8 Last-Minute Games to Stack Under Your Christmas Tree

1. For the FPS Maniac: Halo 4

   After the sheer success of Halo 3 in 2007, it was difficult to imagine a more complete and enjoyable game in the franchise. That is, until 343 Industries revived the series and created the magnum opus Halo 4. As dramatically compelling as it is beautiful, this game is an essential to any Xbox outfit and is worth a goldmine in replay value and multiplayer opportunities.

   Back in the shoes of Übermensch Master Chief, this installment of the series deals with the complicated task of finding a way home. Master Chief must gun, bomb and cover his way out of an alien landscape overrun with plenty of baddies, all the while holding together the fragile but necessary AI being Cortana. What unfolds is a massive sci-fi story that involves an ancient war and rapid evolution, and of course, plenty of shooting. The single-player campaign is only half of the game's true talents -- the multiplayer rocks. After (or before or during) you sink hours into the campaign, the multiplayer still feels fresh and inventive, living up to classic Halo standards.

   Microsoft's baby does it once again, and there's no way you'll be disappointed.

   Price: $39.99 at Best Buy
   Platform: Xbox 360

   Image courtesy of Microsoft Studios

   

2. For the Crude Humorist: Borderlands 2

   If you like side-splitting humor to compliment your sheer, unadulterated mayhem, then there's no other game for you than Borderlands 2. Wacky, crude, and full of crazy junk that will actually make you laugh out loud, this game is full of some funny moments and will keep you glued to the TV.

   The overall objectives within Borderlands 2 are drastically simple: shoot stuff, grab loot, get more guns, repeat. It's the characters that you meet along the way and their wacky little quirks that elevate the game's status from great to sheer excellence.

   And perhaps no NPC within the Borderlands universe has endeared herself to the gaming world more than Tiny Tina, a psychopathic pre-teen explosives expert who loads her bombs into stuffed animals and won't stop talking about badonkadonks. Voiced by Ashly Burch of "Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin'?" Internet fame, Tiny Tina is such a major force that she received a character trailer, despite her presence in just a handful of missions. She's just one aspect of what makes the game so great: sheer and complete nuttiness.

   Beyond the characters, Borderlands 2 is a fun adventure game with plenty to see, do and, of course, laugh at.

   Price: $50 on Amazon
   Platform: Xbox, PS3, PC

   Image courtesy of 2K Games

   

3. For the Puzzle-Solver: Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask

   It may look sweet, but the Professor Layton seres is more than just a few kid-friendly games. In reality, it's one of the most innovative, varying and challenging puzzle experiences out right now, and Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is an exemplary title with a lot of brain-wracking goodness.

   Can you solve the mystery plaguing the beautiful festival city of Monte d'Or? Professor Layton, his kid apprentice Luke and photographer Emmy are doing their best to uncover the identity of the masked man who has been turning people to stone and wreaking all sorts of havoc around town. But the mystery isn't so straightforward.

   Solving puzzles to further the story, Professor Layton series' gameplay also requires a bit of brain power to solve. You may find yourself scratching your head at the various puzzles that cross your path, including spatial identification, logic and math puzzles.

   This is definitely one game where you'll actually learn while playing, but Professor Layton is such an enjoyable experience that you won't notice how much you're thinking.

   Price: $39.99 at Best Buy
   Platform: Nintendo 3DS

   Image courtesy of Nintendo

   

4. For the Nostalgia Hound: Fez

   Fez can be called a lot of things: the indie game for indie gamers, an embattled near-vaporware more than four years in the making, an insane journey into the mystery of existence. But perhaps most of all, it's a love letter to gaming. At once classically familiar and refreshingly different, Fez is built for the gamer still pining for the 8-bit era and does a fantastic job at bringing that time back to life.

   The indie game tells the story of a little guy names Gomez, living in a beautifully flat 2D world, until a 3D cube bursts into the world and begins messing with the fabric of space and time. Given a smart-looking fez that allows him to see and manipulate the new dimensions of his world, Gomez ventures around to find a way to bring life back to 2D normalcy. As a charming and surprisingly deep platformer, Fez makes informed and nuanced callbacks to old-school gaming without feeling cloying or trite.

   Everything is cute without being mushy, and the game design is challenging but not overly simplified. The result is a game you'll want to invest in.

   Price: $10 on Xbox Live
   Platform: Xbox 360

   Image courtesy of Microsoft Studios

   

5. For the Adrenaline Junkie: Far Cry 3

   What would you do if you landed on an island, only to have a deranged junkie pirate kill your brother and kidnap your friends with plans to sell them into a human trafficking circuit? What if the only way to get them out was to storm a compound loaded with guns, cocaine and plenty of deadly thugs? That's the kind of intense situation that could drive someone insane -- and that is the exact plot of Far Cry 3.

   As the terrified Jason Brody, players must navigate the tropical setting of the Rook Islands, finding strategic ways to take out the seedy foes that litter the island, while saving friends. As Jason becomes more accustomed to killing others, he unlocks greater powers and weapon options to make him an even more deadly force. Combine that with cliff diving, zip lining, huge explosions and plenty of plot twists, and Far Cry 3 will keep your heartbeat racing faster than a good game of dodgeball. The game is all about turning fear into adrenaline, and there's plenty of that to go around.

   This game is exciting and terrifying all at once -- so if you're up for the challenge, pick it up.

   Price: $59.99 at Best Buy
   Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

   Image courtesy of Ubisoft

   

6. For the Cute Overloader: Pokemon Black/White Version 2

   For years, Pokemon has been the gold standard in unbearably adorable animals. This year's contributions are absolutely no different, and Pokemon Black/White 2 bring some insanely cute sprites into the mix alongside some old favorites for a veritable melange of oohs and awws.

   From the adorable water-type otter Oshawott to Lilipup and Skitty -- literally the "puppy" and "kitty" pokemon -- there's plenty of cuteness to go around (with 301 different types in the regional Pokedex, Pokemon Black/White 2 have the most pokemon available in history) as you travel through Unova to become the best trainer around. But, the pokemon aren't the only things with high visual impact -- the rich landscapes of Unova and the character-filled cities make the long journey full of great sites to see.

   Oh, and with a rich story and addictive quests, you get some amazing gameplay too. What's not to love?

   Price: $34.99 at Best Buy
   Platform: Nintendo 3DS

   Image courtesy of Nintendo

   

7. For the Dramatist: Mass Effect 3

   It's the future, and Earth and the entire human race is in jeopardy. With only a few tenuous allies in space, it's up to one person to make the right decisions to keep the entire world together. Commander Shepard is one of the biggest characters in gaming, and you'll be taking over some of his weightiest decisions yet in Mass Effect 3.

   Technically, this one is a bit of a cheat, because you should really play Mass Effect 2 before starting this installment -- the last in the long-running trilogy. While there's plenty of action in the form of complicated military attacks, and the players get to tailor Shepard's skills to their style, the game really reaches its most satisfying when decisions you make early in the game (or even in previous games) come back to make a big change when it matters. The series is also known for its extensive and nuanced conversation choices -- you can be a confident and moral leader or a straight-up badass, and both get the job done well.

   But most of all, be prepared to get swept up in the story. It's a big one.

   Price: $29.99 at Best Buy
   Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii U

   Image courtesy of EA Games

   

8. For the Choosy One: Dishonored

   How do you view vengeance? Are you going to tunnel vision the targets who've wronged you, or take a "Scorched Earth" approach, leaving no living soul behind? In open-world dystopian action title Dishonored, all of the choices you make will affect the world around you -- and if you're too merciless, you may find your murders coming back from the dead (literally).

   Corvo Attano is a wronged former bodyguard in the corrupt steampunk town of Dunwall, seeking revenge for the death of the Empress Jessamine and the kidnapping of her daughter Emily. Corto goes on a series of assassination missions, but the game can be completed with almost no bloodshed and simply through stealth, instead. Depending on how the player makes decisions, Corto can either help the Dunwall rise up out of the plague and corruption-ridden hell it has built or further plunge the whole place into chaos.

   If you love making choices, this one has an infinite amount -- especially through multiple playthroughs. This is a perfect strategy game with big consequences, and its immersive plot means that those decisions matter.

   Price: $59.99 at Best Buy.
   Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, and PC

   Image courtesy of Bethesda

   

The holidays are synonymous with quality gaming time -- with some extra days off and hours of lounging around, there's nothing better than firing up the best game you unwrapped and getting down to business. Throw in some Christmas leftovers, and there isn't anything closer to heaven.

If you're looking for the best of the best right now, either to pick up for your loved one or to treat yourself this holiday season, look no further than this roundup of games. Catered to a specific play style, you'll find that all of these games are critical and commercial successes -- a veritable sure thing in the gaming world.

Whether you're into hopping around on platforms or running and gunning through checkpoints, these games are sure to knock your socks off and keep you satisfied through the post-Christmas lull.

Thumbnail image courtesy of 343 Industries