Halo 2

Platform: X Box

It’s here. Easily the most anticipated sequel to the best-selling X Box action game to date Halo, Halo 2 will hit the shelves quicker than you can blow up a Covenant space ship in orbit.

The storyline is still closely guarded but a ton of new features has been confirmed to get your juices flowing.

The Master Chief is back to defend the earth from the nasty Covenant alien forces. This time around he is better equipped than ever before. A whole new range of weapons are available, including hand-held rocket launchers complete with target tracking. And the Covenant Energy Sword is accessible for those players who are man enough to kick some Covenant arse.

Twice as many vehicles are available and – get ready for it – some of them fly. The environment in Halo 2 is fully interactive, which means it’s also destructible. You can use it to your advantage (think shooting lights to hide in shadows). But, so can the Covenant, who will scurry under ledges, leap over obstacles, climb up structures and destroy anything to make you an easier target.

Halo 2 has been given two thumbs up from every single game reviewer around. So put your thumbs in ice to prep them up for the intense workout they’re about to cop.

Anarchy Online – Alien Invasion

Platform: PC

The same crew who brought us Anarchy Online – Shadowlands, is now proud to present the next chapter in the Anarchy Online saga, Anarchy Online – Alien Invasion.

This new sci-fi instalment is the biggest threat to all other games in the genre to date. Not only are players able to stare action in the face as they combat aliens wielding superior technology, but they’re also able to take full control of the entire game like never before.

Alien Invasion is the sci-fi fresh flavour burst we’ve all been looking for, so sink your teeth into the following features:

• Construct a wide variety of houses, towns and shops.
• Get access to a completely new trade skill interface.
• Defend your cities against invading aliens.
• Get access to alien perks and new special abilities.
• Board and attack alien spaceships.
• Obtain new weapons, armour, clothes, items and quests.

Thief: Deadly Shadows

Platform: X Box, PS

You are Garrett – master thief. You steal from the rich and give to yourself. You can sneak past any guard, pick any lock and break into even the most ingeniously secured residence.

All you want is to be left alone to ply your trade. But things never work out the way you want them to…

According to the city’s prophets, a Dark Age is looming and you’re the only one with the skill to fight it. You must join forces with the Keepers. They have the prophetic Glyphs you need to avert the approaching doom and you have the raw nerve, the caustic wit and the artistic thievery they lack.

You must slip through dungeons, mansions, castles, cathedrals and museums and dodge the hired muscle, angry thugs, hideous monsters and more. You have to steal the only thing that will save the city from the Darkness – its oldest treasure.

Are you thief enough to save the dying city? Can you survive betrayal, assassins and war in the labyrinthine city streets? It’s up to you to destroy or be destroyed by the evil that hides in the shadows.

Gran Turismo 4: Prologue – Signature Edition

Platform: PS

GT4 Prologue is an exclusive ‘Advanced Skills School’, designed with the most ambitious drivers in mind. It provides an opportunity to prepare for the imminent challenge of GT4, an essential test-drive for potential champions.

– Kazunori Yamauchi Creator of Gran Turismo.

GT 4: Prologue Signature Edition is a sneak peak of the action coming soon to GT4.

Included with the signature edition is an exclusive Making of GT4 DVD. You will be taken on a tour behind the scenes of the world’s most realistic and most popular car simulator video game. Some of the features you can expect in Prologue are:

• Unlock 54 cars by completing 46 lessons designed to improve the driving technique of players of all skill levels.
• Full arcade mode with five circuits which to test your skills on.
• Polyphony’s incredible new physics engine and the most realistic handling system to date.
• Fully compatible with the Logitech Driving Force Pro wheel with 900 degrees of wheel rotation to provide an authentic driving experience.

Think of this special edition as a sumptuous appetizer – delicious and filling but still plenty of room for main course. But bear in mind that although it will keep you happy until GT4 hits the shelves, it is a limited edition. Stocks won’t last forever.