1. Cut the Rope (3DS)
2. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3)
3. Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth (XBOX)Call of Chthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is an immersive, survival-horror, first-person adventure game based on H.P. Lovecraft's writings (particularly,
The Shadow of Innsmouth and
The Shadow Out of Time). In it, you play a private investigator sent to the town of Innsmouth, Massachusetts to locate a missing person. The townsfolk are less than welcoming, and your investigation eventually uncovers a vast and terrifying conspiracy.
Despite the game's far-fetched premise, its mechanics emphasize realism. There is no HUD, and you have to judge your character's health listening to his heartbeat, analyzing his injuries, etc. (If sounds are muffled, color is fading from the screen, and your reaction time starts dropping precipitously, you are bleeding to death.) All but one of the weapons are from the first-half of the twentieth century; they all take time to reload; and if you keep them aimed for too long, your arms will get tired (and your accuracy will drop). Treating your wounds requires a first-aid kit; takes the better part of a minute; and does not result in immediate recovery of your health. Finally, you have to count your shots to know when to reload, and counting your enemies' shots is a very effective combat technique. (If your enemy has a double-barreled shotgun, it is best to wait untilhe has fired off two rounds before mounting your attack.)
The emphasis on realism - and your character's distinctly human fragility - make the game incredibly tense. (You can kill most of your enemies with a well-placed shot, but they can drop you just as quickly. You have to find safe-locations to treat your wonds. Falling from even a modest height will kill or wound you.) Moreover, the game has a fantastic "sanity" mechanic that makes some of its most exciting moments even more hectic. (Looking at the game's horrors will blur your vision and result in hallucinations. Looking down from great heights will cause vertigo.)
The game is also incredibly well-designed. Despite my discussion of combat mechanics, you spend most of the game unarmed. Accordingly, the game emphasizes evasion, stealth, and creative problem-solving, and it is much more of a first-person adventure game than a first-person shooter. The enemies react realistically to your actions. They are much smarter than the brain-dead soldiers in the Metal Gear Solid games, and they will not stop pursuing you just because you ran down a hall way or closed a door. (In fact, they will break down the door, and search every corner of a room until they find and kill you.)
Finally, several of the set pieces are simply amazing. The ambush at the hotel, the escape from Innsmouth, the assault on the Marsh refinery, the voyage on the USS Urania, and the battle with the flying polyps are among the best set-pieces in any game.
The game is not entirely without its flaws, however. I encountered several bugs during my playthrough, and the game froze on multiple occassions. It is also brutally difficult, and the solutions to many of the game's "puzzles" are not easily uncovered. I therefore cannot recommend it to anyone who is easily discouraged or frustrated.
Nonetheless, it is, IMO, one of the very best games of its generation. It is, as I mentioned above, incredibly well-designed. Moreover, it is very faithful to H.P. Lovecraft's work, and the settings (particularly, Innsmouth and the Yith civilization) match his decriptions precisely. Accordingly, I highly, highly recommend this game to anyone who is a fan of H.P. Lovecraft's work, a fan of survival-horror, or a fan of challenging first-person advenure games.