Summer is the unofficial sale season for gamers. Even the holidays fail to deliver the deep discounts the summer months are known for. It all started with the annual Steam Sale, then the digital marketplaces of Sony and Microsoft got in on the goodness, slashing prices and moving stock like this was the last summer on earth. Between all three platforms competing for gamer dollars, some serious deals are bound to happen, and these are the best of the best.
We will be using the dollar-per-hour scale here, which is the purest way to determine if a deal is right for you.
Playstation 4 Mid-Year Sale: Ends July 11th
Ratchet and Clank
$7.99
A remaster done right. In fact, this is a remaster done perfectly. You can’t go wrong for the price considering the quality of the game.
God of War 3 Remastered $3.99
For less than the cost of a piece of avocado toast, millennials can enjoy one of the best hack and slash games ever, remastered for the new generation of game consoles. If you’ve never plunked down the cash for this classic, now is the time.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag $11.99
It’s still the best AC game since… Black Flag? You’ll get 12 hours out of the sea battles alone, and the visuals have aged well. Definitely worth the pickup if you haven’t played an AC game in a minute.
Flower $2.79
It’s relaxing, enjoyable, and short. You’ll get about three hours out of Flower, and it’s worth it, even eight years after its original release.
Madden 17 $9.99
With only a few months until Madden 18, this may not be the best purchase, but the price is right. You’ll be able to get well over ten hours of gameplay here out of the franchise mode alone. Worth it if you’re feeling Football Fever™ creeping up.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor Special Edition $3.99
The best deal of the Steam sale is now on PSN. This is a ridiculous price for a damn good game. Get it even if you’re never going to play it. This is arguably the best game deal in years.
Star Wars Battlefront Ultimate Edition $9.99
All the expansions and the base game for $10? You’ll get ten hours out of this, and it will bridge the gap between the dull summer months and Battlefront 2‘s glorious release.
Xbox One Ultimate Game Sale ends July 11th
Sunset Overdrive $12
A bit of an oldie but still a goodie, Sunset Overdrive is like Tony Hawk Pro Skater being forced into being a Ratchet and Clank clone. And that’s a good thing.
Just Cause 3 $15
The Just Cause series is full of endless fun, and then you’ll actually play the campaign. For $15, few games are better.
Mount and Blade: Warband $10
Unintentionally hilarious and extremely addicting, this is the granddaddy of sword and board combat.
Madden 17 $10
It’s $10 on Xbox too!
Thimbleweed Park $12
It’s like Twin Peaks and X-Files had a baby and LucasArts wanted to make one last adventure game.
Xbox Honorable Mentions
There are plenty of great deals above $15.
Titanfall 2 is $20.
MGS V: The Definitive Edition is $22.50.
Halo Wars 2 is $30.
Far Cry Primal is $20.
FIFA 17 is $16.
Final Fantasy XV is $30.
PS4 Honorable Mentions
Fallout 4 is $20.
GTA V is $30.
Zombie Army Trilogy is $15 (it’s good, trust us).