Happy Friday, folks! I hope your week has been good so far, I’m feeling pretty good myself. We got quite a few bangers in store today, so I figure we might as well jump right in.
FarCry: Insanity Bundle, $30.59 (PlayStation)
Y’all, I can’t even front; these bundle sales have been pretty nice. The FarCry Insanity Bundle comes with FarCry 3: Classic Edition, FarCry 4, and FarCry 5. Each game is an open-world first person shooter that plops you into a world where everyone simply wants to kill the fuck out of you. FarCry 3 is widely regarded as one of the best in the series, and I get it. It’s villain, Vaas, is mad compelling and the core minute-to-minute gameplay that the series would build upon is established here.
My personal fave is FarCry 4. Pagan Min isn’t quite as captivating as Vaas, but the fictional Himalayan setting is one of my favorites to shoot, drive, and fly through. FarCry 5 is really damn solid on the gameplay front, but the game’s villain and setting never really come together in a satisfying whole in my opinion. Still, for 30 bucks you’re getting a lot of content here that’ll keep you entertained through the current drought.
Literally every Assassin’s Creed, $3.99-$59.99 (Xbox)
If you have an Xbox and a passing curiosity about Assassin’s Creed, perfect! Literally, every single one of them—from the 2007 original to last year’s Valhalla—is on sale right now on Xbox Live. If I had to recommend one you check out it’d be Assassin’s Creed: Rogue. The game slipped under the radar due to releasing on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 a year into the last console generation.
In a twist to the franchise formula, the game takes place from the perspective of the Templar, the long-time villains of the franchise. The story is actually quite engaging and if you, like me, were a fan of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag’s naval gameplay, then you’ll be right at home here.
Most entries in this franchise are the very least serviceable so no matter what you choose, you’re probably going to have an enjoyable time.
XCOM 2 Collection, $19.99 (Switch and PlayStation)
If you’re in the mood for a punishing turn-based strategy game, XCOM 2 is where it’s at. The game puts you in control of a military resistance force that is fighting against an overwhelming alien invasion. The odds are always against you, and the game requires you to think several steps ahead if you wish to succeed.
I like these games, but I’ll be the first to tell you they are no walk in the park. Its level of difficulty does make it rewarding when you manage to clear a stage without losing any member of your team. Oh, by the way, permadeath is a thing in this game so when you lose a teammate, you lose them for good. This greatly contributes to the difficulty, because your team carries experience gains carry from level to level. I can’t tell you how much it hurts to level up one of your soldiers only to see them get stomped by an alien you didn’t see coming.
XCOM 2 Collection comes with the base game, all the DLC packs, and the War of the Chosen expansion pack. If tactics-based strategy games are your bag, this one’s for you.
That should do it for me today. Persona 5 Strikers dropped this week and ya boy is highly inclined to cop it because hacking and slashing my way through the Persona universe just sounds like a good time. On Switch, Bravely Default II dropped this week as well if you’re in the mood for a classical Japanese Role-Playing game. For Xbox, uh, well, you still have Game Pass? They really need to get y’all some good games.
So, as always, I hope you have a great weekend. Stay safe, wash your hands, wear a mask, and play more video games.