JESS
Fall Guys – Equal parts fun and frustrating, this new game is perfect for anyone with a competitive streak and a few minutes to spare. Best enjoyed when played with friends and no particular gaming skills required.
Paper Mario: The Origami King – You can never really go wrong with a Mario game and Paper Mario is no exception. A great little game for players of all ages, Paper Mario will leave gamers feeling accomplished without too many tricky hurdles standing in the way of game completion.
Carrion – For a complete change of pace, why not a horror game? Described as a “Flashback-meets-Stranger Things asymmetrical throwback”, Carrion is a creative reverse-horror game where, instead of running from or defeating the monster, you are the monster, wiping out humans in your path.
ROB
Spiderman: Miles Morales – I absolutely loved Insomniac’s Spider-Man game. They introduced Miles in that game and I wished you would be able to play him as Spidey in that game but things didn’t work out that way. Luckily for us the good people at Insomniac decided to just make a Spider-Man game with Miles as the hero, so thanks to them, & thanks to Marvel. Now all you gotta do is manage to get your hands on a PS5.
Tech for Your Gaming Setup:
VIZIO’s M-Series All-in-One 2.1 Home Theater Sound Bar
Gaming Chair with Bluetooth Speakers
VIZIO’s M-Series TV
Secretlab World of Warcraft Horde x Alliance Gaming Chairs
KontrolFreek Call of Duty Thumb Grips
Assassins Creed Valhalla – The latest installment of Assassin’s Creed is almost here and it’s one people have speculated on for years now. If you know an AC fan this is one game you need to get them. The one problem we have right now is that getting a PS5 is not an easy task, but never fear the good folks at Ubisoft have got you covered. If you purchase the PS4 Gold Steelbook version you get a free upgrade to the digital version of the game for the PS5. sounds like a winner to me.
MATT
I want to start off my selections by wishing all of our readers very Happy Holidays! It’s been one crazy, unpredictable, trying year but we’ve made it to one of the happiest times of it. I wish you and yours the best as we navigate the last few weeks of 2020. With all that, let’s get into my picks for the gaming portion of the Holiday Gift Guide. My picks will be separated into three parts, consoles, PC, and games I consider to be must-own from this year.
Consoles
ROCCAT ELO X Stereo – This year, I’ve had the good fortune to review quite a few gaming headsets. Of the headsets I’ve reviewed, my absolute favorite of the bargain tier was the ROCCAT ELO X Stereo. The X Stereo doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that higher-priced gaming headsets have. What it does have, though, is a lightweight frame that provides superior comfort, a ridiculously powerful mic that captures true voice, and innovative speakers that promote a crisp sound experience. I love this headset and at $49.99 it’s an absolute steal.
Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 – The X Stereo is a wired gaming headset, but if wireless headsets are more of your speed, the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 Gaming Headset is an absolute winner. Designed for Next-Gen consoles, the Stealth 700 Gen 2 captures audio with some of the most powerful, high quality speakers on the market. Its heavy duty frame also feels surprisingly comfortable. The headset is able to connect easily with the Xbox Series X and Xbox One, whereas the PS5/PS4 version requires a USB. If you want a gaming headset that captures next-gen sound, the Stealth 700 Gen 2 is the right call.
Call of Duty League Edition A40 TR Astro Gaming Headset – If you’re a fan of Call of Duty League, their gaming headset partner, Astro Gaming has a headset that should be right up your alley. Premiering during Call of Duty League, the League Edition of the A40 TR Gaming Headset provides crystal clear audio with a strong, noise-cancelling frame. However, what makes this headset so unique is how you can sport your Call of Duty League pride with panels for your favorite team (Chicago Huntsman BAY BEE!). It runs for $189.99, but you’re getting an excellent bang for your buck.
Crash Bandicoot 4 Cable Guy – Last year for the holiday gift guide, I encouraged people to purchase controllers for their beloved gamers, rather than a new console. This year, I am all about Cable Guys, specifically the Crash Bandicoot 4 Cable Guy. If you read my review of Crash Bandicoot 4, you’ll know that I absolutely adored that game. Now, you can bring Crash home to hold and charge your controllers. This specific Cable Guy has amazing detail and perfectly captures Crash’s new look in Crash Bandicoot 4. It’s inexpensive, useful, and looks great! Win-win-win.
Spyro and Crash “The Art Of” Books – I’m such a sucker for Art books. The beauty of them is that they include amazing concept art that you otherwise would never see. Plus, you get read on stories and inspirations behind the art style they chose. This year, Activision has two “The Art of “ books, one for Spyro: Reignited Trilogy and for Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. Two absolutely brilliant, visually impressive games. So yeah, I’m all in on these two books as great gifts for the Spyro and Crash fans in your life.
PC
ROCCAT ELO 7.1 Air – If you’re in the market for a wireless gaming headset for your Gaming PC, one of my favorites this year was the ROCCAT ELO 7.1 Air. This wireless headset is one of the most comfortable headsets I’ve tried on all week. Plus, the 7.1 Air is capable of producing captivating surround sound and has a high quality mic that reproduces real-life voice. Also, with the AIMO RGB technology, all of your ROCCAT tech seamlessly connects with each other to create a pretty awesomely lit environment.
ROCCAT Vulcan 122 AIMO – One of my favorite products I’ve reviewed this year is the ROCCAT Vulcan 122 AIMO Gaming Keyboard. This beautiful keyboard features a heavy-duty yet sleek, clean design that’s remarkably comfortable. The Vulcan 122 also sports keys that bounce back ridiculously fast, allowing for quicker keystrokes and twitchy-fast gameplay. Also the AIMO RGB color technology is mesmerizing. Definitely worth buying for you PC player.
Lenovo Legion Tower 5i – So far, I’ve talked about some products to get for your existing PC gamer. But what about the gamer who wants to get a new rig or even their first gaming rig? Well look no further than the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i. Equipped with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super, 256GB SSD, & 1TB HDD the Legion is capable of playing some of the most high quality games on the market today. Plus, it’s easily upgradable, so you can stay current with the latest games. Word to the wise, though, make sure you save everything on the HDD and leave your SSD alone to keep your system ridiculously fast.
Lenovo Legion 7i Gaming Laptop – The best purchase I made all year was buying a gaming laptop. Lenovo has a similar gaming laptop to the one I bought with the Lenovo Legion 7i. The link above let’s you customize the gaming laptop to the specs you want but I suggest getting the 1TB SSD and the RTX 2060. Your laptop will be insanely fast and capable of playing every game under the sun. It plays and looks similar to next-gen systems as games with long load times like Destiny 2 load in 1/4th of the time as current-gen consoles and it’s capable of playing at 60fps. Buying a laptop like the Lenovo Legion 7i is a smart buy for your PC gamer.
Games
Yakuza: Like a Dragon – While we can all agree that 2020 was literally the worst, it was actually a spectacular year for games. One of the best came late in year, as SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio launched the zany reboot of the beloved Yakuza franchise in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. With its original story, unique characters, and a hilarious approach to the classic Turn-Based RPG system, this is a must-play game even if you’re not familiar with the franchise.
Final Fantasy VII Remake – This was without a doubt my most anticipated game of the year and Square Enix absolutely knocked it out of the park. Final Fantasy VII Remake took everything you loved about the Midgar portion of the original 1997 game and expanded on it beautifully with an amazing combat system, soundtrack mixing, and storytelling. Many wondered if this would really be a full game and it definitely was. Although, there were some questionable liberties taken with the remake, it still remains as one of the top games of 2020 in my book and one that could make for an awesome gift.
Indie Games For the Holidays:
Temtem
Legends of Ethernal
Prodeus
Empire of Sin
Ooblets
Ghost of Tsushima – What more can I say that my colleagues haven’t said already. Ghost of Tsushima is one of the best games of 2020 and if your PS4/PS5 gamer hasn’t played it, this is THE gift for them, if they’re into picturesque open worlds, samurai movies, and exceptional swordplay.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time – Another game I absolutely adored in 2020 was Activision and Toys for Bob’s addition to the beloved Crash Bandicoot franchise: Crash Bandicoot: It’s About Time. Visually, the 4th mainline game in the franchise was stunning, which isn’t something that has been traditionally said about Crash games in the past. Furthermore, the challenges, humor, charm, original story, and even the new abilities captured the essence of what made us love Crash Bandicoot in the first place. It’s a stunning triumph and a perfect gift for the platformer-loving gamer of the household.
The Last of Us Part II – Of all the games that released in 2020, no game cut me deeper than The Last of Us Part II. While that may not be a great selling point for the holidays, the Last of Us series is one of the great stories ever crafted and should be experienced by all. My advice: if your gamer hasn’t played The Last of Us & The Last of Us Part II, buy both and sit with them as they play it because it will move you even if games aren’t really your thing. If your gamer loves stories, this is a perfect gift for the adult gamer of your house.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate – If for some insane unknown reason, the gamer of your house owns an Xbox or a gaming laptop and doesn’t have Xbox Game Pass, this is one of the best gifts you could ever give them. Xbox Game Pass is a subscription service that gives players access to hundreds of games both new and old for a relatively small monthly fee. Plus, brand new AAA games get dropped on there on the regular and more publishers like EA are uploading their entire catalog of games on there. So it’s basically a limitless gaming service AND with Ultimate, players can play anywhere with xCloud, Xbox’s cloud based gaming service. It’s literally the best gaming service out there and would make a great gift.
If you have gamers on your shopping list this year, we hope our guide helps you sort through the MANY options for you.
