The Average Gamer

5 Cheap Games That You Should Buy Today

As a recently-self-employed gamer, the price of new games is even more a concern to me than it used to be (if such a thing is possible). Yes, I’ve heard plenty of people argue that pounds-per-hour, games are much better value than films/clubbing/sailing/blah, blah, blah. These people invariably leave out the part where the majority games aren’t very good and dropping £50 on potentially a crappy game is too rich for my blood. Also, I have a Cineworld Unlimited card, so HAHA! Sucks to be you!

This week I was challenged to identify 5 affordable games that are worth buying today:

  1. My old PC favourite, The Movies is amazing value at only £1.99. Sure it’s ancient by gaming standards and precise editing is a bit tricky but it’s wrapped up in a nice studio-building classic.
  2. Alan Wake is surprisingly cheap given that it’s only been out 2 months. With a Metacritic score of 83 and the fact that everyone was talking about it at the last games event I went to, I would have expected it to stay pricey for longer. Perhaps there aren’t enough explosions? I almost bought it yesterday but I should really finish Fallout 3 first. £19.99 from GAME
  3. Batman: Arkham Asylum is a brilliant game with classic boss fights (ok, that part’s no so brilliant, imo), a lovely combat system and incredible atmospheric storytelling. Only £13.99.
  4. The whole Uncharted series annoys me – where I find The Prince amusing, Nathan Drake just wants a slapping, IMO. Couple that with my poor combat skills and I lose all sense of fun. However, TheFluffyFist and Brinstar really enjoy the game, so Uncharted 2: Among Thieves on the list. £19.99 from GAME
  5. Finally, I heartily recommend Oblivion on the PC. If you buy it from Play.com, not only do you get Bioshock for free, you can take advantage of the many incredible mods that have come out in the past 4 years. I had some serious issues with Oblivion, most notably the console-driven interface. I was also disappointed that much of Cyrodiil felt the same. There was none of that awe-inspiring feeling of traversing a real world that I got travelling between say, Vvardenfell’s utilitarian city Vivec and leafy tree-village of Tel Branora. I have high hopes that the Unique Landscapes mod will fix that. Bioshock/Oblivion pack – £10.99

What top 5 games would you recommend for under £20 (or $30)?