IGN’s AU sale picks: real steals — and one Kojima title that still costs full price

Not all sales are created equal – this week’s AU storefront bargains skew toward quality over filler

There are two ways to run a sale: throw every SKU at consumers and hope something sticks, or curate a short list of actually worth-playing games and mark them down to prices that make impulse purchases defensible. IGN’s Australian deals roundup – Adam Mathew’s pick of the week – goes for the latter. The list is compact, heavy on genre-defining titles and smart indies, and unafraid to leave obvious junk off the table. If you’re trimming your backlog with purpose, this is the sale you want to skim.

• Key takeaway: Big-name classics are deeply discounted — Red Dead Redemption 2 at A$29 and Metal Gear Solid V for A$36.60 are the kind of price points that will get people playing again.
• Key takeaway: Strong indie and retro value: Dead Cells, Hades, Rayman Legends and the Vita anniversary shout are where you get bang for your buck.
• Key takeaway: Not everything is a steal: Death Stranding 2 is featured, but at A$99 (-21%) it’s still priced like a new release — that matters.

Why this roundup actually matters

Adam Mathew’s AU Deals piece is useful because it filters Australian storefront noise into a shortlist that respects time as much as money. Instead of listing hundreds of half-price indie footnotes, he highlights games that either shaped genres (Red Dead Redemption 2, Metal Gear Solid V) or whose remakes still deserve attention (Resident Evil 4, Dead Space). For buyers who are selective, that’s the difference between another backlog addition and a game you’ll actually play.

The uncomfortable observation the PR decks hope you ignore

Death Stranding 2 shows up as a recommended title — which is fair, it’s Kojima, it splits opinions, and it’s a singular design — but the discount is shallow: A$99 at -21%. That signals two things. One, publishers still treat marquee, recent releases as high-margin inventory they don’t need to move hard. Two, a name like Kojima’s buys price resistance. If you’re the type who waits for real value, this is the sort of entry that should make you pause and ask: are we buying because we want the game or because the auteur label made us reflexively click “add to cart”?

Where the real value is this week

If you want immediate returns on playtime-per-dollar, these are the items I’d prioritize from the roundup:

• Red Dead Redemption 2 — A$29 (‑68%): An unmatched open world for players who tolerate deliberate pacing.
• Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain — A$36.60 (‑49%): Systems-driven stealth at bargain price.
• Resident Evil 4 — A$34.90 (‑42%): A remake worth revisiting; parry mechanics alone improve the package.
• Dead Space — A$29.90 (‑73%): One of the best horror remakes; audio design does half the work.
• Rayman Legends Definitive — A$19.90 (‑67%): Platforming perfection at a silly price.
• Indie standouts (Dead Cells, Hades, Neon White) — deep discounts that translate directly to replay value.

The retro note that sneaks up on you

Mathew also points a nostalgic flashlight at the PlayStation Vita’s 13th anniversary. The Vita never lived up to commercial hopes, but this kind of anniversary mention is a reminder that platform-focused nostalgia still drives buying decisions — especially for handheld collectors and anyone who missed those games the first time.

The question you should be asking (and the one I’d ask PR)

Are these discounts meaningful or performative? If I were in the PR room I’d ask why certain modern releases are barely discounted while decade-old blockbusters are practically giveaway territory. The answer will tell you whether a listed price is a true saving or simply price maintenance to protect margins.

What to watch

• Check store timestamps — IGN flagged these on Feb. 23; Australian storefront sales move fast. If a title matters to you, check the price now rather than assume it will be there tomorrow.
• Watch for deeper cuts on recent releases. If Death Stranding 2 slips under ~A$80 in the next two weeks, that’s a more compelling buy signal than the current A$99 tag.
• Look for platform-specific bundles or gift-card discounts — they often beat headline game discounts when converted to effective price.
• If you’re into retro collecting, the Vita anniversary chatter can presage small publisher sales or physical reprints; monitor boutique publishers.

IGN’s AU roundup does the hard work of pruning this week’s sale tree. It’s short, opinionated, and useful — precisely the kind of curation the modern storefront era lacks.

TL;DR

IGN’s AU Deals picks prioritize games worth your time: big discounts on Red Dead 2, Metal Gear Solid V and Resident Evil 4 stand out. Death Stranding 2 is listed but still priced like a new release at A$99 — wait for a deeper cut if you’re budget-conscious. Buy the indie and retro bargains now; treat marquee recent releases with a little skepticism.