Holiday Gift Guide 09: Action Adventures

We’ve had our fair share of Action Adventure titles this year. Rocksteady’s Arkham Asylum surprised us, Tim Schafer’s latest project brought out the roadie in us all and Assassin’s Creed II put us back in the Animus. Whether your idea of fun involves jumping between carriages on a moving train, lurking in the shadows or working on your air assassinations there’s something here for us all. Like the season, it’s the genre that keeps giving and there’s sure to be a title here worthy of just that.

• 

  Uncharted 2

  PS3 | Price: $60 (£40)

  The first Uncharted set standards in terms of gameplay while borrowing heavily from many, two years later and Naughty Dog have done it again. Nathan Drake is back and ends up on an around-the-world adventure when he receives a tip on Marco Polo’s lost fleet. The breathtaking visuals, compelling story, and the games dynamic action sequences are only half a reason to buy this epic title. If you own a PS3, forget everything else, you MUST own this game!

• 

  Batman: Arkham Asylum

  360/PS3/PC | Price: $60 (£45)

  When The Joker breaks free in Arkham Asylum, all plans fall into place and Batman’s in for a night to remember. Working alone you’re forced to walk head-first into Joker’s trap in order to foil his plan before it’s too late. For the action adventure fanatic or the comic book buff inside us all, Batman: Arkham Asylum ticks all the boxes this Christmas.

• 

  Assassin’s Creed II

  360/PS3 | Price: $60 (£40)

  Aching to get back in the Animus? Assassin’s Creed II takes us on a trip into 15th-century Italy. The game sees Ezio Auditore set upon an epic quest for vengeance when his father and brothers are murdered in cold blood. Breathtaking sights, the likeable lead character and a bustling open world only adds to the experience you’ll have with Assassin’s Creed II. Equip your weaponry and put on your garb, this is the year of the Assassin!

• 

  InFamous

  PS3 | Price: $60 (£45)

  From the creators of the award-winning Sly Cooper series comes inFamous, an open-world adventure that puts you in control of the fate of your environment. You will play as Cole, an everyday joe who has been endowed with some seriously electrifying special powers. Scale skyscrapers, grind power lines, and ultimately save or corrupt Empire City through your moral choices within the game. InFamous is chocked full of over the top visuals and exciting mayhem; a worthy gift for any PS3 gamer this holiday.

• 

  Brütal Legend

  360/PS3 | Price: $60 (£40)

  Starring Jack Black as the skilled Eddie Riggs, Brütal Legend tells the fantasy tale of a Roadie. Sucked into a mythical Age of Rock to fight evil, Eddie is about to discover his true life’s purpose. If in need of something to kill time over the holidays, or just an excuse to excuse yourself from arguing relatives at the dinner table, nothing beats saving the world with a dosage of heavy metal.

• 

  The Saboteur

  360/PS3/PC | Price: $60 (£40)

  Set during Nazi-occupied Paris you take control of Sean Devlin. Ignoring the heavy German presence, things finally take their toll when your friends are killed before the Nazi’s. With help from the French Resistance and the British Intelligence you must avenge your loved ones. Featuring the first ever open-world Paris, an arsenal of weaponry and sexy women, the Saboteur might just be the Inglorious Barstard of video games.