Is It Worth It? Issue #0: Welcome (plus our first verdict)

2026-10-16

Is It Worth It? · Buy, wait, or skip, in five minutes.

Send date: Friday, October 16, 2026 · Read time: about 5 minutes

No affiliate or sponsored links in this issue. If that ever changes, I'll say so up front. Nobody pays for a verdict.

Hey y'all, Zach here

I'm a busy parent with a full-time job and not a lot of evening time to play. So when a new game costs $70 and wants 30 hours, I've got one question before I buy:

Is it worth it? Worth the money. Worth the time.

Turns out I'm not alone. On X, a parent wrote that they have "very limited gaming time as a parent" and won't spend it on games they won't enjoy. Another gamer put it simply: "my gaming time is limited — I want it to feel worth it."

That's what this newsletter is for. One short email every Friday, plus a quick Worth It 5 every morning, with clear calls on new games, DLC, and deals. Written for folks with more responsibilities than free time.

How the verdicts work

Every game gets a straight call. No hedging:

If a game is too new to judge, I'll say no verdict yet instead of guessing.

And every verdict comes with the four things I always want to know:

• Price: what it costs today, from the official store.
• Time cost: how long it takes to finish, usually from HowLongToBeat.
• What critics think: the OpenCritic average, plus where reviewers disagree.
• Kid check: the ESRB rating, and whether it's an "after the kids are asleep" game or one you can play together.

Honesty rule: If I haven't finished a game myself, I'll tell you the verdict comes from reviews and player data. Every price, score, and playtime links to its source. No fake certainty.

Sample verdict: Onimusha: Way of the Sword

Verdict: BUY

This verdict is based on critic reviews and player data.

What it is: Capcom's samurai action series is back after nearly 20 years, y'all. You play the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, carving through demons in a cursed version of old Kyoto. It launched September 4.

Why it's a buy: The fighting is the star, and critics agree. IGN gave it a 10/10 and called it "an incredible action game with an excellent story to match." GameSpot gave it 8/10 and Forbes 9/10. Players on X are with them. One wrote, "The combat is amazing and Musashi is a great protagonist."

The catch: Oooof, the parts between fights drag. PC Gamer (83/100) said "the only enemy it can't overcome is its own pacing," and GameSpot called the semi-open world "a misstep." One player summed it up as "awesome boss fights and boring everything else" but still found it worth the time.

Time math for parents: HowLongToBeat estimates about three weeks if you play 1.5 hours a day with some side content. At $69.99 for about 22 hours of story, that's about $3.18 an hour. For a game this well reviewed? Fair deal. Tip: Forbes recommends starting on Story difficulty to learn the combat. Get in, get out, get to bed.

Which version: Pick the platform you already play on.

Kid check: This one's strictly after bedtime. The ESRB notes blood and gore, dismemberment, beheadings in cutscenes, and strong language (ESRB summary).

Bottom line: Buy it. If you want one great action game this fall and can give it a few weeks of evenings, this is the one.

The 30-second verdicts

Prices are from the PlayStation Store listings (Split Fiction, The Plucky Squire). Times are from HowLongToBeat (Split Fiction, The Plucky Squire). Wolverine sources are in next week's issue.

Deals worth your money (PlayStation Store, ends Wed, Oct 21)

PlayStation's "Player's Choice" sale runs through Wednesday, October 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT (1:59 a.m. CT Thursday), per the PlayStation Store listings below. Here's what I'd grab:

• Split Fiction: $32.49 (list $49.99). OpenCritic 91 (OpenCritic). Two-player co-op for you and your spouse or an older kid. About 15 hours (HowLongToBeat).
• The Plucky Squire: $8.99 (list $29.99), $5.99 with PS Plus. OpenCritic 82 (OpenCritic). A storybook adventure that's easy to share with the kids. About 8.5 hours (HowLongToBeat). This week's Parent's Pick.
• LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight: $48.99 (list $69.99). OpenCritic 84 (OpenCritic). Couch co-op for the whole family. Rated E10+ (PlayStation Store).
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: $37.49 (list $49.99). OpenCritic 92 (OpenCritic). One of the best RPGs around. Just plan on about 29 hours for the main story (HowLongToBeat, PlayStation Store).

Coming up

• Final Fantasy Resonance (Oct 22): $49.99. Square Enix's first HD-2D Final Fantasy, on Switch 2, Switch, PS5, Xbox, and PC (Square Enix). No verdict yet; wait for reviews.
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 (Oct 23): $69.99, or $99.99 for the Vault Edition. Pre-orders get campaign early access starting Oct 16. It is not on Game Pass at launch (Xbox). No verdict yet; wait for reviews.
• Phantom Blade Zero (Oct 29, PS5/PC): $59.99. A single-player martial arts action game (PlayStation Store, Steam). No verdict yet; wait for reviews.
• GTA 6 (Nov 19, PS5/Xbox Series X|S): $79.99, or $99.99 for the Ultimate Edition. Digital pre-orders can start pre-loading Nov 12 (Take-Two). My "Standard or Ultimate?" verdict lands Friday, Nov 13.

Your turn

Hit reply and tell me one game you're on the fence about. I read every email. The best questions shape future issues.

Got a friend who's always asking "should I buy this?" Forward this to them. Appreciate you.

Thanks for reading. See you next Friday,

— Zach

Sources

• OpenCritic: Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Split Fiction, The Plucky Squire, LEGO Batman, Clair Obscur
• HowLongToBeat: Onimusha, Split Fiction, The Plucky Squire, Clair Obscur
• ESRB: Onimusha: Way of the Sword rating summary
• Official store prices (Onimusha): PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Steam, Nintendo eShop
• PlayStation Store sale listings: Split Fiction, The Plucky Squire, LEGO Batman, Clair Obscur
• Release info: Square Enix (FF Resonance), Xbox (MW4), PlayStation Store and Steam (Phantom Blade Zero), Take-Two (GTA 6)
• X posts quoted: @TagTrinity, @rpgoblinx, @JRunn87, @BlackLiq

Prices and scores checked October 15, 2026. They change, so re-check before you buy.