Which Video Game Strategy Reference Guide Should You Buy? 4 Walkthroughs Compared

From a budget Doom 3 primer to a comprehensive Starfield companion, these four video game strategy reference guides cover different eras, price points, and gameplay styles. Here's how to match each walkthrough to your next playthrough.

Last updated Aug 17, 2026

Quick take

Choosing a video game strategy reference should come down to one question: which game are you actually going to play next? The four guides here cover an open-world western, a spacefaring adventure, a stealth-action spy adventure, and a 2004 first-person shooter, so the right pick depends less on the cover and more on how you play. Do you want a guide that reveals everything, or a compact companion for a single campaign? Do you want a publisher-backed strategy book or an independent guide? These are the decisions that separate a useful shelf addition from a regret.

Price comparison at a glance

Guide	Listed price	Price bar
Red Dead Redemption 2 Ultimate Game Guide	USD 30.25
STARFIELD The Ultimate 2025 Compete Game Guide WALKTHROUGH	USD 49.95
007 First Light Game Guide	USD 26.79
Doom 3 Prima Game Guide	USD 4.99

The price spread is wide, so it helps to think about what each guide is actually for. The Doom 3 book is a 2004 strategy guide, while the STARFIELD guide is a 2025 resource built for deep completion. The two guides in the middle serve very different game libraries.

Decision matrix

Red Dead Redemption 2 Ultimate Game Guide - pick this when you want a full-walkthrough partner for the open-world western and you're okay with solutions handed to you.
STARFIELD guide - pick this when you're building ships, exploring planets, and pushing for 100% completion across Starfield's many systems.
007 First Light Game Guide - pick this when you prefer a slim guide for missions, stealth, and collectibles in 007 First Light.
Doom 3 Prima Game Guide - pick this when you want a Doom 3 reference with maps, secrets, and cheats.

Product notes

Red Dead Redemption 2 Ultimate Game Guide

The Red Dead Redemption 2 Ultimate Game Guide is a brand-new paperback from Ivan Parker, and it's aimed squarely at players who want a comprehensive walkthrough. If your goal is to uncover every secret in Rockstar's western, this guide matches that ambition with its emphasis on a full walkthrough and tips to uncover everything. It's a Brand New paperback with a broad open-world scope. The tradeoff is the approach: this is a solution-oriented guide, not a spoiler-light hint book. If you enjoy discovering story moments on your own, the detailed walkthrough will tell you more than you may want to know before a mission.

STARFIELD The Ultimate 2025 Compete Game Guide WALKTHROUGH

The STARFIELD guide is the most expensive option in this group, and it covers a lot of ground: ship building, companions, factions, planets, crafting, and 100% completion tips. For a game with many interlocking parts, that breadth is the main reason to choose it over a lighter guide. It is a paperback, so you're getting a single physical reference rather than a modular collection. The limitation is practical: at the top of this price range, it makes sense only if you plan to spend serious hours across multiple Starfield systems. Casual players may not need that level of detail.

007 First Light Game Guide

The 007 First Light game guide is the compact one in this set. At 95 pages and 6 x 0.22 x 9 inches, it is an unofficial 2026 edition built for players who want a quick reference on missions, stealth tactics, gadgets, weapons, collectibles, and boss strategies. That makes it a good choice for a focused playthrough or for a player who doesn't want a giant tome. The limitation is tied to the same compactness: if you expect exhaustive lore or deep backstory, this guide is designed as a mission-level companion rather than an encyclopedia. It is independently published and clearly marked as an unofficial edition.

Doom 3 Prima Game Guide

The Doom 3 Prima game guide is the nostalgic pick and the lowest-priced option, priced at USD 4.99. It is an official Prima Games strategy guide for Doom 3 on PC, with level-by-level maps, secrets, cheat codes, storage cabinet combos, and stats. If you need help finding the BFG, this is the reference built for that job. The limitation is physical: the condition is Good, with minor edge wear and corner scuffing on the cover, so it's not a collector-perfect copy.

Final recommendation

Match the guide to your next session. For a Starfield save where you want ships, factions, planets, and completion goals covered, the STARFIELD guide is the one to carry. For a first or second run through Red Dead Redemption 2, the paperback from Ivan Parker gives you the answers up front. For 007 First Light, the 2026 Unofficial Edition keeps everything short and focused. And for a retro Doom 3 playthrough, the Prima Games guide is the one to pick.

Products in this article