Action & Adventure Video Games

IO Interactive's bald assassin returns for his first new adventure in more than six years as gamers help Agent 47 avoid the police, eliminate those who betrayed him, and uncover a deep conspiracy in Hitman: Absolution. The developer's new Glacier 2 AI system was designed to mimic the wide range in intelligence, behavior, and response seen in real humans, while the trial-and-error gameplay of previous entries in the series has been replaced by a new AI attention meter that lets gamers know exactly how close other characters are to spotting Agent 47, so they can back off when needed.

As always, the build up to the kill is as much of the gameplay experience as actually performing the assassination, and the freedom to choose how to perform a hit is a direct result of how much players plan, observe, and listen, and how creative they feel. Hitman: Absolution rewards gamers for performing classic moves by allowing them to use the new Instinct mode, in which they see the world through Agent 47's eyes and can map out enemy patrol routes, spot weapons, and locate shortcuts or ways to escape. Players can also accomplish their tasks by donning a variety of disguises or impersonating victims, but doing so may elicit unpredictable reactions from other characters. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Based on the animated film of the same name, Rise of the Guardians finds gamers joining mythical childhood figures as they fight to prevent the Boogeyman-like Pitch from cloaking the world in nightmares and darkness. Players take on the role of Jack Frost, North (Santa Claus), Bunnymund (Easter Bunny), Tooth (Tooth Fairy), and Sandy (Sandman) as they battle nightmares through 3D levels based on locations in the film. Each character has unique abilities and weapons that can be upgraded, and up to four players can drop in or out of the action whenever they please. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Gamers return to Disney's land of forgotten cartoons for an action-packed adventure complete with new voice acting, musical numbers, and co-op gameplay in Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two. With the citizens of the Wasteland rebuilding after the events of the first game, earthquakes plaguing the landscape, and a supposedly reformed Mad Doctor promising to help clean up, Oswald calls on Mickey to help restore order. The 3D platforming gameplay once again finds Mickey solving problems and reaching special areas by using his paintbrush to apply either paint or thinner.

Oswald comes along for the ride, serving as a constant AI companion or allowing a second player to drop in or out of the action at any time. He carries a remote control that lets him either fight or befriend other characters, and he can also detach his feet or use his floppy ears to fly short distances. During the course of their adventures Mickey and Oswald will interact with dozens of other characters, including Horace, Big Bad Pete, and Gremlin Gus, and travel to locations like Disney Gulch and the new Rainbow Caverns. And expanding on a mechanic from the first game, the choices players make have lasting consequences that can alter the ultimate outcome of their adventure. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Based on the fourth animated series in the Ben 10 franchise, Ben 10: Omniverse spans two time periods allowing gamers to play as both young and teen Ben Tennyson. Ben can transform into 13 aliens, including such new heroes as Gravattack and Bloxx. Also new to the series is Rook, a playable character that can be used in both the single-player campaign and as the second player in co-op play. While Ben relies on transformations to battle through each level, Rook has a multi-purpose Proto-Tool that can be used as a sword, staff, blaster, or grappler. ~ Jonathan Sutyak, All Game Guide

Gamers can relive Peter Jackson's version of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic trilogy (albeit with small plastic blocks and vintage Traveller's Tales humor) as they join Frodo, Aragorn, and the rest of the Fellowship in LEGO The Lord of the Rings. All of Middle-earth has been re-created, even portions not seen in the films, but players follow the general progression of the story, travelling from The Shire all the way to the heart of Mordor. As always, gamers spend much of the adventure switching between characters, dismantling foes, and destroying the environments to earn LEGO studs.

There are more than 80 different characters to unlock, including the massive spider Shelob, the frightening Balrog, and the tortured hobbit Gollum, and the game includes dozens of lines of dialogue taken directly from the films. Players can collect Mithril to forge new items in the Blacksmith Shop, and characters gain new weapons and attacks as the advance through the journey. Special Palantir seeing stones let gamers jump back and forth between storylines, and as always, multiplayer fans can drop in or out of the action any time they please. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Ubisoft's epic struggle between Assassins and Templars heads to a new location and a new era as gamers take control of Ratonhnhaké:ton, also known as Connor Kenway, a half-Mohawk and half-English rebel who battles for the liberation of his people in the years before, during, and after the American Revolution. Assassin's Creed III finds players bounding through the trees of a sprawling frontier wilderness, battling enemies throughout the fledgling cities of Boston and New York and the fields of Lexington and Concord, and engaging in naval combat along the roiling Eastern Seaboard.

Created for Assassin's Creed III, Ubisoft's new Anvil Next game engine was designed to offer more fluid action, allowing for seamless transitions as Connor switches weapons, battles groups of foes, clambers over forest snags, and performs stealth kills. Gamers can make use of a variety of new weapons, including more advanced firearms, rope darts, and classic bows, but Connor is a dual-wield specialist whose signature blade is his new tomahawk. New assassination and fighting techniques abound, but new features like mobile hay carts and the ability to run through buildings ensure that stealth and evasion are still key components of the series.

The mission structure in Assassin's Creed III remains relatively similar to previous titles in the series, with targeted assassinations, side missions to help the downtrodden, and platforming sessions inside iconic buildings, but one big change is the addition of naval warfare. As the commander of a ship, Connor can engage in a variety of sea-based missions that include navigating minefields, boarding enemy vessels, and large-scale ship-on-ship assaults. All of the action can be dramatically altered by a new system of dynamic weather, with thick fog and giant waves providing cover but also making assaults more difficult.

Connor's travels throughout the colonies will put him in contact with iconic figures of the American Revolution, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere, but as always, the entirety of his 30-year experience as an Assassin is witnessed through the DNA memory of Desmond Miles, who players will also take control of for the portions of the game set in 2012. Multiplayer action returns to the series with a variety of modes, including Domination mode, in which Xbox 360 gamers vie for control of certain points on the map, and the Wolf Pack mode, where teams work together to assassinate NPC targets. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Gamers take control of 20 classic characters like Iron Man, Hulk, and Wolverine as they fight Skrull invaders in Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth. Players use specific motion controls to let each character unleash special Velocity Boost, Breaker, Frenzy, and Super attacks, unlocking new outfits and special collector cards in the process. Gamers can take on the Campaign, Arcade, and Tournament modes, try out special challenges, or join friends for Co-op and Versus modes, and all of the visuals are designed to mimic the look and themes of the Secret Invasion storyline. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Set in a dark, dystopian city, and featuring multiple-path missions and a mix of stealth and action reminiscent of Deus Ex and Thief, Dishonored puts Xbox 360 players in charge of Corvo, the Empress' once-trusted bodyguard who was framed for her murder, and now dons a signature mask as he roams the oppressive streets. Freed from captivity by a supernatural being with questionable intentions, Corvo seeks revenge using special powers and a variety of gadgets and weapons, which players are free to wield as they stage direct assaults or perform stealthy assassinations.

Steampunk themes permeate the grungy industrial city of Dunwall, with citizens traveling in personal rail cars, law enforcement patrolling on long robotic stilts, and authority figures dressed in Victorian-era garb, complete with swords and muskets. Corvo can also wield a variety of swords, daggers, crossbows, and weak guns, but he has an advantage thanks to special powers that allow him to briefly stop time, possess any living creature, and teleport short distances. The action is presented from a first-person perspective, and whether players choose stealth, force, or a mixture of the two, the choices they make in each mission will result in different outcomes, and have lasting effects on the surrounding game world. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Capcom's long-running series about zombies, bioterrorism, and political machinations continues with four distinct campaigns, overhauled controls, and four-player co-op in Resident Evil 6. One campaign begins with Leon S. Kennedy and his partner Helena Harper attending an anti-bioterrorism speech by the President of the United States, only to be forced to kill him when he becomes an infected mutant. A second campaign features Chris Redfield and Piers Nivans as they head to China to battle the spread of a powerful new strain known as "C-virus."

The third campaign takes place in Eastern Europe and stars Jake Muller, son of series antagonist Albert Wesker, and Raccoon City survivor-turned government agent Sherry Birkin, as they flee from a biomechanical abomination know as an Uranak. The fourth campaign can only be unlocked once gamers finish the first three, and it stars longtime series antihero Ada Wong. All three main campaigns offer co-op support, and some sections of the game combine two groups for four-player action; while the new "Agent Hunt" multiplayer mode lets Xbox 360 gamers become monsters and infiltrate the campaigns of fellow players. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide