The Best of Big Download: January 25 - 31

January 2010 ended with the release of one of the best games of the year in Mass Effect 2. At least -- we assume it's one of the best games of the year. If they get much better than this, we're going to be in good shape. However, PC gamers have even more goodness in store for February. Before we enter a new month let's look back at the events of the last seven days in January.

Exclusive Features

• Independent Games Festival 2010: We look at all of the nominees entered into the annual celebration of indie games. Check out part one, part two, part three, part four and part five of the series.

• Interviews: We chat with the co-founder of CD Project on GoG.com and more and with Gas Powered Games' Chris Taylor on Supreme Commander 2.

• Opinion: Apple's iPad - threat or help to PC gaming? - We give our opinion on if the new Apple device will affect PC gaming.

• Boot Disk: Our retro games feature checks out the original Tropico.

• Freeware Friday: Our weekly feature on free PC games checks out the rogue-like Tiny Crawl.

Downloads

• Batttlefield Bad Company 2 Multiplayer Beta Client: If you have an invite, download the full client to the first person shooter beta from Digital Illusions.

• Operation Flashpoint Dragon Rising Patch and Overwatch DLC: Codemasters' latest patch for the first person shooter adds new missions and content to the game.

• Divinity 2 1.03 patch: This patch updates the recent RPG from Larian Studios.

• James Cameron's Avatar The Game 1.02 patch: Update your movie-based action game with this latest patch from Ubisoft.

News

• Assassins's Creed 2 PC gets March 16 release date; system specs revealed

• New Medal of Honor game to mix Unreal Engine 3 with DICE's Frostbite Engine

• Ubisoft to tie in future PC games to Ubi.com online accounts

• Ultima franchise gets new Lords of Ultima browser-based strategy game
  

• Cities XL to shut down MMO features; Cities XL 2011 announced

• Red 5 Studios confirms "restructuring"

• GoG.com to add Activision and former Vivendi Games titles to library

• Grand Theft Auto IV expansions finally due for PC on March 30

• Valve: Steam 2009 game unit sales went up 205 percent

• The Peregrine PC gaming glove delayed until March 2010