Originally published in May 2011, reprinted for additional content.

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Zen Studios
Genre: Pinball
ESRB rating: Everyone
Release date: Available now

There are certain games that I believe will always be transported into video game form, no matter what generation of console is on the market. Board games like chess and checkers, and sports like baseball and football will always find a home somewhere in the digital world. But we must not discount an arcade staple of such simplicity, and yet such intricacy, that has survived the gaming world for ages – pinball. Pinball FX2, an Xbox Live Arcade franchise, is slowly becoming the gold standard for casual play, and they have just released a new themed table, Mars, which has a sci-fi outer space theme.

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Publisher: Hazardous Software
Developer: Hazardous Software
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7/Mac/Linux, dual-core CPU, 1 GB RAM, graphics card with OpenGL 2.0 support
Genre: RTS
ESRB rating: Not rated
Release date: August 29, 2011

Innovation is much prized in an industry such as gaming, which has had its various genres set in stone for a long time. More often than not, new ideas usually arise not from the established AAA developers, but from the small companies willing to take creative and financial chances to bring something new to an old concept. Such is the case with Achron, in which new developer Hazardous Software has taken the standard RTS formula and given players a new dimension to exploit.

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Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Eidos Montreal
System requirements: 2 GHz dual core CPU; 1 GB RAM (XP), 2 GB (Vista and 7); GeForce 8 or Radeon HD 2000; Windows XP, Vista, 7 with DirectX 9.0c; 8.5 GB disk space
Genre: RPG
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: August 23, 2011

2011 has so far been a great year for games in general and for highly anticipated sequels in particular. A lot of favorites got follow-ups; some were impressively good, while others were of the sort not mentioned in polite society. Different types of gamers looked forward to different game worlds getting expanded, and quite a few of us were holding our collective breath for Deus Ex: Human Revolution – a prequel to one of the best role-playing games of all time: Deus Ex. The classic PC masterpiece was released in 2000, and blew away the critics and the audiences alike. In 2003 a sequel, Deus Ex: Invisible War was released for PC and consoles, and although it was a decent game in its own right, it failed to live up to the glory of the original and has always remained something of a disappointment to the hardcore fans.

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Publisher: Wargaming.net
Developer: Wargaming.net
System Requirements: Intel from 2.2 GHz or equivalent AMD Family processor; minimum of 1.5 GB RAM for Windows 2000/XP, 2 GB for Windows Vista / 7; 3.5 GB har disk space; Shader Model 3.0 GeForce 6800GT video card with 256 MB of RAM / ATI X800 with 256 MB RAM, DirectX 9.0c; DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card; Internet connection speed of at least 128 Kbps
Genre: Action MMO
ESRB rating: Not yet rated
Release date: Available now

Imagine driving a Tiger tank through a deserted city, spotting a smaller Soviet vehicle. You take aim and fire a HE shell at it, killing its engine and setting it on fire. But before you can finish it off, a Soviet T-34 ambushes you from an alley, spots for some artillery, and you get obliterated, only to respawn and live to fight again. This is a typical day when playing on Wargaming.net’s servers for World of Tanks. It’s been almost a year since I last looked at it, and the game has grown up. Wargaming.net calls WoT, “…a team-based massively multiplayer online game dedicated to armored warfare in the mid-20th century.” Focusing on Soviet, German, and US panzers from the period, and boasting maps with a wide variety of terrain, it offers those who love their heavy armored vehicles a chance to get into the nitty-gritty of armored warfare.

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Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Techland
Genre: Shooter
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, most game developers are falling down in love with each other. If a new title doesn’t build off the foundation erected by yesterday’s hits, then it usually aims to follow the same blueprint for success. A few years back, Techland scored a modest hit with their Call of Juarez title, which was notable for dressing the first person shooter in Western duds. That game was fairly formulaic yet novel for sending gamers down the dusty, scarcely traveled trails of the old West. The prequel, 2009’s Bound in Blood, made a greater impression by promoting the narrative and flashing back to tell a fairly engaging tale of two brothers bound and divided by lost gold. Since then, Rockstar has completely revolutionized the fledgling Western genre with the mammoth Red Dead Redemption which now saddles Techland’s latest release, Call of Juarez: The Cartel, with the daunting task of measuring up to that masterpiece.

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Publisher: MonkeyPaw Games
Developer: MonkeyPaw Games
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Shooter
Release date: Available now

Microsoft may rule the console digital distribution space with their elegantly designed Xbox Live Marketplace, but Sony clearly trumps them when it comes to their back catalog. Their online store may be a bit disjointed (making it tougher to find your way around), but like some back alley boutique discovered while exploring a foreign land, the shelves are often stocked with treasures long-forgotten. In addition to the healthy line-up of PS One classics available for purchase, the PSN Store also plays host to a Japanese Import section – one that MonkeyPaw Games has used to showcase their latest find, the wacky shooter Kyuiin.

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Publisher: Fuelcell Games
Developer: Fuelcell Games
Genre: Adventure/Shooter
ESRB rating: Everyone
Release date: Available now

The nice thing about Microsoft’s annual Summer of Arcade promotion is that you get high-quality new indie games for the reasonable price of $15 (1200 spacebucks). The third entry in this year’s roster, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, is no exception, offering simple yet involving gameplay with a minimalist flair.

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Publisher: Funcom
Developer: Funcom
System requirements: Windows XP SP2/Vista/Win 7, 3.0 GHz Pentium IV or equivalent CPU, ATI Radeon 9800/Nvidia GeForce 6600 or better graphics card, 1 GB RAM, DirectX 9.0c/DirectX 10, DirectX-compatible sound card, 32 GB hard-drive space, broadband Internet connection
Genre: MMORPG
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

”Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!” So ended the introduction to Conan the Barbarian, the 1981 sword-and-sorcery film featuring author Robert E. Howard’s most famous character. Twenty-seven years later, developer Funcom released Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. And now, this MMO has been rebranded Age of Conan: Unchained (good timing, considering a Conan remake is headed to multiplexes this month). The difference? Now you don’t have to spend any gold, silver or tin to play it.

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Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Genre: First-person Shooter/RPG
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

So far the downloadable content for Fallout: New Vegas has been somewhat hit or miss with fans. Dead Money was riddled with problems surrounding difficulty and Honest Hearts, while definitely an improvement, still lacked the proverbial punch players are used to with this franchise. However, Obsidian is clearly not willing to go down without a fight, and the latest expansion for New Vegas has arrived in the form of Old World Blues.

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Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Developer: Paradox Interactive
System requirements: Requires Hearts of Iron 3 and Semper Fi to play; Windows 2000/XP/Vista; Intel Pentium IV 2.4 GHz or AMD 3500+ (quad core); 2GB RAM; 2GB hard disk space; GeForce 8800 or ATI Radeon X1900 NVIDIA; Direct-X compatible sound card; 3-button mouse; keyboard and speakers; Internet Connection
Genre: Strategy
ESRB rating: Everyone 10+
Release date: Available now

Much like Michael Corleone in The Godfather III, I can’t escape WWII strategy games. No matter how much I try to get away, they keep pulling me back in. Paradox Interactive has released yet another expansion to Hearts of Iron 3. Adding even more content on top of the Semper Fi expansion, For the Motherland boasts a host of new mechanics, in addition to some specific battle scenarios that add some tactical flavor to the game. And, true to its roots, it remains an in-depth strategy game that has enough micro-management to keep any grognard occupied, while having enough automation options to streamline the parts you don’t like.

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Publisher: Kalypso Media
Developer: First Star Software, Catnip Games
Genre: Action/Puzzle
ESRB rating: Everyone
Release date: Available now
Review by: Michael Rabalais

I understand myself to be among the youngest, if not the youngest member of the Avault staff. I have never lived in a year where John Lennon was alive. And when the Twin Towers were bombed in 2001, I was in fifth grade. Even though I shoulder the incredible burden of my young age, I’ve supplemented my classic game knowledge to the best of my ability. I’ve beaten every Super Mario game, even the CDi exclusive Hotel Mario. I’m as versed in the origin of gaming as a scholar may be in Greek classics. So when I was assigned to review Boulder Dash-XL, and heard it described as the follow-up to a gaming classic, I found my knowledge lacking. While I hate to make assumptions, I think it’s safe to say I’m not the only gamer unfamiliar with Boulder Dash. Can a reimagining of a Commodore-era staple bring relevance to a franchise many might be unfamiliar with?

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Publisher: Mystic Box
Developer: Mystic Box
Genre: RPG/Puzzle
ESRB rating: Not rated
Release date: July 20, 2011

A cloaked figure wanders into a tavern. After he sits down at the bar, one of the more unruly patrons stumbles over and picks a fight. The cloaked figure reaches into his pocket and unsheathes his weapon…the five of clubs. He slams in on the bar and the instigator is no more. This may seem like a strange premise, but it is similar to Mystic Box’s new game, Runespell: Overture.

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Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Developer: Supergiant Games
Genre: Action/RPG
Rating: Everyone 10+
Release Date: July 20, 2011

Francois Truffaut once said, and I paraphrase, “The best way to critique a bad movie is to make a better one.” He said that as a film critic and went on to lead the French New Wave that swept cinema in the late 50s and 60s. Greg Kasavin is a former game critic and Editor-in-Chief at Gamespot, and after announcing his retirement from the site in 2007, toiled at several of EA’s offshoot development companies, before forming his own game development house. That development house is the small 10-person shop, Supergiant Games. And in the corner of a modest house, this team has toiled under Kasavin’s direction dreaming up Bastion, Kasavin’s bid to put Truffaut’s words into action.

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Publisher: Big John Games
Developer: Zivix
Genre: Music
ESRB rating: Everyone
Release date: Available now

Have you ever wanted to create your own club music mixes, but you don’t have the cash to spend on expensive equipment? Developer Zivix has made it possible with Just Jam, a music-mixing game/application for the Wii that gives you the basic tools and the sounds required to lay down your own jams.

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Publisher: Zen Studios
Developer: Zen Studios
Genre: Pinball
ESRB rating: Everyone
Release date: Available now

Some of Marvel’s toughest villains are running amok and need to be stopped. Enter the Marvel super group of Spider-Man, Wolverine, Iron Man, and…Blade? In Marvel Pinball, developed by Zen Studios, you battle the forces of evil using webs, lasers and a tiny metal ball.

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