Yesterday, the PlayStation Black Friday sale went live with some fantastic deals on top titles both old and new. We’ve taken a deeper dive to bring your our own PlayStation Black Friday sale favourite picks:
Tom’s Favourite Picks
Hitman 3
Follically-challenged assassin Agent 47 returns in Hitman 3. As a longtime fan of the series, this was one of the first games I bought when I got my PS5 at the start of the year and I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest.
There are six huge new levels you can replay dozens of times to find increasingly novel ways to eliminate your targets. Standout missions include a blustery English country estate that has become a crime scene, in which you can play detective and solve a murder mystery if you so choose, and a cat-and-mouse chase in a Berlin nightclub teeming with undercover enemy assassins trying to hunt you down.
If you own Hitman 1 or 2, you can even import their levels into the new game to take advantage of new features and graphical improvements, making Hitman 3 an irresistible package. The standard edition of the game is on sale for £21.99/$23.99, but a free starter pack containing the game’s tutorial is available on the PlayStation Store if you’d prefer to try before you buy.
Deathloop
Deathloop is probably my favourite game that I’ve played this year, which makes the fact that it’s already 50% off at £29.99/$29.99 somewhat bittersweet. This might be a sign that the game hasn’t sold as well as it deserves to, but it also means that this is the best time yet to take the plunge on what is arguably a masterpiece.
The 70s-tinged, time-looping island of Blackreef is hosting an unending party for the filthy rich and famous. As former Head of Security Colt Vahn, you’ll use a plethora of weapons and supernatural powers to track down and kill the corrupt rulers of the island, the Visionaries. Each time you die, you’ll start the day from the beginning in Groundhog Day fashion; and trust me, you’ll die many times.
Equal parts first person shooter, immersive sim and puzzle game, it’s a joy to uncover Blackreef’s secrets and find the perfect way to take out all nine Visionaries in a single loop. There’s even a tense multiplayer component where other players can invade your game as the wisecracking Juliana to turn the tables on you. I had some gripes with the game’s story as it developed, but those nitpicks didn’t stop me from finding Deathloop to be a sublime gameplay experience.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
If you’ve never had the chance to play BioWare’s epic sci-fi RPG trilogy before, the remastered Mass Effect: Legendary: Edition is the perfect way to jump in.
Graphical and gameplay improvements have been made across the board, all while retaining the series’ special blend of bombastic gunplay and agonising, story-altering decision making.
With all three original games included along with dozens of pieces of extra content, I sank a good 100 hours into this collection by the time I was done and was still left yearning for more. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition would offer a huge amount of bang for your buck even if it weren’t currently discounted to £38.39/$34.79.
Doom Eternal
I waited to play fast-paced shooter Doom Eternal until it received its native PS5 upgrade earlier this year, and was rewarded for my patience with an absolute blast of a game that’s as challenging as it is exhilarating.
Faced with an invasion of Earth by the legion forces of Hell, you’ll blow demons to pieces, chainsaw them in half, and even rip them apart with your bare hands to replenish your health. The game constantly throws new types of enemies at you, as well as plenty of new guns and abilities to annihilate them in style.
If you can stomach the extreme gore and and beautifully-rendered ultraviolence, there’s a tonne of fun to be had in Doom Eternal, which is currently a steal at £13.74/$14.99.
Joe’s Favourite Picks
Resident Evil Village
With over 50% off, Resident Evil Village is steal at £23.64/$29.99 in the Black Friday sale. Granted, the game is over 6 month’s old but physical copies are still retailing above £40.
What can I say? The game looks absolutely gorgeous. The world is rich in atmospheric detail and uses some of the best ray-tracing I’ve seen on PS5 (if you choose to turn it on, of course).
Playing as long-suffering Ethan Winters, you stumble across a mysterious mutant-filled village while searching for your missing daughter. The village itself is made up of four strongholds controlled by four Lords, each having it’s own distinct flavour of horror. While some areas are creepier than others (yes, I’m talking about that scene), Resident Evil Village is still a highly accomplished survival horror game and one of my favourite recent entries to the series.
Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut
I was really impressed by this game when it first came out on PS4. Visually, it’s probably one of the best-looking last gen games I’ve seen but it also plays really well too. Combat is immensely rewarding. You learn various Samurai stances as you battle your way through the Mongol invasion, with each stance having advantages over certain enemy types. Parry an attack at the right moment, and you’ll feel the satisfying thwip of your blade slice an enemy clean in two.
But it’s not all hack n’ slash. The game actively encourages you to seek out the more serene moments in life; whether that’s bathing in a hot spring or following a cute little fox to a hidden shrine.
At £52.49/$40.19 in the PlayStation Black Friday sale, this might seem a little steep if you’re on the fence about the game but it represents great value for money in my opinion. The main campaign alone reaches 30 hours, not to mention the Iki Island expansion that’s included with this version, so there’s plenty of bang for your buck.
Hades
With so much buzz surrounding the game over the last few years, (and deservedly so) Hades needs no introduction. What I will say though, is this game is so good that it single-handedly changed my opinion of roguelike games.
Developer Supergiant Games found the sweet spot by making a rogueike that’s accessible to more reticent players while retaining all of the goof stuff that fans of the genre expect. It also has a killer story, sharp writing and a wicked sense of humour that keeps you wanting for more on each run.
At £15.99/$19.99 in the PlayStation Black Friday sale, this is incredibly good value for money given the addictive gameplay loop that will keep you entertained well into your 100th hour.