Sam’s Steam Summer Sale/Xbox Game Pass Favorites

With everyone giving their recommendations on what to buy during the Steam Summer Sale and other summer sales currently happening, I thought I would do the same. As I started to draft up my list of favorites, however, I ended up noticing that many of them were games I had played through Xbox Games Pass.

Even though I’ve been up to date on covering the games offered since the start of this year, there are a lot of games added prior that I really enjoyed. Some of them are big favorites of mine. I’ve compiled some of those games that can be found for cheap during the Steam Summer Sale or still through the Xbox Game Pass service as I played them.

Katamari Damacy Reroll – on sale for $9.89

First on my list is a 2018 remaster of a classic PlayStation 2 title. Katamari Damacy Reroll is a game where you play as the Prince of the Cosmos and are tasked with creating new stars after your father, the King of the Cosmos, accidentally destroyed them all. Those new stars are made by rolling up everything in your way, perpetually growing to roll over even bigger objects. You’ll start off with dice and soon enough you’ll be rolling up entire vehicles and all sorts of animal life.

It’s an undeniably wacky concept and yet it’s presented in an equally charming manner with cute visuals and what remains to be one of the catchiest soundtracks. The controls are intuitive and there is something strangely calming about rolling up a bunch of things and growing bigger in size. This is a wonderful game to play when you’re looking to relax. At the same time, it’s easy to challenge yourself into meeting higher goals in your attempts to create bigger stars. Either way, you’re sure to have a smile on your face as you’re playing.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps – on sale for $9.89

Moving on to something a bit more challenging and certainly still a marvel to look at is Ori and the Will of the Wisps. The sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest builds upon its predecessor with more gameplay mechanics that provide a stronger emphasis on combat. Supplementing this is another beautifully hand-drawn world that manages to feel even more detailed and alive. The hard work that their artists put into the project is easily evident in everything from simple animations to the backgrounds.

Between the visuals and the emotionally gripping story, I found myself enthralled the entire time I played. From start to finish it’s an unforgettable experience that somehow met and exceeded all the hype surrounding it. That’s saying a lot because the first game was very beloved for good reason. For myself especially that’s saying a lot as the Metroidvania genre usually doesn’t grab me and I loved both entries in this series. To find out more, you can read Taylor’s review of the game here.

If you haven’t played the game that came before it, I highly recommend it as well since the sequel picks up immediately from where that game left off. It’s not necessary, but it’s still a wonderful game in its own right and is more than worth your time. Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition can be found on Steam for $4.99 or on Xbox Game Pass.

Dishonored 2 – on sale for $5.99

Another sequel in a series that I adore and would advocate for everyone to play is Dishonored 2. When I played the first game I fell in love with the world and the amazing amount of gameplay freedom that promoted playing the game stealthily, in the most chaotic and action-filled manner, or finding anything in-between. Its follow-up takes that same idea of freedom along with the resulting immense replay value and doubles it by featuring two different playable characters with different skill sets. The improved visuals help when it comes to replays as well.

Those who worked on the series would continue to make other wonderful immersive sims. Arkane Studios would put out Prey and the much-marketed Deathloop, while the founder of the studio would leave to create a new studio and develop the very fun Weird West.

That doesn’t make Dishonored 2 any less of a fun experience though. It was the very first game I played on Xbox Game Pass and I was blown away by how much I loved it after replaying the original quite a bit. Like the previous set of games, I feel that the original in this series still holds up well and would wholly recommend it; especially when Dishonored: Definitive Edition is on sale for $3.99. Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, a standalone expansion to the sequel is also a great game and is currently on sale for $5.99. Each of these can also be played through Xbox Game Pass.

Mortal Kombat 11 – on sale for $9.99

Naturally, there had to be a fighting game somewhere on here. The Xbox Game Pass service has a nice selection of fighting games from the recently updated Dragon Ball FighterZ, the quick-paced Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, NetherRealm Studios’ previous foray into the DC Comics universe in Injustice 2, and of course the combo-breaking Killer Instinct: Definitive Edition. Every one of those is worth checking out, but the fighting game I want to specifically highlight here is the most recent game from NetherRealm Studios: Mortal Kombat 11.

In a realistic sense, it’s still visually the best-looking fighting game released so far. There’s also an insane amount of gear to unlock to make your character stand out through the Towers of Time mode and the Krypt. As fun as it is to unlock gear or rare skins, NetherRealm Studios has become known for having high-quality cinematic story content in their games. The latest entry continues that tradition with a time-clashing story that pits fighters against their younger selves. That didn’t come at the cost of the online experience though as well-implemented rollback netcode keeps each match running smooth.

My Mortal Kombat history should be one perfect for the ultimate fan. I was introduced to the series through the wonderful 1995 film and the equally beloved Mortal Kombat Trilogy. Unfortunately, I was terrible and didn’t understand the controls of the game, so I never got too into it. I still casually played through some of the series’ 3D era and specifically enjoyed Mortal Kombat (2011) and Mortal Kombat X.

Although the game is slower than its direct predecessor, it also manages to feel a lot simpler while sporting a bevy of new mechanics. I thoroughly enjoyed the action-packed nostalgia trip of a story. Running through The Krypt impressively felt like another game entirely. For those buying on Steam, I will put a suggestion forward that shelling out an extra $5 to buy Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate is a great deal. All the DLC characters are fun and the Aftermath story expansion is fantastic. You can read David’s review of the base game here and his review of the story expansion here.

Hollow Knight – on sale for $7.49

There is no way I could compile a list like this and not mention Hollow Knight. This game has a lot of praise going for it and it absolutely deserves it. Taking place in a world inhabited by humanoid insects, the game focuses on a knight who arrives at a ruined underground kingdom beset by a plague. As they explore they come across enemies, bosses, and friends alike.

The kingdom has a lot to explore between all of the many different connecting areas and the numerous secrets as well. Along the way, the knight can find various upgrades, spells, and charms that can provide for some exciting synergy. All of this is further fueled by the mystery of the setting and how the knight fits into it.

I couldn’t possibly sing the praises for this game enough. The adorable or in some cases really menacing designs of the bugs that I came across during the journey were all incredibly charming. Finding out their backstories only made them more appealing. Filling out the map as I traveled through the different areas captivated me thanks to how wonderfully drawn and atmospheric they each are. Even though combat feels simple enough, there’s actually a lot of depth to it. This is due to all of the builds that can be made by switching out and trying different charms.

It may take me some time to narrow down my favorite games of all time, but I’m pretty confident that Hollow Knight would at least be in the top 10. At the very least it’s my favorite title I’ve played through Xbox Game Pass and my fingers are crossed that its sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, will be another when it releases sometime in the next 12 months.

That’s my list of games that I believe are worth your consideration. They’re all plenty cheap right now during the Steam Summer Sale and buying them is a great way to support the developers. On the other hand, if you’re searching for an even greater deal and don’t mind that you won’t own them per se, you can save a lot more money if you play them on your Xbox console or on PC through the Xbox Game Pass service.