PS/Steam/Xbox/Nintendo Gift Card
Now, while this might be seen as the least “thoughtful” present to give, I think it’s honestly the best! A gift card is by far the easiest and most usable gift for an avid gamer. No more worrying about gifting them a game they’re uninterested in; just get a gift card for their respective platform so they can pick for themselves!
Spider-Man 2
I would recommend this game to anyone you know who is an avid PlayStation gamer. Spider-Man games have been a very popular spectacle in the PS community since its debut in 2018. Anyone remotely interested in the sarcastic wall-crawler will love every second of this. If you want to know more about it, check out my review!
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
From Tears of the Kingdom to the Super Mario RPG remake, this year has been an exciting one for dedicated Nintendo fanatics, creating new, experimental worlds for anyone and everyone to enjoy. I feel Super Mario Bros. Wonder is no different!
Now, while I haven’t had the time to sink my teeth into this game yet, I feel this review by Nintendojo sums it up well: “The pacing, the graphics, the controls—this is a masterclass in game design. Wonder has reconfirmed for any doubters out there that the Mario brand is still brimming with potential for new gameplay ideas.”
Plus, Mario has been an insanely well-known icon since the ’80s, so any Nintendo fan would love to get this for Christmas! I would approve of this to be a good gift for all ages. The biggest issue I’ve seen with the title is that it’s a tad short (around 8-9 hours for the story), though I’ve also heard that the game does have a plethora of secret levels and areas to find.
Lies of P
Lies of P lands in the “Souls-Like” category, seemingly directly inspired by the beloved FromSoftware game, “Bloodborne.” As this description states, “Lies of P is a thrilling souls-like that takes the story of Pinocchio, turns it on its head, and sets it against the darkly elegant backdrop of the Belle Epoque era.”
While I only have fairly minimal experience when it comes to Souls-Like games, I would safely recommend this game to anyone you know who is interested in the slower, more difficult combat, and boss fight spectacles the Souls-Like genre has to offer.
Lethal Company
The amount of success this game has had in the few months since its release is astounding. Created by a single developer by the name of Zeekers (who has made a handful of similarly popular “indie horror” games in recent years), it has sold over 6.2 million copies of Lethal Company since October and has certainly become an indispensable icon in gaming and media culture alike.
I’ve been watching and playing this game in whatever free time I can muster myself. It truly excels at being the perfect “multiplayer goofy-horror game” experience, not to mention some incredible proximity chat usage and outstanding sound design.
This game is practically a farm for absolutely hilarious clips between friends and family. So seriously, if you have $10 to spare, buy this game for a friend, a family member, or even for yourself this Christmas. I feel you won’t regret it. The more we support small developers, the more we get creative, groundbreaking games for everyone to enjoy.
This concludes Marco’s Merry Christmas (Gaming) Gift Recommendations. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas with their friends and family.
