1. Unreal Tournament 3- For $19.99 new or $17.99 used at Gamestop, you can have access to one of the greatest FPS series in the history of gaming. I grew up playing games like Doom, Quake, and Unreal Tournament so getting this game was a no brainer for me. I put this game at the top of my list because of the recently released (FREE) Titan Pack and 2.0 update patch that was recently released for the game. This is a fast and furious run and gun FPS that is significantly different from Call of Duty or Killzone or even Resistance. This game supports PC Mods (now the game has a Mod browser built into the game), supports keyboard and mouse controls, supports split screen play, has single player, online co-op, multiplayer, AND supports Trophies. The Titan Pack was released today and clearly it had a positive effect on the online community. I was playing at 2 in the morning and there were still hundreds of people playing online. Seriously...give this game a shot. At worse...buy it used and return it if you don't like it. This game is made by EPIC, the guys that make Gears of War. The Unreal Engine that powers so many of today's games was named after this stellar franchise. It looks great, it plays great, it sounds great, it's fun, has lots of replayability, has limitless free expansions due to MODS, and it's CHEAP. Please join the online community. Odds are, you'll thank me for it.
2. The Orange Box- $19.99 new or $17.99 used. While we're on the topic of great FPS games with exceptional value, The Orange Box isa must have game. If you have an Xbox 360, buy it for that console as the game runs better on it. But you're not getting cheated of anything if you get the PS3 version. You get Half Life 2 (one of the greatest games ever made), Episodes 1 and 2 (expansions to the storyline), Portal (an excellent puzzle game), and Team Fortress 2 (class based online multiplayer) all in the box. Seriously...this is an exceptional deal for $60, now you can get it for $20. You'd be hard pressed to find a better deal.
3. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion- $19.99 new or $17.99 used. RPG fans rejoice! Oblivion has hundreds and hundreds of hours of excellent open-ended gameplay for you. There are hundreds of quests to do and a gigantic, beautifully crafted world to explore. The PS3 version looks and runs better than the Xbox 360 version too. I reccomend the original version of Oblivion over the GOTY version because it does not have the Vampire Cure Quest glitch and because it is cheaper. If you love the game and would like the play The Shivering Isles expansion, either buy it separately, or do what I did...Call up a local Gamestop and hunt down a used version of the disc. Buy it, take it home, download the expansion to your PS3, and then return the disc. But if you're going to do that, at least buy Oblivion new and support the developers...even they have bills to pay and it's better to support the game developers than supporting Gamestop.
If you have other games that you'd like to add to this list, please do. Gaming is an expensive hobby and in these tough economic times, it's good to get the most that you can for your money. As a hardcore gamer, it's also good not to waste your time with crappy games. These are 3 excellent examples of awesome, budget priced games that are well worth your time and money. Now...I'm going back to Unreal Tournament 3 to frag some unlucky fools.
I am: The_X_Factor_9. Add me. I play: Unreal Tournament 3, Killzone 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Little Big Planet, Warhawk, Metal Gear Online, Civilization Revolution, and Burnout Paradise. Let's play!