Similar to one of Nexon's other FPS offerings Combat Arms, Sudden Attack is fast-paced and intense. It's also a great game for players who are new to first person shooters, as it comes with a helpful tutorial to get you started. To learn the different controls within Sudden Attack, there's a Boot Camp, which serves as training as well.

In Sudden Attack, the goal is to complete daily missions where you can earn experience points. Via the game's achievement system, you can earn different titles and perks for completing specific tasks within the game. There's also a demolition mode called Prison where the goal is to either plant a bomb or defend a target area where a bomb is waiting to be set off. Additional weaponry can be purchased in-app as well.

Up to 16 players can get in on the action with one another over the span of 38 maps. There might be some lag time while in multiplayer mode due to the server connection, but it was minimal. There are six game modes in Sudden Attack, which offer decent variety.

Sudden Attack's graphics are of good quality but a bit blocky, and the setting is gritty. The sound effects stand up to other games in its class as well.

With lots of weapons and a good variety of game modes, Sudden attack is a FPS that will appeal to a wide audience.

Download Sudden Attack in Softonic

The game is a direct sequel, set two years after the excellent first game. Jackie has controlled his Darkness powers, but of course events leave him with no alternative but to use them again. Like its predecessor, The Darkness II alters the traditional FPS with the two Darkness tentacles that give you interesting abilities and gruesome killing moves.

In this demo you play a series of sequences and cut scenes that show you how the game has developed. Graphically, The Darkness II has more of a comic book style, but is still very gory. Controls are almost unchanged - they are well mapped for joypad play - although manipulating Estacado's own arms and the darkness as well means the game takes some getting used to. Thankfully, learning how to use the darkness is lots of fun. Your two supernatural tentacles perform dramatic death moves on enemies, and can be used to destroy the environment and throw objects around too. This violent gameplay is The Darkness' main draw, setting it apart from other first person shooters.

Story wise, The Darkness II continues the disturbing themes of the first game. Jackie has to live with a power that forced him to helplessly watch his girlfriend's death, and now an evil organization called The Brotherhood wants to take the power from him. The demo is great fun to play, but doesn't show us enough of how The Darkness II will be structured, and we haven't been able to test out any of the cooperative online multiplayer modes promised in the full release.

The Darkness II is a promising action horror game with great gameplay and an intriguing storyline.

Download The Darkness II Demo in Softonic

With its cartoon style graphics, Team Fortress 2 looks good for a three year old game. These visuals have another great advantage over more realistic styles - you can see very clearly what's going on, and other players don't blend into scenery at a distance. Graphics are so clear that you can even easily distinguish character classes from a distance, helping you to decide how to act.

There are nine classes in Team Fortress 2. In Offense you have Scout, Soldier and Pyro. Defense has the Demoman, Heavy and Engineer classes, while the Support group features Medic, Sniper and the Spy. There is great variety between them all, and they are all great fun to learn. There are four types of Team Fortress 2 game - capture the flag, control point, payload and arenas. Each type gives you different objectives and feels, which adds to the huge amount of content this free to play title has on offer.

Gameplay is fast, the controls are tight and accurate, and there are a ton of customizations to play around with. The cartoon violence in Team Fortress 2 makes it a much lighter experience than more macho titles like Call of Duty, while it's still really competitive and skill based.

Team Fortress 2 is extremely popular, and deservedly so. Now it's free and cross platform, there's no excuse not to get involved!

Download Team Fortress 2 2.1.0 in Softonic

Work in progress

Still under development, Ace of Spades really does look a lot like Minecraft, with its pixellated blocky style. But the team combat gives it a very different feel. Building and digging in Ace of Spades is more about making walls and trenches for the battle. The newbie guide even warns you not to be too creative, as your 'buildings will be destroyed'!

Gameplay

There are three guns: a rifle, machine gun and shot gun. You area also equipped with grenades and a spade for digging. You can talk to your team mates in secret to coordinate tactics. Despite the simplistic shooting and graphics, the gameplay is really satisfying. Digging and building adds an interesting dynamic to the game, and some of the servers have really well-designed levels to battle over.

Getting started

Ace of Spades does have its problems. Changing your player name is awkward, and battles can seemingly go on without end. However, these issues will no doubt be ironed out as the game develops. Where Ace of Spades isn't very user friendly, there is at least an extensive Wiki where you can find answers, as well as the newbie guide.

Ace of Spades is a fun release in what is becoming 'the Minecraft genre'. It's free to play, so get involved!

Download Ace of Spades 0.70 Beta in Softonic

How is Serious Sam 3: BFE different?

For ten years, we have got used to FPS games where using cover is essential. Find cover, kill enemies, find next cover, shoot more enemies. Halo is credited with starting this trend, and today's biggest shooters like Modern Warfare 3 still adhere to it.
In Serious Sam 3: BFE, you basically don't use cover. There is lots of space for much of the game, and you will have to use to dodge attacks and enemies. Sam will often be overrun by huge waves of monsters; instead of hiding behind a rock to pick them off, you'll have to strafe and backpedal while taking out the gruesome bad guys. It's unsubtle, and can be very tough going.

A challenge to get into

Serious Sam 3: BFE starts off a little slow in our opinion. Once you have progressed enough to have an impressive arsenal at your disposal, the over the top explosive fun really impresses. However, starting out is challenging, you'll find ammo lacking and health far to easy to lose!

Multiplayer

On PC, there are excellent multiplayer modes. Survival mode, which lets up to 16 players play cooperatively against ever increasing odds is especially fun. There is also up to four player split-screen mode.

Conclusion

Serious Sam 3: BFE saves the planet in jeans and t-shirt, while carrying as many weapons as you need. It's not about realism, but about fun. The old school action is refreshing, but there are a few areas where it could have been modernized, and the difficulty settings could be more subtle.

Download Serious Sam 3: BFE in Softonic

We've now seen single and multiplayer gameplay, and a raft of teaser trailers, so have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Whereas Battlefield 3 is promising frighteningly realistic urban warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is taking a very different approach.

World at war

Russia is invading the US as well as England, Germany and France. It's also fighting a dirty war, with terrorist attacks on major cities, setting the scene for some dramatic missions.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 see you battle across the globe, from New York to Europe and Africa, stepping into the shoes of different people along the way. It's very much Call of Duty, but is yet another stride away from reality. The single player campaign so far looks impressive, while being heavily scripted and very linear. However, the concentration on big set pieces really sets apart from Battlefield. This is the bombastic Hollywood action-movie game, which is not necessarily a bad thing, even if the plot seems far fetched.

More social multiplayer gaming

It's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer that will attract most gamers' interest, and it's fair to say it's looking better than ever. There are plenty of new toys to get to grips with, and the usual CoD XP for players to earn, but it's the integration of the social CoD Elite service, connecting multiplayer achievements with things like Facebook that is really new. There are also new 'strike packages', which offer in game perks for achievements, each suited different types of player. Graphically the multiplayer is looking better too, we just have to wait to see if the balance of weapons and so on makes it as enjoyable as the last outing.

Conclusion

Who would bet against Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 being the biggest game of the year? Despite that, it looks like being more of the same tried and tested formula.

Download Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in Softonic

DICE are well known for their ability to create great multiplayer experiences and no player should worry about the multiplayer portion of the game. But the single player experience is a lot different.

Is Battlefield 3 going to change FPS for PC? Not by itself, but other developers should look at DICE's multiplayer work.

Gameplay (Single Player)

Like most first person shooters, Battlefield 3 uses WASD along with surrounding keys and the mouse for z-axis movement. Depending on how sensitive the mouse needs to be, it would be good for players to test it before they jump into multiplayer because even at default with a general wireless mouse, there is a lot of room for error.

Battlefield 3 functions like other FPS titles in the controls so there is no real surprise. The secondary buttons perform different tasks, but in context they are simple to use.

Gameplay in the single player is brutal and unforgiving, even on normal mode. Battlefield 3 enjoys corralling players in linear areas that are somewhat open, but require a specific path to complete. The problem is the enemy AI has a homing beacon and knows exactly where players are. Add in semi-destructible environments and expect to be moving in the prone position a lot.

Battlefield 3 attempts to keep the intensity high through the on-foot missions, but it interjects vehicle missions. While those missions add some variety to the game, they aren’t as deep or personal as the on-foot missions.

The plot of Battlefield 3 is kind of standard FPS fare, playing a soldier in a war and is a bit secondary to the overall experience. It is interesting, but the cut scenes do feel a bit worn and over-the-top.

Gameplay (Multiplayer)

Battlefield 3 is meant for multiplayer. The four soldier classes cover different play styles from assault to recon and players will find the suitable class quickly. Leveling is earned through the various gameplay modes, all of which involve player vs player action.

A plus for the multiplayer is that even though players will be killed in multiplayer, there are other ways outside of combat to earn points. The various gadgets can give experience and even contributing to the defeat of the other team can garner some support points. At the end of matches, players are given experience based on their performance and any ribbons they have received.

The variety of maps, modes, and unlocks is staggering in Battlefield 3 and the shelf life of the game is long with eventual downloadable content. Expect to put in some hours to get past the first few levels and the customization allowed gears more towards individual’s tastes.

Graphics

One of the first announcements for Battlefield 3 was the Frostbite 2 engine. Be assured with a system containing the recommended requirements, players will be able to experience the bulk of the power of the engine.

But run Battlefield 3 on a system with great hardware and Battlefield 3 is amazing. There are many effects and filters that are only visible with higher settings. If there was a game that warranted upgrading hardware, then Battlefield 3 is it.

Audio

The library of sound sets in Battlefield 3 is big. From all the weapons, voice actors, vehicles, and environment sounds, there is never a dull moment. Battlefield 3 surrounds players in the single and multiplayer portions of the game presenting audio cues for the direction of gunfire and the approaching sounds of land vehicles.

Playing Battlefield 3 with headphones is the best way to experience the game because the amount of work with the audio is impressive.

Buy it?

Absolutely.

Battlefield 3 is one of the best FPS experiences available for PC. With EA’s Origin, it is possible to install the game on multiple computers with the same Origin account and Origin supports cloud saving (disabled by default), players can jump into the single player campaign from multiple systems.

Battlefield 3 is all about the multiplayer. It is very easy to get addicted to the different modes, weapon unlocks, and vehicles that are available. Find the right server and the right squad to join and the enjoyment of the game increases exponentially.

Battlefield 3 is showing its supremacy with the Frostbite 2 engine and the amazing multiplayer mode.

Download Battlefield 3 in Softonic

Developed by Croteam and powered by the Serious Engine 3, Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter combines spectacularly enhanced visuals, including more polygons, higher resolution textures and more special effects like hippy and kid's mode, with trademark frantic gameplay for a non-stop action.

Featuring single-play, survival and cooperative play and mixed with brilliantly updated visuals, the game continues your battle against Mental's army with the classic over-the-top action, crazy humor and horror from the golden age of first-person shooters.

. Combined with intense versus and team modes for up to 16 players and in over 18 multiplayer maps, demo recording option, spectators and dedicated server support, Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter is a worthy successor to the original masterpiece.

SINGLE PLAYER. Various Environments and Secrets - Unleash mayhem on 3 different spectacular worlds: South America, ancient Mesopotamia and medieval Europe.

Discover over 130 secrets including over 15 brand new ones hidden in the fray. Unique Enemies and Bosses - Fight with 27 nightmarish warriors in Mental's army, including old favorites from The First Encounter like Beheaded Kamikaze, Syrian Werebull and Kleer Skeleton.

Go head to head against 5 new enemies and 3 new Bosses. Special Weapons and Power-Ups - Wreak havoc with a huge arsenal of weapons including 3 new toys: the Sniper Rifle, Flamethrower and Chainsaw.

Use Power-Ups to additionally increase your fighting and agility skills. MULTIPLAYER. Co-Op Mode - Plunge into chaos with up to 16 players in campaign cooperative mode.

. Deathmatch Mode - Watch all hell break loose in over 8 classic and brand new deathmatch maps with up to 16 players. NEW!. Survival Mode - Try to stay alive as long as you can against continued enemies' attacks in specially designed survival maps!

NEW!. Co-Op Modes - Play even more along your friends in new co-op modes including Co-Op Survival. NEW!. Versus Modes - Fight against your friends in more versus modes including Beast Hunt and My Burden.

NEW!. Team Modes - Compete against other teams in team matches including Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag and Last Team Standing. Activation Key must be used on a valid Steam account.

System Requirements:Operating system: Windows XP with SP1 or newer. Processor: Intel P4 3+ Ghz or AMD Athlon64 3500+. Memory: 1 GB for XP or 2 GB for Vista.

Hard disk space: 2. 2 GB. Video: nVidia GeForce 7600, ATI Radeon X1600 (Shader Model 3. 0 required). Sound: Direct X 9. 0c compatible sound card. DirectX: DirectX 9.

0c August 2009 Edition or newer. © 2010 Croteam Ltd. Serious Sam HD, The Serious Sam HD logo, Serious Engine 3, the Serious Engine 3 logo, Croteam and the Croteam logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Croteam.

All rights reserved.

Download Serious Sam HD: 2nd Encounter in Softonic