Back by popular demand, we’re happy to introduce a four-part series featuring gift ideas for the holidays.
Digital Journal — Published each day this week, we’ll shed insight into the world of technology and entertainment, giving you our picks for the top-rated and newest gadgets.
DigitalJournal.com’s gift guide is published every year, and this year, we also want your tips; if you have a gift idea, drop a comment and share your views with others!
Today’s coverage: Video games. Games are like movies — sometimes you prefer buying ones that people recommend. To that effect, DigitalJournal.com gives you our top picks for the best games and accessories of the year to make your gift-giving sessions less stressful.
Halo 3 (Bungie)
Platform: Xbox 360
It’s easy to build upon a legend. Yes, the Halo franchise is already legendary, and the latest installment is nothing but extraordinary.
The first-person shooter features extensive maps, beefed-up weapons, gorgeous backgrounds and a multiplayer mode replete with enough tweaks to keep the Halo enthusiast occupied for days. Probably months.
A cool bonus is finding hidden skulls through each level, which allow you to unlock game modifiers. Anyone can blast enemies and steamroll aliens with tanks, but true skill comes when you have to scour the level for these Easter eggs.
Also, the Saved Films feature lets you replay your favourite kills over and over, in case you want to create a YouTube mix starring Master Chief in all his glory.
For an in-depth review on Halo 3, check out DigitalJournal.com’s past coverage. You can check out an interview we did with one of the game’s creators.
Guitar Hero 3 (Activision)
Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii, PC
In what’s become a party game for kids and business execs alike, the Guitar Hero craze has reached a new level with its threequel, Legends of Rock. Along with the expected one-player mode where you can guitar-karaoke with your instrument-remote, Legends of Rock also includes a battle mode. Nailing certain riffs gives you “weapons” to hurl at your opponent, like a broken string or double notes. It now pays to mimic Slash’s phrases on “Welcome to the Jungle.”
Speaking of set list, there are enough old and new rock tracks on Guitar Hero III to satisfy the pickiest music aficionado. Modern rockers will appreciate tunes from Queens of the Stone Age, Slipknot and Tenacious D, while old-schoolers will relive their youth by playing along with Metallica, The Who, Stevie Ray Vaughan and the Sex Pistols.
We had a lot of fun playing this game, as it brings out the child rock star in everyone. It’s a great babysitter for the kids (can we say that?), or pull it out at your own parties to get a good laugh.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision)
Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PC, DS
Call of Duty has always been known for its lush visuals and realistic World War II setting. Now its updated game showcases the same well-received look but with an improved multiplayer option (six game modes, up to 18 players can duke it out).
Maps come complete with wide open areas for grenade-lobbing or closed tight spaces for steady-handed snipers.
To further add to the game’s realism, Activision outfitted Modern Warfare with powerful graphic sounds, like an AK47’s full-auto barrage.
The voice work through the game is also notable, especially in campaign modes when you need clear instructions on infiltrating enemy territory.
BioShock (2K Games)
Platform: Xbox 360
It’s creepy, it’s filmic and it’s unlike anything you’ve seen on a console before. BioShock won Spike TV’s Video Game of the Year award for good reason: set in an underwater art-deco cityscape, the game transports you to a strange world where you have to figure out what went wrong with this submerged city.
There are no ordinary weapons here; you can shoot plasma energy from your hands, use the “Enrage” weapon to cause your enemies to fight each other, and even levitate objects and creatures with a simple flick of the wrist.
What is truly eye-popping about BioShock is the storyline and graphics. The latter is worth noting for its rich design, inviting you to explore environments that stand out merely for its unique caricature. This is the kind of game for the fanciful artistic gamer who wants something more out of the usual first-person shooter.
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (Sony)
Platform: PlayStation 3
Uncharted won’t win points for plot but it should be worth the dollar value simply based on thrills and production value. Set around an explorer following in the footsteps of Sir Francis Drake, the game tours a tropical island in search of an ancient relic.
The fun begins when the main player gets into fist fights, and the camera cuts away to catch realistic facial expressions. When a bomb lands near characters, you can see fear glimmer in their eyes. It’s clear a lot of work went into designing characters in this game.
The gameplay is fast-paced and exciting, allowing curious adventure-seekers to enjoy the action sequences without many slow sequences.
For the gamer who has skills to pay the bills, Uncharted‘s enemies are smart enough to flank if they see an opening, so this game is probably not for beginners.
Madden NFL 2008 (EA Sports)
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
You have to hand it to EA — every year they release a new Madden NFL game, and every year it trumps its predecessor.
The 2008 version is no different, because now football fans can see icons on top of players that represent their skill set (“hands” receivers can catch anything thrown their way, “hammer” blockers can thunder through their defensive lines, and so on).
The animation in Madden 2008 is the best out of all the editions. Cutaway scenes feature receivers dragging their toes while falling out of bounds or massive gang tackles complete with grunts and exhalations.
The gaming experience deepens even further with franchise or superstar modes, but most Madden lovers will likely take advantage of the popular online mode, which only suffers from minor lag. And let’s hope next year’s version includes more Chad Johnson touchdown celebrations.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Retro Studios)
Platform: Wii
Metroid is as classic as Paperboy and with the latest reincarnation suited for the Wii platform, expect more action awesomeness and slicker controls. Blasting bosses has never been this fun, especially while using the special Wii remote.
It’s not all about weapons, though, since Corruption relies on a player’s wits to navigate through complex levels.
The exotic worlds will fascinate players who are hungry for superior art direction in their pixellated fun.
Lifelike machinery bring various settings to life, and the single-player campaign mode holds the attention span long enough to give the Metroid lover good reason to keep playing long into the night.
Mario Party DS (Hudson Soft)
Platform: Nintendo DS
Don’t count out handheld gaming just yet. Nintendo DS is winning acclaim from the young’uns for games like Mario Party, which offer dozens of minigames ideal for whiling away the cold winter months.
Shoot at moving targets, throw food on a fast-running conveyor belt, ride jet skiis through curvy courses: There’s something for every type of gamer.
Remember, any game with the word “party” is best suited in multiplayer mode.
Mario and the gang are all available for your selection, but realize each has their own strengths and weaknesses. Mario Party could be the best gift for the retro Nintendo addict, or a good way to introduce kids to minigames and the Mario family.
The Orange Box (EA)
Platform: PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
It’s a horrible title for an incredible package: The Orange Box includes three games, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Team Fortress 2 and Portal.
Using the same game engine, they are all different games for different kinds of gamers. Half-Life 2 is a graphically rich role-playing game for those who want to use their brains more than their fragging skills. Team Fortress 2 is a multiplayer shooter pitting the blue team against the red team featuring various character “classes” to choose from, such as a scout, soldier, engineer or medic. Portal combines first-person action with puzzle-solving, filling maps with teleportals you can create by firing a special gun. Flying through space and time can now be a regular pastime.
Whoever gets The Orange Box will appreciate the sentiment. There’s something for every gamer to like, whether it’s space-jumping or quick sniping or sly strategizing. The hardest part is choosing what to play on any given day.
Wii Zapper (Nintendo)
Platform: Wii
If you were born before 1987, you should remember the original Nintendo zapper, a grey gun used in games like Duck Hunt. Now Nintendo’s Wii wants to relive that nostalgia by releasing a Zapper specifically designed for the console’s motion-sensitive technology. Providing an ergonomic real-feel grip to shooting games, this next-gen Zapper is ultimately superior to the original, especially in games like Link’s Crossbow Training. The game is simple and fun, and unfortunately one of the few titles to take advantage of the recently released Zapper.
Once publishers create games designed for the Zapper (like the upcoming retooled House of the Dead), expect the gun’s value to soar. For now, it’s worth buying for the Wii owner who owns a massive catalogue and regularly complains of not having any Wii accessories.
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– To see DigitalJournal.com’s Software Gift Guide, click here
– To see DigitalJournal.com’s Books & DVDs Gift Guide, click here
– To see DigitalJournal.com’s Gadget Gift Guide, click here
