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I silently wend my way through derelict streets where the only light comes from the abandoned police cruiser up ahead. I check to see how much ammunition I have left in my 686 revolver and it's almost full. Then I hear a slow moan come from the darkness on my right, so I flick on my flashlight to see how many of them are there. It looks like 5 of them but my light also picks up a glint of green and white on a small box, and that means 12 gauge for my Mossberg 500. The shamblers are already approaching and I take careful aim. The first of the group falls with one shot, and I've already lined up the next. I fire and I turn her head into a canoe. As I slowly back up to keep distance, I realize that I've cornered myself. No matter though, as I have enough bullets to finish the fight.

The next two fall with each successive trigger pull and the last is two feet away. I fire and graze his ear... I quickly line up another shot and... click. ♥♥♥♥, I pull out my shotgun and bring up the sights... click. I realize that I forgot to reload after the last encounter. Now it's too late and his teeth sink into my arm as I shove him violently away. I then pull out my machete and bury it into his skull. He slumps sideways and I step over his body to retrieve my spoils, but my vision goes blurry and my skin prickles and crawls. I know it's only a matter of time now before I share their fate and turn. I calmly walk over to the shotgun shells and take inventory. I have 10 shells now, which means I have 9 zombies to blow away before that last shell ends me... This scenario actually happened, and it's a new experience each time you play. This game is the closest thing to zombie apocalypse training you will come by. The zombies are slow and traditional unless they have been freshly turned. In which case they run quickly towards you and make it extremely difficult to line up that critical headshot. Which also makes it more interesting when someone in your party gets the infection. Do you take the time and effort to find the medicine that will slow the change and risk him turning into a speed demon? Or do you end it quickly and take whatever gear he was carrying. More than once I found myself infected and I wound up dropping all of the gear I had and sprinting headlong into a horde in order to buy my friends time to slip by. It's those moments that make this game truly special.

The cardinal rule is also broken in this game, because it features zombie children. They are few and far between but that makes encountering them all the more disturbing. The guns are the most realistic I have ever played, and that is a true compliment. Never before have I seen a better depiction than NMRiH. The models and animations are SPOT ON, as is the time it takes to reload. You have to physically check your magazine to know an exact count if you've lost track, and that makes the tension rise. Attention to detail is astounding, as the more you play the more you realize how much effort went toward making this beautiful game. Forget realistic hunting simulators, if you're looking for gun porn it's right here. If you are using a mic in game people can only hear you when you are within a certain distance. Zombie Apocalypse Simulator has arrived and it is a joy to play. NMRiH is also free so there is no damned excuse for you not to enjoy the delightful horrors within. 9/10

Spelunky makes you feel like Indiana Jones who has lost all his ♥♥♥♥♥ to give about the damned museum and is only in it for the fame and immense fortune. The game is rife with character and appeal in so many areas that it's impossible to tell in a single paragraph. The mechanics feel so spot on that any time you die (i.e. everytime you play) you will almost always feel that you could have played a little better. Everytime you play you will also strive to spelunk a little deeper to see what is down there. This game is insanely difficult and remorseless in its quest to see you dead, so there are major bragging rights attached for those that can see it through. The daily challenge maps will keep even the most experienced coming back to test their mettle against everyone else too. Give Spelunky 10 min and you will be lost to its depths. 9.5/10

Dear Esther is not a game. Rather it is a story to be experienced. However, a story like this told through the game medium can lead to boredom. If I had wanted a pretentious english accented narrator reading lines from a thesaurus at me, I would have read Keats. Minimalist seems to be the motto of the developers, as you can only travel a linear path and hear snippets of dialogue from a guilt ridden man. There are no puzzles to solve, no treacherous jumps to make, no demons to fight except your internal ones. The visuals are eye catching, and the story is somewhat poignant when it is not trying to be artistic or intelligent. That is about the extent of my praise for this indie title that tries too hard in certain areas and falls flat everywhere else. 45-60 minutes of walking along beaches and discerning metaphor is not as cerebral as it sounds. More depth can be found in other titles like Braid or even World of Goo. Use your ten dollars to buy lunch; that would be more fulfilling. 4/10

"No cover, all man" is the tag line for this title, and it is apt. You do what Sam does best; blow the ♥♥♥♥ out of everything. I guess you can compare this one to Bulletstorm or, to a lesser degree, Doom. The weapons and gore are over the top and delightfully old school. The story is stupid, campy nonsense that serves the game well surprisingly. Serious Sam has its share of issues though. It's marred by framerate issues and bad animations. Some weapons and the leash in particular aren't as satisfying as Bulletstorm, so if I had to make a choice it would be hands down Bulletstorm. All in all an enjoyable 6-8 hours of entertainment, just don't expect anything ground breaking. 7/10

This game is probably the best co-operative experience available, with supremely satisfying damage models to boot. Each campaign has its own distinctive look, as well as special common infected types. Although the source engine is getting along in years, this title still manages to squeeze out some impressive effects as well. But the real reason to own L4D is the asymmetrical versus mode. There is practically no other game that offers the same level of team work and comaraderie, and there is no other game that offers the same level of satisfaction that comes when your team makes a game changing attack. The vs mode is amazing and brilliant. Play it...NOW! 10/10

It's Lord of the Rings meets Sanctum in this brilliant action/tower defense game. From the moment you lay your first trap you will be drawn in by the distinctive characters. As the title implies there is only one objective, you must kill every last orc that charges into your keep. The myriad of traps at your disposal, as well as your keen sword and spells, get this task done with prejudice. It's wickedly entertaing and slightly demented watching the orcs hurl themselves into spinning blades and explosive barrels, all the while taunting you and laughing about their impending victory. I had childish glee when the hero started trash talking back. For a game with only one hero and a handful of enemy types it is dripping with charm and style. However it is not without minor issues. The animations could use a little more work and the single minded gameplay won't last forever, but these are barely worth mentioning. The dark sense of humor and the variety of death mark this as a must play8/10

Click, click, click, click click, click, click click, click, click click, click, click click, click, click click, click, click click, click, click click, click, click......Thus the sound of your life being spent playing this awesome action RPG. I ain't even mad. 8.5/10

Dead Island is not like L4D. Just three or four shufflers can wreck your day, so the combat actually requires a little thought with just a hint of tactics. It is appropriately gory and the weapons seem to have a genuine heft to them. Although the hitboxes seem messed up occasionally and account for some frustration in the skirmishes. Dead Island also has a Diablo-esque treasure system as you rapine your way through the locales. The visuals are average, as are the skill trees. By far what hurt this title the most was the god awful story, as well as the stupidly designed characters. In the developers mission to create unique protagonists, they over did it and made completely unbelievable morons for playable characters. For a game to be as "story based" as this one claims to be this is unforgivable. I completed the game rolling my eyes at every cutscene and stuck it out to the end. The finale just pissed me off. Is it worth playing? Absolutely. Is it worth 50 bucks? Not on your life.6/10

Human Revolution is a brilliant example of how the game world can be your canvas. You decide which play style suits you and this game accomodates you. Not to mention how much back story is prevalent by simply observing your environments. You can learn a lot about these characters and story by looking at their e-mails and rummaging around their desks. Protagonist Adam's apartment is littered with his personality on every table and rooms. Nothing has been placed without thought of context or meaning. This game is like Blade Runner meets Mass Effect 2. Although DX:HR just barely misses the precedent set by Mass Effect at how much the world has been fleshed out. Characters are brought to life by top notch voice acting, and the stellar graphics stand out all the more due to intuitive use of sepia and yellow hues throughout. The weapons are futuristic and satisfying as are the takedown animations. I almost forgot to mention how eminent the augmentations are. There's no room to say more9.5/10

Painkiller allows you to pin enemies to walls with giant wooden stakes, and then shoot hellspawn with spinning blades of death that result in a shower of blood. On this basis alone, Painkiller is worth a few hours of your time. The weapons are some of the most imaginative that you will experience, and the enemies are just as interesting. The storyline is a tired trope, but it's little more than an excuse to deal death to hordes of demons, clowns, nazis, witches, zombies, and pretty much everything else you can think of. Also the bosses you fight are truly epic in scale as they tower above buildings and clouds alike. The sheer variety of weapons and baddies keep things from getting stale, but the gameplay is a little one dimensional, as you are simply tasked with obliterating everything you see. But there is a genius in that simplicity as you creatively carve up throngs of adversaries. 7.5/10