Valve’s Half-Life 2: Episode 1 exemplified how a developer can make a player care about an in-game character (Alyx). This expansion pack crams in more depth into its short playtime than many full-length games achieve in three times the number of hours. Bethesda Softworks’ The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion demonstrates that role-playing games are far from dead, but it lost ground to developer Relic’s Company Of Heroes, which takes top props. CoH redefines the ever-popular genre of real-time strategy games without the overcrowded World War II setting marring its advancement in any way. This is the game that defines the future of strategy gaming. Check the next page to see how much we really loved it.

Get your PC games now: Half Life 2 Holiday Collection DVD (Half Life 1, Half Life2, Half Life 2 Episode 1, Counter Strike: Source)

The original Guild Wars was only released a year ago but is still considered one of the finest role-playing games (RPG) of recent memory. Factions,the
next add-on,is less of a rushed sequel and more of a remix. Featuring two new classes and plenty of new locations, the game play has also been tweaked with the addition of an alliance-based system that brings a sense of narrative to the action.Much of the gameplay is extremely similar,but veterans will discover more than enough new content in Factions to feel their purchase was justified.

Like its predecessor,it’s less quest-based and more about player vs player action, which makes a nice change in a RPG market obsessed with epic locations and long journeys.But there’s a solid melding of game types in here,meaning that it’s more balanced and ultimately more exciting than most of its rivals.

Taking into consideration the high price of gaming,not just in purchasing titles but with regards to updating hardware,it should be noted that Factions is actually free to play.And in another nice touch,you can transfer existing GuildWar characters to the new game,giving experienced players a nearly advantage. With such a well-designed game system and a loyal fan base already in place,it’s difficult to see Factions being anything other than a deserved smash.

Get the Guild Wars Factions: Collector’s Edition Now.

It may have been hanging around the TV schedules forever,but Law &Order and its spin-offs have never taken off on this side of the Atlantic,meaning that any PC adaptation would have to be pretty special to capture gamers hearts on this side of the pond.

Unfortunately,this is a long way from special.It allows you to play as the characters from the show in solving murders but,sadly,its game play is so flawed and irritating that all but hardened addicts of the show should avoid it.

It runs as a third-person crime-solving adventure, but it’s packed with more bugs than an I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here challenge.Like the rotten CSI games,this reeks of a dubious cash-in on the sizable global telly audience.

Get the Law & Order: Criminal Intent now

One of the most frequent complaints about children’s software is that,despite the obvious work that has gone into them,they never last long enough and are quickly finished.

If you’re sick of buying games or programs for the young ones that only keep them interested for a few hours,the Spongebob Squarepants Quad Pack might be the thing to consider buying.As the name suggests,there are four games included in the pack,with enough material to keep the kids entertained for some time. It must be said that the focus here is not on education,but rather on simple fun;mouse and reasoning skills are the only real skills that are honed.

four colorful adventures that are both entertaining and amusing.The Spongebob Squarepants Movie sees Spongebob travel to a mysterious destination with his friend Patrick.Employee of the Month has Spongebob setting out for the Neptune’s Paradise amusement park as a result of his hard work. Operation Krabby Patty gives abroad introduction to Spongebob’s home of Bikini Bottom,and the evil Plankton is out to cause havoc in the Battle for Bikini Bottom.

The games all use the same method of control. Each colorful scene includes a number of elements that can be clicked on, or characters that can be talked to. All of these activities can be done with a single mouse click, which means children can happily be left to their own devices. It all adds up to a fun and accessible package.Including a selection of games in one pack means there is plenty of material to last for a while and is well worth the price.

The timeless tale of Beauty and the Beast comes to life in this activity center aimed at children from four years and upwards. We’ve had our criticisms of the Disney Hotshot titles in the past;too often they’ve relied more on the reputation of the stories they are based on than on their own merits. Here, though, is a title that brings together the charm of the Beast’s castle and a decent quantity of fun and educational activities.

The aim of the game is to prepare a surprise party for the Beast,and there is much that has to be done. From helping in the kitchen to choosing the dances, music and decorations, young ones will be kept busy and entertained. There are tools for producing creative artwork such as stained glass pictures, invitations and greeting cards.Also an element of intrigue was maintained with the secret passages and the mysterious west wing,which players are warned to steer clear of.

The instructions that introduce the activities tend to be a little long-winded,but are well suited to the target age group.Beauty and the Beast is well worth the money,and will keep young ones entertained for hours.

Get it here: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Magical Ballroom

Many people claim that the tabloid press fabricates news.In the case of Tabloid Tycoon,they would be right. The objective of this tongue-in-cheek game is to create your own media empire,using all the tricks of the trade to gain the top spot in the competitive world of tabloid publishing.

The game works on a turn-based system of assigning reporters and photographers to chasing leads.Your strategy in this regard will determine the kind of publication you end up with.Assigning resources to a story increases its credibility but costs more than a ‘publish and be damned’ ethos.

The game is controlled from a virtual news room. From here staff can be assigned, finances reviewed, stories researched all in a day’s work for a budding media mogul. The wide variety of generated news stories range from the amusing to the ridiculous,but the turn-based game play quickly become a little repetitive.

Few people can afford a professional makeover,no matter how impressive the results promise to be. Virtual Makeover 2 lets you create a whole new look without spending a penny,and without leaving your PC.

The first step is to load a photograph of yourself,either from the hard disk or a digital camera. Alternatively,you can experiment using the sample images that are included with the program.

Once a few simple visual calibrations have been made,the program’s functions can be accessed. There were a wide range of cosmetic tools available in a full spectrum of colors,as well as hairstyle options and jewelery, headgear and glasses.Results can be saved to the PC, or printed out to share with friends.

The program interface is reasonably intuitive, but a tutorial would make it easier to get started.

On the plus side, images are created in layers,so each aspect of the makeover is applied separately without changing the original picture.

Invariably,programs like this rely on the original image being of a suitable quality,but with that taken care of, Virtual Makeover is a fun and risk-free
way to try out a new look.

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