Top 5 Gifts for the PC Gamer

Having trouble finding the perfect gift for your PC game-addicted friend or family member? 2006 has introduced a number of quality games, guaranteeing that there's something for everyone this holiday season:

1. Half-Life 2: Episode One (shooter)
Half-Life 2: Episode One is the first in a series based on the popular shooter game Half-Life 2. Episode One takes place right after the events in Half-Life 2, with you fleeing from City 17 with Alyx and battling monsters who couldn't enter the city before. The Citadel is collapsing, which sets the stage for your and Alyx's escape. Speaking of which, Alyx has a more vital role this time around, acting on her own as your backup and covering you when you're solving puzzles. The mix of combat and puzzle-solving results in a fast-paced action-filled adventure that's over all too soon (with the promise of two more episodes in the near future.)

2. Hitman: Blood Money (action)
The fourth in the Hitman series, Agent 47 is back and ready for business. He quickly discovers that members of the ICA are being killed off and heads to America to investigate. Your payment now comes in the form of cash - how you spend it is up to you and will determine what happens next. Gameplay also now features notoriety: if you're careless in your hits and create a scene, you may risk being recognized by other people (and guards) later in the game. This means that you can go blasting your way through the game if you really want, but an amount of discretion is richly rewarded. Don't worry if you haven't played any previous Hitman games before; this is a stand-alone component and doesn't require previous knowledge, although some references are made to the other games.

3. Civilization IV: Warlords (strategy/simulation)
Only 9 months after Civilization IV shipped, an all-new expansion pack is in stores. Warlords adds six new scenarios (and civilizations) to the game, allowing players to virtually change the course of history with the new "warlord" unit. You're now able to play as the Celts, the Carthaginians, the Zulu, the Koreans, the Ottomans and the Vikings (yes, they each come with their own theme music as well.) The expansion pack is loaded with new leaders and more units, for use in both single and multiplayer games. Must have the original Civilization IV to play.

4. Company of Heroes (war)
A real-time strategy (RTS) game set in World War II, Company of Heroes brings 1940s Europe to life with stunning detail. Gamers join the men of Able Company in a single-player campaign that begins with the invasion of Normandy and brings them through the fight across Europe's war-scarred lands. Company of Heroes features a landscape that's prone to destruction as in real life, meaning no two battles ever come out the same way. Cutting-edge AI allows soldiers to interact in a believable fashion with their environment and execute advanced tactics to complete their goal.

5. Rome: Total War - Alexander (strategy)
The download-only second expansion pack to the acclaimed Rome: Total War game, Alexander reenacts the historic campaign of Alexander the Great. Offering more than 30 hours of gameplay, the game sports a new campaign map covering Alexander's tracks as he unites Greece and conquers the whole of the Persian Empire. It also includes six new battles reenacting Alexander's triumphs against the Greeks, Persians, and Indians, all available for single or multiplayer use. Over 60 new units are also available, among them Persian chariots, Hypaspists and Companion cavalry. Must have the original Rome: Total War to play.