The holiday season is fast approaching and we all need to start thinking about what to get as gifts for those we care about (or for ourselves as personal presents). Those of us who are gamers know that this is shaping up to be a crowded marketplace for new games on all the major platforms.

With all of these choices, deciding what to buy someone can be a very daunting task. Being faced with these decisions as well, we decided to research all the upcoming and recently released games for all platforms and come up with a definitive list of must-have games in each major genre (Action, First Person Shooter, Fighting, RPG, Sports, Strategy and Other) for all the platforms. We will look at not just what games to buy, but why they should be bought! Please note all release dates are based on North American street dates.

So without further ado, let’s get to the guide!

Part 1: Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is poised to have an excellent holiday season with a number of exclusive titles ready to launch on Microsoft's Juggernaut system. The X360 has just enjoyed immense success with the recent record breaking launch of Halo 3, but since everyone in North America has that game already it won’t appear on this year's list.

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Assassin’s Creed - This groundbreaking title will be released on November 16 and it stars the assassin Altair. This game is set in the Middle Ages during the dark times of the third crusades and you will guide Altair through a series of assassination missions that can be completed in numerous ways (through stealth, poison, brute force, trickery, etc.) It is a third person action game that is sure to please that gamer who is looking for a stealth action game like no other.

Why buy it?  Assassin’s Creed not only features incredibly impressive visuals, it will also introduce numerous new features such as blending with crowds, context sensitive walking (you can walk carefully around people or jostle them as you walk and attract attention) an innovative battle system and the ability to scale any surface that has a remotely viable handhold (brick, stone, and various other surfaces will all have seams and handholds). Plus to add even more to the already intriguing game, Assassin’s Creed has a futuristic angle that has yet to be revealed but looks to add excitement to an already great looking game.

Kane & Lynch: Dead Men - This is another unique take on an established genre that is being released Nov. 20. Kane & Lynch features the two titular characters being shipped to their execution site and they are rescued by a mercenary group. They are then forced to perform missions together accompanied by a squad; at times they are each given different objectives that are not revealed to the other. The dynamic relationship between the two (they dislike and distrust each other) and the innovative squad mechanics make this a unique title in the X360 lineup.