The Best Video Game Values This Holiday

When it comes to buying presents for the gamers in our lives, most of us have to break down and ask for a list. Even then it's sometimes tough to find the right games in a sea of sequels with a handful of different consoles to play them on. As daunting as it may be, when the wrapping paper is in the trash all you've really done is buy something from a list.

How impersonal is that? Why not be the holiday hero to your gamer and buy them a game packed with value that'll last them through the winter? These aren't all mega-hit, blockbuster games either. You just might surprise them with a game they didn't even know they wanted!

One final thought: all the value in the world doesn't make a difference if your gamer just doesn't like a certain kind of game. I've included a few similar games and genres to make it easier to narrow it down as well as the ESRB rating for each game.

The Orange Box (available now on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 in December)
Rated: M for Mature
Plays like: Halo with more character and plot development
For those who like: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Teamwork

This single disc includes five separate games that have been in the works for nearly ten years. The original Half-Life 2 (and its expansions Episode 1 and Episode 2) offer hours of sci-fi action with groundbreaking first-person shooter gameplay, a compelling storyline that unfolds in front of your eyes, and dazzling graphics. Team Fortress 2 is an online, team-based first-person shooter with a retro chic art style and lightning fast gameplay.

With players all over the world logging in there's always a battle to leap into. The final component of this about-to-burst box is Portal. Played from the first-person perspective, it's closer to a puzzle game in which you use a portal gun to open gateways all around a research lab trying to reach the next exit. Think of running around inside an M.C. Escher painting. Portal may only last a few hours but it's a one-of-a-kind, mind-bending experience and it's just a small portion of the incredible value in this single $60 package.

MySims (available now on Nintendo Wii)
Rated: E10 for Everyone 10+
Plays Like: a simplified version of The Sims, real life LEGO blocks, Animal Crossing
For those who like: Building things, cute characters

Just how the Wii has put a spin on traditional video game controls, MySims puts a spin on the classic Sims gameplay. MySims streamlines the Needs system (where players juggle a characters hygiene, energy, and other needs) and focuses on fun and happiness. Dropped into a run down town you're asked to help revitalize things by meeting townsfolk and helping them improve their businesses. First you'll build their stores and restaurants and then you'll fill them with specific objects and furniture to make them really successful.

Using the Wii Remote's motion sensing capabilities you enter your Workshop and piece together furniture by stacking, flipping, and twisting wooden pieces. Follow your blueprints or build freeform and then lay on the paint job to customize your pieces and meet the Sims personal requirements. You can also build furniture and sculptures to decorate your own home or give to other residents as gifts.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (available now on most consoles)
Rated: E10 for Everyone 10+
Plays Like: Bejeweled, World of Warcraft (for character building)
For those who like: Puzzle or Casual Games, Role-playing, Fantasy Adventure

Puzzle Quest isn't a dazzling looking game and its concept may seem simple but its unique blend of Bejeweled style puzzle solving and role-playing character development will have you hooked for months. Once you've created your medieval hero you'll venture around a sprawling world map, taking on quests for kings and tyrants alike. Battles revolve around a gem grid where matching three or more like-colored gems increases your magical reserves or deals damage.

Unleash spells and cunning attacks to win the round and then develop your skills and weapons with experience points and gold seized in battle. There's no time limits like most puzzle games so the pace takes on a strategic, almost chess-like pace where thoughtful moves win the day. I personally prefer the Nintendo DS version for its portability and intuitive touch screen controls but the same great Puzzle Quest is also available for PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo Wii, PC, and Xbox 360 so no matter which console your gamer has you're sure to please them.

Please note, the Xbox 360 version is only available for download from the Xbox Live Marketplace, an online "shop" accessed from the Xbox 360. Points cards are available most everywhere games are sold. A $20 card with 1,600 Microsoft Points is more than enough to pay for Puzzle Quest.

Hitman Trilogy (available now on PlayStation 2)
Rated: M for Mature
Plays Like: a less political Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
For those who like: to think before they shoot, to sneak around in the dark

The Hitman Trilogy includes three games from the series for a suggested retail price of $30. The games include Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Hitman: Contracts and Hitman: Blood Money. While Blood Money is the latest and most advanced of the three, the Hitman franchise has a devilishly twisted backstory and loads of creative stealth action worth experiencing.

As the mysterious Agent 47 you are the world's most cunning assassin, employed by the equally mysterious Agency who sends you into the world on contract kills. You're encouraged to use stealth, disguise, and coercion as opposed to gunfire on your missions which are scored and ranked based on how professionally you performed. Each hit always brings you a step closer to unraveling Agent 47's fragmented past... and a step closer to being terminated by The Agency.

Each game alone packs around 12-15 hours of methodical stealth action, and with three games for half the price of a brand new one Hitman Trilogy is the best value on PlayStation 2.

Far Cry: Instincts (available on Xbox, will play on Xbox 360)
Rated: M for Mature
Plays Like: Halo on a beach, with more explosive surprises
For those who like: a tropical setting, a little bit of stealth with their action, a good sci-fi twist

Available at online shops for about the price of a McDonald's Value Meal, Far Cry: Insticts packs a great punch for those who missed it back in 2005. Loosely based on the PC original, Instincts was rebuilt almost completely for the Xbox and is full of beautiful sun-drenched locales, geurrilla combat, superhuman abilities, and some gritty dialog provided by Stephen Dorff.

The main game won't last much more than 10 hours but it has more thrills, twists, and explosive battles than most action games available today. The added bonus is the multiplayer mode which lets players not only battle it out online but create their own maps, providing a huge amount of replay value.