007 Blood Stone

Description: There's one James Bond game coming out this year that's got 007 fans cocking their golden guns in anticipation. Then there's Blood Stone 007. While Wii and DS owners are being treated to a re-imagining of one of the most beloved console shooters of all time in GoldenEye 007, PC-owning Bond fans have to make do with a consolation prize in the form of a third-person shooter from Project Gotham Racing makers, Bizarre Creations. And as far as consolation prizes go, this is about as comforting as an open-mouthed kiss from Dame Judi Dench.

Star Wars The Force Unleashed II

Description: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed IIis immediately engaging. It's strikingly beautiful, with fantastic vistas and superb character animations. Sadly though, its pretty face can only carry it so far when the rest of the game is comparatively weak. Repetitious combat and level designs, a shoe-horned in story, and a lack of depth to the experience overall keep this from being anything more than an adventure for the most hardcore of fans.

Gears OF War_Winner of 30+ Game of the Year Awards!

Description: Few games deliver the frenetic, blood-soaked thrills of brutal close-quarters combat like Epic's Gears of War. Since its release on Microsoft's Xbox 360 last November, gamers have been gibbing gleefully in the game's online arena and co-operative modes, and now PC gamers can get in on the action. Taking place from a third-person perspective, Gears moves away from straightforward shooter gameplay by implementing a cover system, forcing players to take a slightly more thoughtful approach than they may be used to in action games. What it offers in terms of engrossing, satisfying combat sequences thankfully outweighs some of its faults, including an absurdly inadequate narrative and occasionally frustrating controls.

Medal of Honor 2010

Description: Operating directly under the National Command Authority, a relatively unknown entity of handpicked warriors are called on when the mission must not fail. They are the Tier 1 Operators.
Over 2 million Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines wear the uniform. Of those, approximately 50 thousand fall under the direct control of the Special Operations Command. The Tier 1 Operator functions on a plane of existence above and beyond even the most highly trained Special Operations Forces. Their exact numbers, while classified, hover in the low hundreds. They are living, breathing, precision instruments of war. They are experts in the application of violence. The new Medal of Honor is inspired by and has been developed with Tier 1 Operators from this elite community. Players will step into the boots of these warriors and apply their unique skill sets to a new enemy in the most unforgiving and hostile battlefield conditions of present day Afghanistan.

Lost Planet 2

Description: A decade has passed since the events of Lost Planet, and the face of E.D.N. III has changed dramatically. Terraforming efforts have been successful and the ice has begun to melt, giving way to lush tropical jungles and harsh unforgiving deserts. Players will enter this new environment and follow the exploits of their own customized snow pirate on their quest to seize control of the changing planet.
Players control their heroes across 6 interconnected episodes, creating a truly unique interactive experience that changes depending upon the actions of the players involved. With this concept, players will have the opportunity to engage in the story in a much more dynamic way as plot threads evolve from different players' perspectives. Beyond the deep single player mode, Lost Planet 2 is loaded with extensive multiplayer modes.

Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising

Description: After the victory on Typhoon, you might expect things to settle down a bit for the Blood Ravens. But if you did, you obviously don't know how things work in the world of Warhammer 40k. Before the dust has even settled on the last game, Relic's offering up a new chapter that brings them into direct conflict with the dreaded Chaos Marines. This time around the Chaos Marines have burst back onto the scene in grand, Warhammer style. The sudden appearance of a new planet from the Warp, the slow corruption of the forces of good and the ubiquitous giant demons are all on hand for this grand chapter in the history of the Blood Ravens.

Far Cry 2

Description: After spending somewhere around 25 hours getting through Far Cry 2's single-player campaign, there was one question I couldn't quite answer: why is this game called Far Cry? The sequel, developed by Ubisoft Montreal, retains nearly nothing from Crytek's 2004 original or from the Xbox and Xbox 360's Instincts and Predator derivations. The story doesn't carry over, the characters aren't the same, there's no mention at all of Jack Carver, there are no mutagens, no feral powers, and no Trigens. Instead, it's a struggle between warring factions, called the APR and UFLL, in an unnamed African nation.

Front Mission Evolved

Description: I came into Front Mission Evolved knowing nothing about it. I hadn't previewed it, I wasn't up on the franchise to this point, and I honestly wasn't even sure what type of game I was getting into. Now that I'm done with the title, I know plenty, but if you want me to boil it down for you right off the bat: Front Mission Evolved is just an uninspired game that'll only appeal to the hardcore mech-heads out there.

FIFA 11

Description: Play on until the final whistle with the 2011 edition of EA's officially-licensed FIFA game series. FIFA Soccer 11 delivers a true soccer experience with authentic club and leagues licenses and gameplay refinements and innovations that combine to create the complete soccer simulation. The physics-based, data-driven technology behind the EA Sports soccer engine has been optimized for PC. Experience unprecedented freedom on the pitch with individuality of player control and movement, sophisticated ball touches, and physical interaction between players.

Darksiders

Description: Darksiders plays smoothly, looks sharp, sounds great, and provides about 15 hours of single-player content. There's lots of gear to collect, weapons to upgrade, combos to learn, and special items to find. There's a range of enemy-rich environments, puzzle dungeons and reasons to backtrack. All seems to be in order for a standout gaming experience, but I felt a few elements of the game limit the range of its entertainment value.

Dead Rising 2

Description: Dead Rising 2 is good. Very good, in fact. I felt like I needed to get that out right away. See, a few weeks ago I previewed the first two days of the game, and I found a title that was chugging in spots, suffering from really long loads, and generally not performing like a game that was about to come out. I reported that Capcom said it was aware of the issues and working to fix them, but even I rolled my eyes at the idea of the company getting everything in line for launch day. Well, it's not perfect and it is rough around the edges here and there, but Dead Rising 2 is definitely a winner.

Sid Meier's Civilization V

Description: Civilization has no campaign, instead it simply allows the players to create a world of their devising and jump right into it either by themselves or with others in multiplayer. The biggest choice a player will make is what civilization they're going to play. Each civilization is led by a great leader from history, and gets a few special benefits and units, so its' important to consider what type of victory you're out to achieve before setting your nationality. For instance the French get cultural bonuses that give them a huge bonus towards a cultural victory, while playing Germany will give players access to powerful military units like the Panzer tank that can aid in taking over the world by force. Of course you can always pick a military-focused leader and take them on a route towards a cultural victory, but this will also present a greater challenge.

 

Arcania: Gothic IV

Description: Arcania is a Fantasy Action game set in a rich world where an entire kingdom’s future is at stake Build your strength and learn the skills needed to become a hero as you challenge a mighty king and uncover his dark secrets. Travel through a land of different climate zones, abundant flora and fauna, subterranean vaults, and unique towns and castles where clouds darken the skies, weather effects such as wind and heavy rain influence an endlessly fascinating game world, day and night cycles, and a stunning display of light and shadow. As you battle the monsters and villains of the land and meet a host of unique characters, will you be able to right the King’s wrongdoings and, above all, what choices will lead you there?

Bully: Scholarship Edition

Description: In keeping with the successful Grand Theft Auto approach, Bully is largely a one-note affair, focusing on the standard cliches and stereotypes that have been used in countless shows, movies, books and video games. From the very beginning, you see the jocks, the greasers, the nerds and the preps and you pretty much know where it's all going to go. Throw in a wino in a Santa suit, a nauseating cafeteria lady, and the obligatory tyrannical principal, and you've got a game that tries to thwart convention so hard that it just winds up conforming to it. In the end, you get the sense that Jimmy's crusade on behalf on the nerds of Bullworth Academy is really nothing more than an excuse to run around kicking people in the nuts.

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The Saboteur

Description: Inspired by a true story, The Saboteur stars Sean Devlin, a street-tough Irish race car driver trapped behind enemy lines in 1940s Nazi-occupied France. Motivated by personal revenge, Sean fights, climbs, and races through open-world Paris, sneaking into the heart of the Nazi operations and sabotaging their every move. With the help of the French Resistance, the British intelligence, an arsenal of weaponry, street smarts and brawn, players will exact revenge on those who aim to destroy Seans life.

Splinter Cell CONVICTION

Description: Splinter Cell: Conviction chronicles the latest adventures of Splinter Cell protagonist Sam Fisher. Cohen & Nielsen's suspenseful score accompanies Fisher's calculated steps as the gameplay unfolds. “It's the most definitive music I have heard to date for the series. I would go so far to call it 'classic Splinter Cell,' ” says Simon Pressey, Ubisoft Montreal’s Technical & Artistic Director of Audio.

Groove Addicts' Zarin concurs, ”We are ecstatic to be involved with this incredible Ubisoft AAA franchise. The fact that this is our first game says a lot about the caliber of music we at Groove Addicts work so very hard to deliver everyday. Michael Nielsen and Kaveh Cohen have a rare knack to consistently create great music in a timely manner, with our clients’ vision in mind.”

Vin Diesel WHEELMAN

Description: Starring Vin Diesel as the Wheelman, you’re on the run from the mafia in the U.S. and returning to Barcelona, a place where you have a dark past and criminal gangs infest the city. It’s your job to set the factions against each other to cover a daring heist. With a focus on over-the-top, intense vehicle combat, build your reputation by undertaking missions, taking part in challenging events, all the while looking to pull off stylish, extreme driving stunts.

VIN DIESEL IS THE WHEELMAN The main character features the voice and likeness of action film megastar Vin Diesel. Possessing superior skills behind the wheel he also has physical prowess in hand-to-hand combat.

Prototype

Description: PROTOTYPE delivers a fresh take on open-world games, with key features separating the game from the rest of the pack, including the anti-hero main character Alex Mercer and his deadly shape-shifting abilities, a stunning representation of New York City circa 2008 as the backdrop, and ‘Deceive or Destroy’ gameplay allowing players the choice to either blend in with the population or fully unleash Alex’s deadly powers. With Radical Entertainment behind the wheel using their innovative ‘Titanium’ game engine, and touting a catalogue of successful titles including the highly acclaimed The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, Simpsons Hit & Run and others, PROTOTYPE is aligned to be the ground-breaking open-world/action experience gamers have been waiting for.

Saints Row 2

Description: The sandbox just got a lot bigger! Featuring a totally transformed and expanded city of Stillwater, Saints Row 2 offers all new locations to explore with new vehicles, including motorcycles, boats, helicopters and planes.
The explosive conclusion to Saints Row has left the player wounded, betrayed and thirsty for revenge, and now it's time to take back the city that has forgotten him. Set years after the original Saints Row, this sequel follow the first open-world title on "next generation" consoles in a world both familiar and strange. It features brand new customization options, including gender, age, voice, crib and gang customization. In addition, Saints Row 2 is playable online in 2-player co-op through the entire single-player campaign.

Mafia II

Description: From the developers of the award-winning Mafia comes Mafia II, a beautifully crafted look into the dark and unforgiving world of the Mob. Expanding upon the original hit that captivated more than 2 million gamers around the world, 2K Czech takes players deeper into the Mafia with a mature and exciting experience that will immerse players like never before..

Powered by 2K Czech’s next-generation engine built specifically for Mafia II, players will experience the true evolution of the Mob game that defined a genre. Gunfights, hand-to-hand combat and vehicular exploration feature new depth and dimension that allow players to experience the world of Mafia II in a way that will keep them coming back for more.

Kane & Lynch_2 Dog Days

Description: Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is a raw and brutal crime shooter designed to take players on an even more intense story experience, following two of gaming's most disturbed criminals, through the gritty Shanghai underworld. Introducing a new visual experience, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is inspired by documentary filmmakers and the user-generated era. Every aspect of the game has been designed to deliver a fresh perspective to the words 'intensity' and 'realism' in video games.

Transformers War FOR Cybertron

Description: Transformers: War for Cybertron is an origins story, taking players on a gripping, adrenaline-fueled journey that precedes the TRANSFORMERS characters’ arrival on Earth,” said Rob Kostich, head of marketing, licensed products, Activision Publishing, Inc. “The game transports players to a living, metallic planet where they will battle as giant converting robots in single player, online co-op or head-to-head multiplayer matches that are fully immersive from start to finish.

Transformers Revenge OF the Fallen

Description: The fate of the earth and the survival of the human race hang in the balance in the TransformersTM: Revenge of the Fallen video game from Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI). Based on Hasbro's legendary TRANSFORMERS property and the most anticipated blockbuster film of 2009 from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures in association with Hasbro, the game propels players straight into an adrenaline-pumping battle for supremacy across the globe where every second and every choice makes the difference between mankind's salvation and annihilation.

Left 4 Dead 2

Description: The title adds melee combat to enable deeper co-operative gameplay, with items such as a chainsaw, frying pan, axe, baseball bat, and more. A large part of how Left 4 Dead became 2008’s top-selling new IP on Xbox 360 and the PC was the custom-tailored gameplay made possible by the AI Director,” said Gabe Newell, president and co-founder of Valve. “With the knowledge gained from creating the original, new technology, and a passionate team, L4D2 will set a new benchmark for cooperative action games.