What to buy a gamer on your gift list

— -- Fantasy role-playing, action-heavy adventures and deep sports simulations are just three of the popular video game genres to pick from this holiday season.

In fact, with so many titles released throughout the year, choosing the right disc or download for the game-lover on your gift list might be as challenging as these games themselves.

If you're shopping for a teen or adult gamer, here is a look at some of the most sought-after offerings for the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii. A handful of games are available for multiple platforms and are noted accordingly.

PlayStation 3

Action fans will enjoy running and gunning through Sony's Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (rated Teen; $59.99), as fortune hunter Nathan Drake takes on his most daring mission to date. Taking part in diverse locations around the world — and jumping around to different time periods — Drake's quests also touch on a historical conspiracy that includes his ancestor, Sir Francis Drake. Along with great writing and memorable characters, this cinematic third-person adventure features an epic solo campaign along with head-to-head and cooperative multiplayer modes.

Also available for Xbox 360 and Windows PCs, Bethesda Softworks' The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (rated Mature; $59.99) is a highly engrossing open-world role-playing game (RPG) with seemingly limitless character customization, weapons and items, quest choices, and characters and villains. In other words, tell the person you're giving this to not to make any plans until, say, March. Level up your hero as you explore new towns and dungeons, tackle ancient dragons and unravel an epic mystery in this latest adventure in the coveted Elder Scrolls franchise.

Sports fans will likely love kicking around a copy of EA Sports' FIFA Soccer 12 (rated Everyone; $59.99), also playable on Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. The game boasts near-photorealistic graphics and broadcast-style cameras. But it's not just a pretty face. This soccer sim also offers authentic physics — including ball dribbling, passing and scoring, and how the players react to one another — and more than 500 officially licensed clubs, totaling roughly 15,000 players. Play a quick match, managerial-focused career mode or many side-by-side or online matches.

Also check out Sony's Resistance 3, Valve Software's Portal 2 (also for Xbox 360 and PC) and Rockstar Games' L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition (also for Xbox 360).

Xbox 360

The third and final game in the sci-fi trilogy, Microsoft Game Studios' Gears of War 3 (rated Mature; $59.99) is once again an intense game of survival. You play as Marcus Fenix, a beefy squad leader and humankind's last hope against being annihilated by vicious aliens named Locusts. As with its predecessors, this "stop and pop" action romp has you taking cover behind objects while peeking around to take down numerous enemies with plenty of firepower. Along with the lengthy single-player game are many cooperative and competitive game modes and maps that deliver a lot of content for fans of the franchise.