Summary
Buyer’s remorse: everyone’s gone through it. Plenty of people have either taken a chance on a new game - or got it as a present - because it looked like it’d be up their alley; then they play it, and it turns out to be a street in a completely different town to their tastes. Or, perhaps just as bad, a shorter journey than they thought it’d be. Either way, it becomes a loss for the buyer, especially if they didn’t have the receipt.
However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any good deals out there. For gamers who want to dive deep into the open-world genre without going as deep into their bank accounts, these games will give them the best value for their cash. No free games either - that would be cheating. Playtime is given via HowLongToBeat.com, and prices derived from GG.Deals.
Japan’s Economic Bubble at an Economic Price
Yakuza 0
The glitz, glamour, and unbridled decadence of the 80s are back in Yakuza 0.Fight like hell through Tokyo and Osaka with protagonist Kazuma Kiryu and series regular Goro Majima. Play as Kazuma Kiryu and discover how he finds himself in a world of trouble when a simple debt collection goes wrong and his mark winds up murdered. Then, step into the silver-toed shoes of Goro Majima and explore his “normal” life as the proprietor of a cabaret club.Switch between three different fighting styles instantaneously and beat up all manner of goons, thugs, hoodlums, and lowlifes. Take combat up a notch by using environmental objects such as bicycles, sign posts, and car doors for bone-crunching combos and savage take-downs.Fighting is not the only way to kill time in 1988’s Japan: from discos and hostess clubs to classic SEGA arcades, there are tons of distractions to pursue in the richly detailed, neon-lit world.Interact with the colourful denizens the red light district: help a budding S&M dominatrix learn her profession, or ensure a street performer can make it to the bathroom in time – there are 100 incredible stories to discover.
It’s not enough to just recommend any long open-world game. A fun but brief game is going to be better thanan eternal grindfest. But these games are all about finding that sweet spot where it makes the most of at least 40 hours of playtime. That could fit nearly anyYakuza/Like A Dragongame, though some are better at keeping the fun levels consistently high than others.
Yakuza 0gets the nod as it offers 60+ hours of fun taking care of its main story, substories, and side activities. It generally costs $19.99 from digital storefronts but often goes on sale. It can currently be bought alongsideYakuza KiwamiandYakuza Kiwami 2for just over twice the price, at $53.97 on Steam or on the PlayStation Store for $9.99! Better be quick, as this deal ends on June 20th, 2024.
TheMetal Gearfranchise went from being linear games with too much story, to an open-world one with not enough story.Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain’s tortured development is still infamous nearly 10 years after the fact, and the game did suffer story-wise for it thanks to cut content and Konami’s insistence on using microtransactions for its Forward Operating Bases.
Luckily, they’re easy to ignore, as the general game offers two giant maps with multiple locations, offering prime opportunities to sneak in any way the player likes. They could go all aggressive and havean easy time of it, or get sneaky and have amore testing yet more rewarding experience. Either way, it offers 80+ hours of game time for $19.99 on average. It frequently goes on sale, with places offering it for $10 or less.
Chances are that PS4/PS5 owners might already have this hanging out on their console.Horizon: Zero Dawn’s Complete Edition was made free during the pandemic as an incentive to keep them indoors. That offer has since ended, but the game can still be found going for discounted prices.
The Complete Edition goes for a tidy price on the PS Store at $19.99, but GameBillet can currently get PC owners a cheaper price at $16.99. Keyshops can go as low as $9.96, though they’re comparatively riskier to use compared to official outlets. Given the Complete Edition is only 10 hours longer than the base game, it’s best to stick to the proper stores.
The price ofThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimdepends on the edition one gets. Since it’s been ported to nearly every machine in existence, including the Switch, there are multiple options to keep players busy. On the whole, they’ll all last roughly 109 hours. Longer still if players try to complete everything in the game.
The Special Edition was on sale on PC across Steam, GOG, etc., for $9.99, and GOG had the Anniversary Edition up for $16.49. But those deals run out on June 19th. Until a new deal comes along, PC owners will have to settle for the regular edition, which is available via Amazon for $12.08, and Steam at $19.99. It may have fewer bells and whistles, but it still offers a lot to do. Especially whenplayers delve into its mods.
Fans might not have been pleased about the decade-long wait forGrand Theft Auto 6or Rockstar moving on from single-player content to keep updatingGrand Theft Auto 5’s online mode. But it does mean the base game is easy to find at a cheap price. Until June 27th, 2024, PS4 owners with PS Plus can pick the Premium Edition with the Great White Shark bundle for $20.25.
Xbox One owners can grab the Premium Edition from Amazon for $14.99, while PC owners can get it for $13.04 on Green Man Gaming or $17.61 if they want that Great White Shark bundle. It’s likely to be found for cheaper prices in stores only, albeit likely pre-owned or for older machines. Just be careful about buying the online mode DLC, as it can become a habit.
TheBatman: Arkhamgames didn’t start off as open-world games, asBatman: Arkham Asylumis more of a tightly designed Metroidvania game. Players can move the caped crusaders around the asylum at their leisure, but without the right tool they’ll soon find their progress blocked.Batman: Arkham City,Arkham Origins, andArkham Knightare more like standard open-world games by comparison.
Arkham Knight’s campaign is longer, butArkham Cityis more consistent and longer for completionists. GameBillet is currently offering both those games andAsylumfor $14.99 for PC owners via theArkham Collection. WinGameStore can only offer that price forArkham Cityon its own. Console owners have to make do with $19.99, but both it andAsylumfrequently go on sale.
Depending on who gets asked, they’ll say eitherJust Cause 2orJust Cause 3is the best in the series.Just Cause 2is longer, as it’ll take completionists roughly 86 hours to finish everything in the game and fully liberate Panau from “Baby” Panay. However, it’s also a PS3/Xbox 360 game that hasn’t been re-released since 2010. This means that, unless people still own a PS3, the only people who can still get the most out of the game are Xbox and PC owners.
All theJust Causegames are backwards compatible with the Xbox One and Series X/S, and they’re going for good prices online. Xbox is charging $14.99 for it, while PC owners can get it for $12.74 from Green Man Gaming and $5.99 from GamesPlanet.
There are newerFalloutgames, but fans raised on the more action-based games might say they peaked withFallout: New Vegas. The courier’s quest to regain his package in the remains of the City of Sin will last just over 59 hours, and even longer if they want toget every possible endingand its different scenarios.
It’s just as old asJust Cause 2and also hasn’t had a re-release. However, fans have put together a remaster mod for the PC version. The regular edition usually goes for $9.99, and the ultimate edition is $19.99, but they’re both currently on sale! Players can pick up the base game for $2.49 and the Ultimate Edition for $6.59 on the Epic Games Store, provided they buy it before June 27th, 2024.
WinGameStore works out better forBorderlands 2, where its Game of the Year edition costs just $4.99. That includes all the DLC as well, giving players 62+ hours of content, and over twice that if they aim to complete everything within the game. It’s often considered the best game in the series, so this is a deal PC owners curious aboutBorderlandsshould make the most of.
Otherwise, Green Man Gaming has the same GOTY edition going for $7.66. Xbox owners can pick up the original 360 version on backwards compatibility for $15.96 on Amazon and $19.99 through the Microsoft store. PlayStation owners are out of luck as it’s only available withBorderlands 1in theBorderlands: Legendary Collection, going for $49.99. Not exactly the best deal going around.
