My Top 3 Must-Buys from the PlayStation Store’s Winter Sale

First released on the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox One in 2011, Saints Row: The Third was Volitions first foray in working to distinguish their open-world action-adventure series Saints Row series from similar games in an increasingly crowded market. This is particularly true around comparisons to GTA, for which parallels were frequently made. To do this, they transitioned from the hard-knocks city of Stilwater to the metropolis of Steelport and made the narrative deliver an air of seriousness while being, frankly, over the top and much more comedic. The end product was something that won admiration from some but disdain from others – as I would argue, they were taking a tried-and-tested formula and were still finding their feet. Moving from the 

While I would argue Saints Row needs to go back to its roots and be remastered from the first game onwards, given there is a lot of lore inaccessible to newcomers to the series, Volition decided that Saints Row: The Third would be their starting point in Remastering the series. Therefore in May 2020, the game was remastered by Volition and Sperasoft and brought to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One – bringing with it higher-definition assets, enhanced graphics and lighting. In other words, making Saints Row III look like it belonged on a modern home gaming console.

As a Remaster rather than a Remake, Saints Row: The Third Remastered brings across the original experience with no new content. What is on offer still holds up as a hilarious experience, with a quirky, story-rich experience, a bounty of side activities to do and once-off experiences that will stick with you throughout the game. Perhaps more significantly, I would argue the game also features one of the most extraordinary uses of Bonnie Tyler’s Holding Out for a Hero in pop culture to this day. Well, except maybe its inclusion in Shrek 2.

One of the fun features of Saints Row: The Third, similar to Saints Row 4, is that you are given access to a fully customisable protagonist. What makes this protagonist special is rather than being silent, you can choose to have voice actors Troy Baker, Kenn Michael, Robin Atkin Downes, Laura Bailey, Tara Platt, Rebecca Sanabria or Steve Blum making a Zombie impression, deliver all their lines. The lines are not freestyled nearly as much as they are in Saints Row 4, but there is a lot to love about this in terms of replayability.

Saints Row: The Third Remastered is available for 55% off during the PlayStation Store’s Winter Sale, priced at $24.72 AUD (down from $54.95 AUD). This offer includes the PS4/PS5 edition!

With a wealth of games on the market, you can have a fantastic idea and flawless implementation, but there is no guarantee it will lead to success without the backing of a big publisher with gigantic marketing budgets. One of the games that bucked this trend is UNDERTALE, developed by Toby Fox and a small creative team, first launched on the PC in 2015. Quickly gaining cult fandom status and acclaim for its approach to gameplay, aesthetic style and soundtrack, UNDERTALE holds up more than half a decade later in pretty much every way.

You know that moment when you play a game and find yourself taking a route off the beaten path, only to find that your ingenuity was not rewarded or at least acknowledged by the game? Despite its minuscule development team of pretty much one person, UNDERTALE presents an approximately 6-hour standalone experience where every decision you make ultimately has a reaction in the short or long term, and ways to try and stray from the typical path are subtly encouraged – usually leading to some scripted event or surprise. This makes the game so fun to play. You are playing an RPG that doesn’t have the most in-depth mechanics but focuses on delivering a rich and memorable experience that encourages you to approach the journey in different ways. 

Your decisions in UNDERTALE do have an impact on how the game progresses. From the moment the game’s Kickstarter campaign launched and throughout its promotional cycle for each new console – it is pitched as a game where “Nobody has to die”. In this being a non-direct statement such as “Nobody should die”, players are invited to go through their journey as a pacifist – finding ways to ensure that not a single enemy die along the way – or perhaps go a bit genocidal a la RPG Style and slay everyone from beginning to end…. you monster. 

Outside the narrative experience, UNDERTALE has many elements which make it worthy of its praise. Its music is a clear highlight, featuring several dozen 8-bit style tracks which are worthy of the in-depth analysis they have received over the years. From the iconic ‘MEGALOVANIA’ which even non-players would have heard to the opening number ‘Once Upon a Time’, every moment, every battle is supported by the soundtrack. Heck, even if you do not intend on buying the game, give the soundtrack a listen HERE. Actually, stop reading this post right now and start playing it… I can wait.

-WELCOME BACK-

The battle system also has an air of complexity, as battles allow you to FIGHT, ACT (Use actions that can influence an opponent) or show them MERCY – with FIGHT being the least complicated option to take, but the game will not let you forget it. However, defending is the greatest challenge, with most fights requiring you to navigate your soul (a heart icon) within a small box, avoiding projectiles and other threats thrown at you by enemies. You will likely die a lot, but don’t worry, you can always SAVE and LOAD.

Undertale has been incrementally released on consoles since launching in 2015, starting with its PlayStation 4 (and PlayStation Vita) port in 2017. While the Nintendo Switch and Xbox versions are newer, the differences are not significant, and you should choose whichever console you prefer playing on. As part of the PlayStation Store’s Winter Sale, you can purchase UNDERTALE for 40% off, priced at $13.77 AUD (down from $22.95 AUD).

I remember all those hours that I spent as a child playing through each level in Bullfrog Productions’ Theme Hospital. I would not be able to say how many times my severely underpowered PC and I tackled the thrills of running a hospital while dealing with the frailty caused by all sorts of wacky illnesses – from the Uncommon Cold to Chronic Nose Hair to Slack Tongue. Sadly, Bullfrog Productions no longer exists, being merged into EA UK back in 2001. However, the core creative team lives on, and in 2018 they came together to release its spiritual successor – Two Point Hospital. Originally exclusive to the PC, for which it received critical acclaim, last year it finally made the transition over to the PlayStation 4 (as well as Xbox One and Nintendo Switch).

Two Point Hospital truly is the spiritual successor to Theme Hospital in pretty much every way – from its choice of music and visual styles, to its sense of humour and overall gameplay. Plus, there are homages here and there for fans to spot. But at the same time, improvements in gaming over the last 20 years have made the hospital simulator feel fresher than ever. Everything was clearly designed with a love of the genre. Still, it doesn’t just ride on its predecessors’ coattails – coming up with new systems, more complicated criteria to meet in the game’s multi-hospital system, and a suite of unique illnesses to provide new “what the!” moments for newcomers and veterans alike.

While the development team has done well in keeping gameplay fresh for dozens of hours, repetitiveness can kick in like many other business simulators. To keep things new, Two Point Studios has released a multitude of expansion packs as recent as February 2021 – including those based on hospitals set in alpine regions, a mysterious tropical island, an environmental paradise and more. These typically come down to “X new hospitals”, “X new rooms” and “X new illnesses” – but still add some pizazz to your gameplay experience. 

Two Point Hospital’s JUMBO Edition is available as part of the PlayStation Store Winter Sale, priced at $38.46 AUD (Down from $54.95 AUD) for the standalone version and $18.16 (Down from $25.95 AUD) for the upgrade version. In addition to the base game (for the standalone version), this back includes two DLC expansions (Close Encounters and Off the Grid) and two item packs. It can be a bit wonky to play at first on consoles, given the game was initially designed for the PC, but once you get the knack of things, it is very easy to play.