Why You Can Trust CNET PlayStation Summer Sale: 7 discounted games to buy now
Demon's Souls, Call of Duty and much more.
Steam had a big ol' Summer Sale, so why can't PlayStation? Sony on Wednesday launched its latest sale, which has hundreds of games discounted on its PlayStation Store. This notably includes many PlayStation 5 games, including big-time exclusives like Demon's Souls and Returnal. (Sorry, no discounted Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart yet!)
I recommend you scroll through the entire sale because, as noted, there are hundreds of discounted titles. But below you'll find seven picks to get your started. Note that some games are on sale until Aug. 19, while others are discounted only until Aug. 5.
Demon's Souls is the one that started them all. Dark Souls, Sekiro, Bloodborne, Elden Ring -- and games not made by FromSoftware like Nioh -- all have DNA that can be directly traced back to Demon's Souls. Originally released in 2009, the game came out alongside the PlayStation 5 and was the console's biggest exclusive until Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart.
Final Fantasy XIV began its life in 2010 as a disaster. But Sqaure Enix managed to rebuild the game with Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn in 2013, and it's grown significantly since then with four expansion packs. The most recent, Endwalker, launched earlier this year. Final Fantasy XIV remains one of the world's most-played MMO games, and is considered a top-tier modern Final Fantasy game.
The entire package is available now on both PS4 and PS5 for $24.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
You save: $21
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a Yakuza game for a new generation. That's because it introduces a new character, radically changes the franchise's combat, and is the first Yakuza game on the PlayStation 5. It's also excellent.
Call of Duty is timeless. Though each new game takes place in a different time and place, picking up and playing Call of Duty is always fun. That's especially true if you're into online multiplayer, as Cold War offers the typical expansive Call of Duty fare plus huge sprawling Warzone maps. The Summer Sale has it discounted on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
Hitman 3 is the culmination of IO Interactive's Hitman reboot, which kicked off in 2016. Though it's without Hitman 2's multiplayer element, it takes the fantastic level design of its predecessors, adds new spins and improvements and sends this incarnation of the franchise off in the right way. You can also play it in VR, if you're into that kind of thing.
Disco Elysium achieved many accolades upon its 2019 release, including a perfect score from GameSpot, many Game of the Year nominations and several Best Narrative wins. The expanded Final Cut made it an even more attractive deal, drastically improving the presentation by adding over a million words' worth of voice acting. Disco Elysium: Final Cut is just $24 until Aug. 19.
Sackboy is one of PlayStation's most renowned mascots, and in A Big Adventure he gets a specially-crafted outing all of his own. The LittleBigPlanet games were outings for ol' Sackboy, but whereas those games were all about your creativity, this is a 3D platformer with levels created by by the developer's, Sumo Digital. The level-design element may be gone, but what remains is a colorful and vibrant 3D adventure.
This deal is on until Aug. 5.