Demands

Octopus here, with some recommendations for this holiday season. Don't go out and buy terrible games just because you have money, oh no! This year has been one of the best ever for gaming, with so many amazing games, so read carefully, and inwardly digest.

5. Burnout Paradise
Okay, so this game is ancient now (Jan 08), but that doesn't give you an excuse not to buy it; its Platinum-priced at retail and about £25 on the PlayStation Store. There's been a steady stream of game-changing updates to the game this year so far, and from the recent announcements over on Criterion's website, it doesn't look like this is going to change going into next year. Expect a full review very very soon.

4. SingStar
Go on, admit this one made you go "say wha, girlfriend?". Hear me out, Christmas-time is when all your relatives are round, so just set up some pass-the-mic rounds, add in some tacky tunes (or the new Abba disk for added cheesiness) and they'll be distracted for hours. Sneak a girl (or two if you choose) in the back door and head upstairs. Leave to simmer for 15 minutes. And if instead you'll be sitting around all on your lonesome, trying to figure out how to pull both ends of a cracker yourself, a nice ballad or two will have you bawling your eyes out and then promptly falling asleep. Christmas Day solved either way.

3. Resistance 2
Skimpy parents? Pretty much guaranteed that this will be the one time you get a game all year? Then grab R2. A pretty substantial and engrossing single player mode, a seperate co-op mode for up to eight-players online or off, and a full-featured multiplayer mode that is all kinds of fun. All of this, as well as Trophies, will keep you playing the game well into next year.

2. Mirror's Edge
Number two is a toughie, but I've gone for the complete opposite of Resistance. Fancy a relatively short game, but one that's unique and incredibly intricate? Then go for Mirror's Edge. Set in a dystopian future where Runners carry packages between underground rebels, it actually works best as an on-foot racing game, taking alternate routes in an attempt to get to your destination ASAP.

1. LittleBigPlanet
Okay so this one was pretty inevitable, but look at it! It's got Burnout's post-launch support, SingStar's all-out fun, R2's longevity and Mirror's Edge's beauty. It is such a rare thing nowadays to see a game (from a relatively unknown studio too) tick all these boxes, and it is an absolute must-buy for any gamer worth his weight in prize bubbles. Epic review coming shortly.