Black Friday Game Sales Perfect for Gift Givers

Black+Friday+Game+Sales+Perfect+for+Gift+Givers

A brief list of 2018’s best video game savings opportunities for the holiday season.

With Black Friday on its way, each year come November everybody with an ounce of holiday spirit is getting ready for big savings on gifts. iPhones, flat screen televisions, designer bags and more see the biggest markdowns of the year. While all of this is exciting, there are cheaper ways to make friends and family happy during the holiday season, so long as they’ve got the console to enjoy them: video games.

This year, a plethora of new and exciting games debuted in stores. However, seeing as a lot of these games push 60 dollars, it’s hard to justify investing in them. The only time of year these big-ticket games can be reasonably expected to drop in price is Black Friday. In the spirit of splurging season, here’s a brief list of 2018 game releases suitable for gifting to hardcore gamers and casual players alike.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Platforms:  PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows

Best place to purchase: Best Buy

Sales price: $30

Savings: $29.99

Details: Offering a staggeringly large map of both land and sea, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey brings Ancient Greece to life in the midst of the Peloponnesian Wars. Players are given the choice between a female and male lead. Whichever is chosen, the storyline is the same: the main character is an orphaned mercenary who has spent their life on the island of Kephallonia. From the game’s beginning, players make social and physical choices that shape the character’s journey off the island. Customizable weapons and armor options further the game’s personal touch, lending to the Creed series’ recent turn toward an RPG style gaming experience. Some critic and audience reviews proclaim it “the best” addition to the series as of yet.

 

Lego DC Super-Villains

Platforms:  PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows

Best place to purchase: Target

Sales price: $29.99

Savings: $30.00

Details: This action-adventure game is great for comic fans, for obvious reasons. The basic storyline is that the Justice League, a team of heroes, has disappeared from the world. In their place, a team of villains have risen to assist the nefarious Darkseid in his plans to wreak havoc. Players can customize their very own villain, and later they can toggle perspective to various other iconic DC characters, such as The Joker. Through puzzle-solving and action sequences, the villains battle superheroes, law enforcement, and civilians. The game offers both free roam and story modes, and is suitable for ages ten and older.

 

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

Platforms:  PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows

Best place to purchase: Walmart

Sales price: $40

Savings: $19.99

Details: Black Ops 4 is a bundle comprised of three mechanically similar game modes. First, there’s the traditional multiplayer mode, which allows players to team up and compete against adversarial groups in Search and Destroy, Team Deathmatch, and Kill Confirmed modes among others. Next, there’s the Zombies mode, wherein players are required to strategize and collaborate in an effort to defend against waves of undead hordes. Lastly, inspired by the popularity of PUBG and Fortnite, is Blackout. While mimicking the popular battle royale genre to some degree, Blackout drops 88 players into fan-favorite CoD maps from over the years, giving the game mode a new feel. Players can play Blackout either as soloists or as part of a team. For anyone thinking of purchasing this game for someone new to first person shooter games, it’s important to be aware of the fact that Black Ops 4 servers have been criticized for being large populated by seasoned competitors.

 

Sea of Thieves

Platforms:  Xbox One, Microsoft Windows

Best place to purchase: Walmart

Sales price: $35.00

Savings: $24.99

Details: This game puts players into the shoes of a seafaring pirate. It’s an open-world action-adventure game that gives the option of either plundering solo or with a crew of up to four. Sea of Thieves is cross platform, meaning that players on PC can join the same crew as players on Xbox One. Together, crews juggle steering, navigating, hoisting sails, and firing cannons to defend or attack. Missions called ‘voyages’ can be completed to earn coins, which further the player’s main objective of becoming a legend among the world of pirates. The game has won an award for its visual design, which is cartoonish and colorful. It’s perfect for casual players.

 

Forza Horizon 4

Platforms:  Xbox One, Microsoft Windows

Best place to purchase: Target

Sales price: $35.00

Savings: $24.99

Details: Forza Horizon 4 is an open world racing game set in the United Kingdom. The game can be played both  online, in servers of up to seventy-two people, or offline. By winning races and earning money, players can unlock up 450 licensed cars, new houses, and special items. The game also rotates between seasons weekly, with weather affecting players’ abilities to explore and succeed. For example, during the winter, lakes freeze over and allow players to cross over to new areas. Forza Horizon 4’s Xbox One edition has received critical acclaim, and makes a great alternative gift for young kids looking to play Grand Theft Auto.

 

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Platforms:  Xbox One, Microsoft Windows

Best place to purchase: Target

Sales price: $30.00

Savings: $29.99

Details: Yet another installation of a classic game, Shadow of the Tomb Raider follows protagonist Lara Croft  through her exploration of South America. This iteration of the Tomb Raider series introduces underwater air pockets, which enhance players’ ability to explore the beds of water bodies, and a bartering system for weapons and resource. The game requires players to take stealth tactics into careful consideration, with options to disguise Croft in mud or conceal her in bushes. Exploring tombs, solving puzzles, and learning more about the rich environment of the hidden city Paititi makes this game more than appealing for travel junkies and adventurers.

 

God of War

Platforms:  PlayStation 4

Best place to purchase: Target

Sales price: $25.00

Savings: $14.99

Details: Being that God of War is the second-highest rated game of the year, $25.00 for a copy could be considered highway robbery. The game follows the journey of Kratos (who is the recurring protagonist of the series) and his estranged son Atreus, all through one continuous camera shot. The two characters couldn’t be more different, but they’re brought together by the tragic death of Atreus’s mother. Their mutual love for her motivates them to complete the game’s main objective: to reach the peak of a mountain, where they must realize out her dying wish.  Offering upwards of 27 hours of gameplay, God of War traverses a Norse-mythology inspired world where players can encounter creatures like trolls, ogres, draugrs, tatzelwurms, wulvers, and even dragons. The game can only be played in solo mode, reverting the multiplayer addition which was introduced in the 2013 installation of the series. It balances a story of fatherhood and fortitude with the series’ typical glorious battle sequences.

 

Kirby Star Allies

Platforms:  Nintendo Switch

Best place to purchase: Walmart

Sales price: $35.00

Savings: $24.99

Details: The latest addition to Nintendo’s beloved Kirby games, Kirby Star Allies allows players to beat bosses through the power of friendship. The game takes place in outer space, as per usual, where a mysterious ritual has recently cause a dark crystal heart to shatter, scattering its evil effects throughout the universe. Kirby, who was spared of the negative effects of the crystal, embarks on a mission to eradicate its darkness. Among the skills in Kirby’s arsenal is the ability to throw hearts at enemies, which turns them into allies. Additionally, the powers of Kirby and his companions (which can either be controlled by friends or AI) can combine to initiate 3D sequences wherein Kirby can use special attacks. This game is suitable for all ages.

Hopefully, this helps all the indecisive shoppers out there settle on a suitable game for a loved one. Good luck to all, and happy savings!