The Week In Games

If the StarCraft II beta has managed to whet your appetite for sci-fi-flavoured real-time strategy, then you might want to check out another SC2 launching this week.

That screenshot there is from Supreme Commander 2, a remarkably large-scale RTS from Total Annihilation (remember that?) developer Chris Taylor and Gas Powered Games. I have no idea what’s going on in that pic, but it looks kinda awesome.

Military fetishists will also be keen on Bad Company 2, the first Battlefield release since EA publicly claimed the “franchise” would be their rival to Call of Duty. Is it serious competition? We’ll see.

My pick of the week is actually a bundled re-release of Penumbra: Overture and Penumbra: Black Plague in the imaginatively titled Penumbra Collection. Fans of spooky stories and inventive physics puzzles should check it out.

What are you picking up this week?

New releases for the w/c March 1:

Assassin’s Creed II (PC)
What Is It? Belated PC release of the excellent sandbox sequel and my game of the year runner-up.
Should You Care? Does your love of Renaissance Italy outweigh your hatred of egregious DRM?

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (360, PS3, PC)
What Is It? Military FPS that delivers a flashy Modern Warfare 2 style campaign and team-based multiplayer that falls on the accessible side of MAG.
Should You Care? A good choice if you’re already bored of Modern Warfare 2.

Boot Camp Academy (Wii)
What Is It? “Players can learn how to drive a tank, spy on their enemies, protect the Earth from space invaders… as well as peeling potatoes and doing push-ups!”
Should You Care? Wait, what… I can’t wait to peel potatoes with the Wiimote…

Fat Princess (PSP)
What Is It? Tardy handheld port of last year’s amusing team-based hack, slash and eat ’em up.
Should You Care? How often do you take your PSP online?

Ghost Pirates of Vooju Island (PC)
What Is It? Spectral take on the Monkey Island point-and-click adventure formula.
Should You Care? Albeit without trying to be anywhere near as funny.

Machinarium (PC)
What Is It? Boxed retail release of last year’s wonderfully quirky adventure from the makers of Samorost.
Should You Care? Go pick up 2009’s best adventure game. Now.

Penumbra Collection (PC)
What Is It? Genuinely terrifying survival horror adventures with physics based puzzles instead of combat.
Should You Care? Scare yourself silly. Now.

Silent Hunter 5 (PC)
What Is It? Submarine sim that has you captaining a German U-boat during World War II.
Should You Care? Does your love for subs outweigh your hatred of egregious DRM?

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (360, PS3, Wii, DS, PC)
What Is It? Mario Kart style racing with a roster of classic Sega characters. And Sonic.
Should You Care? It’s got Space Channel 5’s Ulala, Beat from Jet Set Radio and Shenmue’s Ryo.

Supreme Commander 2 (PC)
What Is It? Hardcore real-time strategy that follows the bigger-is-better philosophy.
Should You Care? Think of it as the antithesis to Dawn Of War II.

Undead Knights (PSP)
What Is It? Hack and slasher where you recruit for yourself an army of zombies.
Should You Care? Dynasty Warriors with zombies is not as much fun as it might sound.

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