I started the game mid .11 wipe with a standard edition. Because I enjoyed the game so much, I eventually upgraded to Edge of Darkness to not only get the cool swag, but also to support Battlestate. How did this expensive option save me real money? I have NOT bought a single game on Steam since.
I tend to have game ADD. When a Steam sale comes along, I will try all kinds of games. Granted there are huge hits (looking at you Mount and Blade: warband, picked up for $10, played for 1200+ hours) and there are games that I've only put in a few hours before discarding. Such a habit, even when buying on the cheap, far outweighs Edge of Darkness price tag.
I really haven't played anything but Tarkov, except some Slay the Spire on the laptop during travel. So, yup, spending $100.00 on one game… the most I've ever spent…. has saved me money.
Kudos to such a great, maddening, addictive game. Which I actually suck at, even playing like a rat, and I still thoroughly enjoy!!!
