Money tight? Why not play an amazing game from yesteryear for cheap?
Hello again and welcome back - it's time to look at February. February seems to be a bit hit or miss this gen. If not for a pretty strong year in 2017, February may be the weakest month of the year. Though it seems like we could be making a sharp turn this year. Heavy hitters like Anthem and Metro: Exodus are out. We have the return of Crackdown and Ace Combat. Also new entries in the Far Cry and God Eater series to top it off. Past years may have seemed slower than other months but there were still games worth playing.
Before this month's pick, take a look below to see the honorable mentions for the past few years
2015: Sony's graphcially stunning, The Order: 1886 was released with very mixed reviews. While it was initially disappointing for $60, this game is worth a shot when it hits as low as $5.
2016: Campo Santo released their debut indie hit, Firewatch. This game drew in lots of buzz and has people excited for their second game, “In the Valley of the Gods.”
2017: Team Ninja finally released Nioh after beginning development back in 2004. What initially appeared to be off radars became a nice success by hitting a samurai Dark Souls vibe and has a sequel in development.
2018: Last year, Shadow of the Colossus got a gorgeous HD remake. While I try to avoid putting re-releases on here, this one out did itself.
This year should make February interesting but for now let's get to the pick.
February's Game to Get
Horizon: Zero Dawn (2017)
Horizon blew away practically everyone who saw it at E3 in 2015. After a lackluster release with Killzone: Shadow Fall, Guerilla Games impressed the world in 2017 with the story of Aloy in a post apocalyptic world that was both beautiful and terrifying. Robotic animals and dinosaurs roam the land and can be just as majestic and vicious as their real life counterparts.
It's immediately clear that great care was taken when designing these creatures. They have so many intricate details and the gameplay is tailored around them. Focusing specific body parts will impair enemies and make toppling gigantic, “dinosaurs,” possible. Aloy acquires a solid range of traps and weapons along with many ammo types to tackle any situation. Preparing for your hunt and pulling it off is very satisfying.
To top it off, the world is well crafted all the way through. The story is compelling and keeps you wondering how this land came to be. The numerous tribes, locales, and religions are interesting and add nice variety to the futuristic, but primitive world. Even better, Aloy is a very likeable and strong character that is easy to empathize with. I will even say that the answers to all the mysteries doesn't disappoint and even had me wanting more. Guerilla Games went from a fine, solid studio to a Triple A juggernaut with this game and the world is eagerly anticipating their next title.
Lowest Price: $10
Amount of Content: A minimum of 30 but around 60 if you like side content.
February Runner-up: Nioh
Have any games this February you're playing now? Any thoughts about which game this month will come out on top? Let us know in the comments.
Holy shit ... I still haven't finished Horizon. Or Shadow of the Colossus.
I did beat Firewatch though.
I think I will eventually play Order 1866 since it's so cheap and I remember being hyped for it when reviews hit.
This is a cool series idea for articles.
Thank you, I came up with the idea one day when I saw 200, "must play," titles releasing in one quarter. I figured celebrating other great releases that can be found for cheap could help someone who's budgeting. Even if they aren't, they may have missed a great game because they were engrossed in something else. I definitely recommend finishing Horizon if you were enjoying it. The phyiscal version with DLC is usually on sale and cheaper than just buying the digital DLC. Strange how that works.
I got to the part where I learned about the Horizon project and how everything came to be and whatnot, but I just ... wasn't as interested in playing it as other games. Yakuza 0 came out the same year, and now that I've been introduced to that series I kinda stop whatever I'm doing when a new one comes out ... didn't help that two new ones came out the next year.
Thanks for the heads up on DLC.
Yakuza is a series I haven't really tried yet. Played it a bit but never to completion. Hearing you and Julian though has me searching for deals on it. I dont subscribe to PS+ anymore so I missed the free one a month or so ago. What's a good starting point?
I started with 0 and given the trajectory of the series, I still say that's ideal for starting the story and familiarizing yourself with the characters. Playing Yakuza Kiwami 1 may feel like a step back gameplay-wise at that point, but Kiwami 2 more than makes up for it.
I could see an argument for starting with Kiwami 1 and playing the series technically in order, with 0 as the actual 6th entry before Yakuza 6. The gameplay and available amount of sidequests might feel more consistent that way.
Basically, in my mind, where to start depends on whether you'd like to play the series in order of release (so 1-5, 0, then 6) or in order of story (0-6).
And of course, no harm no foul if it turns out you're not a fan of the Yakuza formula. Won't change my personal take that it's the greatest form of art ever made, but that doesn't mean it's for everyone. I started out by renting Yakuza 0 via GameFly.
Which one has Chun-Li DLC? I'll make that the first one.
Haha sorry, I get a little verbose when someone asks me about Yakuza. Just start with 0. One of the actresses in the safe-for-work-ish softcore porn videos you can watch is bound to resemble Chun-Li. 
Oh no your info was very helpful. I was just making a NWP joke. Chun-Li is always a hot topic on there. Thanks a lot for the help.
Lol no worries, I caught the reference.
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