Desert Combat brought Battlefield players the opportunity to wage war in Iraq, as a member of one of the two sides: the Coalition or the Opposition. Kaos takes things a bit further with Frontlines, both in time and technology. It's 2024, and the Western Coalition battles the Red Star Alliance once again for resource control and world domination.

In an age saturated with RPGs, MMORPGs and FPSs there was a dire need for a quality space simulator to fill the gap and provide the hardcore fans of this genre with much needed thrills. 3000AD's Galactic Command: Echo Squad SE does just that, trying to revive what is considered by many people as a dying breed and to keep the dream alive for those dedicated fans that grew up loving and playing space combat games.

When you think that you can lay down and rest for a week, you will be surprised by the appearance of a new Sam and Max episode. If you wait for better graphics, or bigger content, you're not in the right place. Telltale Games already found the best recipe for Sam and Max series to show the cartoonish character. And with every new episode their popularity is increasing. So what better thing to do than to continue the series with a new episode. And when the plot is created around the disappearance of Bosco from the face of the Earth, this episode smells like a conspiracy.

If you mix ideas from H.P. Lovecraft's writings (for example the Cthulhu mythos), with settings similar to John Carpenter's The Thing, you get Penumbra: Black Plague. With enhanced graphical textures and effects, a much more complete story, and a longer gameplay duration, Black Plague definitely enters in the hall of fame of horror games. It's a game that includes all the key elements for a good horror experience: story, atmosphere, physics, puzzles, and action. For all of you who missed the first part, you should go back and try it. For the others this is a must, because the quality is pretty much increased and is an experience which many of you don't have the guts to complete.

The works of H. P. Lovecraft have been an inspiration for many games, and while some of them take full advantage of his writings and successfully fill you with an unknown fear, others simply fall short of this goal. Unfortunately, that is the case with Darkness Within: In Pursuit of Noath Loader, the first in a series of three games.

The stellar "Sins of a Solar Empire" hits our PCs with a unique interesting new combination of game genres and a few cool ideas that should draw the attention of quite a few strategy fans. The newcomer Ironclad Games managed the impossible and created a competitive title indeed. But aside from all the prays and high marks this game received overall, its approach on RTS and the mix of elements it brings, one can find some things that will bother a few players and that will eventually influence the grades of this review. Ok, let's take it from the top.

The fifth game in the Conflict series, Denied Ops is Pivotal's attempt to bring Conflict to a wider audience even if this means they are forced to cut down the very elements that made the previous titles so popular. It's a gamble to dismiss the tactical features to grant extra speed and transform the whole concept into a fast paced shooter, especially when you have a low budget available for such endeavor.

Somewhere far away in Stuttgart, in a luxurious castle, an evil-metro-emo-vampire is planning to overtake the World. Owning a zombie factory and controlling his minions with his rhymes, his dance moves, and the fact that he always stays on top of the latest trends, the German vampire Jurgen spreads his terror around the world. But in a small and cozy neighborhood, upstairs in an office, a phone was ringing. Who might be? It's the commissioner asking for help. "Gin-running George A. Romero in a baby-doll tee shirt outside the food court with a forty-three dollar gift certificate!" Sam and Max are on the case!

If you are bored to play the same "pimped" racing games, and wish to be on an exotic beach surrounded by luxurious mansions and crystal-waters, try Aquadelic GT. A game that tries to revive boat racing games and manages to bring some arcade fun.

If you've ever played any of the previous Soldier of Fortune games then you know what to expect from this part as well, although there is one important thing missing that makes the difference. The fun factor! If you're ready to swim in blood, to mutilate mindless soldiers and to rip their arms and legs apart with a simple hand gun (no, I'm not talking about the latest Rambo movie), then try SOF: Payback. But don't say I didn't warn you...