| Holiday Geek Gift Guide 2014: Video Games |
2014 is a year that can only be classified as a down year for video game. With the new console generation launching during holiday season 2013, this year was to be jam-packed with new games for those systems. The problem is, most of the games that were announced for 2014 to help sell the new consoles to excited fans were announced far too soon, leading to many of them being pushed back to 2015. All of that said, there are still plenty of video games to be had or given to friends and family this holiday season. If you continue below, you can find some good suggestions for all of your video game gift buying needs in this year’s Holiday Geek Gift Guide 2014: Video Games!
Before we get started, if you don’t find anything here that works for you, you can find lots and lots and lots more options in last year’s Holiday Geek Gift Guide 2013: Video Games, most of which at a much cheaper price than they were last year. Always a plus. CONSOLES If you prefer to play your games on a console and you’re anything like me, patience is of paramount importance when it comes to a new console being released. Sure, it’s exciting to get your hands on the newest systems as soon as humanly possible, but more times than not it pays to be patient. That’s no different this time around. With many games getting delayed to next year and most games still being developed for previous consoles in addition to the new ones, you haven’t really missed out on much in terms of “next-gen.” 
With Microsoft finally giving in to those who wanted nothing to do with their precious Kinect being packaged with every unit and offering a Kinect-less option for $100 less, the choice between Xbox One and Sony’s PlayStation 4, who’s currently dominating this generation’s console war, became a little bit harder. Then, for this holiday season, Microsoft has decided to make a power move, offering a variety of impressive console bundles and even knocking an additional $50 off the price tag. That means if you buy now, you can grab an Xbox One for $350—which is $150 less than their one and only launch option just one short year ago. Here’s the Xbox One console options you can currently grab for yourself or as a gift: Xbox One with Assassin’s Creed Unity and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black FlagBasic Kinect-less Xbox OneXbox One with KinectXbox One with Kinect and Assassin’s Creed Unity and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black FlagXbox One Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare bundle with 1TB hard driveWhite Xbox One with Sunset OverdriveXbox One with Madden 15
With Sony’s PS4 currently doing well, they haven’t had the need to drop the $399 price. Nevertheless, here are the current console options: PS4 with The Last of Us Remastered and Grand Theft Auto VBasic PlayStation 4White PS4 with Destiny bundleGAMES 
The Last of Us Remastered — Some of the top games from last year were re-released with a nice shiny polish for the new consoles. This one was the very best game of last year, and the re-release is (somehow) even more incredible. Available for PS4.The Banner Saga — An epic tactical role-playing fantasy game with turn-based combat that’s inspired by Viking culture. Available for PC (Physical l Download).Fable Anniversary — With the upcoming Fable Legends looking like the complete opposite of what Fable fans want, this remastered version of the classic original is a must-own. Available for Xbox 360.Wolfenstein: The New Order — The first surprise hit of the new generation of games, this latest entry in the legendary first-person shooter franchise offers pure over-the-top action and a whole lot of fun. Available for PS4, PC, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360.The Walking Dead Season 2 — Telltale’s devastatingly brilliant point-and-click style take on The Walking Dead is not a game you should look to for a good time. Just like season one, season two puts you into one intense, nauseating situation after the other, and forces you to make decisions quickly that will affect where the story goes…and sometimes who lives and who dies. Available for Xbox One, PS4, PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.Mario Kart 8 — The latest entry in the hit racing series from Nintendo. Available for the Wii U.Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII — This year’s new release in the Final Fantasy series. Available for PS3 and Xbox 360.Dark Souls II — For those loved ones of yours whose favorite part of video games is when their character dies, this is the game for them. But seriously, a game only for those who thrive on the challenge. Not for the faint of heart. Available for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.NHL 15 — This year’s pro hockey title from EA, which features the great Patrice Bergeron on the cover. That’s reason enough to buy this one. Available for PS4, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360.Rayman Legends — The fun and colorful platformer adventure was released on Xbox One and PS4 in 2014.
South Park: The Stick of Truth — One of 2014’s Game of the Year contenders, and a surprise one at that. This is the ultimate game for fans of the hit animated series, with a look that’s identical to the show and more references to past episodes than you could possibly imagine. Do NOT purchase this game for young children. You would regret it for a long, long time. Available for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.Grand Theft Auto V — Another one of the greats from last year getting re-released on the newer consoles and (finally) PC. But Rockstar didn’t just throw the game that game out last year on a new disc here, they’ve been hard at work adding new features such as an amazing looking first-person mode, as well as plenty of new weapons, vehicles, wildlife, songs, and so on. Even if someone has already played GTA V into the ground, they’re going to want to play it again with this version. Available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.Titanfall — A fairly popular first-person shooter, Titanfall faced some criticism for being a game that cost the full $59.99 price of other games when it was released, despite being only a multiplayer game with no single-player campaign to play. Now the game is much cheaper, making it a good gift option. Available for Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Physical l Download).Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes — A very short prologue to the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, but for only $20 it’s a decent stocking stuffer sort of game. Available on PS4, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360infAMOUS: Second Son — One of the early favorites of the new generation, this one offers plenty of entertaining third-person action and impressive visuals. Available for PS4.Goat Simulator — Few people can really explain why a game called Goat Simulator was an idea someone felt was good enough to actually make, and even fewer would have expected it to become the sensation it did. But here it is, a wild and wacky game that lets you wreak havoc as a goat. An easy choice if you’re just looking for a fun gag gift game to get someone. Available on PC (Physical l Download).Bravely Default — A turn-based strategic fantasy RPG from Square Enix, offering hand-drawn 3D backgrounds. Available for the Nintendo 3DS.MLB 14: The Show — The latest offering for fans of baseball video games. Available for PS4, PS3, and PlayStation Vita.The Elder Scrolls Online — It’s been a little over three years since Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was unleashed upon the world, and we still have no official confirmation on when we’ll see the next game from the developer, assumed to be Fallout 4. For fans of their games, the best bet to pass the time could be this online multiplayer set in the fantasy Elder Scrolls universe. Currently available for PC (Physical l Mac Download l PC Download) and coming to Xbox One and PS4 soon.
Sunset Overdrive — About as colorful as video games come, this third-person action-adventure shooter promises hours of fun gameplay…and perhaps a headache or two, depending on who’s playing. Available for Xbox One.Watch Dogs — Ah, Watch Dogs. What was once one of the most anticipated upcoming video games, became one of the biggest letdowns of recent memory. This is what happens when what you first show people is far, far superior to what you release TWO years later. Recipe for disaster. But that doesn’t mean it’s an awful game, just extremely poorly handled. And that makes it a great option for a gift. Available for PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, and Wii U.Tomb Raider Definitive Edition — Yet another re-release of one of last year’s best games, the Tomb Raider reboot looks and plays better than ever. Definitely one that needs to be played by those who haven’t yet experienced it. Available for PS4 and Xbox One.Murdered: Soul Suspect — While not one of the best reviewed games of the year, this does have its fans and might be right up the alley of someone interested in the paranormal, murder mysteries, or both. Available for PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.EA Sports UFC — The UFC finally found its way to Electronic Arts’ sports games lineup this year. Available for Xbox One and PS4.Destiny — Bungie’s massive open-world first-person shooter mixes role-playing game elements with online multiplayer elements to create this epic new science fiction world. Available for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, and PS3.Sniper Elite III — The next installment in the hit World War II sniper game series. Who doesn’t enjoy a good sniper game? Available for PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.Madden 15 — The yearly release in the Madden NFL football franchise. Available for PS4, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360.World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor Expansion — The latest expansion for Blizzard’s MMO. Available for PC. Also available in a Collector’s Edition.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor — Another surprise hit, Middle-earth: Shadows of Mordor is the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit video game fans of the movies and J.R.R. Tolkien’s original books have been waiting for. Available for PC, PS4, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360.Assassin’s Creed Unity — Ubisoft’s first entry in the Assassin’s Creed series developed specifically for the new generation of consoles drops players into 1789 Paris during the French Revolution. Available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC (Physical l Download).The Wolf Among Us — The makers of the point-and-click video game adaptation of The Walking Dead, Telltale Games, remain in the realms of comic books with The Wolf Among Us, a new five-episode point-and-click game based on Bill Willingham’s Fables comics. Available on Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, PSVita, and PC and Mac.Metro Redux — Metro 2033 and its sequel Metro: Last Light were both well-liked games, but here you get both first-person shooters. And for the price of less than the cost of single brand new game, no less! Available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth — The next game in the award-winning Civilization series sees you on a mission to find and colonize a new home for humanity after society collapses on Earth. Available on PC (Physical l Download).Forza Horizon 2 — A massive open-world driving game that lets you connect with your friends and explore. Available for Xbox One and Xbox 360.Freedom Wars — A co-op game that mixes action, shooter, and strategy as players choose their city and face off against players from other cities around the world in four vs. four competitive matches. Available for PSVita (Physical l Digital Code).Lords of the Fallen — A third-person medieval fantasy action RPG in the same vein as the popular Dark Souls series. Available for PS4 and Xbox One.WWE 2K15 — The newest WWE title for all of those wrestling fans in your life. Available on PS4, Xbox One, PS3, and Xbox 360.
Alien: Isolation — Inspired by Ridley Scott’s 1979 original, Alien, Alien: Isolation made the very wise decision to focus on stealth and avoiding the xenomorph instead of running around with guns blazing, as previous games based on the franchise have. Available for PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, or PC. Project Spark — Quite simply, the game that allows you to design your own games and then share them with the world. Have at it! Available for Xbox One.Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel — A new game in the massively popular Borderlands franchise, this one is both a prequel—taking place before Borderlands 2—and a sequel—taking place after the original game. Available on Xbox 360, PS3, and PCThe Evil Within — The ultra creepy new survival horror from the creator of Resident Evil, Shinji Mikami, developer Tango Gameworks, and publisher Bethesda Softworks. Available on Xbox One, PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.Super Smash Bros. — Nintendo’s series of fighting games featuring characters from various games like Mario and Link continues. Available for Wii U and 3DS.Bayonetta 2 — A good ol’ third-person button masher (unless you take the time to master the combos, of course). This is the sequel to 2010’s Bayonetta; but if you haven’t played the first, never fear, this includes both the original game and the sequel. Available for Wii U.Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare — Some may be sick of the Call of Duty franchise at this point, and some of the games that have been released in the series have warranted such feelings. But this newest release, the first from developer Sledgehammer Games, is actually getting fairly decent reviews, so it might just be time for fans of previous games to come back. Available for PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, and PC (Physical l Download).Crimes & Punishment: Sherlock Holmes — Become Sherlock Holmes and attempt to solve six different cases, finding clues and interrogating possible suspects to try to figure out who’s guilty. Your choices in the game affect how the story plays out. Available for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, and PC (Physical l Download).FIFA 15 — For all of those soccer fans in your life. Available for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and PSVita.
Dragon Age: Inquisition — Finally, the long-awaited third installment in the Dragon Age series has been released. After a life-changing (OK, that might be a bit hyperbolic…or not) first adventure, the second game didn’t quite live up to fan expectations. With this new game, BioWare hopes to win back the favor of those who were disappointed in the last game. Available on PC (Physical l Download), Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, and PS3.Halo: The Master Chief Collection — The ultimate collection for fans of the Halo franchise, the Master Chief Collection offers a treasure trove of Halo goodness, including the remastered original Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition, the newly remastered Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 4, digital series Halo: Nightfall, and access to the Halo 5: Guardians beta. Available for Xbox One.Far Cry 4 — The popular first-person shooter series is back, this time taking players to the fictional Kyrat—based on the Himalayan region of Nepal—which is ruled by the tyrant king Pagan Min (Troy Baker). Available for PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, and PC (Physical l Download).Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix — An HD re-release of the classic action RPG sequel, fans of Kingdom Hearts and newcomers alike should be excited to dive in to this cross between Final Fantasy and Disney. Available for PS3.Assassin’s Creed Rogue — While Assassin’s Creed Unity is the first game made specifically for the new consoles, Ubisoft covered its bases by also making a game specifically for older consoles so that anyone who hadn’t yet upgraded would have one to play this year. That’s right, two new Assassin’s Creed games this year. Available for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.Hyrule Warriors — A crossover game, fusing the characters and settings of the Legend of Zelda franchise with the hack-and-slash gameplay of Koei Tecmo’s Dynasty Warriors series of action games. Available for Nintendo’s Wii U.The Crew — With aspirations to become the ultimate driving game experience, The Crew offers a single-player campaign, online multiplayer, and one unbelievably large open-world map that spans the entire United States. No, you can’t drive down every single road you’d find in the U.S., but it is said to take around an hour and a half to travel from one coast to the other. One video shows a player driving from Miami to Los Angles, which takes about 40 minutes. It’s that big. A map that size and the ability to connect with your friends, pick a direction, and just cruise should alone prove quite popular with fans of driving games, but there’s also plenty of things to do while playing as well. Available for PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC (Physical l Download).Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition — One final re-release of a 2013 game. Sleeping Dogs might not have been played by as many people as was hoped, but most who have played it have enjoyed it greatly. With the release of this Definitive Edition, the fanbase is sure to keep growing. Available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC Download.NBA 2K15 — The latest NBA basketball game for any hoops fans in your life. Available on PS4 and PS4 Digital, Xbox One, PS3 and PS3 Digital, Xbox 360, Windows, and PC Download.EXTRAS XBOX HEADSETS: Xbox One Stereo Headset Adapter — If you’re like me, you were pretty bummed to find out that the Turtle Beach headset—as well as other headsets—you used for gaming on the Xbox 360 would not work on your new Xbox One. Headsets are not cheap, so having to buy a new one or settle for the set that comes with the console was not a good option. This adapter lets you use some of those old headsets (but NOT all of them, so be careful before purchasing). If you’re buying for someone who doesn’t own an older headset, see some newer options below.Xbox One Stereo HeadsetXbox One Special Edition Armed Forces Stereo HeadsetTurtle Beach Ear Force XO Four High Performance Xbox One Gaming HeadsetTRITTON Kunai Stereo Headset for Xbox One and Mobile DevicesPolk Audio 4Shot HeadphonePS4 HEADSETS: HyperX Cloud Gaming HeadsetPlayStation Gold Wireless Stereo HeadsetTurtle Beach Ear Force P12 Amplified Stereo Gaming Headset for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Mobile Devices TRITTON Kama Stereo Headset for PlayStation 4, PS Vita, and Mobile Devices XBOX CONTROLLERS: Xbox One Wireless ControllerXbox One Play and Charge KitXbox One Wireless Controller + Play and Charge KitXbox 360 Wireless ControllerXbox 360 Wired ControllerXbox 360 Wireless Controller with Transforming D-Pad and Play and Charge KitXbox 360 Play and Charge KitPLAYSTATION CONTROLLERS: DualShock 4 Wireless Controller for PS4PowerA DualShock 4 Controller Charging Station for PS4PS3 Dualshock 3 Wireless ControllerPS3 Energizer Power & Play Charging SystemWII CONTROLLERS: Nintendo Wii and Wii U Remote PlusNintendo Wii and Wii U Nunchuk ControllerNintendo Wii U Pro Controller BlackMORE: Xbox Live Gift Card Codes: $10 l $15 l $20 l $25 l $30 l $40 l $50Xbox Live Gold 24-Month Subscription CodeXbox Live Gold 12-Month Subscription: Card l CodeXbox Live Gold 3-Month Subscription: Card l CodePlayStation Store Gift Card Codes: $10 l $20 l $50 l $75 l $100PlayStation Plus Subscription Codes: 1-Year Subscription — 3-Month Subscription — 1-Year Subscription + $50 Gift Card Code — 3-Month Subscription + $50 Gift Card Code — 1-Year Subscription + $20 Gift Card Code — 3-Month Subscription + $20 Gift Card Code — 1-Year Subscription + $10 Gift Card Code — 3-Month Subscription + $10 Gift Card CodeRemember, if all else fails, there’s also the Amazon.com Gift Card, you can have emailed to the recipient (arrives immediately) or you can print out the gift card at home and give it to the intended that way. If you order in enough time, you can get the physical gift card sent to you. |
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