THQ

After I first completed S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, I could only entertain one thought: I have to play it again! Not just because I was captivated by the superb storytelling; not just because I was mesmerized by the game's incredible atmosphere and next-generation graphics; and not just because it's a game quite unlike anything I've ever played.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol

Game Description: The world’s worst nuclear disaster occurred on April 26, 1986, at the Chernobyl power facility in the Ukraine. The area slowly recovered until 2006 when an unforeseen second explosion rocked the landscape, leaving a vast "Exclusion Zone" plagued with deadly energy disturbances in its wake. The quarantined Exclusion Zone expanded over time, and by 2012, specially equipped poachers, known as S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s, venture into the Zone to claim radioactive artifacts for the black market. You are a new S.T.A.L.K.E.R. battling for survival among rivals, soldiers and mutant creatures while trying to discover the true nature of Chernobyl’s dark past and horrific future.

Game Description: Destroy All Humans! 2 is the sequel to the widely acclaimed hit! The irreverent sci-fi action to the Swinging Sixties with new and improved game features, open-world gameplay and co-op multiplayer. Go back to the days of Free Love, the Cold War and other 60's era icons. Use an upgraded arsenal of weapons and enhanced mental abilities to battle a variety of enemies from secret agents and giant creatures, to Soviet Forces and alien warriors. Turn the tables on traditional sci-fi action games by playingthe Alien and taking on the most feared enemy in the galaxy -- mankind.

A textbook sequel in every sense of the word, the game is guilty of hewing closely to a previously-established formula. However, Pandemic has made great strides to polish and improve an effort that was quite enjoyable the first time around, and their work is appreciated.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, and Violence

Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy sat in my "to-play" pile for months, probably more than a year if I wanted to be accurate about it. I'm a big fan of third-person adventure games, and after reading Mike's opinion, I thought it was a safe purchase on the cheap. The problem was that I never felt like playing it. The box art is very mediocre and not the sort of eye-catcher that jumps out from the shelf, and with an onslaught of other titles that I had been anticipating or that needed reviews, it never got its turn at bat.

I've never been one to object to violent acts in video games. Gouging out eyes with shards of glass? Acceptable pastime. Hooking lengths of chain to people's limbs? No problem. Sundering three torsos with a single swipe of a battleaxe? Fun for the whole family. The only thing that's ever bothered me was the context in which these actions were placed. I can slaughter people all day long, just as long as I feel that, within the game's reality, those people deserved to die.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Language, Sexual Themes, Violence

Game Description: In Destroy All Humans, you're an alien invader who's out to save his brother and kill as many people as possible. In this wild, silly retro-style shooter, you play Crypto Sporidium 137, an alien looking for his brother who crashed in Roswell. Collect human brain stems for their DNA while you blast away the annoying, inferior creatures that stand in your way!