The most interesting games released in 2006
All the best and most popular games of the year, upcoming releases, and hits from the past. Use filters to narrow down search.
Gothic 3
RPG
October 13, 2006
Third game from the popular RPG series, which began in 2001 year thanks to a previously unknown studio, Piranha Bytes. It follows the story of the Nameless Hero, once again taking us to the fictional fantasy universe, which has been significantly expanded, when compared to previous titles. The game’s world consists of 3 different lands: kingdom of Myrtana, ice-covered Nordmar and desert Varant. The player can freely shape the story, completing any number of nearly 1000 available quests for 10 different factions present in the game. Depending on which side he chooses at the end, he will come to one of 3 different endings. New chapter of the series comes with many changes in gameplay, including new skills, greatly enhanced character progression system, better equipment screen, and simplified fights, as well as significantly improved visuals.
Need for Speed Carbon
Racing
November 1, 2006
The tenth installment in the bestselling racing game series originally launched back in 1995. The game lets you play as the main protagonist of the previous game. He returns to his home city only to find his domestic street racing scene taken over by rivaling gangs. As you take on new racing challenges, you take back your home town one district at a time. The game’s mechanics employ the well-proven solutions introduced by its predecessors, while introducing several new elements at the same time. Those include, first and foremost, canyon duels, which require much attention, as it is possible to run through the traffic barriers and roll down the slope. The other novelty is the team; you can assemble your own crew, and its members can aid you during races, e.g. by blocking your rivals. Additionally, the game features cut-scenes with real actors, several dozen licensed car models, as well as vast car customization options. Regarding the latter, Autosculpt module lets you modify almost any element of the car body.
Neverwinter Nights 2
RPG
October 31, 2006
An indirect sequel to BioWare's popular role-playing game from 2002, this time developed by Obsidian Entertainment, known for e.g. the second game in the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series. The plot of Neverwinter Nights 2 begins two years after the events of its predecessor, when the world of the Forgotten Realms finds itself threatened by a powerful evil in the form of the mysterious King of Shadows. The only way to defeat him is to find all the fragments of the shattered Silver Sword of Gith. Compared to the original game, the gameplay of its successor features many innovative elements, especially the possibility of having up to three NPCs in your party and having full control over them. Apart from that, Neverwinter Nights 2 features new character classes and previously unavailable spells and abilities. The editor, which allows you to e.g. create your own scenario and invite other players to play with you, has also been expanded.
Heroes of Might and Magic V
Strategy
May 16, 2006
The fifth installment of the popular fantasy turn-based strategy game series. To freshen up the franchise, the production of the game was entrusted to Nival Interactive, an experienced Russian developer, whose portfolio includes such games as Rages of Mages, Etherlords, Silent Storm, and Blitzkrieg. The game takes place in the land of Ashan and focuses on the war with hosts of demons, who, having killed the king, are ravaging the country. The fate of Ashan lies in the hands of heroes, who confront the forces of evil in order to defend their home factions. The new developer decided not to revolutionize the gameplay and instead focused on the strategic aspects and minor modifications of the game's mechanics; for example, the heroes no longer participate in battles, there are no separate town screens, time limits during combat have been added, and new diplomacy options are available. It is the first game in the series to feature a fully 3D environment.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
RPG
March 20, 2006
The fourth major installment in one of the most popular RPG series, created by Bethesda Softworks. The game's story takes place in Cyrodiil, the Imperial Province in the continent of Tamriel. After the assassination of the ruler of the realm, emperor Uriel Septim VII, the main character has to find the rightful heir to the throne and have him crowned as the next emperor of Tamriel. Just as in previous games in the series, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion offers a great deal of freedom – both in creation and progression of your character as well as the order in which you undertake quests, many of which are procedurally generated. In the game you encounter over 40 species of monsters and visit several carefully-designed regions, characterized not only by unique landscapes, but also their own communities, history, and culture. Oblivion offers greatly improved visuals powered by the completely overhauled game engine and the Havok physics engine. Moreover, the PC version also has an expanded level editor implemented in the game.
Final Fantasy XII
RPG
October 31, 2006
Final Fantasy XII is the twelfth installment of the best-selling jRPG series created by Square Enix. Game producers rejected many of the fixed elements of the series, offering a new combat system, a unique way to develop heroes, and a huge and fantastic looking three-dimensional world.
Test Drive Unlimited
Racing
September 5, 2006
A new incarnation of the popular racing game series launched back in 1987 by Distinctive Software and Accolade. Test Drive Unlimited was developed by Eden Games, the creators of the V-Rally franchise, under the aegis of Atari. The main change in relation to its predecessors is the vast open world set on the faithfully recreated Oahu island, which can be freely explored. The players can undertake a number of various racing challenges to earn cash that lets them buy new vehicles for their garage. In total, there are over 90 licensed cars and motorcycles to choose from. In the game, we can modify our avatar by dressing him in designer clothes and even buy a new house with a bigger garage. The title features an innovatory multiplayer mode that, similarly to MMO productions, enables thousands of players to compete at the same time.
Half-Life 2: Episode One
Action
June 1, 2006
The first expansion to Half-Life 2. Its action takes place directly after the events shown in the predecessor and expands the storyline with new plots. Once more the player becomes the main protagonist of the series: Gordon Freeman, accompanied, once again, by Alyx Vance. The two characters are tasked with escaping from an alien citadel – the place where the basic version of the game ended. During the game, the player meets many characters known from previous installments of the series and has to face not only the soldiers of the Combine, but new types of enemies as well. As for the game mechanics, the game is filled with all the elements thanks to which Half-Life 2 was successful – including a large dose of action, hard puzzles, and narrative cutscenes. The Source Engine was improved with a set of new effects that improved the game's visuals. In contrast to the original game, the expansion is focused mostly on single player experience.
Company of Heroes
Strategy
September 11, 2006
A real-time strategy set during the World War II. The game was developed by the Canadian studio, Relic Entertainment, famous for the Homeworld series and Warhammer 40.000: Dawn of War. The game focuses on the American armies struggling against the enemy in Western Europe. It begins with the D-Day, the legendary allied landing in Normandy. The single-player campaign is very cinematic. When it comes to the multiplayer, it can support up to eight players. Each of them has to pick a side - either the Allies, or the Axis. The game stands out thanks to the Essence Engine and the popular Havok technology accompanying it. Thus the game world makes a great impression - the environments are destructible to a large degree and the team the player commands can boast great AI - its members take advantage of their surroundings and respond very quickly to enemy actions.
Bully: Scholarship Edition
Action
October 17, 2006
Also known by the title Canis Canem Edit, Bully is a controversial action game developed by Rockstar Games. Originally, it was released for PlayStation 2, it was soon followed by Scholarship Edition for the next generation of consoles and PCs. The story takes place at the fictional Bullworth Academy, which combines an elite education facility with re-socialization grounds for juvenile offenders. The player assumes the role of a teenager who is trying to survive in these unusual circumstances. The protagonist encounters both strict teachers and unfriendly peers. The game is played from the third-person perspective and the player completes different assignments requiring them both to make friends among the peers and play different pranks on the teaching staff. The protagonist can join a local gang as well, which is trying to maintain control over the area forcefully.
Call of Duty 3
Action
November 7, 2006
The third main installment in the popular FPS series, Call of Duty. It is also the first game in the franchise (not counting the console spin-offs) that in the end was not released on PCs. In contrast to the previous installments, this time the game was developed by Treyarch – the authors of the console version of Call of Duty 2. The plot of the game once again takes place on various fronts of World War II. This time one can play as American, British, Canadian, and Polish soldiers. The game mechanics remained almost unchanged in comparison to the previous games. However, there are several novelties. The developers implemented parachute drops and gave complete control over vehicles and boats to the player. Interactions with the surrounding were greatly improved. Overall realism has been improved – bullets behave different depending on what type of material they hit. Multiplayer mode was enhanced as well – now players can play in different roles and communicate using special commands.
Garry's Mod
Action
November 29, 2006
A commercial version of one of the most popular Source engine based mods, created in 2004 by Garry Newman. It lacks any sort of plotline or clearly defined objectives and is a pure sandbox game, employing the unique features of Source and laws of physics, simulated by Havok company’s software. Thanks to that we can single-handedly create any kind of map we want and play on them by ourselves or with other players in unique game modes. Garry’s Mod also allows you to use models, weapons, characters, and skins from any game powered by the aforementioned engine (e.g. Half-Life 2, Counter Strike: Source, or Left 4 Dead), and the only condition is having them in your Steam library. Production is fully compatible with Steam Workshop, allowing the players to share their works with other users.
Roblox
Adventure
August 27, 2006
A platform that allows you to create your own games, in which home designers create their own worlds from scratch, filling them with various attractions. Due to the fact that the game takes place in a moderated environment, both adult players and children can have fun at Roblox.
SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars
Strategy
April 7, 2006
The second major installment of the popular series that combines the features of real-time strategy game with the traits characteristic of cRPG titles. The story of Spellforce 2: Shadow Wars focuses on a new threat caused by the titular Shadows. The player is tasked with leading one of three factions that declared war on the forces of evil. Similarly as in case of the first installment in the series, the gameplay is based on two pillars. The first pillar is based on completing various main and side quests, developing the protagonist (among the available classes there is a mage and a rogue) and obtaining more and more powerful equipment. The strategic aspect of the game allows the player to control one of nine races and it focuses on expanding the settlements, providing them with technology and recruits. In addition to the regular infantry and cavalry, in the game there are also flying units and heroes with unique abilities. The story campaign for the single player is the main attraction of Spellforce 2: Shadow Wars, but the game contains a multiplayer mode as well.
Call of Juarez
Action
September 8, 2006
Call of Juarez is an FPS by the Polish developer Techland. The game is set in the Old West, and quite unusually, there are two playable protagonists. The first is Billy, a young fellow who is falsely accused of murdering his father; the other one is Ray, a preacher, although his past is questionable and shady. Each of the two characters uses individual set of skills and equipment – Ray is the master of firearms and duels at high noon; Billy, on the other hand, is more agile and prefers sneaking past unaware enemies – he is also very adept at using his line, which allows him to climb seemingly unreachable places. The “business-end” of Call of Juarez is the story campaign, which consists of a number of diversified missions. The game is powered by Chrome Engine, which allowed the devs to create very good graphics. The original soundtrack reinforces the atmosphere.
Dungeon Siege II: Broken World
RPG
August 1, 2006
Extension to successful action-RPG Dungeon Siege II. The authors prepared a completely new fictional campaign and introduced two additional character classes - a dwarf specializing in hand-to-hand combat and an elven killer. They also underwent significant changes in the character development system, making it more flexible.
Heroes of Might and Magic V: Hammers of Fate
Strategy
November 14, 2006
The first official expansion for Heroes of Might and Magic V. The add-on was developed by Russian studio Nival Interactive. The most important new addition in the Hammers of Fate expansion pack is a new race, the dwarves, who actively join the conflict in the world of Ashan. The new race not only adds their legendary combat skills to the gameplay, but a rich set of spells as well. A story campaign consisting of 15 large missions is related to the dwarves. The game also contains 5 single scenarios and 10 multiplayer maps. The list of new features added in Heroes of Might and Magic V: Hammers of Fate is supplemented by previously unavailable locations, buildings, units and artifacts. The game also contains many improvements added due to fan’s demands – for example caravans and random map generator.
Hitman: Blood Money
Action
May 26, 2006
The fourth installment in a popular game series about Agent 47, the perfect assassin, completing various contracts for the ICA organization. When its members are being meticulously eliminated and 47 loses contact with his superior, Diana Burnwood, he reaches the conclusion that he will become the next target. In order to save his skin 47 decides to stop the man behind the killings, Alexander Cayn, and his terrorist organization called the Franchise. When it comes to gameplay Hitman: Blood Money retains the core mechanics of the series, offering expansive missions whose objectives can be completed in many different ways. To do this we can use a wide arsenal of weapons, spearheaded by the silent and deadly fiber wire. The variety of moves and actions the protagonist can perform is greater than before, and the game offers a simple economy system. The money you earn lets you buy new deadly tools for your arsenal, weapon upgrades, and useful gadgets.
The Godfather
Action
March 21, 2006
An action game based on the novel by Mario Puzo and its movie adaptation by Francis Ford Coppola. You play as a thief, who makes his way into the world of the Corleone family. By doing various tasks for them, he climbs up the mafia career ladder and earns growing respect from other criminals. The game is set in New York, at the end of the 1940s and the beginning of the 1950s. The non-linear character of the gameplay allows you to choose the order of missions to complete as you wish. Like the Grand Theft Auto series, The Godfather features an open world, and the game is full of spectacular pursuits and shootouts, as the Corleone family has many enemies, e.g. Tattagalia, Cuneo or Stracci. The characters in the game are based on their movie counterparts, and are voiced by actors such as Marlon Brando, James Caan and Robert Duvall. The game features high-quality visuals and the music based on that from the movie.
Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007
Sports
October 26, 2006
Another installment in the soccer series developed by a Tokyo-based branch of Konami. The game introduces many novelties, the most prominent one being the International Challenge mode, which is an equivalent to the World Cup championship. Moreover, the players are given licensed national teams (including Netherlands, England, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago) as well as league clubs (featuring Bayern Munchen and Manchester United). In comparison to the previous installments, the gameplay mechanics of Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 remain unaltered, however, the developers have implemented some novelties into the game’s formula – the game is more dynamic and features fewer interruptions by the referee’s whistle. The free kick mechanism allows the players to quickly perform set pieces. The whole experience is well-accompanied by additional animations, improved textures, and well-developed soccer player models. The single player career is complemented by the multiplayer mode.
Secrets of the Ark: A Broken Sword Game
Adventure
September 15, 2006
Broken Sword: The Angel of Death is the fourth installment of the adventure series with Georg Stobbart in the lead role. This time the protagonist gets entangled in a complicated intrigue connected with a mysterious substance, which according to legends was in the Arc of the Covenant. The addictive scenario of the game is the work of Revolution Software, while the development was taken care of by Sumo Digital studio.
Tomb Raider: Legend
Action
April 7, 2006
The seventh major installment of the Tomb Raider series. As the previous parts of the game were not received very well, a new studio – Crystal Dynamics, with Toby Gard, the creator of the original series, in its ranks – was entrusted with the game. Setting-wise, the title goes back to its roots, which means exploring ancient tombs and catacombs. During the gameplay you will visit a number of exotic locations, including Himalayas, Bolivia, Peru, Japan, Ghana, Malaysia, England, and Kazakhstan. The production offers new skills, weapons, and a whole new range of useful gadgets unavailable before. Lara’s character has also changed, both mentally and visually. The graphics are powered by a new engine, which allows for bigger interaction with the environment and changing weather conditions.
Star Wars: Empire at War
Strategy
February 16, 2006
A real-time strategy developed by Petroglyph. The action of Empire At War takes place two years before the events seen in the fourth film, with some parts of the plot invoking the story from Revenge of the Sith. The game itself enables us to control both Rebel Forces and Galactic Empire in a quest to control the whole galaxy. The campaign consists of two phases: turn-based planning and real-time battles in three-dimensional environment. The available locations include numerous planets such as Alderaan, Dantooine, Endor, or Hoth, as well as outer space areas that see the clashes of powerful fleets. Both faction sport trademark units, including Star Destroyers, AT-AT and AT-ST walkers, or agile snowspeeders. Aside from a single player campaign, the developers introduced a number of multiplayer modes.
LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
Action
September 12, 2006
LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy is a continuation of one of the best made electronic and entertainment products of 2005. According to the subtitle, this time the developers focused on three episodes of the Star Wars film cycle, shot by George Lucas in 1977-1983.
Dreamfall: The Longest Journey
Adventure
April 17, 2006
The second part of a great adventure game, The Longest Journey, which was realized and released in 2000 by Funcom. Its action was set in the same realities as we had the opportunity to stay in the original The Longest Journey, i.e. compilation of fantasy and science fiction.
Star Wars: Empire at War - Forces of Corruption
Strategy
October 24, 2006
First official expansion for Star Wars: Empire at War developed by Petroglyph. This add-on continues the story from the base game – Tyber Zahn takes advantage of the turmoil caused by the destruction of the first Death Star in an attempt to become the most influential villain in the whole galaxy, surpassing even Jabba the Hutt. In Star Wars: Empire at War – Forces of Corruption players get an entirely new faction at their disposal, which is at war with both the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance. The aforementioned faction, called the Underworld Organization, is able to spy and sabotage hostile factions e.g. by limiting their unit production. This expansion also features new options for land skirmish battles such as customizable and upgradeable base structures, guerilla warfare, and additional units for all factions (Rebel B-wings, Imperial TIE interceptors, Darth Vader's Executor Super Star Destroyer and more).
GTR 2 FIA GT Racing Game
Racing
September 18, 2006
The GTR 2 is a continuation of the extremely faithful, licensed FIA GT racing simulation. Compared to the original, the game has been greatly expanded in terms of content, offering an even greater dose of attractions not only for fans of ultra-realistic car races.
Prey (2006)
Action
July 11, 2006
A science-fiction FPP shooter, known as the legendary „in-development” game from the 90s. Human Head Studios, a new developer, had taken over the project from the legendary 3D Realms. The main protagonist of Prey is Tommy, a Native American, who along with his girlfriend and granddad has been kidnapped by Aliens. After waking up on board of an alien spaceship, Tommy decides to takes matters into his own hands and destroy all aliens in his path. Along the way, he discovers further elements of the grim plot, which indicates that an alien race, Trocara, are responsible for creating all life on Earth. The game mixes fast-paced action with original atmosphere, which is mainly generated by the gigantic spaceship and its brilliantly-designed locations, where living tissue has been molded with modern technology, and by original designs of enemies, which are often hybrids of several different organisms. Id Tech 4, a graphic engine used in Doom 3, is responsible for the high-quality visuals of Prey.
The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth II – The Rise of the Witch-King
Strategy
November 28, 2006
An official expansion for the second installment in The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth series. It requires the basic version of the game to work. The Rise of the Witch-King expansion takes place between the War of the Last Alliance and the journey of the Fellowship of the Ring. This time the developers decided to be more creative and the game tells about the events that J.R.R. Tolkien described rather sparsely. The story of the expansion concentrates on the Witch-king of Angmar whose objective is to conquest the kingdoms of Arnor. The player assumes the role of the titular character and he must build power of his army and participate in the great conquests for the glory of Sauron. The gameplay in The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth II: The Rise of the Witch-King doesn’t differ from the one used in the basic version of the game. However, the expansion offers completely new units (including Thrall Masters and Dark Dunedains) which can be used both during the story campaign and in skirmishes and multiplayer modes. Siege engines appear on the battlefield as well. In addition to that, the races from the basic version of the game received some new units and the AI behavior was greatly improved. The process of character creation has become much clearer and more intuitive.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent
Action
October 17, 2006
The fourth part of the hit series of third-person stealth games by Ubisoft, whose main character is a secret government agent Sam Fisher. In the game, he has undergone a distinct transformation, turning into a smooth-shaven villain serving a 20-year sentence. But it's all an effect of deliberate mystification, thanks to which our protagonist tries to infiltrate the ranks of a dangerous terrorist network and work it out from the inside.
Desperate Housewives: The Game
Simulation
October 6, 2006
Desperate Housewives: The Game from Buena Vista Games is a title based on a very popular, award-winning TV series whose Polish title is Ready for Everything. The game is a little bit of a simulator of everyday life (a model known from The Sims), and a little adventure.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Dark Crusade
Strategy
October 9, 2006
A stand-alone expansion for the strategy game Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War developed by Relic Entertainment. The basic novelty introduced in Dark Crusade expansion are the two new factions. The first one are the humanoid robots known as Necron. They are a faction of undead killing machines. The second new faction is the Tau Empire. They are technologically advanced and have remarkable skills in diplomacy. The game takes place on a desert planet named Kronus, which sparks also the interest of other factions known from previous installments of the series (there are seven factions in total). In the campaign mode the player must conquer 25 provinces of the planet. The developers decided not to create a typical, lineal story (except for a few key moments), instead giving the players complete freedom in conquering the whole area. A modified character development system is one of the novelties introduced by the expansion – the faction leader can buy better equipment and skills with special points obtained during the game.
Battlefield 2142
Action
October 17, 2006
Another installment in the popular multiplayer FPS game series, developed since 2002 by Digital Illusions and EA. Following the historical themes and the fictional conflict from Battlefield 2, this time the game takes place in the future—in the year 2142, to be exact, after a devastating nuclear disaster, which resulted in a new ice age. There's a new conflict involving two powerful factions: the joint European-American forces and the Russian-Arabic-Indian coalition. Like in the previous installments of the franchise, there are several soldier classes to choose as your player character, and you can use a wide range of futuristic vehicles and weapons, bringing to mind sci-fi movies. As usual when it comes to this series, Battlefield 2124 focuses mainly on the multiplayer mode, for up to 64 players at the same time, although the game also feature a singleplayer mode, in which you fight against AI-controlled enemies.
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic
RPG
October 24, 2006
Another attempt at a first-person action game set in the popular Might & Magic franchise. Dark Messiah of Might & Magic was created by then-unknown development team at Arcane Studios (who later became famous thanks to the Dishonored series) for Ubisoft, who bought the rights to the IP from its previous publisher, 3DO. In Dark Messiah of Might & Magic you assume the role of Sareth, a young apprentice to the wizard Phenrig, whose mission is to prevent the coming of the eponymous Dark Messiah into the realm of Ashan. As you are exploring 12 vast locations and follow the main questline, you will fight various enemies, such as orcs, goblins, trolls, and even dragons. The authors put much emphasis on creating realistic swordplay and offered players about 40 weapons as well as several dozen offensive spells. Moreover, gameplay has been enriched with RPG elements, meaning that the protagonist gains experience and learns new abilities and spells over time. Apart from the story-based single player campaign, Dark Messiah of Might & Magic offers multiplayer for up to 20 players.