Thanksgiving weekend is upon us, and with it opportunities to save money on video games. Great deals can be had directly through your console, and here are six games on either the Nintendo eShop or the PlayStation Store that we’d recommend.
Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Expansion Pass (Nintendo eShop)
While better deals exist on Nintendo Switch, both “Xenoblade Chronicles” and its sequel are worth experiencing as high-quality RPGs with fantastic stories and soundtracks. Also on sale is the expansion pass for “Xenoblade Chronicles 2,” which includes a plethora of bonus items and quests that only add to an already complete package. Alongside these goodies is “Torna – The Golden Country,” an additional campaign with an equally memorable story and soundtrack that covers events referenced in the main game. It’s so thorough it can be considered its own game, using the main game as a base.
All four options are only 30% off, with each game costing $41.99. “Torna – The Golden Country” by itself costs $27.99, and the bundle with both “Xenoblade Chronicles 2” and its expansion pass is listed at $62.98.
Final Fantasy XVI (PlayStation Store)
With amazing visuals and a wonderful story, “Final Fantasy XVI” is a top game on sale this week. While it does deviate from previous, beloved entries in the series by leaning more into “action” and less into “RPG”, it’s still a great installment and super fun to play. With great music and interesting character designs, “Final Fantasy XVI” also provides a world players will want to explore for hours on end.
Both the standard and digital deluxe editions are 40% off. The Standard Edition is available for $41.99, and the Digital Deluxe for $53.99. The Digital Deluxe version comes with a digital mini art book and a digital mini soundtrack. These are fantastic deals no matter which one you choose.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Nintendo eShop)
“Kirby and the Forgotten Land” is the most recent mainline entry in the long-running franchise before this year’s remake of “Kirby’s Return to Dreamland” and is very much worth getting. Alongside a phenomenal soundtrack and new, fun gameplay mechanics such as “Mouthful Mode” to mess around with, “Kirby and the Forgotten Land” provides a seamless transition into 3D for the classically 2D franchise.
Like the “Xenoblade” series, the discount is only 30%, and is available for $41.99.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PlayStation Store)
“Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered” and “Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales” created massive waves in the gaming scene upon release. Both were leaps and bounds beyond the previous releases — like “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” in 2014 — with incredible graphics and a terrific story. Gameplay in “Marvel’s Spider-Man” set a high standard, which was built upon in “Miles Morales.” The customization in both games is vast, and above all, completely free, with fan-favorite suits being available in both games. “Miles Morales” is a shorter game, but adds new mechanics, like Miles’s “Venom” abilities, or finishers being available outside of focus bars
Both games are on sale; however, it is important to note that the Ultimate Edition version of “Miles Morales” includes “Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered,” completely free. Arguably the best version to purchase, it is 43% off for $39.89. However, the Standard Version is 60% off for $19.99, and “Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered” on its own is available at 50% off for $24.99.
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope (Nintendo eShop)
“Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope” is the sequel to one of the Nintendo Switch’s early surprise hits, and it lives up to expectations. Much like its predecessor, it’s a tactical RPG in the style of games such as “XCOM,” and serves as a crossover between Nintendo and Ubisoft, featuring Mario characters and the Rabbids. Although there is some continuity, there’s little need to play the first game due to a drastic change in the general gameplay loop and how the story and characters are reintroduced. The game includes a season pass with three packs of downloadable content that includes additional stories, characters, quests and battles.
The base game alone has a 58% discount for $25.15, while the “Gold Edition,” which also features the season pass and a selection of weapon skins, has a 56% discount for $39.59. The “Rayman Edition,” which features the base game and just the third DLC pack, has a 50% discount for $34.99. The season pass alone is also 40% off for $17.99.
Street Fighter 6 (PlayStation Store)
“Street Fighter 6” came out earlier this year, and splashed onto the fighting game scene with stunning visuals, revamped character designs and new gameplay mechanics. “World Tour” mode allows players to take their own created fighters into an RPG world. While not the best story, this mode expertly teaches new players the game mechanics. This is great for newcomers who may be intimidated by highly competitive fighting games like the “Street Fighter” series.
As with the other PlayStation entries, all versions of “Street Fighter 6” are on sale. The Standard Edition is 34% off for $39.59. The Deluxe Edition is 25% off for $63.74, with the Ultimate Edition being 20% off for $83.99. Deluxe and Ultimate Editions give players access to different numbers of DLC characters that will be released in the future.
