The holidays are upon us and you are probably rushing to find the perfect gift for your loved ones. Sometimes finding the right gift can be a tricky thing to do, but if you have a gamer or two in your life, maybe this gift guide might help you find something.
With several stellar titles having been released over the last several months, you’re bound to find something to appease the gamer geek in your life.
Persona 4 Arena – Got a fighting game fan in your life that also loves Japanese role-playing games and anime? Then look no further than Persona 4 Arena. Set within the world of Atlus’ Shin Megami Tensei: Persona series of JRPGs, Atlus and co-developer Arc System Works, famous for its King of Fighters and Blazblue series of fighting games, manage to successfully translate a JRPG into a solid fighter.
Persona 4 Arena takes place a few months after Persona 4, bringing in characters from Persona 3 into the mix, but newcomers to the series need not worry about feeling alienated. While referenced, the events of Persona 3 and 4 aren’t central to the game, making it accessible to new players while still appealing to the fans. The story mode is also rich and complex with an intriguing plot, but for those that want to jump into the fight without worrying about the story, that option is also available.
Come on, just check out the game’s sweet intro.
Persona 4 Golden – Since we’re on the subject of Persona 4 , Atlus recently released an enhanced port titled Persona 4 Golden for Sony’s PlayStation Vita. When murders begin to happen in the small Japanese town of Inaba, a group of high school students discover a world inside televisions. Awakening a mysterious power known as the “Persona” and facing strange creatures known as shadows, the group begins investigating the connection between this mysterious TV world and the murders.
Persona 4, and the Persona series by extension, is an interesting beast. At it’s core, it’s an anime-inspired, turn-based, dungeon crawling JRPG with a rich story. However, the game is also heavy with character interaction, requiring the player to strengthen their bonds through Social Links in order to increase their strength.
For those that have already played Persona 4, P4G includes new characters, story elements, Social Links, and Personas, along with the ability to call other players for help via wireless networks, providing a fresh experience.
Zone of the Enders HD Collection – And while we’re on the subject of anime-inspired video games, Konami recently released an HD enhanced collection of two PlayStation 2 cult classics: Zone of the Enders, and its sequel Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner. Produced by Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima, Zone of the Enders HD Collection puts you in the cockpit of Jehuty, piloting a high-powered mech known as an Orbital Frame as you fight your way through countless enemies to stop a plot that could mean the end of humanity.
Of the two titles included in the package, The 2nd Runner is arguably the better of the two, with Zone of the Enders being somewhat enjoyable but ultimately dull and repetitive. As for the collection itself, it isn’t perfect, with a few minor graphical glitches and a bit of frame rate slowdown. But ultimately the collection will be an enjoyable one for the giant robot anime fan in your life.
And as an added bonus, Kojima Productions has included a playable demo of their upcoming title, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron – Who doesn’t love giant robots? Ignoring the Michael Bay trilogy, Transformers has enjoyed such a rich history. From Generation 1 to the current Transformers: Prime, the franchise has endured its ups and downs, including some poorly made video games. However, when it comes to Fall of Cybertron, it may not be the best game ever made, but it is definitely one of the best Transformers games you can get.
But don’t take my word for it. Comic Issues writer Anthony Silva shares his thoughts on Transformers: Fall of Cybertron.
And if you do have a Transformers fan in your life, you may want to look into Transformers: Prime Seasons One and Two. Taking place within the same continuity as Fall of Cybertron, Prime’s compelling storyline and dark, yet still child-friendly tone makes it a good choice for Transformers fans of all ages… and definitely preferable over the Michael Bay trilogy.
Halo 4 – This one should be a no-brainer. If you know someone that is a big Halo fan and has yet to own Halo 4, it would be offensive to get them anything else.
While sharing the shooter spotlight with Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Medal of Honor: Warfighter, which are also great gift ideas if you have any fans of those franchises, Halo 4 is a worthy addition to the Halo franchise. While CoD and Medal of Honor are good franchises, they might not be good Halo substitutes for the Halo fan in your life.
Again, you don’t have to take my word for it. Fellow writer James Trauben had a few things he had to say about Halo 4.
RvBX: Ten Years of Red vs. Blue – Okay, so I’m cheating a bit here. But since we’re on the topic of Halo, and Red vs. Blue is a Halo-related webseries, I think we’ll be okay.
For those of you who are out of the loop, Red vs. Blue is a machinima web series filmed using Halo. Since its premiere in 2003, Red vs. Blue has enjoyed immense popularity on the internet. Having recently wrapped up its monumental tenth season, Rooster Teeth Productions has seen fit to release a 14-disc box set on Blu-ray and DVD.
It is a bit on the pricey side, so if you do have a Red vs. Blue fan in your life that already owns the previous nine seasons of the series, you may want to just spring for Red vs. Blue Season 10 on Blu-ray and DVD.
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance – Have someone in your life that loves Disney, loves Final Fantasy, and owns a Nintendo 3DS? Well then, I have a game for you.
The latest installment in the Kingdom Hearts series, Dream Drop Distance follows on from Kingdom Hearts II, as well as the million other spin-offs that followed. Okay, so million might be exaggerating a bit, but there have been a few spin-off titles in the last few years.
Warning for the uninitiated. The game does expect that you know the entire story up to this point, so it’s not the best starting off point for someone that doesn’t know anything about Kingdom Hearts. But if a Disney game sounds like a good idea for a gift, you might want give Epic Mickey 2 a look.
So that does it for this little holiday gift guide. Hopefully, this guide helps you find the right gift for the gamer geek in your life. And if it doesn’t, then at least you now have some good gaming ideas for yourself.