Forget what that groundhog says, it’s still too cold to do anything but stay inside and fire up your game console.
Tomb Raider (Square-Enix; Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
Lara Croft has long been one of the most capable heroes in gaming, able to jump, flip, climb, solve puzzles, and take out bad guys like a deadly ninja gymnast. But in this latest outing, we go back to the beginning, when a teenage Lara gets stranded on a not-so-deserted island. Which not only has her learning how to jump, flip, climb, and solve puzzles, but find food and make weapons, as well. Gamestop has the 360 and PS3 versions for $59.99 each, while a downloadable version for PCs is $44.99.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gate to Infinity (Nintendo; 3DS)
A spin-off from the normal Pokémon games, the Mystery Dungeon outings have you navigating your little buddies — be it Pikachu, Oshawott, Tepig, Snivy, or Axew — through dungeons where the layouts are generated randomly and enemies are battled with a rather polite turn-based system. Though what’s really cool is that you can use the 3DS’ camera to scan circular objects in the real world, which will open additional dungeons. Available at GameStop, this sure hit is $34.99.
The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct (Activision; Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, WiiU)
Having already played the emotionally-gripping adventure game based on the comic book, it’s time to get cracking with this first-person action game that’s based on the TV show on AMC. Playing as Daryl, and set up as a prequel to the show, you not only have to take out zombies, but also have to find supplies to survive as well. All three editions — the 360, the PS3, and the WiiU — are $49.99 each from GameStop.
