Some sales are good, and some are the kind I instantly DM my dudes about to become The Voice of Unsolicited FOMO. Today’s spread falls firmly into the latter, with discounts on games that blend brilliant design with genuine replay value. There are big-name blockbusters, genre-defining indies, and a few hidden gems that deserve the spotlight.
This Day in Gaming 🎂
In retro news, I’m using a rusty shiv to cut a 21-candle cake baked for The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, a mouthful of a stealth shooter that proved movie tie-ins didn’t have to be shovelware. Back in 2004, equipping the goggles and gravel voicebox of Vin Diesel's Furyan felt like nothing else. Unfortunately, the hype surrounding the launch of Halo 2 overshadowed this absolute sleeper hit.
Launch day me was mighty surprised to find that its brand of FPSing was smoother than a drag of KOOL menthols. The eye-shine-assisted stalking was addictive, the melee was raw and responsive, and the world of Butcher Bay oozed menace. This was the kind of slick, confident package that hinted at the brilliance its developers (many of whom would go on to form MachineGames) would later bring to a Wolfenstein reboot. Two decades later, it still stands tall as one of the most atmospheric and inventive licenced games ever made.
This Day in Gaming
Aussie birthdays for notable games.
- Doom 3 (PC) 2004. Get
- Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (XB) 2004. eBay
- Hohokum (PS3/4/V) 2014. eBay
Contents
Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch
On Nintendo Switch, Super Mario RPG remains a comfort-food classic. The original was an unlikely collab between Square and Nintendo that fused turn-based battles with Mario’s charm, and this version keeps that quirky magic alive. Persona 5 Tactica, meanwhile, proves the Phantom Thieves work just as well in grid-based strategy, and the chibi art style is way more endearing in motion than screenshots suggest.- Super Mario RPG (-25%) – A$59.90 Square Enix’s charming SNES-era remake with revamped visuals and quality-of-life tweaks. A whimsical turn-based adventure with quirky humour and heartfelt storytelling. Solid deal for both newcomers and nostalgic fans.
- Catherine: Full Body (-25%) – A$59.80 Atlus’ surreal puzzle-platformer-meets-romance-drama. Navigate tricky block climbs while juggling a love triangle with moral choices. Unique and stylish, it’s a cult classic worth experiencing on Switch.
- Sonic Frontiers (-40%) – A$59.70 Sega’s open-zone reinvention of the blue blur. Mixes speedy platforming with exploration, combat and surprisingly emotional beats. A generous discount on a bold new era for Sonic.
- Super Mario Party Jamboree NS2 (-20%) – A$88 The ultimate Switch party game returns with new boards, mini-games and online modes. Perfect for family nights or competitive couch chaos. Rarely discounted this soon after launch.
- Persona 5 Tactica (-46%) – A$51.70 Atlus’ stylish turn-based tactics spin-off set in the Persona 5 universe. Colourful strategy, sharp writing, and Phantom Thieves flair make this a great grab at under half price.
- Donkey Kong Bananza (-11%) – A$98 Barrel into jungle platforming fun with DK and friends. Fresh challenges, vibrant worlds, and multiplayer chaos keep the party swinging. A modest saving, but appealing for collectors.
Expiring Recent Deals
- LEGO Jurassic World (-55%) - A$26.90
- Taiko no Tatsujin Rhythm Festival (-40%) - A$41.60
- LEGO Skywalker Saga (-39%) - A$54.90
- Darkwood (-75%) - A$5.40
- SNK 40th Ann. Col. (-65%) - A$21
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy (-67%) - A$13.10
Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.
Exciting Bargains for Xbox
Over on Xbox Series X, Resident Evil Village takes the Gothic horror of Resident Evil 4 and turns the dial up to eleven with Lady Dimitrescu’s towering presence. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is Capcom’s latest masterclass in emergent open-world chaos, where pawn companions can surprise you with genuinely clever tactics.- Battlefield 6 (-19%) – A$89 Massive-scale FPS battles with vehicles, destruction, and team tactics. This recent entry refines the chaos with tighter gunplay and better pacing. Looking great so far.
- Resident Evil Village (-75%) – A$14.20 A gothic horror rollercoaster blending tense survival, action set pieces, and unforgettable villains. This is an absurdly low price for one of the best modern Resident Evil games.
- Split Fiction (-16%) – A$59 Narrative-driven mystery with shifting perspectives and puzzle elements. Stylish presentation and clever writing make it a good pick for players who value story above all.
- Resident Evil 4 (-50%) – A$29.90 Capcom’s masterful remake of its survival-horror classic. Gorgeous visuals, updated controls, and atmospheric design cement its status as one of gaming’s all-time greats.
- Dragon's Dogma 2 (-55%) – A$48.50 A sprawling, high-fantasy RPG with dynamic combat and emergent encounters. Deep character builds and pawn systems make every playthrough unique. Rarely this cheap so soon after release.
Xbox One
- Resident Evil Remake Trilog. (-55%) – A$58.40 Three acclaimed survival-horror remakes bundled together. Tight gunplay, haunting atmospheres, and modern visuals make this a must-have.
- Alien: Isolation (-80%) – A$11.90 A masterclass in tension. Survive against a relentless Xenomorph in this slow-burn horror classic that nails the atmosphere of the original film.
- Okami HD (-50%) – A$12.40 Gorgeous cel-shaded adventure steeped in Japanese mythology. Creative combat and painting mechanics make this a timeless, Zelda-esque cult hit for me.
- DuckTales: Rem. (-75%) – A$3.70 Disney’s NES platformer reimagined with hand-drawn art and nostalgic charm. Great for a quick nostalgia hit at pocket-change pricing. Bit of an arse-kicker, though.
Expiring Recent Deals
- 40K Space Marine 2 (-54%) - A$49.90
- Forza Horizon 5 (-50%) - A$49.90
- Cyberpunk 2077: Ult. Ed. (-36%) - A$77
- Wild Hearts (-86%) - A$14.90
- Sonic X Shadow Generations (-35%) - A$40.40
Xbox One
- LEGO Marvel Col. (-50%) - A$44.50
- Monopoly 2024 (-60%) - A$20
- SpellForce III Reforced (-52%) - A$31
Or just invest in an Xbox Card.
Pure Scores for PlayStation
On PS5, Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered gives Aloy’s debut a visual boost that makes its robot dinosaurs more imposing than ever. Lost Judgment delivers a satisfying blend of Yakuza-style chaos and courtroom drama, with side cases that rival the main story for entertainment.- Horizon Zero Dawn Rem. (-20%) – A$59.90 Guerrilla Games’ open-world epic about hunting (non-transforming) dinobots in a lush post-apocalypse. Remastered visuals shine on PS5.
- Battlefield 6 (-19%) – A$89 Large-scale FPS action with vehicles, dynamic destruction, and squad-based objectives. My brand of chaos and strategy. I'm in already.
- Hogwarts Legacy (-55%) – A$44.30 Immersive wizarding-world RPG with spell combat, exploration, and school life. I'm not even a Potterverse dude and I loved it.
- Lost Judgment (-80%) – A$19.90 Sega’s crime-thriller spin-off of the Yakuza series. Blends investigation, brawling, and emotional storytelling.
- Star Wars Outlaws (-64%) – A$40 Ubisoft’s open-world Star Wars adventure where you play as a charming rogue. Criminally under-played IMO.
PS4
- Shin Megami Tensei III HD (-55%) – A$31.70 Dark, turn-based JRPG with demon fusion and post-apocalyptic themes.
- Ace Attorney Investigations Col. (-47%) – A$32 Quirky visual novel puzzler starring prosecutor Miles Edgeworth. He's almost as cool as Phoenix.
- Red Dead Redemption 2 (-68%) – A$29 Rockstar’s sprawling western masterpiece with unmatched detail. Still mindblowing and the open-world game to beat. For now...
- Burnout Paradise Rem. (-75%) – A$6.20 High-speed open-world racing with glorious crashes. Fender benders and NOS-assisted jumps all age like a fine wine.
Expiring Recent Deals
- Ghost of Yōtei (-21%) - A$99
- Crisis Core FF7 Reunion (-42%) - A$48.90
- Mafia: The Old Country (-12%) - A$79
- Tales of Arise (-68%) - A$32.30
- Resident Evil 4 (-35%) - A$64.90
- Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza (-25%) - A$74.90
- Gran Turismo 7 (-27%) - A$61
- Dragon Ball FighterZ (-53%) - A$47.10
- Armored Core VI (-55%) - A$45
PS+ Monthly Freebies
Yours to keep from Aug 1 with this subscription
- Lies of P | PS5, PS4
- DayZ | PS4
- My Hero One’s Justice 2 | PS4
Or purchase a PS Store Card.
Purchase Cheap for PC
Lastly, on PC, Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is the ultimate “just one more turn” timesink, with expansions adding absurd levels of replayability. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is still one of the most charming JRPGs ever made, featuring Studio Ghibli’s unmistakable visual touch.- Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (-86%) – A$10.60 Ghibli-esque JRPG brimming with heart.
- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilog. (-71%) – A$13 Witty courtroom dramedy combining visual novel storytelling with logic puzzles. A darling of my DS era that I still adore.
- Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th (-60%) – A$39.90 Hyper-detailed aviation sim with global photorealism and authentic aircraft. Niche, but I for one think it's pretty fly.
- Scarlet Nexus (-84%) – A$11.90 Anime-styled action RPG with psychokinetic combat.
- Sid Meier’s Civilization VI (-95%) – A$4 Legendary turn-based strategy empire-builder.
Expiring Recent Deals
- Hogwarts Legacy (-79%) - A$18.80
- SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL keyboard (-45%) - A$81.40
- Razer Huntsman Mini 60% keyboard (-42%) - A$139
- Wasteland 3 Colorado Col. (-75%) - A$17.60
- Pillars of Eternity: Def. Ed. (-75%) - A$11.50
- Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Ed. (-50%) - A$14.40
Or just get a Steam Wallet Card
Legit LEGO Deals
- Mando and Moff Gideon Battle (-35%) - A$39
- Jango Fett Helmet (-32%) - A$87.90
- R2-D2 Model Kit (-30%) - A$139
- Minecraft The Nether Portal (-25%) - A$45
Expiring Recent Deals
- Pixar ‘Up’ House (-27%) - A$65
- Batmobile vs. Mr. Freez (-50%) - A$15
- Super Mario Adventures (-41%) - A$47
- City Fire Rescue Plane (-30%) - A$168
- LOTR: Balrog (-30%) - A$139
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