Video Games That Are Absolutely Worth the Cost

With the average video game costing around $60, gaming can be an expensive hobby. For that reason, we want to be sure the games we buy are ones we know we will absolutely enjoy and get $60 worth of fun out of. If you’re feeling a bit of choice paralysis as you consider your next purchase, here are some good video games that are absolutely worth the cost.

Fallout: New Vegas

We first have to start with an absolute classic. Over a decade later, you’ll still hear Fallout: New Vegas being talked about and praised as one of the best open-world RPGs on the market. Explore post-apocalyptic Nevada with Fallout’s unique 1950s retrofuture aesthetic and an in-depth story and plethora of characters that is guaranteed to leave an impression long after you finish the game. While the gameplay may not have aged too gracefully, you’ll have no trouble immersing yourself in a world of wasteland politics and player freedom.

As a courier shot and left for dead in the middle of a delivery, you’ll begin with a simple quest for revenge that eventually leads you to become a major player in the future of the wasteland.

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI

For those who enjoy tactical 4X games, Sid Meier’s Civilization has been a long-running series that has been infamous for how easily you can sink hours upon hours into it. Civilization VI, or simply called “Civ 6”, is a worthy entry to the franchise that allows you to build your empire and politick your way to victory through war, faith, or progress. Even if you’re not crazy about the tactical aspect, there’s nothing more satisfying than sitting back and seeing how far your civilization has come from a single city to a global empire.

Of the many civilizations throughout history, take control of leaders like President Teddy Roosevelt or Cleopatra and lead your nation to victory through might, diplomacy, faith, culture, or science.

My Time at Portia

This one’s a hidden little gem. Games like Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley have been wildly popular as relaxing farm simulators, and My Time at Portia falls within the same genre, albeit with a few differences. The most notable, of course, is the graphics. Instead of the typical overhead 2D style with rudimentary character sprites, My Time at Portia has created a beautiful 3D world with a cast of colorful and fun characters. Furthermore, the game includes hack-and-slash action elements that provide a brief respite from the core gameplay loop so that the game remains fresh and fun.

As Portia’s newest resident and builder, it’s your job to help Portia build itself up as you explore and uncover the history of what appears to be a post-post-apocalyptic world.

Just Cause 3

We all need a game where we can just turn our brains off and blow off some steam. Just Cause 3 is the most lauded game in the franchise for the mechanical freedom it affords the player. With a wide selection of tools and toys, you’ll wreak havoc across an island under tyrannical rule with incredibly fun features like grappling hooks and wingsuits for you to experiment and play around with as new modes of destruction.

You play as “Dictator Removal Specialist” Rico Rodriguez as he returns to his homeland of Medici—an island ruled with an iron fist. With such a tyrannical dictator, you’ll enjoy destruction and mayhem to your heart’s content.

Disco Elysium

For a more modern RPG, Disco Elysium is a dialogue-focused game that is superbly written. While a bit of a slower burn as a result, Disco Elysium is a wonderful blend of pen-and-paper RPGs and noir-detective fiction that, like all good detective stories, starts simple and becomes progressively more complex and multi-layered—something that Disco Elysium’s impressive writing pulls off with confidence and swagger.

As you wake up from a drunken stupor in your motel room, you’re immediately thrown into the role of a detective with no recollection of who he is or what he’s doing there. As you piece together your identity, you’ll solve mysteries of murder, deceit, and where your left shoe wandered off to.

DOOM Eternal

If you’ve spent any time in the gaming community, you’ve no doubt heard nothing but praise for the new iterations of DOOM—and for good reason! DOOM Eternal is another game where you turn your brain off and relish in unchecked carnage. With a more arcade-y game design, DOOM Eternal is an incredibly fast-paced first-person shooter. After the success of 2016’s DOOM, the mechanics have been refined to keep you on the brink of desperation as you carve a path through a legion of demons. This keeps tensions high and the adrenaline pumping as you embody the Doom Slayer.

Armed with big guns and an unquenchable rage, you play as the legendary Doomguy hellbent on stopping the forces of hell from destroying the Earth. With a one-track mind for demon-slaying, you have a singular objective: rip and tear, until it is done.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Perhaps one of the strongest examples of video games that are absolutely worth the cost, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an incredibly in-depth and immersive game that allows you to live out your cowboy fantasies. With an emphasis on immersion, you’ll find Red Dead Redemption 2 to have incredibly satisfying gameplay that complements an incredible, character-driven overarching story that makes you care deeply about the player character.

You play as Arthur Morgan, chief enforcer of the Van Der Linde gang, and are on the run after a botched heist. Set at the end of the century and on the horizon of industrialization, you’ll endeavor to make ends meet in a world with no patience for an outlaw such as yourself.

We all love to get lost in these fantastical and fictional worlds, whether it be for the satisfying gameplay or well-written story. However, staring at a screen for hours on end can be a bit tough on the eyes, often resulting in eye strain or headaches. We recommend getting yourself a pair of blue light blocking gaming glasses to spare yourself the side effects and allow yourself to get the absolute most out of your favorite games.