HOLIDAY GIFTS FOR THE GAMER
Make shopping a snap with Top 10 list
With the Christmas shopping season in full swing and video games high atop the lists of many shoppers, 2016’s list of game releases presents a daunting gauntlet of choices to the uninitiated. Postmedia’s Vito Pilieci helps to narrow that down with 10 picks with selections that should cater to any gamer in your life.
LEGO: MARVEL AVENGERS
Available on: PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, Windows PC and OSX Rated: E for Everyone LEGO: Marvel Avengers is a rocking little adventure game that allows fans of Marvel’s superhero movies to play through the plot lines of those films complete with LEGO’s brand of off-the-wall humour, which often sees the Hulk end up with barbecued LEGO chicken leg in his hands. The action is furious, but comical. There is no blood, when characters die they break into brick pieces. It’s also a forgiving title, as characters who perish mid-mission are quickly replaced so the player can keep fighting the good fight.
GEARS OF WAR 4
Available on: Xbox One, Windows PC Rated: M for Mature If bullets, blood, bayonets and bombs aren’t your thing, you will not like this game. Having said that, fans of previous entries to the Gears of War franchise will find it picks up right where its predecessors left off. It’s set 25 years after the end of the original Gears of War trilogy, which saw the game’s protagonist Marcus Fenix deliver a fatal blow to the subterranean Locust Hordes that were trying to render humanity extinct. With the planet (called Sera) largely decimated by the battle, human’s are forced to live confined in cities that are policed by the soldiers who once fought the evil Locust Horde. Players quickly discover that there’s a new threat to humanity’s existence. The COG forces will need to suit up one more time.
DAY OF THE TENTACLE REMASTERED
Available on: PS4, PS Vita, iOS, Windows PC Rated: E for Everybody While the inclusion of this title, first released in 1993, may seem odd in a 2016 gift guide, the rerelease of Day of the Tentacle just can’t be ignored. The game, which was actually the sequel to the much-touted Maniac Mansion, was ground breaking when it was first released, garnering near universal praise for developer Lucas Arts (yes, that Lucas Arts). The Purple Tentacle plans to use time travel to take over the world. Players must help the geeky Bernard and his group of rag tag heroes stop his villainous plans. If you have one of those, tough-to-buy-for video game fans on your list, this may be just what the doctored ordered.
UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF’S END
Available on: PS4 Rated: T for Teens For those not acquainted with the Uncharted franchise, the games play like modern day Indiana Jones movies. The main character is Nathan “Nate” Drake. While looking for a longlost pirate’s treasure, rumoured to be worth more than $400 million, Drake stumbles across a hollow idol with a map hidden inside. The map takes him on a globe-hopping trip, in a race to stay ahead of his competition in a bid to secure the treasure.
OVERWATCH
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, Windows PC Rated: T for Teen More than 50 years in the future, there’s a robotic uprising requiring the formation of a global police force to keep the machines in check. Overwatch is created and, well, fighting ensues. This title is all about online action, you will need a subscription to Xbox Live to play. It’s the fourth major franchise to be released by video gaming giant Blizzard, which is best known for its Warcraft series of games, and focuses on multiplayer online gaming, allowing action game fans from all over the world to tackle various challenges together.
NHL 17
Available on: PS4 and Xbox One Rated: E for Everybody over 10 It’s hard to compile a list of games to give at Christmas and not include EA’s annual NHL video game entry. Every year the company raises the bar when it comes to recreating the NHL in video game form. This year is no different. From the actual video footage taken outside real NHL arenas, to the pre-game banter from real on-air hosts to the game dynamics themselves, it’s as close to real hockey as any fan could want. The game is loaded with tons of game play modes as well. From the ability to play one game, through to a season. It’s there. They’ve also tossed in a World Cup of Hockey mode, allowing players to pilot their favourite country through this year’s event. This is one game that should be at the top of the wish lists for hockey fanatics.
DEUS EX: MANKIND DIVIDED
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, Windows PC Rated: M for Mature Deus Ex is a futuristic espionage thriller that weaves brilliant sci-fi story telling with high intensity action sequences to create a title that just sucks in a gamer’s attention. The series hero, Adam Jensen, is back and this time he finds himself with a number of new augmentations giving him some pretty unbelievable powers. A global civil war is simmering between people who have been augmented and those who have not. A secret organization is working behind the scenes to maintain control of global powers and there’s a whole host of other issues that keep getting in Jensen’s way. This is a game best suited to someone who likes to get lost in their video games for hours at a time.
SKYLANDERS: IMAGINATORS
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, PS3 and Xbox 360 Rated: E for Everyone The latest child-friendly, cartoonfilled romp through Skylands. This time the evil Kaos has learned how to use “mind magic” (imagination) to create evil monsters to take over the universe. Players get to fight back by creating their own Skylanders using the same technique. It’s a neat exercise to build a character from the ground up. One that younger players will appreciate. The gameplay is easy to pick up, making this one game that is great for families looking to play together.
CALL OF DUTY: INFINITE WARFARE
Available on: Xbox One, PS4 and Windows PC Rated: M for mature. The annual addition to the Call of Duty franchise is a no-brainer gift for gamers who love firstperson shoot ’em up type video games. As Earth looks increasingly toward the stars to find natural resources to support our planet’s growth, mankind pushes colonies into the stars, expanding our footprint in the galaxy. But, not everyone is happy. A faction of discontent colonies is ready to push back. The game takes players on a universal adventure, hopping from battle scene to battle scene. It also comes complete with multi-player online and coop modes, and for those who are really into gore, the ever-popular Zombie mode is back too.
POKEMON: SUN AND/OR MOON
Available on: Nintendo 3Ds Rated: E for Everyone The latest version of the massively popular Pokemon series has been released with Christmas giving in mind. Players will pick from one of three new starting Pokemon; Rowlet, Litten or Popplio and head out to discover the country side, battle against other Pokemon trainers and attempt to stop the evil plans of Team Skull. There are two new legendary Pokemon to catch in the game. This is an upgrade on the existing Pokemon titles that is sure to please fans of the franchise.