Well. This has been a week. What better way to end it than by indulging your vice of choice, firing up your console and getting down on some good ass games? This week’s list includes a brand spankin’ new game as well as one of the best games to be released this year.
Star Wars: Squadrons (Xbox One, PS4, PC)- $39.99
Star Wars: Squadrons tops this week’s list as it came out today and at a reduced price no less. Don’t let the budget price fool you though; this is a fully fleshed out title. The game comes with both an online multiplayer component and single-player narrative.
While I’m still very early in the game as it only came out last night, so far it’s actually been more than I wanted. I was going to be content with a simple arcade-y dogfighting game in the vein of Star Wars: Battlefront II’s star fighter assault mode. With its cockpit only first-person view and controls that ride a solid line between simulation and arcade, there seems to be a depth here that I’m very excited to explore. The game is cross-platform too, meaning you can play its multiplayer mode with your friends whether or not you have the same console.
If you miss the days of solid dogfighting games, Star Wars: Squadrons should satisfy that itch and at a solid price to boot.
Ghost of Tsushima (PS4)- $45.99
Ghost of Tsushima may very well be my game of the year. While much of the hype (and rage) this summer surrounded The Last of Us Part II, I found Ghost of Tsushima to be a far more affecting meditation on loss. The story of Jin Sakai’s quest to reclaim his home from Khotun Khan and the Mongol Empire is filled with a surprising level of melancholy. The main quests and the side stories all present portraits of people driven by loss and how that loss drastically changes the course their lives take.
On top of its engrossing story, developer Sucker Punch presents a truly beautiful interpretation of 13th century Japan. Instead of a traditional waypoint, the wind guides you to your next destination. Riding your horse across a field of chrysanthemums as the sunset shimmers on the horizon is just as thrilling an experience as going toe-to-toe with a group of soldiers. The combat is great and manages to present a unique approach to the Souls-like combat that has slowly infected action games of the current generation.
If you can’t tell by my exuberant praise, I really recommend playing Ghost of Tsushima. It’s a fun, affecting, and occasionally heartbreaking ride.
Final Fantasy XIV: Complete Edition (PS4)- $29.99
I can already hear you saying, “Nigga, another Final Fantasy game?” YES GODDAMMIT, AND I WILL BEAT ANYBODY’S ASS WHO HAS A PROBLEM WITH IT.
That’s all cap, y’all. I’m sorry. I can’t beat anybody’s ass.
I can recommend Final Fantasy XIV, though!
If you have a curiosity about Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) but don’t have access to a good enough PC to play one, this is honestly your best bet. Having played FFXIV on PS3 back in college, the controller inputs actually work pretty well. The complete edition will get you the base game as well as the Heavensward, Stormblood and Shadowbringers expansion packs. While there is a $14.99 monthly subscription fee to play the game, I can honestly say it’s worth it. When I have time I put aside a few hours to play the game on PC and I’m always entertained. An extensive class system, solid combat and a banger of a score make this a worthy buy.
Also, seeing as the dev team here will be responsible for the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI on PS5, this might be a solid preview of what’s to come.
Transistor (Nintendo Switch)- $3.99
Fun fact: I bought a PS4 in 2014 to play this game. I remember being so struck by the art style and battle system that I decided to dip into my graduation money to cop a console and a copy of this little indie game.
It was totally worth it.
The story of Transistor follows Red, a singer in Cloudbank CIty who you meet standing over a dead man with a sword impaled through him. The man’s consciousness is absorbed into the blade, called a Transistor, and the attack that killed him also took Red’s voice. Red takes the transistor and the two go on a mission to find who attacked them and why these attacks are occurring.
The art style is a gorgeous blend of art deco, sci-fi and comic book aesthetics. The combat is a really cool blend of action game and real time strategy. At any point during combat you can freeze time and chain a limited series of moves together to take out your opponents. Also, killing certain enemies will result in their consciousness being absorbed into the Transistor and giving you access to new abilities.
This is easily one of my favorite games of this generation, and I go back to it almost yearly. For only 4 bucks it’s a steal, and I can’t recommend it enough.
That’s about it for today. In terms of general deals, Xbox users can currently subscribe to game pass for only one dollar. I use the service and it basically pays for itself with the amount of quality games available. Playstation is currently running its Games of a Generation sale which has some pretty quality deals across all genres and Nintendo’s Sega sale also has a few gems in there.
As always, stay safe, play more video games, and I’ll see y’all next Friday with more good ass games at good ass prices.