Recommendations

Unlike my brother, a hardcore gamer who'd always know where to look for great games, I'm more of a casual player who would rather enjoy the game while I can up until I finish it. Here and there, I've been able to try out a few games as recommended by my brother or discovered in gaming magazines like PC Gamer, or maybe from online gaming communities like Gamespot and GameTrailers.

If you're new to gaming, or would like to broaden your horizons to new genres or titles, I have a list of games I can recommend trying.

TORCHLIGHT

Honestly, it's not hard to get addicted to this point-and-click fantasy RPG. Why? One: the loot you find is always rewarding, either to be used in your inventory or to be sold for cold, hard cash. Two: you have a pet that can eat various fish to turn it into a powerful ally for a certain amount of time, AND help you carry stuff as well. Three: enchanting and fishing are two activities you can get hooked to in no time, just to see the results.

Torchlight's world is just full of non-stop adventure. When you're not busy trying to complete the main quest, the side quests are always a fun detour that doesn't just help you level up, but also to find awesome stuff to use in the numerous dungeons you'll find yourself exploring. You'll never know when you might just find a sword that outdoes your current weapon by a large margin. And that's before you even start enchanting.

DAWN OF WAR II AND CHAOS RISING

A squad-based RTS set in the Warhammer 40K universe, DOW2 cuts out base-building and resource-gathering to bring players into an action-packed campaign where you lead your fellow Space Marines against the alien, the mutant and the heretic. In every mission, the battle brothers you choose and the equipment they carry will determine the outcome of the battle - so weighing the right choices is always crucial. And you never know what you might have to face once your men are planetside.

While the campaign is fun and engaging (especially with the morality system introduced in Chaos Rising) the multiplayer is another reason why people keep coming back again and again. Intense fights for control of the map and its resources always have even the hardiest of commanders breaking into sweat just so their positions don't fall to the enemies' hands. But when you finally achieve victory, victory is indeed a sweet reward.

FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS

Exploring the wild Mojave Wasteland is a treat. An unpredictable one, to be precise. Wherever you go, you'll never know what you'll find. Maybe you'll bump into wandering traders? Or encounter hostile wildlife like the feared Deathclaws? Or maybe be ambushed by roving raiders? Maybe you might even find a hidden stash of ammo and guns in a locked safe in a burned out house? Maybe even a secret entrance into the Brotherhood of Steel's hideout? It's always good to have your trigger finger ready just in case.

The world of New Vegas does make you feel like home, whether you're gambling in the Vegas Strip, walking through the streets of Freeside or mingling with the locals at Novac. Add a mix of unique and peculiar characters, an arid landscape to explore, lots of enemies to kill for XP, plus a mixed bag of interesting quests to do and you have quite a recipe for a great RPG.

COMMAND AND CONQUER: RED ALERT 3

Despite its expansion Uprising adding new and more devastating units to command, Red Alert 3 actually stands out further not just because it set a very over-the-top plot involving time travel and giant robots, but because of its impressive arsenal and the exciting multiplayer sessions. From trained dolphins and armored shock troopers (literally), to suicide robot dragonflies and vacuum bombs, the sheer craziness of the units featured makes combat pretty wild and fun to watch.

But is it really about how big your army is? With the Top Secret Protocols, each side has its own devious methods of cutting that formidable legion down to size in no time. Facing lots of tanks? Deploy the Soviet Magnetic Satellite. Discover a lot of enemies camping outside your base? Plant an Allied Time Bomb. Can't stand losing your units too quickly? Activate the Japanese Point Defense Drones. Whatever it is, there's bound to be lots of screams of anguish when you turn the tables on your friends in multiplayer.

AUDIOSURF

If you love music, you'll love Audiosurf. You're literally playing the song of your choice on a multi-colored track, matching blocks of the same color to get a high score which you can brag about online. Every song has its own challenge: if you're a rock 'n' roll fan, expect loads of downhill sliding; if you like slow and easy tunes, expect lots of climbing. The music you choose affects the track, and thus makes the challenge all the more interesting.

Despite the lack of multiplayer, the Double V allows two people to play on the same board. It's up to them if they wanna make a high score by themselves or go through the track as a team. There's endless replay value to this, especially if you have a large music library.

STARCRAFT II: WINGS OF LIBERTY

As a self-confessed sci-fi addict, Starcraft always left me with fond memories of the fight between the hardy Terrans, the sophisticated Protoss, and the vicious Zerg. When Starcraft II came out, I couldn't wait to get my hands into it. And I was blown away when I finally played it. Blizzard really outdid itself this time - with a wide range of characters both old and new, an intense and suspenseful storyline, and exciting missions to try out. Yes, the missions did add flavor to how RTSes should be. From a survival-search-and-destroy styled mission, to a stealthy infiltration operation, and even all-out invasions, there's something for everyone.

Sadly I didn't have the chance to fight it out against the AI or my friends in multiplayer games, but with the increasing number of people who duke it out over Battle.Net, especially in Korea (where Starcraft became a national pasttime), there's no doubt Starcraft II has proven to be a phenomenon worldwide.

BORDERLANDS

The world of Pandora easily gets you into the mood to kick ass. Full of hostile wildlife, angry bandits, evil corporate troopers and now robots gone bad, Borderlands is an RPG made specially for FPS fans. Sure, there are RPG elements like XP and skills to invest points in. But the highlight of the game is seeking out huge red or white crates all over the landscape that contain guns, guns and guns. Whenever you find one, expect to find a gun or two. And it might just be better than yours. Pretty soon you might just find your backpack filled to the max with cool guns and equipment, and you won't know which ones to drop!

If playing it alone isn't your style, have three friends join in the game. The difficulty ramps up with the addition of your buddies, but that makes it all the more fun to play. Why? Badder enemies means better loot. And loot is what you want. All you need is lots of brawn and the determination to wipe all baddies' faces into the dirt. Oh, also the balls to face Crawmerax.

SAM & MAX: SEASON ONE

Point-and-click adventures might not appeal to many, but Sam and Max easily outdo most games of the genre. As the freelance policemen you have to take on six unique cases to crack the mystery the entire season brings. And every case is full of crazy anecdotes, laugh-out-loud jokes, the occassional pun and a few running gags - all of which will tickle your funny bone down to the core.

While Sam is the reserved of the duo, Max is all out with his love for all things violent and loads of other funny crap. If you're bored of the regular games you're playing, Sam & Max is the perfect distraction for its over the top humor and its deliciously difficult puzzles. And you'll surely be wanting for more. (Which Season Two will provide in bucketloads)

BRAID

A very finely made adventure game which involves the use of time travel to solve its fiendishly difficult puzzles. Indeed, this indie game was missed out by many people, but once you start playing it's hard not to stop. Putting together a poignant tale of regret, forgiving and change as well as a series of brain teasing puzzles to solve, Braid really puts the 'beautiful' into puzzle games. Its use of watercolor paintings for its environments and characters also make it a very artistic game.

Whoever thought of making a game as good as this really deserves credit for the amount of work needed to pull it off. Indeed, as quoted in PCG, "time travel movies are a shoddy knock-off version of this"!

MASS EFFECT 2

Another wonderfully done RPG developed by BioWare, ME2 has everything many RPGs don't: a well-paced plotline, well-written character development, the design of a thriving galaxy littered with many different planets, and missions that just suck you into the lore of the Mass Effect universe. Assembling a team of ragtag warriors and then watching as they finally put it all together to save the galaxy proved to be the greatest experience of the entire game, and you felt proud that you were the one who formed them into an unstoppable force.

The story only reinforces the fact that you as Commander Shepard are the only one who can stop the menace that is looming over the galaxy. As you go on completing quests you're actually leaving behind a great legacy of the man who killed Sovereign that will be carried forward into ME3 when it is released. Time to kick some Collector ass!

MACHINARIUM

Another point-and-click adventure, this wonderful game tells the tale of a little robot who must return home and his actions which ultimately change the lives of the people he meets. Though not designed by the people who did Braid, the game nonetheless carries a very beautiful atmosphere into the world of Machinarium; using watercolor backgrounds and setpieces to bring out the color and the vibrancy of the world.

Though it doesn't involve any time mainpulation, Machinarium requires a lot of creative thinking into solving its puzzles. They're not exactly difficult, but they're also not easy to solve if you don't think out of the box. As much as it really shines as a well-done and intriguing adventure, I'm actually surprised this didn't feature in PCG's Top 100 PC games.