With the mass of video game titles pouring in over the holiday season, it can be hard to wade through the shovel ware and find the treasures hidden among the trash.  We here at ComicsOnline have done all the hard work for you and provided a list of the best Xbox 360 games available to scribble on your Christmas list.  With our help, you’ll spend less time fighting soccer moms for parking spaces and more time with the best games of the season.Top Xbox 360 Games:

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
What else can I say that worldwide sales of seven million copies on day one can’t say for me?  Modern Warfare 2 is hot.  The follow up to Infinity Ward’s 2007 shooter offers more impressive graphics than its predecessor among a bunch of other additions including: more balanced and expanded multiplayer, improved A.I. (Your squad mates still get in the way of yours shots occasionally), the inclusion of a Spec Ops mode, and co-op support. My only complaint is that the single player story mode was just a little too short (about five hours long), but the inclusion of the Spec ops missions and top-notch multiplayer adds plenty more to the package.  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has once again raised the bar for online console shooters.  If this game isn’t on your Christmas list then I’m guessing you already have it.
 

Borderlands
Gearbox’s newly released masterpiece was a surprise hit. Its cell shaded look is a colorful and beautiful departure from the norm and it offers a level of humor missing from most games.  It is touted as a role playing shooter, which I could sum up as a mix between Halo and the looting of games like Phantasy Star Online or Diablo.  There are so many different varieties of weapons, shields, and grenade types that you will not likely find identical pieces.  Finding your first corrosive shotgun is a reason to get excited. The level tree structure offers an insane amount of customization and once complete, the game lets you take your leveled character through a more difficult second play through. Couple that with the new DLC available as of Nov 24^th and Borderlands is something you will be enjoying for a long time. 

Left 4 Dead 2
I’m a huge fan of Zombie flicks.  Nothing captures the terror of being surrounded by the masses of the undead like Valves Left 4 Dead franchise.  The follow up to last year’s Left 4 Dead makes the first one feel like comparing the sandlot to the big leagues.  It has more weapons, more items, more zombie types, more special infected, more game types, and far more variety.  Fans of the first will have, dare I say it, more to come back for. The graphics have been given a facelift and the zombies look far more detailed and gruesome than before.  The introduction of melee weapons is a welcome inclusion and slicing through the horde with an axe, chainsaw, or garden gnome (yes, I said garden gnome) is incredible.  The expanded single player experience and new multiplayer mode "scavenge" will keep you thoroughly entertained as you fight off the apocalypse. If your stand against Valves decision to release this so soon after the first is preventing you from picking this one up, you’re really missing out.
 

Batman: Arkham Asylum
What would a ComicsOnline holiday game guide be without the inclusion of a comic book based game?  Not only does Batman: Arkham Asylum meet the criteria, but it deserves a spot on this list.  Its mixture of stealth, fighting and adventure elements make playing as the Dark Knight a genuine experience. Swooping down on an enemy or taking out several with a batarang is a thing of bliss.  Due to the sheer number of belt gadgets and combat tricks, taking down henchmen never feels repetitive. Batman: Arkham Asylum is also a fanboys wet dream.  You’ll find unlockable bios for every character and villain in the Batman universe as well as the addition of a challenge mode and 240 hidden Riddler, well, riddles.  The collector’s edition even includes a 14” replica of the batarang.  Batman: Arkham Asylum is not only the best Batman Game to date, it is by far the best comic book based video game ever. If you haven’t had a chance to pick this one up, what are you waiting for?
 

Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
I will argue that Fallout 3 is the greatest game of this decade across all platforms.  It’s strong combination of action/adventure, role playing, and shooter elements mix extremely well and offer something for every player.  The post-apocalyptic story is one of gaming’s greatest and includes the Hollywood A list voice talent of Liam Neeson, Ron Perlman, and Malcolm McDowell.  There is so much to do and see it will take days upon days of play time to witness it all. Things like blowing up Megaton, meeting Harold/Bob in Oasis, or finding the Experimental MIRV gun are moments you won't forget. Released in mid October, the Game of The Year Edition includes Fallout 3 and all five of the expansion packs, offering an incredible amount of game content.  It’s priced well below that of a new release title making it an excellent choice for any gamer this holiday season.  There’s no reason to pass this one up.
Honorable mention:

Halo 3 ODST
Having an Xbox 360 and not having a Halo game is like having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the jelly.  It’s a no brainer. Halo 3 ODST offers the best narrative of all the Halo games and includes the voice talent of Firefly and Serenity’s Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk, and Adam Baldwin. That fact, sold me on its own. Its interweaving storylines with the addition of the many hidden audio logs provides a reason to search every nook and cranny.  My complaint with this is the same as COD MW2, it’s just too short.  Thankfully, ODST also comes with a second disc containing the complete Halo 3 multiplayer experience including all the Halo 3 DLC maps and three all new ones exclusively for this collection.

Keep Visiting ComicsOnline.com for more holiday guides and everything geek pop culture.