Jedi Knights and Batman imitators: the new PC games

By Peter Muench Jan 8, 2012, 3:06 GMT

Hamburg - January's new PC games offer something for every taste, from extreme realistic helicopter flights to fantasy battles between Jedi knights, Celts or demons.

One uniting factor is that gamers are having an increasingly harder time accessing their fun without an internet connection. New games like Gotham City Impostors or Unstoppable Gorg are only available as downloads. Meanwhile, the role-playing game Star Wars: The Old Republic only exists as an online game.

Those who like to stay offline can take solace in the flight simulator Take On Helicopter or King Arthur II, a mix of strategy and role-playing.

Take On Helicopter revolves entirely around whirlybirds. It's all rotor on, buckle up and up into the sky. Players take on the role of civilian pilot Harry Larkins, whose flight business is facing a crisis. Working with his sons, he is fighting off the competition and taking on every contract he can.

The helicopter controls are extremely true to detail in the game, but its developer, Bohemia Interactive, insists there's still plenty to appeal to casual gamers. In single-player mode, the game isn't solely about civilian work. There are military missions that require getting a helicopter to a specific goal.

There are also multi-player modes and a free-flight mode where players can just take off and explore vast expanses. Take On Helicopter is designed for players aged 16 or older and costs about 40 euros (52 dollars).

Also on the market is Star Wars: The Old Republic. The online role-playing game is set thousands of years before the adventures of Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. Players are free to choose which side they want to take in the battle between the Jedi Knights and the Sith Lords. Depending upon which side you choose, it's possible to pick from a host of new and familiar character classes.

Typical for the genre, players have to fight battles and complete missions. Unlike other online role-playing games, the designers, Bioware and Electronic Arts, took a lot of time to make sure The Old Republic has a film-quality story with complete dialogue. The starter price of 49 euros includes a 30-day subscription. Every additional month of play costs about 13 euros. It is recommended for players aged 12 and older.

One of the year's first new games is expected January 9, with the advent of the unusual tower defence game Unstoppable Gorg. This subset of real-time strategy games requires players to build up a tower and defences to ward off monster hordes.

Unstoppable Gorg is an homage to the science fiction films of the 1940s and 1950s. Players are tasked with protecting Earth from aliens dubbed the Gorg. It involves using various elements, like satellites orbiting Earth, Mars and the moon. The downloadable game is recommended for players aged 6 and up and should cost about 9 euros.

Next comes King Arthur 2 on January 13. The story mixes historical reality and fantastic fiction, bringing together dragons and demons with Romans and Celts. Players compete in rounds, trying to take over cities and territories while keeping an eye on the bigger picture: supplying food to their people and making sure warriors are trained in the winter so they're ready to fight in the summer.

When battle starts, players have the choice between sorties in rounds or a more action-rich real-time mode. Just like in other role-playing games, players pick up new skills after battles are won. The bizarre fantasy title is aimed at players aged 12 and up. It costs about 37 euros.

And finally, what happens when Batman loses it? Players can find out in Gotham City Impostors, an online shooter game set to appear January 10. The story focuses on an army of hobby heroes and scoundrels who don the costumes of Batman, the Joker and other characters from the series, outfitting themselves with ever more ridiculous sets of weapons.