Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Developer: Colossal Order
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, 2 GHz dual-core or better CPU, NVidia GeForce 8800/Radeon HD 3850 or better graphics card, 2 GB RAM, 2 GB hard-drive space, OpenGL 3.0
Genre: Simulation
ESRB rating: Everyone
Release date: Available now

Attention to detail, one could say, is one of the more pronounced bullet points in the neverending argument between console and PC gamers. It just seems (at least to me) that the PC has more opportunities to show off the little complexities possible in gaming, whether by way of controls and interface, or just by sheer numbers. Cities in Motion is a perfect example of this, and while it certainly puts a good effort in to remind PC gamers where their home is, it also deepens an already defined line in the sand that has urged their console kin to stay the hell out.

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Publisher: Gilligames
Developer: Gilligames
Genre: RPG
iTunes rating: 9+
Release date: Available now

There seems to be two approaches to game development. The first is to tackle it with a “because I can” mentality, while the second is to fulfill a desire to create, which is rooted in an appreciation of games as an art form. So far, iOS games seem to be split down the middle, with very little intermingling of the two approaches. On one hand, you have mobile games with no purpose outside of high scores and cutesy graphics. On the other, you have items such as The Pantheon Cycle: Shrouded Aspect, in which the focus is on a quality game with an artistic foundation. In-depth mobile games aren’t always to be preferred, but if you enjoy RPGs, this might be a good choice.

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Publisher: E. McNeill
Developer: E. McNeill
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, .NET 4 Framework, XNA 4 Redistributable, Windows Media Player, 1024×768 or higher monitor resolution
Genre: Strategy
ESRB rating: Not rated at press time
Release date: Available now

The problem with large publishers and some of the more prominent development studios is that, despite having the know-how and the resources to make great games, they often prove themselves to have lost touch with the common man. When forced to choose between the reasonable and the unreasonable (but popular with the ignorant shareholders), they tend to reliably go for the latter. The result is a slew of otherwise easily avoidable problems for the end users, which in turn pushes people towards unsavory acts such as piracy. All of this is yet another good reason to look closely at the indie scene, which, while having smaller budgets, is arguably more creative and certainly friendlier to the consumer.

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Publisher: Paramount Digital Interactive
Developer: Behaviour Interactive
Genre: Action-Adventure
ESRB rating: Everyone 10+
Release date: Available now

Who would’ve thought that a movie was going to have a video game based on it? Today it just seems like the norm that a game will be developed because a film is made. Problems seem to spawn because the film industry and the video-game industry use two different media to entertain. Sometimes you get a great movie and a terrible game that follows. Let us take a look at a video game based on the animated film Rango, and see if it falls in the category of forgettable.

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Publisher: Trion Worlds
Developer: Trion Worlds
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7; 2.0 GHz Dual Core or better CPU; 2 GB RAM; 15 GB hard-drive space; Nvidia GeForce FX 5900, ATI/AMD Radeon X300, Intel GMA X4500 or better graphics card; DirectX 8.1-compatible sound card; DirectX 9.0c with June 2010 update; broadband Internet connection
Genre: MMORPG
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now

I have a long-time love of the MMO genre as a whole. When I get the opportunity to review an MMO, I often find myself wondering if the game I’m looking at is going to be the one that ends up sapping all my willpower to engage in a social life. Often times I get pretty lucky and I get a nice time sink for a week or two; other times I find myself immersed in the world set before me. I can count on one hand how many times the latter has ever happened to me, and now I’m proud to say I can no longer use that reference in my gaming career. While following Rift during its development, I found myself intrigued by the art and the idea behind it all. After 10 days of playing, I found myself wondering if maybe this game was just a shiny new change from my usual haunts, but with every login I find some new quirk I enjoy that keeps me interested. For 19 days I’ve been wrapped up in Rift, the new MMORPG from developer Trion Worlds, exploring the world before me as a spoony Bard, finding something exciting every day.

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Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: BioWare
Genre: RPG
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

Life isn’t easy in Ferelden. Civil war, the Blight, and Landsmeet politics have nearly torn it apart, and while we were formerly privy to the palace drama and inner workings of the highest echelons of the country’s seats of power, there are other stories to be told. In Dragon Age: Origins there was a small village that players passed through during their first steps on the road to becoming the Hero. The village itself was little more than a rest stop on the road, but there were people there, the everyday kind that could care less about whose butt warmed the throne. After the would-be Hero left the village, the people there were all but forgotten, and mentioned only briefly later on as a footnote, when it was announced that the village of Lothering had been razed by the Darkspawn. It is toward these people that the BioWare writers have turned their attention when crafting their story for Dragon Age II.

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Publisher: Activision
Developer: Beenox
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, Intel Core 2 Duo 2.6 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ or better CPU, GeForce 7800 or Radeon X1800 (w/256 MB of video RAM) or better graphics card, 1 GB of RAM, 14 GB of uncompressed hard-drive space
Genre: Action
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now

“Four parallel worlds, one unparalleled adventure.” The blurb on a box cover has never been so accurate. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is one of the best, if not the best, Spider-Man games ever. Of course, for those who’ve read my other reviews, “Beenox strikes again” is equally apt; these are the same developers responsible for Transformers: War for Cybertron. This time, however, they’re bringing us a tale involving not one, but four different versions of an iconic character that recently celebrated his 50th anniversary.

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Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Eugen Systems
Genre: RTS
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now

The world war RTS genre is a crowded one in the PC community, but not so for consoles. The PC’s keyboard and mouse combination make for an ideal control scheme for this type of game, but sometimes the console versions get it right, too. R.U.S.E., developed by Eugen Systems, is the rare console RTS that actually controls really well.

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Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Genre: Shooter
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

In a year when seemingly every new release is a sequel, it’s tough to get excited about some upcoming games. Some sequels fail to capture the magic of their predecessors, while others outshine them. Killzone 3, by Guerrilla Games, is a first-person shooter sequel to the smash 2009 hit Killzone 2. Does it rise to meet the challenge? Or does it belong on the bottom of your already towering sequel pile?

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Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Developer: Arrowhead Game Studios
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, 2.4 GHz Pentium IV or AMD 3500+ or better CPU, 2 GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce 8800/ATI Radeon X1900 or better graphics card, DirectX-compatible sound card, DirectX 9, 2 GB hard-drive space
Genre: RPG
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now

Every once in awhile, a game comes along that combines creative mechanics with solid storytelling and excellent programming (Morrowind comes to mind). They are games that we, as gamers, take seriously. However, occasionally a game gives us creative gameplay and uses it as a platform for humor. Dungeon Keeper and its sequel are the best examples of this. It is in this tradition of good gaming and humor that Arrowhead Game Studios has created Magicka, a game that incorporates numerous pop-culture references. Magicka strives to provide an absurd, and yet heroic, RPG-lite narrative, and couples it with a detailed system for using magic.

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Publisher: Zen Studios
Developer: Zen Studios

Originally published in June 2010, reprinted for additional content

Those of you who love mini-golf, but suffer from some condition that prevents you from actually playing the game, rejoice! Zen Studios has brought Planet MiniGolf to the Playstation Network.  For only $9.99 (plus tax), you too can avoid enduring summer weather and even the mildest form of exercise.

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Publisher: The Learning Company
Developer: The Learning Company
System requirements: Not available
Genre: Puzzle
ESRB rating: Not rated
Release date: Available now

If you’re the type of gamer who vomits at the thought of Facebook apps being considered as legitimate games, run. Run far away. Actually, wait, stay here a while. Maybe we can be convinced to give these apps a chance. As far as I can tell, Facebook games only have one major strike against them: they encourage all your annoying FB friends to send you an overwhelming amount of app requests. Facebook games are developed entirely for profit, but they are free and can offer a decent level of entertainment. Facebook’s Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? adheres closely to its origins as a 1980s computer game, but brings with it a social media twist packed with plenty of entertainment.

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Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Developer: 1C Company
System Requirements: Windows 2000/XP/Vista; 2 GHz dual core processor; 1 GB RAM; 4 GB free hard drive space; 512 MB, PS 2.0, GeForce 6800GTX or better; DirectX-compatible sound card; DirectX 9.0c; 3-button Mouse or keyboard; Internet connection for multiplayer component
Genre: RTS
ESRB rating: Teen
Release date: Available now

1C must be making money from the Majesty franchise, as they have released yet another expansion. This time, the king (you) and your Sean-Connery-talking advisor are kicked out of power by your own people, leaving you with little option but to make alliances with those monsters you’ve spent the last few expansions fighting. Majesty 2: Monster Kingdom sees you take the reins of leadership once more, raising a horde of goblins, rat-men, and liches to facilitate your return to power. In other words, it’s time to be the bad guy.

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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

Earlier in my review of The Silver Lining: I went through Episode 1 nearly unscathed, but then braved Episode 2 and got pretty scathed. That’s pretty much what happened. The good thing is that now, with the third installment pitted against me, I don’t have to worry about writing of things like graphics, voice acting, and mechanics. I already covered them all, and unless some drastic change occurs in future episodes, assume that whatever I said in previous reviews still holds true. This frees me up to talk about some of the finer points of Episode 3, so here we go.

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Publisher: Telltale Games
Developer: Telltale Games
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, 1.8 GHz Pentium IV or equivalent CPU, 256 MB graphics card, 2 GB RAM, DirectX 9.0c, sound card
Genre: Adventure
ESRB rating: Not rated at press time
Release date: Available now

It’s back in time once again for teen time traveler Marty McFly and inventor Doc Brown as developer Telltale continues their first season of Back to the Future adventures. In Episode 2, Get Tannen!, things seem to have been put right again after the end of Episode 1, but Marty and Doc soon discover that they forgot something during their last trip to 1931.

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