BUYING GUIDE.

With the holiday season coming up everyone likes a good bargain, especially in a poor economy. The list that follows are 20 great games for under $20. Most of the PC games listed have been released with in the past 2-3 years, with many of them being top picks for the year they were released. Included in are Crysis Warhead, a hot new release from 2008, as well as BioShock, Company of Heroes, and F.E.A.R., highly rated games from the past few years. This is not ranked, the games are listed in alphabetical order.

BioShock
Release Date: Aug 21, 2007
Genre: Action - First Person Shooter
Theme: Sci-Fi
Rating: M for Mature
Game Modes: Single player, multiplayer

Just one year removed from it's release, BioShock still looks better than half the games out this year and a price below $20 makes it a great bargain. The game play and features are fresh and exciting, while the game's environments and graphics are a delight to the eyes. However it's the compelling storyline that will captivate, pull you in, and leave you wishing for more when it's all over.

Battlefield 2142 Deluxe Edition
Release Date: Oct 18, 2006
Genre: Action - First Person Shooter
Theme: Sci-Fi
Rating: T for Teen
Game Modes: Multiplayer

Battlefield 2142 moved the Battlefield series into the future with this multiplayer combat game. This deluxe edition was released just this year and includes the full Battlefield 2142 game plus the one expansion Battlefield 2142: Northern Strike.

Call of Duty 2
Release Date: Oct 25, 2005
Genre: Action - First Person Shooter
Theme: World War II
Rating: T for Teen
Game Modes: Single player, multiplayer

What better way to prepare for the fourth title in the Call of Duty series due out in November 2008, than to play what some call the best World War II first person shooter. With great single player campaigns and an addictive multiplayer mode this is one of my all time favorites. (Not to mention #2 on my Top Games of 2005)

Company of Heroes
Release Date: Sept 14, 2007
Genre: Real Time Strategy
Theme: World War II
Rating: M for Mature
Game Modes: Single player, multiplayer

Much like BioShock, Company of Heroes still looks fantastic. Even though it's 2 years old Company of Heroes still has a strong fan based and an upcoming stand alone expansion is due out this spring. Exprience the strategic and cinematic intensity of World War II from the invasion of Normandy to the conquest of Germany and more.

Crysis Warhead
Release Date: Sep 16, 2008
Genre: Action - First Person Shooter
Theme: Sci-Fi
Rating: M for Mature
Game Modes: Single player, multiplayer

Released this past September, Crysis Warhead is the prequel to last year's excellent first person shooter Crysis. Crysis Warhead picks up with the same heart pounding action and stunning visuals while keeping the system requirements in check.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
Release Date: Sep 25, 2007
Genre: Action - First Person Shooter
Theme: Sci-Fi
Rating: T for Teen
Game Modes: Multiplayer

Similar to games of the Battlefield series, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is a multiplayer game set in the Quake universe. The battle for Earth between the Humans and alien Strogg continues...online.

F.E.A.R.
Release Date: Oct 17, 2005
Genre: Action - First Person Shooter
Theme: Sci-Fi
Rating: M for Mature
Game Modes: Single player, multiplayer

F.E.A.R. is another one of the top notch releases from a couple years ago that looks and runs great on newer PCs. Released back in 2005 it won many game of the year awards and was my top pick that year as well. F.E.A.R. provides an excellent gaming experience. So turn down the lights, turn up the volume and get ready to face your fear

Medieval II Total War
Release Date: Nov 14, 2006
Genre: Real Time & Turn Based Strategy
Theme: Historical
Rating: T for Teen
Game Modes: Single player, multiplayer

The next title in the popular Total War series is due out next year but it's most recent release will still give you limitless replayability. Medieval II Total War continues the strong tradition set by it's Total War predecessors and delivers an epic historical strategy game that's both fun and exciting with the added benefit of teaching a little medieval history along the way.

Neverwinter Nights 2
Release Date: Oct 32, 2006
Genre: Traditional RPG
Theme: Fantasy
Rating: T for Teen
Game Modes: Single player, multiplayer

Neverwinter Nights 2 is a fantasy role playing game set in the popular Dungeons & Dragons world of Faerun, also know as the Forgotten Realms. A third expansion module pack is set for release later this month (Nov '08), the game contains both a single player and unique multiplayer campaigns.

Resident Evil 4
Release Date: May 15, 2007
Genre: Action - Third Person
Theme: Survival Horror
Rating: M for Mature
Game Modes: Single player

Extemely popular on the Playstation and other console platforms, Resident Evil 4 is the most successful and highest rated of the series to hit the PC. Battle legions of zombies, or rather parasitically-controlled humans in Resident Evil 4, the third person survival horror game.

By Michael Klappenbach, About.com Guide

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