Games we're giddy about

City Life (PC, $49.99) - In this slightly Sims-esque game, you build a modern-day sprawling metropolis up from the ground and then run it, hopefully not back DOWN into the ground.

It's got a couple of fun touches and bits of added realism that give it enough personality to make it worth trying out. The ratings it's pulling in on sites like Gamespot.com average around an 8.3 out of 10, which is pretty damn good for a game like this. I'll admit, though, you can only lay waste to your civilization so many times before you start to feel a little guilty.

Hitman: Blood Money (PC, Xbox, PS2 $59.99) - A little something for our readers with that secretly morbid side. Here comes the latest installment in the Hitman series, a collection of games following a stealthy assassin and his daily to do list.

It's got a pretty average story, but I feel like the redeeming quality of it is the absolute free control over how you carry out your tasks. I can't go into all the different things you can do with your.. ahem.. "customers," but I can tell you that the game lets you fling someone off a roof. This is a great game to just leave running in your dorm so people can come by, pick it up, and start playing. It's definitely rated M for Mature, though, so kiddies beware.