How to spend £125 at Christmas

Games, like books and DVDs, are one of the easiest products to give as a gift over Christmas. This is primarily because they're relatively inexpensive, which means your parents/girlfriend/Santa Claus/children (it's a sad day when your children buy you computer games for Christmas) can give you more, savouring the moments as you feverishly destroy the surrounding wrapping paper. This Christmas there are some pretty brilliant games so here’s a rundown of our top 5 PC game buys this Christmas.

Battlefield 2142

At £17.99 you really can’t go wrong with Battlefield 2142. When we reviewed the team based, multiplayer, first person shooter a couple of months ago we gave it 8 out of 10. However, considering the amount of hours I have spent playing the game since it was released and the price reduction it's still a great buy.

If you held off buying the game for whatever reason - perhaps you were still playing Battlefield 2 or perhaps you couldn’t afford the time 2142 will take from you - now is the time to succumb and buy it. You’ll be hooked before New Year.

Pro Evolution Soccer 6

We’re now midway through the British football season and despite the weather getting colder, things are hotting up. The choice for football fans in terms of games is pretty simple, FIFA 07 or Pro Evo. We reviewed FIFA 07 and thought it was pretty good, but have since been playing Pro Evo – it’s even better.



Pro Evo’s charm lies in the fact that when playing it you really feel like you’re engaged in a football match. Physics feel lifelike in their restrictiveness. The players may not look as true to life but they certainly handle realistically and to score a goal requires real invention, real ingenuity. This all adds up to you genuinely feeling pleased when you finally get the ball in the onion bag. Put simply, Pro Evo 6 is the best football game out there.

Considering Pro Evo 6 is only £17.99 it’s also a bargain. You’ll require a console controller if you’re to enjoy it fully on your PC (my preference is the Playstation 2 pad but the 360 controller works well) and to really enjoy it you need to get your mates involved and play some two player. In terms of a multiplayer sports game, Pro Evo 6 just pips Fight Night Round 3 and Rockstar’s Table Tennis past the post as our tip for a sporting Christmas.

Medieval 2

Fusing 3D, fully realised epic battles with an addictive 2D strategy map Medieval 2 is without doubt one of the most addictive games you’ll be able to buy this Christmas. We reviewed it a month ago and gave it a fully deserved 9 out of 10 and it’s definitely continued the high level of quality the series prides itself on.

At £24.99 it’s not the cheapest game on this list and my only reservation would be that the price of the game will almost certainly drop significantly over the coming months as expansions and add-ons are released. Be that as it may, this is still one of the finest games to be released this Christmas.

Splinter Cell 4: Double Agent

Another game that got a great review from our Editor-in-Chief, Wil Harris. Double Agent is now available on the PC so for those of you who prefer staying away from the 360, you’ll now be able to get stuck into some Sam Fisher action.

Another incentive to buying it on the PC is that it’s actually a bit cheaper than it is on the 360. At £24.99 you’ll get the same game and, providing your PC is up to the task, it will look as good as the 360 version. A must have for all fans of the action/stealth genre.

Company of Heroes

If you only have the funds to buy one game this Christmas then this has got to be it. Company of Heroes is absolutely brilliant in terms of graphics, the way it plays, the multiplayer, the sound, the feel – everything. It’s addictive and inspired and a game that everyone has to enjoy.

Is there a drawback? Unfortunately yes. Despite being a couple of months old it’s still priced at £24.99, which is a bit of a bummer. The only other reason you might not want to buy this game is if your PC can’t handle it. Get the lowdown on the graphical requirements of this game over in our review - they're pretty hefty.

So there you have it. This is by no means a definitive list of all games this Christmas, but will hopefully go some way to appeasing your appetites.

Conclusion

Is £125 enough at Christmas? When I first approached this article I was slightly apprehensive over what kind of swag Christmas tech-shoppers would be able to bag for the amount, but was pleasantly surprised. There are plenty of options out there and half the fun of Christmas is finding them.

The recommendations are to always shop online (providing it's not too close to Christmas) and when shoppping on a budget for hardware you need to weigh up what the quality of your other hardware is. If you have an awesome graphics card but hardly any RAM then it stands to reason that you should invest in some memory. The same principles apply to monitors: a second monitor doesn't have to blow your socks off and is a great way of improving your experience whilst remaining thrifty.

The other question you need to answer is whether it's better to save the money and wait to either: a) buy a bigger and better product after some saving or b) catch the January sales. If you're in the market for hardware then the chances are you won't get any luck in the New Year Sales, as usually the prices only drop as new technology arrives. If you're looking for games you may have a bit more luck, as companies start throwing around two for one offers. All in all though, with technology it's rarely worth waiting for the sales - prices just don't drop that dramatically and you'll end up with nothing to open on Christmas day!