Shadowrun

(Microsoft) Xbox360, PC

Microsoft has taken this former tabletop role-playing game and transformed it into a multiplayer-only first person shooter, which is bound to piss off some devotees. Fanboy concerns aside, it’s cool to customize your character with weapons, spells, and gadgets before each battle, and to play against competitors on Xbox 360 and PC (a first for both systems). Then, it’s up to you and your team to pick off all enemy players or escape with a valuable artifact. This is where your ability to teleport through walls, block doors with giant crystals, and glide over enemies becomes essential, because you only get so far mowing down the other team with a submachine gun before you’re picked off by a quick-moving elf. But play people who know what they’re doing; otherwise this gets boring fast.

By Rebecca Swanner