Tiny Diggers – An iPad Construction Truck Game for Kids Age 2-5

Ah, September, when children go back to school, the temperatures start to change, and gamers get hit with the start of a gaming windfall. Starting with September, we will see a deluge of games coming to every platform imaginable. And the PC will be getting a great slate of games, and this month is a perfect example. We get everything from sims, to war, to crime solving, giving everybody something to play. So get your eyes in focus and get ready to read about the great PC games coming out in September.

Medal of Honor: Airborne continues the Medal of Honor series, this time focusing on the paratrooper element of the war. The game has a more open feel than previous games in the series, due to the fact that parachutes don’t fall exactly where they are suppose to go. In a mission, you could come down next to your landing zone. Try it again, and you could end up in the middle of the enemies base. This makes the game feel a bit less linear, because you can start a level almost anywhere depending on where you guide your parachute to land. Yep, you have to actually guide your parachute to the ground. It is not all that easy and adds a lot ot play to the game. This biggest problem this game may have is the fact that it is another game set in World War II, and a lot of players are looking to move beyond that setting. Look for the game on shelves on Sept 4th.

The Sims 2: Bon Voyage, is the expansion pack number six for The Sims 2. Bon Voyage is about exploration and vacation. It adds four new neighborhoods that allow for different kind of adventures for your Sims. The new neighborhoods are theme related, so you have one neighborhood that is set in the Far East, which allows for a lot of influence from Japanese and Chinese cultures. The game rewards your exploration with titles and achievements (I don’t think these are Live for Windows) for your Sims. All in all, it looks like a nice expansion for The Sims 2. I just have to wonder if people are experiencing burnout on all the Sims expansion packs which seem to come a couple a year. Look for it on Sept. 4th.

NHL 08 comes just in time for the beginning of the Hockey season. This year, we have an upgraded Skate stick to help with pulling off those tricky moves and quick shots on goal. For die-hards, we also get the inclusion of the AHL leagues this year. Upgraded AI and a better skating engine make this Hockey game look like a solid winner for the PC. It is a bit light on the statistical side and it will take a big system to run this game at full optimization, but it gives the player a great feel of the ice, and is probably the best hockey game to come to the PC in about three or four years. Look for it on Sept. 10th.

CSI: Hard Evidence is the fifth CSI game to come out for the PC and the fourth one that covers the Las Vegas team. You use your forensic skills to solve several cases that has what seem like easy outcomes. As you look through the clues and evidence, you normallly will find yourself taken in another direction. The biggest change in this game is the inclusion of a garage lab. That allows players to look at larger pieces of evidence like cars and trucks. You also get to use lasers to track down bullets that have been fired in gun battles. While the game is focused towards casual players, it has been a solid hit on the PC and with all the actors doing voice overs for the game, it is worth a play. Coming Sept. 18th.

World In Conflict is a hotly anticipated game that puts the events of World War III in motion. It is a real time strategy game that has battle lines affected by your performace in each mission. Lose a mission and you are fighting the enemy further in the United States. Do well and you push foward towards the coast. The premise is great in how the Soviet Union decides to go out in a blaze of glory instead of rolling over and breaking down the Berlin Wall. Missions in the game are fast pased and will keep you on your toes the entire time you play the game. Everything about the game is big, from explosions to the battlefield in general. It is easy to get lost with everything that is going on in the game. Multiplayer is also there and will just add to the gaming experience once you get past the single player campaign. DirectX10 is supported for all of our Vista owners out there, so there is no reason for a PC gamer not to own this game. Look for it on Sept. 18th.

Stranglehold is on our release list again after being on our August list. But release dates slip, so now we are looking at Stranglehold coming out this month. The game sports hellacious gunplay, while mixing in some great acrobatics. Everything in the environment can be broken or destroyed with your bullets. When the game is in motion, it is a blast to watch it all come together. It will make you feel as if you are in the middle of a John Woo bullet ballet. Intertwined with the action is a well written story, penned by John Woo himself, so you know that the person behind the story knows the character, Inspector Tequila, inside and out. One of the worries that I have heard from several people is the fact that some feel the battles become repetitious, after the third or fourth level. Look for the game on Sept 18th.

The Settlers: Rise of an Empire, is another quality title in The Settlers universe. The series has been running for almost 15 years now, and while not a huge seller in the US, it is a finely crafted game that offers a lot of options for the player. The game will run you through 16 scenarios, asking you to design and build cities in a variety of environments and locations. The games have always offered a great interface and a wealth of information for those that love these kinds of building games. Anyone who is into Civilization will be at home in a game like this. The biggest downfall for this game is its name appeal. As mentioned above, it is not a huge name in the states, but if you see it on the shelves, it will give you an experience you will not forget. It hits the shelves on Sept 25th.

Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts is the follow up to the wildly successful Company of Heroes that came out last fall. The game puts you in the shoes of two new combatants: the British Army and the Panzer Elites. Each brings a unique style of battle to the game and should help keep the game fresh. The graphical engine has stayed relatively the same, with the exception of some polish to make them look fresh. Battles will still have that chaotic feel and look as spectacular as they did in the first game. No word on how long the campaign is, but if it is indicative to the last game, players will be entertained for quite some time. Multiplayer is back and offers the same modes of play as last year, which is just icing on the cake for this great title. Look for it on shelves Sept. 24th.

Those are some of the bigger titles that will be coming to the PC. There are some others like the Oblivion Game of the Year box set that is great to own if you do not have the game yet, the Tribes of the East expansion for Heroes of Might and Magic V and Sherlock Homes: The Awakened, a great adventure game for the puzzle solver in all of us. Just make sure to stay away from Hour of Victory. It was already released for the 360 an received some horrible reviews from everywhere saying how much of a stinker the game is. Stay away at all costs. See everyone back here at the beginning of October for another slate of great games.