Reviews by gamers of the top 40 PC computer games updated monthly.

JANUARY 2008

PC Games - Reviews of the Top 40 Best and New PC Games

PLEASE CLICK ANY PIC OR TITLE TO BUY

Many bad things about this title and performance isn't one of them for me as it runs fine.

Bad:
Radial menus are gone.

No more quick chat options like greetings and goodbye.

Campaign is linear.

No exploration as there are no longer any area transitions. Go to world map, click area, fight in small area, go to world map, continue over and over.

Toolset is not intuitive and frustrating to use. If you think NWN's was difficult this one is much worse. NWN's is far superior in ease of use.

There are very few tile sets and they lack what NWN's have.

They used the same character sound sets as NWN but they're worse.

Camera edge scrolling is too slow to use effectively. There is no way to adjust edge scrolling.

Chase camera is useless underground because walls obstruct view. Neverwinter Nights 2 is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

Cannot put 2 weapons or shield and weapon on quick slot - Dual Wield

Cannot unequip a weapon using quick slot. It must be done manually from the inventory screen.

Hardly any monsters. They used different colors or just renamed some monsters with the same model. The first part of the campaign is just fighting dwarfs. No Minotaurs, Hobgoblins, only 2 dragons.

No rideable horses which NWN has.

DM client is beta as they planned not to add one even though the 1st has it

Large persistent worlds are gone because of huge memory requirements (Developer's own words) This is probably why it shipped with D&D online a pay per month subscription

Don't ask me how but there is lag in offline play

Non-stop cutscenes

Poor animations

No more character portraits

Hardly any variation in armor, weapons, clothing, items, etc - Falls way short of NWN

Graphics are better than NWN but mediocre when compared to other current titles. Frame rates are worse than titles with better graphics!

Obsidian dropped the ball on this one. They have not listened to the large NWN following and have implemented what they want, not the customer.

If you're thinking about buying, it is more like Baldur's Gate than NWN. Even the "You have been waylaid by enemies," on the world map is back. If you like Icewind Dale or Baldur's Gate you'll probably like this.

Neverwinter Nights it is not.

If you own NWN stick with it, if you like the sound of this type game buy NWN Diamond edition. It is far superior to NWN2.

Medieval II: Total War PC Game $45

Over the course of three Total War games, developer Creative Assembly has managed to bring the historical world to life in a very unique way. Total War games differ from your traditional real-time strategy game as they blend a turn-based strategic layer with epic real-time battles that make you feel like a real general. 

After covering feudal Japan, medieval Europe, and ancient Rome, Creative Assembly returns back to Europe for Medieval 2: Total War. 

This new Medieval shares just as much with 2004's Rome: Total War as it does with the original Medieval. The old, Risk-style strategic map of the original game has been replaced with the living, breathing world map that was introduced in Rome, and the beautiful 3D graphics engine is even more stunning in Medieval 2. Still, the core idea remains the same. 

You can take command of a historical European faction, such as France, England, the Holy Roman Empire, and more, in an era when total war was often the only means of diplomacy. Each nation has long and short campaign objectives, so if you want the epic, challenging game, aim for the longer campaign, but if you want a more realistic and more historically accurate goal, then go for the shorter campaign. Medieval II Total War is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

We took command of England and went for the short campaign, which requires you to crush France and Scotland, which is what happened in real life (at least, until Joan of Arc reared her head.) The longer campaign, though, requires you to conquer a huge chunk of Europe and Jerusalem. Still, if you want to try to take on all of Europe, go ahead.

As always in Total War, there are none of the resource-gathering mechanics that you encounter in a lot of strategy games. In this game, territory is the resource, and you must seize territory to grow your kingdom and your overall economy. You build up cities and raise armies on the strategic map, and then march them off to battle. And if you want to play Medieval 2 as just a turn-based strategy game, you can, by having the computer automatically calculate the results of each battle. But if you want to crush someone under your boot, you can direct those battles yourself.

There's a deeper sense of strategy now, as you have more options that you can draw upon. For instance, in previous Total Wars you could always try to plant spies in cities to see what the defenses consisted of. In Medieval 2, you can still plant those spies, but you might also want to try to get the spy to open the gates for you if you attack the city. It's a logical extension for the spy, and the game manages to add this without adding to the complexity of the gameplay. In another change, princesses seem to have a lot more versatility than before. For instance, in Medieval you could marry them only to your generals or foreign princes, but in Medieval 2, you have a lot more flexibility as you can try to marry them to a foreign general and attempt to subvert him that way.

In Medieval, almost every territory could be built up to contain a mighty fortress and a huge city. In Medieval 2, you can select to have either a city or a castle in each territory. The difference is key: Cities can generate huge revenue to fill your tax coffers, but they're not so good for defense or building up armies quickly. On the other hand, castles are great for defense, but they generate far less revenue because the economy is centered inside the walls of the castle. 

So, it makes sense to have your border territories build up castles, while your inner, protected territories can have cities. Of course, if you expand your kingdom, what used to be the border will become the interior, but the good news is that you can convert cities to castles and vice versa--though there is a price to this, so it's not something you're going to want to do repeatedly.

The diplomatic options have been bulked up considerably since the original Medieval. Before, you could only make or break alliances with other factions, but now you can really get involved in the horse trading, so to speak. You can now make offers and counteroffers, and you can put various things on the table, like bribes both monetary and personal (like, say, offering up a princess for marriage.) That's not all; you can also really mess around with the papal election process. If you're getting sick of the pope excommunicating your faction, you can try to play the system and get your man elected pope.

If you've been playing the recently released single-player demo, then you've already gotten a taste of the real-time battles in the game. At first glance, the graphics engine doesn't look all that different from that of Rome: Total War, though you can tell there is a lot more detail. Things get even better when you zoom in and examine your troops, though, as the clone armies of Rome (in which soldiers looked completely identical) is gone, and there's now an astonishing amount of detail and variation to the ranks. The animations have also been improved considerably, and you'll see soldiers fighting for their lives in duels or swordfights, or knights on horses trampling men underfoot.

Some of the more epic fights kick in when you lay siege to or besiege a city or castle. Sieges are a lot more challenging than before; we attacked a fairly small walled town with a siege tower, only to see the defenders burn it down (along with the accompanying infantry) using fire arrows. The fight got even more hectic as men in ladders stormed the walls and fought atop the ramparts, though we finally managed to get the upper hand once the ram had busted down the gate and the mounted knights rode through. The carnage was impressive, and one of the grislier (and cooler) aspects of Total War is seeing the hundreds of bodies strewn around the battlefield.

We also like other parts of Medieval 2's presentation, as the game manages to bring back a cool feature from the past. If you played Shogun: Total War, the first game in the series, then you may remember the cool event movies that cropped up whenever, for instance, you ordered a spy to assassinate a general. If the spy succeeded, you'd see a cool ninja like attack, but if the spy failed you often saw a debacle that bordered on slapstick. The only problem with these movies, though, is that they destroyed the pace of the game, since Shogun had to pause while movies were loaded and unloaded. 

That's maybe why we never saw equivalent movies in the original Medieval or in Rome. The good news is that the movies are back in Medieval 2, and they load up instantly whenever an event happens, so they don't detract from the pace of the gameplay. These new movies are fun to watch, and some are downright moving, particularly the wedding scenes.

We really like the evolutionary advancements in the gameplay, and the graphics update is very welcome considering the dated 2D battle sprites of the original game. This is a huge game with lots to discover in it.

1701 A.D. PC Game $40

Having enjoyed the previous two games in the series, I was surprised and pleased to find a third just released. I immediately clicked the pic above and scooped it up. What a shame it hasn't been better promoted, at least in North America. Like the first two, it's another classic in the making.

The graphics are high quality and enchanting. A large brilliant color palette was used in everything from the buildings to the stunning landscaping.

There is a large variety of buildings available with some carry-over in style from the previous games. Meticulous detail has always been the hallmark of Sunflower games. They absolutely lived up to that here. Also there is much more emphasis on production than providing services. The amount of goods available for production or purchase is staggering.

The interface is relatively minimal and quite intuitive. I found the setting of trade routes easy to organize. There was some "green/red" confusion as to which goods were indicated as in demand or for sale, or to be loaded or unloaded. With some help on the forums that was clarified and the rest was fairly simple. 1701 A. D. is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

The construction menu was well-organized and easy to access. I would have liked to see road construction be a separate option. There was no undo button, although you could set the option for demolish to return the entire construction cost.

I found the Free Trader and his VERY lucrative assignments a bit unbalancing, but he would be very helpful in getting past the learning curve without having to restart your city or cheating. This option can be turned off or ignored later.

The research trees were quite comprehensive, with separate trees for the school and university. It was not always clear how to apply research benefits and upgrades to your mines or production facilities. Thankfully there was not too much micromanagement required as the game itself can move at quite a fast pace.

Combat can be largely avoided in the continuous play mode, although not the scenarios. Although be prepared, there's nothing like coming home to riots because everyone ran out of booze. Or chocolates. But, if you want to build up huge fortifications and take everyone on, by all means. You have the option at the beginning to choose which opponents, if any, you will be sharing the map with. You may request a specific map or let the game randomly generate.

There is a 40-page manual included in the box, as well as some very good in-game tutorials that will help you master the basics. This is a somewhat exacting economic simulation. While thoroughly enjoyable, it can get complicated quickly. Some experience with these types of games would be very helpful, but there is enough provided to get anyone started building their very own medieval empire. The core gameplay is solid with consistent logic applied throughout. With the mouth-watering graphics, attention to detail, and depth of the customizable gameplay this is a game you will want to play again and again.

This game installed and ran (25+ hrs) on a midline gaming system, meeting system requirements, with no crashes to desktop, graphical errors or other technical difficulties noted.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent $49

As most people are aware, Splinter Cell is part of the unique game genre called stealth FPS (First-Person Shooters). Generally, the Splinter Cell games are sharp, detailed, and challenging. Splinter Cell: Double Agent is no exception.

Ubisoft has brought several new features to the Splinter Cell game in this latest edition, including unlockable gadgets (based on mission objectives), factions, flexible mission objectives, and an atmosphere wherein your choices actually impact the game. Once I was able to get the game running, I am instantly immersed into the exciting and heart-pounding environment. Splinter Cell Double Agent is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

Ah, but that is the real challenge it seems. It took me several hours and many more visits to various trouble-shooting forums to get the game up and running. Here is a laundry list of problems I have encountered during the first few hours after getting the game:

1. Autoloaded menu bogs down PC to the point where I could not move the mouse. I Ended up finding the Setup.exe file on the DVD and executing the installer directly.

2. Installer has problems with Daemon Tools virtual ROM program. I had to remove Daemon to get SC to complete installation.

3. The main game .exe (pointed to by desktop icon) does not load the game. I end up getting an error stating **Must Check**. To get past this, you need to create a shortcut to the Offline .exe file and append the switch "-ll" to the pathing information in the shortcut. As a side note, the Online (Multiplayer) .exe file loads fine without any changes.

4. Once you are able to load the Offline (solo) game, the intro movie has a tendency to fall into a loop and continuously play. I ended up having to navigate to the movies directory on the program folder and rename the intro movie so it does not load.

5. The ingame save menu is horrible. I cannot seem to be able to rename the saves with unique names, but a location and date stamp at least makes it useable. As a side note, quick saves appear in the save-game list, but cannot be loaded when reentering a game. Quick saves only appear to be usable when the "Load Last Save" option is available.

6. Exit movie loop..... at this point, I am usually so frustrated that I just do a hard-reboot.

If Ubisoft had done another 3 or so weeks of development time, this game would be wonderful. I can't help but think that they prioritized the console versions above the PC version and PC users are the ones suffering because of it. They have released one path for the games, but as far as I can tell, it does little to fix any of the problems listed above.

Battlefield 2142 PC Game $45

If you haven't seen ads in this game it's because they haven't been activated yet. First of all, this game is bug-riddled and laggy. It is not unexpected since virtually all games released these days have serious issues to be ironed out. However, EA is notorious for this. They just recently released patch 1.4 for BF 2 after it had been out over a year. It is more-or-less stable now.

So you should expect a solid year of continued development of this game. But more importantly the inclusion of real-world ads in a game is a dangerous precedent. I play games for the immersion, not to be reminded that I can get 1/4 of a percent less on my mortgage.

Sure...someone will figure out a way to block the ads, but eventually EA will take counter-measures to prevent this. If you want to play games in the future where a Pepsi ad is splashed on the wall of that nifty castle yonder then go ahead, click the pic above and buy this game.

You'll be sending a message to the industry that you're ok with having your gaming time intruded upon. I think the animations are not nearly as well done as BF 2. It's buggy. Battlefield 2142 is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

I would further like to point out that this adware was not announced to the public nor was it anywhere on the box. The first time users became aware of it was when they installed the software...after it was too late to get a refund. Why? Because EA knew their sales would plummet. It was sneaky and sleazy and they don't deserve your money.

Worldwide Soccer Manager 2007 PC Game $30

It is not an arcade game like the EA series, but one where you manage a soccer club, including its reserve and youth squads. You can be actively involved in all aspects of running your team, such as setting up individual training schedules for the players, influencing behavior through private talks and through the media, deciding game strategies and lineups, and of course wheeling and dealing like a Steinbrenner/Abramovich type. Or you can turn aspects such as training and contract negotiation over to an assistant. Your call.

This is a very addictive game. There is a real delight to trying to build a top squad within the limits of your owner's wallet (unless you are running Chelsea). Finding and developing young talent is particularly rewarding. The gameplay is also pretty exciting. I find it easy to forget I'm watching little numbered circles maneuvering a yellow sphere. I get pretty animated (and vocal) in the badgering of my team from my easy chair sidelines! With a beer I become a hooligan.

The new items are not many, but they are very interesting. You can ask a seasoned pro to tutor one of your younger players, and the results are sometimes very good. I've had best success with goalkeepers. The scouts' areas of expertise/knowledge are viewable, and you get better accuracy if you stay within those areas. Worldwide Soccer Manager 2007 is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

You have a lot more options to influence behavior, both of your own players and those on other teams. Let your Inner Manipulative Bastard free! You can talk to the team before and after the game, and at halftime. I didn't realize my capacity to alienate so many people at once! Just like in my real life...

The game works very well. The club management aspect is challenging and enjoyable, and the game management is fascinating. There are some minor drawbacks such as balance of play fine-tuning needed (Udinese had not conceded a goal in 8 games?!?) and ball boys who toss the ball back into the center of the field, but overall Football Manager (Worldwide Soccer Manager) 07 is a good value. 

If you've played past versions, this is a good upgrade. The world will be your oyster, soccer-wise.

Need for Speed Carbon Collector's Edition PC Game $38

To the point: I've played Most Wanted and Underground II and loved them. This game, however, makes me think "uh, why does it suck?" I'd wager this thought will cross your mind too, more than once.

The graphics is a step down. While not necessarily bad, overall the graphics are more cartoony. In-game, the player models look like zombies with brown teeth. These are graphics one associates with consoles games from before 2000.

Game is extremely easy and brief. There are essentially only 4 bosses -- I beat this game in 2 days. You take over bits of sub area territory by taking over at least 2 of 3 races. When a full area is taken over (which can be done in about 6-8 races), you square off against one of the bosses, first doing an ordinary race and then racing on a Canyon. Need for Speed Carbon is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

While I'm sure there are some circuits which I haven't completed, and I haven't done online or the Challenger Series yet, the central offline game just isn't satisfying. Underground 2 was so much more coherent, and Most Wanted was exciting and varied enough -- completing courses, getting bounty points, in a progressively more difficult scheme -- and the graphics and else are excellent.

Now, if the graphics in Carbon are childish, the physics is... I don't know. It's either more realistic or just more boring. Driving cars in Carbon honestly feels like the way driving a garbage truck in Most Wanted feels. Overall, there is something 8-bit about the experience... loud unrealistic tire screeches and noises, slow acceleration, unresponsive turning.

The worlds of Most Wanted and Underground were large and sprawling. This game's cityscapes and roads feel small and repetitive with a lot of interlap. One doesn't feel like he's traveled much or in a coherent place as one drives around the city. Most Wanted, on the other hand, felt like a real city of its own. 

Carbon feels like a small-scale cartoon game. There are few short cuts, etc.. but nothing like Most Wanted- a world replete with golf course detours, stadium cut-throughs... and everything else. The world of Carbon simply doesn't feel very 3d or real -- there's nothing to digest, learn, or remember for it -- just drive, turn, left, right, accelerate, through the roads.

Some other cons: 1) Police communications and dispatch were recycled directly from Most Wanted -- no new voices, no changes. There is no real tension in fleeing from police at any point in the game... If you evade, you evade... Police pursuits don't add to the game's aesthetic or gameplay value and only consume time. 2) The drifting courses are extremely hard to beat with beginning level cars. I was only able to beat them after I had advanced level cars souped up. But indeed since winning 2/3 races in a sub area is all that's necessary to take it over, one can play the game till the end without having to win any of them.

The pros: 

1) The idea of having "wingman" drivers is good, but poorly executed. Most of the time I've found them useless. The fact that some of them are useful in sculpting body kits is a plus if you're interested in that sort of thing (and are a bored artist), but nothing to write home about. I only like communications from them in races. I think there are about 6 (very boring and unvaried) different crew you'll be able to hire, 2 "scouts", 2 blockers, 2 boosters etc...

2) Game has a more adventure feel to it than the other games, but is too deflated, acting too mechanical, and everything too small-scale (small maps, 4 bosses) to be truly interesting. 

3) The concept of territory wars is good and part of the allure of the game, but once again poorly executed, and the game too easy. 

4) When squaring off against bosses, if for example you crash in anyway, a small picture-in-picture screen comes up, showing the boss in his other car laughing. That adds to the game in principle, but again poorly executed... The same video comes up mechanically anytime you hit a wall.

There you have it. I couldn't even mark down the pros of the game without criticizing it, and the thought occurs again... Why does this game suck? This game is disappointing in a bewildering way. It's so unexpectedly bad it'll leave you confused. Definitely not up to par with other NFS games. 

Worth playing only if you're a diehard fan and have nothing to do over 2 days. Otherwise, for starters if you are looking for good racer games you ought to go for Need For Speed Most Wanted or Underground II.

Deal or No Deal PC Game $18

These days, game shows seem to be coming back into prime time television. With thanks to shows like Game Show Marathon, The Price Is Right's Million Dollar Spectaculars on CBS, and 1 VS. 100 starring Bob Saget, the return of prime time quiz shows hasn't been this exciting since Who Wants To Be A Millionaire with Regis Philbin several years ago on ABC. 

Now, that is all thanks to Deal Or No Deal with Howie Mandel. The show has been a real rating blockbuster, and has truly redefined the way game shows appeal to everyone, which is a real treat for those who've just drowned out of reality shows like American Idol, and Survivor. Now, there is one that comes straight for your computer, and is this a really good deal?

Deal Or No Deal, brings out all the action from the hit NBC quiz show onto the P.C. The game brings out all the gameplay with the game just like the show. The object is to choose a briefcase from 1 to 26, trying to give up the case or going all way with each offer, hoping to win $1,000,000. Deal or No Deal is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

The graphics are absolutely beautiful from the virtual models, to the look of placing Howie into a virtual edition of himself. Aside from the regular game itself, you can also play a custom made version, where you're playing for specialty versions of the game. There is only one disadvantage with the game, is that only virtual models are used carrying the cases, rather than the actual models from the game show.

All in all, there are many editions of Deal Or No Deal as a home game, and I definitely recommend the one for your computer. If you have a Windows XP computer, than you're really ready for the big deal from the banker. Otherwise, you can open any big cases at all, and that unfortunately means, no deal, Howie!

Phantasy Star Universe PC Game $45

I really didn't know what to expect when it came to PSU. I never played a game developed entirely in Japan and then converted to the English Language but I like SCI-FI so I thought I would give it a try.

First you'll notice the Japanese graphics as colorful and alive. The level design was small at first but opened up as you explore different regions (planets) in the galaxy.

Their only voice acting is the cut-screens and then text in the form of pop up like in comics coming from the characters that you will find hitting the Enter button is the best way to steer through them. Phantasy Star Universe is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

This game is the closest to come in years from the Jedi Knight series. You'll receive a sword that looks like the Light Sabers from Star Wars and the effects from combat with the various foes is just down-right breath taking as your light sword leaves trials of light swirling around you as you swing your sword. The laser guns and photon are also cool with bright greens and reds streaming across the battle field.

The story is a bit cheesy and reminds me of Advent Rising but a Japanese version so if you played that game than this will seem all too familiar. You play as a young punk kid that loses his sister in an attack on your races colony and must find/rescue her. That's in the very beginning and the story mode spans 12 chapters I believe in all. After the fourth you can unlock extra mode which is basically Network mode but offline as you can take free missions you earn from defeating bosses in story mode and can select a party as well from cards you will acquire.

If you like a good sci-fi story and don't mind a weak but rewarding story that seems all to familiar and hints on it's Japanese roots then PSU will surely please you but take this in consideration it will be hard to find a game out now or from the past that has more colorful effects and graphics in general that PSU offers!

Agatha Christie : Murder on the Orient Express PC Game $30

Good. Better than the first one 'And then there are none' . David Suchet narrates text for Poirot. Recommended for both Adventure gamers and Agatha Christie fans.

Better gfx, better sound. The riddles are generally more logic (ATTWN had some flows in game plot as well as very short acts). Well , hmpf, there is an annoying thing as I've found: You are supposed to eavesdrop conversations with a glass, but u do that while the conductor is watching you :)

The game offers an alternative solution so players that have read the book don't expect the famous Poirot solution exposed in the book to come in. Agatha Christie Murder on the Orient Express is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

Minor flaws: The game wants the CD even after the full installation. And I don't like the way that the inventory allows you to combine items: Most games will simply permit you to grab something and to put it on something else, allowing you to combine it. In MOTOE, you need to place all items to be combined on a specific slot (which is in a different screen than the inventory) and press the 'combine' button. And, if someone needs something and you already have it in your inventory, he will get it automatically. Yes, it saves you time, but it is a bit far of reality. 

Also, you have to search all the shoes in order to find out a footprint match, in order to complete the "Poirot advice". Even If you find the footprint match at once, you still have to search all other shoes only to get a comment like 'this shoe is much too small for that footprint' . Oh, and I don't like the fact that many shoes are identical ;)

And something weird: You can search other's luggage even if they are in the same room. Weird eh?

Oh and also: Remember you are not playing as Poirot. Tricky? Even off-line, David Suchet narration rocks.

Thumbs down: A bit short. I finished it within 2 days. Yeah, perhaps I've been playing too long ;)

Thumbs up: Book is included.
Thumbs up: You can configure screen effects, VERY useful for low cpus.
Thumbs up: 3rd finale. Exciting. For these, I give a 5/5.

I just clicked the pic above and purchased MSFS X Deluxe version. Unfortunately the DVD install goes south when the request is made to insert the second DVD. The system is unable to read or install the second disk due to some software incompatibility problem and will not install correctly. I have read where some people can not eject the disk after it is inserted in the drive with some systems, then you have to reboot to get it out. I have tried every method MS recommends on their website trouble shooting section. Even tried a safe mode install with no luck. 

I was able to get this game to install correctly on my laptop, so it is not a bad disk problem. It is a compatibility problem with my plextor 716A DVD drive and the plextor tools software during the setup. This is too bad. I even updated the plextor drivers to try to solve the problem. I like this game but I'm not purchasing another brand of DVD player just to get the game installed. Maybe I can find a download version. 

Needless to say this game isn't playable on my laptop, unless you like looking at a blurry mess for a plane and a bare landscape (reminds me of the 1st flight simulator game 20 years ago). I would really like to see the system MS is using to run the game to produce the visuals they advertise. Maybe they are running it on a Vista system. The game would only be playable on my desktop 4800 AMD CPU computer running XP Pro, with my 7800 GTX 256meg video card, and 2 gigs of memory. Microsoft Flight Simulator X Deluxe is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

I even called ms support but the person I got to talk to me, I could not understand because of her thick accent, she was probably from India. She kept asking for my product ID key. I said where is it and kept asking her where do I find it. She could not tell me this. I said is that the registration key? She said product key. Then I said forget it I'm getting a refund and hung up. I found out that the product key is only available after you install and enter the registration key! What a catch 22. 

I think I would rather talk to a machine than one of these people who follow a checklist like a drone and have no training related to the game and lack the ability to speak English correctly or understand the problem or have people skills. More lovely outsourcing by Microsoft. Read the book the "world is flat" if you really want to understand that problem. This country is in serious trouble when they out source everything!

Oh well I spent 5 hours of my valuable time trying to get this game installed with no success so the game is going back for a refund.

Get it together MS test this game on the #1 rated DVD-RW Player before you ship it! OR get better tech support people. One more lost sale.

Wait for Vista to come out then click the pic above and buy this game. Hopefully, it will be in the bargain bin by then and you can pick it up for $20 or less.

MS really timed the launch date of this game poorly they should have waited until Vista was released first. I will bet returns are so high for this game that major retailers will pull it from the shelves! Hopefully, Vista will save this game.

There are many people who are running this game just fine with great results. Check out the MSFS X forums for troubleshooting and pictures of people running the game quite well. I'm sorry I can't get the software installed on my system. I'm sure I'll buy this game again after I install VISTA and find out a way to fix software problem one way or another! I'll probably buy a new DirectX 10 game card, also so I can enjoy the game to the fullest.

Crazy Machines: The Wacky Contraptions Game (PC Game & Mac) $19

Crazy Machines should be relevant to anyone age 8 and up. However, younger gamers may need a little help from their parents when getting started, as well as with some of the more obtuse puzzle solving scenarios built into the game. The marvelous thing about Crazy Machines is its design-your-own experiment setting that will allow you free-form control over tons and tons of the game's many wacky gadgets that can be combined in all sorts of ways to accomplish literally any challenge you can imagine.

The game's pre-designed puzzles will challenge most all players, so very young players will also likely need parental help with the challenges that are a bit more complicated. Crazy Machines is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

Game fans who remember The Incredible Machine and its successors will most certainly be very pleased to see how this new Crazy Machines approach to this unique game idea plays out. What made The Incredible Machine so much fun and successful was the tremendous variety of gizmos and gadgets you could combine in weird Rube Goldberg concoctions to get something done. Now, Crazy Machines advances this idea still further, and succeeds with its iteration of this idea that was so solidly established by The Incredible Machine.

Kudos to the game designer studio team for taking on this challenge and providing for gamers a new approach to the whimsy and challenging fun that we loved so much in The Incredible Machine.

Gothic 3 PC Game $40

Let me begin by saying that I greatly enjoyed this game's predecessors, Gothic and Gothic II (and the Night of the Raven). I was very much looking forward to playing this game, and I was incredibly disappointed to discover that this is one of the worst games I have ever seen. Gothic 3 is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

Before you write this review off as simply being from someone who is just harping about how it strayed from the previous releases, let me say that I disliked this game not only because it was not like the other Gothics, but mainly because it failed to amount to much on its own merits. I have played through the whole game (after restarting when my game bugged when I was level 27), so I am not just writing this review on my first impression of the game or anything. In brief, this is why I greatly disliked this game:

1. It is INSANELY BUGGY!!! I have never even heard of a game this buggy. Main characters drop under the earth (forever), animals run through rocks (including quest animals), the sun randomly spins around the earth at light speed and years pass in seconds, you can fall from any height and live if you simply slide down the cliff, items randomly disappear from your inventory, the game crashed constantly when saving (corrupting both your old and new save), with the new patch it crashed when loading instead, the screen flickers white all the time and burns your retinas, some skills simply do not work, etc. I could go on for ages. One message board made a list of bugs nearly 15 pages long. Many are serious and if they occur you must restart your game.

2. The combat system is horrendous. You simply click as fast as you can to defeat NPCs, and against animals you stand no chance because they attack so fast. I literally destroyed an entire orc city, then went outside and was killed by a single wolf. This is because the animals can "stun lock" you, which means that they keep attacking you so fast that your character cannot respond, so you literally CANNOT DO ANYTHING. It is incredibly annoying and frustrating. While the animals are far too difficult, all NPCs are incredibly easy. I can literally defeat ANY opponent at 1ST LEVEL! No joke! All you do is click as fast as you can and you can stun lock them. It is ridiculously unbalanced.

3. It runs terribly slow. It takes between 25-45 seconds to save, and between THREE TO FIVE MINUTES TO LOAD!!! I can literally make a sandwich and eat it while I wait for it to load, which I need to do all the time because half the time when you fight any animals they stun lock you and you die (this still happened semi-frequently when I finished the game at level 62). It lags like crazy even though I easily meet the game's requirements. Whenever you go into a city it gets even slower than usual, and caves are the worst of all. I would routinely get between 5-15 fps in caves.

4. It looks terrible in many places. There are BRIGHT ORANGE letters above creatures heads telling you what they are. Depending on whether they notice you or not, they are sometimes a horrid light green color instead. Both colors look terribly out of place. Also, the plants that you can pick are EXTREMELY BRIGHT, and are scattered all over the grass. There are so many that I gave up on trying to pick them. They look extremely out of place because they are so tremendously bright compared to everything else. The insides of caves are perhaps the worst. The brightest place in the game is INSIDE A CAVE. For some reason it is extremely bright in caves, even though there is no light source. These are just a few of the many visual failures the game makes. I could go on about how almost no one's armor fits them (their head is partway inside the armor), or how terrible the lions look, etc.

5. There is NO STORYLINE! I am not joking when I say that the entire main storyline could be written on one line of a piece of college rule paper. After the weird ending of Gothic II, you finally meet Xardas and expect him to explain what happened. But no, instead you say hi and he sends you out on a quest without explaining anything. Nor does he explain much before the game ends. You could easily beat the whole game in a couple of hours if you just did the main quests. Unfortunately, the game lists a number of quest in the main quest section of your journal which are not main quests (i.e. the Fire Chalices), which only serves to confuse you further about the non-existent main storyline.

6. There is a complete lack of AI. If you fight multiple enemies at the same time, only one will attack you, and the rest will all stand around waiting for you to finish fighting the first one. It's like a bad kung-fu movie. They also have NO path-finding ability, and constantly get stuck walking into things and usually end up bugging into something and falling out of the world, never to be seen from again. If you stand on top of something and use a ranged attack, your enemies will simply stand below you and wait their turn to be shot.

7. There is an appalling lack of creativity in the quests. Nearly every quest is either (1) Go get a certain item(s) or (2) Go defeat a certain enemy. Out of the perhaps 300 quests you get, about 275 are one of those two. It gets extremely repetitive.

8. Every time you are about to be attacked by something, it starts playing the battle music. You ALWAYS know when someone/something is about to attack you, because about five seconds before they do, this same dramatic song starts playing. I tried to find a way to disable this, but as far as I can tell it is not possible until we get a better understanding of how this game runs. This really takes a lot of fun out of the game, and I have no idea why on earth anyone would want this included.

I am sure I could make a much longer list, but I think you get the picture. There is very little I liked about this game. I liked the music (though it did not sound very Gothicy, and it did not fit the game in many instances), and I liked the size of the world. It was very big. However, I would much prefer a small, well done world to a huge, unfinished world, and unfortunately the latter is what you get. You can tell the developers ran out of time. There are forests in remote parts of the world which are simply floating above the ground, and caves which have obviously not been textured properly (they are also completely empty).

This game could have been great. The actual result is worse than I possibly could have imagined. I had read some reviews saying that the game was horrible, and I thought people were exaggerating. To my dismay I discovered they were actually being kind to the game. 

My advise to you would be to not click the pic above and stay away from this game. It is not worth either your time or money. It is by far the most frustrating game I have ever played, and I can tell you that if you get it, it is very likely that you will be greatly disappointed with what you receive.

Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 Platinum PC Game $25

Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 Platinum gives you a chance to create the kind of theme park you've always wanted to visit. Choose from all kinds of new attractions: Water parks, lion tamers, elephant rides, even miniature beaches. 

Build a petting zoo where the whole family can ride an SUV on a guided rail. Keep the customers happy as they catch rays and waves with an amazing lineup of super-splash flume rides -- and much more.

RCT3 Platinum combines the excitement and roller coaster, theme park fun of the Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 with included expansion packs Soaked! and Wild! Now enjoy more options than ever. Build your own water slide or create your own safari with real animals. Watch guest reactions to your ultimate theme park!

Let's talk about how buildings will affect your actual strategy in Company of Heroes, because they'll definitely be important strategic considerations. To be successful, you must understand how to use them, and how to deny them to your enemy. Overall, as a player, you should think of buildings like you would in the real world: objects with walls that provide firing positions (and cover). How you interact with each one depends on your needs and strategy. Company of Heroes is included in the reviews of the best new PC Games.

Guild Wars Nightfall PC Game $40

Guild Wars is not an MMORPG, first of all. It's an online coop games. There are a few RPG elements to it, but it's not classified as MMORPG. Nightfall is not just slightly different from the previous two chapters, a lot of changes have been brought to nightfall. The most significant change is the addition of a Hero's system. In the previous two campaigns, you could hire Henchmen, or computer controller NPC that aid you in battle, but you have no direct control over them. 

In Nightfall, you have Heroes that are highly customizable. You can change the weapons, the skill sets on your Hero, and have a lot more control over what your heroes do. And believe me when I tell you that a properly controlled/equipped Hero can sometimes surpass a human teammate. And with the Hero addition, comes another competitive Hero vs. Hero mode, where you lead a group of Heroes and fight against another human player with his/her group of Heroes. There are many new tweaks to the existing guild wars system that, depending on your preference, improve the gameplay of the entire guild war series.

The best part I love about this game is that you're rewarded for your skills, not how much time you spent on the game. The character levels are capped at 20, and it's easily achieved in 2-3 days. But that's not all there is to it. The real fun begins after level 20, when you start focusing on your build (skill set), as different area/enemies usually require a different build. And doing missions/quests/farming with a group of people is always fun. For those who are competitive, there are player vs. player, guild vs. guild, hero vs. hero, and other game modes for you to fight against each other. Strategy and planning play a huge role and is extremely fun. Guild Wars Nightfall is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

The online gameplay is completely free, and the developers do a great job patching the game regularly to fix any bugs there might be. I own all three campaigns, and enjoy them all! 

Highly recommended.

Dark Messiah Limited Edition PC Game $60

I too have played every single Might & Magic game that was released over the years (all the way back to the original M&M) and every Heroes of Might & Magic (including the HOMM 5). That Dark Messiah doesn't live up to Jon Van Caneghem's original vision strikes me as an over simplistic and erroneous judgment. I will agree that if you're looking for a continuation of New World Computing's M&M flavor (no pun intended), in my opinion that hasn't been around since Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven was released in 1998, and some would argue since 3DO acquired New World Computing in 1996.

I think Dark Messiah dovetails well enough with the M&M world and lore--which is plenty big enough to draw from--but far more importantly that it holds up very well as an exceptional game in its own right. In other words, it is FUN. Dark Messiah is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

Graphically, Dark Messiah is gorgeous, it sounds marvelous (despite some occasionally less than spectacular voice acting), and the story and immersion-factor are superb. Dark Messiah is certainly an action game first and an RPG second (a distant second), but if you enjoyed such FPS/RPG hybrids as System Shock and System Shock 2, the Thief series, Deus Ex, etc., I can't imagine you being unsatisfied with Dark Messiah. It's got loads of action, personality, style, and fun.

As for bugs: I've seen the large number of problems that some people have had with Dark Messiah not running or not running well on their machines. I have certainly had that experience over the years with many other games too, but not with Dark Messiah. For me it has played flawless for about 15 hours now. 

The graphics are smooth, the sound is excellent and without stuttering, and I haven't encountered one crash or even a slowdown yet. If you're concerned about Dark Messiah working on your PC, you may want to wait for the patches to arrive. But as for myself and a good many others, I can tell you with confidence that from where I sit Dark Messiah is a smashing success.

Age of Pirates: Caribbean Tales PC Game $28

The game was originally named something else (forgot what it was), but changed to the current title to exploit a newly released movie (you know what it was) and other popular game titles such as Sid Meier's Pirates, Age of ___ (fill in the blank) series.

Since the game concept was not original, Age of Pirate: CT should be judged in other aspects, such as graphic finish, gameplay, storyline, etc. Yet, the game seemed to be released for quick profit without much testing or thoughts about the end-users of the game.

First, the bugs. There are numerous bugs in the game, from unknown crashes to mysterious missing/overflow of cargos. There are reports on the PlayLogic's official forum from players stating they must restart every 10 minutes or so to continue the game; other times, the saved game would become corrupt and must start from the beginning of the game.

Second, there are many "locked features," such as banks, governor mansions in some cities, etc. The game designers originally put them in but later decided not to further develop the features; and guess what, they didn't bother to take those icons/entrances out. So you will see lots of entrances and features that you will never be able to use. Age of Pirates Caribbean Tales is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

Third, the multiplayer. Bugs and crashes also dominate in multiplayer mode, more discussions are in PlayLogic's official forum. The single player mode was frustrating enough, as for "multi-play," just multiply the problems you have in the single player mode and you get the sense of the multiplayer mode.

Conclusion: this game is a prime example of game publisher who doesn't care about its customers.

Madden 07 Football PC Game $36

After playing this Madden, I am impressed with the improvements they made from last year. In last year's game, you probably remember the gameplay being a bit unrealistic. For example in punting, none of your special teams players would block for you. This year the players do block for you and sometimes you can get some nice returns. 

However, I haven't been able to run it back for a touchdown yet. Also the pancake problem has been fixed. In last years game, all of your offensive lineman would rack up many pancakes and all of them would head to the pro bowl. This has been fixed and the game accurately depicts offensive lineman to their actual ability. Madden 07 Football is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

Another improvement is the tackling animations. You can see receivers and runners carry their momentum for more yards and real life physics type tackles. The only drawback is the computer kicking. Many of the pro bowl kickers like Vinateri kicked for 55 yards and more sometimes. I know they are good, but 56 yard kicks don't happen all the time. Also the EA soundtrack is always going for more rap and rock, which I don't really care for. Some of the songs can be a bit annoying. I did enjoy the many songs from NFL classic music in the Madden 2006 version.

There is a key feature they always add for the Madden game. Since it is Shaun Alexander on the cover, they focus on the running game. Now you are able to control blockers and lead blockers toward defenders. This makes it easier to run the ball. Also I have noticed that you need to choose plays more carefully. Dime and quarter packages won't work for the run and could add up to a lot of yards for the offense. This has been a nice feature to add for the game, however I have noticed that the computer players would run for 40 carries and just abandon the pass game.

All of the features like the franchise mode has been given more depth. Along with the usual features like storyline central and owner mode, there is better depth in the off season. Free agency is before the draft and you can actually have the rookies do workouts with the team. Also you can scout rookies in the All star game for rookies. Much more off season things make franchise mode even better. The graphics mainly look the same except the grass is much more realistic looking.

A thing that I really don't like is the exclusive license in the Madden game. It doesn't make EA compete against other brands so they are not adding many new features which are extraordinary or amazing. The features in last year's game and this year is pretty small compared to before the license. It is still a good Madden game and well worth a purchase though.

NBA Live 07 PC Game $27

Before clicking the pic above and buying this game, you should be aware that a major bug exists that keeps the CPU from making substitutions except when its players are in foul trouble or it's garbage time. This won't take anything away from the experience if you're playing against a human opponent (unless you use auto-subs, that is), but it makes playing a season or Dynasty very unrealistic.

Also, the PG seems to completely dominate the ball offensively. I thought it was a fluke at first, but when Eric Snow started drilling shots and taking it hard to the hoop while LeBron stood around and watched I realized something was wrong.

The "ESPN integration" that was advertised is pretty pointless other than the ESPN name and logo appearing everywhere. Signature shots are nowhere to be found on the PC version, other than free throw rituals.

On the plus-side, the Superstar controls have been divided into tiers so that more players can have superstar abilities, but only elite players can utilize the full array of moves. There are also X-factor players - random, non-superstar players who can unlock superstar abilities during a game when they heat up. NBA Live 07 is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

The animations are greatly improved - players no longer look like they're sliding around on an ice rink. The commentary with Marv Albert and Steve Kerr is much improved. I've only played about a half-dozen games, but there is a lot more variation in the commentary and it's a lot more conversational than previous versions.

The gameplay is better than last year for the most part. Rebounding has been improved. It takes a little while to get used to separate buttons for shooting, dunking and layups, but once you get the hang of it, it gives you a lot more control. The free throw shooting is also drastically changed and hard to get used to. (Similar to the kicking in Madden 07, only more frustrating.)

Until EA issues a patch (and I wouldn't hold my breath), I would advise caution before clicking the pic above and picking up this game. There are some nice improvements, but as usual EA has botched features that worked perfectly fine in previous versions and spent more time implementing new features than fixing old problems.

Baldur's Gate 2: The Ultimate Collection PC Game $8

Its graphics may be a bit dated (they were even when the game came out) but if you can look beyond that, this is one seriously awesome collection. Baldur's Gate 2 has incredible RPG depth, a strong tactical aspect, and great replay value. The expansion is bigger than most, and adds significant epic-level capabilities for your characters.

The game picks up several years after the events in Baldur's Gate, and continues the plot. If you didn't play that first game (a shame- go get it) there are a few quick recaps of the key points. You can play in single play mode, in which case you make your one main character (or import from Baldur's Gate); multiplay with just you, in which you can make your whole party; or multiplay with friends, in which everyone can make and control one or more characters. In any case, your party has up to six people at a time, and you can dismiss or add characters at will.

Add to this a whole lot of classes, including special 'kits' that are akin to 3rd edition prestige classes (save that you can take them immediately) and you have a whole lot of room for party customization. There's a host of NPCs that can join your party, some better than others, but all very interesting and with unique (sometimes very extensive) side quests. You can have romantic relationships with some of these potential party members, and some will even have romances with other NPCs. Baldur's Gate 2 is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

Almost all of the dialogue in the game is spoken, and although there's not much full motion video, when there is it's well done. The plot advances through chapters, and there are numerous side quests that take you to many varied game world locations. The rewards for some of these quests are awesome, and some of the monsters you'll run into are equally so. This is where the tactics come in- your party composition is crucial for winning these big fights. For example, dealing with that red dragon is going to be exceedingly difficult without some protection from fire and fear effects. 

There are also many ways to solve the various problems you run into. For example, a thief laying some traps in a doorway can turn a tough band of charging enemies into so much cannon fodder. Then again, if you don't have a thief or aren't a very subtle type, you can just fireball the lot of them and clean up what's left with a good old-fashioned sword charge.

I mentioned earlier that the graphics are dated. This is true, but it doesn't really detract from the play. The area backgrounds are actually very nice, though also largely static. Spell effects look decent, if less flashy than newer games like Neverwinter Nights. The music and voice acting are also top-notch, and don't get old even after many times through the game (which is likely to happen once you get hooked). The latter in particular really lends character to the people you meet. It's a testament to the developer's success in this regard that you'll have strongly varied feelings toward nearly all of the NPCs- just as you would expect of real people.

As for the story, it is superb. The scope is truly epic, and the side quests actually interesting. This is more than can be said about much of Neverwinter Nights, for all of the polish and vaunted expandability of that title. Though generally linear, the campaign doesn't seem to be linear. When replaying, though you'll be going to the same places and doing the same things, the different characters you have along will make it seem like a different game. There's also a ton of secrets and hidden areas- you might just find something you didn't see before.

That said, it's worth mentioning that although there are no official tools for editing the game, there are unofficial ones. These have been put to good effect, and there's a host of mods and add-ons available for free download. There's even a mod that converts the interface to Icewind Dale's more attractive look (though you must have that game for it to work) and thus significantly improves the graphics and changes the somewhat clunky 2nd edition rules to 3rd edition.

I think the value of this title can be summed up by the fact that I played it through at least 5 times, which is something I've only done for two or three other games (the original Baldur's Gate being one of them). Even if you're not into D&D, don't particularly care for RPGs, and don't give a hoot about Forgotten Realms, this game comes highly recommended.

DarkStar One PC Game $40

Darkstar One (DSO) invites comparison to Freelancer (FL) because the games are so similar. One reviewer even claimed that DSO is "Freelancer done right." Sadly, no. FL had a more exciting story and excellent voice acting-- this game was originally developed in Germany and the English translation is sometimes a bit odd. There are 55 star systems in FL, and 300 in DSO, but the DSO systems have very little exploration potential. The only place to land in each system is the trading station, invariably named "Trading Station."

Combat is a lot like FL, and missiles are fun to shoot (Hellfires almost never miss). The Swarm missile is like a shotgun blast, unguided but useful in close quarters. Shields don't work the same as in FL, so it's possible to take out some of the weaker pirate ships with one Hellfire. The variety of weapons is not as much as in FL. One thing DSO has that FL doesn't is controls to roll left and right as well as strafe in a dogfight.

Unlike FL, the player goes through the entire game with one ship, but it can be equipped with lots of different items. The innovative part is how the Darkstar One can expand itself to create more weapon and equipment slots. One especially useful upgrade allows you to mount turrets that fire automatically at hostile targets, e.g. ships on your tail (wish FL had that). DarkStar One is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

The side missions are different but can be repetitive after a while, like in FL. You can sign on as a freighter escort to earn money, that was something missing from the original FL. Also, there are occasional distress calls to answer and invitations to join in combat missions. Kayron has a co-pilot named Eona. Sometimes she can be useful, such as reminding you that another ship is on your tail.

Inter-system travel is by hyperspace drive. You can leave a system from anywhere that's not too close to a solid object. Systems are entered through a single hyper gate. Inside a system, there is no cruise engine but you have an afterburner that can be upgraded to get more out of it. Also there is a time dilation effect to speed up routine movement inside a system. There is no autopilot, and formation flying is manual too.

Docking on stations is actually quicker than FL once you buy a landing computer (affordable very early in the game). Inside the station everything is handled in one room (but there is a "panorama" or viewing port to see outside). As mentioned above, there is no landing on planets-- you can only dock at the single trading station.

The dynamic pricing that people said they wanted in FL has been implemented but that just means you have no idea whether a trade run will make money. And cargo is carried in unwieldy containers that get towed behind your ship. You have to drop the container to fight off pirates and then pick it up again. Bounties and missions pay a lot better than trading.

If you like to see fireworks, DSO delivers. The Big Bang torp will do a job on large targets like capital ships and pirate asteroids, making fiery shockwaves that spread across the sky. You can even get paid by the rebels for blowing up ships, but the police are much tougher than FL and I haven't been able to escape them to enjoy the money. There is a reputation system that's rudimentary compared to FL, and it doesn't look like crime pays.

In summary, if you love FL this game is worth playing but there are some aspects that fall short of expectations. Unlike FL, Ascaron, the makers of DSO, are talking about a possible sequel. There's hope the game will improve in the next edition.

Warcraft III Battle Chest PC Game $35

The graphics are as good as you'd ever need, but that's not to say they're bad; quite the opposite actually. The game has a cartoonish tone to its graphics that really lends itself to the fantasy atmosphere and the spell effects are top-notch. At first glance, the game may seem to be about who gets the strongest hero first, but that's certainly not the case. 

The number of strategies are infinite and everything can be easily countered by an experienced player. There is a heavy emphasis on micromanagement and spellcasting in the thick of battle that is overwhelming even for me, a 6-year starcraft veteran. I recommend dialing down the game speed during especially large battles, because the computer will wipe you out if you give it the chance.

The single-player story is absolutely stellar. Photo-realistic CGI Cinematics precede and end each of the campaigns, and there are no traditional mission briefings as such. The in-game cinemas help to advance the story and serve to never take you out of the game world; this all adds up to an immersion in the story like no other. Since each of the campaigns revolve around a single hero, it's not hard to get emotionally involved in the story, and that's a rare feat. 

One of the reasons I love Blizzard's game so much is the wealth of detail they inject into the history of the worlds; in this case, the realm of Azeroth. Half of the instruction manual is devoted to the backstory of each of the four races and explanations of all of the units; far beyond just describing what they do. Warcraft III Battle Chest is included in the reviews of the best new PC games.

It's very easy to pick up and play - the orc tutorial mini-campaign at the beginning is really all you need, but practice helps to master the strategies and find the one that works for you. Battle.net can be a hostile place, inhabited mostly by boys in their early teens; but more often than not you get involved in a great game with several other likeable people who aren't having an ego trip.

The only complaints I have is that even though the story has as much depth as most novels have, it steals quite a lot of elements from Starcraft. Some of the spells/skills can be recognizable from Starcraft, and Diablo, both produced by Blizzard as well. While the story in Reign of Chaos (original Warcraft III) is amazing in itself and ends on a great note, the story in The Frozen Throne (the expansion to Warcraft III, also included in the battle chest) ends on quite a downer. You could stop at Reign of Chaos and not miss much story-wise, but it's only a minor complaint, because the Frozen Throne campaign is just as stellar, if not even more so than the RoC Campaign. 

The biggest complaint I have with this pack is the strategy guides included - they're nothing like the ones included in the Starcraft Battle Chest. They're "Official Battle Chest Guides" which only provide strategies for the campaigns. They have no maps, unit descriptions, and only a few general tips for other game types. There are even references to maps that aren't even there. Not to mention they're very small, to fit in the box. I wasn't very happy with them at all.

Overall though, this is an incredible game, recommended to anyone who loves a challenge and a great story.

Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening Special Edition PC Game $20

Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening Special Edition revamps the classic Devil May Cry 3, giving you more action and adventure for a lower price. In this prequel to the original Devil May Cry, you'll play as Dante -- an acrobatic, energetic half-demon with a powerful fighting style all his own. 

This Special Edition lets players become Dante's evil half-brother Vergil, and use his new Dark Fighter style. Also features a new boss character, turbo option, new continue system, adjusted difficulty levels (with a new "very hard" mode), and Survival and Movie modes. Devil May Cry 3 Dante's Awakening is included in the reviews of the best new PC Games.

Pick from 4 styles of combat - Gunslinger, Swordmaster, Trickster and Royal Guard, all offering greatly improved skills in each area. Play the role of Dante, 20 years before Devil May Cry was set, let the all new story unfold in this prequel to the original masterpiece New game engine, featuring all new Shadow Effects, weather conditions, graphics and sharper game play. 

All new enemies, bosses and characters, that act independently and more realistic than ever. New range of weapons: Battle your way through enemies in style with the enchanted Electric Guitar, also Nun-Chucks, and (of course) swords and firearms.

After bullying an innocent ant colony, a young boy named Lucas is magically shrunk down to ant size and embarks on a remarkable adventure. Play as Lucas, experiencing the dangerous and thrilling life of an ant as you battle, explore and forge new friendships with natives and other species in his new ant world. Based on exciting moments from the digitally animated family adventure The Ant Bully, and featuring all-new challenges.

Interact With Characters From The Film Zoc the Wizard Ant, Hova the Nurse Ant, Fugax the Scout Ant and Kreela the Forager Ant are all there to help Lucas in his quest to save the colony. Along the way, he'll also encounter the happy-go-lucky Beetle and fatalistic Glow worm as well as the nemesis of the insect world, exterminator Stan Beales. The Ant Bully is included in the reviews of the best new PC Games.

Live Like An Ant Lucas will need to rely on ant-like skills such as stamina, strength and climbing ability to survive.

 

Nancy Drew: Danger by Design PC Game $18

There is a lot to like about this installment in the Nancy Drew series: great graphics, good puzzles, lots of ground to explore. There are also some problems. There is a lack of interaction with the characters. After about half the game is done, there is no significant dialogue with any of the characters. 

Also, the historical mystery on which the story centers has absolutely nothing to do with the strange incidents in Minette's studio that Nancy has been enlisted to investigate. These are solved by pure happenstance, which is somewhat disconcerting.

Personally, I thought the confrontation with the villain at the end was hysterical. I loved it. Nancy Drew Danger by Design is included in the reviews of the best new PC Games.

Overall, I would recommend this game, but perhaps not to those with no Nancy Drew experience.

 

Faces of War PC Game $39

Faces of War goes where few RTS games have gone before, offering you the ability to direct an intelligent squad of soldiers through destructible WWII battlegrounds, or take the fight into your own hands with unique 3rd person action.

Experience WWII from different perspectives as you control American, English, Russian and German troops in world-renowned battles. Manage your troop's progress against advanced AI enemies using an arsenal of authentic weapons.

 

	Manage the War or Fight it Yourself – Play from the traditional point-n-click RTS view, or immerse yourself directly into the battle in a close-proximity 3rd person view as you take control of a single soldier for intense, one-on-one action.
	Complex AI System – Enter the battlefield equipped with a squad of six intelligent soldiers that think and react on their own as the war rages on, while squad morale is affected by in-game events.
	Destructible Environments – Maneuver in and out of war torn buildings as you lead your squad into interactive WWII battlegrounds.
	Faces of War is included in the reviews of the best new PC Games.
	Superior Multiplayer Experience – Gameplay includes eight multiplayer modes, up to sixteen players over a network (LAN/Internet) and four-player co-op play.
	Authentic WWII Warfare – Command American, English, Soviet and German troops during world-renowned battles that include the Battle of Bulge, D-Day and the Battle of Berlin.
	Manage Your Squad – As the battles progress, locate and furnish individual soldiers with specific weapons and equipment to achieve a tactical advantage over your enemy.
	Tactical Planning – Advanced AI reactions and real-time physics guarantee that no mission will be fought the same way, making tactical planning of great importance.
	Weapons and Equipment – Features 36 weapons including pistols, rifles, submachine guns, mini-guns and flamethrowers, along with more than ten grenade types and anti-tank mines.

 

Titan Quest PC Game $28

Titan Quest is extremely fun and addictive. It reminds me a lot of another game called Diablo. I loved playing Diablo in the past and no game has come out like Diablo until now. If you liked Diablo you'll definitely love Titan Quest.

Titan Quest follows Greek mythology. There are many different monsters and creatures that you fight throughout the game. This game has a lot of replay value. The maps in the game are linear but the maps are also huge. There are a lot of caves and temple dwellings to explore just like there was in Diablo.

The graphics in this game are extremely beautiful. I can tell the game developer put a lot of love and attention into making this game. The amount of detail in the creatures and monsters alone is great. The game has got great looking skeletons, zombies, and spiders to fight against.

The game has a great zoom feature for zooming in and out of areas to look at. The only thing I miss seeing in the game is where you could rotate your main character around. I'm sure a future patch will eventually fix that. Titan Quest is included in the reviews of the best new PC Games.

You can choose to be a male or female character at the beginning of the game and you decide how you want to fight in the game. Do you want to use a sword? Or do you want to use magic? The choice is yours.

This is a fun game to play. I recommend clicking the pic above and getting this game.

 

HalfLife 2 Episode One PC Game $15

When Half-Life 2 came out in 2004, the ending left many of its fans scratching their heads. The game ended leaving some pretty big questions unanswered. Instead of waiting for another six years for the answers, Valve software has gone the way of episodic content. By releasing three much shorter "episodes" in six month intervals, they are able to get the game out quicker.

Half-Life 2: Episode One starts out with a disappointing explanation of how Gordon and Alyx survive the ending of Half-Life 2. While the explanation does appear make some sense, it feels like a big cop-out and could have definitely been done better. The good news is that the story gets a lot better from there. The game quickly has you infiltrating the citadel once again to try to stop a reactor overload and you eventually attempt to escape from City 17.

Unfortunately both the citadel and City 17 were fully explored in Half-Life 2. All of the areas that you visit in Episode One seem very familiar. In fact, you will probably experience deja vu a few times before the game is over, which will take most gamers between four to six hours. HalfLife 2 Episode One is included in the reviews of the best new PC Games.

The levels are not the only thing that has remained the same this time around. Your arsenal of weapons remains completely unchanged. The selection of weapons is impressive and they worked great for the last game, but it would have been nice to see at least one or two new weapons. It is also worth noting that there are no vehicle sequences in the game, which is a shame.

The enemies in the game are the same as well except for one new addition, a combine zombie. These "zombies" take a lot of punishment and like to pull out grenades and rush after you. This tactic makes them extremely deadly and usually makes the first enemies you go after in a crowd.

With pretty much the same enemies and weapons from Half-Life 2, it is no surprise that the gameplay remains mostly the same. However, there are a few additions here and there that do a little to help keep the game fresh. For instance, it is now possible to plug up ant lion burrows to stop them from coming up out of the ground. 

Puzzles are back in the game, but unfortunately a lot of them boil down to finding switches to open locked doors, which is a shame as the last game relied heavily on physics based puzzles. They also tend to reuse the same puzzles over and over again, which can get pretty stale as you are trying to find the 4th fuse box to power a locked door.

The great voice acting and animation is still there. The characters seem more believable and show more complex emotion then ever before. Alyx, who is with you for most of the game, has great dialogue. She also does a pretty good job of taking care of herself when you are busy solving puzzles, so it does not feel like a babysitting job.

The graphics in the game are pretty much unchanged from Half-Life 2. It looks like most of the textures and objects in the game are reused art from Half-Life 2. With reused art and locations, the game pretty much looks exactly the same as it did two years ago. The only difference is that Valve has added its new High dynamic range rendering (HDR) lighting system into the game (if your video hardware supports it). The main purpose of HDR is to allow bright things to be very bright and dark things to be very dark while still being able to see detail in both. While HDR can look amazing, it tends to be over used in the game and looks downright silly on some objects. For instance, characters will glow unrealistically when you shine your flashlight on them. Still, the two year old source engine still looks pretty good today and runs pretty well on older hardware.

So you ask, "With all the gameplay and graphics the same, why should I buy Episode One"? First, while the gameplay is mostly the same, that gameplay is still extremely good. Half-Life 2 was way beyond many of the mediocre action games out then, and it still holds up very well today. Second, Episode One does a great job in continuing the story. There are a lot of awesome scripted sequences that move the story along. While you don't learn a whole lot more, and it ends with a cliffhanger ending, it sets up what looks to be a very interesting Episode Two. 

So if you don't mind the short length, no new multiplayer content, and think the price is fair for more of the great Half-Life 2 gameplay and storyline (though not as epic or original), then click the pic above pick this one up. That being said, if you were one of the few who did not enjoy Half-Life 2, this game will do nothing to change your mind.

 

Backyard Baseball 2007 PC Game $18

Backyard Baseball 2007 is the number one baseball video game for kids! Take the field with National League MVP Albert Puljos and other MLB superstars as kids in Backyard Baseball 2007, the fifth version of the best selling kid’s baseball video game of all time. 

Spectacular new graphics and environments, interactive backgrounds, older characters, and realistic gameplay make this the most exciting Backyard Baseball yet. The only kid’s video game to hold the coveted Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball Players Association licenses, Backyard Baseball 2007 features all MLB teams, uniforms, and logos.

Backyard Baseball 2007 combines the friendly playground atmosphere with your favorite MLB players. Play with or against the kids and pros! Create your own team, and control every wacky pitch, clutch hit, and sprint for home. Play with or against pros like Alex "A-Rod" Rodriguez, and unlock secret pros and amazing power-ups. You'll have big-league ball right in your own backyard. 

Multiple modes of play - Single Game, Season Play, Batting Practice and Home Run Derby All-new Fielders' Challenge mini-game. Full stats and standings in Season Play.

	Full roster of MLB pros as kids—Albert Pujols, A-Rod, Ichiro, Jeter, Konerko, Ortiz, and more
	All 30 MLB pro teams plus 10 Backyard teams
	Backyard Baseball 2007 is included in the reviews of the best new PC Games.
	Customizable teams, players, fields, and uniforms
	Season play with complete team stats and standing
	Unlockables, power ups, minigames, and surprises

 

Battlefield 2 Deluxe Edition PC Game $36

Vehicle transport is a big part of the game and sure it's annoying if a bunch of guys on your team leave without you, but you can request a vehicle drop from your commander or wait for a new vehicle to spawn, or... move on foot.

Problems he had with identifying enemy units in-game are no longer an issue, anyone within a reasonable distance from you in the game.. say 40 feet or so, has their name and color to indicate friend or foe, at all times, you no longer have to aim at someone to find out. Not to mention the uniforms and skin color are usually different.

Some games are dominated by those who get to the planes and helicopters first, but I've found that's only the case if you're playing on a smaller map (and if the pilots are good). With enough players on the map there will be too many ground targets for air vehicles to keep up with and they will ultimately be shot down. There are some very skilled pilots that play this game and they take it very seriously. If you enjoy flight simulators this would probably be worth a go. I've seen some really impressive videos of pilots in this game, there are several different types of jets and helicopters, if you can't fly very well but want to fight from above I would suggest getting a joystick or just playing as a second gunner.

The game can be a bit choppy at times, mostly dependent on your system. Check the system requirements before clicking the pic above and purchasing the game, this will not run very well on older systems, but does take full advantage of some of the newest video cards available. I recommend at least 1GB ram to play, 2GB would of course be better but not necessary. Battlefield 2 is included in the reviews of the best new PC Games.

Camping is a problem as stated, but that's due to the nature of the game. If the enemy is taking over a base you might not want to spawn there because of it, but if you think you've got a shot at stopping them then you might try to spawn there at your own risk. No one likes to die right after they spawn but you can play smart and minimize this.

Gulf of Oman is a fun map, but not my favorite. Seemingly everyone's favorite is 'Strike at Karkand'. It's played more than the others anyways. Overall there is a good variety of maps, with all the expansions (special forces expansion comes with the deluxe edition, there are two other expansions downloadable from EA online, Armored Fury and Euro Force) there are plenty of maps to choose from and most offer a variety of gameplay options, meaning it wont always be the same fight, same choke points etc. most of the maps are pretty good, there are some custom maps available as well.

The sniper does seem pretty weak compared to some other games but I think its balanced pretty well. If you enjoy playing as a sniper it won't be the strength of the gun that annoys you but the lack of a extra-zoom feature. there is only one standard zoom length for the sniper rifle. This of course varies between each sniper rifle and there are 2 unlockable ones available as well.

Speaking of unlockable weapons, there are a total of 14 unlockable weapons, 2 for each 'kit' whether it be for the assault kit, sniper kit, anti-tank kit etc. The unlock weapons do seem to be better than the original but they all have different specifications so some people prefer the stock weapons, I am not one of those people.

With special forces comes the addition of some new armies including British SAS, Russian Spetsnaz and Insurgent forces. They each have their own set of weapons, some weapons overlap but the difference in stock weapons for various army types (including the USMC, MEC, and Chinese of the original game) is pretty good. Not only is there a fairly realistic variation of weapons per army but vehicles as well. As a British SAS soldier you would be more likely to drive a Desert Raider buggy around, whereas if you were an insurgent force you would drive a pickup truck with a turret gun.

Special forces also introduces Grapple hooks and Zip lines. Night Vision on a select few maps, as well as tear gas as a standard weapon with the support kit. (The gas mask becomes critical in those situations.) There are also new maps with special forces, and new vehicles etc.

"Incredibly slow loading times between games" This is absolutely right. Some servers will play a map 2 times then load a new map, the load times occurs between switching maps, so it is wise to play servers that will stick with a few maps with lots of rounds between load times. Some servers play just one map all the time, so there is a very minimal load time. On average it seems to take about 4-5 minutes to load up a game, the games last anywhere between 5 - 40 minutes depending on various factors.

 

Hidden Expedition: Titanic PC Game $19

While the game is certainly fun, it is not really fairly represented by the "Features" and "Description" used to describe it.

Yes, you do search this game version of the Titanic (bearing little resemblance to the real thing). However there is no mystery to answer. You just search the areas and rooms of the boat and find a variety of items "hidden in plain sight" (harder than it sounds) in the huge clutter of miscellaneous junk and other 'stuff'. 

If you get though all of the ship, you do get to see the contents of the ship's safe (not a big deal). The version I have does not have a "