Steam are currently having their Golden Week sale; focused on games by Japanese developers.
Japan’s Golden Week sees the celebration of several events; including Shōwa Day on April 29th (celebrating the birthday of former emperor Shōwa, though some political parties have called for the public to reflect on his reign with less reverence), Constitution Memorial Day on may 3rd, Greenery Day on May 4th, and Children’s Day on May 5th. The week has seen some events being moved to different dates.
Golden Week is the longest vacation period for Japanese workers, with some companies closing to give employees the time off. The event has slowly crept into the gaming world, with digital distributors having deals on Japanese-developed games.
This year Steam have stepped up with a wide selection. As such, we have divided up the extensive list of some of the most note-worthy titles as best we can. Keep in mind the links below will be to our reviews; not the store pages themselves. Sega are also having their own Golden Week sale, which have been added to the titles below.
Action
While you may see the odd action RPG or platformer, this is definitely the most expansive catagory. The cream of the crop includes Devil May Cry HD Collection (34% off)- which includes Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition, Devil May Cry 5 (20% off), and Nier Automata: Game of the YorHa Edition (50% off). Fans of Dante can also find Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition at 60% off.
Devil May Cry 5 was our Community Game of the Year in 2019, while Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition was our Best Port/Remake of 2020, and Nier Automata was our Game of the Year 2017, and our Community Game of the Year 2017. The latter will also be getting an upgrade patch, bringing it in line with Microsoft Store version after outcry.
The Yakuza games are also discounted; including Yakuza 3 Remastered (20% off), Yakuza 4 Remastered (20% off), Yakuza 5 Remastered (20% off), (or the entire Remastered Collection for 46% off), Yakuza Kiwami (50% off), Yakuza 2 Kiwami (50% off), and Yakuza 0 (75% off).
While this should go in the RPG section; that also includes Yakuza: Like a Dragon (30% off). It was our Game of the Year 2020, and Community Game of the Year 2020.
Other action games on sale include Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (50% off), Code Vein (67% off), Bayonetta (75% off), Dragon Ball Z Kakarot (60% off), Okami HD (50% off), Azur Lane Crosswave (60% off), Earth Defense Force 5 (50% off), God Eater 3 (80% off), Persona 5 Strikers (20% off), Valkyria Chronicles (66% off), and Valkyria Chronicles 4 (70% off).
As a sub-section to the above; those looking for platforms are also in luck. There are discounts on Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection (34% off), Sonic Mania (75% off), and Touhou Luna Nights (33% off). Little Nightmares is also 80% off, which we are putting here because it does not fit elsewhere.
JRPG
A genre so synonymous with Japan that it crowned an entire subgenere. For many, the first name in JRPGs is Square Enix (and its older iteration, Square). As expected, there are plenty of sales on their works- all 50% off. This includes Chrono Trigger, the original Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII Remastered, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, Octopath Traveler, and Trials of Mana.
Of course there are other JRPG adventures to enjoy. You can find discounts on Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen (70% off), Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition (80% off), Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition (70% off), Persona 4 Golden (30% off), and Shiren The Wandered: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate (20% off).
Visual Novels & Mystery
If JRPGs are closest associated with Japan, then the visual novel is a close second. You can solve the mysteries with AI:The Somnium Files (60% off), or be taken on a wild ride with Steins;Gate (50% off). For those looking for eye-candy, you can find discounts on Nekopara Vol. 1 (60% off), Nekopara Vol. 2 (60% off), Nekopara Vol. 3 (50% off), and Love³ -Love Cube- (35% off).
Fighting Games
Bringing up the rear with a furious clashes is the fighting game genre. Older titles should not be readily dismissed, as the sales will surely see a surge of fresh blood. The discounts for fighting games include Soulcalibur VI (85% off), Dragon Ball FighterZ (85% off), Street Fighter V (60% off), Tekken 7 (85% off), GUILTY GEAR Xrd -REVELATOR- (80% off), and GUILTY GEAR XX ACCENT CORE PLUS R (80% off).
The Steam Golden Week sale ends May 6th at 10:00 a.m. PT. Will you be picking anything up? Sound off in the comments below!
