Holiday Video Game Buying Guide

By Dan Birlew | Posted November 5, 2008 in Game Reviews | 1 Comment »

Now that all that nasty election business is behind us, it’s time to put aside our partisan preferences and purchase presents! Every holiday season, friends are always asking me what hot games to get. This year, I thought I’d preempt these queries by creating a list of suggested games for every system and taste. I’ve divided this year’s hottest games by console and ordered them by quality, with #1 being the best title of the season. But since these are all sure to fly off shelves, hurry to your retailers and plop down some money on these titles quickly.

Xbox 360
1. Fallout 3 (Rated M for Mature): A long-awaited title with fantastic graphics, dozens of hours of game play and complexity. Parents: Intensely gloomy, somewhat gory, no parental controls.
2. Dead Space (M for Mature): A favorite of critics and fans, Dead Space is a quality horror adventure that gets the blood pumping and includes plenty of boo-scares. Think of the film Event Horizon meets Doom 3, and you get the idea. Parents: Dead Space is designed to invoke horrifying nightmares in grown adults, so your kids don’t stand a chance.
3. Gears of War 2 (M for Mature): An action shooter that anyone can sit down and enjoy, with friends or alone. Although repetitive and short, online modes open up extra hours of social fun. Parents: Although there’s plenty of gore, parental controls help tone it down.
4. Guitar Hero World Tour (Rated T for Teen): Designed to bury EA Games’ Rock Band, World Tour comes with a drum set, guitar, and microphone. You can now sing, play guitar, bass, and drums. With the ability to record music and share tracks online, it’s the ultimate creative gift this holiday season. However, I move it down the list because of the high price and general unavailability in stores.
5. Braid (Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and older): Braid is a 2D platform-jumping game you can buy from Xbox Live Marketplace. The game features challenging puzzles, beautiful graphics, and an imaginative story. No one should be fooled into thinking this is just a kid’s game; Braid is a title anyone will love. I believe there’s a way to gift it to someone if you know his or her gamertag.

PlayStation 3
1. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (M for Mature): Since many games can be enjoyed on the cheaper Xbox 360, MGS4 still remains the best reason to buy Sony’s system. A stunning conclusion to a story-heavy series spanning the past decade, MGS4 features more tension and action than in all the James Bond films combined. The online mode is great fun, allowing players to try to sneak up on each other. This is a great package and a technical marvel. Parents: The political and adult themes may be of even greater concern than the violence.
2. Grand Theft Auto IV (M for Mature): Another early arrival this year is still one of the best PS3 titles this holiday season. The first GTA game with HD graphics, IV features a better story, better missions, and much better controls than previous games. And the online mode is a blast. Parents: Surely by now, the title alone is warning enough?
3. LittleBigPlanet (E for Everyone): Creativity abounds in this cute game with graphics brilliant enough to astonish anyone of any age. Although the “story” mode is short, the variety of play in this game is unbelievable. Smarter kids can even create their own characters and levels to share with friends online.

Nintendo Wii
1. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Rated T for Teen): This fighting game released early in the year still ranks high on Santa’s list. The roster features all of Nintendo’s loveable characters and some surprising guests kicking each other’s butts on platform-like battle arenas and stages. The online multiplayer is a lag-free technical feat. Up to four players can get in on the fun. Parents: Contains animated non-realistic violence.
2. World of Goo (E for Everyone): This physics-based puzzle game is innovative, addictive, and charmingly weird. Players of all ages can appreciate its humor and fun. World of Goo is a WiiWare game available through the Wii Shop Channel for 1500 points. You can gift it to a friend if you know their Wii code.
3. Star Wars The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels (T for Teen): Though not released at the time of this article, Lightsaber Duels is shaping up to be a big title this holiday season. Waving the Wii Remote enables characters from the CG animated series and movie to fight. Game play goes deeper with a challenge mode. Parents: Contains animated violence.

Sony PSP
(Note: Most of these games were released very early in the year, meaning the gamer on your shopping list may already own one or more of the following.)
1. God of War Chains of Olympus (M for Mature): An excellent and easily controllable action adventure set in ancient Greece, Chains of Olympus is a visual benchmark for the system. A bit repetitive, but fun for the bloodthirsty. Parents: The blood flies during battles, and the themes are suggestive and adult.
2. Patapon (E for Everyone): A unique rhythm-strategy game in which you, as a drum-beating god, control an army of cute little creatures called Patapon. By pressing various buttons in rhythm, you command the creatures to march, attack, and pick up items.
3. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (Rated T for Teen): Although the combat system is repetitive and overburdened by a randomized burst system, Crisis Core is a fun adventure with pretty graphics. Expanding the backstory of Final Fantasy VII, one of the greatest games of all time, Crisis Core features tons of game play. Parents: Some minor violence and dark themes might be startling to toddlers, but there’s nothing truly objectionable.
4. Star Ocean: First Departure (Rated T for Teen): Old-school RPG goodness. Check my previous article for more detail. Buy the guidebook, while you’re at it. Parents: Contains some sexy and sexist humor, and drinking of alcohol.

Nintendo DS
1. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (Rated T for Teen): Since Castlevania: Symphony of the Night released 12 years ago, I’ve become something of a series addict. Order of Ecclesia is getting rave reviews and word of mouth, for being one of the more innovative titles since then. The story line is also the best in recent years. Parents: Game includes monsters and some animated blood of the cartoonish variety.
2. Final Fantasy IV (E10+ for Everyone 10 and older): The game that made Final Fantasy popular on the SNES is remade with 3D graphics and touch-screen controls. The only problem is that it’s been re-released so many times that it might seem old-hat by now. Parents: The story is a bit darker than you might expect, but contains nothing objectionable.
3. Professor Layton and the Curious Village (E for Everyone): Gorgeously drawn stills and animation combine with puzzles to provide one of the more entertaining and educational experiences on the DS. And when the game is done, additional puzzles can be downloaded through an Internet connection.

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