Eidos

Since the original Deus Ex made its auspicious debut in 2001 to a resounding ovation from gamers and industry insiders alike, Warren Spector has had a great deal of expectations to meet in crafting a sequel as ambitious as the first. And Deus Ex: Invisible War is certainly no half-baked sequel.

Game Description: It is fifteen years since the end of the global conspiracy depicted in Deus Ex - widely regarded as one of the greatest action games of all time. In the aftermath, a catastrophic depression has crippled the world and conflicting militant groups seek to enforce their own violently destructive agendas. As corporate anti-terrorist mercenary Alex D it is your task to track these factions down and destroy them.

Game Description: Follows the epic drama of three major races, vampire, human and Hylden, fighting to control the world, each pursuing their idea of the true prophecy., The next chapter in the epic Legacy of Kain series is a cutting-edge action or adventure game featuring more action than ever before. Take control of two powerful and highly evolved vampires: Kain, an all-powerful demigod, and Raziel, a demonic angel of death. Each equipped with a legendary sword, Kain and Raziel must battle through a world loaded with conflict and intrigue as they attempt to unravel their destinies and defeat the dark forces that seek to condemn their world to eternal damnation.

The last time I reviewed a game in the Kain series (2002's Blood Omen 2) I was appalled at how poor an effort it was. This darkly gothic series starring vampires, intrigue, and pathos has never been home to top-level gameplay, instead being driven by its strong voicework, memorable characters, and sheer cool factor. Despite that, it was such a lousy piece of software that I claimed one more game as shoddy as that one would most likely force me to jump ship and abandon the series. After playing through Crystal Dynamics' most recent installment, Legacy of Kain: Defiance, consider me swimming for shore.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence

TimeSplitters 2 is one of those games that sounds good on paper—it's about time travel, so every level will be set in a different era!—but in actual practice the concept proves to be somewhat of a disappointment.

I tend to enjoy games with a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, but most don't pull it off very well. Oh sure, lots of games try. Very few games nowadays, in fact, seem unaware of their over-the-top, ridiculous natures. But most don't seem to understand how delicate the balance is between having an ironic or humorous edge and simply allowing the sheer excess of a game overwhelm it to the point of monotony.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Violence

As an historical RTS, Praetorians does an admirable job of integrating its subject matter with solid gameplay, as opposed to simply using the historical period as a backdrop for a slew of war scenarios.

 According to ESRB, this game contains: Violence.