Pro Evolution Soccer 2013

 At first glance the changes made to Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 might seem like a bunch of slight, almost superficial tweaks; you'd be hard pressed to find one standout feature from its long list of AI improvements, new tactical moves, or graphical revamps. And yet, on the pitch, it's one of the most rewarding football games out there. Where its predecessors struggled to find a place on the current generation of consoles--often simply playing catch-up with its competitors--PES 2013 embraces its past and plays a wonderfully technical and supremely satisfying game of football. No, it still doesn't come close to matching FIFA on features or graphical splendor, but when it comes to those unforgettable moments of edge-of-your-seat sporting drama, PES 2013 is sublime.

PES 13's retro teams are a nice slice of nostalgia.

The action on the is pitch is some the most tactical and exciting PES has offered in years.

Price : RM 7

Deus Ex Human Evolution

 Choice. Many games provide the illusion of it; fewer deliver it in any meaningful way. Deus Ex: Human Revolution is one of those few: a first-person shooter/stealth/espionage/role-playing hybrid that allows you to overcome obstacles as you see fit. Let's say you require access to a guarded apartment building. You can shoot your way past the patrolling sentries. But maybe you'd rather sneak past them unnoticed, silently knocking them out as you go; hack an electronic lock on a side entrance; or find a hidden vent and shimmy your way inside. Play the way you want: It's up to you. In Human Revolution, this kind of flexibility can be awe inspiring, but like with many ambitious games, the individual parts and pieces aren't always satisfying on their own terms. Neither the shooting nor the stealth is best in class, and a number of flaws disrupt your suspension of disbelief. But even if the details don't stand up to scrutiny, taken as a whole, Human Revolution is an excellent game with an unsettling vision of the future we face.

Man-machine vs machine

A golden glow highlights objects and entrances of interest. Don't worry: if you don't like it, just turn it off

Price : RM 7

Alan Wake

 Until last night, you had never fired a gun before, but priorities tend to change when you're being hunted by unholy creatures of the night. In Alan Wake, darkness is your most fearsome enemy. The shadows are home to monsters who shun the light, growing more powerful as they slink through the jet-black unknown. You hear a noise behind you and spin around to examine your surroundings, pointing your flashlight from tree to tree, scanning the ground while you ready your trigger finger for the imminent attack. The world of Alan Wake is one of fear and tension--a place where it's perfectly acceptable to be afraid of the dark, because if you're not, you'll be enveloped by the evil forces that dwell just beyond your field of vision. The foreboding atmosphere that permeates every inch of this wilderness never lets you forget the dangers that await the unprepared, but the feeling of dread that defines the early portions dissipates as you get deeper into this moody adventure. Alan Wake doesn't offer enough surprises to keep you unhinged, but the storytelling is so enthralling and the combat is so frantic that you'll be sucked in until the thrilling conclusion. 

Alan Wake is one adaptable author.

 

The episode of Night Springs is about quantum suicide.

Price : RM 7

Saints Row The Third

 Some games create atmospheric worlds that attempt to draw you in with moving stories about characters seeking a second chance, or cast you as troubled superheroes who push themselves to the limit to fight evil. Saints Row: The Third is not like those games. Rather, it's the kind of game that gives you weapons called apocafists with which you can punch people, instantly making them explode in a bloody mess. The Third won't impress you with knockout visuals, move you with an absorbing story, or engage you with challenging combat. What it does, better than just about any game before, is embrace the idea of an open world as a place for play, constantly giving you access to awesome new toys and providing you with no shortage of exciting opportunities to use them.

Don't mess with someone who's wearing a giant Johnny Gat head.

The UAV drone is just the first of several incredibly powerful weapons you acquire.

Price : RM 14

Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 3

 When the Modern Warfare scion of the venerable Call of Duty franchise branched out four years ago, the electrifying campaign and addictive multiplayer cast a new mold for first-person shooters. In the years since, this formula has been consistently refined, shamelessly imitated, and widely adored, making it one of the defining franchises of this generation. Modern Warfare 3 stays the course, delivering an explosive campaign, breakneck competitive action, and challenging cooperative play. This is an exciting and rewarding game, but the series' signature thrills have lost some of their luster. Modern Warfare 3 iterates rather than innovates, so the fun you have is familiar. Fortunately, it's also utterly engrossing and immensely satisfying, giving fans another reason to rejoice in this busy shooter season.

Intro before the 'Goalpost' mission.

Captain Price(left) and Soap(right) in a mission at Somalia.

Price : RM 14

The Sims 3

The Sims 3 doesn't mark the first time the PC-centric life simulation series has come to consoles, but it's the first time that the basic gameplay has remained relatively intact. In the console versions of The Sims and The Sims 2, the sandbox gameplay that made the PC games so successful took a backseat to achieving specific goals. The Sims 3 still rewards you for reaching specific milestones, but it gives you room to direct your digital playmates as you see fit. The franchise may celebrate the routines of everyday life, but as series fans know, directing a sim household can be great fun and causes the hours of your own mundane life to whiz past before you know it. The Sims 3 provides the same kind of addictive appeal, though a few elements that made the game so special on the PC were lost in transition. Long loading times, frequent pauses, and other flaws regularly interrupt the flow of gameplay, making this virtual town more like a bunch of small, low-population areas bolted together, rather than a thriving community. The resulting awkwardness makes this version inferior to its PC counterpart, but if you can exercise some patience, you'll find there's a lot to like about The Sims 3.

Precious moments of parenthood.

The art gallery has a remarkable number of bathroom stalls.

Price : RM 14

Pro Evolution Soccer 2012

If Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 was the reboot that put the series back in the running, then Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 is the game that pushes it straight to the finals. While it offers more in the way of refinement than something completely new, there are tweaks in PES 12 that change the way it plays, removing many of the frustrations that plagued previous games in the series. AI improvements ensure your teammates attack, defend, and pass in a more believable manner, while smoother animations mean you're treated to a better-looking experience. Not all the tweaks hit the mark; off-the-ball control is tricky to master, online modes feel sparse next to FIFA, and a renewed sense of speed actually makes PES 12 less realistic than its predecessor. But it's that very speed that also makes it a great game by offering up an exciting, fluid game of football that's a joy a play.

Reckless sliding tackles can send other players flying.

There are plenty of classic goal celebrations in PES 12.

*Russian commentary version*

Price : RM 7

EURO 2012

 UEFA Euro 2012 marks the first time EA has released a FIFA tournament tie-in as downloadable content. Finally, there's no need to get gouged on another full-priced boxed product just so you can see England actually win something for once. It's just as well, too, since Euro 2012's content is rather thin on the ground. The usual array of licensed stadiums, kits, and new commentary certainly capture the atmosphere of the tournament, but there's little else to do outside of chasing silverware or playing the mind-numbingly dull Expedition mode.

Who's your daddy?

No question where this ball is going.

Price : RM 14

Call Of Juarez : The Cartel

 All the great ideas in the world don't necessarily make for a great game. Case in point: Call of Juarez: The Cartel. This cooperative-focused first-person shooter has some neat concepts, but makes mistakes so fundamental you might wonder how good this game may have been, given a few more months of development time. Armchair philosophers can debate such hypotheticals. The Cartel is available now, and it doesn't live up to its promise, though that doesn't mean you can't have fun with it. As one of three sleazy government agents, you thieve secret items hidden away in each level's nooks and crannies--and must do so without being caught by your curious comrades. It's an inspired notion in keeping with the innate distrust among these three slippery sorts. But what The Cartel needed wasn't inspiration--it was repair. The game is coarse and buggy, particularly on the PlayStation 3, where pauses and hitches too often interrupt the flow.

 

Forgot how to reload? Don't worry. The game will always remind you. Always.

Careful not to drive anywhere but where you're supposed to.

Price : RM 7

Ridge Racer Unbounded

 Ridge Racer Unbounded is, as its name suggests, Ridge Racer without limits. Your cars are no longer simple drifting machines, but tools of destruction, and the fictitious, urban tracks of Shatter Bay are your calamitous playground. Cars leap, streets explode, and buildings crumble, all while your competitors are turned into fiery, slow-motion heaps of wreckage. This is no mere update to the series. It is a declaration of change, one that confidently throws out the tried-and-true but rapidly aging formula of Ridge Racer to create a blend of all-out destruction and high-speed racing that's tremendously exciting, if not entirely original.

That's gonna be tough to explain to insurance company.

Wheeeee!!

Price : RM 7

Mass Effect 3

 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.

Plenty of games feature explosions. Mass Effect 3 makes you consider who might be victims of them.

If looks could kill, you'd be dead now.

Price : RM 14

Street Fighter X Tekken

 Capcom loves crossovers. Its world warriors have faced down the X-Men, the Avengers, the King of Fighters, and many others. With Street Fighter X Tekken, the stylish cast of Tekken fighters is next in line to go blow for blow with Ryu and company. It's an interesting transition for the Tekken members, who are leaving their native 3D arena for a 2D battlefield. But their adaptation is just one of the many surprises waiting in this complex fighter. With a host of new mechanics and modes, Street Fighter X Tekken has a lot to offer fighting fans of all skill levels.

All 10 backgrounds are packed with detail, and many include multiple stages

Body double? Bob's already double the size!

*Internet connection required to play this game*

Price : RM 7

DiRT 3

When Dirt 2 was released in 2009 it boasted a lengthy and varied career mode, numerous multiplayer options, and uniformly excellent presentation. Its sequel loses none of those things and also makes some great additions to the formula. Split-screen multiplayer is now an option, there are more vehicle classes to choose from, gymkhana events and snowy conditions pose fresh challenges, and new multiplayer modes put interesting automotive spins on some first-person shooter favorites. Dirt 3 brings a lot of superb content to the table, and because it offers a plethora of customizable difficulty settings and assists, newcomers and veterans alike can enjoy its excellent off-road action. 

Replay afford you an opportunity to admire both the scenery and your skills behind the wheel.

 Tutorials do a good job of teaching you the tricks you need for gymkhana events.

Price : RM 7

Need For Speed Shift

 Need for Speed: Shift is a racing game that tries to do a lot of things, and the good news is that it does most of them well. The bad news is that Shift does very little that other racers haven't done before it, and it excels at nothing. The racing, the car and track selections, the vehicle customization and damage modeling, the career mode, the online play, the opponent AI--all of these things are good, but none of them are great.Depending on what kind of racing game you usually play, being thrust into the driver's seat for a flying lap at the start of Shift's Career mode might go well, or very badly. Your performance on this lap determines your default difficulty level and handling model, and it's appropriately named the "Trial of Fire." There are no opponents to worry about, but getting a handle on Shift's controls can be a challenge on their own. Like a simulation game, Shift encourages you to brake early for corners, punishes you for straying too far from the racing line, and, at least by default, presents you with a steering setup that's extremely sensitive. But, like an arcade racer, Shift rewards you for sliding around corners, for "trading paint" with opponents, and even for forcing those same opponents into a spin or off the track. It's an awkward middle ground that you might never feel comfortable with.

The star necessary to progress through career mode are earned in lots of different ways.

No chance of earning a star for a clean lap on this one then.

Price : RM 7

Payday The Heist

 Heists figure into some of the most legendary plots in movie history, and now with Payday: The Heist, this cinematic trope becomes an interesting shooter concept. Overkill Software has done a great job with this innovative idea, which throws up to four players into robberies modeled along the lines of those depicted in flicks like Ocean's Eleven and Heat. The PC game is geared for multiplayer, although the artificial intelligence is good enough that you can play solo without missing out on too much of the crazed intensity offered up by robbing banks and shooting it out with the cops who invariably want to stop you from making off with any ill-gotten gains.

Teamwork is a most important aspects to achieve your goals.

Heist generally start off with you sneaking around but end in a blizzary of bullets.

Price : RM 7

Far Cry 2

 In Far Cry 2's chaotic world of mercenaries, gunrunners, and armed militias, you'll find yourself dropped into a dizzying web of shady clients and paper-thin alliances. All manner of names and faces are introduced during the course of the storyline, but the real star isn't anyone brandishing a smuggled weapon in search of blood diamonds; it's the daunting and awe-inspiring 50-square kilometers of African landscape that make up the game's open-world setting. Aside from providing the opportunity to soak up an amazing sunset, Far Cry 2's free-roaming terrain brilliantly harmonizes with the first-person combat. The diverse landscape and myriad environmental factors work alongside a wide assortment of weaponry to give you tremendous freedom to approach each mission. Combined with solid multiplayer, Far Cry 2's sheer breadth of action provides you with plenty of reason to stay lost in the African wilderness despite an underwhelming plot and the occasional sense of tedium in navigating from one location to another on the gargantuan map.

Far Cry 2 is quite the looker.

With so much ground to cover, you'll be spending a lot of time driving, boating, running and swimming.

Price : RM 7

Battlefield Bad Company 2

 There is no shortage of online destinations for those who enjoy first-person gun-wielding combat, but no matter how many opportunities you get to shoot another player in the face, there is always room for one more. Especially when that one more is as exciting and intense as Battlefield: Bad Company 2. The online multiplayer in this modern military shooter is a standout, featuring huge maps, incredible destructibility, powerful vehicles, and excellent sound design. These elements combine to foster the sense that you are fighting on an actual battlefield, making many other online shooters seem more like combat arenas than believable war zones. Multiplayer battles are invigorating and addictive, but they aren't all that Bad Company 2 has to offer. The sizable campaign takes you to beautiful and exotic locations where you'll be sorely tempted to take a break from shooting bad guys and blowing things up to admire the scenery. Your hilarious and endearing squadmates are great companions, giving the campaign a rich sense of character not often found in the genre. The result is a very entertaining adventure that, coupled with the excellent multiplayer and top-notch technical presentation, makes Battlefield: Bad Company 2 something special in the world of shooters.

Strolling down corpse-ridden street in a half-destroyed Bolivian jungle village is business as usual for Bad Company.

Playing peek-a-boo with a tank is risky proposition.

Price : RM 7