Determining Video Game Prices - Criteria Checklist

[LegitHyperbole]

After Metaphor that'll be the last time I buy a AA budget like game for full price at 69,99, it was supposed to be an 80 hour epic worthy of the price but ended up being a chore with severe dips in quality and momentum cause of padding to extend time. It's the last time I'll be doing it, I know of only two upcoming games that deserve 79,99 and those are Death Stranding and GTA6, Ghost of Yotei is questionable as is many others. Yet I've bought a game recently, The first Berserker Khazan that is very AA budgeted but it was so much easier to justify at 59,99 but it's an odd case where the genre and difficulty makes it feel like you're getting more of a game, there are hand drawn animated cutscenes and it FEELS more beefy than it is. If it were a 15 hour DMC style action game as apposed to a 50 hour Souls like I'd very much be waiting for a sale. I guess the lessen is, the checkboxes aren't a way to justify cost and it's a subjective thing. I'm not paying full price for HellBlade 2, not in a million years is 5 hours of high quality content worth it but Black Myth even though the quality drops a lot, it is such a beefy game that it deserved my money but like with FF16 that can really back fire and end up feeling like padding with not enough of a hook to engage with it. It's something that can't be answered easily and you have to individually make your decision based on the knowledge from reviews and sentiment then gauge if it's worth full price or what type of sale you'll need to hop on. Some games the platinum Trophy will justify a lighter sale as was the case with Astrobot and Alan Wake 2. 

In Nintendos case they mirror these type of Atlus high quality, tighter but AA budgeted games and they are not just limiting themselves anymore but actually falling behind. Mario cart should look and have the same detail as Astrobot given the power but they aren't pushing themselves for those prices and really settling into that low budget feel as if yhey are aafe in it and they don't have to do the work anymore. Lack of detail and time and effort for polish shows through. Donkey Kong looks better but not as good as it should be considering how Hitman looks on the console. Astrobot should be the baseline. However if a Zelda game releases, especially a for 80. I'd have such a problem justifying Nintendo games cause they don't go on sale and feel AA in the modern age. I'd buy that system and it would get a game or two running up to Christmas, it'd be a colossal waste for me and without an achievement system to create a situation where I feel like playing a game long after it's credits roll, damn they ate just so far behind now for modern prices. It's revolting. 

Last edited by LegitHyperbole - on 05 April 2025