Okay, so let me state that I officially hate game companies. Why, oh why, do they insist on releasing everything in the space of 10 weeks? This year is especially crazy, because it seems like the majority of games were released in September. I don't know about you guys, but there were a dozen games of interest to me this month, but only 3-4 in October. Maybe they were all scared off by San Andreas.

So, given that I bought a metric ton of games this month, I thought I might write a quick post about the ones that I picked up.

Burnout 3
This is the penultimate arcade racer. If you have even a modicum of interest in driving games, and by that I include playing Daytona at Dave & Buster's, then you owe it to yourself to pick this game up. Joining a multiplayer game is a little screwy, but other than that I would be hard pressed to find a fault with this game.

Silent Hill 4
If you have played and enjoyed other Silent Hill games in the past, pick this up. If not, there is nothing new to see here, so spend your money elsewhere. For those of you that have played Silent Hill games before, I found this game to be slightly more "frightening", if only because there are enemies that you just can't kill, i.e. running is your only option. That definitely adds tension to the mix.

Sims 2
I haven't really had a chance to delve into it much, but it sure does seem like the Sims in 3D. There are a few new additions, like aspirations and fears, movie mode, and aging. But it also seems like they left out an awful lot of the material from the expansions from the first game so they can sell them later as expansions for this one. Bottom line is: if you liked the Sims, you will like this game a lot. If the Sims was boring to you, this one won't change your mind.

Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone
Again, the best way to tell you about this game is through comparison. It was done by the same developer that created the Two Towers game for EA, and if you liked that game, you will like this one. It has a good story, solid voice acting, and amazing cutscenes. The gameplay is button mashing, hack and slash just like the LotR games were. The characters are sufficiently different that I actually do find myself switching between them. Plus, the thief's ability to go stealth and backstab is mucho cool. So far, I have been enjoying it.

Sly 2: Band of Thieves
If you have any love in your heart for platform games, pick this baby up. Playing this is like a class on how a platformer should be made. Great art and animations, interesting level design, a good camera....I could go on, but you get the point. I love this game.

Fable
Ah Fable. I wanted this game for a while, and I am really of mixed opinions about it. Starting with the basics: the graphics are great, the voice acting isn't as bad as some of the reviews have said, and the combat system is interesting. Some of the flaws are: targeting can be a pain in the ass, some of the menus are counter-intuitive, the zones are small and you will see a lot of loading screens, and in many ways it feels like you are playing on rails. This is definitely not Morrowind. That being said, I find myself having fun with the game, and that is really what matters. If you like console RPG's, this isn't a poor way to spend your time. But no one will mistake this game for KotOR

Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War
Wow what a great RTS. This is a RTS in the vein of Starcraft or C&C: Generals. Multiple sides with distinct personalities and play styles. The art and animation is amazing. This is quite literally the first RTS that I have ever thought was cool enough that I zoom in close to watch the combat play out. Watching some of the bigger units tear through infantry is just balls out cool. The campaign is well done and enjoyable, with steadily progressing difficulty and an enjoyable backstory. The multiplayer is nothing new for RTS, with a quick rush being an effective and annoying tactic. This is, by far, the best pure RTS to come out since C&C: Generals. I would put it up there with Rise of Nations and Starcraft as one of my favorite RTS games.

Def Jam: Fight for NY
Eh. Not a pure fighter like Virtua Fighter 4 or Soul Calibur, it definitely has some cool features, but nothing that compels me to want to play. It really feels like a button masher, and that makes it just 'Eh' to me. The environmental effects are cool though, and worth mentioning. You can use the arenas, and the audience of the arenas in your fights. Throw your opponent into the crowd, and they might help you out to execute a particularly brutal attack. It is an okay game, and if you like fighting games and are sick of VF4 or SC2 (and can't hold out for either Mortal Kombat or DoA:Ultimate), then pick it up. Otherwise, it is a rental at best.

X-men Legends
Gauntlet with the X-men. Or, better example, Champions of Norath with the X-Men. It is cel-shaded, giving it a distinctive look and you can switch quickly and easily through numerous X-men over the course of a mission. The fighting is a whole bunch of Diablo-esque button mashing. You have two attack buttons, that you can push in different patterns to execute different combos but I find myself just mash, mash, mashing along. On the downside, the camera can be annoying by shifting into a directly overhead view that I don't like. It never really gets in the way of the game, but it isn't really my preferred perspective.

I was surprised when I had heard that there wasn't online support for this game, but now I know why. The multi-player seems tacked on. You can have a friend plug in and take control of any of your party members that you aren't using. You can still switch between characters, just not usurp you friend's choice. However, there are stretches of the game where you only have one character to control, and in that case you friend has to sit there until you get into the next mission. The co-op is fun, but the game accommodates co-op, not encourages it.

If you like button-mashing games like Dark Alliance or Champions of Norath, this is worth a look.

Rome: Total War
Buy this game. If you have even a modicum of interest in strategy games, run out and buy this game now. I have only had it for a day and it has already displaced everything else. The game has an easier entry point for the strategic map than Medieval, without losing any of the depth that made that game great. The tactical battles are amazing, with fantastic graphics and a real payoff if you take the time to use terrain, the right unit mix and tactics.

I'll say it again: buy this game. It is Game of the Year material.

I haven't touched Katamari Damashi or FFXI's expansion, so I'll follow up with those later. Also Kohan II didn't make it to my EB yesterday, but after WH40K and Rome, I don't know if I'll be picking it up anytime soon.