What's in the Sack: 5 Mind-Blowing Gifts for Any Loved One

Christmas is rapidly approaching, literally days away, and capitalism demands that you buy your loved ones the perfect gift. But as that day approaches, gifts become harder to find and your friends and family are getting pickier and more willing to judge. They haven’t said anything to you about it, but it’s true. Trust me.

Fear not, however, the perfect gift does exist! Here’s a gift guide straight from the heart. <3

#1. Resident Evil 4 - Steam

Image taken from Steam.

Known as one of the greatest games of all time, Resident Evil 4 is a classic that nearly anyone can appreciate. The game features some remarkably well-aged graphics, endearingly witty dialogue and characters, and a dynamic difficulty setting that ensures all players, good or bad, are on their toes and having fun. The Steam version specifically sits at a 79/100 on Metacritic and features touched-up graphics.

Image taken from Steam.

And of course, it would be a crime to bring up the PC version of Resident Evil 4 without mentioning the Resident Evil 4 HD Project. The Resident Evil 4 HD Project is a fan-helmed mod project that sets out to restore the game to a higher graphic quality than all past ports and remasters have. To help achieve this goal, the creators of the mod used texture archaeology to discover, photograph, and then implement the real-life inspirations and sources of the textures into the game. They also put focus on correcting old model issues and turning previously flat in-game models 3D. The project began in 2014 and will see its official release on 2nd February 2022. 

#2. Resident Evil 4 VR - Oculus Quest 2 

Image taken from the Oculus Quest 2 website.

Weighing in at 85/100 on Metacritic, Resident Evil 4 VR proves that you can teach an old game new tricks. The game takes the iconic over-the-shoulder third-person shooter and transforms it into a first-person nightmare, hell yeah! Is it still first-person if you’re the person? I’m not sure. Anyways, Resident Evil 4 VR is perfect for lovers of horror, the cool fans of Resident Evil (not those “Leon isn’t even cool” wackos), and Leon S Kennedy kinnies alike.

#3. Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition - Nintendo Wii and Wii U

Image taken from Nintendo.

Afraid of VR? I don’t blame you. I never play without my tinfoil hat on, personally. Unless it’s Facebook that scares you, in which case, yeah. Whatever the reason for the lack of virtual reality in your life, if you find yourself also wanting to shoot zombies in a way that feels a little more personal than it should then Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition has your back (assuming you own a Nintendo Wii or Wii U console). While the game is not in first-person, the Wii edition does give the player personal control of weapons. That’s pretty cool. Also, you get to stare at pretty boy Leon Kennedy the entire game, which is a plus for me. On top of all that, the game received a 91/100 from Metacritic, which is a whopping six percent better than what the VR version was rated. Worried about not being able to buy it? Don’t be! Copies of the Wii game can be easily bought for around seven US dollars, a price both myself and my sister’s housemate paid for our copies, while Wii U copies can be bought digitally.

#4. Resident Evil 4 - GameCube

Image taken from NintendoLife.com.

This game is slightly harder to get a copy of, but wow, is it worth the price. Receiving a 96/100 from Metacritic, Resident Evil 4 is pretty close to a perfect game. Fitting for a game about the almost perfect man. Beyond having intensely fun gameplay and lovably goofy characters, this game was one of the first to implement quick time events and the ever-popular over-the-shoulder third-person perspective. Gaming as an entire industry changed because of this game. That’s how good it is. Despite being nearly 17 years old, Resident Evil 4 holds up in nearly every way and is the perfect gift for your loved one.

#5. RE4: Otome Edition - PC 

Image taken from Shimmersoft.com.

Perhaps your loved one has played Resident Evil 4 before. Perhaps they’re even, dare I say, bored of Resident Evil 4. I personally can’t imagine it, but I’m sure it has happened before. Then maybe what they need is a perspective of the game that they’ve never seen before…

RE4: Otome Edition is an oddly amazing and very off-beat Resident Evil 4 fangame that puts the player in the shoes of Ashley Graham, the president’s daughter. As the name suggests, this game is a visual novel and dating sim. But it’s also so much more. A beautiful mix of satire, hot men, and Resident Evil 4, RE4: Otome Edition deserves a spot in the libraries of any gamer that likes to have fun. It’s also FREE!

Image provided by myself. I absolutely loved this game.

With that, we’ve come to the end of the perfect gift guide. Any games that I missed? Feel free to tell me in the comment section below!