The Rob’s Top Five Games This Holiday Season

The Christmas season is finally upon us! For fans of video games like myself, the last month before Christmas is the most exciting time of the year! This is when video game companies release all of their biggest titles and rake in billions of dollars (literally) hoping to optimize on the season’s giving spirit. So, if you’re looking for a good gift for the man in your life, or even for yourself, here is what I feel are the best video games available this holiday season!

#1 BatMan: Arkham City –

Without question, this is the game I’m most excited for Santa to bring me this year! A sequel to 2009’s BatMan: Arkham Asylum, Rocksteady Studios has changed very little from what the original so great. It’s dark, gritty presentation still encapsulates that “BatMan” feel. It’s still easy to play yet adequately difficult. It controls just like its predecessor. Plus they’ve beefed it up with even more of Gotham’s favorite bad guys, adding such favorites as Two Face, The Penguin, and Cat Woman all of whom missed Bruce Wayne’s last adventure through the Asylum. Don’t miss Arkham City, it’s available on PlayStation 3 and X-Box 360.

#2 Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception –

If you or your boyfriend has a PlayStation 3, you absolutely have to have this game. The third in Naughty Dog’s most decorated and beloved Uncharted franchise, this will likely go on to be the Game of the Year in most award shows and publications as its two earlier iterations have. This time, the Indiana Jones-inspired titular character Nathan Drake (of the Sir Francis Drake bloodline) will find himself abandoned in the desert amongst other inopportune locations. Fans of the series know the high quality and lofty expectations this game demands, and if your husband or fiancé have this on their list and you DON’T get it for him, you are a bad wife.

#3 The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

This is exclusively available on the Wii, but that doesn’t mean it’s only for your kids. The Legend of Zelda franchise turned 25 years old this year, and is generally regarded as the second greatest series of games of all-time, behind only the iconic Super Mario. Link and Zelda have been on dozens of adventures, none of them disappointments, many of which rank among the greatest games ever made. In fact, the third Zelda game, A Link to the Past is actually my favorite video game ever made. This title is expected to implement the Wii’s motion controls in unique and innovative ways, and will surely tell a fantasy tale of epic proportions. It can also come bundled with a soundtrack CD and a shiny gold Wii controller!

#4 Mario Kart 7

This one may be a tough gift to give this year because chances are you or your significant other PROBABLY don’t have Nintendo’s 3DS. That in and of itself is a shame, because I adore my little handheld device that provides glasses-free 3D entertainment, but they have not exactly sold like hotcakes. But if you do have one, you’d be silly to skip over the most successful racing franchise in games’ first 3D experience, Mario Kart 7!

#5 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Despite record breaking sales and rave critical reviews, also take caution before assuming your boyfriend wants to play Skyrim. It’s a HUGE game that could take avid players over 300 hours to complete. It has a lot of fantasy elements, dragon slaying, and other nerdy elements that may be of no interest to the video gamer on your list. But rest assured, this game is one of the biggest ever, and may outsell every other title this holiday season!