Recently announced or even occurred price increases in video games have caused an outcry among gamers. Many refuse to spend so much money on their hobby. And luckily, you don’t have to: some of the best games of the last few years cost less than AAA productions and are often even better.
The recently released Doom: The Dark Ages is one of the first games with the “new” pricing for AAA games. 80 euros for the story shooter, 10 euros more than similar productions so far. For some gamers, a reason to put on the pirate hat again.
Nintendo fans are hit even harder. Together with the Switch 2 Nintendo has revealed a significant increase in prices. The console itself starts at 470 euros and Mario Kart costs from 90.
We at MeinMMO have taken this as an opportunity to see if you really have to pay so much for good games. We come to the conclusion: No, you don’t have to.
In our list, you will find 9 games that cost less than AAA productions but deliver at least the same quality. However, this list is not a ranking but an unordered list.
Each of these games has been extensively played by at least one member of the editorial team, so we can definitely recommend them.
Baldur’s Gate 3
- Genre: Role-Playing Game/CRPG
- Release: August 3, 2023
- Players: Singleplayer, Coop
- Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox, Steam Deck
- Price without discounts: 59.99 euros
If you haven’t been sleeping for the last 2 years, you at least know Baldur’s Gate 3 by name. Developer Larian has managed to release a game with so much traction that even some mainstream media have reported on it.
You play as your own or a pre-made character and land on the Sword Coast, one of the best-known scenarios from Dungeons & Dragons. You control a group of up to 4 characters with a selection of various companions with whom you can even have relationships.
However, the greatest strength of Baldur’s Gate 3 is the story. At the beginning of the story, you get infected by a mind flayer larva and want to get rid of it, only to uncover greater conspiracies throughout the game.
Larian has put so much time and effort into the various possibilities that virtually every interaction leads to a different outcome. This freedom has led to players discovering new things even after thousands of hours and simply can’t stop starting over again.
Now, Baldur’s Gate 3 is “fully developed,” with Patch 8 bringing the last innovations into the game. There are officially no more contents to come, but even after 2 years, Baldur’s Gate 3 still has tens of thousands of active players on Steam alone.
