Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

7 video game hidden gems to pick up this Black Friday

From Elden Ring to God of War Ragnarok, 2022 has been full of amazing high-profile games. Still, there are plenty of other cool games that flew under the radar as they came out early in the year or are a bit more niche than your standard AAA game. Despite that, these titles contain some of the most entertaining gaming moments of the year. Many of these titles got deep discounts during Amazon’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals and are worth giving a look if you want to try more 2022 games before the end of the year. From OlliOlli World to Fir Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, these are some 2022 video games you should pick up this Black Friday.

Dying Light 2

Players using the paraglider in Dying Light 2.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Although the zombie sequel Dying Light 2 felt like a pretty big deal when it launched, coming out before the likes of Elden Ring and a lot of other great games later in February caused this entertaining open-world zombie game to get lost in the shuffle of high-profile 2022 launches. Still, it’s worth playing for fans of action games and media featuring zombies, and it got a great Black Friday discount. While Dying Light 2 normally costs $60, you can pick the last-generation versions for $20 and the current-gen versions for $25 this Black Friday. 

Sifu

Sifu's main character jumping over a table as two enemies attack.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Sifu is an intense martial arts game about a man seeking vengeance against the people who killed his father. It’s a really engaging action game, but some might have been put off at launch due to its tough difficulty. Developer Sloclap has gone through a lot of effort to make the game more accessible since then, though, adding easier difficulty options and gameplay modifiers. As such, now is a great time to pick Sifu up, and the PlayStation 4 version is discounted from $50 to $25 this Black Friday. 

OlliOlli World — Rad Edition

The player character grinds in the Nintendo Switch version of OlliOlli World.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

OlliOlli World is one of the most satisfying games of the year, as its approachable controls and gratifying momentum allow for some truly special 2D skateboarding moments. Because it came out early in the year, this great game flew under the radar, but it’s on sale during Black Friday. Specifically, digital codes for OlliOlli World — Rad Edition are available for only $30. For the price the game normally retails for, you can get access to the entire base game as well as the VOID Raiders and Finding the Flowzone expansions that greatly increase your playtime. 

Rune Factory 5

Farming in Rune Factory 5
Image used with permission by copyright holder

In a year that was full of farming games, Rune Factory 5 stands out by putting a greater emphasis on RPG game mechanics like fast-paced action combat. Still, it has all the farming, dating, and home customization elements that we’ve come to expect from life sim games. While it’s normal $50 might be a bit too steep with some much competition, Black Friday deals see Rune Factory 5 drop to a much more appealing $30 price tag. If you’ve put way too many hours in Stardew Valley, why not give another similar game a shot?

Sniper Elite 5

Karl Fairburne fighting in Sniper Elite 5.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

While the new Call of Duty game is always going to dominate the first- and third-person shooter genre discussion, there are plenty of other great games in that genre. One such title to release this year is Sniper Elite 5, which follows a World War II sniper as he takes out some high-profile Nazi targets. Its open-ended levels give the player a lot of freedom in completing their assassinations, too, leading to a very replayable experience. During Black Friday, the PS4 version of Sniper Elite 5 is discounted to only $30, and it’s worth giving a look.

Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration

A flyer about Millipede in Atari 50.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is a must-play for video game history fans, as it contains over 100 Atari games and tons of info on the development of each of them. It formats all of this information in museum-like Interactive Timelines too, so you can make your way through the game at your own pace. Despite only having released two weeks ago, Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection is already discounted! You can pick it up for just $30 instead of $40 this Black Friday. Containing over 100 games, it’s certainly one of the best value deals in gaming this holiday. 

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes

Shez causes a purple explosion in Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

While a sequel to a Fire Emblem action game spinoff might seem a little niche, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is actually one of the best Nintendo Switch games of the year. It features the satisfying Musou combat Koei Tecmo mastered in their own Dynasty Warriors series, but with Fire Emblem strategy and permadeath elements mixed in. The game also retells the event of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, giving fans another opportunity to revisit and mingle with that game’s iconic cast of characters. Nintendo-published games don’t drop below $60 often, but this Black Friday, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes is only $35 and worth picking up for Nintendo Switch owners. 

Tomas Franzese
Gaming Staff Writer
Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…
Counter-Strike 2 is now available on Steam for free after surprise launch
A team groups up in Counter-Strike 2.

With little more than a slight tease beforehand, Valve just launched Counter-Strike 2 on Steam.
Counter-Strike 2 - Launch Trailer
Counter-Strike is Valve's long-running competitive multiplayer shooter series. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has stayed near the top of Steam's player count charts ever since it launched in 2012. After over a decade of dominance, Valve first announced Counter-Strike 2 as a free, sequel-level upgrade to Global Offensive earlier this year. After some slight teases earlier in the month, Valve finally decided to surprise launch the game on September 27.
Counter-Strike 2 builds upon Global Offensive in Valve's newer Source 2 game engine. Outside of the obvious visual upgrades that change brings, Counter-Strike 2 adds to its predecessor with a new CS Rating system, overhauled maps, and tweaks to core mechanics like smoke grenades and the tick rate at which the first-person shooter operates. Valve also promises that the game features "upgraded Community Workshop tools," so we should get some entertaining Counter-Strike 2 mods.

Valve intends for players to smoothly transition from Global Offensive to Counter-Strike 2 as the game has simply updated to make the transition, and all items players obtained in the former work in the latter. Hopefully, this approach works out better for Valve than it did for Blizzard with Overwatch 2 last year. 
Counter-Strike 2 is available now on PC via Steam. It's a free-to-play game, although players can buy a Prime Status Upgrade for $15 that grants buyers the titular moniker. Having Prime Status grants exclusive items, item drops, and weapon cases and makes the game more likely to matchmake you with other Prime Status Counter-Strike 2 players.

Read more
PlayStation boss Jim Ryan is stepping down, with successor yet to be named
Playstation CEO and president, Jim Ryan, stands in front of a blue wall with Playstation button symbols illuminated.

Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO Jim Ryan is retiring after 30 years. The PlayStation boss will formally leave his role in March 2024 with a successor yet to be named.

Jim Ryan has been working with PlayStation since 1994 when he joined Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe. Since then, he's become the key figurehead for the PlayStation brand, similar to Phil Spencer's role within Xbox. His most recent success has come from the launch of the PlayStation 5, which has already surpassed a 40 million unit milestone. Today, Sony announced that Ryan plans to retire from the role.

Read more
Dragon’s Dogma 2 delivers exactly what you’re expecting: more Dragon’s Dogma
A dragon roars in Dragon's Dogma 2.

One year ago, I knew next to nothing about Dragon’s Dogma. If I was aware of it when it launched in 2012, I’d long since forgotten about it amid a decade’s worth of games. Who could blame me? Capcom didn’t exactly turn the fantasy-action RPG into one of its go-to IPs despite some impressive sales figures.

Dragon's Dogma 2 - 9 Minute Gameplay Deep Dive | Tokyo Game Show 2023

Read more