[DarnFineCoffee]

Before you read on:

The things that I really value in a CE are the following

1. Art: Whether it’s the box, case, or some kind of artbook. I always look for some sort of addition in the art department before purchasing a CE.
2. Music: There is nothing I like more than a nice soundtrack or a collection or songs from the game. I always want some sort of a soundtrack from a quality CE.
3. Something special: Something out of the oridinary... something I can put on display that really stands out.

1. Best overall CE
Hands down this goes to Catherine: Love is Over

Why?

First of all Catherine hits all 3 of my CE favorites

1. Art: We get a nice little artbook
2. Music: Comes with a really nice soundtrack
3. Something Special: This is where Catherine shines. This game comes with a pillow, boxer shorts, and a t-shirt. Imagine trying to pitch this CE to Atlus. “Hey guys, let’s have boxers and pillow case with the CE”. I’m completely amazed that someone had the balls to add in boxers and a pillow with the CE. It’s such a nice break from your normal box with some statue and art book. I absolutely love Catherine: Love is over regardless of price or rarity. One of the best features is that it wasn’t outrageously expensive at launch for all the items it came with.

2. Most Sought After CE

Dead Island Treasure - Only a small amount made, looks amazing and beautiful wood boxing. I can say with confidence that this item will probably reach Dead Space Ultra prices in the near future. If you own one of these.... congratulations, this is another CE that I can only dream about.

3. Best CE for a New Franchise

Catherine - Refer to 1.

4. Best Box Art for a CE

Deus Ex - The black on gold is stunning. I’m not a fan of the NA release version, but the PAL version with just Adams face in black and gold is just amazing. It’s also perfect size and just looks nice on my shelf.

5. Best Included item (excludes peripherals)

No. Contest. The rainbow piggy from Monster Hunter. Come on now.... IT’S A RAINBOW PIG.

6. Best Unboxing Experience

Two Worlds 2: Royal Edition - I only say this because it was just plain old FUN unboxing this thing. My friend came over and we just laughed as we took it apart and reminisced about two worlds 1. (It was riddled with funny glitches and really terrible voice overs... we played it for weeks and made fun of it. We still enjoyed it though.)

7. Most Innovative Package Design

Sniper Ghost Warrior - The fact that this looks just like an ammo crate is just so cool within itself. It totally matches the theme on the game and one day I’ll get one. But we’ve never seen a package like this which is why I’m giving it this honor.

8. Highest Quality Packaging

Yakuza 4 Kuro Edition: Ichiban Box - I don’t own one my self, but from the pictures online it looks HUGE and solid.

9. Best CE Strategy Guide

Dark Souls - Dark Souls is by far my favorite game from 2011. This is coming from someone who must have spent 200+ hours playing pvp and doing speedruns of the game with a few friends. When the game first came out I rushed to get to SL 120 which was the pvp SL for Demon Souls. Without this guide I wouldn’t have been able to do some of the research I needed to stomp face in PVP. So while other guides might have had more content, this guide was nice... short and condense and to the point! The cover is also visually stunning, while other guides just used the cover art for their game, Dark Souls used a black knight (very iconic in DS) and made it hardcover.

10. Best CE Hardware Bundle (any hardware, not just consoles)

Is it okay if I say Marvel vs. Capcom 3 stick?

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Honorable Mentions - Games that almost made the cut

Warhammer 40k
Batman Steelbooks - So many of them.... and they all look so nice!
Crysis 2 Nano Edition - That box is so big, how anyone can even take a picture of it is beyond me.
Sonic Generations - Too bad you can’t even find this thing
Infamous 2: Hero Edition
Killzone 3: Helghast - I actually have on of these, it’s really nice.... but it doesn't amaze me. Still, it deserves a mention.

Thanks for reading!