WINNING GIFTS
LIVING with a gamer when you’re not one yourself can be a real pain at the best of times but especially at Christmas.
This year has seen some incredible releases, from both the big hitters and indie studios. But what is the gamer in your life hoping to find sitting under the tree?
If they’re too big to write Santa a list and you’re desperate for a little inspiration, then allow me to offer some festive inspiration.
Stray (PEGI 12) PS4, PS5, PC
The game you never knew you needed in your life, a cat simulator.
Stray is a third-person adventure which follows the journey of an unnamed cat that has become separated from its family.
Plunged into a subterranean cybercity that’s home to nothing but droids and dangerous creatures, the game’s main aim is for you to climb your way out and return home to your furry friends.
To survive in this neon soaked, Blade Runner-esque world you’ll need to use all the cunning wiles – and devilment – a cat possesses.
Luckily for the fluffy protagonist, it’s not alone for long as the cat is soon joined by a tiny drone – B12 – which kits you out with a backpack which acts as both the drone’s recharge station, and storage space.
Some of the robots are surprisingly charming, and while kitty’s vocabulary is limited to mewls, hisses and purrs, you can still chat with the machines via your backpack.
Moving through the map feels almost like parkour at times, until you stop and realise this is how cats move, leaping sure-footedly onto swinging beams, deftly traversing rooftops and canopies as you move above ground. Evoking laughter, joy and genuine tears, you don’t have to be a cat fan to love this game.
Elden Ring (PEGI 18)
PS4, PS5, XBOX ONE, XBOX X/S, PC
As gaming pedigrees go, it doesn’t get much bigger than this action RPG which was released at the start of the year.
Directed by the legendary Hidetaka Miyazaki – the man who created the Demon Souls series – with world building from Game of Thrones author George R.R Martin, there was already an expectation that Elden Ring would be something quite special.
This is a game steeped in fantasy and legend, the plot heavily influenced by the likes of Lord of the Rings, European mythology and Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series.
Graphically it’s breathtaking, with richly textured environments that just spill from the screen. Castles sit high atop mountains, their spires skimming the clouds above, while golden trees add a shock of colour on the horizon. You can almost smell the dark, boggy swamps as you make your way through them, and feel the heat from the campfire as you stop to bed down for the night under the stars.
Combat is very satisfying, starting off fairly tame but becoming brutal and unforgiving as the game progresses. The breadth of scale here means it will be months before you have a chance to explore all Elden Ring has to offer.
Persona 5 Royal (PEGI 16) PS4, PS5, XBOX ONE, XBOX X/S, Switch, PC
Persona 5 Royal is a prime example of how to take a great game, and make it even better.
The original Persona 5 – released in 2016 – is considered one of the greatest JRPGs of all time, and this enhanced version introduces not just a new character, but new music, a playable third semester, and additional plot. The release also includes all the game’s DLC for free.
Like many I questioned the need to rebuy a title I’d already played through – but the reality is this feels like a completely different game, with jaw-dropping new twists and turns that will leave you breathless.
Just goes to show you can improve on perfection.
A Plague Tale: Requiem (PEGI 18) PS5, XBOX X/S, PC
The first game was one of the surprise hits of 2019 and it appears that lightning has somehow struck twice.
At first glance a game about siblings fleeing soldiers and the black death in 14th-century medieval France doesn’t look that much fun, but you’d be absolutely wrong.
This survival horror picks up immediately after the events of the first, with brother and sister Amicia and Hugo desperately hunting for a cure for Hugo’s blood disease.
Developer Asobo Studio has taken everything that worked in the first game and upped the ante. Swarms of rats seem to have multiplied by their thousands, and the brutality of the soldiers from the French Inquisition has been dialed up to 11. The combat system has been significantly expanded, with Amicia now in possession of weapons such as a sling, a knife, and a crossbow which makes defeating armoured opponents so much easier.
As affirming as it is harrowing, the ending is truly surprising – but not in any way you’d expect.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (PEGI 7)
PS4, PS4, XBOX ONE, XBOX X/S, Switch, PC
The combination of two childhood favourites – Lego and Star Wars – makes this perfect for the whole family to enjoy.
The Skywalker Saga spans all nine movies, covering everything there is to love – and hate – about the legendary sci-fi franchise.
There’s a huge wealth of content, with more than 45 story missions to work through, and 380 characters to play as – and that’s only if you don’t add in the DLC packs with extra characters from outside the movies.
Unlike previous games this is non-linear, meaning you can choose which trilogy to play through first – and this is where the real test of age comes in.
As you move through the episodes you realise that, much like the films, they differ very much in quality.
Dripping with gags, and moving at a pace that feels just the right side of rushed, The Skywalker Saga is a love letter to the sci-fi giant.