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Holiday Geek Gift Guide 2013: Video Games
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Holiday Gift Guide: Video Games banner

Let it begin!

If you’ve not already finished all of your Christmas shopping, you are aware that the madness is about to begin. As always, we here at Geeks of Doom have all kinds of different suggestions for you, and in this guide, we offer a massive list of many of the video game options out there for you.

Continue on below now to check out the Holiday Geek Gift Guide 2013: Video Games!

Microsoft's Xbox One, Sony's PS4, Nintendo's Wii U

CONSOLES

In case you’re not aware, this year is a bit of a special one, as the next generation of video game consoles just recently launched. So we shall begin with those, as they, while pricey, are a gift that would make any gamer wide-eyed with excitement.

This guide will feature many games available on these new systems, including some exclusively.

PlayStation 4 — The first of the new consoles is Sony’s PlayStation 4, which gained a ton of buzz promising no used game restrictions, no always connected, and a $100 cheaper price tag.

Things have gone well so far, as well, as the company reported big numbers, and this should get even better as more exclusive games are released.

Xbox One — Next comes Microsoft’s Xbox One, which had a rocky road to its release due to its restrictions (which were eventually changed to appease enraged fans) and the extra $100 cost due to it coming with a new Kinect motion sensor.

But despite the rocky road, Xbox One has also done impressively, proving just how far a faithful fanbase can get you.

Wii U — Though it released in 2012, the Wii U is successor to Nintendo’s Wii, so we’ve included the link to go pick one of those up if the more family-aimed games are what you’re looking for.

Tomb Raider Image

Tomb Raider — Crystal Dynamics’ Tomb Raider very successfully rebooted the popular franchise that follows Lara Croft, a British archeologist who travels the world seeking rare artifacts.

The game was an origins story, telling of Croft setting off on her first expedition to find the lost kingdom of Yamatai, despite being advised to avoid the area she’s heading to. Ignoring the advice ends up costing her, as a brutal storm causes the ship to crash, stranding those who survive on an island. Separated from the others, Croft must find a way not only to survive, but also find her friends and escape the island and the dangerous cult members who reside there.

Tomb Raider is available on PC, Xbox 360, PS3.

NHL 14 — The yearly offering for fans of hockey. Available on Xbox 360 and PS3.

SimCity — The classic franchise, rebooted. Available on PC, Mac.

Need For Speed Rivals — The next title in the hit racing series. Available on Xbox One, PS4, PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn — Available on PC and PS3.

Rayman Legends — A new game in the visually remarkable platformer series. Available on PC, Wii U, Xbox 360, and PS3.

Killer Is Dead — The highly stylized and ultra-violent new game from No More Heroes and Killer 7 gamemaker Suda51. Available on Xbox 360 and PS3.

Killzone: Shadow Fall — Sony’s big PlayStation 4 exclusive launch title, and the next installment in the hit first-person shooter series. Available for PS4.

Defiance — The game made to work in conjunction with the Syfy TV series of the same name. Available on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Crysis 3 — The third installment in developer Crytek’s futuristic FPS franchise. Available on Xbox 360, PC, and PS3.

Forza 5 — One of the Xbox One exclusive launch titles, and the next in the popular driving simulator series. Available for the Xbox One.

Super Mario 3D World Image

Super Mario 3D World — One of the top family-friendly options out there, Super Mario 3D World is the first multiplayer Mario platformer in a 3D world.

Players can choose to play as either Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, or Toad, and each character has their own special abilities. You can either play the game alone, or join up with friends to explore the world and compete against each other.

Super Mario 3D World is available on Wii U.

Madden 25 — The long-running king of football games’ 25th anniversary released, complete with the great Barry Sanders on the cover. Available on Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, and PS3.

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix — First released over a decade ago in 2002, the action-RPG classic gets an HD re-release. Available on PS3.

Batman: Arkham Origins — The latest in the Arkham series of games, Origins takes players back to when Batman was just getting started, and opens up Gotham City for exploration on Christmas Eve. Available on PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, and PS Vita.

DuckTales Remastered — The classic side-scroller has been given a good polish and re-released. Available for PC, Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii U.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag — The newest entry in Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series lets players take all of the action of being a pirate, including captaining your own ship. Available on PS4, Xbox One,
PC, Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii U.

Injustice: Gods Among Us — A classic arcade fighting style that lets you play as and do battle with various DC Comics characters. Available on Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii U.

Diablo III — The hit PC game made its way to consoles this year. Available on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Beyond: Two SoulsHeavy Rain makers Quantic Dream and David Cage latest game offers star power in Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe. Available on PS3.

The Cave — An adventure game from Brutal Legend and Psychonauts developer Double Fine. Available on PC.

Pikmin 3 — Take control of an army of little pikmins to solve puzzles, defend yourselves against predators, and gather food for your depleted home planet. Available on Wii U.

BioShock Infinite

BioShock Infinite — As far as I and many others are concerned, this year’s Game of the Year candidates boil down to three big names. BioShock Infinite is one of those three, offering a truly cerebral experience that will no doubt leave you pondering the things you’ve seen and done once completion of the story has been achieved.

The game is a prequel to 2007’s BioShock, and instead of taking place in an underwater city, it takes place in the year 1912 on the floating city of Columbia. You play as Booker DeWitt, a former Pinkerton agent tasked with finding and retrieving a girl named Elizabeth, who has been imprisoned there since she was a child. But as you progress through your mission, more and more mysteries arise, leaving you to try and put the pieces together.

BioShock Infinite is available for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

Call of Duty: Ghosts — The latest Call of Duty offering, the popular first-person military shooter mega-franchise. Available on Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, PC, and Wii U.

Battlefield 4 — Another big time military FPS franchise, and friendly neighborhood rival of Call of Duty. Available on PC, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, and PS3.

Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate — A new game in the popular fighting series. Available for PS3 and Xbox 360.

Just Dance 2014 — A game for those into dancing the night away, or making fools of themselves with close friends. Available on Wii, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, and PS3.

Ryse: Son of Rome — Another Xbox One exclusive launch title, which promises stunning visuals and brutal ancient Roman violence. Available on Xbox One.

FIFA 2014 — The yearly title for fans of soccer. Available for the PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4, and PS Vita.

Saints Row IV — Wild and crazy, over the top, and a little bit silly at times, and completely proud of those things. Available on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

Knack — A PS4 exclusive launch title. Available on PS4.

Payday 2 — A first-person game all about pulling off bank heists. Available for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Ni No Kuni — The Japanese RPG that’s basically like playing a Studio Ghibli movie (read our review here) was released in the U.S. this year. Available for PS3.

Grand Theft Auto V Image

Grand Theft Auto V — The second of the three top games of the year (read our review right here), Grand Theft Auto V pushed the last generation consoles to the absolute max, achieving unbelievable things and making it one of the best video game worlds we’ve ever been able to play around in.

The game also became the most successful entertainment launch of all time, shooting out to $800 million in just 24 hours, and passing $1 billion in just a few days, resulting in various Guinness World Records.

Grand Theft Auto V is available on Xbox 360 and PS3.

WWE 2K14 — The newest game for fans of wrestling and the WWE specifically. Available for Xbox 360 and PS3.

Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon — Mario’s brother Luigi steps into the spotlight for an adventure in ghost hunting and puzzle solving. Available for the Nintendo 3DS.

Dead Space 3 — The trilogy maker in the creepy sci-fi horror third-person shooter series. Available for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

Poker Night 2 — A must-own for anyone who’s a geek and a fan of poker, as you’ll get to play with the likes of Ash from the Evil Dead trilogy, Brock Samson from Venture Bros., Claptrap from Borderlands, and Sam from Sam & Max, with GLaDOS from Portal taking on the role of dealer. Available on PC.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons — A beautifully designed puzzle game in which you play as two brothers you can control simultaneously. Available on PC. Also can be found in the Xbox and PlayStation marketplaces.

MLB13 The Show — One of the two yearly baseball offerings, often believed to be the superior option. Available on PS3.

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Expansion — Not a full game, but an expansion for the 2010 real-time strategy game Star Craft II: Wings of Liberty. Available on PC.

Gears of War: Judgment — After a great trilogy was wrapped up nicely by Gears of War 3, Judgement takes the franchise to the past to tell a prequel story. Available on Xbox 360.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds — Link is back for the newest title in the Zelda series. Available on Nintendo 3DS.

Disney Infinity — Disney’s answer to Skylanders, offering worlds—some new, some familiar—to explore. Available for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, Wii, and Nintendo 3DS.

Dead Rising 3 — Zombies. Lots and lots of zombies to destroy. That’s all you need to know. Available exclusively on the Xbox One.

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist — The latest entry in the excellent Splinter Cell series, and the last before the death of Mr. Clancy this past October. Available for the Xbox 360, PS3, PC, and Wii U

The Last of Us Image

The Last of Us — The final top game of the year, and it is one for the ages. Not only is The Last of Us easily one of the best games of the year, it’s one of the best games ever made. This just goes to show how spoiled gamers were this year.

Made by Uncharted developers Naughty Dog, the game follows Joel as he attempts to transport a young girl named Ellie from Boston across the country after an apocalyptic virus (the very real Cordyceps) has turned most of humankind into tortured, highly aggressive mutants of a sort, leaving the creations of man to be retaken by nature.

The Last of Us is available on the PS3.

Metro Last Light — An under-the-radar but well-reviewed follow-up to Metro 2033. Available for Xbox 360, PS3, PC.

Dead Island: Riptide — More zombies! Lots and lots more zombies for your head-bashing amusement. Available on Xbox 360 and PS3.

Deadpool — No beating around the bush here, just Deadpool doing what Deadpool does: talking and causing trouble. Available for PS3 and Xbox 360.

Outlast — One of the top new horror titles of the past year, and one to surely keep those you know and love wide awake all night. Available on PC.

Grand Turismo 6 — The longtime top-of-the-line driving simulation gets a new title. Available for PS3.

Total War: Rome II — For fans of real-time strategy games, as well as ancient history. Available on PC.

Puppeteer — A whimsical and visually enchanting little adventure. Available for the PS3.

MLB 2K13 — The other baseball option, which is on more than just the one platform. Available for Xbox 360 and PS3.

The Stanley Parable — Perhaps the most unique gaming experience on this list, it’s not one in which the player should ever assume they know what’s going to happen next. Available on PC.

The Wolf Among Us — The first episode of The Walking Dead developer Telltale Games’ Fables adaptation is out and more are on the way. Available on PS3, PC. Can also be found for download in the Xbox marketplace.

God of War: Ascension — Much like Gears of War, God of War also wrapped up their trilogy and decided to venture to the past in this prequel story for the mighty Kratos. Available on PS3.

NBA 2K14 — Another sports franchise, made for those who fancy basketball. Available on Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, PC.

AMAZON SHIPPING INFORMATION

If you’re ordering through Amazon.com in the United States, here’s their ordering deadlines for delivery on or before Christmas Eve (12/24) for items in-stock shipped to physical addresses within the United States and marked “Ships from and sold by Amazon.com” or “Fulfilled by Amazon.com.”

Contiguous U.S.
Dec. 17: Free Shipping (non-Prime)
Dec. 18: Standard Shipping
Dec. 21: Two-Day Shipping
Dec. 23: One-Day Shipping
Dec. 24: Local Express Delivery
Dec. 25: Email and printable Amazon Gift Cards can be sent immediately, at any time

For more details about local delivery and delivery to the non-contiguous U.S (Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico), as well as international shipping, see the Christmas Ordering Deadlines For U.S. Shipments page.

Remember, 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.

1 Comment »

  1. Video Game Gift
    Ideas 2013 just check out the latest ideas on Techyclick

    Comment by Techyclick — December 5, 2013 @ 2:50 pm

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