Picking which gaming gift could end up under the tree is an unenviable task. Particularly in 2017 when we've been hit by a tidal wave of great games. Pick we must though, as it's our first round of the 12 Games of Christmas 2017. It's Assassin's Creed Origins v Nier Automata, which would you rather receive as a gift for Christmas? Both games offer dozens of hours of open-world entertainment and could be the perfect way to lose a few afternoons gaming during the holiday period.

Day 1 - 12 Games of Christmas 2017 - Assassin's Creed Origins v Nier Automata

Day 2 - 12 Games Of Christmas 2017 - Horizon: Zero Dawn v The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Day 3 - 12 Games Of Christmas 2017 - PUBG v Destiny 2

Day 4 - 12 Games Of Christmas 2017 - Divinity: Original Sin 2 v Total War: Warhammer 2

Day 5 - 12 Games Of Christmas 2017 - Shadow of War v Nioh

Day 6 - 12 Games of Christmas 2017 - Super Mario Odyssey v Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

Day 7 - 12 Games of Christmas 2017 - Assassin's Creed Origins v Horizon: Zero Dawn

Day 8 - 12 Games of Christmas 2017 - PUBG v Divinity: Original Sin 2

12 Games of Christmas 2017 - RESULTS

To add a little pep to proceedings, there is a GeForce GTX 1070 Ti or $400 Steam Credit up for grabs for anyone who gets involved in the voting. Simply use the tool below to enter the GTX 1070 Ti giveaway, and follow the link for the full competition rules.

Round 1: Fight 1 - Assassin’s Creed Origins v Nier Automata

One is a fantastically realised, incredibly detailed open-world the likes we've rarely seen before, the other is a sci-fi epic built on a shoestring budget that scooped up Game of the Year 2017 in the Global Game Awards. Assassin's Creed Origins and Nier Automata couldn't be more different in their approaches, and yet both stand as towering achievements this year.

Assassin's Creed Origins proved that Ubisoft's decision to take a year off was the right one for the franchise. Its rendition of Ancient Egypt is really rather special, joined by a revamped combat system and loot, glorious loot. AC: Origins is the blend of Assassin's Creed and Destiny that we'd always dreamed of. With the largest world yet seen in an Assassin's Creed game, AC: Origins would be a great value gaming gift this holiday. The searing sands of Egypt also make for a nice winter warmer while you're huddled inside, away from the snow.

Meanwhile, Nier Automata is quite probably one of the strongest examples of gameplay and mechanics impacting storytelling that we've ever seen. Honestly, if you haven't played it yet, or you only finished the first run through, you owe it to yourself to attempt to mop up the alternate endings. As far as Christmas goes, Nier Automata couldn't be further removed, but it's blend of fast-paced action and bullet hell could bring a smile to even the biggest Scrooge.

Now these two open-world, narrative-driven titans are going head to head in the gladiatorial arena. Only one can get the thumbs up and make it out alive, booking a spot in the semi-finals of the 12 Games of Christmas. It's Assassin's Creed Origins' hidden blades and crocodile shoes against Nier Automata's oh-god-I'm-now-contemplating-my-own-existence story kicks.

Vote for your pick below, and remember to get involved in the GeForce GTX 1070 Ti giveaway above.

12 Games of Christmas 2017 - Rules and How the Community Voting Works

Get voting below for your winner, and remember to check back tomorrow for Day Two of the 12 Games of Christmas, where two more titles will battle it out to earn a place in the next round. The winner of today's competition will face the winner of tomorrow's competition in the semi-final on 19th December!