Timeshift

Dr. Aiden Krone is a former professor of Applied Physics at MIT, notorious for his unrivaled brilliance and obsession with Thermodynamics, Advanced Propulsion, and Quantum Electrodynamics (QED). Despite his increasing tendencies to demand control and secrecy, he became the Founder and Lead Physicist of a classified Time Travel research program.

Over a decade later, Krone's program had successfully developed the world's first time-traveling suit technology. However, as the program's equally secretive decision-makers demanded this technology be adapted for military applications, Krone's feelings of self-entitlement and anger grew. He secretly desired a new existence, a new world where his scientific endeavors could be shaped and experienced without outside interference.

The combination of Krone's mind and his suit technology gave him the ability to create and control another existence - an existence where a man of science could finally operate without restrictions and do so within a place where science itself was properly respected… regardless of the effects on humanity.

It is now up to you to trace Krone's last known appearances and stop his tyrannical rule over Alpha District. In a twisted world where scientific accomplishments reign, it’s up to you to don the Beta Suit and Master Time to Become the Ultimate Weapon.

Features:

* Harness time as the Ultimate Weapon: Slow, stop and reverse the flow of time to destroy your enemies
* Unleash a powerful arsenal of weapons and vehicles in 24 combat missions
* Up to 16-player multiplayer, featuring the use of time grenades in 14 different maps, allowing for unique style of slow, stop and reversal of time
* Completely customize your multiplayer experience with over 40 different features to fit your style of gameplay

By Darren Gladstone -- 02/11/2007

Someone hit rewind! When TimeShift nearly shipped last year, publisher Vivendi Games rebooted everything right after reporting "only seven bugs left." A ballsy call, no doubt, but here's my beef with the FPS face-lift: Instead of shooting my way through some Steampunk-inspired world, I'm in a Half-Life 2 knockoff wearing a self-operating TiVo tuxedo.

Call of Duty: World at War

Call of Duty is back, redefining war like you’ve never experienced before. Building on the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare engine, Call of Duty: World at War immerses players into the most gritty and chaotic WWII combat ever experienced. Players band together to survive the most harrowing and climactic battles that led to the demise of the Axis powers on the European and Pacific fronts. The title offers an uncensored experience with unique enemies and combat variety, including Kamikaze fighters, ambush attacks, Banzai charges and cunning cover tactics, as well as explosive on-screen action through the all new four-player cooperative campaign. The addictive competitive multiplayer has also been enhanced with new infantry and vehicle-based action, a higher level cap, more weapons, and a host of new Perks, maps and challenges.

Features:

New Enemies, Environments and Tactics: Face off against ruthless and tactically advanced enemies that will stop at nothing to defend their homelands, from swamp ambushes and tree-top snipers to fearless Kamikaze attacks. Play as a U.S. Marine and Russian conscript across a variety of Pacific and European locations against the fearless Imperial Japanese and elite German soldiers in epic adrenaline-filled infantry, vehicle and airborne missions.

Co-Op Campaign Mode, Call of Duty Style: For the first time in the franchise, Call of Duty: World at War introduces co-op play, bringing fresh meaning to “No One Fights Alone”. Campaign co-op features up to four-players online, or two-player local split-screen, allowing gamers to experience harrowing campaign missions together for greater camaraderie and tactical execution. Co-op mode incorporates innovative multiplayer components such as challenges, rankings and online stats for deeper re-playability and multiplayer experience bonuses. Co-op mode also features Competitive Co-Op that will show who is really the best player on your team.

Enhanced Multiplayer: Call of Duty: World at War continues the class-based multiplayer action the series is famous for. The addition of vehicle combat with tanks rounds out the multiplayer experience, and features such as persistent stats, player rankings, upgradeable weapons, squad-based gameplay, customizable classes and Perks, have been further enhanced.

The Call of Duty Experience: Call of Duty: World at War utilizes cutting-edge technology including highly-detailed character models, self-shadowing, environmental lighting and amazing special effects to deliver jaw-dropping visuals. Depth of field, rim-lighting and texture-streaming technology bring the adrenaline-pumping combat to life, while physics-enabled battlefields and fire that spreads through environments realistically immerses players into the harrowing and dynamic combat

Far Cry 2

Far Cry 2 finds you caught between two rival factions in war-torn Africa. You're sent to take out "The Jackal," a mysterious character who has rekindled the conflict between the warlords, jeopardizing thousands of lives. In order to fulfill your mission you will have to play the factions against each other, identify and exploit their weaknesses, and neutralize their superior numbers and firepower with surprise, subversion, cunning and, of course, brute force.

Built specifically for Far Cry 2 by the award-winning Ubisoft Montreal development team, the Dunia Engine delivers the most realistic destructible environments, special effects, such as dynamic fire propagation and storm effects, real-time night-and-day cycle, dynamic music system and non-scripted enemy A.I. You can explore 50 kilometers of rendered African landscape. Far Cry 2 also boasts real-time immersion. Real-time story telling, systemic auto-healing, and minimal in-game interface are just few of the features that will make you feel the tension of being alone against barbarous warlords that threaten thousands of innocent lives.

With your choice of a wide selection of weapons, you'll meet the fight head-on with your machine-gun, go berserk with your machete, or make stealth kills as a sniper. If you feel that the atmosphere is not warm enough, light up your flame-thrower and let your enemies and everything around them feel the heat. With your glider, trucks, cars, and boats, you'll fly, run, drive, slide and hover over this huge open world.

Star Wars Battlefront II

Star Wars Battlefront II improves upon the blockbuster multiplayer original with new space combat, playable Jedi, and never-before-seen environments straight out of final Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith film. The game features an all-new single-player experience that takes players through an epic, story-based saga where every action the player takes impacts the battlefront and, ultimately, the fate of the Star Wars galaxy. The sequel features improved flight control, complex space combat that allows players to board enemy capital ships and battle to take over flying command posts or sabotage the ship to be used against the other faction, increased total online player numbers, and memorable multiplayer encounters in 12 new locations. Online multiplayer action for up to 64 players on PC Windows (plus AI units). ESRB Rated T for Teen.

George Lucas Sucks. the Guy writes three of the worst scripts ever, completely destroys my favorite childhood mythos, and makes me swear that I won't get fooled again. And then his company releases Star Wars Battlefront II.and damn if I don't start whistling "The Imperial March" all over again.

Stay on Target
Unlike the prequel trilogy, Battlefront II improves upon its predecessor in virtually every way. Not only does it sport slicker graphics, improved bot A.I., and larger player limits, but it also brings home more new features than Cher after a visit to the plastic surgeon. First among these: the film-inspired single-player campaign, which follows Star Wars Episodes II through V from the perspective of a clone soldier. Want the stormtrooper's-eye view of Princess Leia's capture above Tatooine? How about flying a TIE bomber to take down General Grievous' flagship? Battlefront II has you covered. And if you earn enough points (for accomplishing mission objectives or just good ol' killin'), you can even take control of legendary Star Wars luminaries like Han Solo or Darth Maul.

And yes, I did just say "flying a TIE bomber." Battlefront II's fully fledged space combat mode might be the coolest new addition--though you may want to pick up a quality joystick or gamepad to get the most out of it. We're talking dozens of TIEs, X-wings, and other classic Star Wars spacecraft whizzing in and out among massive star destroyers and Corellian Corvettes; beam cannons illuminating the inky vacuum of space; and fevered cries of "I can't shake him!" issued from your wussy-ass wingmen. It may be a sad commentary, but Battlefront II stands as one of this year's best PC space sims.and it's an FPS.

EXECUTE ORDER 66!
And a damned good FPS, at that. The Force is strong here, supporting up to 64 players in a variety of game modes including capture the flag, conquest (think Battlefield 1942), the aforementioned space combat mode, and a revamped Galactic Conquest mode that overlays a board game-like strategic element onto the action. Even the modes rehashed from the first Battlefront come packed with bantha-loads of new weapons, classes, and vehicles.

The dark side rears its ugly head in only a few minor technical areas: Some of the maps, particularly the lush Yavin 4 and Felucia, suffer from heavy lag, and the game occasionally locks up or crashes outright during bigger confrontations. But overall, as a thrice-burned Star Wars fan, I'm pleasantly surprised by this game's quality. Ironically, it debuted on the same day as the Episode III DVD; by comparison, Battlefront II makes you wish Mr. Lucas had let the game designers have a crack at his screenplays, too.

Always Two, There Are
What's up with Star Wars and the number 2? Many fans recognize The Empire Strikes Back (the second film of the original trilogy) as the best in the series--but Star Wars-based games also seem to improve uncannily the second time around.

* Battlefront [3.5 stars, CGW #246] vs. Battlefront II [4 stars, CGW #258]
* Dark Forces [4 stars, CGW #130] vs. Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II [4.5 stars, CGW #161]
* Rogue Squadron [8/10, EGM #115] vs. Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader [9/10, EGM #149]
* X-Wing [predates CGW's rating system] vs. TIE Fighter [5 stars, CGW #123]
* Knights of the Old Republic [5 stars, CGW #235] vs. Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords [4.5 stars, CGW #250] (OK, so there's always one exception)
By : Eric Neigher