Stealth

Game Description: Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow takes players back to the shadowy world of Third Echcelon—a special spy unit using high-tech weapons and equipment in defense of their government. Special agent Sam Fisher is waging a one-man war against Indonesian terror networks. He'll travel to far-off corners of the world and try to figure out who can be trusted. This conspiracy-filled story will test your wits and your nerves, by throwing you into the world of international espionage. Unbelievable online gameplay—you'll become a team of Third Echelon agents like Sam, competing against deadly mercenaries, in a series of multiplayer action/shooters!

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs

I did a lot of waiting in Hitman: Contracts. I did a lot of walking, too. That's pretty much the whole game—waiting and walking, walking and waiting. Sounds dull when I put it that way, but I'm telling you, never before have these two seemingly banal acts been fraught with so much simmering tension.

A huge fan of Agent 47, I found myself nodding in agreement after reading Scott's evaluation. The first time I laid hands on a Hitman game was a genuinely unforgettable experience. Contracts delivers more of the same, which is not a bad thing.

Game Description: Hitman: Contracts takes players back into the world of Agent 47, genetically engineered assassin. In this new game, we find him in a hotel room in Paris. Shot up and full of painkillers, he begins hallucinating. As his mind wanders, we'll travel to the missions that left him in this sorry state. Amazing locations, from a realistic slaughterhouse to incredible recreations of Holland, France, China, England & more Incredible all-new graphics and advanced AI pull you into the world of the assassin.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language

Nihilistic tone wasn't the only thing that really impressed me about Manhunt, though—there are about a bazillion technical elements that stand out as well. Everything from the art design, the casting of the inimitable Brian Cox as the voice of the game's antagonist, to the ingenious use of the USB headset to add to the immersiveness of the gameplay is top notch.

I have "fragged" millions, perhaps even billions of creatures, but never once did I ever suffocate anyone with a plastic bag. Not once did I castrate anyone with a sickle, or jab a glass shard multiple times into someone's face, or knock a man's head clean off with an aluminum baseball bat.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood, Violence