The PlayStation Summer Sale is underway. That means you have until next Wednesday (August 18) to get some excellent PS4 and PS5 titles — including some of the best PS5 games — at a steep discount. Naturally, like any big gaming sale, there are some genuinely compelling deals — and a lot of shrug-worthy ones. The Tom’s Guide staff is here to help you separate the must-plays from the maybe-sorta-plays.
I’ve gone through the hundreds of games and DLC packs on offer at the PlayStation Summer Sale and narrowed it down to 10 titles that I can personally recommend. I’ve played each one of these games, and thoroughly enjoyed my time with them. While I can’t guarantee every title will match every reader’s tastes, there should be a decent enough variety to please action junkies, RPG aficionados, meditative adventure gamers and everyone in between.
Read on to find out which of the PlayStation Summer Sale games you should buy, before the deals expire on August 18.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is an enormous game, and to get every piece of playable content normally costs $120. You can currently buy the whole package for $60, however, on both PS4 and PS5. In this open-world action/adventure game, you take control of Eivor: a Viking raider who must settle his or her clan in medieval England. With a huge, sprawling world to explore and plenty of interesting missions to undertake, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a rewarding time-sink.
Just be aware that with all the optional content, you could easily play the game for 100 to 150 hours, so be sure to set aside a good chunk of time.
Read our full Assassin’s Creed Valhalla review.
Bastion
Indie developer Supergiant won a lot of accolades last year for its innovative roguelite Hades. However, Hades didn’t spring from thin air; Supergiant has been refining its action/RPG chops for years. The studio’s first title, Bastion, is currently on sale for less than $4 (it’s usually $15). This colorful isometric game casts you as a post-apocalyptic adventurer, attempting to rebuild the world with the help of an extremely charismatic narrator.
With a killer soundtrack, a memorable art style and plenty of challenging gameplay, Bastion is a steal at its current price. Other Supergiant titles, such as Transistor and Pyre, are currently on sale as well.
Dead Cells
Dead Cells is — stop me if you’ve heard this one before — an ultra-difficult indie roguelite with a throwback art style. That’s hardly a unique setup, and yet Dead Cells sets itself apart with balanced gameplay and incredibly fluid animation. This side-scrolling action game casts you as a disembodied spirit, who reanimates corpse after corpse in an attempt to escape an enormous labyrinth.
You can discover a variety of weapons and traps to employ, and upgrade your skills by thoroughly exploring each area. Over time, you’ll unlock some permanent upgrades. The game usually costs $25, but you can get it now for $17.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
Final Fantasy VII Remake was one of 2020’s best games, and it’s even better on PS5. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade optimizes the hit RPG for PS5, with streamlined load times, better graphics and a faster frame rate. The biggest upgrade, however, is arguably the addition of the Intermission DLC: two brand-new chapters starring fan-favorite ninja Yuffie Kisaragi.
Normally, the complete FF7R Intergrade package, which includes a soundtrack and art book, retails for $90. However, you can currently get it for $60. That’s a great deal, considering the game’s overall quality. Fans of the original FF7 will want to check this one out, as the story goes to some interesting new places.
Read our full Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade review.
The Last of Us Part II
The Last of Us Part II was our pick for the best game of 2020 at Tom’s Guide. That’s high praise, but it’s well-earned. This action/adventure/stealth game casts players as Ellie, the deuteragonist of the first game, now grown up and in the crosshairs of some deadly enemies. She embarks on a cross-country quest for vengeance, and winds up traversing some morally gray territory along the way.
It’s also a ton of fun to play, whether you’re sneaking past the deadly Infected hordes, or having intense shootouts with human foes. The Last of Us Part II usually costs $40, but you can get it for $30 this week.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps
Based on statistics, a ton of you played Marvel’s Spider-Man on PS4 — and then put it aside. The game has three substantial DLC packs, however, known collectively as The City That Never Sleeps. In these breezy expansions, you’ll team up with perennial Spider-Man allies Black Cat and Silver Sable as you take on supervillain Hammerhead and his dangerous crime syndicate.
It’s more of what worked about the base game, just in smaller, more easily digestible chunks. The packs usually retail for $10 apiece, but you can get them for $5 each right now, and they more than earn their asking price.
Read our full Marvel’s Spider-Man review.
Mega Man X Legacy Collection
Mega Man X is a classic side-scroller from the SNES era, which persisted all the way into the PS2 days. The Mega Man X Legacy Collection lets you play through almost the entire series on modern consoles. If you played these games back in the day, they’re worth revisiting; if you didn’t, they’re worth experiencing for the first time.
In these futuristic tales, you’ll take control of X and Zero: androids who hunt down corrupted “Maverick” robots. With tons of levels to explore, bosses to fight and secrets to find, the Mega Man X Collection is well worth your time. The whole collection usually costs $40, but it’s currently $20 ($10 per volume).
Read our full Mega Man X Legacy Collection review.
The Nioh Collection
The Nioh Collection is not for the faint of heart. These incredibly tough action/RPGs take a lot of inspiration from the Dark Souls series, meaning that death is frequent and punishing. But it also means that the game has an incredibly high skill ceiling, and gives you plenty of opportunities to improve your stats, your equipment and your skills.
The Nioh Collection gathers Nioh and Nioh 2, which both cast you in a fantasy version of medieval Japan, and pit you against both human and demonic foes. It’s a stylish, demanding, and fun experience that costs $50 this week, down from $70.
Read our Nioh Collection impressions.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order isn’t just the best Star Wars game of the current generation; it’s one of the best Star Wars games ever made. You take control of Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis, as he attempts to stay alive during the deadly Jedi Purge.
Featuring tight combat, lots of collectible upgrades, an unpredictable story and a cast of three-dimensional characters, Jedi: Fallen Order reminds us of why we fell in love with the expansive Star Wars universe in the first place. The game usually costs $40, but it’s currently on sale for $20; unfortunately, the Deluxe Edition isn’t on sale.
What Remains of Edith Finch
What Remains of Edith Finch usually costs $20. Since the game takes only about two or three hours to complete, that may not seem like a great deal. However, at its current price of $6, this heartfelt little adventure game is a bargain. You play as the titular character, who returns to her family’s ancestral home in the Pacific Northwest and tries to determine the truth behind an old family curse.
What Remains of Edith Finch is sometimes funny and sometimes heartbreaking, but it’s chock full of gameplay variety and sharp writing either way. There’s no other game quite like it.