We are abpit to enter the shopping season for Christmas and the end of the year, so gamers should take note of relevant releases! We’ve compiled some of the best games that came out this year and most promising titles so everyone can spend the holidays getting their game on. All of these are out already or will be by the time the holidays come around, so get ready to play.

It doesn’t matter whether you have an Xbox One, a PS4, Wii U, or PC: this year has been one of the best years ever for video games, and we’ve had some incredible titles since the very beginning. Even now, with the holiday season looming, we’re still awaiting for some amazing titles that fans just can’t wait to put their hands on (out of which Fallout 4 reigns supreme). If you’re already thinking about the end of the year, and the new video games you could ask for, gift someone or enjoy playing by yourself, this is a list of the few that come to mind whenever we think of what a fantastic 12 months 2015 has had.

Fallout 4

Fallout 4 is going to drop soon on Xbox One, PS4 and PC, and it promises to bring the post-apocalyptic tale to the next generation with better shooting, refined leveling systems, and more and more action and tales from the wasteland. This latest entry will feature voiced main characters, which are a first for the series, and incredible new additions like the possibility of playing with mods (even on consoles!), creating our own towns and refugees, and meeting an entirely new cast while exploring the city of Boston and its outskirts. The game will have you create a new character at the beginning, choosing his or her strength and weaknesses, and then send you off to explore, solve situations, and meet a colorful cast of nuclear holocaust survivors – either humans, mutants, zombies, or more. Players all around the world have been waiting for this new entry for years (ever since 2009’s Fallout: New Vegas), so it’s fantastic that Bethesda is finally delivering – and it seems they’ll deliver big time.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

The latest entry in Konami’s beloved stealth-action series, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain came out only a couple weeks ago, but it has already become one of the most beloved and highest rated games this generation. In this title (available for PS4, Xbox One and PC) players will take control of Snake/Big Boss who wakes up after the helicopter crash of the last game, and wants to exact revenge on Skull Face and everyone who wronged him. There are two huge maps featuring deserts, jungles, and even some more unique, special settings that are only featured in specific missions, but the point we want to make is that this is one of the biggest titles you could possibly wish for. This game comes with new features such as companions (A dog, a horse, and a misterious sniper). a completely open world to explore, the possibility of choosing how to play (lethally, or stealthy) and a hard-hitting story about deterrence, bonds, weapons, and what is right and wrong with the world. Also, the game takes place in the 80s, so be ready for a truly spectacular soundtrack, and start moving your feet to the beat.

The Witcher 3

The last chapter in Geralt’s story is a spectacular adventure of magic, sorcery, swords and Polish folklore. This final bit of the series takes place in a fully open-world (do you see a theme here?) where Geralt will explore from the smallest towns solving issues for different people to the bombastic courts, full of intrigue, as if it was a Game of Thrones episode. This game is all about consequences of the player’s actions, and it has a playtime of over 100 hours so each person that you decide to help or not could potentially change your game further down the road. Furthermore, Geralt will have all of his companions by his side along characters that were only mentioned in the previous games that now appear for the first time such as the sorceress Yennefer and the mysterious but powerful Ciri, who players will even get to control during a few sections of the game – a completely awesome power trip for one of the hardest games in the market right now. Gamers can enjoy this fantastic title on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

Super Mario Maker

Super Mario Bros is one of the most beloved franchises of all time, and the little chubby plumber is the absolute king among video game mascots. His last dedicated video game is all about celebrating this legacy, and opening the series for player creativity with a huge toolbox that allows players to create their own levels. Super Mario Maker is a gigantic toolbox which players can explore and enjoy in any way they want to create simple courses, sprawling levels, or gimmicky but hilarious stuff to surprise their friends – all while using the graphics of the OG Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros 3, Super Mario World or New Super Mario Bros. This game is only as good as the player is creative and as long as the player enjoys exploring other people’s creations, but potentially, this is a Super Mario Bros game with infinite levels, absolutely packed with content that should keep any Mario fan happy for hours, days, weeks and years to come. Good on Nintendo for reminding everyone that video games are supposed first and foremost to be fun.

Bloodborne

Bloodborne is a game about the occult and evil where players control a hunter who delves into a strange land with gothic overtones in search of a mysterious compound called “Paleblood”. This amazing PlayStation 4 exclusive game was developed by the creators of the Dark Souls and Demon Souls series, and as such, sports an incredible difficulty where players will die a lot, just like with old school classic video games, and will end up relearning how to enjoy the promised victory after vanquishing some of the toughest foes in any game yet. As opposed to the Dark Souls series, this game has a more modern setting and besides the classic melee weapons, players will have access to some guns and faster movement, creating a dynamic, complex but beautiful action game that no gamer will be able to put down until the inevitable conclusion. We can’t overstate this enough, but this video game here is reason enough to buy a PS4, and then, there is every other game on this list to enjoy afterwards.

Star Wars Battlefront

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is dropping this year, and to celebrate there is a whole lot of Star Wars related things coming out – from drones to action figures and bobbleheads, and all this merchandising includes video games. Out of these, the game that you absolutely need under the Christmas tree is Star Wars Battlefront (PS4, Xbox One, PC) , a game by EA and Dice, who are known for the beloved Battlefield series. This is a game meant for multiplayer first and foremost, and will have huge squads of gamers picking sides between Rebels and Empire and battling it out in many of the most iconic stages from the movies. From the cold, desolate ice planet of Hoth to the maze-like canyons of Tatooine, this game is all about team-work and working together to bring down the other team and snatch triumph from them. What’s best is that the game will reward good performance, and if you fulfill the objectives, will even get to eventually play as Luke SkyWalker or Darth Vader themselves and go on murdering rampages on the enemy camp.

Rock Band 4

The Rock Band series is back, after many years in video gaming limbo! This new entry is the first one to come out for the next generation of consoles, and can be enjoyed on PS4 and Xbox One. In this series of games players grab their instrument controllers and play along to the music simulating either guitars, drum sets, or vocals in one of the most fun games out there. This video game features an expansive track list with songs from many artists and decades so the young can discover the classics while us older folks get to check out what kids are listening to nowadays – and on top of this, all of the songs from previous Rock Band DLC are available to be downloaded and playing on the latest version, so your tracklist could increase exponentially with all of your favorite artists’ contributions! While the first version of this game has not had the best reception because of issues with the menu, and complications finding the songs players like, the truth is this game remains as much fun as it was when it first came out, and it’s an absolute joy to have it back among us.

Halo 5

The latest chapter in the Halo saga is called Halo 5: Guardians, and its one of the most awaited video games in the Xbox’s history. This new chapter in the story of Master Chief is not just about the Chief itself, but also that of Spartan Locke, a newcomer tasked with finding Chief after the events of Halo 4. Other than that, the game features a strong single-player campaign, story heavy, but with the characteristic tight shooting fans have grown to expect. There’s also the multiplayer component, featuring from traditional deathmatches to an entirely new mode based on exploration, teamplay, objectives, using vehicloes and even gives the possibility of tackling down all kinds of bosses and gigantic creatures along with a group of friends while defending against an enemy team comrpised of human players, which is completely insane. Halo 5 will be dropping on October 27th, so it’s definitely going to be ready for purchasing (even with an Xbox One bundle!) by the time Christmas comes around.

Call of Duty: Black Ops III

Call of Duty: Black Ops III is the third entry in the Black Ops series, one of the most beloved first person shooters in the market. This new iteration is coming out for a plethora of consoles including the PS3 and Xbox 360 where it will be multiplayer only. and the regular edition with story mode for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. In all of these, players will be able to access one of the most fast-paced, highly competitive and addictive Call of Duty multiplayers to date with new features like running on walls, fast guns, and even quicker movement for frantic battles set in a dystopian near-future. The single player story, apparently, will tie-in with the beloved zombie mode from the previous entry, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, and the players will get a choice of many characters to play as, each with their own individual backstory and personalities. If you were looking for a fast, quick-paced competitive game to play with your friends, it’s hard to go wrong with Treyarch’s latest offering.

Rise of the Tomb Raider

Rise of the Tomb Raider is the most recent story of the iconic heroine Lara Croft. While it’s going to launch exclusively on Xbox One (with a fantastic bundle, even) for the holiday season, a PC version will release afterwards and a PS4 edition appears further down on the timeline. Regardless, this title is going to be a direct sequel of Lara’s latest adventure titled simply Tomb Raider, which acted as an origin story of sorts. This sequel will expand on that, show more of her growth, and have her visiting exotic locales, platforming and shooting her way through enemies who want to see her dead. If this new chapter is anything like the previous one, it will be a tight adventure where players will be able to run back and forth on semi-open maps gathering collectibles, getting into gunfights, and more importantly, raid tombs for power-ups, experience, and new weapons to tackle the many different perils all over the game.

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is coming out early next year, but before that happens gamers can take a final look at Nate’s previous adventures with this awesome collection. Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection features all three previous games that came out for the PS3 (Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception) in a completely remastered package where all of the games are in high-definition and running on 60 frames per second. If you have never heard of this saga before, let us say that Uncharted is the best Indiana Jones video game ever created that doesn’t actually feature Indiana Jones, but the charming Nathan Drake and his colorful cast of mates. In these games players get to explore ancient ruins, cities, deep jungles, mountain ranges and more while shooting their way through hordes of foes and platforming, all while the leading characters exchange banter, witty quips, and some of the funniest lines to ever grace a video game. The Uncharted series is all about charm, and if you have a PS4, you owe playing these to yourself.

The Legend of Zelda: TriForce Heroes

While many gamers will be disappointed that there is no The Legend of Zelda for Wii U this year, it’s not like there aren’t any new games coming out in the franchise. The Legend of Zelda: TriForce Heroes is an upcoming title for the Nintendo 3DS where players will take control of three Links at once, and use their different skills to solve puzzles, either in single player or in multiplayer mode between three friends. This game shares graphical assets with the previous Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, which was one of the best Zelda games in ages, and already has a place of honor in the Zelda pantheon. The most fun part, though, is that this collaboration can be done either by being in the same room (even with just one cartridge or digital copy of the game), or completely online thanks to the magic of the Internet, so everyone can enjoy their Zelda dose no matter where they are. That’s the whole point of having a portable console anyways, isn’t it? To be able to play anytime, anywhere.

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