The 10 Weirdest Video Game Collector's Editions
“Grid 2” (2013)
The Grid series is often overlooked during discussions about the best racing series in video games, but Codemasters put Grid 2 in the conversation in a big way and it wasn’t just because of its solid gameplay and racing. The Mono Edition of Grid 2 not only came with a copy of the game, of course, but also a PS3, a racing suit, gloves, helmet and boots, as well as a tour of the BAC factory. And because all of that wasn’t outrageous enough, for the low, low price of $190,000 you could have all of this as well as the actual BAC Mono Supercar. This edition was only available in the UK but anyone who spends that kind of money on a collector’s edition of the game could afford to send it wherever they wanted… and also hopefully have some money left over for some driving lessons as well.
“Catherine” (2011)
Catherine was already a weird game with its blend of romantic turmoil storytelling mixed with its even more bizarre puzzle gameplay. Likewise, a game that skews from tradition also deserves an equally strange collector’s edition. The “Love is Over Collector’s Edition” included a copy of the game and a t-shirt - so far, so normal. But items such as a pair of polka dot boxer shorts similar to those worn by our tormented protagonist Vincent as well as pillow case adorned with the titular homewrecking Catherine might be something best left hidden away in the closet, lest this succubus invade your dreams and leave you with nothing but nightmares. After all, $80 is a small price to pay for your soul.
“Dying Light” (2015)
There are certainly some admittedly outrageous collector’s editions out there, especially the Saints Row 4 Super Dangerous Wad Wad Edition, but a close runner up has to be Dying Light’s My Apocalypse Edition which leaves its proud owner ready for the coming zombie apocalypse. For $386,000, would-be survivalists can have their own zombie-proof shelter, parkour lessons for if the shelter falls, adult diapers for the scary bits, your face in the game which you also receive 4 signed copies of and a life-sized Volatile Zombie to get some extra use out of those diapers. Techland followed this up with their Dying Light Expansion The Following, which this time gave players a speaking role complete with acting lessons for a movie that has yet to materialize. This rare experience will only cost those lucky few $10,000,000 while also apparently funding the movie themselves. No wonder it never got made.
“Death Stranding” (2019)
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Oh, to be a fly on the wall during the conceptual stage of Kojima’s games. Admittedly, Death Stranding might not have been what everyone was expecting from the man who helped pioneer the stealth genre in gaming, but you certainly can’t accuse the man of being afraid to be experimental. One of the oddest aspects of the game came down to Sam’s use of his BB Pod to detect the numerous deadly BTs roaming the destroyed United States. With the collector’s edition, players could have their own life-sized BB Pod, although its abilities to detect BTs remains unknown. The little plastic baby in the pod can be a little unnerving for those who just catch a glimpse of it in the corner of your room. Especially since the pod itself can be switched on like a creepy baby night light.
“Rage 2” (2019)
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Does anyone remember when Big Mouth Billy Bass was released back in the late 90s and would sing covers of songs at the press of a button? Well Bethesda and Avalanche Studios certainly did, and that’s really the only explanation for the Ruckus the Crusher edition of Rage 2. In addition to the usual goodies associated with modern collector’s editions, players would get a dismembered head of Ruckus the Crusher to mount on their wall and the mutated head voiced by party god Andrew W.K., will sing random and oftentimes disturbing variations of songs every time you walk by. There have been some questionable collector’s editions on this list so far and there’s arguably some even worse to come, but while we suppose the head is keeping with the game’s overall theme, we still just have to ask why and who was this for?
“Dead or Alive Xtreme 3” (2016)
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The Dead or Alive Xtreme series already isn’t a series you’d necessarily want people to know you’re playing in the first place, but for those who imported the Collector’s Edition of Dead or Alive Xtreme 3, there’s no hiding your love for the game. No doubt the naughtiest collector’s edition on our list, the bundle includes even more revealing outfits for the ladies of Dead or Alive as well as a “soft” mouse pad to avoid wrist strain, an art book and 9 different “bathroom” posters, the latter of which are all waterproof and stain resistant. Why these last couple items would need to be water and stain resistant is anyone’s guess unless… ew, gross, NASTY!
“Rez” (2001)
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Sometimes an iconic collector’s edition is born from the purest intentions. And then humanity has to corrupt it. Rez is not only designed to put the player in sync with the game’s music but also make them feel the beat and become immersed in the experience, which is why developer United Game Artists and publisher Sega also released the Rez Trance Vibrator in Japan when the game was released on the PS2. Originally intended to allow players to better “feel” the music as they played, even in the early days of the internet, this one became the stuff of legend and was immediately turned into an object of perversion both as a joke and otherwise, completely undermining the creator’s original vision. It’s no wonder no other gaming peripheral has attempted something like this in the years since.
“F.E.A.R. 3” (2011)
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What originally began as one of the scariest first-person shooter series at the time lost some of that terror by the 3rd entry, much the way Dead Space did by instead focusing on co-op instead of scares. However, FEAR 3 made up for this lack of frights with its collector’s edition. Tying into the game’s narrative of Alma’s pregnancy, the included statue was a very naked and very pregnant Alma whose baby would glow in the dark through her translucent belly. It would seem this edition was too unsettling for US audiences as this version was only available in the UK. It’s too bad this was the scariest part of the entire experience but at least the collector’s edition was more memorable than the game itself.
“Dead Island: Riptide” (2013)
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When you think of zombies, naturally you think of rotting corpses, oftentimes missing limbs or even chunks of flesh. True nightmare fuel stuff, right? So why then would Techland and Deep Silver think someone would want to display this half a corpse in a bikini in their game room? With the head, arms, and the beach goer’s lower half of the torso missing, many quickly criticized Deep Silver for the grotesque statue leading to an apology from the publisher. While the Zombie Bait Edition was ultimately canceled before launch, more than a few avid collectors still managed to get their hands on this ill-advised piece of video game memorabilia. And much like FEAR 3’s collector’s edition, Dead Island Riptide is remembered more for this controversy than the mediocre expansion it came bundled with.
“Inside” (2016)
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Inside was already a standout game with its foreboding atmosphere, mysterious world, and ambiguous ending, but developer PlayDead must not have felt the game was celebrated enough for its artistic design with this collector’s edition. Teaming up with iam8bit and RealDoll, makers of extracurricular life-sized dolls, PlayDead designed a replica of the Huddle, the multi-limbed monstrosity from the game’s conclusion using the same silicone that RealDoll uses when crafting their adult friends. The results are a wiggly, squishy and altogether disturbing amalgamation that perfectly embodies the look and most likely feel of the Huddle from the game itself. Complete with a stand that needs to be inserted, this is sure to be the conversation starter you never want to have to explain. What’s the weirdest thing in your gaming collection? Share your shame down in the comments.
