Holiday Games Gift Guide – Multiplatform December 20, 2012

The Holidays are coming pretty soon and I know that many of you may very well be opening up brand new gifts including a wide range of consoles and handhelds for the first time.  However, with a new console or handheld comes the responsiblity to find some of the best games to get for it.  The hope is to bring you a list of currently in print brand new games which are either some of the best for the platform or the best deals on the platform that you can easily pick up at the store for a reasonable price, pop it into your new gaming system and enjoy every second of it!  So, in the time leading up to Christmas, I’m going to be posting a series of articles for each platform and handheld system currently on the market and tell you what are some of the must-have games for new console owners!

Now we’re going to talk about some great deals on multiplatform games.  Now, it would be really easy to just draw up a list of all the new games that are out on multiple platforms and include new games like Far Cry 3, Borderlands 2, and Assassin’s Creed 3, but those games are brand new and are still going for full retail price.  While buying games like those are a no-brainer, here’s some games that are already out at lower prices and offer something extra special.  Get them now while you can and hopefully they’ll be on your platform!

Dead Island Game of the Year Edition –  Probably one of the most controversal games at release you owe it to yourself to pick up one of the most unique zombie games I’ve seen in recent time.  No longer are you fighting through a postapocalyptic urban landscape, you’re fighting your way through an open world sunny tropical resort paradise.  The best part about this is that all of the game’s DLC is included with this edition of the game, making it a really worthwhile purchase for those of you hoping to save some money.  You can currently get this game for the PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 for $29.99 US.

Zone of the Enders HD Collection –  Zone of the Enders is a franchise we haven’t seen in quite some time.  Released originally for the Playstation 2, the first game mostly saw sales as it included the first playable demo of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.  The ZOE HD Collection includes both the original game and sequel, The Second Runner, along with brand new HD support and animated intro cinematic.  It also includes the currently exclusive demo for Metal Gear Rising Revengeance on the disc, giving you a first playable look at that highly anticipated game two months before it sees a release.  You can get Zone of the Enders HD Collection for $39.99 US on the Playstation 3 or Xbox 360.

Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition – When Batman: Arkham City came out in 2011 it was not only the best superhero game ever made, it was easily considered one of the best multiplatform hits of that year.  Over a year later, over thirty dollars worth of downloadable content has been released for Arkham City, including extra character costumes for Batman and Catwoman, extra challenge maps, and an entirely separate downloadable content expansion pack.  Since all the DLC is included with the GOTY edition, this makes it a much better deal.  You can get the Arkham City Game of the Year Edition for the Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 for $49.99 US.

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection – The Metal Gear Solid HD Collection includes Metal Gear Solid 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, and Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker.  The game’s original graphics remain intact, but the framerate is amazingly high.  For me though, the most important feature was finally you can play MGS2 and MGS3 in anamorphic widescreen, something I have wanted to do since I got my first HDTV back in 2005.  The game even allows you to transfer save games from either the Vita version of Metal Gear Solid HD Collection to the PS3 or the PSP version of Peace Walker.  You can probably find this game for $29.99 US on the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 or Playstation Vita.  Please note though, the Playstation Vita version does not include Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker.

Mass Effect Collection – This one is pretty much a no brainer.  The Mass Effect series has long been a staple of this generation.  It was a science-fiction universe presented in a realistic way.  It was a role-playing game but with a real-time battle system.  You could play it as an RPG or play it as a shooter.  The decisions you made impacted the entire universe and changed the story.  Originally released as an exclusive Xbox 360 game, their popularity grew and grew and each sequel saw a release on multiple platforms.  Now, Mass Effect 1, 2 and 3 are being bundled together and released for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC.  In fact this will mark the first time the original Mass Effect game saw a release on the Playstation 3.  You can pick up the Mass Effect Collection for $59.99 US.

Silent Hill HD Collection – There has been a lot of controversy about this HD Collection’s release since it came out.  Featuring Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill 3, which were considered by many to be the best two games of the series, it may not have the framerate or polish as the original versions of the games do, but unlike the original versions of the games you can actually buy this collection brand new for a reasonable price.  Silent Hill HD Collection is out for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 and you can probably find it for $29.99 US.

Saints Row the Third: The Full Package – I was a huge fan of the original Saints Row when it came out, and loved Saints Row 2 just as much.  With games like Grand Theft Auto leaving a high bar to climb when it came to open-world action games, the Saints Row series solved all the problems I felt Grand Theft Auto had, and added in a completely absurd tone which kept me playing.  Saints Row The Third continues this tradition with a completely zany story, an entirely new driving system, and weapons I can’t even repeat here for modesty’s sake.  Now, with The Full Package, you get ALL the DLC included with the game with no extra charge.  Given the fact that it is currently only a ten-dollar premium over the normal edition of the game, and the costs of all that DLC, that makes The Full Package a great deal.  With the recent bankruptcy filing by THQ, there’s no word just how long this game is going to be on the shelves for.  You can get Saints Row The Third: The Full Package for $49.99 US on the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3.

Wow, that’s a lot of games across a lot of platforms!  And don’t worry, we’re not even close to being done.  Even more games are coming!