You Are Empty, PC: You Are Empty is a first-person action game that places players in an exaggerated dark and obscure atmosphere of Soviet totalitarianism. The main character fights against mutants created by the Soviet super human program. The players are tasked to figure out what happened in the city full of mutants and stop it from spreading further. In the late fifties of the 20th century, leading Soviet scientists start experiments that alter human physiology and mentality in order to create super humans capable of building a bright future for communism all over the world. But tampering with the

Genre: Platformer
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release: Q4 2009

Nintendo came out of E3 2009 much stronger than they did in 2008. They started off our booth tour with their big announcement of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and I got to squeeze in some play time with the game.

If you've played the DS version of New Super Mario Bros., most everything is going to be familiar, including major elements of Super Mario Bros. 3 from the NES era, new and entertaining power-ups, and a fair supply of secrets to keep things interesting for a good, long

Genre: Sports
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release: July 26, 2009

Before you read any further about Wii Sports Resort, go do a bit of bowling in Wii Sports. Notice the subtleties that are there in the simulation, and those that aren't. The Wii Remote, ultimately, is limited, and many of those limits have been removed with the recent introduction of the Wii MotionPlus, which links to Wiimotes to let you do more with them. While it is launching with two EA Sports titles for Wii, the MotionPlus clearly seems custom designed for the upcoming Wii Sports

Brigade E5: New Jagged Union, PC: Brigade E5: New Jagged Union is a squad-based tactical game that places gamers in the small tropical nation of Palinero on the verge of civil war. The mission: hire a band of mercenaries and take control of the deteriorating situation before the country finds itself in complete ruin. The story offers players the opportunity to experience three different viewpoints of the conflict, to fight for either faction or work outside the political structure to achieve your own goals in the global domination. Unlike standard turn-based systems, Brigade E5: New Jagged Union does not use

Swashbucklers: Legacy of Drake, PC: Swashbucklers: Legacy of Drake is a third person action game chronicling the adventures of a young and desperate daredevil Captain Abraham 'Nightingale' Grey. As Captain Nightingale, player leads his 'Warble' cutter through bloody waters of the Caribbean. Gamers can sail the seas fending off naval attacks from the pirate scourge and English warships embroiled in the War of 1812. Players also can disembark the ship, fight and shoot enemies one on one to capture opposing ships, towns and beach villages. The game's narrative uses black humor and irony that follows the feel of the Caribbean

Genre: Rhythm/Music
Publisher: MTV Games
Developer: Harmonix
Release: September 9, 2009

How can a game be both so much more than its predecessors, and yet so much less at the same time? This conundrum defined what I saw of the upcoming Rock Band release, The Beatles: Rock Band. The game floored me as a Beatles release, but its heritage as a Rock Band game seems a bit tenuous.

The basics are all there; this is Rock Band, with one significant evolution and some major interface modifications that I'll get to in a bit. The big new idea

Genre: Puzzle
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Developer: 5TH Cell
Release Date: September 15, 2009

5TH Cell is perhaps the best DS game developer that no one has heard of. They've only developed a few games, but those games have been fun and innovative, making excellent use of the DS' various features to create games that would not be the same anywhere else. Drawn to Life was a platformer designed around creating your own character, while Lock's Quest was a combination tower defense and hack-and-slash game. Their upcoming game, Scribblenauts, is easily their most ambitious to date, and

Star Wolves, PC: Star Wolves is a 3D space RPG with deep strategy elements, thrusting players into a world of freelance space hunters in the XXI-XXII Century A.D. during a time of political crisis. Corruption prospers planet-side and only space can give a man his freedom, but human space pirates, rouge AI computers and Empire patrol ships roam space in search of easy prey. Players can control a party of up to six bounty hunters, each possessing different skills, abilities and personality. Team tactics give players vast opportunities in battles when shear fire power isn't enough. Tactical ruses, planning and

Genre: Action/Adventure
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Developer: Headstrong Games
Release Date: Q4 2009

With the exception of the poorly received The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, every modern LotR title has been based on Peter Jackson's very popular set of movies. This has caused most of the games to have a very similar, distinctive look: dark, grim, gritty and realistic; featuring the likenesses of the movie actors; and monster and enemy designs similar to those in the film. Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest is still based on the movie, and you'll