14 DAY TRIAL // Christmas time can be hard for video game lovers, and not only because they need to put some space between them and their favorite activity in order to attend to tradition, family, and joy, but also because loved ones often find it hard to choose a title to offer as a gift and resort to backup solutions that no one appreciates, like clothing or appliances.
I like to believe that I carefully and subtly convinced my relatives to give me games on the 25th of the month and I have some limited wisdom to share about the process, both with those who plan to buy titles for their loved ones and those who are aiming to convince their own families to do so.
The list of video games that would make good Christmas gifts could be very long and a lot depends on the personality of those who give and receive, but I have settled on two main criteria: the titles listed offer a lot of value for money and they cover a relatively broad set of potential players while also introducing some innovation.
The best games for Christmas are both popular and underrated
For the first-person shooter lover, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is a good choice, with its new set of mechanics and its insistence on solid long-term support for multiplayer.
Do not pick up Halo: The Master Chief Collection unless you are dealing with a hardcore fan, but do substitute it for Wolfenstein: The New Order for those who want a bit more story, a pinch of nostalgia, and no multiplayer.
For the sports enthusiasts, the best choices remain FIFA 15, as long as they know what proper football is, or Madden NFL 15, if they are more interested in the American version.
Both titles have solid mechanics, offer hundreds of hours of gameplay and are getting new content from EA Sports.
NBA 2K15 and NHL 15 are also there for fans of basketball and hockey.
Open world lovers should get a package that includes Far Cry 4, which has a story that can be easily ignored and a world that’s begging for exploration and for experimentation, but all givers should stay away from Assassin’s Creed Unity, which not only had issues, not all fixed, but also lacks any major improvements over Black Flag (Rogue is also a good choice for old console owners).
Racing game fans should probably stick with Gran Turismo 6 or Forza 5, but Horizon 2 also makes a good gift for Christmas, mainly because DriveClub and The Crew are both disappointments.
In the role-playing genre, Dragon Age: Inquisition looms large both in terms of scope and quality, and BioWare is already delivering new content, but Dark Souls 2 is also a good alternative, as long as the recipient does not mind failing quite a bit.
Those who have been known to play Minecraft or other indie hits will probably feel at home playing This War of Mine, maybe the bravest video game of the year which also has solid gameplay, or Hatoful Boyfriend, which offers quite a few surprises under its pigeon-themed skin.
All gamers have their own taste and preferences, so it’s hard to recommend titles without knowing them personally, but the above list is a good starting point for those who want to offer something interesting for Christmas.
