The holidays are here, and that means plenty of time for uninterrupted gaming. But what to buy? And what to buy for those friends and family--the uneducated fools that they are--who might not have pre-ordered every major game release this year?

Shacknews is here for you, and we've brought in a full cast of gaming experts to lay down a solid list of recommendations. Or skip to the final page for a list by platform.

John "Duke" Pendergrass, Shacknews Diehard
Remember when this site only covered PC games? Those were the days. If it were up to me, it would still be just Quake, really. And bring back "Stuff that Sucks." Who the hell runs this site now, anyway?

Speaking of stuff that sucks, get that console crap off of the front page, if there even is one. Real games have guns. Guns that you shoot with a mouse and keyboard.

The Orange Box (Valve Software; PC, X360, PS3)
Now this is what I'm talking about. Five games with lots of action and shooting, including some of the best multiplayer around in Team Fortress 2. It's like 1998 all over again. The Half-Life games are some of the best around and this thing comes with all three of the Half-Life 2 ones. Portal has a lot less shooting, and it has a goofy song, which seems a little fruity to me. Everyone says it's great though, so what do I know? Just buy the PC version. (Review)

Crysis (Crytek; PC)
I just upgraded to an octocore CPU and four 8800GTs in double SLI, and this is pretty much the only game that does my rig justice. Plus, you can customize your guns. Totally leet. (Review)

BioShock (Irrational Games; PC, X360)
The System Shock 2 people made this, so big props there. It looks awesome, and the combat is pretty deep if you want it to be. Also I took a college class on Ayn Rand so I get all the references. (Review)

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (GSC Game World; PC)
You can tell the guys who made this are old-school PC dudes. Rock on. Sure it's kind of buggy, but you can go pretty much anywhere, and it's brooding and open-ended and you shoot stuff a lot.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars (Splash Damage; PC)
This is like Battlefield, but with more Quake. Hell yeah. They say it's coming to consoles, but it's on PC now. It has MegaTextures. Praise be to Carmack. (Demo, Preview)

Unreal Tournament 3 (Epic Games; PC)
I used to be all about Quake destroying UT, but I guess I'm getting soft. This game is pretty sweet too. The new Warfare node capture mode is fun, but you can't go wrong pwning fools in deathmatch. (Demo, Multiplayer Preview, Single-player Preview)
-C.R.

Little Jason Rosewood, Shacknews Diehard's Son
I've been saving my lunch money since kindergarten to buy video games instead of food. The secret is eating what I call a donutwich for breakfast--eggs, ham, and bacon smashed between two glazed donuts. You won't be hungry all day, I promise. My favorite games have lots of action but not a lot of violent stuff 'cause my dad says I'm not mature enough. I'm almost as tall as he is though and I'm way better at DDR so I don't see why. My dad's really strong so I guess he's right.

Metroid Prime 3 (Retro Studios; Wii)
This game's the most awesome of all the Metroid Prime games because you use the Wii remote to point galaxy-famous bounty hunter Samus Aran's arm cannon. (Did you know she's a girl? Probably not.) There's also lots of really cool places to explore and huge big bosses to fight. It is pretty tough but a lot of fun for anyone who likes games really. If I was a bounty hunter I'd be an awesome one like Boba Fett and Samus would be my girlfriend or wife. (Review)

Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (Insomniac Games; PS3)
So this is another Ratchet and Clank game but it's on PS3 so obviously it looks really good because of the Cell processor. It's really powerful maybe as powerful as my dad. Anyway there's lots of weapons and it's fun even though the story is pretty silly and doesn't have any wizards. (Preview)

Everyday Shooter (Queasy Games; PS3)
This game is awesome because it's only $10 (just one week's lunch money) and you download it from the PlayStation Store and play it right then. But it's even more great because you make music when you blow up the bad guys and every stage is a song and different from the last one and I'm going to play it right now 'cause I like it so much. (Preview, Interview)

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (Naughty Dog; PS3)
I saw this movie one time called Indian and Jones and this game is like that movie except a game kind of, but that movie didn't have an Indian in it just a guy whose last name was Jones. This game has pirates and you kill a lot of them. (Review)

Every Extend Extra Extreme (Q Entertainment; X360)
I'm really good at DDR (better than my dad) but it takes a lot of body energy so this game is great because you download it and it has cool techno music like DDR except you just explode lots of ships and guys. It takes mind energy but it's still cool to relax and the screen looks crazy like you smoked drugs maybe.
-C.B.

Colonel Bob, Professional Armchair General
Ever since I discovered these games and took 'em away from my idiot son, I've been havin' a hoot. Of course just like a lonely night with a bottle of Tennessee whiskey and a stack of dirty magazines, it's no substitute for a real piece of action--but like I said, his mother left after my second tour as Pfizer VP, so you do what you have to. Here are some of the best damn war games you can play without getting off your rocker.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward; PC, PS3, X360)
The AC-130 heavily-armored ground attack warplane is a thing of deadly beauty, and Call of Duty 4 brings it right into my living room. Picking off tangos from 20,000 feet has never felt this good, and when I get a little frisky and hit my own boys, there's no pesky court martial to deal with. Mostly it's a big damn modern first person shooter that drops you right into the suck. And I hear this multiplayer thing is fun for the kids, but I don't let little faggots call me a faggot without answering for it. (Demo, Preview)

World in Conflict (Massive Entertainment; PC)
My hunting buddy turned me on to this one, and let me tell you, this real time strategy is a darn good time. Plenty of realistic military units, carpet bombing, and nuclear combat toe-to-toe with the Russkies. The world of my dreams, all wrapped up in one slick package. (Demo, Preview)

Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts (Relic Entertainment; PC)
I saw a commercial for this on The History Channel, and boy am I sure glad I did. It's a heavy helping of double-u double-u two strategy, with some neat whiz-bang effects. You can play as the German Panzer Elites, but I'd sooner dress up in women's clothing and stand on a corner across from the Carlton than turn traitor.

Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword (Firaxis Games; PC)
Here's a game for real men. This pack adds corporations to the mix of turn-based strategy, fulfilling my dream of running my own military-industrial complex. I name all of my enemies Eisenhower. (Demo 1, Demo 2)

Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance (Gas Powered Games; PC)
My son tells me this "RTS" is about world-conquering robots and other childish nonsense. Jesus H. Christ. I should never have let his mother breastfeed him that long. (Impressions)
-N.B.

Turn the page for thoughts from Bobby Jr., Dick Wisnewski, and Susan Bennett.