The Games

Company of Heroes

Genre: Real-Time Strategy

ESRB Rating: Mature

If there’s a strategy gamer on your shopping list, then you can do no better than Relic’s World War II masterpiece, Company of Heroes. Featuring amazing graphics, solid gameplay, a great singleplayer campaign as well as robust multiplayer, Company of Heroes is one of the greatest Real-Time Strategy games ever. The latest patch introduces a fully functional mission and map editor, ensuring that Company of Heroes will have a long life indeed. One word of caution: Company of Heroes requires a pretty powerful system to fully enjoy.

Neverwinter Nights 2

Genre: RPG

ESRB Rating: Teen

The latest RPG offering Obsidian is a blessing for any fan of the Dungeons & Dragons pen-and-paper game. While people who have never played D&D may be intimidated by the detailed rules, there is still plenty on offer to make this one of the best RPGs released for the PC in 2006. Beyond the actual game, purchasing Neverwinter Nights 2 is more like buying a game making machine, as it allows players, both novice and hardcore alike, to create their own adventures and share them with the world.

Medieval 2: Total War

Genre: Strategy

ESRB Rating: Teen

The Total War franchise has been around for a few years now and each new title just keeps getting better, culminating in Creative Assembley’s latest, Medieval 2: Total War. Better graphics, more units, more strategy, a more complex world with endless replayability and multiplayer, Medieval War 2 is the perfect strategy game for both casual and hardcore alike.

Splinter Cell: Double Agent

Genre: Shooter

ESRB Rating: Mature

2006 wasn’t such a hot year for action-shooters on the PC, but Sam Fisher of Splinter Cell fame came and saved the day at the last minute. Playing as a counter-terrorist operative, gamers will engage in all kind of covert activities, sneaking up on enemies for a silent kill or storming into a stronghold with guns blazing. Multiplayer is just as fun as ever, with mercenaries squaring off against spies, each sporting their own unique abilities. While most shooters are nothing more than deathmatches or capture the flag, Double Agent adds several new multiplayer twists that help separate it from the pack. A must for any fan of shooters who want a little depth with their death.

Defcon

Genre: Strategy

ESRB Rating: Teen

Buy Direct

The perfect game for those of you who don’t want to deal with real-world shoppers, crowded aisles or, worst of all, game store employees! Why? Because Defcon isn’t sold in stores! But you can order online and download it immediately, plus they’ll send you a boxed copy, perfect for gifting. And what better way to celebrate the holidays than by playing a game centered around nuclear holocaust? Defcon is super-easy to learn, and super-hard to master, much like chess, though in Defcon the stakes are considerably higher. Great atmospheric graphics, moody music and solid strategy combine to make this one of the better strategy games of 2006. Best of all, it will run on just about any computer, making Defcon a sure bet in times of doubt.