The Holiday season is upon us already in 2011! We’ve decided to revive our Holiday Buyer’s Guide since there are just so many great titles and products available this year. We’ve listed our favorite games and gadgets for you to read about. Everything in our Holiday Buyer’s Guide is there because we have personally bought, played, and recommended the item — if it’s not on the list, we’re not highly recommending it this year. You’ll find links to our reviews, impressions, video footage, and quick thoughts on each title in the Buyer’s Guide.
If you have any questions about an item in our Holiday Buyer’s Guide, don’t hesitate to ask!
NOTE: We will be updating this guide with our thoughts on newly released titles. Consider it a constant work in progress.
Here are a few items from our Holiday Buyer’s Guide:
Seriously you recommend SW:TOR? Please tell me the only reason you are doing that is because it is the Star Wars franchise or better still they are paying you? I would rather believe you were using your position as a respected gaming blogger to make money then if you held a sincere belief that SW:TOR was actually a good game.
I can’t say because of the NDA. I’ll only go as far as to say I recommend it. There are reasons and I think they’re good reasons. I’ll speak to those reasons when I’m allowed.
Bioware RPGs are great. I love Mass Effect and Dragon Age. I enjoy leveling up in World of Warcraft (despite not enjoying their end game). Use those as context clues.
PS. I wish someone would pay me when I legitimately recommend a game.
when you say you “love Dragon Age” does that include DA 2 just so I know your area of reference :p
But yeah, despite DA 2 and ME 2 being somewhat lacking, Swtor is a solid hit for me aswell on the story side of things.
@Chaffy: I actually haven’t played DA2 yet. Graev played it and did not like it as much as the first, but I don’t believe he regrets buying it. I enjoyed ME1 more than ME2, but the story made ME2 very much worth playing.
so many ppl taking crap about swtor 🙁 i still think i will have fun with it. not sure how long but its one i am looking forward. skyrim i love, dungeon defender rocks aswell.
What a crazy reaction from curious george…
ok i’ll also raise the NDA banner and say: i would not recommend this. (SWTOR)
at least not to anyone who’s played 3 or more MMOs in the recent 3-5 years and has become increasingly quick to see the Game behind the curtains of the Setting. You would not enjoy this past the initial month.
At least this is the situation for me. This weekend event sealed it – i won’t be playing at launch, or perhaps ever.
I disagree completely with you ffox. I was in a previous beta weekend and all I it did was make me want to buy swtor even more. The game is very solid with good story, cutscenes like crazy, the dialogue choices and I enjoy the combat, classes, interface, and all of that.
I can’t wait for swtor. Def the best mmo since wow released.
It’s my third beta weekend and I’m having a blast with SWTOR.
Add me to the list of giving SWTOR a thumbs up.
I’m not a SWTOR tester and see a lot of good stuff for the game and a lot of terrible stuff.
I fully expect to only play it for the free month and it will have to be something special to get me to subscribe.
But if I play it for that month I’ll have had value for money.
Then again I’m 25 hours into Skyrim and feel like I’m only just scratching off the thinnest epidermal layer so might still be living there by the time TOR appears.
I purchased Skylanders after seeing it here. I purchased two of everything, one for each household, so none of my grand children would feel left out. I just have to make sure their parents don’t open them up to play them first.
I’ll comment about SWTOR when NDA ends and the final version of the game is released.
@Thomas: Wow, you’re an awesome Grandpa. We’re still collecting all the Skylanders.
Well my son’s birthday yesterday I had to say Skylands was a HUGE hit. My two sons and their cousin (7,9, and 11 years old) loved every moment of the 3 hours or so they have played the game after the party ended. They are using teamwork, solving puzzles together and just obliterating everything in site. Heck they even spent 15 minutes just gazing at a poster of all the guys just dreaming of collecting them all. I have a feeling chores are going to get done pronto this week, ahahahah.
Great concept and a generally fun as hell game. I haven’t played it much, but I know this will be a game I will have no problem sitting down and playing with them. We have already had some great battles in the arena. They love trying to get a piece of their “old man”! Bring it on Boys!
Thanks K&G for the write ups and answering my questions!
Glad to hear it, Howdy! 🙂
OK, so I must ask the community: Skyrim or SW:ToR? KotOR, FO3, Oblivion are 3 of my favorite games ever…and I can only afford one of the 2.
Help me out please 🙂
That’s a tough one. Really tough. You like KOTOR, which is the singleplayer version of SWTOR, and you like Fall out 3 and Oblivion which are predecessors to Skyrim.
The key question here is whether or not you would play SWTOR beyond the first month, given the continued monthly cost.
Box price to Box price comparison, I would go with Skyrim. Potential long run experience, I would lean slightly towards SWTOR if you enjoy themepark MMO’s and playing with others.
We’re adding another game to our recommendations.
Super Mario 3D Land
Graev is working through it right now and absolutely loving it.
I’m still learning from you, while I’m improving myself. I definitely love reading all that is written on your blog.Keep the information coming. I enjoyed it