The fall/winter season is usually the blockbuster period for video games, but the first half of 2008 has brought us some historic titles, from monster-selling sequels to incredible dark horse hits. The Tom's Games staff looked over dozens of recent releases and selected 10 of the best games we've reviewed over the last few months to provide some ideas for both Father's Day and graduation season.
1. Sins of a Solar Empire (PC)
There's no doubt about it - Iron Clad Games' real-time strategy title Sins of a Solar Empire is the surprise hit of 2008. With little to no fanfare or hype, Sins arrived in February and quickly earned rave reviews from critics and gamers alike. The science fiction title, which blends 4X strategy gameplay and a space simulator setting, has eclipsed other major PC game titles this year. Part of the game's success is due to publisher Stardock's decision to forgo any kind of copy protection or DRM for the title, which was applauded by many PC gamers.
That's all well and good, but the game wouldn't have become a chart-topping title without excellent real-time strategy gameplay. Sins is based on the quest for interplanetary domination and takes place in outer space with three warring races and playable factions: the Trader Emergency Coalition, the Vasari, and the Advent, each of which has a unique backstory and specific traits. Players start off with a single planet and lone shipyard and must build up their fleet and expand their empires into the vast reaches of space. The game blends traditional RTS gameplay with 4x turn-based strategy features, so players will need to gather resources and methodically build their ships and colonize other planets and systems by force. You can also use both diplomacy and trade negotiations to form alliances with other factions and players to expand your turf. Ironically, Sins doesn't have a traditional single-player campaign; you can play the game's AI in a single-player skirmish mode, but the real action is taking on other players in the game's online multiplayer mode. As a result, the game can be challenging and extremely time-consuming - and if you're a diehard RTS fan, well, that's probably what you want your strategy game to be. For more on Sins of a Solar Empire, check out the Tom's Games review as well as our Second Opinion review .
Tom's Games review
2. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
It's arguably the best title yet for Nintendo's newest console. In fact, you could make an argument that Super Smash Bros. Brawl (SSBB) is Nintendo's finest game for the previous generation as well and one of the company's finest achievements of its distinguished history. In what has been hailed as an instant classic, Nintendo mixes the entertaining Super Smash Bros. combat gameplay with a host of new goodness, including a compelling single-player/co-op multiplayer campaign, called Subspace Emissary, that features old school side-scrolling action; online multiplayer support that gives gamers the pleasure of beating their friends down over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection; a trophy points system with tons of unlockable content including new stages, music and playable characters (bringing the total number of characters to 35); and a Stage Builder that allows gamers to construct and customize their own levels to play with their friends.
All of these features, however, would be meaningless if SSBB didn't have superb gameplay. Players can use the Wii Remote and Nuncuk, the Classic Controller or the GameCube Controller and also set up and save personalized control schemes and button configurations. Players can engage in a number of thrilling button-mashing fight moves, including the unpredictable "Final Smash" combinations, which are character-unique attacks that just might be the most memorable fighting game moves since Mortal Kombat's "finishing moves" or "fatalities." But unlike other violent fighting games, SSBB is fun for the whole family and it replaces bloody video game violence with a brand of cartoonish, over-the-top action to entertain all ages. There's also a new Group Mode that allows players to customize the rules and other features in matches, while the Tourney Mode creates an elimination tournament for up to 16 different players. It's easy to see why SSBB has already become one of the fastest-selling and most popular titles Nintendo has ever produced. Check out the full Tom's Games review for more.
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