Regular visitors to Adventures in Poor Taste are going to know more than most which games are worth investing in. You’ll also know which special or limited editions are actually worth the extra money and which are just twice the cost for some fancy packaging.
Having said that, sometimes that fancy packaging is more than worth its weight, and it can look pretty amazing when they get it right. Then there are the other things they throw into the box for the superfan, supercollector or supergeek. In short, I know I’m not the only one to have splashed out a few more bucks on a limited or collector’s edition, just so it’ll look better on the shelf or has some cool extras added to the normal box.
Here a few of my favourites:
Alien vs Predator Hunter Edition
It was a stroke of genius including a very real looking facehugger in the box, and gamers responded accordingly, buying it in big numbers. After that, the numerous other extras thrown in almost seemed superfluous, but were actually pretty good too!
Doom 3 Collector’s Edition (Xbox)
Compared to what’s around today, the graphics may seem slow and clunky but in 2005 it really did the deed. The gameplay was a real adrenaline rush and heart-thumpingly scary; I haven’t played it in years, but I’ve still got it ’cause I love the metal cover.
Halo: Reach Legendary Edition (Xbox 360)
One of my favourite boxes of all time made this special edition a totally essential purchase. Basically, I had hours of fun playing with the box and contents before I’d even got round to loading the game itself (which was also amazing!).
Forza Motorsport 4 Limited Collector’s Edition (Xbox 360)
I’m a sucker for a good race game and this comes packaged with enough creative and imaginative extras and features to keep me more than happy!
Monster Hunter Tri Limited Ultimate Hunter Pack (Wii)
I don’t own it and I’ve never played it but I’ve gotta say I love the box. Beautifully designed packaging concept!
So which are your favourite limited editions? Which would you have paid twice the amount for just so you could own them and were there any where the game itself was rubbish, but the packaging and extras still made it worth the money? Finally, are there any where the extras were so poor, or the boxes looked like your cat could have done a better design job, so they actually made the ‘special’ edition worth less than the original?
About the author: When he’s not writing blogs for UK packaging company Davpack, Dave Smith can usually be found in front of either a TV or computer screen. Occasionally he even gets to breathe fresh air.
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