With E3 going on, it's possible that the Big Download staff has spent more time watching videos of upcoming games than playing current ones. But the weekend is finally here, and we're looking forward to getting some time that's hands-on instead of just eyes-on with our favorite hobby. Lead blogger David Craddock will be taking a break from almost single-handedly holding the site together while John Callaham has been at E3 to play Final DOOM (a classic!) on his PC and Civilization Revolution on his Xbox 360. James Murff will be taking a break from his usual indie fare to play Team Fortress 2 and Company of Heroes with his buddies. When they're not around, he'll be laying the SMACdown with Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. Eli Shayotovich is going to be lopping off limbs in Age of Conan. Lastly, I'm in the middle of moving halfway across the continent, and I had to ship my desktop via UPS ground, so only my notebook is gonna be accessible over the next few days. Therefore low spec games are the flavor of the weekend -- Sam & Max Episode 4 and Fallout. I'm also going to be playing a bit of Rule of Rose on the PS2 (well, technically PS3). But that's us. How about you? What aRe yoU Playing?...

Relic's excellent Company of Heroes has been going strong for 2 years now, including an expansion pack last year. Once again, Relic has patched their well-received WW2 RTS. This time there's nothing as drastic as new units or comprehensive rebalancing. However, the patch is not without it's bonus. On top of two bugfixes (one resulting in desyncing, the other in exploits), the patch fixed World Builder exporting, allowing players to save their custom maps correctly! This is great news for anyone sick of the default maps and itching for a new challenege....

No matter whether you fight for the glory of the Imperium, participate in a good Waaaaaaagh, or consume all in your path, Dawn of War 2 is bound to get you excited. The sequel to one of Relic's best games, it looks to up the ante with much better graphics, a bigger focus on squad-based tactical combat (similar to Company of Heroes) and an epic story. "Our mantra is that things can only go in if they're f*****g amazing," as Relic's Jonny Ebbert said.PCG got an exclusive preview of the game, including an interview, and it looks amazing. The parts that were most intriguing were the references to making it more like Company of Heroes, which was one of 2006's best releases. Catch the interview and preview at PCG's site....