Game Room: 2008 Holiday Gift Guide

With three mature gaming systems (Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and the Wii), 2008 was simply one of the best years for games in a long time. We played many quality games this year and have assembled a list of more than 50 games we think are worthy of your holiday shopping consideration. And so...

Gears of War 2 looks at first like more of the same, but the two-year interval has been very kind to this franchise. The scale of the environments is often eye-popping, and the missions have enough variety to constantly surprise. The single-player mode is lean but satisfying, and the multiplayer options are myriad with a co-op campaign, numerous multiplayer maps and Horde, where groups of online players fend off endless waves of nasty critters. With its highly-detailed violence, salty language and countless gallons of spurting monster blood, this isn't one for the younger set. For those old enough to watch R-rated movies, though, few games this year offer more thrills.