Video game gift recommendations for Christmas
Looking for a gift for a child? A sports fan? A book lover? Pavan Shamdasani has done all the legwork and more for our festive guide to video games
It's Christmas and, to many people, that means presents - which also means endless drama and indecision as we try to decide what to get our loved ones. Modern technology has made matters worse, with books, movies and music all available at the click of a button. And as there's no physical item to be wrapped, they don't make ideal gifts.
The last vestige? Video games, those little bundles of immersive fun that still come on actual discs. Year after year, games routinely outsell the big-screen movies that often inspired them. Those who think they're not gamers should just look at their smartphone and all the games available for it.
Games are for everybody these days. Regardless of whether you're a former player wanting to get back into the saddle, a book or film lover who never considered going interactive, or a parent looking for a bit of adventure, we've got you covered.
Here's our Christmas gaming guide, featuring some of the best games from the past three months, all lovingly ordered with your friends and family in mind.
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Fans of the written word often say nothing beats the humble book. We won't get into that argument, but The Vanishing of Ethan Carter does a fairly great job of recreating macabre 20th-century fiction on a grand gaming scale. Blending Chandler-like mysteries with Lovecraftian horror, this mystery game sends players into a short adventure that treats them to a good dose of fiction, while challenging their intellect. Book lovers won't trade in their libraries anytime soon, but they might put down that tome for an hour or two.
Availability: PC, but coming in 2015 for PS4