10 Collector's Editions That Did Something Different

Sometimes collector's editions of certain games stand out above the rest with the original quality of their contents.

Collector's editions of games can be worthwhile to own, especially if the particular game is one of your all-time favorites and has collectibles you want to display in your room. Most of the time, these include statues, art books, some exclusive DLC, and steelbooks, among other small goodies. But sometimes, a collector's edition can surprise you with items you couldn't imagine having been included.

RELATED: Best Video Game Collector's Editions In 2023

These editions have come a long way and aim to offer more practical things than digital downloads or figures you put on a display shelf, filled with items that break the norms and some going so far as to leave out the actual game.

The art style in Sifu is as excellent and pleasing as the combat mechanics, and the exclusive Switch collector's edition (called the "Redemption Edition") has a treat for fans and fellow game artists alike. Art books are always standard in these types of editions, but they're usually quite basic and around 50 pages. Sifu offers a detailed 160-page art book as a developer's diary!

You also have the digital soundtrack, lithographs, the steelbook cover, a pendant, and a pretty cool figurine of the titular character in a stance. Sifu is an epic beat 'em-up game set around a revenge story and incorporates cinematic martial arts elements into the combat design.

Not only was Resident Evil 7 a totally different game than all the rest in the series with its FPS survival horror design, but Capcom likewise changed things up with the collector's version. Instead of a statue of a character from the game, which could've easily been any of the Bakers, you get their entire mansion, and it's a music box that lights up and leaves a shadow outline of Eveline in one of the windows.

RELATED: The Best Resident Evil Games

It only plays one particular song that acts as the game's theme – 'Go Tell Aunt Rhody' – and it's a chilling track, making the mansion music box feel like a Poltergeist or Insidious moment. Another interesting and creepy item is a USB drive that's a dummy finger you can bend. The game itself is one of the most frightening in the series, and one you may want to play with the lights out.

BioWare really throws the kitchen sink of unique items at you in the collector's edition of Dragon Age: Inquisition, the third game in a series that changed the industry with its dialogue trees and romance options. Not only do you have a cloth map and fictional war table pieces along with it to make you feel like you're planning battles in the high fantasy era, but you also have the inquisitor badge and Orlesian coins to immerse yourself as an inquisitor outside the game world.

Also included is a lockpicking set, an ink and quill set, a sketchbook with the insignia on the leather wrapping, and even tarot cards. The only thing that appears to be missing is a set of envelopes with some red wax and a seal stamp.

Video game soundtracks and musical scores often come as downloadable content in the collector's edition, but not Mafia 3's. Going with the 1960s setting, you have two vinyl albums for the soundtrack of classic songs heard in the game and the original score. You also get an art book, drink coasters from Sammy's bar, replica dog tags, and additional art prints, including a Playboy Magazine page (collectibles in the previous installment that return here).

Mafia 3 is set in New Bordeaux, a New Orleans-inspired locale, and tells the story of Vietnam War veteran Lincoln Clay's path of revenge against the Marcano crime family. Helping you out is your partner and former CIA handler John Donovan, and you can also split up any new territory between allied criminal heads like Cassandra, Thomas Burke, and Vito Scaletta.

It may seem silly to drop a lot of money on a collector's edition for a game like Among Us, but it's pretty affordable and comes with a lot of cool stuff that you don't typically see with other editions. Aside from a standard steelbook and game map, the Ejected Edition brings you plenty of cozy items like a fleece blanket with the suited characters in pajama hats, a red beanie, and a purple Crewmate plush toy. You also have a lanyard, some stickers, and phone wallpapers!

RELATED: Cozy Games To Cuddle Up On The Couch With

In Among Us, you play as either a colorful Crewmate or the selected Impostor that goes around killing the crew and trying not to get caught when a body is reported and a vote is called. It's a great game to make some new friends, and the collector's edition can make you more comfortable amid all the fun tension.

Rockstar doesn't just take you back to school with its game Bully, but the collector's edition for it does as well. There could've been any number of collectible items inside, like perhaps Jimmy's slingshot replica or a statue of Jimmy and the principal butting heads like on the game's cover art. Instead, you have a comic book and a blue rubber ball with the official Bully logo, like those you'd play with in dodgeball or handball.

Though simple and probably not the most bountiful collector's edition you can acquire, the ball is perfect for that nostalgia of your days on the handball courts or playing games of dodgeball at day camp. That's also the aim of Bully, creating a GTA gameplay structure within a preparatory school environment where classes and main missions are something you must juggle.

An even more limited and unprecedented collector's edition from Rockstar was Red Dead Redemption 2's. Unlike all editions like these that come with the actual game, either physical or digital, this one chose to omit it. You have some unique collectibles like a Red Dead logo metal box with a lock and key, a double-sided puzzle of Saint Denis' map, a shopping catalog, a red bandana, and playing cards, but sadly the game would have to be purchased separately.

It had a limited-time re-release after its exclusive launch, and not seeing the game in there might stop you from trying to buy this hard-to-find and expensive Red Dead Redemption 2 Collector's Box. While this edition may not be worth it, the game truly is. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a visual and narrative masterpiece of a prequel focusing on the downfall of the Van der Linde gang through the perspective of Arthur Morgan.

This one is still one of the more available collector's editions you can find and, like Red Dead 2, also comes without a copy of the game. The most notable feature is the flyable drone with remote control included, and it's designed precisely like the Jack robot in the Gears of War series. It's awesome for Gears fans looking into buying a drone, giving you the best of both worlds.

RELATED: The Best Crossplay Games For Xbox One And PC

Like in the previous games, Jack remains your companion throughout Gears 5, with the story focusing on the character Kait Diaz and continuing to bring the classic third-person action. This set also comes with a steelbook case, an exclusive skin for Jack in-game, a DB industries patch, an ID badge, a collector's box, and a blueprint schematic of a Jack.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3's Juggernog Edition was perfect for fans of Zombies mode and if you were in the market for a brand new mini fridge since it's the main collectible, designed after the Juggernog machine. It's a pretty neat collector's item that can store up to 12 cans, and the other in-game perk drinks serve as the design for the coasters.

Even better is that the game, season pass, and an additional Zombies map are also included in the bundle. Zombies was the highlight of Black Ops 3, even more so than the campaign itself, and Juggernog is an iconic drink in games that boosts your health and can help get you through tougher rounds.

The 2019 reboot of the Modern Warfare series had an option called the "Dark Edition," which offers practical night vision goggles inspired by those worn by characters during a certain mission in the game in addition to the steelbook and in-game gear. This isn't the first time night vision goggles served as the centerpiece in a Call of Duty collector's kit, the other being the original Modern Warfare 2 Prestige Edition, though it's still nonetheless wild to see.

These goggles have an adjustable strap and come with many features, including a "Long Range IR Mode" that claims you'll be able to see up to 65 feet in the dark. The new Modern Warfare games see the return of familiar characters with revamped visuals and different storylines and missions.

NEXT: Best PlayStation 5 Bundles In 2023

Dennis is a writer, storyteller, and aspiring narrative designer who graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz in Art and Game Design. His favorite hobbies include reading suspenseful thrillers, watching films and television, and being immersed in the spectacular worlds of video games.