The end of the year is typically associated with a sudden burst of spending. This is typically when a large swathe of games descends on store shelves, vying for purchase and accolades. The aftermath leaves these newly acclaimed titles with a lofty price tag, and fantastic reception. As such, they’re difficult to pick up at a low cost in the following months. But January is a month of price cuts. The produce of the previous Spring and Summer is generally reduced to the €20-40 price range. These games, while overlooked, are very often worth your time. This list is an assortment of games for people of different tastes, all are unique and push the boundaries of their genre.

For Honor

(screenshot by philipzeplin)

For Honor is an extremely stylish medieval combat game. It centres around the fantastical conflict of 3 factions; the Knights, the Samurai and the Vikings. The roster has since been expanded to include Romans, Ninjas and Celts. For Honor was built from the ground-up with a free DLC (Downloadable Content) system. Every map or game mode released since February has been free, with the 6 DLC heroes requiring a week’s play time to unlock. Consistent support, friendly community management and issue fixing have characterised For Honor’s first year. With the allure of dedicated servers and additional moves for weaker characters on the horizon.

A tight combat system and meaningful character customisation bound to character mastery, makes For Honor an addictive experience. However, its steep learning curve and online-only nature may be a deterrent to some players. The game attempts to cater to solo players through simple communication tools and the revenge mechanic, which provides several advantages when the player is cornered and outnumbered.

To review For Honor without referencing the “art of the battle” system would be a disservice. It allows players to attack, block and parry in 3 directions, adapting the blocking mechanics of 2D fighters for the third dimension. While flawed in competitive play, For Honor’s focus on defense and mind games coupled with short combos and character variety makes for approachable and thrilling fights, with the majority of its connection issues set to be ironed out next month.

Verdict: For Honor will test you as you get to grips with its systems. Even after hours of practice mistakes are costly. If you can embrace your failure to make yourself stronger, For Honor is recommended.

Prey

(image by Telepath)

Prey was one of the most dynamic and interesting titles of the last year. Prey was designed around the philosophy of allowing players to direct their experience through what abilities they choose. This results in having multiple ways to enter and exit every room in the game (including where you start). Entering through ventilation shafts, hacking doors, or through the use of alien abilities allow each person to have a truly unique set of experiences. By drawing its atmosphere from the survival horror genre, this philosophy of explorative traversal makes Prey particularly tense.  From a fantastic introductory segment, Prey puts you in control of Morgan Yu, an employee of the Transtar company, which owns a large space-station named Talos-1. Despite being split into areas, Talos-1 is physically connected in such a way that each level does not overlap, allowing players to explore the space station from both the inside and the outside.

 

Prey can be considered less as a shooter, and more as a puzzle game. The game is about using a varied selection of tools to explore, evade and defeat enemies.. The Typhon, Prey’s enemies, are unique and maintain their menace throughout the game. Mimics take the form of objects in the environment which causes the act of collecting supplies to maintain the full attention of the player, as anything you go to pick up could be an enemy if the context of the item is not analysed. Other Typhon include Telepaths, which control the minds of Talos-1’s remaining inhabitants, and Phantoms which act as their foot soldiers. Their shadowy designs create an otherworldly presence and killing them is rewarded with essential supplies, but avoiding them entirely is also viable, especially as Prey allows players to research the Typhon and learn their abilities, which is far easier when they are not aware of your presence.

 

The developers’ choice to allow players to save anywhere incentivises exploration, but also allows players to make meaningful choices. Players can try different abilities with the reassurance that they can return to before the ability was applied. Other choices can be as simple as inaction allowing characters to die. Prey allows players to alter the difficulty of their experience through their choices, with the narrative cleverly fixating on who you choose to become. Do you become what you fight to destroy, or maintain your humanity? If you think this sounds reminiscent of BioShock (or System Shock, seeing as Prey is in space), then you are correct. Unfortunately, Prey also falls apart in the second half but offers a fantastic conclusion. Prey’s best qualities are fantastic world building, as well as the brilliant decision to make every monitor an interface in the world instead of using menu screens. This binds the crafting system directly to the world enabling Prey to trap players in its environments.

 

The Verdict: Prey is a unique experience. It starts with a bang, has some surprises throughout, is less intense in its second half but its resolution is one that makes you question everything you assumed about the game. If you enjoy games that give you choice, surprise you, but also have a contained and enthralling plot, Prey might be for you.

WipEout Omega Collection

 

Studio Liverpool was originally a CGI company back when it was known as Psygnosis. This has always been evident in their games, with WipEout HD running at 1080p and 60 frames per second on the PS3 while many current releases can’t come close to such performance. While their closure was sad, it reflects fantastically on their work that little of it has been altered in this remaster. That said, every improvement that has been made is noticeable and demonstrates the power of the PS4. Colours pop and the massive changes for WipEout 2048’s first foray on console have been implemented flawlessly. The tone of the game has been maintained and Sony XDev have made an inspired re-imagining of what is arguably one of the PSVita’s finest games.

 

The WipEout Omega Collection is comprised of WipEout HD, its Fury expansion and WipEout 2048, a prequel to the rest of the series. While implementation of some WipEout 2048 elements is not integrated with the multiplayer suite, resulting in the player having  to replay solo missions to unlock the final level.

This is a fantastically realised package that has everything good about WipEout. It looks fantastic. It plays silky smooth, controlling like no other racer. It has a varied selection of modes and an enjoyable multiplayer suite. Above all that, it is very good value. Repackaging games that have not aged in the slightest, WipEout Omega Collection does everything right on a technical level while also keeping the series’ staple gameplay.

 

The Verdict: WipEout Omega Collection is a compilation of some of the best of a sub-genre defining series. It’s recommended to any racing game fan who values technical gameplay and an exhilarating sense of speed.

2017’s Unsung Heroes

Some honourable mentions include Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus and Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind. Both are a bit more expensive than the games featured, but offer fun for their price in certain stores.

 

While some featured games had issues, it is worth emphasising that games can improve with time in this industry of patches and content updates. Exploration is one of the things that sets games apart. This can involve exploring a world, your own ability, or both. All games listed here realise  the theme of exploration fully, and the best time to sample them is when the cost of entry is less steep.