This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
You may have been searching high and low for one of the two newest next-generation video-game consoles, the Xbox One or the PlayStation 4, and learned the true meaning of disappointment. They've been the two hottest gifts for this holiday season and have been consistently sold out since they launched last month.
But the best video games to come out this year that would make perfect presents are not for those new systems. Instead, they're for the existing consoles like the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii U (which has been out for a year).
If you're looking for the best in interactive entertainment for that gamer in your family, consider these exhilarating titles.
Tomb Raider (PC, PlayStation, 3, Xbox 360) • In Hollywood, reboots and remakes are never as good as the original. But this reconstruction of the classic third-person shooter starring the bold and beautiful Lara Croft is a refreshing take on the famous gravedigger.
This time around, the game's makers have created a much more rounded (and fortunately less rounded in other areas) character who is emotionally more vulnerable. Coupled with this newfound flawed heroine are much more exciting and innovative game play mechanics and storyline.
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (Nintendo 3DS) • One of the best-looking and most fun 3DS games this year is this whimsical and charming platformer starring Mario's brother, Luigi. As in its GameCube predecessor, Luigi is a ghostbuster who sucks up spirits in a rickety mansion. The visuals are eye-popping on the 3DS, and the puzzles and game play are top-notch.
Super Mario 3D World (Nintendo Wii U) • There's always been one truth about Nintendo: The very best games made for any of its systems have been from Nintendo itself. The Japanese gaming giant's ability to make the most fun first-party titles continues with this inventive and colorful platformer that's like a continuation of "Super Mario 3D Land" for the 3DS.
You can play one of a number of well-known Nintendo characters as you traverse across a series of levels in an isometric view. While that may sound as if it could get monotonous, it's far from it. Levels change up the game play, and there's always a new innovative ideal around the corner.
Plants vs. Zombies 2: It's About Time (iOS, Android) • It's about time indeed. After waiting years for a sequel to the hit mobile tower defense game, "Plants vs. Zombies," the follow-up finally was released and it's a worthy successor, with more than enough new twists to keep gamers glued to their screens.
It's the same formula of using different weaponized plants to battle off a marching army of zombies. But in the sequel, you go backward in time to different eras with unique level designs and traps.
The Last of Us (PlayStation 3) • If you look hard and wide enough, you can find video games that tell stories as engrossing and involving as any film. "The Last of Us" involves a man and young girl as they embark on a journey of survival amid an apocalyptic world of zombies and menacing humans. But unlike lesser films like "World War Z" or "Resident Evil," this dark tale really focuses on the characters and how they react to the crumbling world around them.
Bioshock: Infinite (PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360) • Here is another game that is a big success thanks to the richness of its story and characters. It's a follow-up to the successful first-person-shooter franchise that takes place in a steampunk-stylized world. While the first games' setting was an underworld metropolis, the newest sequel is high above the clouds in a floating city in the sky.
Players rarely get emotionally invested in the people in a video game, but the characters in "Bioshock: Infinite" are fully dimensional and well-written.
Tearaway (PlayStation Vita) • Sometimes the most intriguing and original games are the ones that take a simple platforming formula and infuse it with a big dose of wonderment and charm. The world of "Tearaway" is completely made of papercraft with the landscape made of folds of colored paper. Then there is a vast number of interactive features where the player uses the PlayStation Vita's rear-touch panel, front touchscreen, accelerometer and front-facing camera to make this unique universe come alive.
Twitter: @ohmytech