Action & Adventure Video Games

Following the tread marks of its predecessors, Saints Row: The Third is an open-world action-adventure, in an urban setting of speed and violence. No longer struggling against rival crime families and meddling authorities, the Third Street Saints now rule the city of Stillwater -- and have everything to lose.

Persevering in their gangland domination through the first two urban adventures, the Saints have risen from the criminal underworld to become a household brand name -- and a well-marketed one at that, with t-shirts, bobble-head dolls, and other tchotchke eagerly bought up by the amenable (if not adoring) Stillwater populace. A municipal treasury's worth of wealth and power at their disposal, the Saints now have easy access to over-armed tanks and laser-equipped experimental aircraft, as well as any car they happen to fancy on the busy city streets.

Much of the game's main narrative, however, takes place away from the relative safety of Stillwater. Trouble begins as an organization of criminal gangs from other cities, known as the Syndicate, invites the Saints to join. The Saints decline, choosing independence over new allies, and thus make a new enemy instead. In retaliation, the Syndicate captures the player's character, a high-ranking member of the Third Street gang, and takes him far from the safety of his Stillwater home turf, to the city of Steelport. A stranger in a strange place, the player's hero must learn the layout of the land, seek out the local head of each Syndicate gang, and eliminate its leader. So far, government authorities have held back, content to let the rival gangs thin one another's numbers, but they too seem likely to join in the mayhem as the street war heats up.

Those who embrace the absurd can make all kinds of ballistic mischief, away from the main storyline. Players are free to explore the city as they wish, on foot or behind the wheel, engaging in Grand Theft Auto-spirited urban sandbox antics. Powerful character creation tools and a variety of costumes and accessories encourage personal expression. Beyond mundane muggings and carjackings, characters can assail innocent passers-by with gratuitous groin punches, or perform pro wrestling-inspired takedowns. One of Professor Genki's new creations is a pick-up mounted cannon that can suck pedestrians off the sidewalks and then shoot them out, a city block or more, as flailing, rather messy projectiles. Player characters who choose to try shooting themselves from the device would do well to remember to aim for clear skies and pack a parachute. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Rayman returns to home consoles as the limbless mascot began: as a 2D side-scrolling platform game. Featuring a presentation that resembles a cartoon, Rayman Origins also boasts 60 frames-per-second visuals with jump-in, jump-out cooperative support for up to four players. The story finds quirky characters Rayman, Globox, and two wizards (the Teensies), in a quest to save the Glade of Dreams from the evil and exploitative Darktoons. Explore varied locales across 60 levels of jumping, shooting, and animal-riding action. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

The third and final chapter in Ezio Auditore's journey from a Florentine noble to a grand master assassin focuses on a quest to locate five ancient seals that are keys to the clandestine brotherhood's future. Ezio must seek out clues in 16th century Masyaf, Cappadocia, and Constantinople, treading the same ground his predecessor Altaïr covered hundreds of years before. As an older, wiser Ezio, you must master new techniques and technology to ensure your survival against overwhelming odds.

Once again players will use a combination of climbing, stealth, and acrobatics to seek out and eliminate key targets of the Templar order. Ezio is now equipped with a hookblade that can be used for sliding across ropes, scaling buildings, or attacking enemies. Ezio can also craft a variety of bombs and make use of a heightened "eagle sense," allowing him to see targets even while enshrouded in smoke. Ezio is not alone in his journey; he'll encounter multiple allies and fellow assassins who will provide assistance when needed.

The original game's protagonist, Altaïr, will also be playable in flashback sequences, bridging the stories of the two assassins for the first time in the series. Assassin's Creed: Revelations also builds upon the multiplayer component introduced in 2010's Brotherhood, offering new game modes, maps, and characters. No matter which mode you choose, you'll earn experience points to gradually increase in rank, unlocking new gadgets and techniques to use while battling rivals from around the world. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

The LEGO version of literary and film sensation Harry Potter comes to a conclusion with Years 5-7, introducing new locales, characters, and challenges to players as they battle the forces of evil. In contrast with the first LEGO Harry Potter, Years 5-7 features more exploration, puzzle-solving sequences, and magic. In addition to Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and Hogsmeade, players will visit such venues as Grimmauld Place, the Ministry of Magic, and Godric's Hollow as they prepare for the final confrontation with Lord Voldemort. Of course, the LEGO series is known for its humorous spin on familiar events, and players can expect the same whimsical approach to the cinematics and encounters as in previous entries. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Inspired by 2011's computer-animated film, Happy Feet Two features cooperative dance showdowns as well as belly-sliding races across the ice and snow. Penguin nation is facing the threat of extinction, so its members must band together to ensure their species' survival. Part of the game involves recruiting other penguins into the fold, which means winning them over with the power of rhythmic dance.

Players can then use each new penguin's distinctive abilities to solve puzzles, stun enemies, and progress through the Antarctic environment. Los Angeles-based band Ozomatli performs all of the music in the game, which features an eclectic mix of hip-hop, samba, meringue, salsa, funk, and other influences. Both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions are designed for stereoscopic 3D television sets, although the 3D effects are optional and can be disabled at any time. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Developer Naughty Dog's critically acclaimed Uncharted series returns to PlayStation 3 with Drake's Deception. As globetrotting adventurer Nathan Drake, you must embark on a trip to the mysterious Arabian Desert on a mission to find the legendary "Atlantis of the Sands," otherwise known as the lost city of Ubar. Joined by his mentor, Victor Sullivan, Drake soon discovers that he is in a dangerous race against a covert organization immersed in the occult. For the first time in the Uncharted series, Drake's Deception will offer stereoscopic support for 3D televisions.

Promising larger set pieces than those in the two previous games, Uncharted 3 will once again rely on a cinematic presentation that blends Hollywood-style storytelling with dramatic action sequences and special effects that utilize sand, water, smoke, and fire. In addition to his proficiency in ranged combat, Drake can now disable his opponents in other ways. New hand-to-hand combat moves let him take out multiple enemies at once, for example, or Drake can use stealth along with context-specific melee attacks. Both cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes are supported, with the developers integrating more single-player elements into the online game for a new experience. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Developed and released to honor the 20th anniversary of the 1991 debut of Sega's star franchise character, Sonic Generations sends past and present versions of the platform hero on a run down memory lane. After an unforeseen incident involving a picnic, a cake, and a hole in the space-time continuum, our modern-day Sonic is transported 20 years into the past where he meets the younger version of himself. Players can choose to play as either version of the character, Modern Sonic or Classic Sonic, throughout the adventure.

The game's levels are inspired by defining stages in the Sonic series' history, including "Seaside Hill" from Sonic Heroes, "City Escape" from Sonic Adventure 2, and "Green Hills" from the original Sonic the Hedgehog. The levels are broken up into three console-era categories: Classic, Dreamcast, and Modern. The style of play in each level is determined by character choice. Classic Sonic's paths play out in the side-scrolling 2D style of the Genesis and Game Gear originals, while Modern Sonic must make his way past both 2D and 3D challenges, as in the more recent Sonic Unleashed for the high-def consoles. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

In The Cursed Crusade, two warriors must battle untold evil in a last-ditch effort to save their afflicted souls and prevent the world from turning into Hell. The action is viewed from a third-person perspective as players take control of Denz, a Templar knight, who has a supernatural power to alter the world around him. Esteban, a mercenary thief, is guided by either the computer or a second player. The duo will travel across the cities of medieval Europe over the course of five chapters and 40 missions. Over the course of your travels, you'll acquire more than 130 weapons and master over 90 combo attacks while battling knights and soldiers in melee combat. You'll also be able to counter an enemy's blows using a timing-based parrying system. Cooperative play supports both online connections and local action via split-screen display. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Dress up as more than 40 Disney film characters and battle enemies, leap across platforms, and solve puzzles in Disney Universe. Rather than directly controlling an animated hero or villain from a particular movie, you'll play as a cartoon-like humanoid with a large head, tiny body, and colorful skin tone. Each character must select the costume of a major or minor Disney star, from Mike Wazowski and Stitch to Pumbaa and Nemo.

The third-person action involves teaming up with three other friends to defeat enemies while exploring six worlds inspired by animated and live-action films from Disney and Pixar, including Aladdin, Pirates of the Caribbean, Monsters, Inc., Wall-E, The Lion King, and Alice in Wonderland. Your goal is to complete a series of objectives that follow the storylines of each featured film. Fallen foes will drop coins that can be used to purchase new costumes, power-ups, and other bonuses. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Developer Rocksteady Studios returns players to its dark vision of Gotham, where the Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane has been replaced with a walled-off expanse of city streets and abandoned buildings, ruled only by deadly mad anarchy. From a familiar third-person perspective, players resume the single-player role of Batman, for missions of infiltration, assault, recovery, and rescue. Gruesomely outnumbered, the hero's survival still relies largely on stealthy ninja tactics, although open environments occasionally call for cape-aided hang-gliding or grappling-hook acrobatics.

Although the territory of the new Arkham City is nearly five times larger than the old asylum grounds, Batman's path is sometimes limited by outbursts of gang warfare, usually best avoided. The game also regularly presents puzzles for the Dark Knight to solve, in the gadget-enhanced "Detective Mode." The combat system has been refined, allowing Batman to counter attacks from multiple opponents at once, and to access his gadgets in the middle of a fight.

Set only a year after the events of Arkham Asylum, the game's story begins with Quincy Sharp, the former warden who is now mayor of Gotham City. His plan -- to shut down the asylum, move the inmates to a walled in section of city slums, and hire private security to guard the new borders -- has created a zone of pure lawlessness in the heart of Gotham. It is a city within a city, where inmates are free to roam the streets, stealing and killing as they wish, so long as they do not attempt to escape.

Control of this urban wasteland is now contested by two rival gangs: one led by the Joker, with the help of Harley Quinn, and the other by Two Face, who has called for the public execution of Catwoman -- much to the delight of the other bloodthirsty residents. Side-stories involve more of Arkham's most famously devious and demented recidivists, including Mr. Freeze, the Penguin, Poison Ivy, and the Riddler. Kevin Conroy again voices Batman, with Mark Hamill as the Joker. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide