Whether you're thinking about what to buy the PS3 owner in your life this Christmas, or putting together your own list, there are many new games for Sony's PlayStation console that are vying for attention. From first person shooters to racing games, from football to action-adventure, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Here are the five best PS3 games for Christmas 2010.
5. FIFA 11 - Electronic Arts (Available Now)
EA's yearly update of one of their most popular franchises continues with FIFA 11 and it looks, sounds and plays better than ever before. There are superior pitch textures and a redesigned front-end. Crowd noises are much improved and it's now possible to record custom chants and playback music tracks stored on the PS3's hard drive. There's also a new passing system and Career Mode, which allows players to develop as players player-managers or managers over 15 seasons, as well as a new feature allowing whole games to be played as a goalkeeper.
FIFA 11 has already been hugely successful since its launch, with EA announcing sales of 2.6 million in the first week alone, and is an essential purchase for football fans around the world.
4. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood - Ubisoft (Available November 2010)
The first two Assassin's Creed games from Ubisoft were hugely successful and have together achieved sales of well over ten million. This new entry in the historical action-adventure series looks set to follow the same path if the overwhelmingly positive previews are any indication.
In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, the player again takes the role of master assassin Ezio from the second game in his fight against the Templar Order in the ancient city of Rome. A 15 hour adventure awaits with the player utilising a variety of weapons and able to train new assassins to help them in their quest. The city is rich in historical tapestry and even real world characters like Leonardo da Vinci can be met and interacted with. There is also a multiplayer mode for the first time where players from around the world can compete against each other.
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is going to be high on the Christmas list of any PS3 owner who enjoyed the previous games in the series or are fans of action-adventure games like last year's Uncharted: Among Thieves.
3. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit - Electronic Arts (Available November 2010)
Another EA franchise that gets a yearly update, this new Need for Speed game looks like it's going to be one of the best in the sixteen year history of the series and certainly one of the best PS3 games for Christmas.
What makes this year's game extra special is that it's being developed by Criterion Games who are also responsible for the massively popular Burnout series of racing games. Players can take the role of either a cop or a racer in high-speed chases driving a huge range of licensed cars, including vehicles from Audi, BMW, Dodge, Ford, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. Supercar fans will love the McLaren F1 and Pagani Zonda Cinque.
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit features single and multiplayer modes and the PS3 version can also be played in 3D. Race fans will love it!
A free playable demo is now available to download from the PlayStation Network.
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops - Activision (Available November 2010)
The latest entry in one of the best-selling series of games of all time, Call of Duty: Black Ops is already setting records in the number of pre-orders received. This time, the action takes place during the Cold War, with the player controlling two covert intelligence officers as they complete missions behind enemy lines in locations including Cuba and Vietnam.
As always with Call of Duty games, there's a strong multiplayer mode alongside the single-player campaign that gamers will be playing until the next title in the series is released.
Action packed and violent, this is definitely not a game for kids but for those old enough to enjoy, this first-person shooter will definitely be one of the best PS3 games to have this Christmas.
1. Gran Turismo 5 - Sony Computer Entertainment (Available December 2010)
This is the big one for PS3 owners, the one they've been waiting for since it was first previewed at the 2006 E3 show, and one of the most delayed games of all time. But it's now, at last, about to be released!
The PS3-exclusive Gran Turismo 5 features over 1,000 highly detailed real life cars to race and they can also be customised and upgraded. Over 100 tracks are available and there are arcade and career modes, plus an extensive multiplayer mode with online racing, plus weather effects and car damage.
The graphics in Gran Turismo 5 push the PS3 to the max with full HD 1080p graphics (one of the only games to achieve that) and it's also playable in 3D. This is an essential purchase for car fans and is likely to be top of the Christmas list for many PS3 owners.
A Merry PlayStation Christmas
Christmas 2010 has a lot to offer PS3 owners. In addition to the games above, there's also Fallout 3: New Vegas, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2, Vanquish and many others, as well as the PlayStation Move motion control accessory and all the games for that. And if budget games to use as stocking fillers are needed more, there's also the five best PS3 games available now, with the incredible Uncharted 2: Among Thieves at the top of the list.
Jason Glover - Jason Glover has worked in the marketing teams of major companies for over twenty years, including over ten years in online marketing ...
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