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In today’s modern videogames market, many gamers operate
on a budget. Being able to afford three brand new releases in a
month – often with an RRP above the £45 mark – is simply a dream to
some, and improbable to others, and quite clearly this is where the
industry’s “pre-owned” market has sprung from. But also, the
publishers themselves have taken note, with each of the major format
holders promoting their own range of budget titles; Nintendo’s
Player’s Choice range, Microsoft’s CLASSICS titles and SONY’s
PLATINUM series. Nintendo is yet to launch an official range in the
Current-Generation, but has released many titles with a comparable
price-tag; a strategy that has seen much success in the Casual
market sector. But which titles truly offer value-for-money?
While the Hardcore gamers will pick up most of these
releases at launch, Mainstream and Casual gamers are less likely to
fork-out immediately for a title with which they have little
information on. While many may find themselves lavishing-out on a
brand new copy of
Grand Theft Auto IV at launch, how many would spend an equal
amount on
Heavenly Sword? Or
Mass Effect?
The titles below are selected from those that have been
officially launched by their respective publisher at a sub-£29.99
RRP; which means the likes of Super Mario Galaxy and
Viva Piñata: Party Animals are not eligible, despite some retailers
now promoting those titles for a similar price. While many Hardcore
gamers may own the list in it’s entirety, there are many more out
there who may just get the chance to pick-up a classic game they may
have otherwise missed.
The
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was
undoubtedly incredible value-for-money compared to most releases
when at the full £44.99 RRP. Now available as part of the Xbox360’s
CLASSICS range, however, there’s no excuse not to get lost in
Bethesda’s immersive and near-immaculate world. Featuring well over
one-hundred hours of gameplay and a detailed Levelling System, few
games can match the breadth of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
Those wanting more could always opt for The Elder Scrolls IV:
Oblivion Game of the Year Edition, which includes both the
Shivering Isle and Knights of the Nine Expansion Packs,
yet retains it’s full RRP.
Link’s Crossbow Training
Just a snip at £19.99,
Link’s Crossbow Training
is in-fact proposed as the “freebie” in the package. Bundled with
the Wii Zapper peripheral,
 Link’s Crossbow Training is
intended to be an introduction to the attachment, as with Wii Fit
and the Balance Board, Wii Play with the Wii Remote,
Mario Kart Wii for the Wii Wheel, the
forthcoming
Wii Sports Resort for Wii MotionPLUS and, of
course,
Wii Sports for the system itself. However, Link’s
Crossbow Training includes more content than most light-gun
based Wii releases since. The likes of Ghost Squad and
The House Of The Dead: 2 & 3 Return do provide their fair share of
entertainment, yet feature no comparison to the depth and scope seen
in Link’s Crossbow Training. In-fact, while itself merely an
informative tool, Link’s Crossbow Training includes more
hours of enjoyable gameplay than a large proportion of AAA Wii
releases thus far.
Forza Motorsport 2
Forza Motorsport 2 may not be everyone’s cup
of tea, but those looking for a Racing Simulation on the
Current-Generation will find no better. Available at the same price
as the PLAYSTATION3’s
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, the wealth of
variety available here is striking. Graphically on par with one
another, and each being their host format’s respective leader in the
field,
Forza Motorsport 2 provides a glut of
player-customisable options and content that leaves other titles
feeling quite shallow.
MotorStorm
Remaining arguably the most original title in the
PLAYSTATION3’s catalogue – and soon to give way to a sequel,
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, –
MotorStorm, along with Resistance: Fall of Man, helped to
define the format at launch. As intimidating a production as it is,
few have attempted to replicate it’s formula, and so for your
intense mud-based thrills, there are few other options.
MotorStorm’s Single-Player Campaign is healthy and the variety
of vehicles, coupled with some spectacular effects, is satisfying,
yet the lack of a Split-Screen Multi-Player is a missed opportunity.
Test
Drive: Unlimited
Test Drive: Unlimited may well be
beginning to show it’s age, occasionally having trouble finding
players for online races and being overshadowed by newer releases in
the looks department, but it still offers an open-world driving
experience that no other game on the Current-Generation can yet
compare to. ATARI supported the title with downloadable content for
quite some time after release – meaning there’s plenty of content
available for those willing to stump-up a few extra pounds – but the
on-disc package is more than enough for most.
Obviously, there are plenty of other titles currently
available under the console budget lines, including the recently
reviewed
Gears of War CLASSICS, some of which will interest many
gamers working to expand their collection with a spending limit.
Other Xbox360 releases that shouldn’t be overlooked include Dead
Rising and the heavily-expanded Lost Planet: Extreme
Condition – Colonies Edition. While Wii has a strong line-up of
games at the £29.99-£39.99 price-point, only Endless Ocean
and Big Brain Academy could be mentioned in the same breath
as the fantastic Link’s Crossbow Training and while both
certainly feature a unique gaming experience, their budget title is
more a reflection of their limited audience, as opposed to having
reached their appropriate sales peak. The PLAYSTATION3’s line-up,
however, is still looking rather bare. Having only recently released
their first batch of PLATINUM games in Europe, SONY’s offerings
included mainly overcooked launch titles, although Ratchet &
Clank: Tools of Destruction and Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
may well be two of the best titles on the system to date. |
