Publisher: PopCap
Developer: PopCap
System requirements: Windows 2000/XP/Vista, 512 MB RAM, 1.2 GHz CPU, DirectX 8
Genre: Strategy
Release date: Available now

Gardening has never really been a dangerous pastime. You get the occasional insect bite, maybe you even stab yourself with the pruning shears. But nowhere on the Home and Garden channel do they tell you how to raise plants to be offensive weapons. Developer PopCap has recognized this as a situation to be remedied, so they have created Plants vs. Zombies, a goofy but addictive tower-defense variation that pits you and your arborial artillery against hordes of the shambling undead.

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Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Developer: Nitro Games
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista, 1.6 GHz Intel Pentium CPU or equivalent, 1 GB RAM (2 gb for Vista), 128 MB DirectX 9.0c-compatible video card with Pixel Shader 2.0, DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound card, 6 GB hard-drive space, 4X DVD-ROM drive, Internet connection for multiplayer
Genre: Historical RTS
Release date: July 28, 2009

When shooter fans like me play strategy games, we soon discover that we have to use parts of our brains that have gone without exercise for a long time. There are resources to gather, units to build, budgets to consider; a tough assignment for those of us who are used to pointing and shooting to get our video-game kicks. Such is the case with Nitro Games and Paradox’s historical RTS East India Company, a handsome and involving game that suffers from just enough annoying quirks to threaten its considerable fun factor.

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Publisher: N3V Publishing
Developer: Auran Games
System requirements: Windows XP SP2 or Vista SP1, 2.2 ghz Intel Pentium IV or Athlon XP CPU, 64 mb graphics card supporting DirectX 9.0, 1 gb RAM, 2.55 gb hard-drive space, DirectX 9-compatible sound card, DVD-ROM drive, Internet connection
Genre: Simulation
Release date: Available Now

At some point in our lives we’ve all been to a function or a store that had a model train set on display. The insane amount of detail that goes into such a labor of love is always a mesmerizing sight, and even though we were essentially watching a toy circle the track over and over again, we still watched, completely enthralled, and perhaps even considered the thought of building our own H.O. scale haven at home. Yet, not all of us have the real estate to allow for a 200-square-foot re-creation of Gary, Ind. That’s where Trainz Simulator 2009 comes in.

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Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Powerhead
Genre: Pet Simulator
Release date: Available now

As a man who strives to avoid giving the impression of decency, there is very little I find morally abhorrent. Still, I’m a lover of both animals and the English language, and when I rule the world, two crimes will still be punishable by death: dressing animals in human clothing, and pluralizing words with a “z” instead of an “s.” Alas, I am yet a humble journalist, so I tried to approach Petz Fashion: Dogz & Catz with as little bias as possible.

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Publisher: The Adventure Company
Developer: Frogwares
System requirements: Windows XP SP2/Vista, Intel Celeron 2.0/AMD Athlon XP 1900+ or better CPU, 512 mb RAM, 128 mb DirectX 9-compatible video card, DirectX 9-compatible sound card, DirectX 9 or higher, 4X DVD-ROM drive, 3 gb hard drive space
Genre: Adventure
Release date: Available now

Solving crimes is hard work. The answers don’t just come to you out of the blue, as in the movies or TV. You’ve got to be willing to do the dirty work, follow leads that don’t seem to mean anything, manipulate sources, deceive the authorities. Or so it would seem after playing The Adventure Company and Frogwares’ PC detective thriller Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper. But the real question is not whether all of that is really true, but rather will you be able to stay interested long enough to solve the case?

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Publisher: Ignition Entertainment
Developer: AQ Interactive
Genre: Puzzle/Action Adventure
Release Date: Available Now

The Nintendo DS is the highest-selling console worldwide, with a catalog that boasts some of the most unique titles available anywhere. The uniqueness of these games doesn’t guarantee that they are good or even worth playing, but there are some, however, that get lost in the mix and could be worth a look just for their fun gameplay and sheer charm. Boing! Docomodake is a stand-out game that might be too unusual to get a great reception from gamers. So what exactly is it that makes Boing! Docomodake different (besides its title)?

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Publisher: cdv Software Entertainment
Developer: Ascaron Entertainment
System requirements: Windows XP SP3 or Vista SP1, 2.6 ghz Intel Pentium IV or Athlon XP CPU, 256 mb graphics card supporting DirectX 9.0 and Pixel Shader 2.0, 1 gb RAM, 20 gb hard drive, DirectX 9-compatible sound card, DVD-ROM drive, Internet connection
Genre: RPG
Release date: Available now

I feel sorry for those that have a “loot addiction.” It’s RPGs like Sacred 2: Fallen Angel that prey on the compulsive collector’s already depraved mind, sapping it of any remaining rational thought. RPGers across the globe feel this ache, and be it a large-scale affair like World of Warcraft or a more solitary medium, there’s no denying that killing en masse and accessorizing oneself has a certain addictive appeal. Is there help? I’m afraid not. The loot monger will never stop until the level cap is reached, or the next big offering is released.

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Publisher: City Interactive
Developer: City Interactive
System Requirements: Windows XP\Vista, DirectX 9.0, 1.6 ghz CPU, 512 mb RAM, 64 mb DirectX-compatible video card, DirectX-compatible sound card, 4 gb hard-drive space, DVD-ROM drive
Genre: Adventure
Release date: Available Now

Having a bad day at the office? Fax machine eating your documents? This is nowhere near as bad as being a federal agent hunting a serial killer. City Interactive’s Art of Murder: Hunt for the Puppeteer gives us a chance to experience what it’s like to be a G-man (or woman).

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Publisher: 1C Publishing
Developer: Aspyr
Minimum requirements: Windows XP/Vista; Intel Pentium 4/AMD Athlon XP; 1 GB RAM; nVidia GeForce 7800/ATI Radeon x1800; 6 GB hard disk space
Genre: FPS
Release date: Available now

For months I have been looking forward to the release of Cryostasis, from Russian developer Aspyr and publisher 1C. Clearly deviating sharply from the standard characteristics of modern shooters, Cryostasis is a horror-oriented FPS in many ways reminiscent of Frictional Games’ Penumbra series in terms of its overall tone and its combination of puzzle-solving and shooting action. It also has been highly publicized as a state-of-the-art implementation of nVidia’s PhysX physics engine’s capabilities.

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Publisher: THQ
Developer: Relic
Minimum requirements: Windows XP or Vista; SSE capable processor, 2.0 Ghz Intel Pentium IV or equivalent or AMD Athlon XP or equivalent; 512 MB RAM, 1GB MB RAM required for Vista; DirectX 9.0c compatible 64MB video card with Pixel Shader 1.1 support or equivalent and latest manufacturer drivers
Genre: RTS
Release date: Available now

Having missed the original Company of Heroes when it was first released, I was pleased to get a chance to play the newest expansion, Tales of Valor, as the original got such good press. Still set in World War II, it follows the military exploits of both Allied and Axis units in the weeks and months following D-Day. While there are a few new units and gameplay features, the expansion focuses primarily on some new single player missions and multiplayer modes.

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Publisher: Tale of Tales
Developer: Tale of Tales
Minimum requirements: Windows XP or Vista; 2 GHz CPU; 2 GB RAM; 256 MB Radeon or Geforce video card of at least x6xx type (integrated video cards are not supported)
Genre: Action/Horror
Release date: Available now

It’s not too often that one finds a game so quick to lie to you from the outset. We’re accustomed to following some sort of rule-set in games, so when you play one that issues a failing grade for just doing what you’re told; you rear back a bit in surprise. This is exactly what happened to me the first time I played The Path, a pseudo horror/action offering from oddball publisher, Tale of Tales.

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Publisher: Chronic Logic
Developer: Chronic Logic
Minimum requirements: Java and Win98/ME/2000/XP/Vista/OSX/Linux
Genre: Strategy
Release date: Available now

When you have been involved with playing strategy games as long as I have, including those old school Avalon Hill table top box sets from what seems like the distant past, it is easy to forget that aside from all the bells and whistles you can find in games today, there are some very basic structures and formulas that contribute to a successful game. When you strip away cool graphics, immersive audio and plausible plotlines, strategy gamers are really looking for games that provide a wide range of strategic options. The more complicated and nuanced those options are, the more a gamer can get out of a game. Zatikon is a turn-based strategy game that successfully provides the nuanced strategic gameplay for which gamers are looking.

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Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Developer: 1C Company
Minimum requirements: Windows XP; 2.4 GHz Pentium IV or AMD 3500+ 2.2Ghz; 1 GB RAM; nVidia GF 6800 or ATI Radeon R850XT 256 video card; DirectX-compatible sound card; 3 GB of free hard drive space; DirectX 9.0c
Genre: Turn-Based Strategy
Release date: Available now

Odds are you’ll never see me sit down to play a hex-based strategy game of my own accord, yet I find that as more of them are assigned to me, the more my aversion to them subsides. With that personal aside out of the way, I’ll say that while not ideal, Elven Legacy does further whet my appetite for geometrically based strategy. Maybe these kinds of games aren’t so bad after all…

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Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Romania
Genre: Action
Release date: Available now
Review by: Ryan Asher

The Tom Clancy brand is dominating the ground war with its impressive Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six series, and now it’s looking for air superiority with HAWX. In HAWX, you trade in your MP5 for a seat in the cockpits of some of the nastiest fighter jets in the world. I think you’ll agree that it’s a pretty decent trade once you make the sound barrier your “female dog” for the first time.

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Publisher: Mommy’s Best Games
Developer: Mommy’s Best Games
Genre: Side Scrolling Shooter
Release date: Available now
Review by: Christopher J. Troilo

The age of home gaming was revolutionized by the NES, and most owners had a few staple titles in their collection. If the mood struck you to run-and-gun your way through endless bad guys and aliens, then most likely you were popping in the all-time classic, Contra. While the age of shoot-em-up 8-bit games is long gone, there are still some trying to improve upon their designs and introduce their brand of fun to a new generation of players, which is where Weapon of Choice comes in.

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