9 Classic Video Games That Would Make For The Perfect Christmas Present

It's not the festive season if you're not racking up credit card debt on relatives you see twice a year, and if you've got games to buy, that means you'll be stopping by Best Buy and Gamestop and dropping full whack on $60 titles that don't warrant the asking price. Enough, I say. This Christmas, skip the aisles of shining merchandise and go straight to the bargain bin instead. Why, you ask? Well, because you can actually find a heck of a lot of fantastic games in there. Here, we've compiled a list of titles that are all at least three years old, retail for less than $20 and stack up against the full-priced alternatives available today. In many cases, they're actually better. So, next time you head out for the dreaded Christmas shop, consider putting one of these golden oldies under the tree this year instead, and be sure to thank us later. Gears Of War 2 Release: 2008 Platforms: Xbox 360 (compatible with Xbox One) No connoisseur's collection is complete without at least one entry in the much-vaunted Gears of War franchise, and if I had to pick one, I'd go for number 2. For $5 - yes, $5 - you can jump into the thick of the action as Marcus Fenix and his crew go head to head against the Locust alien invasion. The best games get pacing right, and the Gears of War 2 campaign is nigh-on perfect. From the early forest trek against fearsome Brumaks to a memorable excursion through the innards of a Riftworm and the final, show-stopping showdown, this is an unmissable single player experience. And hey, the multiplayer's not bad either. Better yet, Gears still looks surprisingly beautiful today. Sure, its color palate never strays too far from its trademark "gray," but for tight, focused shooting, it doesn't get much better than this. Chronicles Of Riddick: Assault On Dark Athena/Escape From Butcher Bay Release: 2009 Platforms: Xbox 360, PC I tell people about The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay every chance I get. It's just a shame that most people immediately write it off as a video game cash-in, because it's not, even if it takes place within the same universe as the Riddick film franchise and features the voice and likeness of stony-faced bald guy and a voice of a thousand cigarettes, Vin Diesel. In fact, what's surprising is how well the Riddick movies translate into an interactive experience. Escape from Butcher Bay remains to this day one of the finest action games of all-time, and even twelve years on from its original release, it still looks and plays like an absolute treat. So, here's where things get confusing. To nab a copy of this gem today you're going to need to buy Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, which arrives bundled with the aforementioned Butcher Bay. All told, Dark Athena is a bit rubbish, but for $5, you can get one half-baked pie and a gourmet feast. I don't know about you, but I'd take that. If you're an archivist, you might even be able to dig up a copy of Escape from Butcher Bay: Director's Cut, the original PC release which came out in 2004. It comes with a rather sweet developer commentary mode which, to my knowledge, was never bundled with the later release. Vanquish Release: 2010 Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 Shinji Mikami's Vanquish is Japan's answer to the Western shooter, but far from being a soulless copycat, it does a great many things better than the competition. Take Providence, its home planet, which bends on itself like an enormous roller-coaster ride and offers up scenes reminiscent of something out of Christopher Nolan's Inception. Then there's the action. Mikami dives into an all-you-can-eat buffet, picking and choosing his courses, then combining them like a master chef. There's Max Payne bullet-time, Gears of War's cover mechanic and even a dash option that lets you slide in and out of oncoming gunfire. Firefights are a balletic dance as you twist, weave and evade a hail of bullets, your fingers mesmerized by the different options available to you on the battlefield. It's a short ride while it lasts, but every turn, spin and vertical loop is delivered with purpose. Six years on, Vanquish remains one of the most under-appreciated games I've ever played. More than any other entry on this list, you're likely to have missed out on this one. This Christmas, right that wrong. Demon's Souls Release: 2009 Platforms: PS3 I've spent the last year or so trying to get hold of an old PlayStation so I can play Demon's Souls again. If it means picking up a PS3 from a scrap heap and refurbishing it, so be it - Demon's Souls is that good. Hell, it's the game that laid down the formula for the entire Dark Souls series and helped spawn a new type of experience. From Nioh to The Surge, imitators are arriving all the time to emulate the Souls magic. But Demon's Souls is the founding father. A good copy today retails at about $20. When you consider how quickly games depreciate in price, that's still quite a lot of money, but then again, good copies of this game are rare. It's important to note though that it's not entirely possible to play in its original state. The multiplayer servers that entertained thousands of concurrent players once upon a time have been put to rest. The only option is to make a perilous solo trek through its dangerous world. That's a trek that's well worth the price of admission, though, and while you're at it, you can also petition Namco Bandai to make a remaster. Red Dead Redemption Release: 2010 Platforms: Xbox 360 (compatible with Xbox One), PC, PS3 Ah, John Marston. There's something beautifully romantic about Rockstar's vision of one man making his way through the Wild West, a world of knee-high scrub, galloping horses and staccato flashes of violence. Having rendered the urban sprawl of modern life to pixel perfection in Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption is a decidedly different canvas and breathes live into the old country, placing an everyday man at the heart of a story about loyalty, companionship and family. Whether you prefer Red Dead Redemption's restraint to the excess of Grand Theft Auto is a personal choice, but it's hard to ignore the charms of this sandbox adventure. Marston's story - and the world that surrounds him - is at times quaint and beguiling, but also decidedly violent. Marston is an anti-hero of sorts, but his heart is always in the right place, and in a world where we're suffused with technology, Red Dead is a curious reminder of a simpler time in history. A sequel is in the works, too, meaning there's no better time to live out your John Wayne fantasies. Far Cry 3 Release: 2012 Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360 The Far Cry series has never had it better than Far Cry 3, the sweet point in the franchise. With a lush island begging to be explored and a memorable villain in Vaas (above), it's that rare sandbox game that never overstays its welcome. While later titles in the series have strayed too far into "more is more" territory, Far Cry 3 has a swagger and confidence to let you simply play. Its setting, Rook Island, is a veritable playground, and feels like a proper Far Cry setting - later games just haven't managed to capture the same spirit of adventure. From simple traversal to stealth action and wildlife hunting, Far Cry 3 is a high mark in a franchise of uneven quality. But when it's good - as it is here - it's really good. Mass Effect 2 Release: 2010 Platforms: Xbox 360 (compatible with Xbox One), PC, PS3 Much like Gears, the Mass Effect games have peaks and troughs. Entry number 1 featured solid role-playing elements but was light on quality action while entry number 3 fluffed its narrative and felt too much like a scripted shooter (with an awful final stretch devoted to mindless shooting). The midway point, Mass Effect 2, strikes a healthy balance. Cleverly, the narrative is constructed in such a way that newcomers can get to grips with the story without having had to play the first one. You're Shepherd, a space commander of the Normandy. As the game begins you're being patched up by a mysterious corporation dubbed Cerberus led by a shadowy figure, the Illusive Man, who simply oozes reptilian charm. With the release of Mass Effect: Andromeda next year, there's no better time to get familiar with the Mass Effect universe. Completionists might want to start at the beginning, but if you can only buy one game this Christmas, Mass Effect 2 is a worthy entry in the series to curl up to. The Last Of Us Release: 2013 Platforms: PS3, PS4 (remastered) I envy people who haven't played The Last of Us. Like a truly great movie, television series or book, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into until you dive into this world. Playing it again is not quite the same, nor could it ever hope to be. The shocks, turns and forks in this tale are designed to leave your jaw on the floor from the first time of asking. Good thing there's a sequel coming, but if you've yet to get to grips with this classic, or have family members who are "sorta into gaming," there's no better entry point than this. Storytelling perfection, The Last of Us is the kind of game we can show our parents and be proud of our favorite hobby. Mortgage your house, sell your cat - do what it takes to get hold of this gem. The remastered version is available on PS4, while the PS3 original retails for $10. Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition Release: 2011 Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360 (compatible with Xbox One) Dark Souls is my favorite game of all-time, and always will be. In the world of subjective experiences, I don't care if games are released that are objectively better. This will always hold my highest affections. How can it not? I still remember the first time I discovered the game's cruel, masochistic brilliance; unearthed the formula upon which its gameplay systems are built; discovered the bitter brutality of its bosses. For me, no game will ever quite have the same impact. If you're newcomer to the series, don't pick up Dark Souls III (released in 2016) right away. Start with this one. This is the foundation. The building block. The true great. This is the one with the world that unfurls on itself like a piece of cloth. This is the game with the hundred different shortcuts and the Metroidvania world; one in which you connect the dots like puzzle pieces falling into place. From the gruelling Ornstein and Smough boss battle to the depths of Blighttown and more, Dark Souls will change the way you see games. Better yet, its servers are still active, meaning you can share the experience with friends. Look out for the Prepare to Die Edition too, which comes bundled with the Artorias of the Abyss DLC pack. Just make sure you consult a guide online to find out how to actually access the new content (it's a labyrinthine trek). Price? Copies of Dark Souls command a surprisingly high price online, but you should be able to snare this for $20. That's great value all round.