Written by GT Staff  on December 21, 2011

PS3 Guide: Don't know what to get your loved one this holiday season? Read our Buyer's Guide for PS3 games and accessories to see which last-minute gifts to get.

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The Gift Guides PlayStation 3 Xbox 360

As hard as it is to believe, PlayStation 3 is now five years old. With that age, the fully matured Sony console hogs prime store shelf space alongside a healthy number of exclusive games this holiday season. I'd say that most of the PS3 games listed below are sequels, but that'd be a lie. They're all sequels. Nevertheless, 2011 has been the best year to be a PS3 gamer because of the following titles:


Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Spend the holidays treasuring-hunting with Nathan Drake on the PS3 just like you did in 2009. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception mirrors Uncharted 2: Among Thieves from two years ago, giving it instant Game of the Year credibility. Yes, that also means that there are only slight improvements to the gameplay mechanics in single-player and tweaking in the multiplayer. But Uncharted 3 doesn't need to take a giant Nathan Drake-sized leap forward to make it to the top of this wish list. Maintaining what we loved about Uncharted 2 is its greatest treasure.

Resistance 3

It's easy to forget about Resistance 3. It came out in September, after the summer drought, but right before the big holiday push, it doesn't have a catchy subtitle, and Insomniac Games has flown the SCEA coop to become a third party developer. But you'd be making a mistake to miss out on this Chimeran-hunting sequel precisely because Insomniac is behind this one. The original Ratchet and Clank team is the foremost expert in coming up with gaming's most creative weapons. Plus, you need to play Resistance 3 in order to complete the trilogy and tie up Nathan Hale's loose ends as new lead protagonist Joseph Capelli.

LittleBigPlanet 2

Everything seems to be user-generated these days and Sony and developer Media Molecule have once again capitalized on that trend with the release of LittleBigPlanet 2. This time around, players and their customized Sackboy characters aren't limited to creating platform levels of their wildest imagination. Racing, puzzle and even role-playing games are part of this community-driven PS3 exclusive. You can finally dispose of that old copy of RPG maker.

inFamous 2

Cole MacGrath has moved on from Empire City and landed in New Marais, where he brought his electricity-based powers along with a few new abilities. In case you missed his adventure in this new city earlier this summer, Cole's latest outing in inFamous 2 will make a fine addition to your holiday wish list. With Sucker Punch Productions now a wholly-owned Sony developer and another company taking over the development of Sly 4, we're looking forward seeing what the Bellevue, Washington-based developer comes up with next. In the meantime, we have inFamous 2.

The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection

Ico and Shadow of the Colossus were two of the best non-mainstream platform games on the PS2, making their HD remakes on one Blu-ray disc the perfect opportunity for the masterpieces to get the credit that they deserve. Because these two games pushed the boundaries of the then aging PS2 hardware, this PS3 compilation is an even more enjoyable experience. By the time you kill the last Colossi in high-definition 3D, The Last Guard, developer Team Ico's long-delayed PS3 game, might actually be here.

Killzone 3

Killzone 3 may have released nine months ago, but it's still one of the best first-person shooters to own on the PS3. It's also one of the better stereoscopic 3D titles and the best PlayStation Move FPS games thanks to its solid use of the Sharpshooter accessory. So, if have yet to finish the Killzone trilogy, make sure to add this fight against the Helghast Empire to your wish list.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

The biggest shooter of the year makes an excellent stocking stuffer. As we noted in our Modern Warfare 3 review, with so much multiplayer content right out of the box, it's enough to keep any gamer busy well into the new year. Or if the gamer on your list already has MW 3 (we wouldn't be surprised), you could sign them up for Call of Duty Elite, which provides intense stat tracking, lets you save replays of your finest moments, and entitles you to a year's worth of DLC at a great price. There's even a convenient Best Buy Call of Duty Elite giftcard.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Be careful about giving an Elder Scrolls game to a loved one, because you may not hear from them for a while. Take their silence as a thank you; the world of Skyrim is a near infinite source of adventure, exploration, plunder and dragon slaying. Don't worry if they've never played an Elder Scrolls game before. Skyrim's story is a self-contained tale of Lord of the Rings proportions, and Conan the Barbarian ruggedness. Give it to someone who has a love of high fantasy and plenty of free time.

Batman: Arkham City

Licensed games used to be trouble in the holiday season. Every year millions of well-meaning grandmothers would disappoint the little tykes on their lists with dreck like Superman 64 and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Batman: Arkham City changed all that. Sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum (aka the first truly great comic book game), Arkham City is a gritty sandbox brawler with some of the best animation and voice acting you'll see this year. It's a GOTY contender and should be on every comic fan's Christmas list.

Batarang Controller for PS3

The Batarang Controller for PS3 appropriately came out alongside Batman: Arkham City, but I plan on using it for much longer than that game lasted. The reason is Power A designed a comfortable gamepad that has everything you get from a PS3 DualShock 3, plus some new features for extra style. Wireless, Motion Control, Rumble, USB Rechargeable, etc, it's all here. The added benefit of Custom L2 / R2 buttons, Reverse Analog Sticks and, most noticeably, LED lights at the top and around the grips makes it unique. With one of the 7 different LED colors illuminated, the Batarang Controller looks as it belongs it Batman's belt of gizmos - best of all it can be had for $35 at Amazon, about $10 cheaper than the DualShock 3.

Mini Pro Elite Wireless Controller for PS3

Want to feel like you've gotten 10x stronger this holiday season? You could skip the cookies, or you could just ask for the Mini Pro Elite Wireless Controller for PS3. Thanks to its compact design, this Power A gamepad makes you feel like an overpowered gamer and its $35 price reflects the controller's smaller size. Like the Batarang, the Mini Pro Elite is Wireless, SIXAXIS compatible, USB Rechargeable, has Rumble support, and offers reversible analog sticks. In addition to a cool translucent blue shell, the icons on the controller's four face buttons and the L1 and R2 glow in the dark thanks to matching light-blue LED lights.

Air Flo Controller for PS3

Gamers who play all day long know the feeling: their hands get cramped and sweaty after a few short hours of a video game marathon. The Air Flo Controller for PS3 helps alleviate the latter ailment because Power A put vents into the grips of the controller, providing 2-speed fans that circulate 3.4 cubic feet of air per minute. In addition to providing Уslip-free gaming,Ф as they call it, the vented grips are also illuminated with an ice-blue color - matching the light blue of the Mini Pro Elite and PlayStation family of past logos (namely the PS2 logo before Sony dropped color from its designs). Given all of the power that the Air Flo Controller needs, Power A made it a wired gamepad. However, the added requirement to plug it in will pay off when you flip on the higher of the two fan speeds and your buddy sitting next to you with the standard PS3 DualShock 3 has to hear the unmistakable sound of the fans and know that you're cool and content during those hour of Call of Duty MW3 Spec Ops mode.