Summer Sale 7-22

So, this should be the last day of the sale. Which is good, because while I haven't taken as large of a hit financially as I did during the last sale, I'll be happy to take a break for a while.

Buy:

Bastion - This is a must buy. A great rpg type game that I put 10 hours into. Artistic style, gameplay, all excellent, and the narrator is one of my favorite parts of the game. $3.74 today.

Bioshock - Really good first person shooter. The first one was amazing, though the second one, while it did have a lot of changes that I enjoyed such as the ability to dual wield or new big daddies to fight, just wasn't up to the same par. Still, $9.98 gets you both, and I'd recommend it.

Unknown:


Jagged Alliance - Another tactical strategy game. Honestly, I'm focused on Frozen Synapse right now, so I will pass for now, even through it is $9.99 today.

Operation Flashpoint -  Not sure about this one, but I am burned out  on modern era shooters at the momement, so I think it's a pass as well. $13.74 for two games.

SPAZ - Played this a little bit during the winter sale, as it was one of the achievement games. Build ships, make friends or enemies, and explore different solar systems. I'll probably get back around to it at some point, but I didn't put it on my "play right away" list. $2.49.

Splinter Cell - All kinds of different bundles for this one. I got a "complete" splinter cell pack a year or two ago (and it didn't include pandora tomorrow), but only played through the first two. Stealth generally isn't my style, but I was able to make it work. Though, I did sample the first 10 minutes or so of conviction, and despite all the issues with ubisoft and drm, the game looked damned cool, though a departure from it's roots. You can get four games for $11.49.

Double Fine Pack - I should probably have put this in the buy section, since it is double fine, but I haven't played these yet myself. Includes costume quest, psychonauts, and stacking, for $7.49.

Football Manager - Most definitely not my type of game. It's $7.49 as well.

Indie Bundle XI (Hydrophobia, Orion Dino Beatdown, Star Ruler, Waveform, World of Goo) - I've played world of goo a couple of times, and it's a great construction/physics sim. The rest I do not know about.

Limited Sales:

Galactic Cilizations II - Makes a reappearance, as do all the flash sales at the time of this writing, today as the community choice. $4.99.

Dead Island - $10.19.

The Witcher 2 - $15.99.

Portal 2 - $4.99.

Trine 2 - $3.74.


Well, that was an interesting sale. Not sure I like all the time limited deals. Still, I managed to get a couple games: Trine 2, Alan Wake collection, Frozen Synapse DLC, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, FEAR 3, Dear Ester, QUBE, Avadon, Vessel, Dungeons of Dredmor, The Witcher 2, Fallout New Vegas complete, Krater, Botanicula, Swords and Soldiers DLC, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, Penumbra: Black Plague, Zen Bound 2, and with a trade for an Orcs Must Die 2 preorder from the 2 pack, Quantum Conundrum and Puzzle Agent. Now I just need some way of finding more time so I can play all of them!

LIMBO

 **Be sure to check out the video review!** 

Today I take you on a trip into the dark world of Limbo, where shadowy human figures flee your every step, giant spiders seek your death, and color is a thing of dreams.

Now that fits in nicely.

Limbo is a fairly recent platform/puzzle/action game. There is no story, but the desire to find what lies just to the right of the screen drives you ever onward. That, and things like giant spiders that want nothing more than to impale the small boy protagonist on one of their spindle like legs.

The puzzles, or levels if you will, are pretty good, and the game flows seamlessly from one to the next.  At first your most difficult task will be things like trying to figure out how to cross a lake, run away from a boulder that is coming to crush you Indiana Jones style, or take on a spider with very sharp legs. Later you progress from the forest to more industrial areas, and the dangers shift to mine carts on electrified rails, machine guns, and changes in gravity that will fling you so hard against a wall, you'll become a pancake. While everything does scale in difficulty very well, I'll admit to being stuck once or twice and having to look around for a hint to get me beyond my predicament, usually finding out I had the right idea, but hadn't pushed that platform far enough, or jumped too soon, etc.

Gruesome death is part of the game. The black blob is the protagonist's head.

While the gameplay is good, and a fun way to spend some time, it isn't the best part of the game. Rather, it's the atmosphere of the game, the combination of visuals, background sound, lighting, etc, where this game really shines though. You almost need to play through the game a second time with that it mind, and just take some time, when you're not dodging machine guns or trying to outrun rising flood waters, and just consider what is going on around you. Creeping through the woods you'll notice the grass swishing as you walk through it, trees and other things start to blur the further away from them you get, the whisper of the wind overshadowed by the impact of your feet, which brings up a little puff of dust. Or in the, I shall call them sewers, the roar of falling water, or the occasional drip of just a little bit, or the ripples as you move through a particularly wet area. My favorite though is in the city, out on some roofs where you can hear the pitter patter of rain falling on glass and sheet metal. There is no background music or vocals in the game to distract from the environment, just the occasional noise an enemy or item makes.

There really are only two downsides to this game. The first is that it is a short game, and all in all it will probably have taken me longer to prepare this review than it took to play the game, clocking in at just under 3 hours. The other has to do with controls, and that's because the game uses the arrow keys and Ctrl, with no option to reassigning them besides, I hear, going in and editing some text files. Or you could use a gamepad. Nothing major with those, and the game does play fine with the keyboard, but I would have been more comfortable with WASD, and sometimes it's the small things that make a big difference.

You might notice the lighting, blur on the edge, and so forth, if it weren't for the big spider with a corpse on it's leg entering screen left.

Normally the game is $10, but it has been on sale a few times for as low as $2.50. At that price you should jump on it, but don't feel bad about spending $5 either. In the end, I'd say the gameplay is a 7. It is good, but not great, and the game is short. The artistic direction however, is a solid 10, and from that aspect of it I can't think of another game I've played that comes close.  So I think I'll just average them out, and then round up for the convenience of a solid number, and to support some indie guys, which makes this game a 9 out of 10.

So, the final breakdown:

Score: 9/10

Suggested Price: $5, has been lower

Summer Sale 7-21

Well, it looks like today is another day that will consist of mostly unknown games. But, here we go.

Buy:

Torchlight - It is a really solid action adventure game in the same style, though much less, um, drab, then the Diablo series. All kinds of features in there to grab your  attention, like randomized dungeons, the ability to alter your gear's attributes, pets to serve as mules, etc. You may want to get this as a warm up to 2, which is supposed to come out later this year. Until then, it's $3.74.

Dawn of War - I never played the original dawn of war games. Nor have I gotten around to retribution. Instead, my time has been spent on II, and I love that game. A squad like RTS, cover dynamics, rpg elements, loot. Yeah, I spent over 27 hours in just that one game. Today, the entire Franchise is $29.99, with various games for much, much less.

Unknown:

Prince of Persia - Like so many other games, I got this bundle a while ago, mostly because I remember wanting it when some of the earlier games came out. However, I have, surprise, yet to play it. It's $12.24 for 5 games as part of today's sale.

Fable III - This has been on sale a couple of times, and I have considered getting it, but then I look at the forums and decide it's not my type of game. If it's yours, it is $12.49 for the base game, and a couple of bucks extra if you want to pick up the additional DLCs.

ARMA II - Let's face it, this game is on sale for one reason only - Day Z. If you're interested in the realistic post zombie apocalypse game, you can pick this up for $17.99.

Arkham City  - This has been on sale before, and returns again today for $10.19.  I'll eventually give this a shot, but I think I should probably play through the Asylum first.

Evochron Mercenary - Brings to mind the X series, which I've only dabbled in. Potentially very good, but also looks so huge that there is no way I could tackle it. Today it is $6.24.

Quantum Conundrum - Now I was never clear if it was the sole creator beyond Portal that left valve and ended up doing this game, or just one of them. Either way, I've heard many good things, and just got the game myself today. Hopefully it has a bit more length than portal did, but I guess I'll find out for the $8.99 it takes to get this game today.

Indie Bundle X (All Zombies Must Die!, Beat Hazard, BIT.TRIP RUNNER, Eufloria, Machinarium) - Generally, I have to be familiar with 3 games form an indie bundle to justify advising picking it up, otherwise it's cheaper to just get the games I know about. Today I'm familiar with Beat Hazard and Eufloria. Now beat Hazard is one of those games  that uses your music to generate the levels you'll play in. It is an okay game, being a space shooter like so many arcade games before it, but something that never really grabbed my attention. Eufloria is a different matter. It is really an RTS, where unit generation and so many other things depend on plant generation and planets you colonize. It's hard to explain, but a game I really liked, and got about 7 hours into, when a harddrive crash ripped it all away.

Limited Sales:

Age of Empires III - This makes a return today as the Community Choice deal. It is once again $9.99.

Payday The Heist - Makes a return appearance as well. It is $4.99.

Dear Ester - You get another shot at this piece of art for $2.49 today.

Serious Sam 3 BFE - Back as well, for $9.99.

Sandbox Universe - For those of you that would like to recreate the universe as you see fit. Want to delete the sun? Or add a second star to our solar system? Pretty much whatever you want to do, you can. Not your traditional game, but it can be a fun experience if you have the right motivation. It's $2.49 today.

Summer Sale 7-20

Not such a financial hit for me today, since I already have most of the games, and pretty much everything on today's list has already been on sale.

Buy:

Magicka - On sale again. Read my view if you'd like more. Just make sure to the collection for $7.49, since it includes all the current DLCs.

Dungeon Defenders - Think this was on sale at the same time as Magicka. A good game, but a little slow for my taste. It does suffer from way too many DLCs syndrome. It's $12.49 for the collection.

Civilization - Same pack that was on sale earlier. The collection is $24.99, and if you just want Civ 5, get the game of the year version for half that.

Deus Ex - Need I say more? You can get the collection for $14.99, which I think is less than I paid for just Human Revolution.

Unknown:

Fear - Up again. The collection is $13.50.

Driver San Francisco - $7.49, and there is a Deluxe Edition for just a bit more.

Red Orchestra - Undecided on if I'll go for it or not, but the Franchise Pack is $8.74.

Crysis - Now while the first one was all the rage there for a while, I haven't heard anything good about the second one. The whole collection is $17.49.


Indie Bundle IX (Capsized, Jamestown, Revenge of the Titans, VVVVVV, Zeno Clash) - Capsized is a great 2D platform shooter, set on an alien world with lots of bad guys and bugs to shoot. Jamestown is a top down shooter that takes place on Mars, but incorporates early American history, and has been really good from what I've played. The rest are greek to me.

Limited Sales:

Risen - The other day  Risen 2 was on sale. Now you can get the first one as the Community Choice, at least for a little while longer. It's $4.99. I will say however, that they should have flipped the order of that sale.

Farcry - Complete pack is $4.98.

Tales of Monkey Island - Different from The Secret of Monkey Island, this one is $8.74 for the complete pack.

Burnout Paradise - I did like this game, and do recommend it. However, there are some issues. It played a lot better with a 360 controller than it did on a keyboard (curse you joysticks!), but I can't speak about a wheel. Second, it seems EA killed the online store shortly after it went on sale a year and half ago or so, so I don't know if there is anyway to get that content. I just know the last time I tried to connect online with it, I kept getting errors. If you'd rather, there are also three need for speed games in the same sale, all ranging from $4.99 to $2.49.

Braid - An excellent platformer. As the game progresses, you get special abilities. First you can rewind time, then later you get a ghost that executes your last timeline, so you can pull two switches by yourself. It gets challenging, but I wholeheartedly recommend it. Took about 3 hours, and today it's $2.49.

It'll be interesting to see what is on sale for the last two days. Do you have anything in particular you'd like to see?

Summer Sale 7-19

Lot of good games today, most of which I've just bought, or will be keeping a close eye on for when I have some more time, and pick them up in the future. Still, I figure I'll recommend them, if just for a look.

Buy:

Plants vs. Zombies - Popcap's take on tower defense. It is incredible how good such a simple game is. Played this thing for hours earlier in life, almost 47 hours too. For $2.49, that's a great deal.

Amnesia - Was either the flash sale or community choice a few days ago, and I mentioned it them. Highly recommend this, but it is so good, you'll have to do a self assessment of just how scared you can handle being. It's not a one jumpy moment, it's the overwhelming sense of dread that will get you. Again, $4.99

The Witcher 2 - This got mentioned a few days ago as well, and the consensous is that it's a great RPG. Haven't tried it yet myself, for full disclosure, but I will recommend it anyways. $15.99.

Fallout New Vegas - Loved Fallout 3, though I will freely admit that the game felt a little slow paced at times, what with such an expansive world to play in. Despite a rocky start, the game is supposed to have improved greatly, and now you can get the complete version for $9.99. That is why it pays to wait.

Unknown:

Krater - I'm going ahead and picking this up. Seems like a very solid, huge rpg. Hope the crafting system delivers what they talk about in the videos, because if it does, this could become on of my favorite new games. $7.49

Alan Wake - Mentioned this before the other day. Three years later we get the port, but it is supposed to be a great game. Plus, no games for windows live, which is always a plus.

Sniper Elite - This one has been around at least once before too. I will say that the game looks like it's got promise. While the game is $24.99, you may want to consider coughing up a bit more if you're interested, and get the franchise for $28.43.

Gratuitous Tank Battles - I haven't tired the gratuitous games yet, so I don't know what to say. But you can get both for $10.19.

Indie Bundle VIII (Demolition Inc., HOARD, SOL: Exodus, Swords and Soldiers HD, Wings of Prey) - At least I've tried three games today. Demolition Inc. is okay, something that lost my interest after about 2 hours, which is when some of the courses get a little tougher. HOARD has some potential, but was also something I didn't spend too much time on. I've actually completed Swords and Soldiers, which is a fun little strategy game. It feels more like something I should have on a tablet or phone, but nonetheless, I put 6 hours in it. The rest I've got no idea about.

Limited Sales:

Dead Island - A daily sale a few days back, now you get another shot. $16.98 for the collection.

Tribes Ascend - This starter pack makes a return today at $4.99.

Nexuiz - I'll admit, this looks kind of cool. However, I'm not a big one for arena shooters, mostly because they require you to play with others. Still, it's only $2.49. You just may want to drop into the forums for it and find out how alive the online community is if you're serious abou it.

Galactic Civilizations II - I'm a little burned out on anything with civilization in it after putting so much time into Civ 5 lately, but this does have potential. Would be another reason to get the Stardock Collection. $4.99.

Beyond Good and Evil - Classic game. An adventure game in the vien of Zelda. Got about 12 hours out of it. I just really wish they would have come out with a sequel. It never gets lower than the $2.49 it's at today.

Summer Sale 7-18

Pretty much figured out the Flash Sale rotation there yesterday, and after studying it a little more last night, I saw how one sale that started at 8 one morning would roll into one of the ones that started at 10 the following day, making it a 4 day rotation. But none of that really matters, just the part where I listed when games would come on sale, which all seems to be pretty accurate.

Buy:

Super Meat Boy - An extremely hard platformer game. And I seriously emphasize extremely. I only managed to get through 2 or three worlds (40-60 levels, plus the extreme versions of those levels) when I had a hard drive crash early last year.  Only get this if you are serious, and can handle spending a long time on any given level, because you pretty much need to have perfect execution to pull it off. Another thing to consider - the game recommends using a controller, but it is not required. $3.74 today.

Unknown:

Stalker - I've heard all good things about this action rpg, but have never gotten around to playing it myself. If you like games like fallout, this would seem to be right up your alley. $11.19 for the whole collection.

Sings of a Solar Empire - Space RTS that does look really, really good. A bit pricey at $29.99, but it is a new game. Though you may want to consider the Stardock pack, which is only $15 more, and covers 4 games total.

Carpe Fulgur - Yeah, no idea about this. Never even heard of it before. $12.43 for 3 games.

Age of Empires Online - Additional stuff for a F2P game. Probably something to get if you play, if not, why bother, even if it's $2.49.

Thief - Talk about a blast from the past with this one. I remember trying to play thief back in the day, and failing miserably because my idea of the best way to trouble shoot a problem is to find the trouble, and shoot it repeatedly. Hiding bodies, sneaking around, etc, just never worked for me. But if you are good at stealth games, i.e., splinter cell or certain playstyles in Dues Ex, it's $6.74 for the series.

L.A. Noire - Talked about this a little the other day, about how it is supposed to be a good game, but a poor port. It has fallen pretty quickly in terms of price, as it was still $50 in December, when it was 75% off at $12.50. Instead, it's only $4.99 today.

Total War - If, this far into the sale, you still find yourself in need of another strategy game, you can get the Total War series for $12.49 today.

Indie Bundle VII (Vessel, QUBE, Zombie Driver, Avadon, Dungeons of Dredmor) - I ended up picking this up today, since I only had one game, and wanted the other four anyways. But, being true to principle, I won't recommend it until I've played through a couple of the games, which hasn't happened with many indie packs yet. You've got Avadon, a hard core rpg. Dungeons of Dredmor is another dungeon crawler that I figured I'd pick up, and give the genre another go, after bad experiences with binding of isaac. QUBE is supposed to be a good puzzle game, akin to portal 1, but without the glados bits. Vessel has promise as a 2d action/puzzle/platformer. Zombie driver I have, and it is interesting as a top down save people from the zombie apocalypse while killing everything from your car game, but it makes my computer whine like it is about to blow up, so I've never played it that much.

Limited Sales:

Sim City 4 - Honestly, I think the last time I played a sim city game was in 2000. I guess I'm more of a destoryer than a builder. Still, just $4.99 today.

Risen 2 - One of a couple of rpgs up today. It's $33.49.

Game of Thrones RPG - And here's another, though between you and me, I'm getting pretty sick of Westeros and George R.R. Martin in general. Why don't you stop screwing around licensing you're IP every which way you can and finish the damn series! Sorry, I'm a bit bitter after the horrible 4th book. Oh, and it's $24.99.

Dead Space - Played both of these, and I do recommend them. The first one has a much slower pace, more akin to a classic Resident Evil game. The second is a bit faster, and feels less like "enter area A, complete objectives until you reach the end of the level, then back track until the begining, so you can go to area B and repeat." The games are more of a jumpy scary than a dread/paranoia that you would get from, say, Amnesia. Mostly just crap jumping out of vents at you. $9.98 for both games, though you may want a controller for the first one, because the keyboard always felt odd there. No issues with the second though.

Terraria - It's back at the $2.49 it was the other day.

Only 4 more days to go. I actually haven't bought as much as I thought I would, but there is still time for that to change. Let's see what tomorrow holds.

Summer Sale 7-17

First thing first, a little observation I've made while monitoring which games on are sale - the times various deals pop up.

Now, all these times are in pacific, so adjust accordingly.

Main sale - 10 am
Community Choice Sales - Midnight, 8am, and 4pm, with voting ceasing 30 minutes prior
Flash Sales - Slots follow a rotation (uncertain of over night at the moment): Slot 1 8am - 2pm - 8am, Slot 2 8 am - 4 pm - 10 pm, Slot 3 10 am - 6 pm - 12 midnight, Slot 4 10 am - 10 pm.

Now those flash sales my really be on a 2 day rotation, i.e. what went on sale at 10 this morning will change at 8 tomorrow, and I've yet to figure it out. But, in terms of linear time, you can find a sale at these points in the day:

8 am - Two Flash Sales and a Community Choice
10 am - Two Flash Sales and the main sale
2 pm - Flash Sale
4 pm -Flash Sale and a new Community Choice
6 pm - Flash Sale
8 pm - Flash Sale
10 pm - Two Flash Sales
Midnight - Flash Sale and a new Community Choice

I'll update that later if I notice any changes as the night progresses.

Buy:

Limbo - A great indie platform/puzzle game, with a unique atmosphere to it. The only downside to it is that it is really short, taking me about 2 hours to complete. This is actually the next game I'm going to review, coincidentally. $2.49 is more than a fair price for it, even given it's short length.

Company of Heroes - Of course I mentioned this game yesterday as my favorite WWII rts, so it goes on sale today. I've only played through most of the first game, and have still managed to accumulate about 24 hours. It's a little different in that you don't really worry about unit production, usually reinforcements arrive, etc, though single player is different than multiplayer. Features like tech trees, a cover system, are all interesting additions. If you've played Dawn of War 2 or retribution, you'll see many of the similarities. It's $12.48 for the bundle, or much less for the individual ones if you've already got the base game.

Grand Theft Auto - Not any game in particular, but a classic series that everyone knows about. Not all are neccessaryily great games, but for those of you that like sandbox games, the series is only $12.48.

Indie Bundle VI (Awesome, Defcon, SpaceChem, Ticket to Ride, Trauma) - First indie pack I've recommened, and it's because of Awesome, Defcon, and SpaceChem, since I've got no experience with the other 2. Awesome is a base jump sim I guess, set in the future where buildings float. You pull off expert manuavering through tight corases, finding the best path to score the most points possible. Includes all of A Reckless Disreguard for Gravity, and it took me 12 hours to get through all the levels, except for 2 I cannot possibly do well enough on, with a 4 out of 5 or higher. Defcon is a strategy type game, where you deploy bombers, airfields, subs, etc, in the build up to a nuclear war, with a final scene that reminds you of wargames. SpaceChem is one of the best puzzlers I've ever played, and a damn hard one too. Basically, no matter how complex the problem, you're presented with the same open board each time, and it is entirely up to you to make things work, from scratch. 33 hours just to get through the main game, let alone the seemingly endless user generated content.

Pass:

Call of Duty Block Ops - I've only played the console version, and just to a point. But what I'd really like to comment on is how this game, released in November 2010, already replaced in the franchise with MW3, and soon to be replaced in the series with the upcoming sequel, is STILL $40 when not on sale! Unless you really want to play the zombie mode in multiplayer (which is the only reason to play multiplayer from everyone I've ever talked to about it), wait until the end of this year and see if it drops any lower, though I doubt you'd see it less than $15 then. Hell, it's you're money, if you really want it and can't wait, go for it, at $19.99, because that's the lowest this has ever been.

Unknown:

Spec Ops The Line - I'll admit, I am really interested in this game, what with it's Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness type storyline, seemingly dynamic environment, and many other aspects of it I've seen showcased. I am holding off however, because it's still pricey, there may be more content on the way for it, and I have plenty of other games I've picked up, including many in this sale, that can hold me over until I deem it more affordable than $33.49.

Train Simulator 2012 - If you want to get started on this, it's a whopping 90% off today, making it only $3.49. Just be aware it's one of those games where the main game is cheap, but the addons, if you bought them all, would total a huge amount of money.

Stronghold 3 Gold - Sorry, no experience with this strategy game, which is $13.59 today.

Wargame European Escalation - Strategy game set during the height of the cold war, pitting NATO against the Warsaw pact. Game looks really interesting, as a modern rts. Added to my list of games to get, but holding off for all the same reasons as Spec Ops. It's $19.99 right now.


Limited Sales

Sanctum - Good tower defense game, though I do like Orcs Must Die! a lot more. Has more of a Defense Grid feel to it, from the design of the enemies, etc. $2.49 while it lasts.


Take on Helicopters - Nothing I can say about this sim, which is $16.99.

Duke Nukem Forever - If you really, really, really, want to play it, I doubt it will get any cheaper than this, since it's been this low for the last 6+ months now. Read my review of it, because I did give it a 4 out of 10 and recommend a pass altogether, though advocated the $4.99 price tag.

Dungeon Defenders - Another tower defense game. Pretty good, though a little slow paced for me. I would rate it below Sanctum. Though be forewarned that it's a game like the railworks one, where the base game is cheap, but there are so many DLCs. Actually, the complete pack is $12.49, so I'd go that path if I were you.

Shoot Many Robots - Uh, says 4 player co-op, which is not a selling point for me. Still, if 2D side scrollers are your forte, give it a shot, and tell me if I'm missing out by passing on it at $2.49, will ya?

Summer Sale 7-16

Found myself picking up a couple more games today, which can be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it.


Buy:

Assassin's Creed 2 - Reviewed this one. Huge improvement over the first game. Just read what I've written for more info - $4.99

Dear Ester - Not your normal game. The thing is entirely story, and you explore this island to figure it all out. This will be a new one to me, but I haven't heard anything bad about it. $2.49.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - I have never heard a bad thing about this game, and it brings you back to the earlier days of bioware and their great rpgs. Once again, $2.49.

Pass:

Assassin's Creed 1 - Reviewed this one as well, and hated the game. Also $4.99.

Unknown:

Metro 2033 - Another game I have heard good things about, own, and have yet to try. Only $4.99 today.

Men of War - WWII RTS. I've always been partial to Company of Heroes for that era, but you may like this one better. $12.49 gets you the complete pack.

Iron Front - Apparently it's WWII day. Find this for $19.99.

RAGE - Here's a game that's fall in price pretty quickly, and one I've heard a lot of mixed reaction to. Still, if you are interested, this is the cheapest it's been (was $15 during the Christmas sale).

Age of Empires II - $9.99.

Assassin's Creed - For the games I haven't yet played. Complete pack is $34.99, while individual games are much less. Something to be aware of for all games 2 and on, you'll have to deal with Ubisoft's uPlay DRM.

Indie Bundle V (Audio Surf, Gemini Rue, Greed Corp, The Tiny Bang Story, Ys: The Oath in Felghana) - I've played AudioSurf, a racing game of sorts, that constructs the track based on your music. I think it was the game that started that whole "powered by your music" trend. I've also completed The Tiny Bang Story. It's a little point and click puzzler, with about 3 hours of gameplay, and an okay but not great game.

Limited Sales:

Mirror's Edge - Unique parkour based game. Kind of cool actually, and at $4.99, not a bad buy. About 5 hours of game time.

Dead Rising 2 - $9.99

Amnesia - $4.99 A must buy to see how games can be art, though if you're freaked out by the video, I would steer clear.

Civilization - $24.99 for the collection, which includes 3-5, save for the resent God's and Kings expansion.

Fear - $9.99 for the pack.

Summer Sale 7-15

Bit of a mixed bag today, with a couple of community choice winners (and at least one loser) making a comeback.

Buy:

Trine - I haven't tried the second yet (just got it as the community choice winner a few days ago), but I loved the first. A great platformer with puzzle elements, where you control 3 characters and use their unique abilties to progress through the level. I always hated it when my thief died. $3.74 for Trine 2, or $5 for both games.

Unknowns:
Hitman - At only $6.24, you can get three games. I of course have them, but have never played them.

The Walking Dead - Mostly heard good things about this, so if you're interested, it's $14.99 .

Serious Sam 3 - Hate cowering behind corners? Well, then you could give this one a try. At $9.99, at least you won't break the bank if you don't like it. Just check out of the videos first and see what you think about waves of streaming enemies coming at your face.

Mount & Blade - The required daily rpg. Only $8.74 for the series.

Cities XL 2012 - I'm generally not one for sims, so I haven't given this series a shot. Maybe, at $9.99, now is the time to try.

Darkness II - Heard about it from a friend, played the demo, bought it when I saw it at this price, which it has been at multiple times across multiple sales platforms. It's almost a bioshock-esque game, where you utilize some special demonic powers at your disposal, as well as wielding plenty of weapons. Has a bunch of potential, and is on my "To Play" list. Yours today for $12.49.

Saint's Row III - Another game makes a return today. Personally, I'm going to wait a while longer before diving into this, because the complete pack is still almost $25. The stand alone game is just $12.49 though.

Indie Bundle IV (A Valley Without Wind, Atom Zombie Smasher, Blocks that Matter, Sanctum, Superbrothers: Swords & Sorcery EP) - Atom Zombie Smasher is great, had a lot of fun playing it during the Christmas contest, and have been meaning to get back to it. It's all about tactically placing your units around maps, and how you deploy them, to save as many people as possible from the Zed infection. Sanctum is another tower defense game from the first person perspective, though it feels more like you're in the Defense Grid universe than Orcs Must Die!. Not my favorite TD game, but still a good one. I can't comment on the other games, and so, as has been the case with all the bundles, I can't scream at you to go out and get it.


Limited Sales:

Legend of Grimlock - It's returned as the community choice, for the same $5.99. If you were interested and thought you missed out, you just got another chance.

Magicka - Great game, just posted a review of it. Make sure to get the complete pack, which is $7.49.

QUBE - Now I was going to buy this this morning, since $3.74  for a portal-esque puzzler isn't bad at all. However, word on the street is that the indie bundle on Wednesday will include this, as well as avadon, dungeons of dredmor, vessel, and zombie driver. Knowning that, I'm hanging off for a better deal.

Microsoft Flight - $16.99

Killing Floor - Now I've played a couple of rounds before, and know many people that just love the game. It's a survive the waves of enemies shooter. If that appeals to you, it's $4.99 for the base game, or $7.49 to get all the current character packs.


Man, when I decided to do this, I had looked at the Christmas sale where it felt like I knew most of the games that went on sale each day. Now it seems like it's nothing but games I haven't played. Hopefully as the sale goes along, I can be more help.

Brink

 So with today's game, Brink, I find myself in a bit of a predicament. First, it's really a multiplayer game, with the "singleplayer campaign" being nothing more than a series of maps tied together loosely with a story explaining the struggle occurring on the Ark from each of the two faction's perspectives. The other issue I have is that I never played it after buying it, but I'll explain that in the conclusion.

There are three core parts of Brink, each of which add or detract from the game to create the final experience. Those would be customization, parkour, and objective oriented gameplay.

Weapon attachments - the hats of Brink.

The customization aspect was supposed to be one of Brink's major selling points, and it is seen in two different ways. The first has to do with weapons, which you can alter with different scopes, various magazines, etc. While at first glance it appears that there are essentially millions of combinations betweens all the weapons and then the attachments and their respective level of bonuses/penalties, in reality there's not much there. For example, I prefer SMGs for their generally larger clips and high rate of fire, trade offs for the lower damage compared to some of the big boys. Yet despite there being seven different SMGs in game, and 8 different stats they could differ across (i.e. accuracy, rate of fire, clip size), they are nearly all the same. Furthermore, once you select a weapon, in the case of SMGs, you can only change four aspects of it - muzzle flare/silencer, scope, magazine, and bayonet/foregrip/speed sling. Most of the changes on the front of the gun, or the scope, are really just cosmetic, and so even though there are multiple red dot scopes, they are not functionally different from one another, though equipping one versus leaving the slot empty does change your weapon's stats. Honestly, the call of duty games have a greater degree of weapon customization.

The other thing you can customize is your character, and much more than just visually. You see, there are four classes in Brink - Soldier, Engineer, Medic, and Operative (think assassin/rogue). Additionally, there are three body types, which change things like what weapons you can wield, how fast you are, and so forth. Now what is really cool is that you can combine the two any way you like, meaning you could have a medic with the large body type, who is thus, while slow, able to wield things like the chain gun or machine gun. Furthermore, you can customize each class, in that as you level up, you can choose which abilities you want to unlock, buffs to increase the power of, etc. The result is that not all characters are equal, so just because you know the other team has a medic, doesn't mean you can write him off as easy pickings, which adds some variety to the game.

At least the levels are pretty...well, at least the ones that don't take place in a dump.

Like the customization portion of the game, the parkour is a mixed bag. While it's great being able to constantly climb up things, slide under openings or out of an enemy's line of fire, I've never seen this used for much more than seeing if there is someone down a corridor, where someone just slides past the bottom of the doorway, presenting as little a target as possible. All those places to climb, and cool paths to get behind someone, while there, aren't always obvious, so people either don't notice them, or just follow the main path. There is a whole psychology to map design, and if you've ever spent time working on one (I did some TF2 stuff for a while), or just listening to feedback, it's surprising how basic human instincts, things like follow the path of least resistance or turn right when faced with a choice, are so prominent in gaming. That being said, it's a nice feature, but not used.

Brink, at it's heart, is all about objective oriented gameplay. This isn't just a free-for-all frag fest. If you want to win, you need to, essentially, capture the flag, escort the VIP, or get that control point. There are plenty of other games that do this, TF2 being an extremely popular example (and a game I've already mentioned once, so it's on my mind). However, what Brink does is combine multiple objectives into a single overarching mission. Maybe, for round 1, you need to spend time attacking a pillar that needs to be blown up, courtesy of the soldier's explosive charge. Succeed in that, and the next round you'll be escorting a VIP. Then the final round could be attacking a control point by hacking it, or trying to capture some information that VIP gave you access to by returning it to the level's exit. The mix of objectives both keeps things refreshing, and keeps you on your toes, since you can't get into that mode of just spending thirty minutes guarding the flag.

A great function, now if people would just use it.

There are other aspects to Brink as well, such as side objectives that can help your time/hinder the enemy, the rock-paper-scissors aspect of the game where one class plant's an explosive charge, but another disarms it, and then a third comes in and hacks the panel you just gained access to, a nifty UI that lets you determine which objective you want to assist in, and highlights things accordingly, or just a different way of doing things like grenades or passing out weapon's upgrade kits/med kits/ammo to friends (they all consume supplies, and regenerate over time rather than having a fix ammo). Just like everything else, some are hits, and the others are misses.

Now onto the part about how I haven't played this game since I bought it. You see, Brink has been a free weekend item at least twice on Steam, where I downloaded it the first time, and then played it all weekend the second, about 11 hours worth. Did both the single player campaign, which, as I said earlier, just take's the game's 10 or so maps and tries to make up a story, and played online multiplayer. Overall, nothing about the game really stood out as a positive experience, though it isn't something that I felt I was worse for having playing. Rather, the whole thing was just kind of "meh." I actually debated with myself for a while if I even wanted to buy this game, especially since I felt I was already done with it, even at $6.25, and the fact that I was really hesitant to do so, and now, somewhat regret doing it, probably says more about the game than anything else.

Like with zombies, a double tap to the head is recommend, especially when medics can revive themselves.

If you really want to give the game a try, I wouldn't spend more that $5 on it, and skip all the extras, because Fallout and Doom themed items aren't worth it. I would say the game is one of those ideas that had a lot of potential, but failed in the execution, due to the disappointment surrounding some of those core concepts, or just the fact that people don't think to look up and jump on ledges to access secret paths. At best the game breaks even, not making you feel excited for playing it, but also not leaving you wondering if gouging your eyes out with a rusty spoon would be a better use of your time, like some other games out there door. Probably just best to pass all together - 5 out of 10.

So, the final breakdown:

Score: 5/10

Suggested Price: $5, if you want to really play it

Magicka

**Be sure to check out the video review!** 

I generally try and mix up the kinds of games I play, so that one genre doesn't get worn out. It helps that I'm also up to try games that would normally be outside my niche of action/shooters. Sometimes I just pick something up because I've seen friends play it, or it's a top seller, or its under $2, and the results can be anything from mind blowing to regret. Such was the way I came to pick up today's game, Magicka.

Magicka is really an odd game, and does not fit in with anything I've ever played before. According to the Steam store page, Magicka is an RPG/Action game, and I guess that is as good of a classification for this as anything, though even that isn't totally accurate.

You see, Magicka is a game about, surprise, magic. Specifically, there are 8 different elements, and the game is all about how you combine different ones together to forge your way though the game's levels. Fire by it self does a nice little jet of damage in front of you, but mix it with the earthen boulder, and maybe charge it up a bit, and you've got a fireball. Mix in some additional earth, since you can combine up to 5 elements into one cast, and you create a flaming boulder that will bounce through several enemies. Or maybe you'd rather soak an enemy using a water ball (earth + water), followed by electrocuting them with lighting. Enemies got your health bar down? Well, you could just cast a heal on yourself, but if you would rather be creative, mix life with shield, do an AoE cast, and watch as you create tiny landmines that heal anyone who steps on it. Replace life with arcane, and that's landmines that definitely do not heal you.

Meteor Shower Death - an all too common sight in my playthrough.

There is much more to the game than simply mixing up spells, though it's no simple matter to learn all the various combinations of elements, which elements cancel each other out, which produce additional elements - such as combining fire and water to make steam, and finally learning how your method of casting (self, AoE, in front of you) can make a huge difference in what you get. There are certain combinations that, after you have discovered the spell by uncovering a special book, allow the execution of magicks. Normally mixing lighting, arcane, and lighting together would make for a nice bit of damange, but if you have learned that magick, and cast it as such, you're suddenly teleporting around the screen. Or maybe you summon down a meteor shower, or a phoenix to revive a dead teammate, or death it self to take care of some of the nastier badies.

So you set out on an adventure across 12 levels, which are named in parody of popular movies, such as "Raiders of the Lost Ruins" or "A Fancy Menace," and which are pretty indicative of the kind of humor you'll encounter during the game,  to journey to the ends of the earth to uncover what is going on with some evil wizard that is supposed to be locked up. Along the way you face classic fantasy enemies, such as orcs, goblins, and trolls, as well as plenty of special bosses, usually due to your inability to communicate that you're actually a friend in need of help, since you seem to be mute.

The first 6 levels are all Star Wars. That gained it a couple of points.

Now the key to getting through this game, besides being able to quickly hammer out A-S-A-Space (teleport, and a life saver when you're doing this solo), is the rpg elements of this game, specifically, learning what combinations of damage works best against the foes you're currently fighting. Fire, and by extension fireballs, do wonders against goblins, but are pretty ineffectual when face with tougher opponents like armored orcs. In that case, you might want to whittle away their armor with boulders, using the physics of a charged up shot to knock their steel away until they are vulnerable to other attacks. Still other enemies, more ethereal ones you encounter later in the game, can only really be damaged by a single element, and you don't find out what that is until you wake them up. Or, since every game has zombies now, you might consider what's the better course there - fire, or life? All things to ponder as you are running around casting spells, desperately trying to avoid getting overwhelmed, attempting to make sure everything dies - but you.

I spent 12 hours or so on the basic adventure, though there are a couple of DLCs out now that add additional story content, while most others focus on survival or add new playable characters. However, if you're better about not teleporting off a cliff, or getting blown to bits by your own meteor shower, or dodging enemy wizards who combine their beam attacks into a potent insta-death ray, you should finish the game faster. Near the end of my campaign, they added a Navi (from Zelda OoT) like fairy that does two things: annoy you with useless information, hence Navi, and revive you if you die once per checkpoint, a very nice feature since I look any kind of friend to bring me back to life when I die. Still, there is plenty of difficulty in the game, but you can usually figure out a cheesy way to beat even the hardest bosses, such as tricking death into one shotting him, or kiting him around the room while you drop landmines behind you.

They actually mixed a 300 reference with Star Trek.

Back in June 2011, I was able to get the Magicka complete pack for $7. Since then they've added a lot more content, specifically two DLCs that add campaigns rather than just new robes that make fun/pay tribute of things like Star Trek, Day of the Tentacle, or Warhammer 40k. So what you'll want to do is make sure to get the complete pack, and even then you'll still need to keep an eye out for any one of the 14 DLCs you might have missed. Even so, Magicka was a really fun experience, though there were more than a few times I wanted to break something as I managed to get a huge wave of enemies down to the last one or two guys, only to kill myself but not realizing I was soaking wet while trying to cast an electrical attack, making my health bar for from 100 to 0 in 3 casts flat. The periodic humor helps take the edge off though, so I'll score it well - 9 out of 10

So, the final breakdown.

Score: 9/10

Suggested Price: $10

Summer Sale 7-14

A little observation today that might give those of you who have missed out on a game you want that was up during a Flash Sale or didn't get voted for the rotating 8 hour sale, a bit of a relief - games are starting to appear in more than one spot. For example, Half-Life 2 was part of the Flash Sale yesterday, but then was also a choice earlier today (it lost out to Left 4 Dead). Alan Wake is in pretty much the same boat, going from flash sale last night/this morning to one of the current choices, and for exactly the same discount. Conversely, the Witcher 2, which lost out to Saint's Row 3 on Thursday, is 60% as of this writing. So there is hope that a game you missed will still come around at that great price, though I buy into the conspiracy that these time games Valve is playing is all just evilness to get you to download their mobile app. Thankfully I bought a smart phone a few months ago, and this sale is definitely keeping me logged into steam, so maybe this vile plan is working after all.

Okay, the games!

Buy:

Orcs Must Die! - A MUST have. You can see both my video and written reviews for this one. Do make sure to pick up the game of the year edition, which is $5.

Borderlands - It's pretty much a classic at this point, but if you don't already have it, it is a combination of rpg elements, notably a gratuitous loot system, and fps. Spent over 100 hours in it, including the DLCs, which you should get. The game of the year edition is only $7.49, more than worth it.

Frozen Synapse - I've heard it described as in the same vein as as the old XCOM games, or some other tactical games, and I've generally heard really good things about it. An important thing to note is that it is actually cheaper than the $5 price tag would lead you to believe, mostly because you get two copies of the game, so find someone to strike a deal with.

Pass:

Skyrim - Right now you're thinking I'm crazy, but I've got a good reason, or several. First, the game is still nearly $30 after discount, which is a lot. Second, there is at least one DLC on the way, and considering how the last 2 fallout games have gone, Bethesda has probably got a couple more planned. Third, there will be a game of the year edition that will package all that stuff up for less than you could get it for now. And fourth, if you're missing any other recent Bethesda games, just buy the Bethesda collection instead, which includes Fallout New Vegas and all it's DLCs, Brink, and Hunted, for only $50.

Unknown:

Two Worlds II - $7.49 This one I'm debating picking up, because looking over my list of recently played games, I notice it has been a long time since I've enjoyed a serious RPG.

Dirt Showdown - $24.99

Dead Island - $10.19 or $16.98. Personally, I'm a little burned out on zombies right now, so even though I'm interested in this one, I'm hanging off until this winter when I have less of a backlog of games I'd like to get through, and the price is even lower.

Tropicco 4 - $7.49 for just the game, or $16.22 for the bundle with DLCs.

Indie Bundle III (Braid, BIT.TRIP BEAT, Runespell: Overture, Bunch of Heroes, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet) - I've actually played Braid, a bit of Bit, and Bunch of Heroes. Braid is excellent, Bunch of Heroes isn't, and Bit is a bit different. Shadow Planet looks good, and has been added to my wishlist, but Runespell seems like its a stretch to combine odd game elements (in this case, an rpg and poker). It worked for Gyromancer (bejeweled meets pokemen, square style), but I'm not so sure here. Overall, the pack is a toss up at $10, especially since if you've been following the humble indie bundles, or purchased any other indie bundle off of steam in the past, you're likely to already have one or two titles, as has so far been my case with all of these packs.

Limited Sales

Left 4 Dead - This actually beat out Portal and Half-Life to be the current community choice. It is a great game to play with friends, and I logged plenty of hours (115 in 1, 15 in 2, yet I paid full price for both :-( ) under that scenario. Not as good if you're doing it solo, and going online with randoms is always a gamble. Still $7.49 for the series isn't bad.

Renegade Ops - $3.74 (You will really want to play this with some kind of controller. I did it with a 360 controller, and couldn't imagine doing it without.)
Sam and Max - $12.49
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic - $2.49
The Witcher 2 - $15.99

Currently, you're choices for the next community choice discount are Amnesia, Alan Wake, and L.A. Noire. They are, respectively, and from my experience and what I've heard, a scary ass game where I've left my character hiding behind a pig carcass for the last few months, a port of an older game that is supposed to still be very good, and a supposedly poor port of another good game. It'll be interesting to see what wins this round, though my money is on Amnesia.

Summer Sale 7-13

Another day, another round of throwing my wallet at my computer and asking when it will ever be enough.

Buy

Space Marine - Got this a while back at $12.50, and it was a pretty good game, a 7ish. Took about 8 hours to beat the single player. Generally good times, but, and this is surprising, after a while endlessly hacking and slashing away at hordes of orks gets a little tiring.

PayDay - In the same vein as Left 4 Dead, but you're robbing banks, taking hostages, and fending of SWAT squads. Also, it's only $5.

Pass

The Binding of Isaac - Even though it's $1.24, if I knew more about this game, I would probably have passed on it during Christmas. It's a rogue like game, with rpg elements, randomly generated worlds and no second chances. Difficult if it's outside your niche, as was the case with me, so I haven't touched it since I got the necessary steam achievement for the holiday contest.

Unknown

Anno 2070 - Something to keep in mind with this one, is that the DRM is pretty harsh. PC Gamer found out the hard way that 3 hardware changes, in their case, switching out graphics cards to see how it ran in different setups, locked them out of the game. Still, $24.99 if you want to risk it.
Max Payne 3 - At $29.99, you may want to hold of, because this game was just released, and it's already 50% off. Wonder what it will be down to come Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Tribes Ascend Starter Pack - $4.99
Sonic Generations - $10.19
From Dust - It's $3.74, which is half of what I paid last Christmas, and I haven't even gotten around to playing it yet. Just another reason I should follow my own advice and wait longer.
Indie Bundle II - Includes Botanicula, E.Y.E: Divine Cybermancy, Oil Rush, Splice, and Universe Sandbox for $9.99, which comes out as a wash for me, since I already have some of the games. Botanicula and Splice could be promissing though, maybe I'll keep an eye out for them as a daily deal later.


Special Deals

Assassin's Creed Revelations - $13.59
Bejeweled 3 - $4.99
Lara Croft - $3.74
Toy Soldiers - $2.49

Half-Life 2 - The only reason you might want to consider skipping this, is if you're getting the Valve pack instead. Oh, and make sure to get episodes 1 and 2, so you can finally understand what the rest of us have been waiting for with episode 3.

In case you missed the last couple of choice deals, Trine 2 won over night, and then Ghost Recon 2 was up earlier today.

Also worth noting, yesterday's deals are still valid for a few more hours.

Orcs Must Die!

**Be sure to check out the video review!**  

I picked up Orcs Must Die! when it was a daily deal in December 2011. It was under $4, and I'm usually a sucker for cheap games. I was going to buy it, until I heard it was a tower defense game, at which point I went "Ewww" and moved on. Later that morning, my roommate wandered in to ask what the daily deal was, and to watch the video for that. We agreed it looked better than what the description sounded like, and he encouraged me to pick it up. And I am glad he did, because OMD! is one hell of a game.

OMD crit my expectations!

You're a war mage, or at least an apprentice war mage, who gets a field promotion when your master slips in a puddle of kobold blood and dies. As a war mage, you're tasked with defending the rifts from an onslaught of orcs, ogres, hellbats, and other baddies that want nothing more than to step through the rifts in their world, and cross over into yours.

To those ends, you're gifted with a variety of traps and special weapons. You are, however, limited in the number that you can carry throughout any one level, up to a max of 10 slots. The first always contains your trusty crossbow, which is great for taking out enemies at range or stunning them with the secondary function before they can take that final step through the rift. After that, its up to you to pick what best fits your play style, and the available paths in the map, and there are plenty of traps and weapons make your slaughtering possible.

Actually, my favorite weapon is the Alchemist's Satchel, mostly because it blows up and sprays acid everywhere /innuendo.

Got a narrow bridge that funnels enemies to you, with a pit of lava on each side? Maybe some spring traps to fling them into the pools. Don't like traps, well then maybe you should use your wind belt tool, and knock them off the edge, that is, as long as you've got the manna for it. Or it could be that enemies are moving too fast for your wall traps, like axe blades or arrow traps, to catch, so you could lay down some tar traps to slow 'em down or freeze them in place with the Frost Amulet weapon. Fliers becoming an issue? Use your crossbow, or archers, or ceiling traps to fry them out of the air. There are a total of 26 traps, weapons, and other useful items in the game, unless you pick up one of this game's two DLCs, in which case you get two more weapons and two more traps, which are all worth it.

Each trap can be upgraded by spending orc skulls, which are acquired by doing well in a level. Some upgrades are pretty basic, such as decreasing the cost of buying archers, while others offer special effects like increasing the range the traps reach or infecting enemies with a slowing poison. It is important to note that upgrades are permanent, as you actually unlock the upgraded unit outside of the campaign by buying it, and then it is always available. And since skulls are going to be in short supply, especially when you're just starting out, you'll want to make sure to choose very carefully.

Scantily clad women that augment my damage dealing ability?!? Why can't I have all three?

Another form of tweaking your character and your traps comes in the form of weavers, which unlock later in the game. Each level you are allowed to pick one weaver, each of which has a series of special bonuses arranged in a tree like fashion, where you must have bought the prerequisite to advance down the tree. I've always been fond of the Steel weaver, which improves my traps and guardians. Archers firing fire arrows are always great whenever there are fliers about, while turning up your physics traps so that they fling ogres, the biggest bad guys in the game, right into the pit of lava or acid with all the other guys, is well worth the investment. If you're not a fan of buffing your traps, you can choose another weaver that improves your weapons, or an eventual third that focus on your special magical weapons and abilities, like the flame gantlets. While it's costly to advance all the way down to the bottom, those bonuses always seem to pay off.

There are 24 levels in the base game, and 5 more in the game's second DLC, which range in difficulty by design from the incredibly simple, to the massively complex "holy crap how am I ever going to defend this??!?" If you manage to get through them all on this game's normal difficulty, you can always try your hand at nightmare mode, which amps ups the enemies and gives you only a handful of seconds between waves. Plus, you can always try and go back and get that perfect 5 skull score, so there is plenty you can play through again here.

Death corridors are so much fun.

All in all, OMD! is a great game. For $6 I got the game and both DLCs, yet that gave me 17 hours of game time just getting through everything on normal, since I'm not insane enough to try nightmare. There are some issues with it, mostly related to running an SLI configuration (even if you're running a single card, like my GTX295), but disabling SLI lets you bypass all of that. Worth picking up, at anywhere between $10 and full price, and you should have a good time defending rifts, killing orcs, and laughing at the level intro/outro humor of this game, as well as little comments by your character, like "making orc salsa!" or "this will hurt me more than it will hurt you...no, wait, other way around." So jump on this one the next time it's on sale - it's 9 out of 10.

So, the final breakdown:

Score: 9/10

Suggested Price: $10+ (with DLCs)

Portal 2

I would hate to be a game designer, especially when you're making a sequel. How much of the original do you keep, how much do you add to make it better, or fix up issues with the first one, and how much tinkering can you do before you start in infringe upon the integrity of the original, particularly when the original was a ground breaking game. That's something you should consider through today's review, which is for Portal 2.

The original Portal was fantastic. Period, end of sentence. Yes, it could have been improved upon, mostly in that it only took an hour or so to get through it. Sure there were challenges, like trying to beat a level without taking more than 30 steps, but I've never been one for branching out beyond the core single player game. So how do you go about creating a sequel to that new first person puzzler that Portal established?

Spelunking around in the bowels of Aperture, I still couldn't find the cake.

 

One of the things that's immediately obvious is that this game has a lot more depth, and story, to it than the previous. It is no longer a battle of wills between GLaDOS and our silent protagonist. The introduction of the "helpful" Wheatly, or recordings of Aperture's founder, Cave Johnson, all add humor, a sense of story, and background information on Aperture, to the game. So pay attention to what other characters are saying, to you or each other, because all of that is pretty funny, and helps break up the puzzling portions of the game.

Speaking of puzzles, and since that's the heart of the game,  you probably want to know how they are. Well, they are definitely more difficult than the first game, but that is more because the solutions seem to be so specific, rather than the more open ended feel of the original. I got the impression that there was really only ever one way to solve any given room, and it was more a matter of execution than creativity, with many rooms having few surfaces that you can even use the portal gun on. While it's great that I got 6 hours of play time out of the main game, the whole time the puzzles didn't feel like they were on par with what the first game had to offer.

Making a mess, for science!

While the puzzles were disappointing, Valve did add some really cool new mechanics. Three types of gels make for even more ways to interact with your environment. These include:  propulsion gel, that makes you move faster as you run across it; repulsion gel, which allows you or objects to bounce off it; and a white gel that allows you to make portals on otherwise non-portal surfaces. It will be interesting to see where the community takes these new mechanics, and just what kind of crazy things you'll be able to do in the custom maps that always follow Valve's games.

 

There are other additions to the game as well, such as co-op mode and the return of challenge mode. Now co-op mode is supposed to be a big part of the game, in that it's this huge deal. I'm sure it can be pretty fun, given the right partner, but honestly, I'm not one who wants to try and solve puzzles with others, who I have to depend on to execute things perfectly, in order for us both to succeed. So if you've got someone you can trust, let me know how this part of the game is, because it is a place I will never venture.

Characters that add depth to the game include a potato.

Overall, Portal 2 is pretty fun. The puzzles are more frustrating, more "man, I need to look at an FAQ" than the previous, but still worth the investment. The story, or the humor that passes for it, is really good, and it's probably worth picking up just for that. I got it in November 2011 for $11 or so, but I've seen it for $10 or less since then. If you're not planning on going beyond the single player story, which took me about 6 hours, I wouldn't pay anymore than that. Still, a good game, at 7 out of 10.

So, the final breakdown:

Score: 7/10

Suggested Price: $10

Steam Summer Sale Begins!

I would say, "Hell, it's about time." but I think when DNF was actually released, it killed that for me.

Anyways, as the title says, the summer sale has started, running now until the 22nd, meaning there are 11 days that I get to watch my bank account dwindle rapidly.

Now if you've read through some of my past reviews, you'll notice I usually cite steam sale prices for the games I buy, and I generally stock up during the big sales like this, during thanksgiving, and the Christmas sale. So I figured to add a little life to this blog, since "real life" has been stealing what time I've generally had to write, edit, and publish reviews, I'd cover some steam news around this sale, pointing out bargains to keep an eye out for, or things to jump on right away, or even those you should avoid like the plague.

I should note that this sale includes some special elements, specifically the option to vote over an 8 hour period for which one of three different games should be on sale, and flash sales, that last for only a few hours. As such, I won't be able to cover 100% of it, but will try and include those extra deals as much as possible.

So, here's what's up today:

Buy:

Terraria - an upcoming review for this one will reveal that the open-world-build-what-you-want-rpg-esc game gets at 10/10 from me, soaking up 50 hours for only $2.50. Though I would advise if you're not a fan of a game where you have to decide what the point in playing is, you should probably pass this one over.

Portal/Portal 2 - I've got some reservations about 2, which isn't nearly as good as 1 from a puzzle perspective, but none the less is a pretty enjoyable experience. At $6.24 for both, it's a must buy. (I will post the portal 2 review a little later tonight, it's been in editing for a while now)

Pass:

Modern Warfare 3 - I've covered this one already, but you may want to consider it only if you're interested despite what I have to say, because I don't think I've ever seen a COD game go for less than this in the last two years.

Unknown:

Lots of games here I haven't played yet, so you'll just have to take a risk.

Total War Shogun 2 - $7.50 
Ridge Racer Unbound - $24.99
Might and Magic Heroes VI - $24.99
Legend of Grimrock - $5.99
Indie Bundle 1 - $9.99
Crusader Kings II - $9.99

I would take a hard look at Legend of Grimrock, a rogue like dungeon crawler that I've heard good things about, and the Indie Bundle 1, which includes Anomaly: Warzone Earth, Cave Story+, EDGE, Lone Survivor, and The Baconing. Oddly enough, I've already got everything in that bundle but The Baconing, but haven't played anything but Anomaly.

Special Sales

Saints Row 3 at $12.49 is the voted deal for the next few hours, one I'm debating picking up, after it beat out The Witcher 2 and Batman Arkham City earlier today. Don't forget to vote for the next deal, a choice between Limbo, Trine 2, and Magicka. Between you and me, I went with Trine 2, because it's the only one of those I haven't picked up already, and Magicka is always on sale.

Back to the Future The Game, Spacechem, Warlock Master of the Arcane, and Rayman Origins are the flash sales as of this posting, though not for much longer in most cases. I've completed Spacechem, an incredible puzzle game that, when I get around to it, I'll give a 10 and point out that 33 hours of fun/struggle is a hell of a deal for $2.49.

Well, that wraps it up for now. Keep an eye on this, because there are going to be a lot of good deals this week.