The 15 Hottest Games of Summer

The Scoop: Mercenaries 2: World in Flames; By: Pandemic Studios, Pi Studios; From: Electronic Arts; For: PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360; Rating: Pending; ETA: August 31

Info: In 2010, you're a mercenary (surprise!) chasing a power-hungry tyrant who has mucked up the Venezuelan oil supply and sparked an invasion that has transformed the country into a war zone.

Matt: Why the Venezuelan government is hot under the collar (like, for real) about this game is beyond me. I mean, you're a merc who can join any of six warring factions, not an agent for the United States or any other world government trying to overthrow some digital Hugo Chavez analogue. That aside, the same team that made 2005's golden Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction has the wheel here, so if you dig blow-up-everything sandbox action games, keep at least an eye-and-a-half on this one.

Darren: This reminds me more of an awesome buddy-action flick where the "loose cannon" is encouraged to do the job in the most visceral way possible. I remember seeing a demo of this game where one player grabs a helicopter and drops the winch while the second player leaps from an exploding oil derrick. I figure if Matt partners up with me online, I could charge neighbors to watch me play. Heck, it's better than Tango and Cash on cable. Again.