The Far Cry series returns to its roots with Far Cry 3, a first-person jungle adventure that leaves players stranded on a chain of tropical islands awash in violent conflict between local gangs and militia. The game encompasses a virtual world almost ten times bigger than that of Far Cry 2, providing you with hours of adventure either alone or with buddies in a four-player cooperative mode. PC players should be especially pleased by the expanded multiplayer options and robust map editor included in Far Cry 3; these features ought to keep you playing long after the game arrives in stores this December.

Like most Blizzard games, Heart Of The Swarm doesn't actually have a concrete release date; all we know is that it will be ready "when it's ready." Blizzard has been conducting beta tests of the Heart Of The Swarm multiplayer mode for some time, suggesting that Heart Of The Swarm will almost certainly be ready for release this holiday season. Its length should be roughly equivalent to that of Starcraft 2: Wings Of Liberty, with about 20 single-player campaign missions that continue the story of the previous game while allowing players to take control of the Zerg race. More controversially, the multiplayer mode will likely be completely overhauled and will require players to master new units, skills, and tactics.

Did you love playing games like Thief, Deus Ex, and System Shock when you were younger? Then you should be excited about Dishonored, a first-person stealth action game set in a fantastical industrial city in the grip of a supernatural plague. Imagine London in 1850, but with citizens who occasionally demonstrate otherworldly powers and guards who travel via giant lightning-powered walking automata. You play Corvo, a disgraced former bodyguard imbued with supernatural powers and tasked with assassinating the corrupt elite who rule the city.