Games get more expensive every day and you have to choose carefully what to spend your hard-earned money on. Especially if you are on a budget, since $60-$70 for a game is a lot, unless there is a sale. If you can’t decide on what to buy we prepared a list of games that will for sure be worth buying for full price.
Horizon Zero Dawn
The world of Horizon is different from what you may imagine when you hear “postapocalyptic”. It’s a beautiful and vast open world filled with forsaken technology and dangerous machines.
We spoke to a few people who played Horizon Zero Dawn and the first thing they pointed out is the graphics. The game really makes the most out of your hardware and you will notice that during the game. That also means that you need some decent hardware to run the game (Recommended GPU is GTX 1060 for 6GB).
The combat is also very unique to the RPG genre. IGN called the combat Horizon’s most compelling feature, and we have to agree on that. There are lots of different machines, all of which look partially like animals, each with its own fighting style and weak points to take advantage of.
Horizon Zero Dawn is an RPG and that means tons of main quests, side quests, and collectibles across the world. We agree that collectibles are not for everyone but in this game, you might just enjoy them. The game has one of the best stories that is wrapped in a mystery, and everything around it is made to complement the lore of the game.
Price: $49.99
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 had a rocky start and you might be put off by that, but hear us out. CD Project Red released a bunch of bug fixes and updates to make the game playable, and it is now.
Many who eagerly waited for Cyberpunk to release and started playing it as soon as will tell you that the game is not worth it. And we understand them. But that was a while ago, let’s try to take a fresh look at the game.
The game is still buggy, and you may run into some technical annoyances along the way. It’s not perfect in that sense. But if that doesn’t bother you, you are in for a treat. The game’s setting is one of a kind. A futuristic cyberpunk city is not something you see much. The game literally defines the cyberpunk genre for many people.
Although the open world doesn’t serve much purpose in this game, it creates an immersive aesthetic you won’t find anywhere else. All the random events, weather, and detailed customization (both visual and combat) contribute to the magic of Night City.
The story is interesting to follow, but the answer choices that are in the game don’t really affect anything in the game. Which is a shame. But apart from that, there is a ton of side content to complete and many cool weapons and cars to try.
Price: $59.99
God of War
God of War is an action game that you will enjoy even if you never played God of War games before. The game takes you to ancient Scandinavia where you will complete the dying wish of Kratos’s wife.
In case you never played God of War before, Kratos is the main protagonist and a demigod that always ends up in conflicts with others. And that leads to epic fights with huge monsters and gods.
This game is loosely based on Norse mythology, so it has a “God of War twist” to it and may not be accurate. Kratos himself is a completely fictional character after all. But that allows for more in-depth and detailed storytelling. And boy isn’t that the case.
What makes this story different from previous God of War games is that the focus is on a relationship between Kratos and his son. You can probably imagine how that can go when the father can be considered a warmonger.
Unlike Cyberpunk 2077 which had several issues, God of War is a polished game. The graphics, combat, and characters all feel like they belong. If you are looking for a quality action game, God of War will always be a good choice.
Price: $49.99
Forza Horizon 5
For racing game fans look no further than Forza Horizon 5. The game will take the Horizon festival to Mexico with a large and diverse open world that you can explore by yourself or with friends with tons of multiplayer and co-op options.
Let’s get it out of the way, there is no story in the game. All you will know is that you became a superstar in Forza Horizon 4 and are now helping out to set up the festival in Mexico by racing and completing expeditions into the depths of the world. That’s all.
The world itself is not only big, but it has multiple areas. There is a city, a deep jungle, a desert, and even a volcano that you can climb. With the variety of terrain and different race types, you are bound to find something you like. We, for example, love road racing but hate cross country.
What to do in this game then? Drive, obviously. The beauty of Forza games is that they can act as a racing sim or an arcade game depending on what you want. Forza Horizon 5 has many settings that you can use to adjust the difficulty, driving assists, damage effects, and more.
Enjoy the roads, many different races, and gather a collection of more than 700 cars. The game is constantly updated with weekly and monthly playlists as well as new expansions. The Hot Wheels expansion is already out and the second expansion will be revealed in early 2023.
Although games like Need for Speed are decent arcade racing games with more emphasis on story, if you are looking for a constantly updated and serviced game, Horizon Mexico will be your destination and is absolutely worth its money.
Price: $59.99
Ori and the Blind Forest
Moving away from expensive AAA games here’s something much smaller but worthy. Ori and the Blind Forest is a simple but stunning platformer to play when you just want to get away from everything.
The visuals of the game are prettier than in any platformer you might have seen before, but what makes the game so good is the inspiring soundtrack. It’s one of those OSTs that you might want to save on your Spotify once you complete the game.
The game is not as relaxing as you might think though. Ori and the Blind Forest can be challenging with its levels and combat. Especially in certain dungeons where are no checkpoints.
If the touching story about a dying fairy forest left you craving for more, you can check out the sequel – Ori and the Will of the Wisps which takes all the ideas of the Blind Forest to a new level.
Price: $4.99
Cult of the Lamb
Starting a cult may sound and feel weird to you. But what if you play as a cute possessed lamb? Cult of the Lamb is a game with not only a unique setting but also visual style and gameplay.
Cult of the Lamb is a mix of a few genres. It’s not just base building and management as it may appear. A lot of your time will be spent fighting enemies in roguelike levels to find resources, cult followers, and progress through the story.
While fighting you have to use your basic weapons and taro cards (perks) to fight your way through an army of false prophets and believers. Your goal is to get rid of them all and rise your cult above all.
The concept is simple and that is great. You can develop your cult in any way you want using different cards and beliefs or just spend most of your time-fighting.
Unfortunately, the game doesn’t offer much replayability. There is not much variety in weapons or perks and once you complete the game, there is little chance that you will start a new save. Because it will all be the same. But considering the price, Cult of the Lamb is a worthy one-of-a-kind experience.
Price: $24.99
No Man’s Sky
Space is a magical place that only a few games will allow you to freely explore it. No Man’s Sky is a game where you play as a space traveler starting with nothing but a ship and a galaxy to explore.
No Man’s Sky is arguably the best game when it comes to space exploration. It is a procedurally generated sandbox. You can do whatever you like in a way you like and no one will stop you.
We have spent around 200 hours in this game and were stunned by the number of things that you can do. You can build a base, manage a space fleet, develop a settlement, look for space anomalies, jump into black holes, hunt pirates, and much more.
There is a story but it’s just there to complement the core gameplay and can be completed in about 6 hours. Or you can ignore it at all (but it is worth playing through).
The game had a bad start when it was just released in 2016 but with tons of updates and fixes, it transformed into one of the best space-themed games. And the updates don’t stop there, every few months, a new update with new content will be released to make your adventure more fun.
Price: $59.99
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Kena: Bridge of Spirits looks like it just came out of a Pixar animation. And unsurprisingly, the developers of the game used to be an animation studio.
On the surface, Kena is a simple linear action-adventure game. It guides you through the detailed and pretty world to collect things, fight bosses, and progress through the story.
The combat is fast-paced yet simple. You only have three basic ways of attacking and a dodge at the start. When it gets more interesting is when you start building a team of cute and adorable companions – Rot. And with new enemies you will meet, the combat will become much more challenging (IGN).
Apart from combat, Kena mixes things up with a bunch of puzzles and platforming. For both, you will need to use Rot and your skills to complete.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a great game to spend your evenings playing, especially if you love good animation. Is it simple? Yes. But sometimes simple is what we need.
Price: $39.99
Sea of Thieves
All hands on deck! It is time to set sail in search of treasure and glory. Sea of Thieves is a multiplayer pirate adventure that you can embark on by yourself or with friends.
Over 350 hours were spent in the game both alone and with a crew of friends so that we can tell you why this game is great for both solo players and groups.
First of all, there is no visible progression in the game. The main thing you can do in the game is complete different voyages (quests) to earn gold and spend it on new cosmetics. Along with gold, you get reputation. Reputation will unlock new voyages and new cosmetics.
If you are with a crew, you can sail the seas to try and fight other players or contest world events. World events are big challenges like forts with tanky enemies and rare treasure. But most of the time, it is the other pirates you should be worried about.
For a solo sailor, the game can be a bit rougher. You can’t really fight other players on your own. But as we mentioned, progression is not the main thing to play the game for. It’s about the feel of being a pirate, and the in-game music, graphics, sounds, and little things like digging up chests create the best aesthetic you can find.
Price: $39.99
Minecraft Dungeons
Minecraft Dungeons is an action-adventure dungeon crawler game set in the Minecraft universe. Learn the story of the Arch-Illager and fight your way through different parts of the Overworld filled with loot.
The game is a great Minecraft spinoff with a good amount of content to go through. You will get to explore procedurally generated locations with a variety of enemies that you can fight in many ways.
You want to be an assassin? A wizard? A swordsman? A summoner? All that is possible by simply collecting the right set of gear and artifacts. No classes involved.
We started the game over multiple times. More often because of the big break between the sessions. And we never felt bored or annoyed by playing through the same story. Yes, we know the Arch-Illager story to the last bit, but every new game of Minecraft Dungeons is unique and can be played differently.
Once you completed the main game, there are a few DLCs to the game that will take you to new locations like the Jungle, Nether, or the End. And if THAT is not enough for you, the game has a few endless game modes and seasonal content every few months.
Price: $19.99
