Review: Dragon Ball Z – Ultimate Tenkaichi (PS3)

As we move into the new year, we get into what is normally the lull period for gaming in general. This year, it is not as bad a time, because most gamers probably still have a huge backlog from the holiday season. All that being said, there are a few titles this month that are worth looking at if you are a PC gamer.

Starting off the month with a larger than life title, we have Turok. Turok takes the famous comic book character and changes him up a bit, turning him into a special forces soldier that is tracking down a bad guy by the name of Roland Kane (what is it with bad guys named Kane). You follow Kane to a planet, where you crash land, and of course find out that the planet is inhabited by dinosaurs. The action looks pretty good and your squadmates aren’t completely brainless. The only problem is whether the game will break out of the standard action FPS to bring more to the table. Look for this game on Feb. 5th.

Sins of the Solar Empire is the newest game that comes from the creators of the Galactic Civilization series. The game takes the GalCiv formula, but mixes in a vibe from Homeworld to make for a wholly different experience in space. There are at least three factions that you can use, each with tons of ship configurations and styles that will allow you to build up an empire to take over the universe. While the game has a different look and feel, it will be interesting to see if it breaks out of the shadow of its older brother, GalCiv, but if the graphics and story hold up, this is a strategy winner for sure. Look for it on Feb. 4th.

Conflict: Denied Ops sets you up as part of a two man military squad that is dropped into hotspots around the globe to neutralize threats. The big deal in the game is that two two teammates have totally different talents. One of the teammates is a light weapons scout, while the other teammate is a heavy weapons and demolitions expert. You have to manage these two teammates either by yourself using a simple orders system or in online co-op play. The game was a blast to play at CES, but it you are looking for some deep meaning, look somewhere else. The game is catered as a more casual shooter with unlimited ammo and a simple health regeneration system. Look for it on Feb. 12th.

Sam and Max are back at it in Episode 3 of the second season, titled Night of the Raving Dead. Again, we have Sam and Max being brought into another crazy scenario, this time involving what appears to be the walking dead at a rave. Strange concept indeed, but with the series non-stop humor and crafty puzzles, the adventure genre lives on in this series which contiunes to prove that sometimes episodic content can be timely and enjoyable. Look for it on Gametap on Feb 13th and on Telltale.com Feb 14th.

The Club is a rather strange entry from of all people, Bizzare Creations. The game takes several individuals, selected due to being the top in their field, and put them into a competition called The Club. This competition has people racing on foot through environments that have been set up like a race track. You have to complete laps while taking out bad guys and hitting checkpoints. Take too long to finish and you end up dead. The game also supports online racing as well as off. The concept may be a bit too strange for some, but achievement junkies will want it for the Live for Windows support. Look for it on Feb. 19th.

Frontlines: Fuel of War is at heart a multiplayer game, but has some trappings of a single player campaign. Each mission in the single player campaign has you controlling points at your base while you are under siege. The campaign is not huge but gives you enough of a taste to get you hyped for the multiplayer, which has you performing the same feats, except with 31 other players. Solid game mechanics and great looking visuals make this a game to look for when it hits the shelves. Look for it on Feb. 25th.

Turning Point: Fall of Liberty takes place in an alternate universe where the Germans invade the US durning World War II and win. You are a regular joe off the street that is recruited by the freedom fighters of New York trying to save the last remnants of the US. The game almost feels like a spiritual successor to Freedom Fighters which has you in a similar situation. Easy to grasp controls and lots of destructive environments make the game a lot of fun to play. It is a bit too easy at times, but fun nevertheless. Look for it on Feb 26th.

Insecticide comes ot the PC in the form of a download from the developer. The game is made by veterans of LucasArts adventure game development and plays like an action adventure game. The story puts insects as the main inhabitants of Earth since humans have de-evolved to the primate level. You and your partner Roachy are looking into a new murder that has some links to a case from Roachy’s past. The game will feel similar in playstyle to Psychonauts as it is an adventure game, but with a lot of platforming action. The graphics will definitely needs some cleaning up if they are coming to the PC, but it looks like a lot of fun from what I have played in demos so far. Look for the game Feb. 26th.

So there you have it, a great slate of games that should keep you PC gamers occupied for another 29 days.