Best Games to Buy This Holiday Season (2016)

With both Christmas and New Year just about the horizon, giving out gifts and receiving some in return is but a common expectation. While there is no such thing as a “perfect” time to giving gifts, no season in a year celebrates the spirit of gift-giving than either Christmas or New Year.

If there is a gamer included in your will-be recipient list, there is no better gift to give on that special someone than one which he would truly love—games.

As such, here is a list of some of the best games you can give this coming holiday season.

Pokemon Sun / Moon (3DS)

No 90’s kids have never been hooked to the Pokemon franchise either in games, TV show, or movies. Boasting thousands of TV episodes, as well as a growing list of movies and games—both spinoffs and non-spinoffs—Pokemon is a loved franchise, especially the latter.

But with both Pokemon Sun and Moon making the top charts as yet another best-seller from Nintendo, you are sure that either of the two games is worth gifting to recipients who are truly gamers at heart.

Overwatch (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

First-person shooter games are plenty. But despite the unsurprising saturation, certain titles of the genre still appeal to general gamers just like this year’s hero-based MMO shooter, Overwatch.

Developed by the same company that brought gamers highly-successful multiplayer titles like StarCraft and Defense of the Ancients 2, it is no surprise that Blizzard Entertainment has made another success with Overwatch with its unique take to the multiplayer first-person genre.

Do not let a beloved gamer be left out of the fun this coming holiday by choosing the game as his surprising gift.

Battlefield 1 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

The Battlefield series has always been a direct rival to Call of Duty after EA withdrew Medal of Honor from the competition. While Activision and Infinity Ward’s 2016 take in the franchise brought players into future, EA on the other hand went backwards by bringing Battlefield at the first World War.

If a recipient is a console or PC gamer and is still yet to enjoy EA’s latest FPS offering, there is no better time to gift Battlefield 1 than with the coming holiday.

NBA 2K17 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Not everyone can be as athletic as those seen from the TV and is the reason why sports simulation games sell well in the market. Having a basketball enthusiast among your gift recipients in the list, there is no present better suited in fueling his fantasy in the sport than a game like NBA 2K17.

Featuring 2016’s updated roster of professional basketball players across various clubs, NBA 2K17 is a host to the most up-to-date professional basketball simulation experience. You never know, you may be encouraging a future NBA player in the making.

Yo-Kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits/Fleshy Souls (3DS)

Developed by Level-5, a Japanese company known for its highly-acclaimed titles such as Dark Cloud 2, Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, Inazuma Eleven and the Professor Layton series, Yo-Kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits/Fleshy Souls is a direct sequel to the original Yo-Kai Watch that was also released in the Nintendo 3DS handheld unit.

Borrowing gameplay elements from Pokemon such as having monster spirits so-called Yo-Kais join your ranks through a randomly-generated chance, the Yo-Kai Watch series is a good alternative to the game it draws inspirations from.

Mafia 3 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

After several years since the release of Mafia 2 in 2010, the Mafia series has had its third iteration with Mafia 3 which pits players in the race-discriminate, fictionalized world of 1960 New Orleans.

For the first time ever, since the first two games, players in Mafia 3 get to play the role of a black person by name of Lincoln Clay as protagonist to the game, all in the name of vengeance towards a certain Italian mob he had unfortunate dealings with.

Dragonquest Builders (PS Vita, PS4)

Combining the exciting elements of Minecraft with the popular universe of Dragonquest, the result is a gameplay that is a fusion of both worlds under a new title, Dragonquest Builders.

Players who play the game on either of the two platforms can enjoy going wild with their creativity as they gather materials and build a community among familiar-looking figures that is peculiarly Akira Toriyama’s.

Unlike Minecraft, partly where the game draws gameplay elements from, the figures seen in the game are made using sophisticated design and not the blocky aesthetics endemic to the franchise.

That’s about it! Did we miss anything? Do you want to recommend something? Let us know in the comments section below.