Best in video game and gaming gadget gifts

Here’s a look at a few of the best and coolest gift ideas for video gamers owning the latest PlayStation or Xbox entertainment consoles in the family.

The Games

Let’s start with the great gift examples of highly entertaining and immersive gaming experiences.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Activision and Treyarch and Raven Software, rated M, $69.99 or $99.00 for Vault Edition) — ​The 21st iteration to the grandaddy of first-person military shooters offers a return to past glory, with an engaging new game mechanic, immersive graphics and a dose of nostalgia.

​First, without a doubt, the solo campaign is one of the most enjoyable to come out of the franchise in recent years, with a host of action-packed and varied missions led by some familiar faces from old-school Black Ops games and specifically Black Ops: Cold War.

A player assumes the role of Case, a CIA agent who defects from command’s orders when, during a mission, rogue agent Russell Adler reappears with a cryptic message that reveals the plans of an elusive international paramilitary terrorist organization known as Pantheon that must be stopped.

The variety of missions offers a breath of fresh air for COD fans, ranging from stealth moments to taking out a potential Pantheon member and infiltrating a casino in a way that would make Danny Ocean proud.

The best finds Case and the team breaking into a biomedical facility thought to contain a dangerous toxin. Case is separated, exposed to the gaseous weapon, and must fight against zombies, whose faces morph into those of his team members, to escape.

​One of the biggest game mechanic additions, and one that will hopefully continue in future releases, is Black Ops 6’s omnidirectional movement system, which has players sprinting, sliding and diving in any direction.

The 360-degree movement allows players to aim and shoot from virtually any position, as well as execute clip-worthy stunts such as a 180-degree combat dive roll, which combines the omni-sprint and 180-degree dives. This new movement system works well in multiplayer combat, allowing for each player to really customize styles.

​Black Ops 6’s Multiplayer is equally as fun to play as the early days of classic Black Ops 2.

When loading up a match, players get the chance to vote on maps and game modes. Best Play returns, with a top three line-up following each game, allow winners to use the new “celebration” emotes. The perk system is also back, with 21 perks in three categories.

While the perks themselves are not revolutionary, the all-new Perk Combat specialties are achieved when players equip three perks from one category, unlocking one of three play style specialties — Enforcer (run and gun), Recon (stealthy) and Strategist (technical and tactical).

​And no Black Ops game would be complete without Zombies mode. The latest includes two game maps: Liberty Falls (an outbreak hits a small West Virginia town) — and Terminus (a prisoner break on Terminus Island facility).

Liberty Falls is very reminiscent of classic Zombies, but with a few modern twists such as gathering Essence from killing zombies, players can unlock areas of the map, allowing them to access key parts of the map’s Easter egg hunt.

Terminus is a larger-scale, open-world game mode, where players are prisoners and must battle dimensional beings to get off the island and stop a surge of zombies from taking over.

Black Ops 6’s Zombies mode includes augments, which are unlocked by completing challenges or through “research,” and allow players to optimize peaks, ammo mods and field upgrades.

GobbleGums also make a return, and these handy and chewy consumables give players bonuses and abilities to help them during the round-based combat.

​Worth noting, the pricier Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s Vault Edition includes the “Hunters vs Hunted” operator pack, with two astromech operator skins for Adler and Park; and two flashy Zombie skins for Brutus and Klaus. The Zombie Skins come with some fun vocal lines that can be heard during gameplay.

The Vault edition also includes the “Mastercraft Collection” with 5 Mastercraft weapons (a Jackal PDW, LR 7.62, Ames 85, Marine SP and a gorgeous combat knife skin). Upon the release of Season 1 of the BlackCell Battle Pass, players who purchase this edition receive 20 tier skips and 1.1K COD points. Finally, this edition includes a GobbleGum (unlockable consumables) pack, with 12 highly rare GobbleGums.

​The complete Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 package feels as old school as new, bringing back the feel of a classic COD while adding modern flairs and mechanics, all worthy of gifting to fans, old and new.

Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 (Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive, rated M, $59.99) — After an 11-year wait, gamers finally get a sequel to a third-person rugged shooter that again delivers an immersive, action-packed experience for fans of the nostalgic sci-fi universe.

A player assumes the role of Captain Titus as he fights on behalf of humanity against the Tyranid horde and the Forces of Chaos. The action offers frenetic combat, strategic squad play, and a strong narrative full of Warhammer 40K’s dark lore within environments such as bio-infested valleys and corrupted human bases leading to intense hack-and-slash battles and firefights.

Combat is a mix of brutal melee, tactical shootings and mighty heavy armaments. There are 11 main weapons, including sniper rifles and plasma incinerators, and three secondary pistols and four melee options, such as the iconic chainsword (a sword with a moving chain of sharp teeth) and the power sword. All lead to creating diverse play mechanics — be it long-range, close-slashing or heavy artillery.

Everything from collectible Data Slates to useful items such as Guardian Relics give reasons for a player to explore and usually offer additional gory lore that will further enrich an experience.

An example of this is the poor humans who are subjected to being used as wiring among the Marine ships after performing wrongdoings (humans are cheaper to use as wiring than actual wiring).

The boss fights also shine such as the two-phase Imurah fight — a Chaos sorcerer — against whom the first phase has an air fight and then in the second, a very fierce melee. The inclusion of Fury Mode — resorting to the Triangle button — amps things further, increasing damage and health in tough situations. Meanwhile, the new Jump Pack adds vertical mobility, enabling ground-to-air combat and better positioning in large-scale battles.

As for multiplayer, especially in the Operation Mode, a squad of Space Marines (three warriors) work together to accomplish mission objectives adding a layer of strategy and replayability with even cross-play options available for players using different gaming systems.

Veterans of the Warhammer 40K universe will appreciate the lore-rich atmosphere and intricate world-building, while newcomers may be drawn to the visceral, action-packed combat and engaging narrative.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a worthy addition to the franchise, offering a brutal and cinematic gameplay experience that captures the epic scale of the Warhammer 40K universe within this fast-paced, tactical shooter.

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead (Saber Interactive and Stormind Games, rated M, $49.99) — Gamers looking for a truly terrifying expansion to the “Quiet Place” sci-fi universe, will appreciate this first-person survival horror adventure full of threats and, more importantly, noise.

​A single player takes on the role of Alex Taylor, a young adult existing in the middle of an extraterrestrial invasion by creatures nicknamed the Angels of Death that hunt using sound cues.

The action begins with Alex and her friend Martin trekking through a forest in a scene that highlights what the game does so well, aural ambiguity and tension and also reveals that Alex has asthma.

In a world where even the smallest sound can lead to death, the potential of a coughing fit or wheezing is not good for our heroine’s health, especially when the end of the early scenes involves Alex having an asthma attack.

A player will find asthma pills and inhalers to avoid these attacks, but the threat of noise continually heightens the suspense.

The game then jumps forward to Day 105 of the active invasion and now, with Alex and Martin’s relationship having clearly evolved into Alex expecting his child, the threat of death is very present and making any sound could be suicide.

For players who want to dramatically increase the tension, they can activate microphone mode, where the microphone on the PlayStation controller will pick up noises in the real world that the creatures can hear and react to.

Additionally, tech-savvy Alex has constructed a “phonometer,” a sound gauge that allows the players to see the noise they make in relation to environmental noise

There is an insane attention to detail in the sound design, as sound is affected by rain, wind and foliage, and it is variable, which means that players will likely spend the rest of the game with the phonometer glued to their hand.

One of the game’s most terrifying aspects is that occasionally players are forced to sneak around the monsters, getting within inches of their armored legs in order to get to safety.

After Alex escapes, the bulk of the game involves her traversing across a forest, along train tracks and through abandoned houses to find supplies and, hopefully, safety.

The game’s story shines throughout, and more specifically, the characters’ depth and the role of actual versus narrative presence.

As Alex travels through abandoned homes, she can read diary entries and notes from those who lived in the homes, and players gain a surprisingly heart-wrenching view of how survival in this post-apocalyptic world has broken these strangers.

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead embraces the jump scares and key features of the movies, tension, terror and heartbreak through an emotional story. Fans of narrative-focused horror games will love the Easter eggs and rich level of detail present as they move Alex through a daunting and thought-provoking journey.

Silent Hill 2 (Konami and Bloober Team, rated M, $69.99) — A satisfying remake of one of survival horror’s most iconic games delivers breathtaking visuals, modernized gameplay, and that same oppressive atmosphere clinging to a player long after the screen fades to black.

Just like back in 2001, once again a solo gamer takes on the role of James Sunderland, who receives a mysterious letter from his deceased wife, Mary.

The letter summons him to the eerie town of Silent Hill and takes our unassuming hero on a haunted trip among grotesque creatures and deeply unsettling revelations.

The game is visually brilliant and as grungy and grizzled as ever. Silent Hill is always drenched in heavy rain and thick fog from the onset, creating a very uneasy, surreal vibe that’s straight out of a 1940s Universal monster movie.

The visual improvements and atmospheric effects on environments — from moldy, dilapidated apartments to dimly lit, desolate streets — are really nicely detailed and even the controller’s speaker (for PS5 owners) now offers sounds when danger is near and adds new levels of immersion in the terrifying action.

Exploration and survival lie at the very heart of the gameplay. The remake greatly rewards players who investigate every nook and cranny of Silent Hill, presenting them with key items, lore and resources. One may actually spend more time looking in corners of disgusting bathrooms than exploring new areas.

Weapons available such as a wooden plank with nails sticking out of it, a metal pipe and handgun (always short on ammunition) brilliantly reflect James’ vulnerability against creatures.

Health upgrades are rare, leaving the player’s display screen in a constant state of red visual haze (making the game even harder to traverse). Seldom occurring autosaves also heighten tension as exploration in unsaved areas genuinely raises blood pressure.

The puzzles are as challenging as ever yet mentally rewarding, breaking up the intensity of combat to further drive the story along.

Combat remains brutal and tactical, with dodging a key ability for survival. Encounters with grotesque enemies, such as Lying Figures and Mannequins, force the player to think critically about how to prevent taking damage while managing resources.

There are also new types of enemies such as bug-like pests called Creepers and a variant of the Lying Figures with metallic parts on its body that explode upon their killing, making every battle ever more tactical.

Moreover, Pyramid Head, the face of Silent Hill, keeps what seems like a close proximity to the player the entire adventure.

Confrontations with the brute make the heart race, with the player able to merely hope to drive him off by dealing enough damage rather than actually defeating him.

Everything from a sobering narrative, great-looking visuals, challenging puzzle elements and close-quarters combat shine in the reborn Silent Hill 2, dropping the player into a world that is both terrifying and poignant while resetting the bar higher in the psychological horror gaming genre.

Tomb Raider: I-III Remastered (Aspyr, rated M, $29.99) — Retro gamers looking to relive the late 1990s and the days when buxom Lara Croft, in all her gun-wielding, tank-top-wearing glory, ruled home entertainment consoles get a real treat in the budget-minded collection.

​Players get the full versions “Tomb Raider” (1996), “Tomb Raider II” (1997) and “Tomb Raider III” (1998), and control the famed extreme archeologist who now has a generous face-lift.

Although the updated graphics are not as smooth and crisp as today’s action-adventure games, it’s a definite improvement on the originals. The visual updates become clearer with an option to press a controller button and switch between the original view and the remastered with one heck of a stark difference.

The biggest improvements are in the environments. Gone are the pixelated, blocky walls of greenery and stone slabs as the remaster renders the environment in three dimensions with vines hanging off the walls and doors clearer to see in the temples.

​One aspect of the game not remastered is the cutscenes. Loading into the remastered original Tomb Raider was jarring, especially when transitioning from the scene to the actual gameplay. At times it was hard to understand what was happening.

​Adapting to current gamers, the remaster also has a “modern controls” mode that is much more comfortable for people not used to the original navigation and movement system of early console games.

However, the movement itself could use more remastering. In a game that is so dependent on precise placement to vault over obstacles and reach resources and collectibles, the clunky controls can quickly lead to frustration.

It is a steep learning curve with practice needed to finesse the lack of free movement in certain locations and the shooting at enemies (aiming is a bit difficult).

Although once the learning curve period is over, the game is as fun as it was in the original release days, with a gantlet of environmental puzzles and obstacles to solve.

​Suffice to report, fans will not be disappointed as they explore jungles and ancient ruins while tomb robbing and engage in some classic, gung-ho fights against creepy creatures, mercenaries and dinosaurs.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster (Capcom, rated M, $49.99) — Almost 20 years after its first release back in 2006, a premiere, action-packed and extremely entertaining survival horror game is back with a new coat of paint and couple of game mechanic upgrades.

Photojournalist Frank West returns to Willamette Parkview Mall on a hunch to get an exclusive look at a sudden military quarantine of a small town in Colorado.

As Frank points his camera out the open door of a helicopter, he gets his first look at the unsettling chaos unfolding below. Barrel-rolling onto the roof of the mall, Frank comes face to face with both survivors and violent zombies swarming the building.

In this 72-hour mode, Frank must figure out the source of the outbreak and return to the helipad in time to get out of Willamette.

​While the game’s subplots are only slightly updated, the visuals and animation are a revelation. The remaster was developed using the same RE Engine that was also responsible for the recent upgrades of the original Resident Evil games.

Not only is the mall itself much more realistic, but facial animations have also been modernized, making cutscenes even more enjoyable to watch.

As players travel through the mall, they will come upon survivors who can be led back to a Security Room Safe Zone. Each survivor has a distinct personality, and some are braver (or smarter) than others. Some of these characters don’t seem to have been modernized, as almost all female survivors require their hand to be held (literally) to be led to safety.

​The game’s combat is charmingly brutal and wacky, as almost anything can be wielded as a weapon, more than 250 in total, from tool boxes to katanas to the disembodied arms of zombies.

Items around the mall can also be used for Easter eggs or achievements, such as plopping a traffic cone onto an unsuspecting zombie’s head. The ability to move while aiming and autosaving is an example of a handful of control upgrades.

​Players can further customize their gameplay experience with costumes provided by Pre-Order and Digital Deluxe editions. The Pre-Order comes with three automatic unlock costumes, Chuck Greene, Frank West 2006, and Willamette Parkview Mall Bee.

The Digital Deluxe edition includes the Willamette Parkview Mall Pack, Resident Evil Heroes Pack, Resident Evil Villains Pack, Mega Man Pack and the Capcom Fighters Pack. Each costume also comes with a unique soundtrack that can be played over the mall’s speakers and make cutscenes absolutely hilarious.

​Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is perfect for both veteran fans and first-time players, with an engaging, tongue-in-cheek story and endless possibilities for some good old-fashioned zombie hunting.

Risk of Rain 2 (Hopoo Games and Gearbox Publishing, rated T, $49.99) — The simplistic yet artistically stunning third-person sci-fi shooter has finally been released for the PS5 and bundled with the downloadable content packs, “Survivors of the Void” and “Seekers of the Storm.”

​In this co-op game, up to four players take the role of stranded survivors on a mysterious and dangerous alien planet. Before entering the action, players can choose from a set of survivor archetypes, each with its own fighting style and lore.

Specifically, three survivors are available to play at the start of the game: Commando, the jack-of-all-trades character; Huntress, a mobile but fragile fighter with high damage output; and Seeker: a meditative mid-range brawler with healing powers.

Once players land on the strange planet, they enter a series of challenges as they use their various weapons and abilities to take out waves of hostile aliens and bosses while trying to find the teleporter and not die.

Finding the teleporter allows players to level up and move on to the next level, as enemies become more difficult and frequent. Players can unlock new survivors, weapons, abilities and mods by completing the challenges and looting in-game chests to acquire items.

​With the recent release of many hyper-realistic third-person shooters, Risk of Rain 2 stands out by sticking with the classic, cartoonish animation that gives it a certain charm and other-worldly aesthetic. These visuals are even more pronounced while playing on the PS5, with a higher frame rate and even more vibrant colors.

​Risk of Rain 2 is a narratively simple game with equally beautiful visuals and now overloaded with content and perfect for fans of other rogue-like shooters such as Hades and Dead Cells.

WWE 2K24 (Visual Concepts and 2K, rated T, $34.99) — 2K’s latest installment of its professional wrestling sports simulation delivers an almost overwhelming assortment of fighting styles and customization options, perfect for fans to get interactively lost in the sports soap opera.

​First, WWE 2K24 offers the return of the MyRise story mode, and a separate two narrative twist, choosing either Undisputed or Unleashed.

Undisputed starts with WWE star Roman Reigns vacating his championship, leaving a vacuum for the player to fill in men’s wrestling ranks and ascend to the SummerSlam tournament.

Unleashed follows a female promoter who has conquered the indie wrestling scene but now must show off her talents to the WWE.

Throughout each story, there are pivotal choices for players to make that will define the course of their journey and pave the way to wrestling infamy. Players can choose to create their own superstar or pick from a selection of predesigned characters.

If a player wants to create a new wrestler, get ready for a lengthy and detailed process. While the character creation has numerous default options for those who want to jump into the action, it also allows for more minute levels of customization in facial features and outfits.

For each item of clothing, characters can change the materials and colors of each facet of the piece, and the options are really overwhelming.

Players can also choose from a list of hundreds of famous wrestlers, past and present such as Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, the Undertaker or John Cena. The game also offers a variety of different DLC packs that allow players to further customize and update their game.

​Worth noting for WWE 2K24 is that many of a player’s moves and attacks are highly dependent on the position of their opponent.

Certain attacks can only be performed when an opponent is in a specific orientation to the player’s character, and the AI opponents seem to be hellbent on being as unpredictable as possible.

Each legend comes with sets of their signature moves and takedowns, which are fun to employ, but it can be frustrating for players to pull off who are new to the franchise. Especially when fighting in the story mode, the timing from the AIs makes it aggravating to try and predict and deflect certain attacks and complete the story’s challenges.

​For die-hard wrestling fans, WWE 2K24’s highlight is the “Immortals” showcase, celebrating the 40-year tenure of the WWE. WrestleMania is a staple of this game, which allows players to recreate iconic and backbreaking moments from WWE history.

Fans of the WWE video game franchise will also enjoy the new match types offered including Guest Referee, Casket, Gauntlet and Ambulance.

Suffice it to report, fans of WWE will have a blast with the endless legend options, allowing them to pit favorite superstars against each other in ways that would never have been possible.

Now toss in a MyGM mode (build a wrestling brand and challenge other general managers) and offline as well as online multiplayer matches and WWE 2K24 will definitely keep fans engaged in their favorite brawling universe.

​Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports (GameMill Entertainment and Bamtang Games, rated E, $49.99) — Compete in a legendary cartoon universe within a casual sports video game offering an entertaining evening for the whole family.

Up to four players (in a local co-op mode) control iconic characters as they play golf, tennis, basketball and soccer.

Start the adventures by diving into basic and advanced tutorials to quickly get the hang of the motion controls and game dynamics. For example, a game of soccer between Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd is never going to be simple, of course, as each game mode includes various power-ups and super shots that reward players for taking control of the ball and blocking opponents.

​Tackle the main Sports Mode to play against friends or the computer-controlling toons that include Bugs Bunny, Wile E. Coyote, Porky Pig, Sylvester the Cat, Road Runner, Lola Bunny, the Tasmanian Devil, Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck and Yosemite Sam in locations such as Road Runner’s Canyon, Martian Command Center and Granny’s House.

Each character has its own introductory cutscene with kooky voice lines throughout the games. They all have unique statistics that complement their character traits. For example, the Tasmanian Devil packs a punch in golf but isn’t the brightest bulb, reflected by high strength and low intelligence stats.

​Another main highlight is the Acme Tournament of Champions Ultimate Cup where up to four characters are on a team. Tweety Bird introduces the games and the ultimate prize: the golden anvil.

Players will spin the Acme Wheel of Sports and choose the first sport for the tournament, and an arena is randomly chosen. The players are then split into two teams randomly, and each team gets a set of colored uniforms. The teams then go through a series of games throughout the tournament to determine the winner.

​The games also feature numerous callbacks and details from the original cartoons, with catchy background music and at the end of each game, a “That’s all, folks” poster card.

The art style is a 3D cel-shaded, slightly modernized version of the classic style of the cartoons, with more fluid motion and bright colors.

​Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports is a fun and nostalgic call back to classic sports games and cartoons in simple, fun and compact competitions for everyone.

Peripherals and gadgets

Now, let’s add a few equipment ideas that will certainly help bring a smile to gamers’ faces.

Reflex FPS: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Edition (Scuf Gaming, starting at $239.99) — The company responsible for one of the gold-standard accessories for professional and casual gamers over the last decade celebrates the release of Call of Duty’s latest first-person shooting epic with a high-performance wireless controller for PlayStation 5 home entertainment consoles.

The Bluetooth-connected Reflex FPS may pay homage to PlayStation’s DualSense controller but packs in its meatier frame customization that caters to the cyber warriors in the family.

First look to the instant triggers on the front of the unit that deliver a hair-trigger response for getting shots off quicker and then complimented by four removable and remappable paddles under the controller that allow middle fingers to take control of the primary button actions easily configured to a gamer’s strategic comfort.

Next, the Reflex arrives with three already configured paddle profiles, the FPS for shooters, and ones more aligned with other styles of games. Each can be quickly engaged with the press of the rear profile button and glow red, blue or green to designate the profile chosen, sort of like a driver-seat position memory system on a Mercedes Benz.

Examine the face design layout to find a built-in speaker; a large touchpad; a directional pad; four action buttons; a pair of interchangeable thumbsticks; and a P.S., mute, create and options buttons.

Also, the standard two bumpers and two triggers, a 3.5 mm port for wired headsets, and a USB-C port for wired play and charging round out its DualSense core arrangement.

With help from nonslip, rubberized textured grips, the controller offers a very secure and comfortable experience for any extended firefights.

The Reflex really shines by noticeably improving comfort and reaction time. In one Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 free-for-all match, a design customization translated into a personal best second-place finish. While these will not necessarily make owners better gamers, this controller’s ergonomic features let one worry less about discomfort and more about actual performance.

Its Call of Duty homage offers artwork across the Reflex’s face plate featuring the familiar three-headed wolf logo in orange paying tribute to the mythological creature Cerberus on the left side and grayish-silver, espionage-style set of symbols on the right.

The package includes a black, hard-shell carrying case with a soft interior and quality zipper, a 6-foot USB-A to USB-C Cable and four extra thumbsticks.

Although a pricy piece of tech for the PlayStation 5, the Reflex FPS still makes a potent gift, especially for the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 fan now wielding a stylish controller built for success.

WD_Black SN850P (Western Digital, $99.99 and $599.99) — In a digital download storage universe now overwhelmed by video games that can take up to sometimes hundreds of gigabits of space on a home entertainment console’s precious hard drive, Sony’s PlayStation 5 offers a holy grail with its coveted expansion slot.

Western Digital offers a solid-state solution to the dilemma about the size of Wrigley Juicy Fruit chewing gum package, easily installed into the entertainment console and expands storage up to eight terabytes.

That translates into easily storing games such as Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster (60 gigabytes), A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead (50 gigs), Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 (55 gigs) and Call of Duty Black OPS 6 (102 gigs) with plenty of space to spare.

The rectangular block, powered by PCIe Gen 4.0 technology, offers reading speeds of up to 7,000MB/s to severely cut down on load times and allows seamless play and a next-generation performance to a PS5 setup.

Another key feature of the SN850P is thermal management, as it comes with an integrated and required heatsink to keep the SSD cool and constantly at peak performance to avoid throttling and assure sustained high-speed performance

This plays a huge role in maintaining temperature during extended gaming sessions

Installing the SN850P in the PS5 takes about five minutes of effort: Slide off the PS5 bottom cover, use a Philips screwdriver to remove the white expansion slot panel, remove the 110-hole screw with washer and use it to install the drive in the 80-hole (after clicking drive into place) and then reinstall the expansion slot panel and bottom cover.

The package also includes a code for a free PlayStation Plus trial membership for 14 days (1TB to 4TB models) or one month (8TB model) to access hundreds of video games.

Giving the gift of storage with the WD_Black SN850P will be one of the most appreciated surprises this holiday season for committed gamers in the family.