For video game fans this year is about the games: as in software, not hardware. That might seem obvious given that there isn't a new video game console system this year, apart from Nintendo's 3DS handheld (old news), and the next generation of home consoles is still at least a year away - probably longer if Sony and Microsoft have anything to say about that. But that just means that the current generation of consoles is reaching its potential, and rather than seeming outdated this year the big game franchises are delivering big thrills.
It is hard to narrow down this year's offerings to the best 10, so consider this the best this fall/early winter season has to offer, from this writer's perspective.
To start off the list, there has been a lot to be said for threes. Third time is the charm, and with a wave of new sequels hitting this year three seems to be it. In fact five big titles this year were "threepeats," and made our list of must-play games that deliver that big picture and big audio experience.
Battlefield 3 (Electronic Arts; PC/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360)
If this is the last Battlefield it is going out with a bang. And while technically titled, "Battlefield 3," this is just the latest in a serious of first-person shooters that began with Battlefield 1942 almost a decade ago. This time around the game is set in the modern day as the United States and Russia face off in a global war that could decide the faith of mankind.
It is a globetrotting adventure as well, offering a full single player campaign, co-op missions and of course the multiplayer gameplay that has made this franchise a hit every time. Players can take part in squad-based combat as ground pounding infantry, take charge of the latest armored fighting vehicles and mainline battle tanks that the modern military has to offer, or head to the skies in helicopters and jet aircraft.
The game features a trek to the Middle East, Russia and even Paris - all with destructible environments. Visually the game is impressive, while the sound can be bombastic; making it feel like a war is breaking out in your living room. If that wasn't enough, the game will see the release of the first add-on pack next month, with four newly released maps from past Battlefield games. So let this be the last Battlefield, because chances are this one won't grow old anytime soon.
Rated: M (Mature)
Where to Buy:
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Activision; PC/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360/Nintendo Wii)
About the only thing that could keep gamers from nonstop Battlefield action this holiday might be a little game called Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. This is the first time the series goes truly head to head and it is going to be a deathmatch - and not just in the games either. CoD: MW3 also offers a full single player campaign that sees a modern war between the United States and Russia, cooperative game play including a new survival mode that lets one or two players fight endless waves of enemies with ever increasing difficulty and of course the multiplayer mode.
Call of Duty: Elite, a new free/subscription-based service has arrived, offering players new ways to experience the game. In the free version players can track lifetime statistics and take part in social-networking style interaction, while the $49.99 yearly subscription offers downloadable content and daily competitions.
With settings as diverse as BF3, including action taking place in New York City, CoD: MW3 delivers, both on the audio and visual frontlines. At times the photorealistic graphics are so good it is hard to believe this is a game!
Rated: M (Mature)
Where to Buy:
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (Sony Computer Entertainment; PlayStation 3)
The modern day "Indiana Jones" is back in another adventure, and it is hard to keep this action hero down. This time Nathan Drake and his mentor Victor Sullivan head out in search of the legendary lost city the Iram of the Pillars, and this plays out in 22 chapters cross eight locations. Additionally there are cooperative and even competitive modes of play, including a buddy system that allows for quick action matches, while the campaign can be done with a friend.
This third person action adventure game has a cinematic storyline, but also a very cinematic look as well with cutscenes that utilized motion capture. These create a realistic feel that brings gaming to a whole new level, as Drake makes his way through a capsized cruise ship and manages to survive a cargo plane crash. This one also shows how games need not just be one action level after another either, and this franchise brings real character development along the way. Gamers will feel the bond between Drake and Sully, complete with the banter of the old friends, while the love between Drake and Elena also feels real. The result is characters players will care about, and not just because a level presents some difficultly. Seeing Drake and his pals fail just makes it all the more urgent to try it again.
And while fitness games have a way of getting gamers off the couch these days, Uncharted 3 is the kind of game that will keep players on the edge of their seat and wanting more.
Rated: T (Teen)
Where to buy:
Saint's Row: The Third (THQ; PC/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360)
A year without a Grand Theft Auto game could be a year without a Santa Claus, except Saints Row has well filled the void. And this time Saints Row: The Third brings out the underworld action once more. With gangs, pimps, prostitutes, and more foul language than a Sunday night on HBO or Showtime - not to mention that former porn star Sasha Gray provides one of the main characters' voices - this one certainly isn't for the kids.
And unlike a lot of violent videogame franchises this one continues to mock itself a bit, with self-deprecating humor and a plot that remains just completely over the top. The open world action adventure game once again has players taking part in a gang war in Steelport between the Saints (the so-called "good guys") against a rival crime syndicate known colorfully as The Syndicate. Original or inspired it may not be, but over the top it is, and in spades.
While there is a main under laying plot in Saint's Row: The Third, players can still do their own thing and at their own pace. This includes side missions and open ended exploring of the city via a third-person perspective. In the end, it is an adventure game that involves mini-missions for the greater good (or is it bad, because even we can't keep track). The game retains its comic book inspired look, yet brings all this in glorious HD. Whether or not these Saints might not come marching in, they will come packing.
Rated: M (Mature)
Where to buy:
Gears of War 3 (Microsoft; Xbox 360)
With so many other big titles arriving for the holidays it might be hard to remember back to September, when Gears of War 3 arrived, but this third-person sci-fi shooter shouldn't be forgotten. The game once again pits seeming steroid-enhanced human soldiers known as the Gears against the alien swarm known s the Locust. Set on a distant planet destroyed by years of war this series that emphasizes the use of cover and squad tactics over direct assaults. The result is what has been called more of a "thinking man's shooter" although it is still nice to get up close and personal with the chainsaw bayonets!
Gears of War 3 also includes a stereoscopic mode for 3D HDTVs, based on the TriOviz for Games Technology, which is integrated with the game's Unreal Engine 3 platform.
And while the game includes a full single player campaign that continues to lay onto the foundation of the fairly detailed backstory, this one is really about multiplayer... where you really will want to get up close and personal with your friends and show them your chainsaw bayonets!
Rated: M (Mature)
Where to buy:
It isn't all threes this holiday season. Here are a few more must-play games that deliver that cinematic appeal:
Jurassic Park: The Game (Telltale Games; Xbox 360)
While it is still up in the air whether Jurassic Park IV will ever see the light of the day (or whether it even should), the franchise isn't entirely extinct as Jurassic Park: The Game has finally arrived. The third-person adventure game allow players to walk with the dinosaurs, talk with the dinosaurs, run from the dinosaurs and if it goes badly possibly be eaten by the dinosaurs.
Rated: T (Teen)
Where to buy:
Assassin's Creed Revelations (UbiSoft; PC/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360)
The time shifting adventure franchise is back for more, giving players the chance to be a true Renaissance man. Reported to be the final game in the popular third-person adventure franchise to feature Ezio Auditore da Firenze and the last to be set in the Renaissance era, it promises to go out with bang. But in a series where players experience the actions of long dead ancestors, who just happened to be legendary assassins, would you expect any other sort of revelation?
Rated: M (Mature)
Where to buy:
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo; Wii)
To say that this isn't your dad's Zelda game is to put it mildly. The controls have been revised to take advantage of the Wii Motion Plus peripheral, to better mimic the movement of the player with that of Link on screen. The game is actually a prequel to the popular Ocarina of Time and provides more of the backstory on Link himself. And of course once again Zelda will find herself in trouble, but at least this time around she's no princess!
Rated: E 10+ (Everyone 10+)
Where to buy:
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda; PC/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360)
In most fantasy role-playing games evil is never truly defeated, for it were there would be no need for a sequel. Now 200 years after the last Elder Scrolls the land is in civil war, and the player - who begins the game as prisoner destined for execution - learns he is a dragon hunter and anointed by the gods to fend off the return of Alduin, the Nordic god of destruction. In other words, just another day in a war ravaged fantasy realm!
Rated: M (Mature)
Where to buy:
Batman: Arkham City (Warner Brothers; PC/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360)
Scripted by veteran comic book author Paul Dini this is a very dark telling of the Dark Knight. It begins as Bruce Wayne is arrested and sent to the massive prison, formerly the slums of Gotham City now known as Arkham City, where as alter ego Batman it is up to the player to contend with the Joker (voiced by Mark Hamill), Two-Face and other vile villains. And when it gets old being Batman there is also a chance to be Catwoman, Robin or Nightwing (OK, he's really just Robin). What's not to love about this sentence in Arkham City?
Rated: T (Teen)
Where to buy:
