Christmas should be a time for casual idleness on the couch, where vigorous action requires little more than a stern digit on the R2 button. Here are three games that our readers will be playing this holiday season.
Far Cry 4
This year, jump into virtual action in Kyrat, a region perilously perched upon the Himalayas and ruled by a deranged king with an unhealthy interest in your recently deceased mother.
Where the Far Cry series has previously excelled, the fourth installation sneers dominantly. The game is ruthless; voluminous side-quests and tangential missions exist with the sole purpose of luring the player away from the main story.
“Far Cry 3 was a stellar roaming game,” says DJ Campbell (21). Although he hasn’t played the fourth title in the series yet, DJ is looking forward to taking a blood splattered selfie with Kyrat’s leader Pagan Ming.
“The third game was a massive jump up from the second,” DJ said. “If this game is in any way like the third one I will be happy, but obviously I am hoping that it is going to be better.”
Cast as both the hero and target, the main protagonist Ajay Ghale, travels to Kyrat to realise a promise made to his mother on her death bed to return her ashes to her home country. The latest instalment in the series creates an even headier and immersive environment and just like Far Cry 3, there’s something lethal lurking around every corner.
Kingdom Hearts HD II.5 ReMIX
Released just in time for the Holidays, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMix is a re-mastered compilation of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix. The games, which had previously been exclusive to Japan, are now available for the first time across Europe.
Re-mastered cinematic cuts from the Nintendo DS title Kingdom Hearts Re:coded will also be included in the compilation for Playstation 3.
The Kingdom Heart series heaves elements from the Final Fantasy titles and fuses them with the world of Disney. Sounding like both an uplifting and ridiculous basis for a game, this imaginative JRPG has long polarised players.
For Aaron Corentin (22) it’s this combination that he finds appealing about the games: “It combines three of my favourite things; Disney, games and the Final Fantasy Series.”
Aaron says that the 2.5 ReMix has been his most anticipated game of 2014, as he has long been an enthusiast “I’ve been a major fan since 2003.”
Jak and Daxter
‘Tis the season for nostalgia and while everyone else is watching Miracle on 34th Street for the 34th time, many gamers are sitting down to review their favourite titles.
“I’ve always been a fan of platform games,” says Cian Cowley (22), “like Spyro, Crash, Sly Racoon and Ratchet and Clank.”
Cian expects to be playing Jak 3 by the time Christmas rolls round; once he tires of GTA: San Andreas of course. The first Jak title was released in 2001 and the series has featured a consistent story-based platform showcasing a healthy mix of action, racing and puzzle solving.
Jak 3 represents the pinnacle of the series to many, having received unholy support when it was released back in 2004.
“I was about 12 when the Playstation 2 first came out” he said, “…so it has a bit of nostalgia.”
Write to us at @TheCity_Dublin and let us know what games your going to be playing this #GamesMas!