March is here and this year it’s a month full of great game releases. Devil May Cry 5, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice are all out this month and each title is offering a collector’s edition that is packed with a wide array of cool items. Here’s a breakdown of everything fans can expect.
First up, Devil May Cry 5 has recently released and is making big waves in gaming news. It’s been about five years since the last installment in this series, so here’s a bit of a refresher: 2013 saw the release of the controversial DmC: Devil May Cry with a restyled protagonist and a large shift in tone. Ever since, fans have been craving a new addition to the series that will better follow the canon of the universe. The wait is over! With original developer Capcom back at the helm, the series will return to its established storyline with characters and visuals that look better than ever before.
The collector’s edition looks to be an excellent representation of the quality being brought to this new installment. The package is designed to look like Nico’s toolbox and inside fans will find an 8-inch replica of the motorhome. Creative packaging design is a large selling point for video game collector’s editions, and the toolbox concept works very well here. Collector’s editions’ packaging can also include neat features like built-in video displays, like our Konami collectible influencer kit.
For their real car, the collector’s edition offers fans a premium “I Heart Osaka” bumper sticker that matches the one in game. They can also take a look through the artbook which contains notes from Nico’s workbench. There is also an exclusive 11×17 inch cloth print with beautiful game art and a premium logo pin that comes in a box designed to match V’s book. The game is included, making the only downside to this amazing collector’s edition the fact that it is sadly only available in North America.
When Tom Clancy’s The Division released in 2016, it broke Ubisoft’s sales records. Though ultimately a critical and commercial success, the first Division game eventually suffered from a lack of long-term content and this led players to leave the game. Ubisoft seems to have taken all the feedback from its first game and used it to create a great sequel. Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is set to release March 15th and it brings with it not one but TWO collector’s editions.
Fans that pre-order these collector’s editions will be able to play the game three days early and have access to the beta. Both editions boast an impressive amount of physical and digital content. Along with the game, the Dark Zone Edition features a 30cm-tall statue of Specialised Agent Heather Ward, a map of Washington D.C. that’s packed with secret locations and helpful information, a 20-page Book of Lithographs that are detachable and feature some great artwork from the game, and disc selected songs from the Soundtrack. The digital content offered includes The Battleworn Secret Service Pack, which gives you access to the weapon skin of the M4A1 and a rare emote, as well as the Capital Defender Pack that has the Hazmat 2.0 outfit, the incredible “Lullaby” SPAS-12 weapon and its endgame blueprint.
Unlike Dark Zone, the Phoenix Shield Edition is an Ubisoft store exclusive and contains all the exclusive content available with Dark Zone, with some notable additions and changes. Instead of Heather Ward, the Phoenix Shield Edition offers an articulated figurine of Mark Johnson. Fans who choose Phoenix Shield will also receive an exclusive steelbook to hold their game. Along with the two digital content packs that were mentioned for Dark Zone, fans who pick Phoenix Shield will have access to The First Responder Pack; which includes a special outfit and weapon sin, and the Elite Agent Pack which offers an exclusive skill effect, more stash space, and an assault rifle.
Finally, let’s talk about Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice which is set to release on March 22nd. Being the newborn child of FromSoftware, the company responsible for Bloodborne and the Souls series, makes this one of the most highly-anticipated game releases this year. The game promises not only a new exciting shift in fighting mechanics but, unlike FromSoftware’s previous games, Sekiro will contain a driving storyline. You play as a shinobi in the 16th Century, during Japan’s Sengoku period. After being left for dead in an attack on him and his lord, the shinobi wakes up to find a mysterious man has replaced his injured arm with a prosthetic. The man begins calling the shinobi Sekiro, or “one-armed wolf”. The man goes on to reveal that the lord is still alive and that his captors plan to use him for his ancient bloodline. Armed with his katana and his new limb, the one-armed wolf sets out to regain his honor and rescue the young lord.
Design has always been a strong point of FromSoftware’s productions, and the trend is present in both its new game and Sekiro’s collector’s edition. It offers fans the game in a beautifully designed steelbook, an 18-cm Shinobi statue, a physical map, artbook, digital soundtrack, and 3 Sengoku Era-styled game coins.
In addition to this collection, there are several preorder bonuses being offered by retailers. GameStop is currently offering a limited-edition katana replica letter opener when you purchase a physical copy of the game, Microsoft gives you prosthetic arm and grappling hook avatar items, and Playstation will give you a dynamic PS4 theme of the Hirata Estate. Meanwhile, if you preorder a standard edition of the game through Amazon you’ll receive a steelbook case.
One last, collector’s item that is currently surfacing online is as beautiful as it is perplexing. It’s a custom Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice PS4 console. The console itself is something to behold, it has raised woodgrain detailing, an antique colored background with some blood splatter and floral designs, and the game’s name on top in Japanese. It also comes with a beautiful custom DualShock4 controller which has the name of the game (in English) engraved on the touchpad. All of this makes for a gorgeous console with strong visual presence that lends itself well to the in-game aesthetics. Similarly, we have made thematically linked collectibles like our Lakshmi replica sword for The Order 1886.
Unfortunately, this custom console is almost impossible to get your hands on. The only place it is available is online through the Dutch retailer Game Media as a sort sweepstakes prize. It’s a move straight out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory; when you preorder the game through Game Media you receive a set of chopsticks, and if the chopsticks are gold, you win the custom console and controller.
Enjoy reading up on Collector’s Editions? Take a trip back on some of gaming’s best collector’s editions here. Stay tuned with the WAYPOINT Blog for up-to-date gaming news as we head into the 2019 trade show season.
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