Image courtesy of GamesRadar
After several delays, “South Park: The Stick of Truth” was finally released on March 4. While most licensed games tend to be rushed and fail to capture the essence of the licenses they’re based on, “South Park: The Stick of Truth” stays true to the show’s construction-paper format and features the same hilarious writing with some accessible RPG-elements too. However, for some college students who can’t afford a $60 game, here are some noteworthy licensed games that can be purchased at reasonable prices.
“The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena”
Rather than purchasing “The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay” separately, it would be wise to go ahead and purchase “The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena.” While its critical reception would suggest it’s inferior to its predecessor, this sequel includes both games for the price of one. As prequels to the first film, “Pitch Black,” players take on the role of Richard Riddick, a former-mercenary turned convicted-murderer who must escape from Butcher Bay prison and the clutches of pursuing mercenaries. The game features a unique mechanic where players can acquire Riddick’s eyeshine ability and can see in the dark. “The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena” can be purchased at GameStop for $9.99 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
“Batman: Arkham Asylum” and “Batman: Arkham City”
Arguably the most acclaimed “Batman” video games, the Arkham series concludes the struggles between Batman and The Joker once and for all. Both games feature an impressive roster of villains including: The Penguin, Hugo Strange and Mr. Freeze. While “Batman: Arkham Asylum” is more linear, with limited exploration, its sequel “Batman: Arkham City” introduces a vibrant open-world with more places to explore. Both actors Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamilton reprise their roles as Batman and the Joker from the “Batman: The Animated Series.” Easily one of the series’ greatest strengths is the simplicity and accessibility of the combat. The moves are quite easy to learn and players can also utilize Batman’s gadgets in combat. Each game can be purchased at GameStop for $19.99 each on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Telltale’s “The Walking Dead”
Not to be confused with “The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct,” this title tells a completely new story that expands on Robert Kirkman’s comic book series. Telltale’s “The Walking Dead” tells the story of Lee and Clementine as they try to survive a zombie outbreak in Georgia. Throughout the game the player makes decisions that can affect both the relationships and lives of their fellow survivors. Like other Telltale games, “The Walking Dead” is divided into episodes priced at $4.99 each. The first season can be bought online for $19.99 and the second season is already two episodes in. “The Walking Dead” is available on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
“The Darkness” and “The Darkness 2”
“The Darkness” is based on a comic book series revolving around Jackie Estacado, a former hitman who now wields supernatural powers. “The Darkness” tells the story of how Jackie acquired his powers on his 21st birthday. While the shooting mechanics are notably weaker than most modern shooters, the story and atmosphere make up for it. Players can summon their own minions called darklings or use their demon tentacles to take down enemies. A sequel, “The Darkness II,” was also released which improved the combat of the previous game by introducing quad-wielding mechanics, but produced an inferior story. Both games can be found for less than $9.99 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 at GameStop.
“Transformers: War for Cybertron” and “Transformers: Fall of Cybertron”
Staying true to the series’ style, both games tell the story of the Autobots struggle against the Decepticons during destruction of their home planet. “Transformers: War for Cybertron” features a fun cooperative campaign that was unfortunately stripped away from its sequel. While “Transformers: Fall of Cybertron” lacks that cooperative feature, it does feature larger maps that allow more freedom and approaches to each level. Both games allow the player to transform the Decepticons or Autobots into their vehicle modes at any point in the game. Each title can be bought on Amazon in the $20 range for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.