Holiday Guide to the Galaxy 2009 [Gamer Geek]

Welcome to the first in a series of Holiday Buyer’s Guides by the Editors of GamerWok. First up on the docket is the “Gamer Geek”. You’re tasked with finding the perfect gift for the gamer in your life but you’ve got nothing past Mario Brothers so what do you do? Thank goodness GamerWok is here to help! By following this guide, you will not only make that special someone extremely happy, but all of your own wishes will come true! Think of this as the three-wolf-moon shirt of “Buyer’s Guides” and you’ve got the idea – enjoy and happy holidays!

Sony’s PlayStation 3 Entertainment System – Amos
The PS3 has really come into its own this year. It’s always been a fairly well rounded entertainment system, what with a Blu-Ray player built in, WiFi, and a user upgradable hard drive, it was the Bentley of consoles for the longest time. But the PS3 was always hampered by the lack of must-own titles and a high cost of entry. However, with the recent launch of the PS3 Slim, the newest entry point is $299 CDN for a top of the line Blu-Ray player that’s capable of playing some kick-ass games. You will see later on that some of the most amazing titles this holiday season are all PS3 exclusives, making this truly a system worth owning for the gamer geek! (MSRP $299/Amazon.ca)
ATi Radeon 5850 Graphics Processor – Amos
ATi, the Honda to Nvidia’s Toyota, has once again taken the crown for the fastest single card solution available to consumers with their HD5870 line. However, if you’re not feeling the need for speed and are rather looking for the best bang for your buck, then this holiday, you need to be looking at the Radeon HD5850 instead. The little brother of the 5800 family might carry a smaller name but it doesn’t hold back the punches. What you get in the 5850 is a card that is slower by about 8-13% but with a cost savings of over 30%! That, in my books, is a great deal! If you’re looking to speed up your gaming PC and could use a nice boost in time for all the holiday games, then look no further than the HD5850. (MSRP $309.99/Memory Express)
Aion (PC) – Erik
NCSoft has put forward their best MMO yet with Aion. Choose from two factions and multiple classes; with your angelic wings, take to the air to defeat your enemies and restore order. Perfect for the MMO gamer that’s looking for something different in their online playtime. (MSRP $49.99 / NCSoft online)
Uncharted 2: Among Theives (PS3) – Amos
The follow-up to one of 2007’s best rated titles on the PS3, Uncharted 2 brings a truly cinematic experience to your video gaming. This is a story driven game with acrobactics, puzzles, adventure, and lots of explosions – a summer blockbuster wrapped up in a 8-10 hours for your holiday enjoyment. You’ve got a rugged explorer/womanizer searching for lost treasure and uncovering mysteries of old. Seriously, no fans of the Indiana Jones genre should miss this. One of the best games of the year for any platform. (MSRP $59.99/Amazon.ca)
Forza Motorsports 3 (Xbox 360) – Adam
This game has been out for a little while, so make sure you check if the gamer on your list already has it. If they have ever owned a racing game in their life (and possibly lost some love for the genre) this game is for them. Turn 10 Studios have done an amazing job creating a hardcore simulation racing game that is accessible for even casual racing fans. There are over 400 cars that are unlocked at the beginning of the game, you will need credits to buy them, but it is much easier than some games where you have to complete specific tasks to unlock your favourite car. Another great addition for the beginner is the ability to “rewind” in 5 second intervals. If you’ve ever been on lap 5 of a 10 lap race only to crash so epically that you KNOW that you will just be completing 5 more laps to come in last, you will appreciate this feature. Obviously you never have to use this feature so I guess it just depends on what you want to achieve in the game and how much will power you have. Not to mention, the game is just beautiful (with only some minor glitches). Full damage modeling on every car, undercarriage design for rollovers, and amazing tracks. And the unique sounds for each of the cars really complete the experience. (MSRP $64.99/Amazon.ca)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PC/PS3/Xbox 360) – Adam
It’s going to be tough to find a serious gamer that doesn’t already own this game, but I thought that I would include it because this game is a “must have.” The gameplay, graphics, unique levels, upgrading system and the multi-player all make this game absolutely amazing. Being the best selling game of all time also means that the gamer in your life might already own this title so do double check. Also take note of the Mature rating (17+) on this title for the younger geeks in your life. (MSRP $59.99/Memory Express/Amazon.ca)
Assassin’s Creed 2 (Xbox 360/PS3) – Adam
Ubisoft has improved this franchise over the original Assassin’s Creed title in almost every respect. From the little that I have played the storyline seems to be much developed which is a huge thing for me. A great storyline is what I hope to see in every game that I play. And of course it helps that the game that looks absolutely beautiful. The recreation of various cities in 15th-century Italy are amazing from any vantage point and reason enough to buy this game. The gameplay is also much more varied with a good mix of stealth assassinations, puzzles, and acrobatics. (MSRP $59.99/Amazon.ca)
Left 4 Dead 2 (PC/Xbox 360) - Adam
The gameplay is simple, but oh so satisfying. The new setting and melee weapons are nice additions to this game, but aren’t game changers. I personally love the four-player co-op mode. There is nothing better than teaming up with three of your buddies and gunning down countless zombies. Many people are going to feel cheated by this game because of the downfalls of the original and the quick turnaround for this sequel, but if you know someone that loved the first one and didn’t get sick of it, this is almost a sure fire hit for them. (MSRP $54.99/Memory Express/Amazon.ca)
James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game (PS3/Xbox 360/Wii) – Adam
This is probably the only game on the list that I am not 100% confident about. I really trust (and admire) James Cameron as a creative director and Ubisoft is my favourite developer right now, so I can only hope that they are going to pull this off. The good news is that it isn’t your typical movie port, since it has been in development for two years and Cameron worked closely with Ubisoft to make sure that it complimented the movie, but didn’t duplicate it. The game exists in the same universe and there is some cross over with some of the actors in the movie who also did voice acting for the game, but it focuses more on new characters that lead up to the movie storyline. You play as a human at war with the Na’vi and any native creatures, but as you play through the game, you move back and forth between human and avatar form until you have to decide what side you want to fight for. Kind of a nice twist. If you have a 1080p television, some 3D glasses, and an HDMI-out cable for your Xbox 360 this one is a no-brainer for anyone who likes 3D awesomeness. But if you can’t take advantage of this cool feature, I would wait until a few more reviews certify this one as a hit. (MSRP $69.99/Amazon.ca)
The Saboteur (PC/Xbox 360/PS3) – Adam
I had the opportunity to play the beginning of this game at PAX and it was a refreshingly unique experience. You play as Sean Devlin, a member of the Morini racing team, who is looking for revenge for a lost loved one. The Saboteur is an open-world game set in Paris with a somewhat unique black and white illustrative style. Colour is used quite nicely as an accent to show interactive items and cool explosions. Actually we were told that the black and white elements are representative of the occupation, so as you let freedom reign you will see more and more colour. The gameplay itself is primarily a third-person shooter, but some situations require you to use stealth and your driving ability. This is a perfect game for someone who owns almost every type of game and is always looking for something new and different. (MSRP $69.99/Amazon.ca)