Xbox sales: TA Team Picks (September 8th)

Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Windows PC games are once again receiving the discount hammer on the Xbox Store, so the TA news team has done a little digging to see what they could find.

It's that time of the week again when we have a good rummage through the latest Xbox sales to find the games we think are worth your attention — seeing as the UK weather has decided that we should have the summer's worth of rain in one week, it's perfect timing. There looks to be a large number of games on offer this week, spanning Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Windows PC. There are 71 quick completions marked down this week, so be sure to check them out if you're after a large boost in Gamerscore.

While we are missing a Heidi this week — we were told that her menagerie of Ooblets wouldn't grow itself, and none of us was brave enough to dispute it — Luke took it upon himself to offer up four games in her stead, even if they are part of one package. So, with that, the three of us urge you to join us on a high-speed adventure that will be tactically challenging, full of bullets, and wildly fun.

Bargains from the latest Xbox sales

Luke — Digerati Couch Co-op Vol. 2

I'll preface this by saying that I haven't actually played three of the games in this bundle, but the way I see it is that you're spending three bucks on Bleed 2 — which is amazing — and getting those other games for free anyway. Those others (Vertical Drop Heroes HD, Black Paradox, and Shikhondo: Soul Eater) do look pretty good, it must be said, and they're seemingly much more manageable completions than Bleed 2 (which is solid) at around 8-10 hours a piece and with significantly lower ratios to boot. If you're into shmups and/or roguelikes, this bundle is an absolute bargain... even if you only pick it up for the one game in the set that I have actually played. Bleed 2 is a fast-paced 2D run-and-gun action game with plenty of tricks up its sleeve, including wild air dashes, bullet time dodges, projectile parries, and much more. There's a bit of Max Payne in its DNA, as well as some Devil May Cry, with every encounter being an amazing dance with death as you weave between waves of bullets in slow motion while blasting back... it's one of those games that is just crazy satisfying when it all clicks and you get on a great run. Levels are short enough that you can replay them quickly in search of better grades, and the better you get, the better it feels. So yeah, drop a few quid on Bleed 2 because it's brilliant, and enjoy the other games that come with it.

Digerati Couch Co-op Vol. 2

It’s time to get cosy with your best bud again for another round of unmissable co-op action. This bundle contains the following games, all of which feature local/couch co-op (as well as single-player modes):

Sean — Bad North

Bad North is an excellent real-time tactics roguelite that everyone should check out. In Bad North, you are tasked with defending small, procedurally-generated islands from Viking invaders. These invaders approach your island from all sorts of different directions via boat, and it’s up to you to choose your troops, pick your battles, and position your warriors to protect your lands. As far as strategy games go, Bad North is simple — there honestly isn’t much in the way of mechanics. This makes the game extremely accessible, and if you’re not careful, it will easily suck you in and eat away at your time. Its gorgeous, stylised aesthetic really adds to its simplicity, and along with the game’s atmospheric sound design and music, you can quickly become immersed in its bleak world. As for the Bad North achievements, the list is fairly straightforward, right up until you get to the difficulty-related achievement, Folk Hero, and the Bathed in Blood achievement, which requires a bit of grinding.

Bad North is on sale this week for just $4.49/£3.59/€4.49, and in my eyes, that is an absolute bargain.

Bad North: Jotunn Edition

Your home is under attack. The king is dead at the hands of Viking invaders. Hope is a distant glimmer in the fog, fading fast with every passing moment. As you rise to take your father’s place as ruler, it will fall to you to stage your defenses. But make no mistake – this is no fight for victory, but a desperate grasp for survival.

Set price alert

Tom — Crash Drive 3

This week's pick for me is Crash Drive 3, a nifty little arcade racer from M2H. It's not the usual type of game that I'd highlight as a good pick-up, but I recently started playing it with my son, and as it turns out, it's a whole lot of fun. The game centres on an open environment for a host of players to explore in a multitude of unlockable vehicles. There are a few different biomes to unlock collectables in, as well as compete in events with the other players in the lobby. The events are randomised, as well as completely optional, and feature races, stunt modes, cops and robbers, and a number of other fun little activities — there's even a floating island for tank battles. As for the Crash Drive 3 achievements, most are aimed toward completing specific tasks within the game's events, but there are a few cumulative ones that will require a hefty grind. Master Mechanic tasks you with fully levelling all of the game's vehicles, of which there are more than 50, and Event Master asks that you win 100 events. I've not grabbed either of those yet, but estimates place a completion between 30 and 35 hours.

Crash Drive 3 is currently rocking a 60% discount, so you can grab it for £5.99/$7.99/€7.99 if it sounds like your kind of game.

What do you think of our picks this week? Will you be adding any of these to your collection, or have you got some recommendations of your own? Drop a comment below and let us know!

Best Of Sale

Written by Tom West

Tom has been playing video games since he was old enough to hold a controller, experimenting with a number of systems until he eventually fell in love with Xbox. With a passion for the platform, he decided to make a career out of it, and now happily spends his days writing about that which he loves. If he’s not hunting for Xbox achievements, you’ll likely find him somewhere in The Elder Scrolls Online or fighting for survival in Battlefield.