The Value of Games

First off I would like to say that I really liked inFAMOUS: Second Son. I love what Sucker Punch did  with the game and their interpretation of Seattle. I quite liked Delsin and his brother Reggie and their war against Augustine and am still hoping for more instead of moving on to another Conduit.
However, it got me thinking, thanks to the recent hikes in price for newer games inFAMOUS cost just about $80 CDN with taxes.

I'm not one to complain really, I've been gaming for quite a long time and I remember paying $110 for Chrono Trigger on Super Nintendo. What it did get me thinking about is the great downloadable games I have picked up this year and the crazy value that these games are offering and a fraction of what a game like Mario Kart 8 will cost me. Let's have a look shall we.

Earthbound - Wii U ($10)

The legendary heroes of Earthbound. Image belongs to Nintendo.

I suppose that this was a game that when it first came out also cost the same amount as Chrono Trigger, and has actually steadily rose in value over the years. I remember renting it and playing it quite often, enjoying the characters and the world and the combat which could be unforgiving. If you have wanted to play it though over the last decade you pretty much either had to pay a large sum or download a ROM, the latter of which I have no interest in doing. So the fact that Nintendo announced last year that Earthbound was coming out on the Wii U Virtual Console was great news. The game still looks great and sounds great and having off-tv play has also been a boon. This is an adventure definitely worth checking out if you haven't had the pleasure.

Fez - PS3/PS4/PS Vita ($10)

The beautiful world of Fez. Image belongs to Polytron.

The first time I caught wind of this game I had little to no idea who Phil Fish was, I just thought this game looked neat. I tried it on the Xbox 360 and had fun but didn't get to spend the time I wanted with it. When it showed up on PS4 with cross-save with the Vita I knew I had to finally pick up Mr Fish's darling baby and see what all the praise has been about. This has been a welcome addition to my Vita on the go, and I love that I can start right where I left off when I get home. The puzzles are great but really it's the adorable graphics and the aesthetics of each little world I can't get enough of.

TowerFall Ascension - PS4 ($15)

TowerFall Ascension. Image belongs to Matt Makes Games.

The Ouya definitely has its fan base and I have had a little interest in the system, but the game that really impressed me was TowerFall. Therefore, I was ecstatic when it was announced that it would be coming out on the PS4 and it hasn't failed to impress. This has become our go-to party game, with easy to pickup controls but ones that are also difficult to master. I'm pretty certain that only when Smash Bros comes out at the end of this year will this game be dethroned, but until then we will continue to enjoy the best multiplayer game thus far, hands down.

Child of Light - Wii U ($15)

Child of Light. Image belongs to Ubisoft.

While this game is available on every system under the sun (and on the Vita in the next month or so) I wanted it for the Wii U as it seemed like playing with the gamepad controller would be the way to go. I have been in love with the visuals of this game and it never ceases to impress with the amount of colours and refreshing takes on standard RPG world design. The music as well is some of my favourite, as Coeur de Pirate hit it out of the park with the score and it was the first of two soundtracks that I needed to have this year. If you are looking for a beautiful adventure game with an interesting take on combat in the vein of Grandia or old Final Fantasy definitely give this one a chance.

Transistor - PS4 ($20)

Red and Transistor. Image belongs to Supergiant Games.

Another favourite of mine on the Xbox 360 was Bastion as I adored what Supergiant games did with storytelling in that game, having the narrator tell the story of the boy as you travelled through the worlds. Suffice it to say, I have been waiting for a good year it seems for Transistor to finally come out and while I have only spent an hour or so with it so far, I have loved it. Their new lead Red, an interesting female character uses a giant sword to defend herself in the neo-futuristic city of Cloudbank. This is another one game with phenomenal music and it looks like i'll be picking up the soundtrack for this as well.


There you have it, for seventy dollars you can have all of the above games and still be a bit under what it is going to cost you for Mario Kart 8. Not that there is anything wrong with the big, AAA-titles but it just goes to show that indie or smaller developed titles are definitely proving their worth and are titles that you should be adding to your collection. I know I am definitely happy with all of the above purchases. Anyone else been enjoying these?