For video game culture, 2014 was a transition year. The Playstation 4 and the Xbox One finally dropped, and the Wii U finally came into its own. Games aren’t usually that strong in transition years, since the prior console generation is still wrapping things up and the developers are just learning the potential of the new hardware. But contrary to popular thinking, there are many strong games this holiday season, and that’s a happy relief.
It’s a perfect storm of old and new—the definitive remastered editions of console classics, the latest installments of established franchises, and the brand new IP’s that will lead the next wave. The holidays are about giving, and there’s no better way to get into the proper spirit than with titles like Sunset Overdrive.
Here are The Best Video Games to Gift This Year.
Kevin Wong is a regular contributor at Complex. Follow him on Twitter here.
For video game culture, 2014 was a transition year. The Playstation 4 and the Xbox One finally dropped, and the Wii U finally came into its own. Games aren’t usually that strong in transition years, since the prior console generation is still wrapping things up and the developers are just learning the potential of the new hardware. But contrary to popular thinking, there are many strong games this holiday season, and that’s a happy relief.
It’s a perfect storm of old and new—the definitive remastered editions of console classics, the latest installments of established franchises, and the brand new IP’s that will lead the next wave. The holidays are about giving, and there’s no better way to get into the proper spirit than with titles like Sunset Overdrive.
Here are The Best Video Games to Gift This Year.
Kevin Wong is a regular contributor at Complex. Follow him on Twitter here.
Mario Kart 8
Publisher: Nintendo
System: Wii U
Genre: Racing
Price: $51.99
Buy it now at: Amazon
The Nintendo bandwagon is full of latecomers. If you're just getting the Wii U now, you can't go wrong with Mario Kart 8 as your first purchase. There are inversions. There are loops. There's tons of airtime. There are more power-ups than ever before (we're partial to the "Potted Pirahna Plant"), and, of course, there's the latest incarnation of Rainbow Road.
Mario Kart 8 is the perfect video game to play at a family reunion—with the Blue Shell and the Bullet Bill at his disposal, even your little nephew has a fighting chance.
Grand Theft Auto V (Updated Edition)
Publisher: Rockstar Games
System: Playstation 4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: Open World Action/Adventure
Price: $59.32
Buy it now at: Amazon
Even though they took forever to announce it, Rockstar Games finally released Grand Theft Auto V for the current generation consoles. But don't think it's a mere graphic overlay, with better shadows and sharper resolution (though it has all of that, too). This latest incarnation of Grand Theft Auto V also comes with a first-person mode, which places you directly behind the wheel of your stolen car and behind the sights of your sniper rifle. Everything, from the night lights to the ocean view to the peak of Mount Chiliad, looks better up close.
The Sims 4
Publisher: Electronic Arts
System: PC, Mac
Genre: Life simulation
Price: $48.30
Buy it now at: Amazon
When the post-holidays blues kicks in, right when you start breaking your New Year's Resolution, it might be more fun to live someone else's life rather than your own. Sims 4 is the gift that keeps on giving—you know that there will be endless Stuff packs, and Expansion packs, and career paths for years to come. The online community is incredible, and so are the new features. You'll get to see your Sim's emotions clearly, rendered in exquisite, high-definition detail, for the first time. (Just look at that screenshot! Don't you want to give him a hug?)
FIFA '15
Publisher: Electronic Arts
System: Playstation 4, Xbox One
Genre: Sports
Price: $51.00
Buy it now at: Amazon
Every year, sports game developers create updated editions of their franchises, and every year, the objective is the same: How do we convince our fans that this new edition is worth buying, especially if it's similar to the prior year's edition, and the one from the year before that? It's a tough, unclear decision, but one thing's for certain—we can't stop playing FIFA '15. It's got the massive rosters, the next-gen detail, every Premiere League stadium, and restlessness and suspense before the ball hits the back of the net. Goooaaalll!!!
Destiny
Publisher: Sony Entertainment, Activision
System: Playstation 4, Xbox One
Genre: First-person shooter
Price: $49.95
Buy it now at: Amazon
Destiny is an MMO, first-person shooter in which millions of players engage in looting, raiding, and fighting as one of three races (which are then subdivided into three different classes). Set in a post-apocalyptic world, Destiny has some pretty visuals to match its intense combat—cool colors, open skies, and elegant decay as far as the eye can see.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Publisher: Square Enix, Activision
System: Playstation 4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: First-person shooter
Price: $55.23
Buy it now at: Amazon
The tired reputation surrounding Call of Duty is that it's the same dish served up with every installment. Really, though? When the dish is this delicious, and this well-made, who could pass it up? Every year, Call of Duty's profile rises more and more; this year, the gaming franchise enlisted some real A-List actors to go along with its mayhem. (Hello, Kevin Spacey!) You may only see your cousins face-to-face during the holidays, but Call of Duty's multiplayer mode means you can continue the holiday party all year round.
Hyrule Warriors
Publisher: Nintendo
System: Wii U
Genre: Hack-and-slash
Price: $57.81
Buy it now at: Amazon
And now for something completely different. A Hyrule hack-and-slash makes perfect sense on one hand, but it also breaks some serious precedent. Not since The Adventure of Link has a mainstream Zelda game strayed this far from the established action/adventure/exploration formula. Yet it works really, really well. With a brilliant co-op mode, a deceptively simple combat system, and fan service galore, Hyrule Warriors is a must-purchase for Wii U newbies.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
System: Playstation 4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: Action RPG
Price: $74.99
Buy it now at: Amazon
It's become a semi-regular Christmas tradition for an entire generation of moviegoers—another year, another one of Peter Jackson's massive Tolkien film adaptation. And now, finally, we have a game to match the breadth and depth of Jackson's big-screen vision. You play as a ranger named Talion, and you lead a mind-controlled Orc army in a blood quest.
Naughty or nice? This epic journey is worth the lump of coal in your stocking.
Sunset Overdrive
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
System: Xbox One
Genre: Third-person shooter
Price: $40.96
Buy it now at: Amazon
It's hard to pull off comedy in a shooter game. When your object is to kill everything that moves, your goals work in direct opposition to the tone that the game is trying to achieve. Borderlands was the first game to pull this off successfully, and now, we have another. Sunset Overdrive is a crazy, hilarious satire. After all, when you're fighting an evil soda company, it's hard to take things too seriously.
Super Smash Bros.
Publisher: Nintendo
System: Wii U
Genre: Fighting
Price: $59.96
Buy it now at: Amazon
Super Smash Bros. is a great party game for the holiday season. Any video game fan worth his salt can appreciate the sight of Mario, Kirby, the Wii Fit Trainer, and Little Mac getting down to business.
The Smash community has experienced some lows in recent years—Brawl was a bust amongst the hardcore fans, and some fans preferred to play mods of the game (such as Project M) rather than the game itself. But now, the franchise has resurrected in triumph, and the latest Smash installment reminds us why we loved Nintendo so much in the first place.
