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5 Best Driving Games From EA's Lunar New Year Sale

Seeing as the holiday sales disappeared the moment we crossed into 2023, it's only normal to get even more New Year discounts one month after the fact. If this doesn't make sense to you, it's because you haven't taken into account the Chinese New Year that took place on January 22. Apparently, it's the year of the water rabbit, a sign of longevity, peace, and prosperity. Today we're focusing more on that last part, because the bigger the discounts, the more our wallets prospers.
EA's 2023 Lunar New Year Sale 17 photos
Photo: EA
EA's 2023 Lunar New Year SaleEA's 2023 Lunar New Year SaleEA's 2023 Lunar New Year SaleEA's 2023 Lunar New Year SaleEA's 2023 Lunar New Year SaleEA's 2023 Lunar New Year SaleEA's 2023 Lunar New Year SaleEA's 2023 Lunar New Year SaleEA's 2023 Lunar New Year SaleEA's 2023 Lunar New Year SaleEA's 2023 Lunar New Year SaleEA's 2023 Lunar New Year SaleEA's 2023 Lunar New Year SaleEA's 2023 Lunar New Year SaleEA's 2023 Lunar New Year SaleEA's 2023 Lunar New Year Sale
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of it all, know that you only have until February 2 to take advantage of the sales. Now, it's important to know that while EA's App won't give you any headaches, Steam just might have the opposite effect.

For some reason, I cannot, for the life of me, find the Lunar Sale page on Steam's storefront. I have to either Google "EA lunar sale" in a browser, or type "Unbound" for example in Steam, and only then do I see the "Electronic Arts Lunar New Year Sale" banner, just above the window where the trailer for the game is playing.

I hope that helped anyone in the same predicament as I was. Now that we got the "call center support" part out of the way, let's finally dig in and see what our wallets will have to go through.

NEED FOR SPEED UNBOUND

EA's 2023 Lunar New Year Sale
Photo: Steam
First, we have the ever-divisive Need for Speed Unbound. While I and my peers think this latest iteration of the famous racing franchise is one of the best EA has released in years, a lot of people out there still remain unimpressed by it.

That's the reason why on Steam, the review section shows 66% of players as having "Mixed" opinions about it. However, just like with any entertainment product, at the end of the day, it's a matter of personal preference.

That aside, we had a blast playing Unbound. Even though the dialogue is bordering on cringy with Gen Z jokes about how out of touch with social media other generations are, the gameplay, sweet graphics, and decent lineup of cars, together with a great overall fun factor, make this arcade-style racer pack a serious punch.

Especially on an OLED TV rocking 120hz connected to a powerhouse of a PC. Having said that, you probably see why this was top of my list, discounted by 50%, from $70 to $35. And if you're still not convinced, you can go play the 10-hour trial, granted you're subscribed to EA Play, for $5 a month.

F1 22

EA's 2023 Lunar New Year Sale
Photo: Steam
Next up, I nominate F1 22. It's discounted by 70%, from 60 dollars, to $18. This iteration of the Formula One hit series has the richest variety of features and options, along with a lot of other bells and whistles you might want from such a noble sport.

It might have reused some assets here and there, but in all honesty, about every game that has a number at the end of its title does the same. It's a great way for the development studios to save some money, which in turn saves up production time overall.

That being said, the graphics are so advanced, that almost every tech reviewer out there uses F1 22 as a benchmark game for the newest graphics cards.

To get the most out of its looks, you'll have to turn on that pesky Ray Tracing option, which will require you to have at least an Nvidia RTX 3070, or an AMD Radeon RX 6800. Also, it's VR-ready, so if you own a Playseat with a good wheel and pedals, you might want to have a look into that as well.

GRID LEGENDS

EA's 2023 Lunar New Year Sale
Photo: Steam
Next, GRID Legends is 80% off, at $12 from $60. While this arcade-style racing game didn't shake the very foundations of the gaming world, its Steam user reviews are 10% more positive when compared to Unbound.

The game took a bold approach when it decided it was going to have real-life footage instead of CG (computer-generated) cutscenes, but some found that as a more approachable way of connecting to the story.

In any case, Legends is fun, it looks nice, and with the latest and final update, Winter Bash, its roster is as complete as it's ever going to be. While this news might come as a downer for fans, it most likely means that another Grid title is on the horizon.

Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered

EA's 2023 Lunar New Year Sale
Photo: Steam
This next one is a bit of an oddball. For some unexplained reason, EA thought it was best to pair up Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered with Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville (Deluxe Edition).

Seeing as not a lot of people, if any, play Plants vs. Zombies on consoles and PC, maybe the idea was to push gamers to experience something else. In any case, the real star here is the remastered NFS game.

It features cross-platform multiplayer, the Autolog feature that connects you and your friends in head-to-head pursuits, all the main DLC is there, you get to drive police supercars that have tactical weaponry, and of course, because it's a remaster of the original title from 2010, it has enhanced graphics. The bundle is 62% off, from $70 to $27.

Star Wars: Squadrons

EA's 2023 Lunar New Year Sale
Photo: Steam
The fifth and final game from today's "grocery" list is Star Wars: Squadrons, discounted a whopping 85%, at $6, down from $40. While this game is a banger for all intents and purposes, it mostly flew under the radar (pardon the pun).

It was made by EA's Motive Studio which also worked on Star Wars Battlefront II, but more importantly, they just released the Dead Space remake, which saw raving reviews across the board.

This highly talented studio made Squadrons feel like an X-Wing and TIE fighter simulator more than anything else, which in turn made the 20,000+ people on Steam that own it, give it a Mostly Positive review score.

As an extra item, I thought I'd say a few extra words about Titanfall 2 as well, which is sitting pretty at just $3, down 90% from its original $30 price tag. All I'll say about Titanfall's campaign is that it simply shouldn't be missed. It's one of the best single-player mech shooters out there, and we probably won't get a Titanfall 3 anytime soon.

By my count, we should be done with our Lunar New Year Sale shopping cart, but before we part ways, so to speak, know that Steam will be hosting its own Lunar sales starting on February 11. In case you weren't enticed by anything from today's roster, you will certainly find something worthy of your card swipe there.
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About the author: Codrin Spiridon
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Codrin just loves American classics, from the 1940s and ‘50s, all the way to the muscle cars of the '60s and '70s. In his perfect world, we'll still see Hudsons and Road Runners roaming the streets for years to come (even in EV form, if that's what it takes to keep the aesthetic alive).
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