Leveling Down

The stock market has dropped below 7000 points, people have less disposable income, and video game studios all over the country are filing for bankruptcy or shutting down altogether. Though video games have been touted as “recession-proof”, that really isn’t the case; consumers are buying less titles and taking less risks, staying away from question marks and sticking to sure-fire franchises.

In this first of a two part feature, espion4ge and I have compiled a list of our favorite mainstream titles that you can get under $30 now. If you’re trying to save money and haven’t played these games yet, I’d definitely recommend picking some of them up. In many cases you can buy two of these games for the price of one new title today so if you’ve missed out on some of them, there are great deals to be had.

At my job I often receive questions about what game or games to buy if one only wants to spend X amount of dollars. Usually they come up in the form of, “I can only afford one game, should I buy Fallout 3 or Left 4 Dead?” As always, the answer is “it depends.” But what I really try to recommend for those who can’t spend as much cash on entertainment is to look for the games that are the best value, games you can get on the cheap and get a lot of playtime out of. Or if you don’t have a lot of time to play games, then I’d recommend cheap games that are shorter but still offer excellent gameplay, “short but sweet” games.

Mass Effect
[360: $19.99 , PC: $16.99 on Amazon] [espion4ge's review]
espion4ge isn’t into sci-fi as much as I am so I’m not sure if this title will make his list, but I think Mass Effect is a great value at $20. The game definitely has some problems as alluded to in his review, but I found the storyline incredibly engaging, especially the sequences towards the end. There is a lot of gameplay to be had due to the numerous choices you can make in the game, optional sidequests feel more unique than in other games, and there is some great character development. You can spend anywhere between 10 to 100 hours on this game, depending on how many times you choose to play it (and how), so at 20 dollars it’s a steal.

Bioshock
[360: $23.99 , PS3: $36.99 , PC: $19.99 on Amazon] [espion4ge's review]
If you’ve never set foot in Rapture, 2K Boston’s underwater dystopia, you’ve missed out on one of the best gaming experiences out there. I waited to pick up this game because I generally can’t handle scary games, and even though I had to play Bioshock in the daylight, I loved every minute of it. Rapture feels perfect; like Liberty City, it is a setting that has been meticulously crafted in such a way that it transcends all of the characters in the game. In Bioshock, your character is trying to escape Rapture, while you as gamer never want to leave.

The Orange Box
[360: $19.99 , PS3: $19.99 , PC: $27.99 on Amazon] [espion4ge's review]
When the Orange Box came out, it was championed as “the best deal in gaming.” For 60 dollars, one could play 5 different games: Half Life 2, Episodes 1 & 2, Team Fortress 2, and Portal. A lot of people had already played Half Life so it wasn’t the best deal for everyone, but now at $20 the Orange Box truly is one of the best deals in gaming. The Half Life series is classic, so if you haven’t played through it it’s definitely worth checking out. For my money, Portal alone is worth this price of admission. For those interested in multiplayer, the only thing Team Fortress 2 is missing is matchmaking, other than that it’s a great experience. I strongly recommend picking this box up, there’s something for almost everyone inside.

Battlefield: Bad Company
[360: $27.99 , PS3: $19.99 on Amazon] [espion4ge's review]
For those looking for more of a light-hearted shooter, Battlefield: Bad Company might be the way to go. The single player is pretty short (7-8 hours) but it is amusing in a lot of sections and the gameplay is pretty decent. The multiplayer offerings are actually a lot of fun. At first they seem simplistic, but if you have a few friends to play with you can actually get a lot of replay value out of it. Bad Company isn’t the deepest game out there, but it definitely is a lot of fun as long as you have the right expectations.

Braid
[360: 1200 MS Points/$15 on Xbox Live Arcade] [cmfl3x's review]
I was debating whether or not to put downloadable content on here, but after thinking about it, I’d rather have a short and sweet game for $15 than a long, drawn out game that costs $15. After all, time is money. Take a look at my review – it’s probably one of my 5 favorite games on the system. It only seems expensive because it’s an XBLA game, but in reality it’s a great deal. Check it out.

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
[360: 800 MS Points/$10 on Xbox Live Arcade]
Another great XBLA title that you can get a lot of playtime out of is Geometry Wars 2. The original dual-stick shooter has spawned a legion of imitators. The sequel features the same addictive quality that the original had, along with a bunch of new game types that really prolong the experience. It’s the kind of game you can pick up and play when you have 10 minutes to kill before going somewhere. Just make sure someone is around to actually make sure you go where you’re supposed to go, otherwise you might never leave.

What’s funny for me is that for me I tend to always be gaming on the cheap. I love buying games at inexpensive prices, and sometimes I even question whether I like buying games on the cheap more than even playing them, as is evidenced by my huge backlog.

But for me to really think about it, if you have a tight budget but still want to play 360 games, it’s best to buy games that have either lengthy single player or an enjoyable multiplayer experience to allow you to continue returning to that game night after night. I’ve been playing the 360 longer than cmfl3x, so I will be able to reach even further back into the 360′s library. Here we go…

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition
[360: $27.99 , PS3: $29.99 , PC: $19.49 on Amazon] [espionage's review]
Oblivion was my game of the year for 2006, followed by BioShock in 2007, and then Fallout 3 in 2008. One thing that all three games shared in common was not only their presentation and gameplay mechanics, but their immersiveness and attention to both scope and detail. For those that have played Fallout 3, you realize that the game ends at about 50 hours or so, but in Oblivion, there is no ending. Even after finishing the main questline, you are free to continue exploring the land searching for new sidequests, enemies, and treasure. It’s a game that you can get lost in and play over and over and possibly the best RPG you can buy on the cheap for the 360.

Saints Row
[360: $19.99 on Amazon]
For those that were disappointed with Grand Theft Auto IV, consider Saints Row. While it’s a knockoff of the GTA games, it retains one of the most important aspects that made the GTA games popular in the first place: humor. Saints Row doesn’t take itself anywhere as seriously as GTAIV, and at the same time, allows for dozens of hours for you to wander the city like your own playground while also allowing you to step online to play adversarial as well.

Rainbow Six Vegas
[360: $19.99 , PS3: $29.99 , PC: $18.99 on Amazon]
While there is also a sequel out to Rainbow Six Vegas, the first one is still the better of the two. Not only is its level design a lot more attractive and enjoyable, its single player is about 15-20 hours long compared to the 6 hour sequel. On top of that, the first Vegas game supports 4-player co-op (the sequel does not), while both have Terrorist Hunt mode for up to 4 players on Live, allowing you and your buddies to spend countless hours just hunting down randomly spawned terrorists on various levels. Skip the sequel if you’re on a budget as the first one is better.

Crackdown
[360: $18.98 on Amazon] [espion4ge's review]
If you enjoy sandbox games and superhero games, Crackdown definitely scratches that itch. While it doesn’t have the depth and humor of other sandbox games like Grand Theft Auto and Saints Row, it makes up for it by implementing an addicting level up system that allows you to become more of a superhero as you leap from building to building and hurl cars to take out criminals. The game also supports 2-player online co-op, allowing you to have even more fun playing the game with a friend.

Burnout Paradise
[360: $18.49 , PS3: $19.99 , PC: $36.99 on Amazon]
This game is still sitting in my backlog, and the only reason why I haven’t even opened it yet was because I’ve been telling myself that I need to finish Burnout Revenge first. But for those of you wondering – Burnout Paradise is THE racing game for the 360. It changes the formula a little bit in that it has a more sandbox style feel where you drive around a city in order to take on races, but the developers of the game continue to pour in content for the game and with multiplayer racing, it’s a game that can last you possibly forever. At first I was wondering if this was considered a niche game since it’s a racing game, but if you’ve driven a car before you will most likely enjoy any Burnout game. They’re that fun.

Bully: Scholarship Edition
[360: $19.99 , Wii: $19.99 , PC: $19.99 on Amazon]
Originally released on the PS2, Bully: Scholarship Edition was re-released on the 360 and Wii for the rest of us to enjoy. It follows a very similar mission style format to the GTA games, but with it taking place at school, the violence and explicitness is a lot more toned down. That doesn’t mean the game isn’t any less enjoyable or amusing. Pretty lengthy and worth a look if you don’t mind the antiquated last-gen graphics.

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition
[360: $27.99 , PS3: $16.95 , PC: $29.99 on Amazon] [espion4ge's review of the regular edition]
Lost Planet was originally released back in January of 2007, but then the Colonies “gold edition” of the title was released more recently, containing more single player modes, multiplayer modes and options. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the single player in the original title due to the time pressure, but the multiplayer was relatively enjoyable and it may be worth checking out again now that Lost Planet 2 was recently announced. If you like mechs and huge bugs though, definitely worth a look.

Stay tuned for next week when we present part 2: niche titles that can be enjoyed on the cheap, provided you are a fan of the genre.

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