Groove Games; for PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC; rated "Mature," www.pariahgame.com
From
the Toronto-based creators of the hit action game, Unreal, comes their
next epic, Pariah, a gorgeous sci-fi shooter that fuses intense military
warfare with an engaging story, memorable characters and a
theatrical-style audio soundtrack. Run and gun through a war-torn Earth of
the future-on foot and then behind the wheel of numerous vehicles-while
blowing up everything that moves with increasingly powerful weapons. As if
the deep single-player campaign wasn't enough, Pariah also houses a slew
of online multiplayer modes and a map editor (PC version) that gives you
the ability to create your own custom worlds and share 'em with others via
the Net.Microsoft Game Studios; for Xbox; rated "Everyone," www.xbox.com
Racing fans can get their motor running with Microsoft's first fully customizable driving simulator
for Xbox. Forza Motorsport combines authentic car physics, photo-realistic graphics and more than 200 modifiable cars including models from Ferrari, Porsche, Honda and Nissan. Aftermarket upgrades include turbo kits, engine swaps and more paint
and decal options than you'll know what to do with. At the heart of this sim, however, is intense racing on
city
streets such as New York City, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro, or on some of the
world's most challenging closed tracks. Log onto Xbox.com to challenge
other racers-or even sell your tuned car for virtual cash.
Star
Wars Episode III: Revenge of the SithLucasArts; for PlayStation 2 and Xbox; rated "Teen," www.lucasarts.com
Play as both Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in this epic struggle of good versus evil. This action-adventure hybrid closely follows the events from the film (and in some missions, strays far from it) as the Jedi duo-each with their own strengths and weaknesses-travels to the far reaches of the galaxy including never-before-seen locations such as Utapau and Mustafar. Along with a handful of new and powerful Force powers (including Force Stun, Sith Lightning and the 'ol Jedi Mind Trick), the makers of the game worked closely with famed Star Wars stunt coordinator Nick Gillard to create the most authentically choreographed lightsaber combat ever implemented in a video game.
Capcom; for PlayStation 2; rated "Mature," www.capcom.com
While most gamers know Capcom for their Resident Evil series, the Japanese publisher has just launched an all-new "survival horror" thriller-and hey, there are no zombies, no Raccoon City and the main protagonist doesn't even carry a weapon. The game is Haunting Ground, a creepy third-person adventure that stars Fiona Belli, an 18-year-old orphan who awakens from a car crash to discover she's trapped in a castle. Naturally, our heroine must find out why she was taken there and must escape unharmed. With the help
of
a white dog named Hewie, Fiona explores the castle, solves dozens of
puzzles and keeps out of harm's way from the increasingly bizarre baddies
that roam the grounds. Not for the easily startled.
Activision; for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube and PC; rated "Everyone," www.activision.com
Based
on the animated film from DreamWorks, Madagascar lets you enter the world
of four hilarious Central Park Zoo animals-Alex the lion, Marty the zebra,
Gloria the hippo and Melman, a neurotic giraffe-as they adventure
throughout the urban jungle of New York City and on the island of
Madagascar. Players must interact with many characters and enemies from
the film (and a few exclusives to the game) in order to solve the
increasingly challenging missions and fun mini-games. Even better, bonuses
can be unlocked such as extra chapters in the story and additional
mini-games including "Tiki Golf" and a music-based "Lemur
Rave" rhythm game.- Mark Saltzman