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A Holiday Guide for Broke-Ass Gamers

A Holiday Guide for Broke-Ass Gamers

It’s October, which means the 2017 holiday season has officially started. By that, I mean all the dang video games are coming out. The wave technically starts in September, but October really sees things start moving. Between now and December, every major company in the video game industry is going to be releasing something they want to see sell in big numbers. From Japanese devs to Western AAA juggernauts, things are going to get expensive for the hardcore gamer. But what about those of us who can’t dish out for a fat stack of new, $60 games? Luckily for you, there are plenty of budget-friendly titles also coming out during this time. While they aren’t the biggest and best in AAA, they are all just as good, if not better.

Nindies

Yeah okay, this requires new hardware, but it’s totally possible you saved up and got yourself a Switch at launch or recently, after saving up. It can be tough to pick up The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild , ARMS , Splatoon 2 , Mario+Rabbids: Kingdom Battle , and so on and so forth, even with the dates all spread out. But the cool thing about the Switch right now is all the awesome “Nindies” dropping all around the same time. Even without a mountain of cash, you can still load that bad boy up some some quality independent releases and have plenty of folks to discuss them with online. Look out for Axoim Verge , Stardew Valley , Steamworld Dig 2 , Oxenfree, Golf Story, and Picross S in particular, although simply hopping into the eShop will reveal all kinds of other great, smaller titles.

Ports and Remasters

This generation has been great for dope ports and remasters of classic games in need of recirculation, and the holiday 2017 season is no slouch in this department. From novel, new portability on the Switch to high-profile, 4K and/or 60 fps ports on PS4/Xbox One/PC, there are several options to revisit some of your old favorites in grand, affordable fashion. Be on the lookout for L.A. Noire Remastered , .Hack//G.U. Last Recode , Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen , Resident Evil: Revelations Collection, and Okami HD .

Definitive/Complete/Free DLC

The holiday season means, inevitably, cheaper versions of modern games. And I’m not just talking about price drops. Publishers of successful games love to drop new SKUs of their hits with a prestigious new title indicating the release is “Completes,” “Definitive” or a “Game of the Year.” Generally, these releases are not only less than the usual $60, but also include most or all of the game’s DLC, making it an even better deal. Check out Fallout 4: GOTY Edition , Dead Rising 4: Frank’s Big Package , Horizon: Zero Dawn Complete Edition, and Rayman Legends Definitive Edition . Don’t sleep on Nioh either, as it’s seeing a new PC release with all the DLC and a few extras as well. Then, you can use any gift cards you might get over the holidays on Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition when it drops in January 2018.

A Holiday Guide for Broke-Ass Gamers

New Games!!

Yes, there are even a few new, exciting games coming out (or already out) for the holiday season that are nice and budget friendly. Look no further than Cuphead , a game everyone is talking about and a potential game of the year dark horse. Also, Sonic Forces is coming out at a budget price, so fans coasting off the greatness of Sonic Mania might be excited about that one. Longtime Kickstarter project A Hat in Time is finally set to release soon, and uh, there’s a new Bubsy game somehow. Yeah! Video games!

There it is, a big ol’ list of cool stuff that’s out in 2017 just in time for the holiday season that won’t kill your wallet too much. From cool experiences on the Nintendo Switch to big remasters and definitive editions, there’s plenty to make sure no gamer is left behind this holiday season.

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