Angry Birds Space: Red Planet + Cracked

In a humorous but beneficial partnership to both parties, Rovio, the creator of the "Angry Birds" series, has teamed up with NASA to provide something both fun and educational to players of all ages.

With "Red Planet," NASA was able to introduce a familiar vehicle into "Angry Birds Space" — the Mars Rover Curiosity, which recently made the trek to Mars,  much to the delight of millions. Rovio has even found a way to include Curiosity in the game, as players have to track down three hidden Rovers throughout each level.

 

Download: Angry Birds Space: Red Planet

Torrent Download: Angry Birds Space: Red Planet

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The House of the Dead III + Cracked

The House of the Dead III is a 2002 light gun arcade game with a horror zombie-survival theme, and the third installment to the House of the Dead series of video games, developed by Wow Entertainment and Sega. It was later ported to the Xbox in 2003, Microsoft Windows in 2005, the Wii in 2008 in a compilation with The House of the Dead 2, and PlayStation 3 in 2012 with PlayStation Move support. The game continues the story of the previous games and introduces new gameplay concepts such as story branching. The game's main protagonist is Lisa Rogan, daughter of Thomas Rogan, the first game's main character, and players control Lisa, G, or a third character who replaces G as the second player's character late in the game.

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Angry Birds Space v1.0.0

Angry Birds Space v1.0.0 cracked READ NFO-THETA | 32.71 Mb
The chase is on! After a giant claw kidnaps their eggs, the Angry Birds chase it into a wormhole and find themselves floating in a strange new galaxy “ surrounded by space pigs! Luckily the Angry Birds have super powers of their own. Angry Birds Space introduces you to new adventures on planets extabit.com and in zero gravity, resulting in spectacular gameplay ranging from slow-motion puzzles to lightspeed destruction. With brand new birds, brand new superpowers, and a whole galaxy to explore, the sky is no longer the limit! Also featuring the DANGER ZONE, the most difficult Angry Birds levels ever! Can you master the Danger Zone?


Year: 2012
Genre: Arcade / Logic (Puzzle)
Platform: PC
Language: English
Publication Type: License
Publisher: Rovio Mobile
Developer: Rovio Mobile

Features:
60 interstellar levels!
Regular free updates!
Brand new birds!
Brand new superpowers!
Zero-gravity space adventures!
Trick shots using planets gravity!
Hidden bonus levels!
Beautifully detailed backgrounds!

System requirements:
 Windows XP/Vista/7
1 GHz
256 MB RAM

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Hulk The Incredible PC Game

 

For as much as superhero movies have improved over recent years, the games based on the same intellectual properties haven't exactly kept up. Just look at Spider-Man, Batman, The Punisher, or the Fantastic Four--er, OK, maybe not the Fantastic Four--and then look at the games that have followed up on the hit movies. Generally, there's a pretty wide gap between film and game quality, even when the game itself isn't directly based on the movie. 2003's game based on The Hulk franchise suffered from a similar issue. While the game was mostly OK, it lacked depth, and it threw together too many hackneyed gameplay mechanics that just weren't conducive to an enjoyable experience playing as everyone's favorite angry, green hero. Thankfully, developer Radical Entertainment saw the problems with the original game and didn't give up, putting together a hugely improved sequel in the form of The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. Featuring something of an open-ended structure, a bevy of crazy moves and destructible, well, everything, Ultimate Destruction places you in a veritable playground designed just for those who love the Hulk's methodology of destruction over discretion. Though the game does have its flaws, the fact that Ultimate Destruction does such a good job of actually making you feel like you are 

Hulk The Incredible PC Game

The Hulk makes its issues much more forgivable.
Ultimate Destruction isn't based on the Ang Lee Hulk film from a couple of years ago. Like THQ's recent Punisher game, it focuses more on the comic-book universe, putting together a storyline that brings such familiar characters as Doc Samson and the Abomination (aka Emil Blonsky) into the fold. There isn't an awful lot to the plot of the game. Essentially, Bruce Banner is already the Hulk by the time the game begins, and he and Doc are working on a way to try to cure him. Enter Blonsky and a cadre of government soldiers, who want nothing more than to wipe out our friend, Big Green. Clearly, this aggression will not stand, and through the several chapters of story the game presents, Hulk smashes whatever tries to stand in his way.
And smash he does. What Ultimate Destruction absolutely does best is give you a metric ton of ways to completely obliterate anything around you. Hulk starts off with some fairly basic punches and throws that let him do plenty of damage to the scenery around him, but as you play through the game, you'll earn smash points via your destructive tendencies, which can be used to purchase new moves. These moves range from humongous seismic bursts that explode everything within a 30-foot radius to crazy hammer-throw moves that let you whip tanks as if doing so were an Olympic event. Hulk is also armed with a number of "weaponizations," which are basically ways he can take things--like nearby cars, streetlamps, or what have you--and turn them into methods of mayhem. You can pick up buses and smash them into useful shields, rip cars in half, wrap them around your fists to effectively give Hulk his own pair of novelty "Hulk Hands," or pick up a nearby missile launcher and simply throw the missiles at oncoming helicopters. There are literally dozens upon dozens of moves to unlock, and almost all of them are an absolute riot. The game isn't exactly stingy with the smash points either, and even when you do run low, all you need to do is head to one of the game's main environments and go nuts.
During the game, Hulk takes up residence at a secluded, abandoned church somewhere in the middle of nowhere. But from there he has access to a few jump points, where he can literally jump hundreds of feet in the air to reach new areas, the primary of which are a major metropolis and the badlands (a barren desert with several military installations). Similarly to those of the Grand Theft Auto games, story missions are accessible from icons found in each area, and they are denoted on your map. The story itself is quite linear, as you're only given one story mission at a time. But in between story missions, you can run and do any number of a whole lot of available side missions, which earn you more smash points. These missions range from simple checkpoint races around the world, to rescue missions, to long-jump competitions with a giant monkey balloon acting as a parachute (we'd try to explain, but trust us when we say it makes more sense in the context of the game). There are a whole lot of these side missions, giving you plenty of lasting play beyond the scope of the story missions. And that's good, since there really isn't a lot of breadth to the storyline portion of the game.

 

System Requirements

Processor= 2.0GHz
RAM= 512MB
Graphics= 128MB

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The Walking Dead Ep 2: Starved for Help

The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead is a five-part game series set in the same universe as Robert Kirkman's award-winning comic book series. Play as Lee Everett, a convicted criminal, who has been given a second chance at life in a world devastated by the undead.
With corpses returning to life and survivors stopping at nothing to maintain their own safety, protecting an orphaned girl named Clementine may offer him redemption in a world gone to hell.

 

platform: PC
Available for: Mac iPhone PS3 X360
Available at: digital Download
developer: Telltale Games
Distributor: Telltale Games
gender: Action Adventure (Terror)
Released: 2012 (TBD)




System Requirements


Minimum System Requirements

* OS: Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7
* CPU: 2.0 GHz Pentium 4 or equivalent
* RAM: 3 GB
* HDD: 2 GB free disk space
* Graphics: 512 MB Graphics Memory
* Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
* DirectX: Version 9

Recommended System Requirements

* OS: Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7
* CPU: Core 2 Duo 2GHz or equivalent
* RAM: 3 GB
* HDD: 2 GB free disk space
* Graphics: 1 GB Graphics Memory
* Sound Card: DirectX 9 Compatible
* DirectX: Version 9
 

The Walking Dead Ep 2: Starved for Help

Starved for Help(Blood n Gore)

 Download Link:

The Walking Dead Episode 2 Part 1
The Walking Dead Episode 2 Part 2
The Walking Dead Episode 2 Part 3
The Walking Dead Episode 2 Part 4
The Walking Dead Episode 2 Part 5
The Walking Dead Episode 2 Part 6
The Walking Dead Episode 2 Part 7

 

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Unmechanical

Unmechanical

Unmechanical is a puzzle adventure that combines tricky puzzle solving, alluring exploration, and an engrossing atmosphere. Set in a fantastic world of flesh, rock and steel, your journey to freedom requires you to solve a great variety of puzzling challenges, and while itÆs easy to pick up and play, later challenges may prove very difficult indeed.

Unmechanical-TiNYiSO
Publisher: Teotl Studios
Genre: Adventure
Platform: PC
Size: 669MB
Release Date: 2012-08-08

Features:-
Intuitive and simple controls, applied to a great range of interactions
A carefully created world with unique environments and an engrossing
atmosphere
More than 30 unique puzzles, including logic-, physics-, and memory
oriented challenges
Uncover a dark secret through strange clues and fantastic events
Over three hours of puzzle-solving, exploration, and adventure

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Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

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Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2

Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 (or Choujigen Game Neptune mk2 in Japan) is the sequel to Hyperdimension Neptunia, announced on April 12, 2011, for the PlayStation 3. It was the first in the series to gain a "M" due to the female characters with revealing costumes.
It was released on August 18, 2011 in Japan, and was released in February 2012 in the United States and Europe. The sequel contains brand new main characters, as well as returning characters, and the gameplay has been updated so as to remove the random encounter feature. New maps and a brand new world feature as well, and the cutscenes have been upgraded from the old 2D visual novel style cutscenes. The story focuses on the younger sisters of Neptune, Noire (Black Heart), and Blanc (White Heart), which are the CPU Candidates on a quest to save the goddesses after they are defeated and captured by Arfoire. The time period for the game is known as 20XX, which possibly not coincidentally, is the same time period name given to the Mega Man series. The game is due to be released as a special edition with a Purple Heart figurine, a Purple Sister figurine, a soundtrack, and an art book. It is being co-produced by Idea Factory and Compile Heart, with assistance from Nippon Ichi Software, Gust Corporation, 5pb., and the recently founded company Comcept by Keiji Inafune. It was published in North America and Europe by NIS America in February 2012.
Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 is a strange game. It's a JRPG that looks and plays like JRPGs are supposed to, but it's also very streamlined, focusing less on deep gameplay elements and more on an almost convoluted storyline that slowly starts to make more sense the longer you stay with the game. Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 is also a great game. But it's not great for a lot of the reasons that many JRPGs are great--it's great because it boldly tries to do different things, and while it doesn't always succeed, it's still a completely exhilarating experience thanks in large part to its video game awareness.

You play as a group of young ladies destined to protect their home land of Gamindustri from the evil Arfoire Syndicate of International Crime, or ASIC. While the first Hyperdimension Neptunia was based on the video game console wars, Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 revolves entirely around piracy in the video game industry. It's an interesting plot idea, but unfortunately, it can be a bit overwhelming and confusing trying to understand everything that's going on in the game.
The main issue with Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 is that character dialogue drags on for way too long. This is problematic because it can get boring having to read walls of text. The strange thing is that I switched to the Japanese language option for one dialogue scene and noticed that the characters were speaking, but when I switched back to English and watched that same scene, I had to read a bunch of text due to the lack of voice acting. The fact that some of these scenes feature spoken dialogue while others force you to read is strange, and it really is a bummer that the entire game doesn't feature English voice acting.

Despite that inconsistency, and the fact that the story in Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 can be overbearing and uninteresting due to its delivery, there are several reasons to care about a lot of the characters showcased during the game's plot sequences. Some characters are more entertaining than others, but the most interesting are incredibly enjoyable to watch. Nisa (named after developer NIS America) was my personal favorite, and hearing her over-the-top delivery as she professed herself the heroine of Gamindustri made for some truly enjoyable moments. There was also IF (named after developer Idea Factory), who struggled to deal with the fact that she was working alongside a bunch of loonies and emotional saps. These are just two of the many fourth wall-breaking characters that made the story in Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 fun to sit through, warts and all.
Gameplay and progression in JRPGs is usually pretty straightforward, and this is definitely the case in Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2. Still, it should be noted that this game is far more linear and streamlined than most other titles in the genre. The game's overworld map will always point you to your next direction, no level grinding is necessary at all throughout the story's entirety, and customization is incredibly simple. Some JRPG enthusiasts may not take too kindly to the simplistic nature of Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2, but I found it refreshing as I always knew what to do next and never got tied down to any one stage due to grinding.

Dungeons are small, and getting through them doesn't take more than a few minutes at a time. There are conveniently-placed save stations, so you know when a major boss or cutscene is coming. Ingredients that you can use to craft items are scattered throughout these micro dungeons, and there are even hidden health items that you can discover by pressing the Circle button to locate any nearby treasures.

Enemies are seen roaming the dungeons, and while many of them are easy to get around, you'll want to battle them to ensure that you're leveling up and obtaining new skills. Battles are turn-based, and you have a number of attacks at your disposal. As you increase in level, you obtain attacks that act as combos, which you start by pressing a specific button and then string together by pressing different buttons as indicated by your attack menu. There are also special attacks you can perform, and these are highly damaging ordeals that are especially effective against stronger foes. You also have healing commands and items at your disposal, and as you encounter stronger enemies, you can bet you'll be using everything to your advantage.
By JRPG standards, Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 isn't a very long game. It can easily take about 15 hours to play the game from start to finish. There is a guild where you can take on sidequests, but all of these are pretty mundane and require you to either fetch certain items or defeat a set number of specific enemies. It's nothing too imposing, really, but it isn't all that interesting either. It's a bit of a shame that you're forced to complete these if you want to view the game's different endings, but if you really want to see everything Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 has to offer, you'll have to tough it out and get to fetching and hunting.
Gameplay
Dungeon Gameplay
While in a dungeon, various actions can be performed, mainly the Treasure Search and the Symbol Attack. When the O button is pressed, the player scans the area to find hidden treasure. Enemies now wander the map, and when the player character comes within their sight range, a red exclaimation point will appear (a play on Metal Gear Solid), and they will chase the player. Hitting it with a Symbol Attack gives the player's party the upper hand, and may sometimes even defeat the enemy. If the latter occurs, no rewards are gained. Likewise, if the player character is approached from behind, the battle will start with a Back Attack and the enemy will gain the advantage. Other items within dungeons include Sharicite Symbols that trigger events, Save Points, Common Items, Gathering Points that release ingredients for item synthesis, and a dungeon exit.
Battle Gameplay

When the player comes in contact with an enemy on the field or during an event, battle starts. Each character's turn is gauged by their AP, or Action Points. Normal attacks and items consume AP until the points run out, after which the character's turn ends.

Each character is also assigned SP, or Skill Points, for performing skills or activating HDD (Hard Drive Divinity) in the case of the CPUs or the CPU Candidates. Skills vary in range, effect, and attack power. One skill can be used per turn, after which the character's turn ends, regardless of current AP remaining. HDD requires 100 SP to activate. This is done by using the HDD ON command, and once activated, the character will regularly consume SP until it runs out, after which the character will revert. Up to 100 SP can also be carried in between battles.

Movement is gauged by a blue circle around the character. This marks the area within which the controlled character may move. Certain normal moves may shorten this circle, limiting further movement. The turn order of the battle is controlled with the Agility stat. The higher a character's Agility, the sooner their turn will come.

The command menu is used for performing various actions. The character may perform normal attacks, use skills, activate HDD (only CPUs and CPU Candidates), or end their turn. They may also switch between standby characters using AP and SP, escape from unscripted battles (dependent on Luck stat), or use items.

As in the first game, draining an enemy's GP, or Guard Points, forces that target into Guard Break mode. In this state, the defense stat and resistances of the target are significantly reduced until the enemy's GP completely recovers. GP depletes faster when a Break attack is used.

Normal combos can be edited by inserting extra commands. These commands appear after the first normal attack. Normal combos branch off into three types: Rush, Heavy Hits, and Break. Rush attacks usually involve high hit counts. Heavy Hits usually deplete enemy HP faster. Break attacks usually deplete enemy GP faster. By executing certain commands in specific patterns and consuming a set amount of AP, a combo finisher called an EX Finish is performed. The type of EX Finish is usually related to the command used to execute it.

Status conditions can affect combat. Whenever a target is affected by Poison, they continuously receive 1/16th of their max health in damage. Likewise, Heal continuously recovers 1/16th of their max health instead. When affected by Skillseal, Skills are disabled. When affected by Paralysis, the character is immobile and their turn is skipped. When a CPU or CPU Candidate is affected by Virus, the HDD ON command becomes locked, and if the target is in HDD, they forcibly revert.
Plot
The year is 20XX, and in an alternate universe, where Arfoire is dead, a force known as ASIC (Arfoire Syndicate of International Crime), a group solely dedicated towards the deceased Arfoire, has risen, led by CFW Magic. Over the years, the influence of ASIC has become increasingly powerful, currently affecting many residents of Gamindustri. As such, in response to the threat, the CPUs and Nepgear travel to the Gamindustri Graveyard to combat ASIC. However, the five of them are overpowered and captured. Three years later, IF and Compa arrive to find Neptune. With the power of the Sharicite, a crystal made from the hopes of people, the two manage to free Nepgear and escape, though the Sharicite is broken in the process. Retreating to Planeptune, Nepgear must recover her strength and free Gamindustri from the influence of ASIC, though she must first locate the mascots of the landmasses, who can provide the power to potentially assist the captive CPUs. As she travels Gamindustri to find the mascots, she crosses paths with Nisa, Gust, 5pb, Cave, and Falcom, as well as the other CPU Candidates, who she befriends. They eventually join Nepgear's party, and together with the power of the mascots, they manage to free their captive sisters. The members of ASIC fall by their hand as well, though they uncover a sinister plot to use their power to revive Arfoire. Making their way to the Gamindustri Graveyard for the last time, Nepgear's party defeats Arfoire, and the CPUs attempt to seal the entity forever.
Visually, this is your standard JRPG fare, which is to say that Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 doesn't look bad, but its graphical presentation isn't all that excellent either. It simply gets the job done and provides different dungeons for you to explore and some anime-style story sequences. The same can be said about the game's soundtrack, which has a few decent songs, but nothing too impressive. Thankfully, the character dialogue is great (when they're actually speaking), and though the story is too convoluted for its own good, the voice acting is at least pretty great.
It would be easy to say that Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 is just another JRPG that plays great, looks OK, and sounds decent, but in reality, the game is much, much more than that. Yes, that's a pretty basic breakdown of its built-in "game-ness," but there are plenty of elements that make the game stand out, and they're all rooted in how well it parodies other video games. Whether you're encountering a mouse named Pirachu who constantly shouts out "chuu!" much like the iconic Pokemon mascot, battling Mario-inspired green pipes, or taking on a giant head that's very similar to that dude from Brain Age, Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 is rife with awesome, "holy sh*t!" moments.

The game doesn't just parody other titles, though. References to video game consoles are everywhere, too. Whether you're visiting the towns of Lastation, Lowee, or Leanbox (which upon doing so causes one of the characters to remark that she better hold on tight to her purse because she doesn't want to get robbed), Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 is an abundant little bag of enjoyable video game references. That said, the game makes it a point to parody aspects of pop culture, as well. Chirper, for example, is the game's version of Twitter, and you can see what different townspeople and even your teammates have to say. Also, Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune is totally on Chirper as a cameo character. And in case you're wondering, it's as awesome as it sounds.
Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 is a great game that would have probably only been a really good game had it not been for its awesome awareness and video game parodies. As it stands, the game has all the tools to be an enjoyably paced JRPG that's a bit on the short side and fairly streamlined. But it's all of those references--from Mario to freaking Twitter--that really make it stand out amongst the crowd of overly saturated, poorly constructed JRPGs out there. This game is something special. If you give it a chance, be aware that it will likely take about two hours for things to really pick up, but when you get through that barrier, Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 is an outstanding little JRPG that's both fun to play and hilarious to witness, and it should not be missed by video game aficionados and fans of the genre.

Oh yeah, Inafune's also a freakin' special attack in the game!

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Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure

Kinect Rush places you alongside some of your favorite Pixar characters from the movies Ratatouille, Toy Story 3, Cars/Cars 2, UP, and The Incredibles. In the game, you start out by putting yourself into the game. The Kinect sensor will scan your body and create an avatar of you in the game. That avatar affects how you look in each of Pixar's different movies — the color of your car, toy, super hero, etc.

It's a nice idea, except it doesn't really work all that well. I was wearing a blue shirt, I have a slight tan, and I have brown hair. The game made me brown, with black hair, and a purple shirt. No matter how many times I tried, I could not get it to resemble me. Also, there are no options to create yourself without scanning. It's really frustrating that all it would have taken was skin tone and hair options, yet they're nowhere to be found. It's disappointing, especially when compared to how Kinect Disneyland Adventures handled their character creation.
Once you're in the game, you are put into a Pixar park. There are other kids running around, and there are five different sections of the park — for each of the five Pixar movies present in the game. You become the characters in the game through role-playing, essentially. For example, you walk up to the Cars area. You talk to another kid who asks you if you want to play Cars, then the two of you start pretending that you are in the world of Cars. Each kid you come across plays as a different character from whatever movie you are playing in.

The better you do in a level from the Cars area, the more points you get towards unlocking more levels in that area. You also unlock special moves that you can perform with your body. These special moves help you in that movie's area; you perform the move at certain points to collect tons of coins or other bonuses. Each of the five movies has their own progression bar that you can unlock things in. It is worth noting that it'll be harder to get the best rating on each level if you don't have the special moves; also, playing through each level once won't be enough to unlock everything, as there are only three levels in each area. This encourages you to play multiple times.

The gameplay itself is fairly simple, but it works well for the game. This game is geared towards kids, after all. All of the motions I performed were picked up accurately with the Kinect. The problem is that you perform the same six or seven moves in every game. You jump, crouch, pump your arms up and down, run in place, make a throwing motion, climb, and pretend like you're pushing off the ground with your arms to go faster. Over, and over, and over again. Those are your basic moves.

The Cars area is the only area that doesn't use those, outside of jump. In Cars, you hold your arms in front of you — like you're holding a steering wheel — and you act like you're driving a car. It controls really well and was probably my and my son's favorite area of the game. Up is probably the most boring of the five areas, but that's really a testament to how immersive the other areas feel. Asobo Studio and everyone involved did a really good job of recreating the feel of each movie. Whether you're sliding along an ice bridge made by Frozone or dodging the attacks from Charles Muntz's dogs flying planes, it all places you in the middle of those movies.

There's also a wonky bug; in one level for Toy Story, you are skydiving/falling with style out of an airplane. You're going through air balloon-type things, and shafts, and dodging objects. Some of them you need to enter and go through. Well, I missed one. And I got stuck on the outside of the shaft, unable to fall anymore, because of an invisible wall. Obviously, they didn't account for anyone missing the opening. Which is weird because kids aren't going to be able to do everything perfect. Needless to say, I had to restart.
Two players can also play together, and the detection is just as good as when one player is going solo. There's some teamwork aspects, but mainly it's just two players doing the same thing at the same time. When you're trying to fly or balance, it can become a little crowded, so those with small playing spaces might not have as easy a time.

 

Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure accomplishes what it sets out to do — it provides a way for children to interact with their favorite characters from some of the best animated films ever made. The controls aren't flawless, but they're pretty accurate. It's easy to pick up and play. Repetition is the game's biggest flaw — well, that and a character creation system that is a disappointment. If you absolutely love the characters in the game and wanna go adventuring with them, this is a perfect game. There's not a lot of challenge for adults, but kids will have a blast. It's hard for me to recommend it over Disney's other Kinect game, Kinect Disneyland Adventures, but it's a quality Kinect title that has more UPs than downs.

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Sonic CD

If there’s one company that has fan service nailed down tight, it’s Sega.  Seriously, every time some hardcore fan base has demanded a game for release on the digital front, it’s come through in spades.  Guardian Heroes?  Released with an HD makeover and online play.  Daytona USA?  Packing Xbox Live support and complete with a weird (yet hilarious) Karaoke Mode.  Crazy Taxi?  Well, it didn’t quite have the amazing soundtrack it once did, but it’s still reckless fun.  And now it’s come through again, just in time for the holidays, with Sonic CD.

First announced back at PAX, it was a shock to see Sonic CD come back in the limelight, after the initial game had a mediocre run on the Sega CD platform, followed by a flawed, glitchy release on PC.  But after running along that bumpy road, we’re happy to report that the Hedgehog has made a smooth transition on Xbox Live (PSN next week), with all of the original game’s goodness intact – and a few bonuses for good measure.

Sonic CD does stray a little bit off course from previous Sonic games.  All the running and enemy bopping is still intact, and you’ll set out to collect as many rings as possible for those cherished one-ups.  But some mastermind at Sega (probably Yuji Naka) added the element of time travel, where Sonic runs through specific gates and runs like hell, transporting himself to the past or the future.  Most of the level build itself remains the same, but everything else – décor, music, enemies – has drastically changed.  It’s a neat effect that will have you running through different gates each time through, just to see how everything turns out.

This game is also quite tougher than previous Sonics.  That’s not to say it’s impossible, but you’ll be surprised how often you hit spiked walls and lose all your precious rings, or accidentally fall into a bottomless pit of death.  With much more intricate level designs, there’s plenty to find in each stage, but eventually you’ll need to figure out the best way through, such as on a huge pinball grid that reminds us so much of the forgotten Sonic Spinball.  Just stick with it, though, and you’ll be promptly rewarded with a rich experience as only the Hedgehog can deliver.

 

We mentioned extras, and Sonic CD definitely has them.  The first thing worth noting is that the game features various graphic filters – Sharp, Smooth and Nostalgic.  The best way to go if you’re a retro fan is obviously Nostalgic, but the other two filters aren’t half bad.  While the game’s lacking the kind of HD makeover magic that Beyond Good and Evil and the upcoming Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath received, it still looks damn good for its age -- in spite of the somewhat chunky 3D stages.  The parallax scrolling backgrounds and beautiful sights are still worth beholding.

In addition, there’s the music.  A lot of fans were miffed when the original Sonic CD was released with an all new US-made soundtrack, rather than keeping the insanely good Japanese one.  But Sega delivers once again, as it gives you the option to switch between the two.  This is a superb option, and both soundtracks are well worth a listen.  Don’t be surprised if you find yourself switching back and forth, just to pick your favorites.

The gameplay delivers, even if the game is a little tougher than usual, and it’s humorous to see the first signs of Amy, Sonic’s inadvertent love interest, in early form.  But one questionable addition is Tails, who becomes an unlockable character once you finish the game.  He feels like an unnecessary add-on, though some fans will obviously enjoy his presence.  We would’ve preferred the much more bad-ass Metal Sonic, though.  Or hey, what about Knuckles? Best of all, Sonic CD is delivered to us in time for the holidays at an incredibly reasonable price – five bucks.  Yep, what was once released for a full retail $49.99 has been reduced to 1/10 of that price, even though all the quality remains intact.  Sega could’ve easily jacked the price to $10 (as it did for Daytona and other digital releases) and still gotten buyers.  But at $5?  That’s beyond a steal.

Sega still appreciates its classic game library, and its digital release of Sonic CD easily proves that.  They’ve taken great care of this game, including all the gameplay that made it so rewarding in the first place and throwing in various new options to cater to its fan base, including graphic tweaking, soundtrack selection and an additional character.  It’s easily one of the best values you can get for your gaming dollar this year.  Don’t hesitate to run wild with it.

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Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition

Who plays fighting games for the story?” As gamers, we often ask that rhetorical question when addressing the genre’s requisite narrative. Few people actually care about the story modes of fighting games because they tend to be glorified versions of the corresponding arcade modes, and most of us prefer to play with friends locally or online rather than by ourselves and against a computer. But really, why shouldn’t a story mode be important to a fighting game? When it comes to genres, conventions are king. No one expects a racing game to offer cerebral gameplay or an RPG to skimp on plot and characters. But sometimes games purposely reach beyond convention, and our expectations change as the genre does. Mortal Kombat 9 is one of those games.

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Rayman Origins 2

 

Rayman Origins is a platform game developed and published by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS and Microsoft Windows. The game was released on November 15, 2011 in North America, November 24, 2011 in Australia and November 25, 2011 in Europe for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii. It was also released for PlayStation Vita as a launch title, with Microsoft Windows and Nintendo 3DS versions planned for release at a later date. The story follows Rayman, his friend Globox and two teensies as they fight Darktoons and other evil creatures that have infected the Glade of Dreams.

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FIFA Street

Using reputation and respect gained from playing 4-on-4 games with tricks and flair, the aim of FIFA Street is to build a team up of well-known and recognised players including Ronaldo and Ronaldinho to progress through street venues across the world.
Ginga Toe Chop. McGeady Spin. Touzani Around the World. No, that's not complete gibberish; those are just some of the eccentrically named tricks you can use to outsmart, outrun, and outplay your opponents in FIFA Street. Their various flicks, volleys, and flashy footwork make each an impressive display of technical prowess, and--unlike the tricks in FIFA Street's predecessors--none of them would look out of place on the football pitch. The cartoonlike visuals and seemingly impossible tricks of old have been replaced with a more gritty visual style and pure, fast-paced street football. FIFA Street is satisfying to play and almost as impressive to watch, despite something of a steep learning curve to master the intricacies of the game.

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The Simpsons Arcade

The Simpsons Arcade Game is an arcade beat 'em up developed by Konami released in 1991, and the first video game based on The Simpsons franchise. The voice actors of the immediate family (Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, and Yeardley Smith) provide voices for their respective characters. It uses the same engine[citation needed] and therefore has similar overall gameplay as the 1989 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game, also made by Konami. The game was ported to the Commodore 64 and MS-DOS soon after its launch in the arcades. The game was released on Xbox Live Arcade on February 3, 2012 and was released for the PlayStation Network on February 7, 2012.
It’s been requested for like the longest time, and for good reason.  Konami’s 1991 arcade take on The Simpsons is, without a doubt, one of the best video games the animated family has ever seen.  Granted, that’s mostly because the home games featuring the likes of Homer, Bart and the rest of the clan have outright sucked, namely garbage like Virtual Bart and Bart vs. the Space Mutants.  Konami was just able to “get” that certain something that made them click, rather than surrounding them with lame gameplay aspects.

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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the big, bold, and beautiful sequel you hoped for and is sure to bewitch you for countless hours.
Skyrim's main story revolves around the player character's efforts to defeat Alduin, a Dragon god who is prophesied to destroy the world. Set two hundred years after Oblivion, the game takes place in the fictional province of Skyrim, upon the continent of Tamriel, and the planet of Nirn. The open world gameplay of the Elder Scrolls series returns in Skyrim; the player can explore the land at will and ignore or postpone the main quest indefinitely. Skyrim has received universal acclaim from critics and was a commercial success as well, shipping over 7 million copies to retailers within the first week of release.

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Never Dead

NeverDead (ネバーデッド Nebādeddo) is a video game developed by Rebellion Developments and published by Konami for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was released on January 31, 2012 in North America, February 2, 2012 in Japan, February 3, 2012 in Europe and February 16, 2012 in Australia.

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Quarrel

Quarrel is a video game developed by Denki and published by UTV Ignition Entertainment. It is a word-based strategy game, described as "Scrabble x Risk x Countdown."[1] It was released for iOS devices on August 25, 2011 and on January 25, 2012 for Xbox Live Arcade.
Those of you with iOS devices might already be familiar with the game Quarrel.  For me, it was an entirely new game.  Knowing little about the game before actually playing it, I assumed it would be your typical Xbox LIVE boring board game.  So you can imagine the surprise, and joy, when I booted it up to find out it was a mix of two of my favorite games -- Scrabble and Risk.

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Hitman 2: Silent Assassin + crack

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin is a stealth game developed by IO Interactive and published by Eidos Interactive. Released for the Xbox game console on September 30, 2002, it is the second entry in the Hitman series and the sequel to Hitman: Codename 47. Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 2 versions of the game were released on October 1, 2002, and a GameCube version was later released on June 19, 2003. Hitman 2 has sold more than 3.7 million copies as of April 23, 2009. The game was re-released for Windows through the Steam online distribution service.

In the game, players assume the role of an assassin known as Agent 47. The game advances as players carry out contract killings by solving puzzles to arrange for stealthy, untraceable assassinations.

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NFL Blitz

 

NFL Blitz is a series of American football themed video games by Midway featuring the teams of the National Football League. It began as a 1997 arcade game but was eventually ported to home consoles and spawned several sequels. Rather than being designed as a realistic interpretation of the sport of football, like Madden NFL or NFL 2K, the Blitz series was created as an over-the-top, exaggerated version of the sport, inspired by Midway's own NBA Jam basketball games.

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Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V (commonly shortened to GTA V) is an upcoming open world action-adventure video game being developed by games developerRockstar North in the United Kingdom and published by Rockstar Games. The game will be the first major title in the Grand Theft Auto series sinceGrand Theft Auto IV (2008), which started the fourth "era" in the series, and the fifteenth game overall. The game is to be set in fictional Los Santos in the state of San Andreas and its surrounding areas, based on modern-day Los Angeles and Southern California. A rendition of Los Santos was previously featured as one of three cities in 2004's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, from the series's third era.Grand Theft Auto V was officially announced on 25 October 2011. The debut trailer for the game was unveiled on 2 November 2011.

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Mass Effect 3

Mass Effect 3 is a remarkably satisfying conclusion to a beloved trilogy, and a poignant and memorable role-playing action game in its own right.
Mass Effect 3 is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.Officially announced on December 11, 2010,the game was released March 6, 2012[13] and marks the final chapter in the Mass Effect trilogy of video games, completing the story of Commander Shepard.
            
Gameplay in Mass Effect 3 is influenced by decisions from Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2. Combat has been changed and refined; in particular, the cover system has been improved, there are more options for moving around the battlefield, instant melee kills and more conventional grenades are introduced as well as improved artificial intelligence. A four player multiplayer co-op mode will also be available.
Mass Effect 3 follows on from the events of the Mass Effect 2 DLC expansion Arrival and Commander Shepard's mission to save the galaxy from the Reapers by rallying civilizations of the galaxy together, while also having to deal with Cerberus, who have decided to turn against him/her.

The Good
    * Fantastic, moving story that balances plot and character 
    * Past and present choices impact the game in wonderful and unexpected ways 
    * Much-improved level design leads to challenging, exciting battles 
    * Fantastic art design makes great use of color and composition 
    * Top-notch voice acting brings every major character to life.

The Bad
    * Some glitches and bugs 
    * Galactic travel and scanning aren't much fun.

Sacrifice. It's Mass Effect 3's major theme, and rightly so. After all, the reapers were coming--it was only a matter of time. And now, those sentient space vessels are here, and with them, a galaxy's worth of destruction. Mass Effect 3 brings the sound and the fury, but these aren't meaningless shows of laser fire and alien devastation. The series has earned its right to showcase such destruction by drawing us close to its characters and teaching us of its universe.
Mass Effect was about time and place; you discovered the Milky Way's landmarks and races, guided by memorable characters like Tali and Garrus, who served as representatives of their cultures. Mass Effect 2 was about people; you learned more about old friends and made new ones, and drew each of them close to your heart. Mass Effect 3 fearlessly manipulates those personal bonds, forcing you to make difficult choices and consider the greater good--even when the greater good isn't always clear. The game is structured less like Mass Effect 2 and more like Dragon Age II: three dramatic acts, each concluding with major events that might leave you in tears, or at very least, shivering from the emotional impact.
   

Mass Effect 3 is focused more on plot than the previous installments were, and at first, you might miss Mass Effect 2's more obvious personal touch. You meet some new characters, but you develop few new meaningful relationships. A couple of notable exceptions aside, your party members are familiar faces, and as Commander Shepard, you aren't traveling the galaxy seeking individual crew members, but rather the assistance of entire races. Some of the plot devices seem a bit transparent; what are the chances that Shepard would just happen to find an old acquaintance on almost every random planet? But once the plot is in motion, the human element returns, and poignantly so. Mass Effect 3 frequently reminds us that the loss of a single shining soul often takes on more meaning than a planetwide massacre. (After all, what carried more emotional weight in Star Wars: Obi-Wan's death or Alderaan's destruction?)
                     The series' focus on player choice is as vital as it has ever been in Mass Effect 3. The effects of choices in previous installments have an impact in extraordinary ways here, more so than in Mass Effect 2. Sometimes the nods to prior choices are subtle. A lover might fondly recall her previous entanglement with you, while still supporting your new romantic interest. At other times, the impact is far more dramatic. Entire quests, conversations, and characters shift as a result of your actions in previous games (not to mention, your decisions in this one). As a result, you might be delighted by characters other players never meet, share intimate talks with crewmates other players never interact with, and deal with decisions other players never make. And as in previous Mass Effect games, your entire attitude when choosing dialogue options (paragon or renegade) can drive you to conclusions other players could never consider.
                         This intense narrative is met with an equally intense presentation. Mass Effect 3 is more atmospheric and darker in tone than even Mass Effect 2 was. You hear more expletives and raise your voice in desperation far more often, and the environments you do battle in reflect the rising pitch. An ominous storm encroaches, giving battle an even greater sense of urgency. The sheer darkness of a subterranean ruin enhances the sense of danger. The blue and rose bands of light that periodically stretch across the screen may seem old hat after Mass Effect 2, but the trick remains effective. That blue is also the color of Garrus' eyepiece, Liara's skin, and a harvester's glowing lights. That rose is the color of Wrex's armor, Mordin's forehead, and the Normandy's war room terminals. Both hues are used in the game's various interface elements, which makes other colors more effective when used. Witness, for example, the starkness of Jack's black-and-white ensemble and how it contrasts with the rich colors around her.

                         These are exquisite details, though other details come across as a bit sloppy in comparison. The frame rate stutters on occasion. Camera movement and viewing angles occasionally go askew; the camera might jitter in weird ways during cutscene transitions, or focus on a wall instead of the character speaking. A scripting error could force you to restart a mission should an event not trigger properly. And if you play on the PlayStation 3, you could run into a crash or two. These flaws stand out because Mass Effect 3 is otherwise such an elegant experience.
Plot
                    Mass Effect 3 begins on Earth, with Commander Shepard relieved of duty for the consequences of his/her actions in the Mass Effect 2 DLC pack Arrival,[17] as the Systems Alliance is beginning to lose contact with its outposts and colonies, and speculate that the threat is in fact the "Reaper" threat as Shepard had warned.

The Alliance's Defense Committee convenes and seeks advice on how to deal with the Reaper threat. This meeting is cut short as the Reapers reach Earth suddenly. The forces of Earth are overwhelmed by the onslaught of the Reapers. Cmdr. Shepard is tasked by Admiral Anderson to build up a force to confront the Reapers. He reinstates Shepard's Alliance commission and orders Shepard to escape in the Normandy to seek the Citadel Council support. At this point, Anderson chooses to stay behind in order to coordinate a response with the human resistance forces. Admiral Hackett contacts Shepard, updating that he and what's left of the Alliance fleet were forced to retreat. He orders Shepard to stop at the research facility on Mars, where the scientists studying the Prothean artifacts discovered a way to defeat the Reapers.

On Mars, Shepard saves former squadmate Liara T'Soni from attacking Cerberus troopers. She tells Shepard that she discovered blueprints to a Prothean weapon that has the power to destroy the Reapers. The blueprints are forwarded to Hackett, who dubs the weapon "The Crucible" and begins preparations for its construction. Post Mars, Shepard returns to the Citadel and requests an audience with the the Council. It is hoped, depending on prior game decisions (save the council or let them die) that they will provide support towards the war efforts for Earth. However, the Council is reluctant to provide aid as their own systems are under attack by the Reapers, and would only provide aid if Shepard can reduce the threat to their systems.

Shepard is then sent on various missions throughout the galaxy to gather allies for the ongoing war and resources for the construction of "The Crucible". Based on Shepard's past and present actions throughout the trilogy, there are many critical decisions that must be made. Former crew from the past two games can be recruited to support the war effort. This includes scanning various solar systems for resources and aiding with various rescue missions.

Key plot points are where Shepard must also decide whether or not to cure the Krogan genophage, and whether to side with the Quarians or Geth when the Quarians attempt to retake their home planet. Shepard is not only opposed by the Reapers, but Cerberus. The Illusive Man is obsessed with finding a way to control the Reapers, even if it means sabotaging Shepard's efforts. Eventually, Cerberus attacks the Citadel itself with assistance from Earth's representative, Councilor Udina. This coup is an attempt to assassinate the other Council members and seize control of the station. Shepard manages to repel the Cerberus forces and their leader, Kai Leng. Udina is also killed during the confrontation.

                    During these events, the construction of the Crucible is progressing, but it is missing a critical component called the "Catalyst". Along this juncture the Asari Councilor then contacts Shepard for a critical mission on their homeworld, Thessia. She reveals to Shepard that the Asari had been hiding an intact Prothean artifact and that it may hold information about the Catalyst. When Shepard arrives, Thessia is under assault by the Reapers. Shepard, with the aid of the Asari, manages to reach the Prothean beacon. During the research, the team is ambushed by the Cerberus assassin, Kai Leng. The ambush is successful and Shepard's team is nearly wiped out. Angry and frustrated by the Cerberus efforts, Shepard convenes with Admiral Hackett to coordinate a surgical strike on the Illusive Man's headquarters. Shepard manages to kill Kai Leng and recovers the stolen data from Thessia. However, the Illusive Man manages to escape. Through the recovered data it is revealed that the Citadel is the Catalyst. The Reapers were informed by the co-opted Illusive Man as to "What" the Catalyst is and they move the Citadel to Earth.

              In response to the completion of the Catalyst, Shepard assembles the combined military forces and attacks the Reapers on and in orbit around Earth. The goal of the attack is recapturing the Citadel and combining it with the Crucible to complete the weapon. While the fleets battle the Reapers in orbit and and provide defense to the Crucible, a large ground attack force simultaneously lands in London. Operation "Shield" protects the Crucible and operation Hammer begins it's assault on the site identified as the focal point of the connection to the Citadel. Hammer is successful but sustains heavily losses. Shepard meets up with the Earth Forces and reunites with Anderson. They coordinate an assault to reach the connection "beam" between the Earth and the Citadel.

               With the assistance of the Human resistance movement and the remnants of Operation Hammer, Shepard begins offensive on the beam site. During the assault, Harbinger intervenes and decimates the majority of attack force. Shepard survives this attack but is critically injured. Shepard manages to stumble into the beam, as does Anderson where both reach the citadel. It is revealed that the Citadel is being used in a manner similar to the collector base: processing humans into a new Human Reaper. Inside the Citadel, Shepard and Anderson are stopped by an indoctrinated Illusive Man. Shepard manages to kill the Illusive Man, or convince the Illusive Man to kill himself, but not before Anderson is mortally wounded in the confrontation. Shepard manages to open the Citadel, allowing the Crucible to dock. Shepard collapses and reflects with Anderson and has memories of the crew. Anderson passes away and Shepard loses consciousness. Shepard awakes and is carried to the pinnacle of the Citadel. There he is approached by an artificial intelligence, which identifies itself as the Catalyst and declares it is the entity controlling the Reapers. It reveals that the cycle the Reapers enforce is an attempt to prevent organic life from wiping itself out by creating synthetic life. It argues that the creators are always doomed to be destroyed by the created.

The Reapers, it is further revealed, are in fact preserving the advanced organic races by using them to create new Reapers, and leaving space for the more primitive species to evolve. It argues that without this "reaping" that the created artificer life would wipe out "ALL" organic life. However, the Catalyst points out that since Shepard has managed to assemble the Crucible, the Catalyst's priorities have now changed. This was a feat not done by the three trillion individuals that had already been harvested through the past cycles. The Catalyst then gives Shepard three choices: Destroy the Reapers and all synthetic life, take control of the Reapers , or initiate synergy between organic and synthetic life: (Ray Kurzweil's concept of the technological singularity). The last synthesis option would be creating an entirely new life form, described as having several attributes Shepard already has, thanks to his/her implants. These endings are referenced by their colors as "Blue", "Red" and "Green".

Ultimately, regardless of Shepard's choice, all three endings result in Shepard's apparent death and the destruction of the entire mass relay network. London is shown rather intact in the "Good" variants and is heavily damaged in the "bad" variants. The Normandy, which is in the middle of a mass relay jump for unknown reasons, is forced to crash land on an alien planet. This presumably strands the crew. The team exits the crashed ship and looks up to an alien sky. Post ending, if the player's Effective Military Strength is high enough and the "Destroy" ending is chosen, it will be revealed that Shepard is still alive.

In a post-credits sequence, a man and a child are seen on an alien planet looking to the sky. The man tells the child how there are billions of stars and planets in the galaxy, and how all of them are populated by countless alien races and cultures. The child then asks the man to tell him another story about "The Shepard".
It's also packed with action. The basic third-person shooting is the same as Mass Effect 2's, though it has been given a few minor tweaks. You can now deliver a charged-up melee attack, for example, and slide around corners while still in cover. Such mechanics don't drastically change the flow of battle, which is still occasionally sullied by returning Mass Effect combat quirks: occasional cover glitches, unintelligent friendlies that crouch on top of crates, and enemies that thoughtlessly tumble against walls and end up going nowhere as a result.
                    On the other hand, the improvement in level design is remarkable. Unlike the previous game, Mass Effect 3 isn't about "take cover behind the obvious barriers, shoot the enemies that predictably emerge, and then do it again." Combat areas are more expansive and some enemies are more aggressive, so not only are you given room to move about, but you must use that space. One such enemy is the banshee, which destroys you in a single grab if you let it come too close. These shrieking horrors join charging brutes, dogging you in tandem in a memorable combat sequence and providing a challenge the previous games lacked, at least on normal difficulty.

                         And so you can't always trust a single cover spot to provide sanctuary--not when you have three guys in humongous robot suits blindsiding you. You sprint and tumble about, sliding into cover and using cryo ammo to freeze a creepy cannibal before smashing it with a powerful shock wave. As you level up, you eventually make choices on how to upgrade your powers. Do you increase the Pull ability's recharge speed, or do you learn to launch two Pull projectiles at once? Don't assume that Mass Effect 3's missions are all about guns and space magic, though. A pistol isn't much help when you traverse a virtual space made of neon cubes and floating platforms. Facing an old nemesis isn't a battle of guns--it's a battle of wits.
                    You may also spend credits to level up these weapons, which gives Mass Effect 3 a fine sense of progression. A dinky pistol and submachine gun lead to assault rifles upgraded with scopes and sniper rifles with damage modifiers. And if you've never found much use for certain weapons, the broader level design may have you rethinking your approach. If you were never inclined to use a sniper rifle, now you can find a good vantage point to zoom in and let loose. You may never have let an enemy get too close before, but a nice shotgun and a melee attachment can make it a snap to fend off hawkish husks that intrude on your personal space.
                 It's worth noting that Mass Effect 3 has added a notable feature to the series, but has lost another. The Xbox 360 version supports the Kinect peripheral, allowing you to call out commands to teammates ("Liara: Warp!"), perform your own skills ("Pull!"), interact with objects ("Open!"), or choose dialogue options. This is all absolutely functional, and sometimes even enjoyable. For instance, calling out to a team member to let loose a biotic power means you don't have to pause the game to pull up the radial menu. On the other hand, there's enough of a delay when speaking your wishes aloud that it's more efficient just to push a button. The feature lost, on all platforms, is that of hacking minigames. They were fine diversions, but Mass Effect 3 varies its pace enough that you won't likely miss them.

                    Mass Effect 3 isn't all talking and shooting. Outside of combat, you walk around the Citadel, picking up odd jobs and eavesdropping on diplomats and refugees. There are some wonderful moments to be had here: having a bizarre conversation with a virtual copy of yourself, checking in on an old ally in bad health, and punching an old nemesis square in the face. Refugees mourn for the lost and missing, gazing at a collection of photographs that serves as an ad hoc memorial. Again, it's the subtleties that pull you in. A crewmate gets a tattoo to celebrate his newfound ambitions, you ponder the meaning of a human-on-AI romance, and you grab a drink in a busy nightclub. It's a pity that the entertaining lesser races--the Hanar and the Elcor in particular--are in such short supply. Mass Effect 3 isn't big on comedic interludes.
The multiplayer's overall structure is more interesting than the action. You choose from one of six classes and level them separately, and earn credits as you play. You use these credits to unlock packs that contain a number of random items--special ammo, a weapon mod, an on-the-spot ammo refill, and so on. (You can also spend real money on them if you are so inclined.) Because so many of these items are expendable, and because the flow of rewards is slow but steady, you might be drawn to stick with Mass Effect 3's multiplayer even after you've reaped its single-player benefit.

             Mass Effect 3 has its flaws, but they're of minimal consequence in a game this enthralling. By filling the Milky Way with vibrant, singular characters, the series has given you a reason to care about its fate. Ostensibly, Mass Effect 3 is about saving the galaxy, but a galaxy is just a thing--an idea, an abstract, a meaningless collection of plutinos, planets, and pulsars. But the game is actually about saving people. And there's a big difference there. Watching cities burn from orbit tugs at your heartstrings; watching a beloved companion die cuts to the bone. Whether you possess a storied history with the series or come with a clean slate, Mass Effect 3 expertly entangles you in its universe and inspires you to care about its future.

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