Supreme Commander released to thunderous applause early this year, so a stand-alone expansion for that excellent title seems a perfect way to end the gaming year as well. Arguably one of the best RTS games available, Supreme Commander didn't necessarily need the new stuff offered by Forged Alliance, but fans clamoring for more of a good thing won't be at all disappointed.

With six enormous new single player missions, a new playable race, lots of new toys, and a theme that bigger is better, Forged Alliance blows the door off the original game's slowly developing missions. Rather than giving you a little bit at a time to play with like Supreme Commander, Forged Alliance gives the player access to nearly everything right from the start and dares you to make the most of it as you fight for your very survival.

Assassin's Creed
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft
Release: November 13
Platform: PC, PS3, XBOX 360
ESRB: M

Another highly anticipated title, Assassin’s Creed fails to disappoint in pretty much every way possible. This is a must-have title for anyone who plays games, especially on the 360 and PS3. Take the stealth of a Metal Gear Solid, the open-ended gameplay of Grand Theft Auto, the stellar platforming and fluidity of movement of the Prince of Persia series, and a deep story that reminds us of the best in the industry and you'll have some small idea what Assassin's Creed is all about. Multiply all that by several million and you'll be even closer. Ubisoft has really topped itself this time, but of course this is the company that gave us Sam Fisher, Rainbow Six, Beyond Good and Evil, and even Rayman. So why are we surprised?

Crysis
Publisher: EA
Developer: Crytek
Release: November 13
Platform: PC
ESRB: M

Remember when I said I can't think of another perfect shooter besides COD4 and Bioshock? Add Crysis to that short list. The first hints about and images from Crysis started to circulate in the media about a year and a half ago and most of us have been looking forward to this game ever since. Again, we are not to be disappointed. Set in a day-after-tomorrow world (the year is 2020 - remember when that would have sounded like a long, long time away?), Crysis follows in the footsteps of its predecessor Farcry by offering a sandbox style open-ended FPS for the game's initial levels. The player is dropped into a sprawling map, given an objective, and let loose to accomplish said goal in any way she sees fit.

The game sees to it that the player has ample tools at her disposal, from an array of weapons to an incredibly versatile nanosuit which includes a cloaking device among its various goodies, making a stealthy approach that much easier to accomplish. Crysis is far from a proverbial walk in the park, however. Intelligent enemies, complex objectives, and environmental dangers abound - and that's all before the meat of the story (an alien invasion) even kicks in. Like COD4 and Bioshock, Crysis is a shooter that gamers will remember for along time to come.