The season of giving is here, and as you scramble to work out what to ask others (or perhaps yourself) for Christmas, there are a handful of impressive games that you should hope to be poking out of your reindeer-laden stocking this year:
Need for Speed: Heat
Available on: Xbox One, PS4, PC
All the hallmarks you’d expect from Need for Speed are here. Crooked cops, stunning vehicles, and racers with something to prove – and thankfully, the racing itself is top-notch. Need for Speed is back to its very-best, delivering a game which is somewhat of a greatest hits compilation of the series’ best bits over the years.
Resident Evil 2
Available on: Xbox One, PS4, PC
Resident Evil 2 takes everything old-school fans loved about the original, and reinvents it for a new generation. This is a great jumping-on point for newcomers and a lovingly-created return for longtime fans, capturing the aura of the Playstation classic while reinvigorating the setting with new visuals, gameplay mechanics, and current-gen triple-A quality.
Metro: Exodus
Available on: Xbox One, PS4, PC
Whether you’ve played any Metro games in the past or not, it’s good to know that they’re difficult, brutal, and slower-paced than other shooters on the market, but they’re also incredibly detailed, brilliantly-designed, and unique with some innovative gameplay mechanics. Metro Exodus isn’t for everyone, but for those who are looking for something different and willing to put the time into it, there’s a stellar experience to be had.
The Division 2
Available on: Xbox One, PS4, PC
The Division 2 is big, bold, and jam-packed with content from the outset – with a lot of post-launch content on the way – making it a fantastic addition to any shooter-fans arsenal. While the game does focus on co-operative play, The Division 2 features a surprisingly robust single-player campaign. Despite some cheesy one-liners and recurring tasks, players will actually find more than enough value in the campaign alone, taking you to interesting locales and taking the fight to some challenging enemies throughout its 30-or-so hours.
Days Gone
Available on: PS4
In a market filled with zombie games, Days Gone had a lot of pressure to differentiate itself. Thankfully, it borrowed from the best out there while also carving out its own identity, to produce a game well-worth your time and money, telling an interesting story of post-apocalyptic survival with some interesting mechanics and survival elements to keep you on your toes.
Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled
Available on: Xbox One, PS4, Switch
1999’s Playstation classic Crash Team Racing has received a full remake with some dramatically updated visuals and controls, along with redone version of the old zany tracks and competition-levelling power-ups Nitro-Fueled also adds several new features, including online multiplayer and a revamped story mode. While it also haves online multiplayer, when playing split-screen co-op (something completely overlooked with today’s game), no racing game comes close to Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled‘s fun.
