So this whole thing started ’cause I kept seeing trailers for Manor Lords everywhere – dude swinging axes, building villages, the whole medieval sandbox vibe. Looked exactly like my kind of game. I knew I wanted it on PS5. Easy choice.
The Big Question: Plastic or Pixels?
First real thought that hit me was physical disc or digital download? Started picturing pros and cons right there in my kitchen.
- Disc Box: That cool case sitting on my shelf, maybe a map or booklet inside if I’m lucky? Plus, I can sell it later if it sucks (which it won’t, I hoped). BUT, gotta swap discs constantly. Annoying.
- Digital Download: Click play anytime, no getting up, share with my housemate’s console. BUT, zero resale value. Trapped forever. And eats storage space like crazy.
Leaned digital honestly. Laziness won that round.
The Hunt Begins
Jumped onto my PS5 first thing. Searched the store. Bam! Manor Lords digital edition popped right up. Price looked normal. Almost clicked ‘buy’. Then I paused. Started wondering… maybe somewhere out there has it cheaper? Or a cool physical pre-order bonus? Felt dumb not looking.
Grabbed my laptop. Started typing:
- “manor lords ps5 digital sale”
- “manor lords ps5 physical best buy”
- “manor lords playstation deals”
Went through a ton of shops. Official ones, big chains, everywhere. Digital prices were all pretty much the same. Like peas in a pod. Super boring. No sale surprise anywhere.
Then hunted physical listings. Checked stock at places near me. Sold Out. SOLD OUT. Another one saying “Coming Soon” or “Unavailable“. Kept hitting refresh buttons like a madman. Nothing. Saw one place online claiming they had copies, but delivery was weeks out. What’s the point then?
The Reality Check Moment
Stood up, stretched, got some water. Reality hit me. Digital was instantly playable right now. Physical meant waiting… maybe days, maybe weeks? For the same game? And paying shipping on top? Or worse, driving around town hunting like some kind of gaming Indiana Jones? Nah man. Not happening.
That sealed it. Digital it is.
Clicking the Button & The Sweet Download
Went back to my PS5. Searched “Manor Lords” one last time. Selected the standard edition (deluxe stuff felt unnecessary). Clicked the price button, confirmed with my PIN. Easy.
The download started immediately. Saw that blue bar crawling across the screen. Felt good. Real good. While it chugged, I watched the trailer again on my phone. Made me even more pumped.
Took maybe twenty minutes? Went faster than I expected. Pressed ‘Play’ the second it turned from grey to blue.
So yeah. Started digital vs physical, got sidetracked hunting deals and stock that didn’t exist, got thirsty, and came back to the simplest choice. My controller’s buzzing now, city lights just flickered on in my medieval village. Time to get lost. Moral of the story? K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple, Stupid.