Holiday Gift Guide: Older Video Games

            Sorry I totally forgot to put an intro!  Basically this is a list of 10 games from the past few years that I think would make great gifts this Holiday season.  These are not my ten favorite games of this generation despite the fact that I do go back to 2006.  Some of these games are the best of last year, some the year before that and others are on the list because they get players ready for the follow ups that are either out now or on there way next year.

Mass Effect Xbox 360, PC $19.99, Mass Effect 2 Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 (includes 3 DLC packs), PC $19.99

            This epic sci-fi series is a mix between an RPG and a 3^rd person shooter.  It has an incredible story filled with amazing characters and worlds.  The series will be coming to an end in March so this holiday would be a great time to get caught up and prepare for what is sure to be one the best games of 2012.  Now I haven’t reviewed a whole lot of things on this site yet but at the moment Mass Effect 2 is the only one that has scored a 5/5.  If you are looking for some gifts these are very hard to beat, especially now that their prices have dropped so much.  The game involves complex moral choices and does have some sexual scenes so keep in mind that it isn’t for kids.

Resident Evil 5 Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 $19.99 PC $29.99

            Now this game has gotten some mixed opinions since its release back in 2009; some think it is a solid follow up to the amazing RE4 and others think that the controls are dated and that it can’t compete with modern 3^rd person shooters.  Resident Evil 4 was one of my all time favourites when it came out and I believe that RE5 is even better.  Now it isn’t as scary as its predecessor but it is more fun.  The game done away with annoying escort missions, instead you get a useful AI partner or you can have a friend jump in and help you out either locally or through online.  If you know anyone who would enjoy a slower moving, shooter where every shot counts you should get them this game.  It is very graphic so try to stay around the M rating on this one.

Metal Gear Solid 4 PlayStation 3 $19.99

I never really played this series prior to this one and I never cared for stealth games either, and yet I absolutely loved MGS4.  Now mind you my best friend adores this series so before playing it I had a lot of back-story explained, because without knowledge of the series players are likely to be left in the dark for most of it.  They could just chalk the story up to some crazy Japanese video game stuff and accept whatever happens, but I don’t know how likely that would be.  So if you know anyone with a PS3 who has played any of the previous Metal Gear Solid games and have yet to purchase this one you should pick it up for them this holiday season.

Halo: Reach Xbox 360 $29.99

            Now here is a franchise that I have always adored and while in my opinion Halo: Reach isn’t the best in the series, it is still a phenomenal game.  Reach tells the story of what happened before the main trilogy and while it doesn’t have the memorable characters from the rest of the series it does a good job of introducing you to a new cast of heroes.  With a solid single player, a customizable Firefight mode (where you battle wave after wave of enemies), a level creator, the ability to save gameplay films and an amazing online multiplayer experience, Reach is not to be missed by anyone with an Xbox 360.  Unless they are kids because there is a lot of violence and kids really shouldn’t be online unless they want to be berated with insults.

Batman: Arkham Asylum Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 $19.99, PC (bonus challenge maps) $29.99

            For anyone who has ever bought a superhero game and felt ripped off because they felt the developers just slapping together a game with an iconic character in order to turn a quick buck, this shall bring great joy.  This isn’t just some game that happens to have a known superhero in it this is a game where you truly feel like the developers love the licence and like you are Batman.  Despite the fact that it has the voices from the animated series it isn’t meant for little kids, it is a mature and challenging Batman game (and not because of crappie controls like some Batman games) and is great for older kids and adults alike.

Gears of War: Triple Pack Xbox 360 $29.99

            The Gears Triple Pack is a bit misleading because there are only two games.  It comes with Gears 1&2 as well as the All Fronts Collection (an additional chapter and 4 map packs) for Gears 2.  So for those that have yet to try out the Gears series this package is a great gift that will prepare them for Gears 3 which came out this September.  The games are the best 3^rd person shooters around with terrific single player, cooperative and competitive experiences.  It is also one of the goriest games around (your primary gun has a chainsaw attached to it) so make sure to by this for the adults on your list.  

Assassin’s Creed 1&2 Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC $19.99, Brotherhood Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC $39.99

            Now for many the first Assassin’s Creed isn’t a must play but for me it is.  I loved the first one and I think it does a much better job of bringing you into the story than AC2 or Brotherhood, so if you are thinking o getting someone into this series start them there.  All three of these games are great so if they already have one of two of them you can fill in the gaps for them by getting them the one they are missing.  Also it will get them caught up for the newest in the series, Revelations, which came out in November.  The games not only have a lot of violence but some sexual content as well so mind the M rating.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC $19.99

            Oblivion is the oldest game on this list but it is still an enjoyable experience.  The real reason to get this game for someone is so they can make up their mind on Skyrim.  If they end up liking Oblivion you can definitely recommend Skyrim to them or maybe get it for them next year once its price has dropped.  If they don’t like Oblivion at all then you just saved them $60 that can be spent on another of the year’s biggest games.  This game isn’t that bad for younger teens when judging content wise but it might be a little overwhelming with all of its features unless they are experienced players who enjoy RPGs.

Transformers: War for Cybertron Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC $29.99

            This game is great for any fans of the Transformers series, especially the older ones who remember the original cartoon.  The game is a lot of fun and seeks to please its grown up fans by offering a darker experience than one might expect from this series.  Even though its main target is the older fans any pre-teens or teenagers who enjoy the current Transformers should also be able to find some stuff to like in it. 

Heavy Rain: Director’s Cut PlayStation 3 $29.99

            For those looking for a unique experience Heavy Rain is like no other game out there.  Its gameplay is comprised almost solely of quick-time events and yet it engages and challenges the player in a very rewarding way.  It features a great string of decisions where everything you do has consequences and eliminates gameovers by simply killing off your character from the story.  Whoever you buy this for should be informed of that because it makes everything a lot more intense when you know that your character is on the line and that you won’t get a second chance.  The game has a very adult story line and some nudity so this should be reserved for the mature adults in your list who can appreciate a game like this.

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Weekly Wrap Up

EA screws its customers

            When Battlefield was on its way to our store shelves the PS3 version was set to come with a copy of Battlefield 1943 as a bonus.  The day of the release, after most of the people who had pre-ordered already picked up the game; EA announced that there were no copies of 1943 bundled with the game.  A class-action law suit was filed against EA for not delivering on what they had promised and their defence was that the PS3 would receive all downloadable add-ons a week in advance to make up for it.  However they had already made that deal with Sony and it has nothing to do with the blatant lies that they told consumers.  EA has now decided to start giving out codes so that Battlefield 3 owners can down load 1943 for free and finally get what they deserve.  The codes are already available in Europe (started on the 26^th) but North American and Asian fans will have to wait until Dec 10^th & 17^th respectively.  I can’t believe that EA would do something like this; failing to get the copies of 1943 I could understand, not replacing the disk with a simple code I might come to terms with if they expressed remorse for their short coming, but this is just pathetic!  They don’t let people know until after they are already in the stores and announce it by replaying to one guy on Twitter.  These companies have no right to treat consumers in such a way.  How many times have we been screwed lately by incomplete games, too many bugs, online passes, DLC that should have been on the disk or was on the disk but had to be unlocked at a specific date or by paying for it?  These companies need to understand that we won’t take crap like this, why should we buy products from companies who don’t give a crap about their fans?  Why are we even fans?  I’m so tired of companies using the “it’s easier to seek forgiveness than ask permission” excuse for doing whatever they want and just expecting us to sit there and take it.  We are smart, passionate and vocal and we shouldn’t just let incidents like this go. 

PSV Memory Card Prices

            Prices for a ton of PlayStation Vita accessories have been released by GameStop.  The most important of which is the memory cards that you will need to purchase in order to save all of your games.  The 4GB memory card will cost $30, the 8GB will be $45, the 16GB will be $70 and the 32GB which is the largest size will set you back an additional $120 on top of the $250-300 you will be paying for the Vita itself, depending on whether or not you choose to get the 3G model.  For the full list of accessories click the link below.

http://www.examiner.com/video-game-news-in-national/ps-vita-memory-cards-and-other-accessories-priced-by-gamestop

EB Games is screwing its customers

            Apparently EB Games will no longer have the yellow stickers on games to signify that they are used copies.  It has also been reported that some stores have already stopped and are currently just using white stickers that either have “new” or “used” printed on them.  Wow this week is all about me ranting isn’t it?  As if it wasn’t bad enough that the store constantly screws up the prices of used games by making them more expensive they also give people who trade-in their games next to nothing and steal money from developers by selling used copies, which just leads to methods like online passes and slapped on multiplayer.  Now they want to mislead customers completely.  They even went as far as to request that all new copies be placed at the back of the pile so only the used are seen to make as much money as possible and so that people can’t see any price discrepancies.  This is seriously messed up and I didn’t call for a boycott of Battlefield 3 or of EA because I know that would be unreasonable (Battlefield has already sold like hot cakes and EA makes to many games) to expect but seriously do we need EB Games/GameStop?  I almost never go there anymore because Wal-Mart, Future Shop and Best-Buy always have better prices due to the surprising fact that they actually care.  They care because it makes them loads of money and they want that market, while EB Games doesn’t because they feel that everyone will trust them because they have “game” in their title.  The hell with them, if I want to play an opened or previously played game I’ll rent from now on or just upgrade to new and unopened from Wal-Mart for the same price or less.  To read more about this travesty go here.

http://kotaku.com/5862094/eb-gamesgamestop-gets-rid-of-used-games-section

Ghost Protocol skins in Gears 3 if you’re Insane

            Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol has partnered up with Microsoft to promote the movie through Gears 3.  If by December 25^th you have completed Gears 3 on Insane (either single player or co-op) you will receive Mission Impossible weapon skins for the Lancer, Retro Lancer, Hammerburst, Gnasher and Sawed-off shotgun.  I was planning on going back through the game on Insane and it is nice that I now have a time frame to do it in.  Also Mission Impossible is partnering with everything amazing in order to get people interested in it and you know what?  It has definitely worked on me.  Gears skins aren’t going to make me see the movie (although it does keep the movie on my mind) but the fact that the movie will have the first six minutes of The Dark Knight Rises will put me in that seat on day one.  I should also point out that this is coming from someone who has never seen a single movie in this series in theatres before. 

           

Jak & Daxter HD trailer

            Two weeks ago I wrote about the announcement of the Jak and Daxter HD collection coming to the PS3.  Well now there is a trailer for the game as well as a time frame for its release.  The trailer is fine, nothing special, although I must admit I do love seeing the games again, and it will be coming out in February but like I said just a time frame, no specific date.  You can watch the trailer here by clicking the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqz75dgPwqQ

For all the latest updates on the blog be sure to follow me on Twitter @Aeonofdoom360  and be sure to let me know what you think in the comments section below, no sign up or registration needed.