Looking for Xbox 360 Recommendations for my wife

[Joe Momma]

My wife's birthday is coming up (June 18th) and I'm looking for a decent XBox 360 game to get her. She prefers the games that have a fair amount of exploration (collecting items, getting XBL Achievements, and so forth) and replayability (a variety of character building options, story missions that can be resolved in different ways, etc.), though fighting games like Mortal Kombat or action/puzzle games like Tomb Raider are also good.

Examples of games she has liked:
The GTA series, especially San Andreas; she played through the GTA4 storyline once but wasn't interested enough to continue after that.
Final Fantasy XII; XIII's linear combat set-up didn't seem very entertaining to her.
Fallout 3 -- she normally doesn't like shooters much but the VATS system made that part of the game simple enough.
Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2
Dead Rising
Dragon Age Origins
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 1 &2
Fable 1 & 2

Games I'm thinking about:
Dragon Age Awakening (might be too short -- I've heard the story only takes about 10-12 hours to finish)
Assassin's Creed 1 or 2 (wondering how it compares to Tomb Raider Legend or TR Underworld)

Any comments on whether the above choices are worth considering or other games I haven't thought of would be appreciated.

[wautd]

My wife's birthday is coming up (June 18th) and I'm looking for a decent XBox 360 game to get her. She prefers the games that have a fair amount of exploration (collecting items, getting XBL Achievements, and so forth) and replayability (a variety of character building options, story missions that can be resolved in different ways, etc.), though fighting games like Mortal Kombat or action/puzzle games like Tomb Raider are also good.

Examples of games she has liked:
The GTA series, especially San Andreas; she played through the GTA4 storyline once but wasn't interested enough to continue after that.

Red Dead Redemption is GTA going western style so this should be a safe bet

[Ritterin Sophia]

Buy her either Saint's Row or Saint's Row 2.

It's a sandbox of the GTA3 type and not up it's own ass like GTA4 with annoying bullshit like juggling girlfriends and 'Hey Niko it is your cousin, Roman' crap.

You don't need the former to understand the latter but it helps to set up your motivation. You can buy SR directly from XBox LIVE and store it on your hard drive if you can't find it used.

[General Zod]

Get Assassin's Creed 2 and skip the first one. It's similar in control scheme to Tomb Raider, I suppose, but that's about where it stops. A lot of the game is focused on being able to take out your enemies without being noticed, so it's big on stealth tactics.

[SilverWingedSeraph]

Get Assassin's Creed 2 and skip the first one.

Eh. I don't entirely agree with this. Assassin's Creed 2 is definitely the superior game, but you can pick up Assassin's Creed 1 for like $10-$20, depending on where you are. It's cheap, and it's still fun, and Assassin's Creed 2 would likely be much easier to follow after playing the first.

If she likes GTA, then she'd love Saint's Row 2. That game is what GTA4 should/could have been. Vastly superior. Red Dead Redemption is a maybe. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. It's basically GTA4 in the Wild West, but slightly better.

[Jade Falcon]

I'll second the Saints Row nominations, they got trashed by some of the GTA fanatics who said it was a rip off. So what, how many original game concepts are there, look at the many WW2 FPS's for instance.

Saints Row and SR2 just doesn't take itself too seriously, plus you can majorly customise your character.

This activities trailer for Saints Row 2 takes a none too subtle jab at GTAIV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcHkfLgsqZo

[Joviwan]

I'll fourth or fifth Saints Row 2. Never played the first one and never needed to. Good voice acting, funny as all hell, seemingly endless activities, and the cut scenes are very well directed (also, funny as hell).

Red Dead Redemption is good fun: the gameplay is solidly GTA, but the characters are actually likeable, there's no bullshit missions, the story is mostly coherent, and the main character isn't a giant douchebag.

[Themightytom]

she might like oblivion

[Ghost Rider]

Red Dead Redemption is GTA in the wild west. Decent, but the horses can be a tad odd.

Saints Row 2 is a great GTA sandbox game, as stylings go. More freedom and less grimdark.

Dragon Age: Awakenings? Garbage. As an expansion it's a bad transition given the main quest is mostly "Oh wait, you forgot about this secondary MENACE...ummm go kill it.

Assassin's Creed 1 or 2 are fine games. Either one works, but AC2 has more polish.

[SilverWingedSeraph]

Red Dead Redemption is good fun: the gameplay is solidly GTA, but the characters are actually likeable, there's no bullshit missions, the story is mostly coherent, and the main character isn't a giant douchebag.

Did we play the same game? Marston comes off as a total dickhead most of the time. Or at least a sociopathic asshole. When he's not murdering his enemies in cold blood, he's threatening to shoot his allies if they don't do what he says. I lost count of the number of times he threatened Irish and Nigel West Dickens.

[Stark]

Alpha Protocol has builds, item hunts, replayability, etc. My gf liked Alan Wake, but it's basic a third person shooter with scavenger hunts.

And Saints Row 2 is the best crime sandbox around. Try Just Cause 2 as if that's the sort of game she likes.

[wautd]

How about Overlord 1 & 2? I wouldn't call them the greatest x360 games ever but they it offers an original mix of puzzles, fighting and strategy in a fantasy world containing both humorous as disturbing elements. It's probably dirt cheap as well.

I take racing games are not an option? In general, I'm not fond of them as well but Split/Second is a delightful arcade racer. It's like they distilled Jeremy Clarkson's brain and used his essence to create this orgy of fast cars and explosions.

[Stark]

Did you read the OP? A one-trick racing game is not relevant just because you like it.

[Oscar Wilde]

Get Assassin's Creed 2 and skip the first one.

Eh. I don't entirely agree with this. Assassin's Creed 2 is definitely the superior game, but you can pick up Assassin's Creed 1 for like $10-$20, depending on where you are. It's cheap, and it's still fun, and Assassin's Creed 2 would likely be much easier to follow after playing the first.

Except the second one will make you not care about the arc story.

Ezio's story is quite good, but the Series storyline nosedived in a hurry.

[SilverWingedSeraph]

Except the second one will make you not care about the arc story.

Ezio's story is quite good, but the Series storyline nosedived in a hurry.

I disagree. I thought the ending to Assassin's Creed 2 was great and no sillier than anything in Assassin's Creed 1. In fact, Assassin's Creed 1's ending really pissed me off, because it was a retarded point to end the game and it felt like nothing had really been resolved. Where as in Assassin's Creed 2, I thought the way the ending was handled was great, even though the reveal was cheesy sci-fi nonsense.

But to each their own, I suppose.

[Starglider]

If she liked Final Fantasy she will probably like Lost Odyssey. My wife spent a lot of time playing that game, and it must be down to $10 by now. I second Saints Row 2 though.

[Gramzamber]

I'll tenth, twentieth or whatever Saints Row 2.
It trumps every other sandbox game out there by a) being criminally fun, b) not having it's head up it's ass and c) having a character customiser that puts most RPGs-with-customisers to shame.

[CaiusWickersham]

Games I recommend:

Batman: Arkham Asylum -- yeah, the story is linear, but there's a lot of exploration with the Riddler's Challenges

Bioshock 1 & 2 -- lots of nooks and crannies for extra stuff, achievements, custom building with plasmids & tonics, and there are meaningful decisions at various points that guide the story.

Mass Effect 1 & 2 -- exploration out the wazoo (yeah, it's either puttering around in the Mako for cheap thrills or planet scanning, but it's still something to do), decision points change story drastically (especially 2) and plenty of things to tinker with on the character builds.

[Night_stalker]

I recommend SR 2 again and both MEs. I also recommend that she try Overlord, it's a good game series that doesn't really get a lot of publicity.

[Stark]

Overlord is a puzzle game. Does it have any scope for what she likes (ie exploration, character builds, replayability)?

[wautd]

Overlord is a puzzle game. Does it have any scope for what she likes (ie exploration, character builds, replayability)?

It's been ages I've played Overlord 1 (still need to get into 2) but if memory serves me right:

Exploration: it's no Baldurs Gate but it has several subquests to keep you going. Plus as an extra flavour you could choose the grade of evil on how you would solve a quest.
Replayability: well you can either play the game as a benevolent despote or an eeeeeeeevillll overlord, which had various effects on the game, quests endings,...
character builds: I remember vaguely something about upgrading magic spells and weapons but it's probably pretty limited since your minions will do most of the fighting/actions. You could also pimp your evil tower. While it didn't affect the game that much it was kinda neat to do.

[Stark]

It was a rhetorical question. It's a puzzle game.

[wautd]

It was a rhetorical question. It's a puzzle game.

No, it's an action/puzzle game.

And

action/puzzle games like Tomb Raider are also good.

[Stark]

Tomb Raider has you exploring, jumping around and solving three dimensional puzzles while fighting dudes.

Overlord has you pushing logs and fighting dudes.

It's a puzzle game, and not a good one.

[wautd]

Tomb Raider has you exploring, jumping around and solving three dimensional puzzles while fighting dudes.

Overlord has you pushing logs and fighting dudes.

It's a puzzle game, and not a good one.

Is there some unwritten rule that only Tomb Raider clones can be action/puzzle games? Because weather you like Overlord or not, it contains enough action to call it an action/puzzle game.