City Life 2008 Edition
While this city-building franchise first shook up the Sim City crowd in 2006 with its quirky ideas about class conflict, the City Life series has not advanced much in the past two years. That said, the expansion pack, City Life 2008 Edition, is the most extensive version of the game yet. What sets this franchise apart from other city builders is an emphasis on socioeconomics. Along with the usual erecting of buildings, you also have to tend to the needs of six very different ‘classes’: the elites, the suits, blue-collars, have-nots, fringe, and radical chic. And just like most neighbourhoods, some groups get along while others don’t. In other words, you need to know how to mix your neighbourhoods or rioting will ensue. Not surprisingly, (just a tad disappointing) the more realistic the city-builder, the more realistic the city ends up looking, and the better your chance to succeed at the game. Conclusion? There isn’t much for City Life fans to look forward to – except for new maps – but it is great for newcomers who are curious to see what all the fuss is about.
Available on PC ($39.99).

Soul Calibur IV
The fourth instalment of Namco’s series of fighting games features, for the first time ever, competitive online play and two playable Star Wars characters: Darth Vader and Yoda. The bad news is that each character is exclusive to a specific platform. Xbox users get Yoda, while PS3 players get Darth Vader (hmm, wonder what sort of message the game designers were trying to send). For the hormone-raging males, Namco has stuck to ‘tradition’ and endowed the female fighters with ridiculous mammaries that are practically bursting at the seams. Distractions aside, it should be noted that the gameplay has been highly refined, and the addition of armour and soul-gauge displays are bound to have a huge impact. The playing environments are vast and beautiful, and the detail in the characters (unrealistic breast size aside), from windswept hair to costume details, is all rather stunning. Namco definitely has a winner on its hands.
Available on Xbox 360 and PS3 ($67.90).