Publisher: Telltale Games
Developer: Telltale Games
System requirements: Windows XP SP3/Vista/Win 7/Mac Snow Leopard, 2 GB Pentium IV or better CPU, 3 GB RAM (4 GB for Mac), 512 MB graphics card, DirectX 9.0c, 2 GB hard-drive space
Genre: Adventure
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: All five episodes available now

Many players complain about the stories in games, or the lack of them. These folks should be flocking to The Walking Dead, Telltale’s five-part odyssey through graphic novelist Robert Kirkman’s zombified universe. You’ll find more honest-to-god storytelling in a single episode of this series than in any three AAA releases. But is all of this narrative emphasis too much of a good thing?

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Publisher: Daedalic Entertainment
Developer: Daedalic Entertainment
System requirements: Windows 2000/XP/Vista/Win 7, 2 GHz single-core/1.8 GHz dual-core or better CPU, 256 MB OpenGL 2.0-compatible graphics card, 1.5 GB RAM (2 GB for Vista/Win 7), DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound device, 3.5 GB hard-drive space
Genre: Point-and-click adventure
ESRB rating: Not rated
Release date: Available now

It seems that everyone at the convent has a problem with poor little Lilli. She comes across as such a quiet and sweet girl. The kind that would never think of firing a blunderbuss in close proximity to someone just to set off their anxiety…at least, not out of malice. Actually, the outside observer would say a gal like Lilli is always doing what she’s told or going out of her way to help a friend—even if that means using a chainsaw to get the job done. So why, no matter how hard she tries, is there always someone waiting to chastise or dream-crush her? Always a fellow student, the resident bully, or worse: Mother Superior herself. It’s enough to make someone do horrible, horrible things, maybe without realizing it.

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Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Genre: Shooter
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

Forty-six hours. What can you do in 46 hours? Watch 46 episodes of your Law and Order series of choice. Drive most of the way across the US (at a law-abiding 60 mph, of course). Watch Wagner’s Ring cycle of operas three times. For me, 46 hours was how long it took to get through Capcom’s new apocalyptic zombie opus, Resident Evil 6. It was a dark, repetitive, sometimes frustrating journey that I’m unlikely to take again.

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Publisher: BlueGiant Interactive
Developer: BlueGiant Interactive
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, dual-core or better CPU, 512 MB nVidia 9500 GT/Radeon 3650 or better graphics card, 2 GB RAM, DirectX 10, 6 GB hard-drive space, broadband Internet connection
Genre: RTS
ESRB rating: Not rated
Release date: Available now

RTS games are not going away; no matter what else happens in the strategy portion of the gaming industry, they’re going to continue to be produced. Bringing something new to the genre is difficult and, in many cases, unnecessary. Those looking for the adrenaline rush to be found in RTS games are looking for a good experience, even if it’s very similar to the last 10 games they’ve played. Tryst strives to give players this experience. Despite its odd name, Tryst is another RTS game that brings standard gameplay to the table. Relying on fast action rather than novelty to keep players interested, it’s a game that goes through the motions without being phenomenal.

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So there I was, in San Francisco, walking down the street in 50-degree weather. It was a welcome change of pace from the 80s I had experienced during the week in my native Texas. And I was happy to be in San Francisco. Seeing the sights, eating the food, chatting with the locals, invading Brunswick, launching nuclear strikes against Italy, and examining 15th-century trade routes from India to Europe. I had been invited by Paradox Development Studio to take a look at some of their new games. I spent a number of productive hours talking to designers and looking at the games themselves.

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Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7/Win 8/Mac OS 10.6.8, 2.8 GHz Pentium D/Athlon 64 X2 4400+ or better CPU, GeForce 7800 GT/Radeon X1950 Pro or better graphics card, 1 GB RAM (1.5 GB for Vista/Win7/Win 8, 2 GB for Mac), 12 GB hard-drive space, broadband Internet connection
Genre: RPG/Shooter
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

Review by: Peter Gore

I knew that Diablo III wasn’t going to be your grandfather’s Diablo. I slogged through hours upon hours of monster slaying and loot gathering in both the original game, then the follow up Diablo II and its expansion, Lords of Destruction. But the last iteration of Diablo appeared 12 years ago. In gaming time, this represents a quantum leap in terms of graphics, sound and game design. How would this new and highly anticipated third chapter look and feel? And what, if anything, would it bring new to the table in terms of game mechanics and the all-important gaming experience?

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Publisher: Nordic Games
Developer: The Farm 51
System requirements: Windows XP SP3/Vista/Win 7, 2.0 GHz Core2Duo/Athlon 64 X2 or better CPU, 2 GB RAM, 256 MB GeForce 8600/Radeon HD 2600XT or better graphics card, DirectX-compatible sound device, DirectX 9.0c, 5 GB hard-drive space
Genre: FPS
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

Painkiller was a game that resonated with audiences primarily because of its retro throwbacks. Dressed up in heavy metal, its gory brand of shooting had a pure, unadulterated quality that provided a bloody refuge in a world increasingly filled with chest-high walls. Not only was it a smash hit back in 2004, but it also spawned five expansion packs. Developer The Farm 51, who previously made Necrovision, their own demonic shooter (in the Painkiller engine, no less), is now remaking the original game, with shiny new graphics and a co-op mode. However, it seems that Painkiller: Hell and Damnation’s greatest enemy just might be itself.

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Publisher: Digital Tribe Games
Developer: Serious Brew
Genre: Action
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7/Mac OSX 10.5.8, 2.0 GHz CPU, 2 GB RAM, DirectX 9.0c-compatible graphics card, 120 MB hard-drive space
ESRB rating: Not rated
Release date: Available now

As the father of an ever-growing/ever-distancing preteen, I know what it’s like to miss my kid; these days more than ever, actually. Yet my parental lamentations are meaningless compared to the dad you play in Cargo Commander. Whereas one or two days without father/child interaction is a seemingly infinite space of time for me, this dude is literally stuck in the middle of space. All alone. Constantly in peril. Giant containers full of aliens and co-worker corpses smashing into his ship, each one containing the prospect of coming one more step closer to seeing his family again. Or to his untimely death. You never know.

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Retirees gathered around the Wii. Mothers playing a few rounds of Angry Birds on their smartphones. In the last two decades, games have emerged from a small curiosity to a billion-dollar industry that attracts nearly everyone, even (perhaps especially) those who don’t consider themselves gamers. As this new media has slowly emerged from its childhood, we see more of its full-grown potential. Games don’t simply amaze us with technological wonders. They stimulate our intellect, creativity and emotions. Our hobby has just as much artistic potential as any film or novel, perhaps more. Being interactive, games have many artistic opportunities that simply can’t exist in traditional media. For all of their unique strengths, games are still thought of like any older art form. We talk about stunning visuals, immersive sound design and amazing storylines, but we ignore the meaning the game mechanics themselves carry.

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How many times have you read game reviews and said to yourselves, “That guy’s a hack! I could do better than that!”? Well, we’re giving you the opportunity to put up or shut up. Avault is searching for PC game reviewers. The big holiday release season is just starting to heat up, and we’re staffing up to cover as much of it as possible. If you’re a knowledgeable gamer and a strong writer, we want to hear from you. If you’re motivated and interested, send three writing samples (no resumes, please) to michael@avault.com with “PC Writers Wanted” in the subject line. Several former Avault staffers have gone on to successful careers in the gaming industry, and you could be next!

Publisher: Team 17
Developer: Team 17
System requirements: Windows XP/Vista/Win 7, dual-core CPU, 2 GB RAM, 256 MB GeForce 8600 GT/512 MB Radeon HD 3650 or better graphics card, 2 GB hard-drive space
Genre: Strategy
ESRB rating: Everyone 10+
Release date: Available now

I’m probably the only reviewer who got a copy of Worms Revolution and said, “Hey, I’ve never played a Worms game. I wonder what they’re all about.” Somehow the franchise has passed me by over the years, and it turns out I’ve been missing some lighthearted strategy fun. While it doesn’t take itself too seriously, Worms Revolution aims to give players a fun 2D turn-based strategy experience with its own peculiar brand of whimsy.

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Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Gearbox Software
System requrements: Windows XP SP3/Vista/Win 7, 2.3 GHz quad-core CPU, 2 GB RAM, 512 MB GeForce GTX 560/Radeon HD 5850 or better graphics card, DirectX 9.0-compatible sound device, 20 GB hard-drive space
Genre: Shooter
ESRB rating: Mature
Release date: Available now

I’m rarely apprehensive about playing games. Usually the only thing I lose if one disappoints me is whatever I paid for it (and a few hours). I had seen the hype (and the dubstep) that promised me great things from Borderlands 2. But this time around, my fond memories of the original Borderlands were a stake. What if the sequel was a repackaging of the original with little more than a shinier veneer? Are a bazillion new guns and loot items going to increase the game’s fun factor? Would Claptrap still exhibit the ridiculous humor that was simultaneously annoying and entertaining? Once I dove into the world of Pandora again, would any of these questions even matter?

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Publisher: Iceberg Interactive
Developer: Kukouri Mobile Entertainment
System requirements: Windows XP SP3/Vista/Win 7, 1.8 GHz Core2Duo/2.0 GHz AMD X2 64 or better CPU, 2 GB RAM, 256 MB Nvidia 7900/Radeon HD 2600 or better graphics card, DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound device, DirectX 9.0c, 500 MB hard-drive space
Genre: Shooter
ESRB rating: Not rated
Release date: Available now

Playing games on mobile devices has become big business, despite the small prices we have to pay for the games (outside of the devices themselves and their monthly fees, of course). The popularity of the mobile gaming genre has made developers sit up and take notice, with several mainstream games now having small-screen versions. But it’s rare that a mobile game takes the reverse trip of moving from iPhones and tablets to the PC. One of these is Tiny Troopers, Finnish developer Kukouri’s squad-based shooter featuring pint-sized soldiers firing full-sized weapons.

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World of Tanks, Belarussian developer Wargaming.net’s mano-a-mano mechanized combat simulator, has recently been upgraded to version 8.0. Features of the new version include upgrades to graphics and vehicle physics, allowing players to drive their tanks through rivers and over ledges, making them behave closer to the real thing than before. Also added are new tanks, new achievements and an improved user interface. Those interested in the details of the new version can view the patch notes here.

Casual-game developer PopCap, creator of classic time-wasters such as Plants vs. Zombies, Peggle and dozens of others, has completed their previously announced corporate downsizing plan by laying off 96 employees in Dublin, Ireland, according to Games Radar. An official statement from the company states that “PopCap has provided outplacement support and many employees have offers in other parts of PopCap, at EA or new opportunities with technology partners in Ireland.” The successful developer was purchased in 2011 by Electronic Arts for approximately $750 million. Fifty jobs were also eliminated in PopCap’s Seattle offices earlier this year.