Happy Friday, folks! I’m so proud of you for surviving another week of 2020. This shit ain’t easy, I know it. As a reward for your tenacity I shall provide a list of good-ass games at some solid-ass prices.
So earlier this week I tried my best to convince you to stop stressing over a PS5 and start digging through the current-gen backlog. Since everything is on sale now, I figure it’s the perfect time to put you on game to some bangers you may have missed.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, $4.49 (Playstation Network)
So, uh, word on the street is that Cyberpunk 2077 is straight basura on current-gen consoles. I’m playing the game on a decently kitted out PC and I’ve still encountered quite a few glitches in my limited time playing, so I’m not surprised.
For those of y’all desperate for their cyberpunk fix, but also want to play a game that actually works, I present to you Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. While the game is a sequel to 2011’s Deus Ex: Human Revolution, the game does a solid job of explaining the stakes of the world before flinging you into its dystopian cyberpunk future. The game is pretty similar to Cyberpunk 2077: you have branching story paths, a futuristic open-world to explore, a litany of lethal and non-lethal options to navigate through missions, and complex themes that the game just doesn’t have the depth to successfully explore.
Despite that last bit, I really enjoyed my time with Mankind Divided and felt that it, along with Titanfall 2, were two of the biggest sleeper gems of 2016. If you missed out the first time, give this game a go.
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner, $7.49 (Playstation Network)
Sometimes a man gets crossfaded on a Sunday and unnecessarily adds more games to his backlog. While there is the slight possibility that Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner is on this list so I can justify the purchase under “work purposes,” it is a genuinely a fun mech combat game.
If you, like me, spent childhood afternoons rushing home from school to watch Mobile Suit Gundam on Toonami, then this game is your shit.
If you, like me, have watched Pacific Rim countless times because it’s the only good giant robot movie, then this game is your shit.
If you just like games with unique art styles and slick combat, I’m telling you, b, this game is your shit.
Also, if you have PSVR the game will let you live out your childhood dream of slapboxing folks in a giant robot. What more do you need me to say?
Ori and the Blind Forest, $4.99 (Xbox Marketplace)
Yo, you want to cry and climb some trees? Well luckily I have the game for you. Ori and the Blind Forest is a delightful yet surprisingly emotional platformer. The game is Metroid-ish in its design. It’s built around precise platforming, inventive level design, and a gameplay loop that requires you to gain new powers and backtrack to previously inaccessible places on the map. I got a feeling this game would appeal to the Nintendo/Sega OG’s in the comments.
Mhm, don’t think I don’t be seeing y’all.
I’ve only played it a handful of times, but I remember watching my best friend/former roommate playing through it when it first came out and being like “Damn, this shit is beautiful” in between bouts of telling him to “learn how to play video games,” whenever he died or missed a jump.
Just because I’m a petty bitch doesn’t mean I can’t stop and appreciate great art, you know?
So those are just a few of the bangers on sale right now. You can get the first three Uncharted games for $9.99 on Playstation and most of the PS4 exclusives are heavily discounted as part of the year end sale. Xbox heads need only a Game Pass subscription to have access to generations upon generations of bangers.
I’m just saying, y’all. There have been some hitters this year, I can’t front. Overall though, it’s been a thoroughly mid year when it comes to gaming. So instead of being disappointed in the new hotness, I implore you, dig through that backlog. There’s some heat there, I promise you.