Last year saw some great digital games release on online stores such as Xbox Live, Steam, and PlayStation Network. These experiences were great fun but, because of their small file size or low hype, didn’t necessarily warrant a physical release.
Yes, physical editions may be a tad more expensive, but they also give big-time fans some cool new collectibles and anyone unfortunate enough to not have played an opportunity to jump in. Bearing that in mind, here are some of the digital offerings from last year that are awesome enough to warrant a physical release. We also suggested some cool collectibles that could be included too, cause, you know, dreaming is believing!
Tales from the Borderlands
Tales from the Borderlands was a digital title gracing Game of the Year conversations. Whether because of its charming characters, abundance of humor, or some of the most engaging gameplay from Telltale’s episodic series to date, there’s plenty of reasons for its inclusion among last year’s greats.
Loaderbot and Gortys figurines would certainly be at the top of the list of physical edition bonuses. The duo of robots provided some of the funniest moments throughout the episodes, and were arguably the stars of the show. Tales from the Borderland’s soundtrack was no slouch either, so getting all of those great songs on one CD for reminiscing the good ol’ times with our gang of misfits would be a pretty sweet inclusion too. Finally, with the game having a cell-shaded art style, it’d be great to check out some earlier concept art in an artbook.
Rocket League
Rocket League was pure, goodhearted fun. Smashing into your opponents, saving a shot from going into the top right-hand corner of your net, or scoring a long range goal were some truly memorable and satisfying moments of gaming in 2015.
Again, Rocket League was a Game of the Year contender, and it would kinda make sense for the game to receive a limited edition. If our dreams for a physical limited edition were to come true, it would include a mini Rocket League set. Give us a couple of mini remote controlled cars, a ball, and some goalposts and we’d be all about picking this up. Getting a group of your friends together to play out some real life 3 vs. 3 Rocket League action would definitely provide some entertainment, and the figures would double up as cool collectibles.
Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture was by no means a perfect game, nor was it a game that would appeal to everyone. But for those with whom it did connect, it provided vast, gorgeous environment to explore, albeit at a rather slow pace, and a number of stories all entwined together.
Its beautiful visuals and weird markings plastered around the village would certainly provide good source material for some posters or art books, and players would love to get their hands on an actual ‘Pelican’ book from the game. The end of the game left us with some unanswered questions, and we’d love to find out more about the characters and some buildup to the events that unfolded in the game.
Ori and the Blind Forest
Ori and the Blind Forest was a surprise hit when it released on Xbox One and PC in the early months of last year. The art style may have led some people to believe that this was going to be an easy, child-friendly platformer, but oh how they were mistaken. Ori’s platforming may have started off relatively straightforward, but as the game progressed, it really puts your skills to the test. Its beautiful visual art style, sad story and compelling ‘one more try’ gameplay are enough to earn a high recommendation.
The beautiful orchestral score is reason enough for Ori to receive a physical limited edition, if only to listen to the soundtrack all over again. There’s also not many figurines or collectibles based on the indie hit, so it’d be great to see an officially licensed figurine or some form of collectible to display one’s love for the game. Secretly, we’d just love a big cuddly plushy.
Undertale
Undertale launched last year to a ton of praise from players and critics alike. Its unique battle system that allowed players to try and talk their way out of confrontation was something that has never been tried before and brought with it a ton of depth into these character’s backstories. It’ll tug at your heartstrings, make you laugh and then get you angry, all within the space of five minutes.
Due to all the positive feedback from players of the game, we feel a limited edition would go down a treat. The soundtrack was such a great combination of 8-bit upbeat tunes and more somber melodies that it seems like it would be a missed opportunity to not get a CD in there somewhere. And with the enemies you’ll come across being the real stars of the show, we’d love to get a little guidebook included that details all of the monsters with their traits and backstories.
Five Nights at Freddy’s
Five Nights at Freddy’s mixes animatronic animal characters and survival horror. Two things you wouldn’t necessarily put together actually combine in this game to create an experience filled with jump scares and suspense. You’ll have to monitor a bunch of security camera screens to make sure that the animals don’t creep up on you while you work the night shift at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. If you’re not careful though, you’ll get quite the fright and be mauled to death by aforementioned animatronic characters.
For a limited edition, we’d love to see one of the animatronic characters packed in there. Sitting that on your desk or shelf would be a great way to show your love for the series, although we don’t think we could sleep in the same room if we did display it. Alternatively, a little keychain of one of the animals would also be a less terrifying addition, and a book detailing all of the lore of Five Nights at Freddy’s would be a great inclusion for big fans of the series.
Transistor
Transistor had a beautiful sci-fi visual style and combined it with compelling gameplay when it released back in May last year. Giving players the opportunity to wield an incredibly powerful weapon that nobody really knows that much about, you’ll play through levels that require some strategic planning before you dive into the fast-paced action.
With the Transistor looking like such a cool weapon it seems like an obvious choice to be turned into a keychain collectible as part of a limited edition. Alternatively, we’d love to see this figure of Red get another production run for the masses.
League of Legends
League of Legends is arguably one of the defining games in the MOBA genre. It wouldn’t be the first time that League of Legends would receive a physical copy of the game, as it did have some back during the early release and beta periods. However, they were never produced and nobody ever managed to get their hands on one.
Packaging one of the heroes from the roster into the box as a mini collectible figurine would definitely have fans eager to get their hands on their main choice to do battle with. Oh and of course don’t forget a bunch of plushy Poros so our newly attained hero has something to collect. Some of the weapons held by heroes as key-chains, badges, or on stands as figures would also be welcome inclusions into the limited edition. Oh, and nobody can turn down a good high quality poster of the heroes doing battle, or in dramatic poses, just as they are in the image above.
Axiom Verge
Axiom Verge’s side-scrolling action threw us into a world reminiscent of gaming’s past. Its huge world full of hidden secrets was a true joy to explore and uncover its secrets. This is especially true during the later stages of the game when you’ve got a plethora of abilities to take down enemies and find incredibly well-hidden areas.
With Axiom Verge drawing inspiration from the likes of Metroid and Contra in its visual and gameplay style, we think it’d be pretty cool to get a behind-the-scenes look at the game and the development process. It’s always interesting to get a more in-depth look at how a developer has turned their vision into a reality, especially when inspired by such big series in the industry.
Pillars of Eternity
Pillars of Eternity is an isometric fantasy RPG, where players will make certain choices and choose their own path for their characters. With excellent writing bringing the beautifully diverse world to life, Pillars of Eternity became a sleeper hit on PC that RPG fans just couldn’t get enough of.
With DLC having already been released and more on its way, this seems like another game that could benefit from a definitive limited edition. Put all the content in one place, give us a lore guide of the world and its characters, and throw in a copy of the soundtrack to sweeten the deal and we’d be jumping back into one of the best PC exclusives from 2015 all over again.
What digital games would you like to see a physical limited edition release? Let us know in the comments below.
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