The holidays are a time for joy and giving, and we’re here to make them even brighter! Explore our holiday gift guide for amazing gift ideas that every gamer will love.
JOLLY GAMES
Dragon’s Dogma 2 for PC, Playstation and Xbox – $70
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a game designed for people who love systems. The combat is incredible, especially when combining various skills from different classes. The Pawn system lets you put together a unique party with both your creation and other players, and the dynamic world regularly responds to your actions in interesting ways. Sneaking into a castle thanks to a disguise I looted and accidentally bringing a Griffin to a village I didn’t know was chasing me are just a few of the dynamic moments I encountered with this massive RPG. (James)
I was a big fan of the first Dragon’s Dogma game, and I know that was a game that was decidedly not for everyone due to its obtuse design and not having a ton of direction. If you stuck with it, there was so much delicious gameplay to consume in it and a lot to love. Dragon’s Dogma 2 has managed to both make a more approachable game without sacrificing it’s depth, they also put more of the things the fans loved into it. The combat feels better than ever, I will never get tired of climbing a cyclops to put an exploding arrow into its eye before flipping off and finishing it off. The graphics are beautiful, having some of the best looking fantasy environments I’ve seen in games.
Diving back into the world of the Arisen again has been immensely satisfying, I’ve missed Pawns bantering back and forth with each other and it’s good to be back. The combat sandbox presented in these games are unmatched, and you are given even more freedom to experiment with different vocations, abilities and combinations. It’s safe to say, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is an excellent sequel and my new favorite entry in the series! (Frank)
While I never got very deep into the first Dragon’s Dogma I have found myself really enjoying the curated chaos that Dragon’s Dogma 2 offers. It’s one of those games where I find myself pushing up against the systems to see what works, and even when it’s not the best path, or the easiest path, but boy it sure is fun cheesing enemies even if it ends up in complete failure. There has been no shortage of great RPGs to play in 2024, you’d be missing out if you slept on Dragon’s Dogma 2. (Austin)
Monster Hunter Stories 2 for Nintendo Switch, PC and Playstation – $40
Five years after Monster Hunter Stories released we were blessed with another entry in the series. Monster Hunter Stories 2 is largely just a big upgrade to the original, and the recent console release is no exception. While Monster Hunter Stories 1 laid the groundwork for a pretty great JRPG experience in the Monster Hunter world, Monster Hunter Stories 2 expands on that by adding new monsties, the buddies system that allows you to bring another rider along with you into battle, and a weapon switching mechanic. The buddies system allows for bigger battles by letting you bring along another rider and their monstie. The weapon switching mechanic allows your rider to break off monster parts as well as knock them down, break their defenses, or pierce their armor. Monster Hunter Stories 2 is an incredible follow-up to the first game and both plays and looks wonderful on the big screen. (Nick)
Arco for Nintendo Switch and PC – $20
I’ve recently started playing Arco and intending to only play an hour, I ended up spending half of my day playing it. Marketing itself as a Mesoamerican fantasy RPG that blends turn-based and real-time combat doesn’t do this game justice. Combat bounces between taking pot shots at beetles to spending turns dodge rolling around men with machine guns in hopes you’ll find a moment to fire back. Combat aside, the low-res units betray the gorgeous backdrops and set pieces that give Arco its truly unique style. If you know someone looking for an RPG that’s not afraid to push the boundaries of the genre, tells a story over the course of multiple indigenous characters, and has some absolutely stellar pixel art, Arco is the perfect gift. Even at full price, Arco is a steal. (Nick)
Romancing SaGa 2 for Nintendo Switch, PC, Playstation and Xbox – $50
It’s time to get back to some old-school grind ‘em up JRPG gameplay and the perfect game for that came out this year with the Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven remake. As the prince of Avalon, Gerard must follow his father Leon on his many adventures to become proficient in battle. Unfortunately, all hell breaks loose as The Seven Heroes, scorned at humanity’s callous indifference at their great sacrifice, return as villains. The battle system is turn-based and employs a weakness system that can be exploited with the many options for weapons and magic the player can equip. Likewise, the glimmer system SaGa is known for, allowing you to glean new abilities from using current ones, will suck you in. Interested but not convinced? Check out my demo impressions of the game, Spencer’s preview, or Frank’s review of Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven. (Nick)
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble for Nintendo Switch – $50
Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is exactly what I wanted from a new Monkey Ball experience. The level designs are great, quickly moving from simple platforms to cross to precision platforming with no room for error. There are tons of customization options for your character, from clothing to the ball itself. Perhaps the best addition here is the inclusion of objectives for each level, getting a certain number of bananas, getting the golden banana, and finishing in a certain amount of time. These additional objectives provide plenty of reasons to replay levels, and each world has a time attack you unlock after beating them the first time through. Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble even includes the Dole branding for its bananas, adding a nice touch of nostalgia for the GameCube era original games. (James)
Unicorn Overlord for Nintendo Switch, Playstation and Xbox – $50
Before playing Unicorn Overlord, all I knew was that, since it’s a Vanillaware game, it would have gorgeous 2D visuals. I didn’t expect it to have such a unique gameplay style that combined real-time automated combat with strategic Final Fantasy XII-esque AI tinkering, or a story that feels straight out of an early Fire Emblem. Plus, it’s got to be mentioned that the visuals really are incredible to look at, as each character is remarkably distinct and detailed. Overall, it’s a unique title that RPG fans ought to try out, making it a great gift for anyone with such a persuasion. (Spencer)
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess for PC, Playstation and Xbox – $50
Possibly one of the more bizarre and unusual games to come out this year, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is likely overshadowed by the big releases around it. Soh, a samurai-like, must help cleanse the corruption of Mt. Kufuku guides the divine maiden Yoshiro to the source of the corruption. A blend of both strategy and action, Soh’s goal is to save villagers and conscript them into jobs to help the cause while guiding the maiden down the path of the goddess. At night, the defilement comes to life and begins pouring out of a portal Yoshiro needs to close. Soh’s goal then is to set up the villagers to push back the Seethe and protect the maiden until morning. Progressing down the mountain enters you into boss fights that, upon victory, unlock new jobs to give to your villagers. Action, strategy, a divine maiden, ending corruption on an ancient mountain, what more could you ask for? Anyone interested in genre-blending or unusual titles would love Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, but truly, I’d recommend this game to anyone. (Nick)
