Nancy Drew -- "The Haunting Of Castle Malloy" (Her Interactive)

 

The amateur sleuth might best be known as one of literature's greatest detectives, but over the past decade, she's built an iron-clad case as gaming's most accomplished mystery-solver. Her games sell like hotcakes, routinely joining the likes of The Sims and World of Warcraft atop the PC game sales chart. Look for her latest conundrum, The Haunting of Castle Malloy, to confound store shelves on October 17th.

Bayonetta -- "Bayonetta" (Sega)

 

Think you're having a bad hair day? At least your locks don't punch monsters in the face: just one of many follicular abilities bestowed upon Bayonetta's eponymous star. As if lethal hair wasn't tough enough, she also jumps like a ninja and sports pistols on her hands and feet. Her game isn't due out until well into next year, but this wicked witch already has gamers buzzing.