Set in a fictionalized Europe in 1935, Valkyria Chronicles follows the exploits of the Gallian militia, a small band of civilians fighting against the invading East Europan Imperial Alliance. Welkin Gunther, a student of Animal Sociology takes command of Squad 7, leading them through a variety of explosive battles in pursuit of peace in Gallia. With a mix of turn-based but also real-time strategy, Valkyria Chronicles is a challenging and addicting game that will keep your mind racing as you plan your path to victory. For an original, engaging, and entertaining strategy RPG, look no further.

Admittedly, the story is full of clichés. The unlikely hero rising to strength and recognition, the ancient power unearthed, and the lessons about friendship, trust, and the acceptance of others have all een done before, thousands of times. Some of the early cutscenes ...

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Little Big Planet is one of the flagships of the PS3, but is it worthy of such a weighty position? With an adorable mascot and a plethora of online features, LBP offers a memorable and light-hearted romp around the world, exploring such exotic locales as the African wilderness or the mountains of Asia. However, the gameplay isn't always sharp and Sack Boy sometimes moves like a sack of potatoes, creating serious hindrances to this otherwise delightful game.

There is a loose sense of narrative as you progress from one portion of the globe to another, but it's really rather inconsequential to the game. It provides just enough structure to give you a reason for exploring each area, but for the most part, LBP is all about gameplay and presentation. As the lovable Sack Boy, you'll jump and climb through elaborate levels generally with the goal of simply reaching...

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Developer Infinity Ward created a runaway smash hit in 2007 with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and now they're back to recapture that spark. Modern Warfare 2 picks up the plot from the first game and presents another action packed FPS, again with an extensive online multiplayer mode and introducing a new co-op mode, Spec-Ops. While MW2 feels a little too much like the previous game, this is still a quality first person shooter with a lot to offer.

The game has three main modes of gameplay: campaign, spec-ops, and multiplayer. Campaign is, naturally, the single player mode that pushes the game's story. Like its predecessor, MW2 places a huge emphasis upon creating realistic and intense story elements that capture a dark and chaotic battlefield, and to that extent it succeeds. However, a large part of the campaign feels a little too similar to the original...

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In preparation for the release of God of War III later this year, Sony has released a compilation of the first two games in the bloody, sword-swinging series. God of War Collection allows you to revisit the PS2 games on one convenient disc, and though the games themselves remain largely unchanged from their original, there's still plenty of combat and puzzles for Kratos to overcome. For old fans of the series, this is a refresher course; for new players, it's an easy way to delve into the series.

God of War

The first game explores Kratos' feud with the Greek god Ares, the god of war. The plot seems ignored for much of the beginning of the game, but it's not until around the halfway point that Kratos' sordid history is explained. His past--and the source of his nightmares--sets a good motivation...

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The Caped Crusader has starred in a number of games over the years, but Batman: Arkham Asylum puts them all to shame. Batman's calculating strength and insane opponents shine in this take on Gotham's hero. Naturally, this game might seem like a response to the success of 2008's movie The Dark Knight; however, Arkham Asylum stands on its own merits. This game is carefully crafted with amazing attention to detail, resulting in a shining achievement of gaming in 2009.

Batman has some of the most memorable villains in comic book history, and several of them make an appearance in Arkham Asylum. Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and Scarecrow are all out to destroy Batman as he struggles to bring the asylum back into order. Of course, the focus of the game is the Joker--superbly voiced by Mark Hamill--who weaves an elaborate trap for the Dark Knight amidst...

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