Everything is going digital these days, you can stream almost anything, from your favourite music to the latest episode Game of Thrones, everything is at the tip of your fingers. The same goes for gaming, a major push into digital stores in the past few years has seen phenomenal growth. With most gaming households now outfitted with lightning fast internet, this process has never been easier, it also saves you the hassle of having to get up from the comfort of your couch to change those dreaded discs, gah! what a nuisance!

That being said, many gamers, myself included, still love to own the physical version of the game, sometimes more than once (I'm looking at you, my Metal Gear Solid 4 multi-region collection!) and this ownership hits another level of commitment when it comes to collector's editions. These prized limited edition versions of a game usually come in at a hefty price but more than make up for this with their content. Comprised usually of some sort of collector's item like a statue or replica from the title, these are the surest signs of a 'true gamer'. For if you own the collector's edition (cue angelic chorus) you are the ultimate fan, surely.

Collector's editions come in all shapes and forms and... price tags. The ludicrously priced $1 million Saint's Row IV 'Super Dangerous Wad Wad' Edition which included a trip into space with Virgin Galactic, a "full day of spy training," plastic surgery of your choice, a Lamborghini Gallarado and a few other extras, was limited to one unit. Another mental addition to gamers shelves was the GRID 2 'Mono' Edition, priced at a cool $190,000, it included a PlayStation 3, copy of the game and a BAC Mono supercar in unique livery. Casual. Good luck fitting that on your shelf.

For those of us who have drawn somewhat of a shorter financial straw in life, game developers have proved to be more than reasonable with their collector's editions and most of these usually contain a bunch of DLC goodies to further incentivize picking up the often double or triple the original price items. With that being said, let's take a look at some of the best and worst collector's editions from recent memory and why they were worth (or not) the extra dosh. I will not be taking into account the price tag or size of the editions unless otherwise specified.

The Best

The Witcher III

Not only was the Witcher III: The Wild Hunt one of the greatest RPG's of all time, but it also came with one of the most incredibly collector's editions ever. The hulking box opened to reveal a 30cm tall hand-painted polystone statue of Geralt slaying a griffin. A 200-page artbook, Wolf School Witcher medallion and a steel case all rounded off this monster beautifully. Additionally the Xbox One version also included a set of Gwent cards which were later expanded with the Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine expansions. If there is one collector's edition I totally regret not grabbing, it's this one, had I known how I would later feel about the game I would have easily thrown in my lot with this edition. If you have one... call me. No, seriously.

Guild Wars 2

I spent hundreds of hours and failed many tests in highschool as a result of NCsoft's Guild Wars, so when a collector's edition for the sequel was announced I threw my cash at the first pre-order I could find. I was dutifully rewarded as the Guild Wars 2 Collector's Edition is honestly one of the most well made I have ever seen. Featuring a 25cm tall statue of Rytlock Brimstone, a fiery Charr warrior complete with an equally flaming sword. The detail on this guy is exceptional but it's only when you pull him out you realize just how special this edition is. A steel tin with a map of Tyria embossed onto its lid lifts open to reveal a 180 page artbook, soundtrack and art prints. They even saw fit to give the lucky owner a frame for these prints, who does that? Amazing.

Halo 5
Collector's editions often tend to lean more on the side of aesthetics over practicality, indeed, we buy them to display them, so when a game releases with a collector's that is both practical and pretty one might say it's a type of nirvana. Halo 5 then, is nirvana. A collector's that served both purposes on top of fitting into the thematic narrative of the game. The impressive, and pricey collector's edition followed in the footsteps of other excellent Xbox exclusive collector's editions, including the beautiful Gears of War 3 Epic Edition and Halo 3 Master Chief Helmet replica.

Featuring Master Chief and Spartan Locke, the statue that split magnetically in the middle creating bookends for your Halo library or games. The highly detailed piece from Tri-force is one of the most detailed collector's in circulation and makes for an eye catching piece in any gaming cave. It also included Halo: The Fall of Reach the animated series, a Guardian model by Metal Earth and some sweet documents.

Notable mentions, Destiny, Overwatch, Injustice, DOOM, Bioshock Infinite, Uncharted 3, The Division, Dishonored 2 and all of the Assassin's Creed games.

The Worst:

F.E.A.R 3
Does anyone remember F.E.A.R 3, the game that completely derailed everything the previous two games had built up? If you do remember that abomination of game you may also remember that it came with a collector's edition that included a statue of a pregnant Alma Wade, whose engorged belly glowed in the dark. I can't believe I just typed that. I also cannot even begin to fathom how on earth this 'Edition' passed the concept phase. I imagine the discussion went something like this

Project lead: "Hey guys, time to decide on our collector's editon content, what shall we give our ravenous fanbase?"
Intern 1: "Why not a back to back statue of the Point Man and Paxton Fettel, showing off their duality?"
Project Lead: "Not a bad idea Intern 1, anyone else?"
Intern 2: "I know, why not a hideously deformed pregnant version of Alma?"
Project Lead: "Bingo, bloody great idea! Our fans will love it!"
Intern 2: "Better yet, lets make her naked, and make her stomach glow in the dark!"
Project Lead: "Honestly Intern 2, you are a better man than I could ever hope to be, an inspiration, nay, a visionary, you're going straight to the top young chap".

To this day, this edition truly baffles me. I will never understand the reasoning, nor, do I think I ever will.

Resident Evil 7

Some collector's editions bypass coolness and practicality entirely, ending up as nothing more than complete wastes of space. Resident Evil 7's collector's was exactly this, a total pile of crap. Featuring a replica of the mansion, a USB in the form of a severed thumb, an artbook and some lithographs, it was a complete tripe. The mansion did nothing, literally, nothing, no lights, no sound, nothing and the USB looked like it has been bought for R10 at a China mall as a cheap Halloween gift. The only saving grace was the 20th Anniversary artbook and lithographs but I have no doubt these did little to sour the experience for the receiver of this paperweight of a collector's.

Call of Duty: World at War

Speaking of paperweights, remember Call of Duty World at War's collector's edition? A replica whiskey flask you couldn't open. Yup, a flask, you couldn't drink from. Cool huh? The daftest thing about this last one is that you can't even display it properly because it is a round flask, it just flops over in all of its majestic uselessness.

A few special mentions: Avatar: The Game, Alone in the Dark, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, Fable II.

So there you go, some of the best and worst collector's editions in existence, which do you love? which do you hate? Let us know in the comments below!