Christmas is almost upon us, the stress and confusion on what to buy for a present is about to set in.
There are a lot of different video games, information, age limits, genres, the list goes on, on what it means to look into before buying a video game for others. Here is our small guide to find the perfect video game gift for your kids, friends or family member.
Step 1. What Platform?
The first thing you need to do, is to make sure on what system the person plays on before buying a video game. Ask a parent, friend or others on what system they play on. And no, you can’t play Xbox games on the PlayStation system nor PC. A small list of what works with what:
PlayStation 3 – PS3 games only (PS2 games works with first generation of PS3 consoles, rare)
PlayStation 4 – PS4 games only (PS1 and PS2 games can be bought digitally on the PS Store)
PlayStation Vita – PlayStation Vita games only
Xbox 360 – Xbox 360 games only
Xbox One – Xbox One games only (Xbox 360 games can be bought digitally on the Xbox Store)
Wii – Wii games only
Wii U – Wii and Wii U games works
Nintendo 3DS and 2DS – 3DS, DS games work
Nintendo Switch – Switch games only
Buying a platform is always a huge winner but expensive, so you might want to team up with others if you end up buying one. If so, we do encourage to get one of these:
– Nintentdo Switch
– PlayStation 4
– PlayStation VR
– Xbox One X
Step 2. Age limits
You’re standing in the store and looking for a video game for your kid. You find the perfect video game that looks perfect for your kid because it looks nice on the cover. But then you see the “age limit”.
There are no age limits in video games, only age recommendations. Same goes with taking your kid to the movies. What do you allow your kid to watch?
(ask the parents if you’re buying for someone else’s kid).
Not every video game rated 18 (M or A) is not recommended for 16+, there are a few video games rated 18 that 15-16 years old can play. Just be sure what type of content you can expose them to, and of course you should know the content of each video game before buying them. For instance: Grand Theft Auto V does not just include driving cars in the sunset with pretty good graphics. The age recommendation 18 is there for a reason, it is violent and sexually explicit.
Point is, know the limits of what you will show your kids or others.
Step 3. What to buy? (What I recommend)
So what should you buy? What will make me as a parent, uncle, friend or other family member popular on Christmas. Here is our top picks of different video games you can buy as a gift this year. We added a small fact about each game and our age recommendation.
PC – Personal Computer
PS4 – PlayStation 4
PS3 – PlayStation 3
Xone – Xbox One
X360 – Xbox 360
Mac – It will say PC on cover, always check the back if the game supports Mac (OS X)
WiiU – Nintendo Wii U
Wii – Nintendo Wii
Switch – Nintendo Switch
3DS – Nintendo 3DS
(This list contains video games released during 2017)
Age 4-10 (E, Everyone)
Content in these games is generally suitable for all ages. May contain minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence and / or language. Remember to ask parents if you’re buying to someone else.
- FIFA 18 (PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch)
- Lego Worlds (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
- Mario Rabbids: Kingdom Battle (Switch)
- Super Mario Odyssey (Switch)
- F1 2017 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Age 10-13 (E10+, Everyone 10+)
Suitable for ages 10 and up. May contain more cartoon, fantasy or violence and / or language than E.
- Gran Turismo Sport (PS4)
- Pokemon Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon (3DS)
Age 13-16 (T, Teen 13+)
Suitable for age 13 and up, contains more violence, mild language and / or minimal suggestive themes.
- Star Wars Battlefront 2 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
- Need for Speed Payback (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
- PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (Xbox One, PC)
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (PS4, PC)
- Life is Strange: Before the Storm (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
- Destiny 2 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Age 17-18 (M, Mature 17+)
This list contains games suitable for age 17 and up. Contains intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, strong language.
- Call of Duty: WWII (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
- Assassin’s Creed Origins (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
- South Park Fractured but whole (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
- Middle-Earth: Shadow of War (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Age 18+ (A, Adults Only)
Contains extreme violence, graphic sexual content. Extreme language.
- Wolfenstein 2 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
- Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
