Steam Summer Sale - Budget Buys

The Steam Summer sale is here and with it comes a great opportunity to get your hands on some great games for an even better price tag. With most of the library on sale, it can still be overwhelming to sift through everything and find something that you might enjoy. Nothing is worse than spending money on a game you don’t like or feel wasn’t worth the price tag. With that in mind I’ve decided to highlight a few games that far exceed their current sale price in entertainment value. Our maximum budget here is ten dollars or less because I feel that’s pretty reasonable for most people to afford.

Most of the titles on this list are games you might have heard of before. However, at the current discount, I would still highly encourage you to pick them up, especially if you find a title on here that you have not experienced yet. Additionally, while I have played every game on this list, I haven’t played all of them on PC so there may be issues with some of these versions that I’m not aware of. At the end of the day spend your money the way you want to. With introductory disclaimers concluded, here’s my list for the best budget pickups for this year’s Steam Summer Sale.

Star Wars the Force Unleashed Ultimate Sith Edition– Discount 65%- Sale price: 6.99

As a big-time Star Wars fan, I have always wanted a game that was able to fully capture the power of The Force as well as the Jedi and Sith who wield it. This is that game. I first played this game back in Middle School and I still remember being blown away by the opening level. You take control of Vader and fight through squads of enemies using the full powers of the Sith with merciless efficiency. This game feels like playing through one of the old Star Wars: Legends novels or comic books.

There are a ton of cool levels that further flesh out the world of Star Wars. The trash-covered world of Raxus-Prime and the Jedi temple exploration are a few of my favorites. The ability to utilize all aspects of the Force gave the developers room to create so many unique combat abilities. The lightsaber combat here is some of the most satisfying and the ability to customize your lightsaber color is always a treat for me in any Star Wars game.

I also enjoy the brutality of this game as I feel most Star Wars media these days fails to capture the darker side of the series which has always been present in George Lucas’ films. A lot of people praised Jedi: Fallen Order for things that were already done perfectly by this game. I should also note that this version comes with the additional DLC. Definitely give this a shot if you haven’t played it yet.

Middle Earth Shadow of War– Discount- 85%- Sale Price: 7.49

Another franchise that holds a special place in my heart. Lord of the Rings was the series that ignited my love of fantasy and being able to experience the world through a game was always wonderful. During the early 2000s the franchise had dozens of exciting and fun game adaptations, but after the hype around the films died down so too did the games. It wasn’t until Shadow of Mordor was released in 2014 that the franchise received some well-deserved attention.

This game steals a lot of things from other popular series. The combat is ripped from the popular Batman: Arkham series by Rocksteady and the stealth elements are taken from Assassins’ Creed. However, the thing that really allows Shadow of Mordor and the sequel Shadow of War to stand on its own is the nemesis system.

Every orc leader in this game has a unique personality and combat abilities that constantly evolve through every encounter. There are hundreds of potential options and apart from a few set story bosses, every player will have a unique experience as you travel through Mordor growing your own army to contend against the Nazgul and other characters from Tolkien’s world.

This is one of the few open-world games where I actually like doing tedious side missions because every new encounter is always a new experience. I’ve spent hours just building legions of followers or hunting down an Orc who has killed me enough times to become a powerful warlord. Cutting down armies of orcs is always fun and the wraith abilities add a great level of style to the game. The level of satisfaction you get from infiltrating a stronghold undetected and bending the Orcs to your will is unparalleled.

I’m recommending Shadow of War over the original game because I found the story to be a lot stronger than the original game. Additionally, the overall amount of playable content as well of expanded options is leagues better than the first entry. However, if you want to start at the beginning then the original game is also on sale for 4.99 as well.

Chrono Trigger– Discount- 50%- Sale Price: 7.49

Definitely not an unknown or underrated title, Square Enix’s Chrono Trigger is a classic for a reason. If you’ve never played the game I think this is a great time to jump into one of the best JRPG games ever released. Chrono Trigger tells an epic science fiction tale across multiple timelines. Each new area is set at a different time period in the world’s history, ranging from the classic medieval high fantasy setting to the distant post-apocalyptic future.

In contrast to most JRPGs, encounters in Chrono Trigger transition immediately between combat and the overworld map. This is a huge deal as it helps keep battles short and allows the player freedom to avoid enemies rather than being interrupted every two seconds by a random encounter. This also has unique combination attacks in which you can combine special moves and magic attacks between party members.

This feature encourages you to constantly switch up your party members to try out different combinations and find teams that fit your unique playstyle. I also found the power scaling a lot more reasonable than other titles by Square. I never felt I had to spend a few hours grinding for EXP just to beat a boss and was appropriately powered for each fight as long as I explored each area.

On top of the great combat system, this game has a phenomenal cast of characters with quirky personalities and character design by Dragon Ball creator, Akira Toriyama. The game also has tons of cool secrets that reward exploration by unlocking memorable side quests. These quests further flesh out each character and bestow the player with rewards that actually feel impactful.

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun – Discount 90%- Sale Price 3.99

For only four dollars you really can’t find a better game than this. Developed by Mimimi Games, Shadow Tactics tells a fairly straightforward narrative of political intrigue and war during the Edo period of Japanese history. You take control of a small stealth team in service to the Shogun tasked with uncovering an attempted coup through a variety of different scenarios.

It’s really the gameplay that makes this game stand out from the crowd of other medieval Japan-era titles. Each party member comes equipped with their own unique set of skills and weaknesses that you must employ to maximum efficiency in order to get through each mission. The coolest feature is easily the shadow mode, which allows you to command multiple characters at once to perform set actions. When used effectively this tool can lead to many cinematic infiltration scenes straight out of the best heist movies.

Though the objective is often simple this game can be pretty unforgiving. Even the slightest misstep can cause your whole crew to get killed or discovered. Fortunately, the game has a quick save feature that allows you to quickly reset if you mess up which is a lifesaver. I loved trying out plan after plan until I found just the right combination of tools to get past a difficult set of obstacles or complete an objective. However, don’t think that this means every mission has a set way to complete it. There are a variety of potential options, it’s simply about finding which works best for you.

If you don’t enjoy games that really require you to think then I would suggest other games on the list. On the other hand, if you want to feel like a criminal mastermind in a game that gives you a challenge then look no further than this.

Killer Instinct– Discount 75%- Sale price 9.99

As a big-time fighting game fan, I couldn’t leave one of my all-time favorites off this list. The Killer Instinct reboot from 2017 is undoubtedly some of the most fun I’ve had with a fighting game since Smash Bros: Ultimate. Although I don’t believe this version comes with all of the DLC characters and it is pushing the limit of the price requirement, I would still recommend giving it a try.

Not enough people talk about this game even though it was one of the only good exclusives to come on the Xbox One back when it was released. The soundtrack of Killer Instinct is immaculate and is easily some of my favorite video game music. Every character looks awesome in-game with a unique playstyle. Combos are fast and brutal but not impossible to execute because of the auto combo system made popular by Dragon Ball FighterZ.

Where this game really shines is the breaker system. Every combo has the ability to be broken if your opponent hits the same button on their controller. This is a feature that not only rewards players for anticipating the moves of their opponents but also adds a level of interaction that other fighters lack. No longer is a match simply decided by who lands a combo first. Additionally, combo breakers can also be anticipated and reacted to resulting in a counter breaker. As a result, every fight is constantly filled with huge momentum shifts, mind games, and exciting comebacks.

I could go on about even more mechanics but I think you get the idea. This game is one that deserves more love from casual audiences. If you are still on the fence, I should also mention that there is a fair bit of single-player content. It’s nothing super revolutionary, but it can give you something to do if you don’t want to play online. For the best experience, I would recommend jumping into the game with a friend.

Well, that’s all I have for you today. Hopefully, I helped in your search through the potential deals and maybe brought your attention to a title you may not have had an interest in before. I’m relatively new to PC gaming myself so unfortunately there are a lot of hidden gems I haven’t had the opportunity to play just yet. Next year I will most likely have a more expansive list so keep your eyes peeled!