Gaming Through the Credit Crunch
Avoid financial worries: play more games!
It would seem that games companies believe they have the solution – and rather unsurprisingly, the solution being touted is "by playing games".
But which games are really worth the effort?
Games to Play During the Credit Crunch
There are a lot of duds out there, as well as a lot of games that don’t really take that long to finish. What people want through the credit crunch are games that don’t cost a huge amount and give a huge amount of bang for the buck.
Oh, they have to be good too. That shouldn’t be forgotten.
So here are just a few games for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 that won’t break the bank, will last a fair while and are some of the best examples available:
Fallout 3 – 360, PC, PS3
Easily one of the best games of the last decade, Fallout 3 sees players transported to a post-apocalyptic Washington DC on a mission to find their father (voiced by Liam Neeson). The title plays out in an role-playing game style and players are free to explore the wastelands as they see fit, being the good guy, the bad guy or... well, just ‘the guy’.
Fallout 3 can be picked up for a reasonable price from most online retailers these days, and will easily last dozens – if not hundreds – of hours. While it is for mature audiences only (and only mature audiences who can handle a lot of gore), it’s definitely a high recommendation to help play through the credit crunch.
Empire: Total War – PC
For the armchair strategists out there it doesn’t get much better than this – warfare on a huge scale, involving deep-thinking tactics and a considered approach. If the gory, futuristic world of Fallout 3 doesn’t appeal then the historically-accurate, cerebral approach of Empire: Total War may well do.
The game is set during the 18th century and involves building an empire for factions such as Great Britain, Sweden, France, the United States and the Ottoman Empire through colonisation, trade, espionage and warfare.
To say the game is deep is an understatement, and the replay factor alone is worth the reasonable asking price. Definitely one to play through the long nights.
Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice – PS3
This one is of a more fantasy ilk, though no less deep than either of the two titles already mentioned. No, Disgaea 3 is arguably far deeper than both Fallout 3 and Empire: Total War combined.
A traditional strategy role-playing game, the title sees players taking part in an easily-ignorable story, far overshadowed by the bottomless possibilities that come with the title.
While the main game won’t take up that much time, the addition of the 'item world' and the lure of levelling up characters to make them insanely powerful makes Disgaea 3 a game that will eat up hundreds of hours of playing time.
All that for the price of one game? Madness.
The Best of the Rest on PC, Mac, PS3 and Xbox 360
There’s no way every suitable game could be covered here, but some notable additions to the list come in the shape of: FIFA 2009 on PS3, PC and 360 with its faultless online multiplayer; Valkyria Chronicles on PS3 with its wonderful artwork and deep gameplay; Lost Odyssey on 360 with its stunning back story; and, as always, Football Manager 2009 (World Wide Soccer Manager in the States) on PC and Mac, which can easily eat up days at a time.
Here’s to affordable, long-lasting gaming.
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