John Walshe advises on the top gaming purchases this festive season.
OK, time is getting short for Christmas presents, so here’s a quick guide to school shoppers in what to buy for the gamer in your life this Christmas; from sports fanatics to shooter devotees, platform aficionados to adventure addicts.
Sports/Racing Titles
The big winner is here is undoubtedly FIFA 2013, the latest virtual instalment of the beautiful game from the EA Sports team. Arguably the toughest title in the series to date, FIFA 2013 sees your players miscontrol the ball when through on goal, overhit passes and generally fluff their lines, just like the real thing. It looks great, it sounds stunning and it plays as addictively and frustratingly as its real-life counterparts. An essential for footie fans.
Indeed, the EA team practically own all the biggest sports titles, from the outrageously OTT snowboarding of SSX to the bible of American football, Madden NFL 13. The one exception to EA’s monopoly is PES 2013, Konami’s answer to the FIFA machine. Of course, there are also some great racing games, with Need For Speed Most Wanted, Forza Horizon and Little Big Planet Karting amongst the best.
Shooters
Shooter fans are spoiled for choice, with a host of cracking titles released this year, including the epic Halo 4, the edgy Call Of Duty: Black Ops II, Medal Of Honor: Warfighter, and the rejuvenation of a forgotten franchise with the superb Far Cry 3. Then there’s the off-beat excellence of The Darkness 2. Any one of these would make a stunning stocking filler, but if we had to go for one, it’s hard to beat Halo for sheer action.
Adventures/RPGs
Again, there are a lot of contenders in the action adventure/RPG category. The steampunk epic Dishonored is one of the finest original titles released this year (expect sequels aplenty) as your former royal bodyguard takes his bloody revenge on people who set him up. Then there’s also the truly epic Assissin’s Creed 3, and the glorious Mass Effect 3.
Platformers
For those who enjoy the ups and downs of platformers, there are a few to choose from, including Rayman Origins, Little Big Planet Vita, and New Super Mario Bros. U (on the Wii U) and Lego The Lord Of The Rings are also worth looking out for.
Kids
We can’t stress enough how important the PEGI ratings on the front of games are. If it has an 18's cert, there’s a reason. You wouldn’t let your 12 year-old watch an 18-rated movie, so why would you let them play an 18-rated game?
That said, there are some cracking kids games out there. One of the most innovative children’s titles, and a must for Harry Potter fans, is Storybook: Book Of Spells on the PS3, which allows the player to become a Hogwarts student, using Sony's PlayStation Move technology and augmented reality to put you on-screen, wand in hand, as you learn to cast a host of spells.
Other than that, dance titles are always popular, with Ubisoft’s Just Dance 4 one of the biggest titles around, while New Super Mario Bros. 2 is a must have on the DS, and the latest Professor Layton adventure, Miracle Mask, is sure to be a winner with the young and young-at-heart.
John Walshe
