB hard-drive space, 32 MB DirectX 9.0-compatible video card, 16-bit DirectX-compatible sound card
Genre: Adventure
Release date: Available now
Review by: Lieren Teeling

Having never had the pleasure of reading the Nancy Drew novels, I was surprised by the extensive list of games the series has under its belt. Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister, the 22nd game in the series by developer/publisher Her Interactive, is an adventure mystery based on the Nancy Drew book The Mystery in Tornado Alley.

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Publisher: Viva Media
Developer: Future Games
System requirements: Windows XP SP2/Vista/Win 7, 2.5 GHz CPU, 1 GB RAM, 128 MB graphics card, 3 GB hard-drive space
Genre: Adventure
Release date: Available now

Used to be that all you needed to make an adventure game was a mystery story, some clever puzzles and detailed 2D backgrounds in which to hide important items. In recent times, this simple formula has given way to high-tech, 3D interactive fiction such as Heavy Rain and Alan Wake. Now Czech developer Future Games tries to tread the fine line between the two styles with Alter Ego, a gothic potboiler that’s long on exposition and short on puzzling.

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Publisher: Longbow Games
Developer: Longbow Games
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, 2.4 GHz Pentium or AMD equivalent CPU, 1 GB RAM (2 GB Vista/Win 7), 256 MB DirectX 9.0c-compatible graphics card with Shader Model 2.0 support, DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound card, 1 GB hard-drive space
Genre: RTS
Release date: Available now

Alexander the Great is perhaps the most famous Greek ruler and military leader of all time. Referenced in countless stories, and even appearing in one lousy Oliver Stone film, Alexander is almost the last word in warfare in the West when it comes to conquest. However, Alex didn’t wake up one day and decide to unify Greece, then go conquer the world. His empire-building career was built on the foundations laid by his father, Phillip. And so it’s interesting that independent developer Longbow Games has created what they describe as a “real-time strategy wargame following the rise of Philip of Macedon.” Trading the world-spanning glory of Alexander for the Greek-unifying success of Phillip, the game challenges you to attain the same title Phillip earned: Hegemon of all Greece.

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Publisher: Lunar Giant Studios
Developer: Lunar Giant Studios
System requirements: Windows XP SP2/Vista/Win 7, 2 GHz or faster CPU, DirectX 9, graphics card with Shader Model 2.0 support, 60 MB hard-disk space
Genre: Turn-based strategy
Release date: Available now

I have always liked turn-based strategy games. The sit back-think-plan element that goes with the genre, to me, is gaming greatness. Problem is, sometimes publishers and developers don’t always get that right, but when they do, a great product can be born. Delve Deeper from Lunar Giant Studios is a new turn-based strategy title for the PC that goes into a special class of games close to my heart.

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Publisher: Kalypso Media
Developer: Akella
Minimum requirements: Windows XP SP2/Vista/Win 7; 2 GHz Pentium 4 or better CPU; 512 MB RAM; 128 MB Nvidia 6800 GT or better graphics card; 10 GB hard-drive space; Windows-compatible sound card
Genre: Turn-based strategy
Release date: Available now

The struggle between the gods has shown no respite since the creation of Nevendaar. Their disciples, eager to follow their deities’ bidding, are rewarded with death on the battlefield, mere pawns in the immortals’ implacable and merciless thirst for revenge and bloodshed. As the gods’ hatred of each other grows, so do the number of graves spreading everywhere in the land, while truces are broken without regret. The world is corrupted by foul plots, and the gods are willing to sacrifice their creations as mere accessories to their schemes.

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Publisher: Beatnik Games
Developer: Beatnik Games
System requirements: Windows XP, 2 GHz or better CPU, 1 GB RAM, graphics card with Shader Model 2 support, sound card, DirectX 9, 300 MB hard-drive space
Genre: Action
Release date: Available now

The first thing that comes to mind when playing Plain Sight is Super Mario Galaxy meets third-person action game. You are a robot, running and jumping around small planetoids or structures floating in space, trying to kill other robots. I forgot to mention that they’re not just robots. They’re robot ninjas! Yes, robot ninjas with katanas. Plain Sight from Beatnik Games uses this unique combination to produce an action game for the PC.

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Publisher: Doctor Entertainment
Developer: Doctor Entertainment
System Requirements: Windows XP SP3/Vista/Win 7, 1.7 GHz CPU, 1 GB RAM, DirectX 9.0c-compatible graphics card with Shader Model 3 support, DirectX 9.0c, 500 MB hard-drive space
Genre: Puzzle
Release date: Available now

If you have ever wondered what would happen if you gave a 3D puzzle game a set of gravitational laws that were warped to suit the whims of its developers, then Puzzle Dimension might just be the game for you. This puzzler advertises itself as a “Brain exercise in 3D,” and they are not kidding.

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Publisher: Telltale Games
Developer: Telltale Games
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-compliant graphics card (not recommended for Macs with integrated graphics), DirectX 8.1-compliant sound card, DirectX 9.0c or better
Genre: Adventure
Release date: July 20, 2010

The gleefully odd story of the otherworldly Devil’s Toybox continues in Sam and Max Season 3 Episode 4: Beyond the Alley of the Dolls, the next chapter in the tale of the plucky Freelance Police vs. aliens and occult forces bent on world domination. And while all of the stuff that makes these games so entertaining is here, you also might find yourself bashing your head on your desk in frustration more than you might have done in previous installments.

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Publisher: Kalypso Media
Developer: Haemimont Games
Minimum requirements: Windows XP/Vista/7; 2.4 GHz CPU; 1 GB of RAM; DirectX9-compatible video card with Shader 3.0 support and 256MB of video RAM (GeForce 6 series or better, ATI Radeon X1300 or better); DirectX9-compatible sound card
Genre: Strategy
Release date: Available now

Holá, El Presidente! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to rule our small Caribbean island nation, and lead it to prominence! Welcome to my newest addiction! Tropico 3 is very much like the original Tropico, but with upgraded, fully 3D graphics, and lots of new gameplay features make it even more enjoyable than the original. The first official expansion pack, Absolute Power, adds even more to the experience and guarantees dozens of hours of additional gameplay, especially for perfectionists like me who will continue playing a mission after already winning it, to try to get that island just perfect.

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Publisher: Phoenix Online Studios
Developer: Phoenix Online Studios
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
Release date: Available now

The King’s Quest series by Sierra Online can easily be considered some of the most beloved games of all time. In addition, they are the cornerstones of adventure gaming, PC gaming, and gaming in general. Created in 1984, the first game took the world by storm and became so popular that six sequels were released during the next 10 years. The seventh sequel strayed from the classic formula and was not very well received. At that point, a decision was made to discontinue the franchise. (Anyone who would like to learn more should read David Craddock’s excellent three-part article on the history of KQ.) Today, 12 years after Sierra’s last KQ game, a fan-made sequel, The Silver Lining, has been released. It was developed by a group of uncommonly dedicated volunteers who have worked long years and have overcome significant odds to bring the game to market. The project was shut down twice by the IP holders (Vivendi and Activision), but both times the fans were able to persuade the publishers to grant the team a non-commercial license.

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Publisher: Dreamcatcher
Developer: Homegrown Games
System requirements: Windows 2000/XP/Vista; 1.5 GHz Pentium III or AMD Athlon CPU; 512 MB RAM; 128 MB DirectX 9-compatible graphics card; DirectX 9-compatible sound card; 2.5 GB hard-drive space
Genre: FPS
Release date: Available now

How many of us have played a game, then sat back in our chairs and said, “I could do that”? In 2007, a group of gamers with just such an attitude teamed up with some professional artists to form Homegrown Games. The company was short-lived, producing only two finished products. One was the ponderously titled Robert D. Anderson and the Legacy of Cthulhu (a sequel to which never materialized). The other: Painkiller: Resurrection, was a follow-up to developer People Can Fly’s 2004 shooter, Painkiller. Despite the best intentions of the folks at Homegrown, this is one of those times when game development is best left to the pros.

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Publisher: THQ
Developer: Relic
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista, Pentium 4 3.2 GHz single core or any dual core CPU, 128 MB video card with Pixel Shader 3.0, 1GB RAM (1.5GB for Vista), 6.5 GB hard-drive space, Internet connection
Genre: RTS
Release date: Available now

After defeating the invading Tyranids at the end of the Dawn of War II campaign, the Blood Ravens chapter of the Space Marines spent weeks in drunken debauchery. Or maybe that’s what I would do. They, on the other hand, being genetically enhanced and mechanically augmented protectors of humanity, didn’t do anything of the sort. Instead they discovered a heresy and fought it throughout the Chaos Rising campaign in a most grim and determined way. That is because “grim and determined” is the way Space Marines do everything.

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Publisher: Activision
Developer: Bizarre Creations
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, 3.4 GHz Pentium D Dual Core/AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ or better CPU, 256 MB DirectX 9.0c-compatible NVidia GeForce 6600GT or ATI Radeon 1600XT or better graphics card with Shader 3.0 support, 1 GB of RAM (2 GB for Vista/Win 7), 14 GB of hard-drive space, DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound card
Genre: Racing
Release date: Available now

Blur is, as the TV spot suggests, a powered-up racing experience. You get to travel the globe from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Spain to London, with tracks based on modified versions of familiar real-world environments, such as the Los Angeles River halfpipe. It’s racing with a twist, though: along the way, you pick up eight different types of power-ups, none of which is entirely defensive (most offensive power-ups can be used defensively as well; for example, a well-placed Mine or Bolt can shoot down an incoming Shunt, and one upgrade lets you use your shield as an offensive weapon).

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Publisher: Viva Media
Developer: Daedalic Entertainment
System requirements: Windows XP SP2/Vista; 2 GHz CPU or better; 256MB graphics card; 1 GB of RAM; DirectX 9.0c
Genre: Adventure
Release date: Available now

Having just played The Whispered World, I have one thing to say: It’s about time! It’s been ages since I’ve played a classic point-and-click adventure like this. I grew up on this type of game, and if nothing else, it has a lot of nostalgic value to me for that reason alone. The Whispered World takes place in Silentia, where you take control of 12-year-old Sadwick the sad clown as he attempts to find an explanation for his recurring nightmares. In his dreams, he is chased by a mysterious blue orb as the world around him collapses. His worst fears are confirmed when he consults Shana, the old wise woman. Not only does she prophesy the end of the world, but that Sadwick is the cause of it.

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Publisher: Namco
Developer: Namco
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7; 1.0 GHz CPU or better; 512 MB memory; 200 MB of hard-drive space; DirectX 7.0 or better, 64 MB graphics card
Genre: Sports
Release date: Available now

I once said that I’m not a big fan of sports games, usually, other than racing games. But I forgot that I also like billiards and bowling, so I was very pleasantly surprised by Pool Pro Online 3. Using Namco’s new cross-platform UniteSDK, you can play solo or online in a game of 8-ball, 9-ball or snooker against players on the PC, iPhone or iPad, with a version for the Android coming up.

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