Sony's latest console entry boasts hundreds of titles, and choosing the perfect one for a holiday gift isn't easy.  This Holiday Guide looks to remedy that situation with a simple breakdown of some of the best games in each genre.  But choosing the right gift isn't as easy as picking out a great game; there are other things to consider - is it age-appropriate?  Does it offer enough for a solo gamer?  Is it too difficult for younger gamers?  These considerations and more will be discussed as well, all to help you find the best gift for your gamer this Holiday season.  Today, we'll be looking at RPGs; Valkyria Chronicles is one of the few Strategy/RPGs available on the PS3 and might just be the best; Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition gives you more of what you loved in the original, while Demon's Souls might just be the biggest surprise of the year.

Demon's Souls: Demon's Souls will try a gamer's patience early on, but those who stick with it will be rewarded with one of the best RPGs of 2009.  The set up is simple: travel to different locations via a central hub, make your way through each location, and slay the major demon at the end.  The game's difficulty comes from the often unrelenting and powerful enemies you come across - not just the large major demons, but from the occasional dragon and other enemies that litter each area.  The combat is slow paced; it requires strategy, and well-timed attacks and blocks - this isn't a hack 'n slash type of game.  Demon's Souls features customizable weapons, decisions and actions that affect the world around you, and a nifty online system where you can leave messages and hints for other players, summon them for help, or be invaded for some PvP.   Buy it for: a gamer who enjoys a good challenge.  Consider something else: the impatient gamer.  ESRB Rating: M for Mature.  Violent but not graphic.  Also consider: Dragon Age: Origins.  This recently released title from Bioware offers a similar backdrop, but with faster-paced action and more focus on storytelling.   

Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition (Fallout 3 GOTY):  Bethesda has brought its open-world RPG formula to the Fallout franchise with huge success.  Design a character and head out into the post-nuclear war world of the Capital Wasteland.  The main story has you searching for your father, but you are free to roam the land to take on whatever missions interest you, interact with whomever you please, and do pretty much whatever you want.  The game can be played in either first or third person, and while the shootouts are a little bland, the new VATS targeting system helps add some flair.  Fallout 3 GOTY gives you the original Fallout 3 and adds 5 expansion packs: Broken Steel, Operation: Anchorage, The Pitt, Point Lookout, and Mothership Zeta.  These packs add new items, locations, and missions to the already huge Fallout 3, as well as the opportunity to play beyond the original's denoument.    Buy it for: gamers who enjoy exploring and the freedom to play the game the way they want to play it.  Consider something else: for a gamer who prefers more structure in their games.  ESRB Rating: M for Mature.  Violent and very graphic with explicit language.  Also consider: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition.  Enjoy the same open-world freedom but this time, in a Medieval setting where swords and magic take the place of chainsaws and ammunition. 

Valkyria Chronicles: Valkyria Chronicles is set in an alternate 1930's Europe where you take command of a group of fighters protecting their town from an invading empire.  The game is not pure strategy, nor is it a traditional RPG, but rather a refreshing blend of the two.  You plan your attacks and select squads for action like a strategy game, but once you activate a squad, you take control over them and do battle like you would in an RPG.  It doesn't require as much strategy as a pure RTS, but in return, you're much more involved in the action.  Visually, the game is stunning, and expect the art style as well as the story to pull you in, too.  Buy it for: gamers who enjoy simpler strategy games.  Consider something else: for someone who is looking for a more traditional RPG.  ESRB Rating: T for Teen.  Violent, but not graphic.  Also consider: Eternal Sonata.  Though it isn't much of a strategy game, Eternal Sonata is probably the best traditional RPG available on the PS3.

Thoughts?  Have your own suggestions?  Please share them below!  Stay tuned for a look at RPG titles!  Also, don't forget to check out the Holiday Guide for First Person Shooters, and the Holiday Guide for Action Adventure games!