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What if there were a game in which every choice you made-- even the seemingly insignificant ones--nudged you slightly toward good or evil? That's the moral question that has haunted legendary designer Peter Molyneux for many years, and Fable (for Xbox; $44.95) is his latest attempt to grapple with it. Early on, the scene is set in the village of your character's childhood, where you have the freedom to choose whether or not to take the side of a bully, rat out a cheating husband or dutifully watch a valuable set of crates. The consequences stretch into your adulthood, by which time you will be either a noble hero for hire or a terrifying rogue. The game is far from perfect--there aren't nearly enough diversions from the main story line, for one thing--but in the absence of another Legend of Zelda game, Fable is the best-looking, most addictive fantasy role-playing epic of the year.
IDEAL FOR: Players eager to lose themselves in an alternate reality
10 PIRATES! Caribbean treasure is waiting. Set sail for a 21st century retelling of one of the best-loved games of the 1980s
Back in 1987, the best way to waste time on a Commodore 64 computer was to play the part of a grog-swilling buccaneer in the 17th century Caribbean: getting rich on plunder or trading among British, Spanish and French ports and trying to marry one of the governors' daughters before you retired. Now Sid Meier's classic has been given a 21st century makeover. Meier has added lush new 3-D graphics and a host of minigames within the game. You can try your hand at sword fighting or sneaking into a hostile town at night. Wooing the governor's daughter now involves dancing the right steps at a society ball. Best of all, Pirates! (for PC; $49.99) still lets you play exactly the way you want to, turning the entire Caribbean into your own giant sandbox. It's the closest thing to a gamer's island paradise.
IDEAL FOR: Scurvy sea dogs and swashbucklers