By Jeremy Azevedo

The gaming industry is throwing everything they've got at us this holiday season, with so many good games on the way that most gamers may never get a chance to play them all. (Not that this will stop me from at least trying...)

Hopefully this won't cause the more "indie" titles to be completely lost in the shuffle, but then, any indie publisher willing to go head to head with Gears of War 2 and Resistance 2 probably deserves whatever they get, amitire? Oh, and For you Wii owners out there, I hope you're having fun with Wii Music because there isn't much of anything else coming out anytime soon. Big surprise, eh?

Gears of War 2



System: Xbox 360
Release date: 11/07

Fans of the original smash-hit shooter will be pleased to find more of the same, albeit with bigger bosses, slightly tighter controls and visuals, and a much improved online multiplayer mode. The story is still set firmly in the Michael Bay mold of big explosions and dialogue spoken in grunts, but when the game looks and plays this good, who cares? If you live in Australia, Germany or Japan, don’t hold your breath for this one, as GOW2 promises to be incredibly violent and will almost certainly be banned there.

Tomb Raider: Underworld



System: Mutli-Platform
Release date: 11/18

Lara Croft may have finally achieved a complete 360 from awesome to unacceptable, then back to awesome again. Gone are all the sluggish mechanics and lame combat of previous titles, replaced instead with more of the exploration and sense of discovery that made the original so memorable. Well, that and the tiny, cleavage-baring costumes. Expect more God of War-style set pieces and more of an emphasis on actually raiding tombs in this sequel.

Lips



System: Xbox 360
Release date: 11/18

As entertaining as Rock Band and Guitar Hero are, sometimes you just feel like doing a little karaoke. Lips may be the new go-to game for all your karaoke needs, shipping with two context sensitive wireless mikes, a great track list and new content promised monthly. Additionally, you will have the ability to upload and sing songs from your own collection. Imagine: being able to sing along with virtually any song you can think of! The jury’s still out on exactly how this function is going to work out, but I certainly hope that it performs as advertised.

Mirrors Edge



System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Release date: 11/12

Easily the best-looking and most stylish game to be shown at this year’s E3, Mirror’s Edge is essentially the world’s first parkour game, a FPS without the “S”. Playing Mirror’s Edge is like looking through another person’s eyes… another person that can leap across a rooftop, slide under a bar, disarm an assassin and crash through a wooden door in less than 3 seconds, anyway. If you only pick up one game this month, this is perhaps the one that you really shouldn’t miss.

Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe



System: Xbox 360, PS3
Release date: 11/16

I always sort of looked at Mortal Kombat as the poor man’s Street Fighter, and DC as the poor man’s Marvel. Fitting, then, that the two underdogs should combine forces in one last bid to save Midway from impending financial doom. If any game can do it, it’s this one; MK Vs DCU isn’t as gory as previous MK titles, but it’s about 1000 times more fun. The selection of characters, including MK favorites like Baraka, Raiden, Scorpion and Sub Zero somehow merges quite effectively with Batman, The Joker, The Flash and Wonder Woman. Who knew?

WOW: Wrath of the Lich King



System: PC
Release date: 11/13

If you are a PC gamer, you have probably already pre-ordered this and planned to take a week off of work. This expansion of the retardedly popular MMORPG takes you to the far off continent of Northrend to do battle with the Lich King and his undead minions (who are apparently in the process of carrying out a zombie apocalypse in the World of Warcraft as we speak). Normal people, expect to see 90% fewer nerds out of doors between 11/13 and Thanksgiving.

Chrono Trigger



System: Nintendo DS
Release date: 11/25

What in the hell took so long? Largely regarded as one of the finest RPGs ever produced, Chrono Trigger is long overdue for a re-release or remake. This is essentially a little of both, another of Square-Enix’s awesome DS remakes that add a little bit extra without messing with the original recipe too much. If you have a DS and you like RPGs even a little bit, you really must pick this title up, whether you’ve played the original or not.

Animal Crossing: City Folk



System: Wii
Release date: 11/16

The latest Animal Crossing is pretty much identical to the last two Animal Crossings, except that now you have online voice chat. Wow. Also, you can no longer play classic Nintendo titles in-game because Nintendo would prefer that you buy them for 5-8 bucks apiece on the Virtual Console instead. Thanks for nothing, Nintendo! See you again six months from now when Punch Out!! is finished I guess...

Resistance 2



System: PS3
Release date: 11/4

Resistance 2 is also kind of a WWII shooter, except for that it takes place in an alternative universe in which the war was broken up by an invasion of horrible monsters from space. New to Resistance 2 is a greater variety of alien weaponry, bigger multiplayer skirmishes (up to 60 players!) a more cinematic single player campaign and a healthy smattering of giant, Cloverfield size monsters to systematically dismember. Plus, it doesn’t help that this is really the only real PS3 exclusive this month.

Left 4 Dead



System: Xbox 360, PC
Release date: 11/17

If you like zombies and shooters, Left 4 Dead is the game for you. You better make sure that you have online capabilities, though, as there doesn’t appear to be much in the way of a single player campaign to speak of. Those that like playing together will be find an enjoyable survival horror experience in store for them, as teams of survivors face of against armies of infected, each with their own distinct strengths and weaknesses.

Also coming in November:

Call of Duty: World at War
The Last Remnant
Metal Slug 7
You're in the Movies
Scene It: Box Office Smash
Valkyria Chronicles
Playstation 3:
Skate It
Castlevania: Judgement
Cooking Mama World Kitchen
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD
Star Wars Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels
Battlestations: Pacific
Shaun White Snowboarding
Rayman Raving Rabids: TV Party
Need For Speed: Undercover
Socom: Confrontation
Legendary
Tom Clancy's Endwar
Ultimate Band
Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars
Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm
James Bond: Quantum of Solace
WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2009
King of Fighters Orochi Saga
Samurai Showdown Anthology
Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts
Sonic Unleashed
Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World