So today is the final day of the Steam Summer Sale of 2013. Everything that's on sale today has already been covered in previous posts, with 7/10 of the games actually being the big game for the day. A quick run down of what we've got in the main sale:
Reviewed:
The Walking Dead, Torchlight 2, Civilization 5
Must Haves:
The Walking Dead, Torchlight 2, Dishonored
Games to Avoid:
Civilization 5
Still too Expesnive/Unfinished
Bioshock Infinite, Kerbal Space Program, Skyrim, Tomb Raider, Borderlands 2
What's Left:
Chivalry Medieval Warfare
Little different view of the main sale today. I really don't think you could go wrong with any of the titles today expect for Civ 5, and I'm personally not too interested in Chivalry after taking part in a free weekend for it a while back, but that's probably because I've put too much time in the similar War of the Roses. Most of the rest of the games are just too new, lacking a GOTY/complete edition, or are generally a bit too expensive for my taste currently, otherwise I'd jump all over Bioshock, Borderlands 2, and Skyrim in a heartbeat. It'll certainly be interesting to see where those games go cost wise come November and December, when, at the very least, additional sales from the likes of GMG, Gamersgate, and Amazon might put more of a dent in my wallet. Here's the rest of what's on sale right now.
Flash Sales
Just Cause 2 - $2.99
ARMA II - $8.49
Sanctum 2 - $7.49
Sings of a Solar Empire Rebellion - $9.99
Voters' Choice
Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon - $8.99 Note that the base Far Cry 3 is not on sale for the same discount.
And in case you missed it: over night was all deals we've seen before, such as Dark Souls ($7.49), Terraria ($2.49), Sleeping Dogs ($6.24), Max Payne 3 ($9.99) and FTL ($2.49) overnight; GTA IV ($4.99), Fallout ($4.99), Dead Island Riptide ($19.99), The Cave ($5.09), and Dragon's Lair ($4.99) this afternoon.
*****
So, that wraps up the sale for good. Actually picked up a few more games than I realized, totaling 12 if you count a DLC for a game. What I got: Sleeping Dogs, Hitman Absolution, System Shock 2, Poker Night 2, Dishonored (+ some DLCs I've not included in my count), RAGE DLC, Sang-Froid, Assassin's Creed Revelations, Dark Souls, The Cave, and Fly'N. Total damage: $63.97. And if you combine those 6 cards plus the other 10 or 11 from voting I've still come up two short of a complete set, which is more than just a bit annoying.
What did you get? Final thoughts on the sale? You know, the usual questions I ask so I can bridge the week or so before I get back to actually writing reviews, of which I gave the list of upcoming games out during my last post, but, in case you missed it, you can expect to see the following: Trine 2, Jamestown, Poker Night, Alan Wake, XCOM, and Hotline Miami.
After that I need to start playing some more games, though I'm currently
working through Sleeping Dogs, Sniper Elite V2, and Shank. For new information, I'm also leaning towards a video review for Frozen Synapse, Trine 2, Shank, Sleeping Dogs, and maybe even Sniper Elite.
Until then, thanks for reading!
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Steam Summer Sale 7-19-13
**So obviously this one is a little late, and out of order. Apparently I hit save instead of publish and just never realized it. I'm putting it up anyways since a few of the games showed up in the encore sale. **
Well, I screwed that one up. I apparently forgot to record what games where on sale overnight, so I am very sorry about that. I've been tracking them as a means to keep you informed about sales you might have missed or what the potentially lowest price you'll see on a particular game is. All I have are the sales from this afternoon. To compound the problem, today's selection of main deals isn't exactly teeming with things I have intimate knowledge about. That all makes today pretty interesting, at least for me.
Main Sale
Skyrim - This version is the complete edition, including all those pesky DLCs. It's still pretty expensive at $35.99, but that is substantially less than you could get all the items for individually as recently as the last sale. I'm hoping the game will be under $15 come the 2 year mark this winter, but that might be pushing it too much ($30 is pretty likely, but GMG or Amazon might surprise me).
Civilization - Reviewed! It was on sale the other day, in case you missed it. Frankly I don't advocate purchasing this one, but I can't speak to the changes that came with the expansions, since the first version turned me off the series entirely. Still, I would recommend forgoing the $7.49 version for the more complete gold edition at $12.49, since it includes most of the DLCs. The just released Brave New World is not discounted.
Monaco - I've heard a lot of good things about this coop, class based, heist game. Personally, I'd like to try it out, except for the whole coop part. If you've got a couple of friends, I would recommend giving it a try, because it does seem worth it. $7.44 today.
Eve Online - This is that massive space faring MMO where there are a bunch of crazy antics like groups of people that intentionally harass the safe zones just to screw with the economy. Frankly, I don't think anything I could ever accomplish in this game would be as interesting as the stuff you can read about, but you might have more luck than I. It is a subscription based mmo, so there is that. The start pack is on sale for $4.98, and the monthly billing is discounted right now as well.
Grid 2 - It's racing with beautifully render vehicles. Not my sort of thing, but it's $29.99 today. All 7 DLCs are also discounted.
Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition - You'll have to forgive me, because I never played the original. I have heard a few concerns about this version of the game, though it seems like it's still worth picking up at $4.99.
Train Simulator 2013 - $10.99 for the base game, $1248.05 to get all 121 DLCs. If you decide to buy the whole thing, I'd love to know how that is.
Trails Evolution - A bit of a different racing game. All kinds of gravity, and sanity, defying moves in this one. A little much today, at $9.99. Still, there was a pretty big hurrah around this one when it was announced it was coming to PC.
Metro Last Light - So, this game should be awesome, and I will certainly pick it up in a year or so. The game itself is $29.99, but you can pick up the first one for $3.74 as well. f you want both and the DLCs, then get the franchise pack for $35.99.
Awesomnauts - This game has been on sale the last few sales, and I do finally own it thanks to some indie bundle, but I still haven't been inclined to play it due to it's multiplayer nature. However, it is an all time low right now at $3.39
Flash Sales
Hitman - It's back in case you missed it the other day. $6.24 again.
Fallout - Also back, with several options just as before. The complete edition of New Vegas is $4.99, while the GOTY edition of Fallout 3 is also $4.99.
FTL - Also back, again for $2.49. Reviewed! And you should pick it up.
Star Conflict - I've never even heard of this game before now, it's apparently some kind of F2P MMO. This particular upgrade back is $39.99, which makes it seem very Pay 2 Win.
Voters' Choice
Super Meat Boy - The uber challenging platformer returns after it was on sale a few days ago. Still $3.74.
And in case you missed it (because I know I did!): Star Trek ($7.49), Rayman Origins ($6.79), Portal 2 ($4.99), Fable III ($4.99), and Bully ($3.74) were on sale this afternoon.
*****
Not the best day. Certainly some good games in the main sale, but those are all pretty expensive. To be expected of things like Metro Last Light, being so new, but Skyrim is just a repackaging of a game that's been around for a while. We'll see how that shakes out later in the year. Probably the best deals right now would be found in the flash sales, specifically Hitman, Fallout, and FTL. Oh well, hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Well, I screwed that one up. I apparently forgot to record what games where on sale overnight, so I am very sorry about that. I've been tracking them as a means to keep you informed about sales you might have missed or what the potentially lowest price you'll see on a particular game is. All I have are the sales from this afternoon. To compound the problem, today's selection of main deals isn't exactly teeming with things I have intimate knowledge about. That all makes today pretty interesting, at least for me.
Main Sale
Skyrim - This version is the complete edition, including all those pesky DLCs. It's still pretty expensive at $35.99, but that is substantially less than you could get all the items for individually as recently as the last sale. I'm hoping the game will be under $15 come the 2 year mark this winter, but that might be pushing it too much ($30 is pretty likely, but GMG or Amazon might surprise me).
Civilization - Reviewed! It was on sale the other day, in case you missed it. Frankly I don't advocate purchasing this one, but I can't speak to the changes that came with the expansions, since the first version turned me off the series entirely. Still, I would recommend forgoing the $7.49 version for the more complete gold edition at $12.49, since it includes most of the DLCs. The just released Brave New World is not discounted.
Monaco - I've heard a lot of good things about this coop, class based, heist game. Personally, I'd like to try it out, except for the whole coop part. If you've got a couple of friends, I would recommend giving it a try, because it does seem worth it. $7.44 today.
Eve Online - This is that massive space faring MMO where there are a bunch of crazy antics like groups of people that intentionally harass the safe zones just to screw with the economy. Frankly, I don't think anything I could ever accomplish in this game would be as interesting as the stuff you can read about, but you might have more luck than I. It is a subscription based mmo, so there is that. The start pack is on sale for $4.98, and the monthly billing is discounted right now as well.
Grid 2 - It's racing with beautifully render vehicles. Not my sort of thing, but it's $29.99 today. All 7 DLCs are also discounted.
Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition - You'll have to forgive me, because I never played the original. I have heard a few concerns about this version of the game, though it seems like it's still worth picking up at $4.99.
Train Simulator 2013 - $10.99 for the base game, $1248.05 to get all 121 DLCs. If you decide to buy the whole thing, I'd love to know how that is.
Trails Evolution - A bit of a different racing game. All kinds of gravity, and sanity, defying moves in this one. A little much today, at $9.99. Still, there was a pretty big hurrah around this one when it was announced it was coming to PC.
Metro Last Light - So, this game should be awesome, and I will certainly pick it up in a year or so. The game itself is $29.99, but you can pick up the first one for $3.74 as well. f you want both and the DLCs, then get the franchise pack for $35.99.
Awesomnauts - This game has been on sale the last few sales, and I do finally own it thanks to some indie bundle, but I still haven't been inclined to play it due to it's multiplayer nature. However, it is an all time low right now at $3.39
Flash Sales
Hitman - It's back in case you missed it the other day. $6.24 again.
Fallout - Also back, with several options just as before. The complete edition of New Vegas is $4.99, while the GOTY edition of Fallout 3 is also $4.99.
FTL - Also back, again for $2.49. Reviewed! And you should pick it up.
Star Conflict - I've never even heard of this game before now, it's apparently some kind of F2P MMO. This particular upgrade back is $39.99, which makes it seem very Pay 2 Win.
Voters' Choice
Super Meat Boy - The uber challenging platformer returns after it was on sale a few days ago. Still $3.74.
And in case you missed it (because I know I did!): Star Trek ($7.49), Rayman Origins ($6.79), Portal 2 ($4.99), Fable III ($4.99), and Bully ($3.74) were on sale this afternoon.
*****
Not the best day. Certainly some good games in the main sale, but those are all pretty expensive. To be expected of things like Metro Last Light, being so new, but Skyrim is just a repackaging of a game that's been around for a while. We'll see how that shakes out later in the year. Probably the best deals right now would be found in the flash sales, specifically Hitman, Fallout, and FTL. Oh well, hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Steam Summer Sale 7-20-13
So you know how yesterday I pointed out that I had screwed up by not recording the overnight sales as a means to see what the lowest price a particular item might be during the course of this sale? Well, I forgot to record that same time frame again this morning. So obviously I'm becoming careless. That's okay, because we're at a point in the sale where everything has pretty much come up before. Case and point, for today's 10 main deals I'm pretty sure all but 3 have been on sale already, or they have at least been an option during a voters' choice. So there really isn't much to say about today's games, but I'll try anyways.
Main Sale
Prison Architect - This is actually an early access game that is still in the alpha phase, with alpha 11 having just launched on the 28th of last month. There are all kinds of purchasing options from $19.79 to $32.99 and varying features from copies of other Introversion games or the ability to name a prisoner. As far as the game goes I will admit that it is probably the most interesting early access game I've seen, having read several articles about it in the past as updates have been released. Build your own prison, manage cameras, deal with riots, and much, much more. Something I'll eventually pick up when its been full released, but not before then.
Starforge - Also an early release game in the alpha stages. It's one of those do whatever you want sandbox games like minecraft or terraria, both of which are cited as influences. It also looks like it has potential, but again, it's only an alpha, and I'd rather not pay for an unfinished project, even if it's $9.99.
Natural Selection 2 - An asymmetrical RTS/FPS hybrid where you take on the role of either aliens or space marines. Each team has a commander that plays from an RTS perspective, building structures to unlock new technologies, defending bases, or helping the other plays. The FPS players do things like capture resource nodes by building structures deployed by the commander, and, of course, killing each other. I put a ton of time into the original, as well as a little bit of time into this version during a free weekend a while back. The game is pretty good, but not something that really appeals to me due to it's multiplayer focus. Pretty sure today's price, $6.24, marks an all time low.
Sanits Row The Third - This was on sale earlier, just in case you missed it. The over the top GTA like game comes in two flavors - the standard edition for $4.99, or the DLC rich Full Package for $7.49. You can guess which one you should get, because this is an all time low price for the game.
Counter Strike GO - This was just on sale a few days ago. Returns again for $5.09. If you're into more "realistic" shooters, wherein there is a purchasing system for weapons and gear, and you only get one life per round, you might want to give this a try.
Assassin's Creed - While the store page only shows the latest game, Assassin's Creed 3, you can search for the other 4 titles and find that they are on sale as well. I have reviewed both Assassin's Creed and II, with II bay far being the better game there. The first 4 titles are all $4.99 each, which is the lowest they ever seem to get, while III is still $23.99. Revelations also has a gold edition for $7.49, which still makes it a better deal to get all 5 games separately rather than pay the $57.78 that the bundle would cost.
Sonic All Star Racing Transformed - Umm, it's $7.49. The 75% off discount does also apply to it's DLC.
Omerta City of Gangsters - A tactical turn based game set during the Prohibition Era. Take your gang all the way to the top as you form a strategy and execute a plan for success. The game certainty looks interesting, and I did recently finish another turn based tactical game, so I do haven an opening. Thankfully the game has a demo. It's $9.99 today, and the 75% off discount applies to the DLCs.
Star Wars Kings of the Old Republic II - This one had been on sale here not too long ago, and returns again for $3.39. I feel like that isn't an all time lowest price, but it's pretty close. I still need to play through the first one, so I will just have to pass today.
Worms Revolution - Pretty sure this one had been on sale earlier as well. A couple of different purchasing options, with the base game being $3.74, associated DLCs at various prices, or a franchise pack for $22.49. Frankly I never really cared much for the turned based strategy series, but as I pointed out in the Omerta bit, I did recently finish a game in the genre, and this is certainly less serious than XCOM or Frozen Synapse.
Flash Sales
Strike Suit Zero - Honestly, I haven't heard anything really good about this game, but then I would also have to trust the word of anonymous people on the internet, and what do they really know? The game is $2.99, and Infinite is $1.74. A bundle is $5.99. As a word of warning, the game is less than 6 months old and it's already 85% off.
Sword of the Stars The Pit - Rogue like old school looking RPG. It could be interesting, though I've never been a fan of the whole 1 life thing. There is a demo. The game is $2.50.
Deadpool - Just released, and it's already 33% off. Man, I would be a little bit pissed if I bought it last month. The game does seem to be a more humorous take on superheros, but then again, I don't know anything about Deadpool anyways, so I'm not sure if that's just his normal character or what. $26.79 today.
Zeno Clash II - This game just looks odd, which is the same feeling I had with the original. Not sure about it, actually. It's $9.99 for the regular edition and $14.99 for the special edition.
Voters' Choice
Chivalry Medieval Warfare - At least the 3rd time this game has ben on sale.
*****
Not such an interesting sale today. Only thing that I would certainly pick up is Saint's Row 3, though I went ahead and snagged the Gold Edition of Assassin's Creed Revelations. Prison Architect is something that I inexplicably want, but I find it a particularly bad idea to purchase things before they are actually finished. A bit disappointing that pretty much everything on sale had already come up, making the main sale less intriguing. Today also rounds out the games featured in the card set for this sale, so I'm not sure what to expect tomorrow. Since the sale is supposed to last through the 22nd, which would be when all the games that went on sale today expire, it's likely that, if we get anything, it would probably be a collection of the best selling games. I really don't know, and frankly, because of the surprisingly large amount of funds remaining in my bank account, I don't think it'll particularly impact me.
If there is a new posting tomorrow, I'll cover that. If not, then I guess the sale is over, and I just want to say thank you for reading over the last few days. Be sure to stick around for reviews in the future, as well as the major Steam sale coverage I continue to do. The next couple of reviews will be as follows: Trine 2, Hamestown, Poker Night, Alan Wake, XCOM, and Hotline Miami. After that I need to start playing some more games, though I'm currently working through Sleeping Dogs, Sniper Elite V2, and Shank. Requests are always welcome, though I'm not sure if I'll be able to get to the right away/if they are a mutliplayer game I just may not do it at all. Think that covers it for now. See you tomorrow?
Main Sale
Prison Architect - This is actually an early access game that is still in the alpha phase, with alpha 11 having just launched on the 28th of last month. There are all kinds of purchasing options from $19.79 to $32.99 and varying features from copies of other Introversion games or the ability to name a prisoner. As far as the game goes I will admit that it is probably the most interesting early access game I've seen, having read several articles about it in the past as updates have been released. Build your own prison, manage cameras, deal with riots, and much, much more. Something I'll eventually pick up when its been full released, but not before then.
Starforge - Also an early release game in the alpha stages. It's one of those do whatever you want sandbox games like minecraft or terraria, both of which are cited as influences. It also looks like it has potential, but again, it's only an alpha, and I'd rather not pay for an unfinished project, even if it's $9.99.
Natural Selection 2 - An asymmetrical RTS/FPS hybrid where you take on the role of either aliens or space marines. Each team has a commander that plays from an RTS perspective, building structures to unlock new technologies, defending bases, or helping the other plays. The FPS players do things like capture resource nodes by building structures deployed by the commander, and, of course, killing each other. I put a ton of time into the original, as well as a little bit of time into this version during a free weekend a while back. The game is pretty good, but not something that really appeals to me due to it's multiplayer focus. Pretty sure today's price, $6.24, marks an all time low.
Sanits Row The Third - This was on sale earlier, just in case you missed it. The over the top GTA like game comes in two flavors - the standard edition for $4.99, or the DLC rich Full Package for $7.49. You can guess which one you should get, because this is an all time low price for the game.
Counter Strike GO - This was just on sale a few days ago. Returns again for $5.09. If you're into more "realistic" shooters, wherein there is a purchasing system for weapons and gear, and you only get one life per round, you might want to give this a try.
Assassin's Creed - While the store page only shows the latest game, Assassin's Creed 3, you can search for the other 4 titles and find that they are on sale as well. I have reviewed both Assassin's Creed and II, with II bay far being the better game there. The first 4 titles are all $4.99 each, which is the lowest they ever seem to get, while III is still $23.99. Revelations also has a gold edition for $7.49, which still makes it a better deal to get all 5 games separately rather than pay the $57.78 that the bundle would cost.
Sonic All Star Racing Transformed - Umm, it's $7.49. The 75% off discount does also apply to it's DLC.
Omerta City of Gangsters - A tactical turn based game set during the Prohibition Era. Take your gang all the way to the top as you form a strategy and execute a plan for success. The game certainty looks interesting, and I did recently finish another turn based tactical game, so I do haven an opening. Thankfully the game has a demo. It's $9.99 today, and the 75% off discount applies to the DLCs.
Star Wars Kings of the Old Republic II - This one had been on sale here not too long ago, and returns again for $3.39. I feel like that isn't an all time lowest price, but it's pretty close. I still need to play through the first one, so I will just have to pass today.
Worms Revolution - Pretty sure this one had been on sale earlier as well. A couple of different purchasing options, with the base game being $3.74, associated DLCs at various prices, or a franchise pack for $22.49. Frankly I never really cared much for the turned based strategy series, but as I pointed out in the Omerta bit, I did recently finish a game in the genre, and this is certainly less serious than XCOM or Frozen Synapse.
Flash Sales
Strike Suit Zero - Honestly, I haven't heard anything really good about this game, but then I would also have to trust the word of anonymous people on the internet, and what do they really know? The game is $2.99, and Infinite is $1.74. A bundle is $5.99. As a word of warning, the game is less than 6 months old and it's already 85% off.
Sword of the Stars The Pit - Rogue like old school looking RPG. It could be interesting, though I've never been a fan of the whole 1 life thing. There is a demo. The game is $2.50.
Deadpool - Just released, and it's already 33% off. Man, I would be a little bit pissed if I bought it last month. The game does seem to be a more humorous take on superheros, but then again, I don't know anything about Deadpool anyways, so I'm not sure if that's just his normal character or what. $26.79 today.
Zeno Clash II - This game just looks odd, which is the same feeling I had with the original. Not sure about it, actually. It's $9.99 for the regular edition and $14.99 for the special edition.
Voters' Choice
Chivalry Medieval Warfare - At least the 3rd time this game has ben on sale.
*****
Not such an interesting sale today. Only thing that I would certainly pick up is Saint's Row 3, though I went ahead and snagged the Gold Edition of Assassin's Creed Revelations. Prison Architect is something that I inexplicably want, but I find it a particularly bad idea to purchase things before they are actually finished. A bit disappointing that pretty much everything on sale had already come up, making the main sale less intriguing. Today also rounds out the games featured in the card set for this sale, so I'm not sure what to expect tomorrow. Since the sale is supposed to last through the 22nd, which would be when all the games that went on sale today expire, it's likely that, if we get anything, it would probably be a collection of the best selling games. I really don't know, and frankly, because of the surprisingly large amount of funds remaining in my bank account, I don't think it'll particularly impact me.
If there is a new posting tomorrow, I'll cover that. If not, then I guess the sale is over, and I just want to say thank you for reading over the last few days. Be sure to stick around for reviews in the future, as well as the major Steam sale coverage I continue to do. The next couple of reviews will be as follows: Trine 2, Hamestown, Poker Night, Alan Wake, XCOM, and Hotline Miami. After that I need to start playing some more games, though I'm currently working through Sleeping Dogs, Sniper Elite V2, and Shank. Requests are always welcome, though I'm not sure if I'll be able to get to the right away/if they are a mutliplayer game I just may not do it at all. Think that covers it for now. See you tomorrow?
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Steam Summer Sale 7-18-13
Well, today I can safely say that I am far more familiar with the main sales, which is good. I've actually reviewed 3 of the ten games, and have recently completed a 4th that is a few reviews away. This is good because it'll drastically cut down on the amount of lies and falsehoods I could potentially spread.
Main Sale
Torchlight 2 - Reviewed! Great ARPG that I strongly recommend you get. Once you get back the main story, which takes about 24 hours the first play through, you can either play through multiple times or try level specific maps. With added mod support there is plenty more you can do now than when I played it earlier this year, so that's good. $4.99 for II, and only $3.74 for the original game. Currently an all time low price.
Gary's Mod - This one is just wierd. All it is a sandbox where you can mess around with various models from HL2 based games. The results to this can be rather impressive though, and generally make for fun times as you position things around. I've only ever used it because you can create a camera path, which is useful if you happened to have made custom maps for TF2 in the past. It's usual $2.49 today.
Van Helsing - In case you weren't into the ARPGness of Torchlight 2, you can try this one instead. One character, but he's highly customizable. The game looks pretty good, and is more in line with darker ARPGs, rather than the blast of color that Torchlight brings. Currently 50% off at $7.49, but sadly no demo.
XCOM Enemy Unknown - Just finished this up about 2 weeks ago. A really good tactical game with much more than the battles going on. You've got base management, UFO missions, the whole part where you can upgrade soldiers as they level up. It's certainly a good game, but it can become a bit tedious when you get far enough that you have satelite coverage on all countries and oodles of cash with which to buy the best gear. Can either try it hardcore mode where you utilize autosaving or try and remember to save yourself, which that at least allows you to go back and replay things over and over again until you get them right. All time low of $9.99 with the two DLCs, one of which includes a few more missions, costing another $2.98. I would certainly suggest picking up, because it'll keep you occupied for quite a while.
Simcity 4 - I haven't played a sim city game since 2000, so I'm not the best to ask about this. The advantage it has is that it isn't the latest game, so there's that. $5.99 today.
Farcry 3 - Still too new for me to get around it, plus I never finished the first one. It's $23.99 for the regular version, $29.99 for the deluxe, or $42.47 for the franchise bundle, but you can actually pick up the games cheaper if you buy them separately.
Euro Truck Simulator 2 - It's $9.99.
Infestation - This is the relaunched The War Z MMO.You know, the one that everyone calls a rip of Day Z and says you shouldn't buy. It's also the one that was previously pulled from Steam because it's store listing was misleading about what features were in the game. There are various deals in case you want buy a few extra credits, but it's probably best to avoid it all together.
Call of Duty MW3 - Reviewed! Honestly, not something that I'd really recommend. The single player is acceptable, but very sort, and when I stopped playing the multiplayer was full of hackers. Plus its the same game that you've seen for the last 4 or 5 years where you simply spawn, shoot from the hip, and then die. It's $19.99 today.
Magicka - Reviewed! The base game is $2.49, and you should certainly pick it up. But what you should really get is the Collection, which is $8.74 and includes the large number of DLC this game has.
Flash Sales
Age of Empires II - Makes it's return after the other day. Still the same $9.99 with a bundle option for $16.99.
Chivalry Midieval Warfare - Also makes a return today for $6.24.
Borderlands 2 - I know this is making a return, but I'm not sure if it's the 2nd or 3rd time it's been listed. I could look, but that would involve work. $10.19 for the base game again.
Dungeon Defenders - Reviewed! One of those hybrid action/tower defense games. It's okay single player if you either the mage or knight, but is really geared towards coop play. Frankly, I wasn't to impressed with what the game had to offer and would suggest Orcs Must Die! or Sanctum in it's stead, both of which have sequels that offer coop, but the game does have a demo so you can judge for yourself. It's $2.24 for the base version but $7.49 for a pack that includes a ton of stuff, including new missions, characters, and skins.
Voters' Choice
Counter Strike GO - Despite what the store page says, it isn't actually 90% off. Once you get to it's specific page you'll see it's $5.09. Personally I never cared for CS, growing up in the days of 1.6, since I found myself playing TFC instead. Still, it's kind of the game that really made online shooters popular. Not a bad deal at today's price.
In case you missed it: Antichamber ($6.79) was on sale again, as was the Witcher 2 ($4.99), there was also Cities in Motion 2 ($6.79), Dirt 3 ($6.24), and the Warframe Starter Pack ($9.99) over night; Bindings of Isaac ($1.24), Port Royale 3 ($9.99), Resident Evil 6 ($19.99), Sang Froid Tales of Werewolves ($5.09), and Risen 2 ($4.99) were all up this afternoon.
*****
Certainly a much better day than the last few. I personally picked up Sang Froid earlier today. Still, several good games to get, with my picks being XCOM and Torchlight II, though Magicka can be quite fun and Van Helsing has potential. I would also recommend steering clear of Call of Duty MW3, Infestation, Dungeon Defenders since two of those are just so-so games, and one is supposed to be really, really, really bad. Until tomorrow!
Main Sale
Torchlight 2 - Reviewed! Great ARPG that I strongly recommend you get. Once you get back the main story, which takes about 24 hours the first play through, you can either play through multiple times or try level specific maps. With added mod support there is plenty more you can do now than when I played it earlier this year, so that's good. $4.99 for II, and only $3.74 for the original game. Currently an all time low price.
Gary's Mod - This one is just wierd. All it is a sandbox where you can mess around with various models from HL2 based games. The results to this can be rather impressive though, and generally make for fun times as you position things around. I've only ever used it because you can create a camera path, which is useful if you happened to have made custom maps for TF2 in the past. It's usual $2.49 today.
Van Helsing - In case you weren't into the ARPGness of Torchlight 2, you can try this one instead. One character, but he's highly customizable. The game looks pretty good, and is more in line with darker ARPGs, rather than the blast of color that Torchlight brings. Currently 50% off at $7.49, but sadly no demo.
XCOM Enemy Unknown - Just finished this up about 2 weeks ago. A really good tactical game with much more than the battles going on. You've got base management, UFO missions, the whole part where you can upgrade soldiers as they level up. It's certainly a good game, but it can become a bit tedious when you get far enough that you have satelite coverage on all countries and oodles of cash with which to buy the best gear. Can either try it hardcore mode where you utilize autosaving or try and remember to save yourself, which that at least allows you to go back and replay things over and over again until you get them right. All time low of $9.99 with the two DLCs, one of which includes a few more missions, costing another $2.98. I would certainly suggest picking up, because it'll keep you occupied for quite a while.
Simcity 4 - I haven't played a sim city game since 2000, so I'm not the best to ask about this. The advantage it has is that it isn't the latest game, so there's that. $5.99 today.
Farcry 3 - Still too new for me to get around it, plus I never finished the first one. It's $23.99 for the regular version, $29.99 for the deluxe, or $42.47 for the franchise bundle, but you can actually pick up the games cheaper if you buy them separately.
Euro Truck Simulator 2 - It's $9.99.
Infestation - This is the relaunched The War Z MMO.You know, the one that everyone calls a rip of Day Z and says you shouldn't buy. It's also the one that was previously pulled from Steam because it's store listing was misleading about what features were in the game. There are various deals in case you want buy a few extra credits, but it's probably best to avoid it all together.
Call of Duty MW3 - Reviewed! Honestly, not something that I'd really recommend. The single player is acceptable, but very sort, and when I stopped playing the multiplayer was full of hackers. Plus its the same game that you've seen for the last 4 or 5 years where you simply spawn, shoot from the hip, and then die. It's $19.99 today.
Magicka - Reviewed! The base game is $2.49, and you should certainly pick it up. But what you should really get is the Collection, which is $8.74 and includes the large number of DLC this game has.
Flash Sales
Age of Empires II - Makes it's return after the other day. Still the same $9.99 with a bundle option for $16.99.
Chivalry Midieval Warfare - Also makes a return today for $6.24.
Borderlands 2 - I know this is making a return, but I'm not sure if it's the 2nd or 3rd time it's been listed. I could look, but that would involve work. $10.19 for the base game again.
Dungeon Defenders - Reviewed! One of those hybrid action/tower defense games. It's okay single player if you either the mage or knight, but is really geared towards coop play. Frankly, I wasn't to impressed with what the game had to offer and would suggest Orcs Must Die! or Sanctum in it's stead, both of which have sequels that offer coop, but the game does have a demo so you can judge for yourself. It's $2.24 for the base version but $7.49 for a pack that includes a ton of stuff, including new missions, characters, and skins.
Voters' Choice
Counter Strike GO - Despite what the store page says, it isn't actually 90% off. Once you get to it's specific page you'll see it's $5.09. Personally I never cared for CS, growing up in the days of 1.6, since I found myself playing TFC instead. Still, it's kind of the game that really made online shooters popular. Not a bad deal at today's price.
In case you missed it: Antichamber ($6.79) was on sale again, as was the Witcher 2 ($4.99), there was also Cities in Motion 2 ($6.79), Dirt 3 ($6.24), and the Warframe Starter Pack ($9.99) over night; Bindings of Isaac ($1.24), Port Royale 3 ($9.99), Resident Evil 6 ($19.99), Sang Froid Tales of Werewolves ($5.09), and Risen 2 ($4.99) were all up this afternoon.
*****
Certainly a much better day than the last few. I personally picked up Sang Froid earlier today. Still, several good games to get, with my picks being XCOM and Torchlight II, though Magicka can be quite fun and Van Helsing has potential. I would also recommend steering clear of Call of Duty MW3, Infestation, Dungeon Defenders since two of those are just so-so games, and one is supposed to be really, really, really bad. Until tomorrow!
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Steam Summer Sale 7-17-13
Oh, not the best day of the sale for me. I only have played a demo for 2, own but haven't played another 3, and have heard a few things about 2 of the remaining 4. Yeah, but the best day for hands on experience.
Main Sale
Dead Island - I've seen the original in action, and have technically had this game in my inventory since the last sale, but I've never gone anywhere with it. The game seemed okay, but not great, which is kind of reflected in the low score it's got. Hybrid action RPG attempt at zombie killing, taking into account things like weapons crafting and durability. The important thing if you're considering this is how you go about buying it. That's because the original game is $4.99, the sequel is $19.99, but the franchise is $27.49. Yep, just saved your wallet $2.51. You're welcome.
Grand Theft Auto - I've only ever put 4 hours into the 4th game, but stopped due to a hard drive failure. Most people are familiar with the open world sandbox approach the GTA series takes to gaming, so you'll know what to expect. There's a lot of running around doing errands for people, taking girlfriends out on dates, finding hookers, etc. $4.99 for the base version of 4, but $7.49 for the Complete Edition. There is also the franchise pack to consider at $12.49, and the Rockstar pack at $44.98, but that is a rip compared to if you had bought the games at their current individual prices, let allow if you bought them all on sale, which would run you about $22.49 that way.
Tropico - I tried the demo last winter when it was on sale then, and I wasn't really interested in this city building/political game that much, but still find myself wanting to buy it just because. You'll be responsible for running your country, investing in housing, industry, resources, and keeping an ear to the ground about how people feel about your rulership. The base game is $5.99, but the complete version for 4 is $7.99. There is also Tropico Reloaded and Tropico 3 for your consideration.
Batman: Arkham (Insert game here) - Both Asylum and City are on sale today, for $4.99 and $7.49 specifically. City hasn't been lower than this price over the course of the last year, so there isn't much of a point in holding off. The games do seem pretty good, and are highly regarded. Plus I watched a buddy put some time into City this past weekend and decided I would make this one of the next games I play, so I say go for it so far.
Ace of Spades - This game comes up a lot, through I don't recall it hitting $2.49. I'm against it because its a multiplayer game. Sorry, I can't say more about it for you.
Deus Ex - This was just a flash sale, but in case you missed it. HR is the lowest price I've ever seen it at $2.99, and you can get all the DLCs for $1.62. Do not go for the franchise pack because it's $19.99 since it's not benefiting from the 85% off that the other games are.
Dark Souls - Famous mostly for being difficult, apparently. Also a flash sale returning for a full day, at the lowest price I've seen it anywhere - $7.49. If you do get it you'll probably want to look into how people have gotten around some of the very poorly done aspects of this port, to make sure you have a good experience.
Fallen Enchantress - Another strategy game from the people that brought you Sins of a Solar Empire and Galactic Civilizations. It's $13.59, but unfortunately the 66% discount does not apply to the two DLCs.
Mount and Blade - This is one of those cult classic type games. I've been told I would like it because I liked War of the Roses. I did try the demo once, and it's an interesting game where you can build armies, fight battles, and so forth, but not something that I figured I'd really like, so I passed. I'd suggest giving the demo a whirl if you're curious. There are four different titles on sale, ranging from $2.49 individually to $4.99. You can get them in a pack for $8.74 though.
Evoland - Maybe more of an edutainment type game as it tells you the history of action adventure gaming. Something I certainly want to play someday, but just not for $4.99, because I've heard its only an hour and a half or so.
Flash Sales
RAGE - I don't recall if this is the first time it hit $4.99 or not. Still, the game is really not that good, as you'll see in my review, and I would actually recommend saving the money for something else. I am picking up the DLC anyways, just to see what it's all about, but don't plan on getting around to it for a bit.
Fez - Back after it's two day sale. Same $4.99 price. Or free if you're familiar with the author and want to hurt his bottom line.
Saints Row 3 - Also makes a comeback today. $4.99 for the base version or $7.49 for the full package.
Anno 2070 - So I heard they dropped that DRM that would lock you out if you made hardware changes, but I'm still passing. Base game is $14.99, while the complete edition is an extra $10.
Voters' Choice
Bastion - I've done both a written and video review for this on, and do highly recommend you get it. It's currently at an all time low of $2.24. I would also recommend you pick up the soundtrack.
And in case you missed it: Defiance ($13.59), Music Creator 6 ($16.99), Torchlight II ($4.99), Half-Life 2 ($2.49), and Surgeon Simulator 2013 ($3.66) were the deals overnight; Left 4 Dead 2 ($4.99), War of the Roses ($4.99), Lego Lord of the Rings ($7.49), Gunpoint ($5.99), and The Walking Dead ($6.24) this afternoon.
*****
I don't know about you, but I'm starting to lose faith in Steam sales. Not much really appealed to me today. If I didn't already have it, the clear winners would be the heavily discounted Deus Ex and Batman. Plus The Walking Dead and Torchlight II if you missed them at other points during the sale. Tropico and Dark Souls are the two games I'm considering, but I don't see a pressing need to play and review them before the next sale. Also disappointed that Gunpoint was only 40% off, though it is rather new. Still, that's a 2 hour game. Here's to hoping for a brighter tomorrow.
Main Sale
Dead Island - I've seen the original in action, and have technically had this game in my inventory since the last sale, but I've never gone anywhere with it. The game seemed okay, but not great, which is kind of reflected in the low score it's got. Hybrid action RPG attempt at zombie killing, taking into account things like weapons crafting and durability. The important thing if you're considering this is how you go about buying it. That's because the original game is $4.99, the sequel is $19.99, but the franchise is $27.49. Yep, just saved your wallet $2.51. You're welcome.
Grand Theft Auto - I've only ever put 4 hours into the 4th game, but stopped due to a hard drive failure. Most people are familiar with the open world sandbox approach the GTA series takes to gaming, so you'll know what to expect. There's a lot of running around doing errands for people, taking girlfriends out on dates, finding hookers, etc. $4.99 for the base version of 4, but $7.49 for the Complete Edition. There is also the franchise pack to consider at $12.49, and the Rockstar pack at $44.98, but that is a rip compared to if you had bought the games at their current individual prices, let allow if you bought them all on sale, which would run you about $22.49 that way.
Tropico - I tried the demo last winter when it was on sale then, and I wasn't really interested in this city building/political game that much, but still find myself wanting to buy it just because. You'll be responsible for running your country, investing in housing, industry, resources, and keeping an ear to the ground about how people feel about your rulership. The base game is $5.99, but the complete version for 4 is $7.99. There is also Tropico Reloaded and Tropico 3 for your consideration.
Batman: Arkham (Insert game here) - Both Asylum and City are on sale today, for $4.99 and $7.49 specifically. City hasn't been lower than this price over the course of the last year, so there isn't much of a point in holding off. The games do seem pretty good, and are highly regarded. Plus I watched a buddy put some time into City this past weekend and decided I would make this one of the next games I play, so I say go for it so far.
Ace of Spades - This game comes up a lot, through I don't recall it hitting $2.49. I'm against it because its a multiplayer game. Sorry, I can't say more about it for you.
Deus Ex - This was just a flash sale, but in case you missed it. HR is the lowest price I've ever seen it at $2.99, and you can get all the DLCs for $1.62. Do not go for the franchise pack because it's $19.99 since it's not benefiting from the 85% off that the other games are.
Dark Souls - Famous mostly for being difficult, apparently. Also a flash sale returning for a full day, at the lowest price I've seen it anywhere - $7.49. If you do get it you'll probably want to look into how people have gotten around some of the very poorly done aspects of this port, to make sure you have a good experience.
Fallen Enchantress - Another strategy game from the people that brought you Sins of a Solar Empire and Galactic Civilizations. It's $13.59, but unfortunately the 66% discount does not apply to the two DLCs.
Mount and Blade - This is one of those cult classic type games. I've been told I would like it because I liked War of the Roses. I did try the demo once, and it's an interesting game where you can build armies, fight battles, and so forth, but not something that I figured I'd really like, so I passed. I'd suggest giving the demo a whirl if you're curious. There are four different titles on sale, ranging from $2.49 individually to $4.99. You can get them in a pack for $8.74 though.
Evoland - Maybe more of an edutainment type game as it tells you the history of action adventure gaming. Something I certainly want to play someday, but just not for $4.99, because I've heard its only an hour and a half or so.
Flash Sales
RAGE - I don't recall if this is the first time it hit $4.99 or not. Still, the game is really not that good, as you'll see in my review, and I would actually recommend saving the money for something else. I am picking up the DLC anyways, just to see what it's all about, but don't plan on getting around to it for a bit.
Fez - Back after it's two day sale. Same $4.99 price. Or free if you're familiar with the author and want to hurt his bottom line.
Saints Row 3 - Also makes a comeback today. $4.99 for the base version or $7.49 for the full package.
Anno 2070 - So I heard they dropped that DRM that would lock you out if you made hardware changes, but I'm still passing. Base game is $14.99, while the complete edition is an extra $10.
Voters' Choice
Bastion - I've done both a written and video review for this on, and do highly recommend you get it. It's currently at an all time low of $2.24. I would also recommend you pick up the soundtrack.
And in case you missed it: Defiance ($13.59), Music Creator 6 ($16.99), Torchlight II ($4.99), Half-Life 2 ($2.49), and Surgeon Simulator 2013 ($3.66) were the deals overnight; Left 4 Dead 2 ($4.99), War of the Roses ($4.99), Lego Lord of the Rings ($7.49), Gunpoint ($5.99), and The Walking Dead ($6.24) this afternoon.
*****
I don't know about you, but I'm starting to lose faith in Steam sales. Not much really appealed to me today. If I didn't already have it, the clear winners would be the heavily discounted Deus Ex and Batman. Plus The Walking Dead and Torchlight II if you missed them at other points during the sale. Tropico and Dark Souls are the two games I'm considering, but I don't see a pressing need to play and review them before the next sale. Also disappointed that Gunpoint was only 40% off, though it is rather new. Still, that's a 2 hour game. Here's to hoping for a brighter tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Steam Summer Sale 7-16-13
Well, today it seems we have 3 shooters, a tower defense game, a sandbox action game, an mmo, another action game, a platformer, and whatever the heck you classify Football Manager 2013 as. Sim? Sports? I don't even know.
Main Sale
Football Manager 2013 - I will freely admit that I know nothing about this. Not only do simulations and sports games fail to catch my interest, but I can't even pretend to be interested in the subject. Sorry, that's just brutal honest. The good thing is it's $9.99 and has a demo...which means I like it more than a lot of games already.
System Shock 2 - It was a flash sale or some such here a few days ago, so there is a chance you might have missed it. If you did, it returns for the reasonable price of $2.49. If nothing else, it's worth it just to find out why this game is a classic, and, you know, why Bioshock.
Alan Wake - This one is four reviews away, as I just beat it a few weeks ago. I had high hopes for the game given reviews, which I should have learned by now not to trust. The game is an action game where you must use your flashlight to wear down the "shield" on people controlled by the darkness, and then finish them off with your gun. Light because a great weapon in this way, and things like flares, flash bangs, and flareguns become weapons in their own rights. The story is a bit of a mystery with lots of horror. What I really liked about the game wasn't it's story, but it's story telling, which gets into this whole thing where every creative work produced around the lake the game is centered around actually comes true, so you would occasionally find manuscript pages that would warn you what to expect. Unfortunately the game never was that interesting during it's main six episodes, but much better in the two specials that were appended to the original game. Not to spoil the review for you or anything, but the game is coming in at a 6/7. It's not a bad game to play, you're just investing your time in something that isn't as good as a lot of other titles. Still, if you want to get it, I would recommend the Franchise Pack for $3.99, since that includes the original game and the sequel. It's worth nothing that there's never been a lower price than this.
Secret World - An MMO? Nope, not going there. I know this game is F2P, so at least there isn't the monthly fee, but I don't need to relapse on the most addiction type of game I've ever played, which is a same, because this does look really, really cool. $14.99 today.
Orcs Must Die! - Both a written and video review for the first one, which is actually the first TD game I've really liked in years, due to the hybrid TD/Action gametype and the humor involved in the game. I highly recommend getting the franchise pack for $8.74, which covers everything you need over both games, the latest of which just added mod support, so you can go download traps and weapons that shoot acid bombs or whatever you're into. Seperately you can get the complete pack for 2 for $6.24, the base game for $3.74, the base of 1 for $2.49, the complete of 1 for $3.24, or just find someone to go into a double complete pack for $9.99.
Mark of the Ninja - I picked this up last winter and have been meaning to play it ever since. Actually, I'm about 3 games away from getting to it. It certainly seems like a really cool platformer, though, again, given my experience with highly reviewed XBLA type games, I'm not sure that counts for anything. Still, all time individual low of $3.74.
Crysis -Everyone talks about the original, usually as a means of benchmarking your gaming rig. That Crysis is on sale for $5.99, and Warhead is $5.99 as well. There was also this game released called Crysis 2, which no one talks about. That's $8.99, which I'm pretty sure is the lowest it's ever been on Steam. There is also a complete pack (which excludes the 3rd title) for $20.99. My thoughts on it, besides EA being jerks but not lowering prices on all their older titles to $4.99, is basically "Meh."
DMC - I never got into the DMC series, and at $24.99 probably won't today either. Still, its there, if you're interested.
Rising Storm - This game just came out, which makes it by far too new for me to have gotten around to it. Still, if you long for the purity of the WWII shooter, tripwire is a good company to go to. While this game is $9.99, its worth noting that other Red Orchestra titles are also on sale, either individual or as part of a franchise pack, which includes this for $14.99. Then there is the publisher bundle for only $24.99.
Sleeping Dogs - Picked this up earlier during the sale, and I've already logged 7 hours. The game is interesting, being a more serious, martial arts based, version of the genre that is so well established by GTA. You're an undercover cop trying to bring down the triads in Hong Kong. The game is generally pretty good, but has more than it's fair share of issues. The controls are a bit awkward, and definitely reek of "console" ports, since for half the menus you have to use the enter, backspace, arrow keys, etc. The combat is interesting, as you can pull off combos and use the environment to your advantage, but unfortunately there is rarely an opportunity to do this because you'll be surrounded byt 4-5 enemies and be unable to get off more than a hit or two before you need to counter their attacks. Heck, one of the best methods I've found to defeat enemies, particularly on drug busts, is use a vehicle and run enemies over. I actually have recorded a video of me doing this with classical music blaring from the car's radio. There will be a video review with that in it. Overall, and okay game that seems like it'll be a little short for the genre, even doing the side missions. The base game is $6.24, but there are a ton of DLCs, only 2-3 of which might be of any use.
Flash Sales
Dragon Age Origins - Not a shabby game, though somewhat typical fare from Bioware. I played the standard version of the orignal, so I didn't have access to all the DLCs that are include in this one. Still, it kept me busy for 80 hours or so. It's squad based, pause the game and issue orders, type gameplay. I would suggest investing in some mods to do things like improve the AI reaction system that you can set up for your squadmates. Not a bad deal at $8.99.
Mars War Logs - Just covered this the other day, but it returns for $9.99.
Formula 1 2012 - $9.99.
Aliens Colonial Marines - Yeah, it's only $12.49, but the game only came out in February, so that should be a huge warning sign. That, and the publisher and devs being sued because what was delivered looked nothing like what had been shown earlier. Probably a good idea to skip over this one.
Voters' Choice
Civilization - The review for the base game of 5 is posted. Frankly, I was very disappointed in this game, and that's coming from someone without a background in Civ. I did score it low enough that I would frankly recommend passing on it. However, should you be so inclined (it does have a demo, so do that), you can pick up the Gold Edition for $12.49, which includes all the DLCs and expansions up to, but not including, Brave New World, which would set you back another $29.99. I can't speak to what Gods and Kings added, or if it made the game better, since that wasn't out when I was playing, but here's to hoping.
And in case you missed it; Don't Starve ($8.99), Galactic Civilizations ($4.99), 3D Mark ($8.99), Carrier Command ($8.24), and Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 ($4.99) over night; Serious Sam 3 ($3.99), Scribblenauts ($4.99), Assassins Creed III ($23.99), Amnesia ($3.99), and Skyrim ($35.99) this afternoon.
*****
Hmm, I'm not actually buying anything today, there there were certainly some good deals. I just happen to already have most of the games on sale. Best deal right now is Orcs Must Die!, though I'm hopeful that Mark of the Ninja turns out to be a decent game, and I still need to play System Shock 2 myself. Sleeping Dogs has a lot of potential, but suffers in enough ways that it'll hurt the final score for sure. Alan Wake is above average, despite what I'd heard. Hopefully Amnesia will come back on during a main sale, because that was actually the best price I've ever seen on that game, and it's a must play as well. Okay, that's it until tomorrow!
Main Sale
Football Manager 2013 - I will freely admit that I know nothing about this. Not only do simulations and sports games fail to catch my interest, but I can't even pretend to be interested in the subject. Sorry, that's just brutal honest. The good thing is it's $9.99 and has a demo...which means I like it more than a lot of games already.
System Shock 2 - It was a flash sale or some such here a few days ago, so there is a chance you might have missed it. If you did, it returns for the reasonable price of $2.49. If nothing else, it's worth it just to find out why this game is a classic, and, you know, why Bioshock.
Alan Wake - This one is four reviews away, as I just beat it a few weeks ago. I had high hopes for the game given reviews, which I should have learned by now not to trust. The game is an action game where you must use your flashlight to wear down the "shield" on people controlled by the darkness, and then finish them off with your gun. Light because a great weapon in this way, and things like flares, flash bangs, and flareguns become weapons in their own rights. The story is a bit of a mystery with lots of horror. What I really liked about the game wasn't it's story, but it's story telling, which gets into this whole thing where every creative work produced around the lake the game is centered around actually comes true, so you would occasionally find manuscript pages that would warn you what to expect. Unfortunately the game never was that interesting during it's main six episodes, but much better in the two specials that were appended to the original game. Not to spoil the review for you or anything, but the game is coming in at a 6/7. It's not a bad game to play, you're just investing your time in something that isn't as good as a lot of other titles. Still, if you want to get it, I would recommend the Franchise Pack for $3.99, since that includes the original game and the sequel. It's worth nothing that there's never been a lower price than this.
Secret World - An MMO? Nope, not going there. I know this game is F2P, so at least there isn't the monthly fee, but I don't need to relapse on the most addiction type of game I've ever played, which is a same, because this does look really, really cool. $14.99 today.
Orcs Must Die! - Both a written and video review for the first one, which is actually the first TD game I've really liked in years, due to the hybrid TD/Action gametype and the humor involved in the game. I highly recommend getting the franchise pack for $8.74, which covers everything you need over both games, the latest of which just added mod support, so you can go download traps and weapons that shoot acid bombs or whatever you're into. Seperately you can get the complete pack for 2 for $6.24, the base game for $3.74, the base of 1 for $2.49, the complete of 1 for $3.24, or just find someone to go into a double complete pack for $9.99.
Mark of the Ninja - I picked this up last winter and have been meaning to play it ever since. Actually, I'm about 3 games away from getting to it. It certainly seems like a really cool platformer, though, again, given my experience with highly reviewed XBLA type games, I'm not sure that counts for anything. Still, all time individual low of $3.74.
Crysis -Everyone talks about the original, usually as a means of benchmarking your gaming rig. That Crysis is on sale for $5.99, and Warhead is $5.99 as well. There was also this game released called Crysis 2, which no one talks about. That's $8.99, which I'm pretty sure is the lowest it's ever been on Steam. There is also a complete pack (which excludes the 3rd title) for $20.99. My thoughts on it, besides EA being jerks but not lowering prices on all their older titles to $4.99, is basically "Meh."
DMC - I never got into the DMC series, and at $24.99 probably won't today either. Still, its there, if you're interested.
Rising Storm - This game just came out, which makes it by far too new for me to have gotten around to it. Still, if you long for the purity of the WWII shooter, tripwire is a good company to go to. While this game is $9.99, its worth noting that other Red Orchestra titles are also on sale, either individual or as part of a franchise pack, which includes this for $14.99. Then there is the publisher bundle for only $24.99.
Sleeping Dogs - Picked this up earlier during the sale, and I've already logged 7 hours. The game is interesting, being a more serious, martial arts based, version of the genre that is so well established by GTA. You're an undercover cop trying to bring down the triads in Hong Kong. The game is generally pretty good, but has more than it's fair share of issues. The controls are a bit awkward, and definitely reek of "console" ports, since for half the menus you have to use the enter, backspace, arrow keys, etc. The combat is interesting, as you can pull off combos and use the environment to your advantage, but unfortunately there is rarely an opportunity to do this because you'll be surrounded byt 4-5 enemies and be unable to get off more than a hit or two before you need to counter their attacks. Heck, one of the best methods I've found to defeat enemies, particularly on drug busts, is use a vehicle and run enemies over. I actually have recorded a video of me doing this with classical music blaring from the car's radio. There will be a video review with that in it. Overall, and okay game that seems like it'll be a little short for the genre, even doing the side missions. The base game is $6.24, but there are a ton of DLCs, only 2-3 of which might be of any use.
Flash Sales
Dragon Age Origins - Not a shabby game, though somewhat typical fare from Bioware. I played the standard version of the orignal, so I didn't have access to all the DLCs that are include in this one. Still, it kept me busy for 80 hours or so. It's squad based, pause the game and issue orders, type gameplay. I would suggest investing in some mods to do things like improve the AI reaction system that you can set up for your squadmates. Not a bad deal at $8.99.
Mars War Logs - Just covered this the other day, but it returns for $9.99.
Formula 1 2012 - $9.99.
Aliens Colonial Marines - Yeah, it's only $12.49, but the game only came out in February, so that should be a huge warning sign. That, and the publisher and devs being sued because what was delivered looked nothing like what had been shown earlier. Probably a good idea to skip over this one.
Voters' Choice
Civilization - The review for the base game of 5 is posted. Frankly, I was very disappointed in this game, and that's coming from someone without a background in Civ. I did score it low enough that I would frankly recommend passing on it. However, should you be so inclined (it does have a demo, so do that), you can pick up the Gold Edition for $12.49, which includes all the DLCs and expansions up to, but not including, Brave New World, which would set you back another $29.99. I can't speak to what Gods and Kings added, or if it made the game better, since that wasn't out when I was playing, but here's to hoping.
And in case you missed it; Don't Starve ($8.99), Galactic Civilizations ($4.99), 3D Mark ($8.99), Carrier Command ($8.24), and Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 ($4.99) over night; Serious Sam 3 ($3.99), Scribblenauts ($4.99), Assassins Creed III ($23.99), Amnesia ($3.99), and Skyrim ($35.99) this afternoon.
*****
Hmm, I'm not actually buying anything today, there there were certainly some good deals. I just happen to already have most of the games on sale. Best deal right now is Orcs Must Die!, though I'm hopeful that Mark of the Ninja turns out to be a decent game, and I still need to play System Shock 2 myself. Sleeping Dogs has a lot of potential, but suffers in enough ways that it'll hurt the final score for sure. Alan Wake is above average, despite what I'd heard. Hopefully Amnesia will come back on during a main sale, because that was actually the best price I've ever seen on that game, and it's a must play as well. Okay, that's it until tomorrow!
Monday, July 15, 2013
Steam Summer Sale 7-15-13
Well, today is probably my favorite day in the summer sale so far. There are several titles that I know just a bit about, and a lot of good games under $10 that I'll be picking up. Also apparent is the disturbing trend of EA games being listed at $5.99, rather than the usually $4.99. I wonder what they are priced at on Origin right now...
Main Sale
Reus - An interesting take on the whole god game genre, where you actually control the gods that literally shape the world. You have to strike that balance between doing too much and too little, keeping your people alive but not letting them advance to the part that in their hubris they fight the gods. $4.99 today.
Terraria - Reviewed! The awesome 2D sandbox game that combines building, crafting, and RPG elements to make this really cool beast of a game. Highly recommend it if you've got the motivation to create your own story. It returns to it's all time low of $2.49.
Dust An Elysian Tail - So this is one that I'll actually be picking up. The art style is a little weird, and looking at the screen shots for the game on it's store page I'd swear some of the stills are ripped straight from a Disney movie. Still, it's supposedly a really dark game with good platforming elements, though the last few XBLA type games I've played with rave reviews that sound just like that were not all that good. Still, I will get it and suffer or enjoy it as may be, and then let you guys know. It's only 50% off at $7.49 today.
Dawn of War - There are a ton of games for sale here, if only you'll search for them. The original Dawn of War games, the Dawn of War II RPG/RTS version that I loved, and then the return to the RTS with Retribution. Plus, there are all kinds of DLCs if you are into that sort of thing. I would certainly recommend the Dawn of War II games if you like the idea of a RPG/RTS hybrid where you pick 4 units out of 6 and then level them up, give them gear, and slaughter Xenos. Prices varry, with older titles being around $4.99, but Retribution hitting $7.49. Basically, great prices all around.
Castle Crashers - This one has been on sale the last couple of events, though today it seems to have hit a new low price at $3.74.
Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion - Space RTS. Certainly a series I've considered in the past, though I'm generally not too good with RTSes. A couple of different options for what to buy this time, since you can either get the game ($9.99), the game and soundtrack ($11.24), or the Stardock Pack ($35.99), which still doesn't include Sins of a Solar Empire Trinity, i.e. the first one.
Wargame - More modern take on an RTS, rather than the SciFi of the above. There are actually two games on sale, European Escalation and Airland Battle. The best idea would be to get both of them together for only $21.99, rather then a separate $9.99 and $19.99.
Dishonored - Alright, waiting has payed off. Now this game is finally in a price range I feel comfortable with, because the $30 or so of the last sale was just a bit too much to risk, though I don't see too much risk in a game where you have tons of playstyle options, from loud and deadly, to silent rat possession assassin. It's only $10.19 today, with a few more bucks for some associated DLC.
Killing Floor - Killing Floor is a team based shooter where you face massive waves of zombie like creatures with different abilities and dangerous qualities. Your goal is to survive these waves. If you make it between rounds you'll have access to a store where you can buy new supplies, weapons, change your class, and so on. It's a good game, but something where there isn't too much of a point in playing it if you aren't doing it with a group of people. Still, I do recommend it because it can be quite fun, and it's only $3.99 for the base game. You can opt for a more complete bundle at $9.99, but that's mostly different characters and stuff.
Max Payne 3 - Well, that wasn't as big of a drop as I was hoping to see between December, when the game was $12.49, and today, when it's $9.99. You can also pick up the first two games for $2.49 each, and several DLCs that, frankly, only appear to impact multiplayer. Probably not much of an incentive to hold off until the next sale, considering the marginal price drop, but it could hit $7.50 later this year, and potentially $5.00 in a year if you really want to wait that time. And gamble that it's still something that would be on sale. So I guess the real question is, do you feel lucky punk? I know, not really the best quote for this, but not too bad either, if I do say myself.
Flash Sales
Unreal - Little bit of a throw back here, particularly since Unreal 2004 now has "CARDS!" The franchise pack is $9.99, which is okay, assuming you've got people to play these games with. The bots in 3 are decent, but not something that will hold your interest too long.
FEAR - $4.99 gets you the action horror game in the form of the 3rd entry into the series. 2 is $3.74 with a $2.49 DLC, and the original is also $2.49. The collection is $13.74, which is actually $0.03 more than the individual games. However, I'm betting with the amount of time it would take to add all 4 to your cart individually, the additional cost is with the time saved.
Crusader Kings II - Massive doesn't seem like it's an appropriate descriptor for this game, one in which you are involved in all kinds of political plots that span a continent. It's $9.99 for the game, but $19.99 for the collection. It does have a demo, which would be great to help determine if this type of strategy game is, in fact, for you.
Primal Carnage - I have to forgo this game just because it's a multiplayer shooter, but don't think for a minute that I'm not tempted as hell, because, well, dinosaurs! It's $5.09 with several pieces of DLC available.
Voters' Choice
Deus Ex - It's only $2.99, and you don't have this game yet. Well, don't get this, spend $5.99 and get the whole series to see why choice it such a big deal.
*****
And, in case you missed it: Trine 2 Complete Story ($3.99), Mass Effect 2 ($5.99), The Testatment of Sherlock Holmes ($9.99), PES 2013 ($13.59), and Left 4 Dead ($4.99) where the overnight sales; and Mirror's Edge ($5.99), Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II ($3.99), Bioshock Infinite ($29.99), Organ Trail ($1.24), and Natural Selection II ($6.24) this afternoon.
*****
Alright, certainly the best day of the sale so far. I'm picking up Dishonored, and maybe a DLC or two, without thinking about it. Dust will probably drop lower in the next sale, as will Max Payne, Reus, and Wargame, which, considering Thanksgiving is only 4 and a half months away, I think I can afford to wait. Though both Dust and Reus would be the ones I'd most want to pick up sooner. We'll see, since I still have (almost) 48 hours to decide before the deals go away.
Main Sale
Reus - An interesting take on the whole god game genre, where you actually control the gods that literally shape the world. You have to strike that balance between doing too much and too little, keeping your people alive but not letting them advance to the part that in their hubris they fight the gods. $4.99 today.
Terraria - Reviewed! The awesome 2D sandbox game that combines building, crafting, and RPG elements to make this really cool beast of a game. Highly recommend it if you've got the motivation to create your own story. It returns to it's all time low of $2.49.
Dust An Elysian Tail - So this is one that I'll actually be picking up. The art style is a little weird, and looking at the screen shots for the game on it's store page I'd swear some of the stills are ripped straight from a Disney movie. Still, it's supposedly a really dark game with good platforming elements, though the last few XBLA type games I've played with rave reviews that sound just like that were not all that good. Still, I will get it and suffer or enjoy it as may be, and then let you guys know. It's only 50% off at $7.49 today.
Dawn of War - There are a ton of games for sale here, if only you'll search for them. The original Dawn of War games, the Dawn of War II RPG/RTS version that I loved, and then the return to the RTS with Retribution. Plus, there are all kinds of DLCs if you are into that sort of thing. I would certainly recommend the Dawn of War II games if you like the idea of a RPG/RTS hybrid where you pick 4 units out of 6 and then level them up, give them gear, and slaughter Xenos. Prices varry, with older titles being around $4.99, but Retribution hitting $7.49. Basically, great prices all around.
Castle Crashers - This one has been on sale the last couple of events, though today it seems to have hit a new low price at $3.74.
Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion - Space RTS. Certainly a series I've considered in the past, though I'm generally not too good with RTSes. A couple of different options for what to buy this time, since you can either get the game ($9.99), the game and soundtrack ($11.24), or the Stardock Pack ($35.99), which still doesn't include Sins of a Solar Empire Trinity, i.e. the first one.
Wargame - More modern take on an RTS, rather than the SciFi of the above. There are actually two games on sale, European Escalation and Airland Battle. The best idea would be to get both of them together for only $21.99, rather then a separate $9.99 and $19.99.
Dishonored - Alright, waiting has payed off. Now this game is finally in a price range I feel comfortable with, because the $30 or so of the last sale was just a bit too much to risk, though I don't see too much risk in a game where you have tons of playstyle options, from loud and deadly, to silent rat possession assassin. It's only $10.19 today, with a few more bucks for some associated DLC.
Killing Floor - Killing Floor is a team based shooter where you face massive waves of zombie like creatures with different abilities and dangerous qualities. Your goal is to survive these waves. If you make it between rounds you'll have access to a store where you can buy new supplies, weapons, change your class, and so on. It's a good game, but something where there isn't too much of a point in playing it if you aren't doing it with a group of people. Still, I do recommend it because it can be quite fun, and it's only $3.99 for the base game. You can opt for a more complete bundle at $9.99, but that's mostly different characters and stuff.
Max Payne 3 - Well, that wasn't as big of a drop as I was hoping to see between December, when the game was $12.49, and today, when it's $9.99. You can also pick up the first two games for $2.49 each, and several DLCs that, frankly, only appear to impact multiplayer. Probably not much of an incentive to hold off until the next sale, considering the marginal price drop, but it could hit $7.50 later this year, and potentially $5.00 in a year if you really want to wait that time. And gamble that it's still something that would be on sale. So I guess the real question is, do you feel lucky punk? I know, not really the best quote for this, but not too bad either, if I do say myself.
Flash Sales
Unreal - Little bit of a throw back here, particularly since Unreal 2004 now has "CARDS!" The franchise pack is $9.99, which is okay, assuming you've got people to play these games with. The bots in 3 are decent, but not something that will hold your interest too long.
FEAR - $4.99 gets you the action horror game in the form of the 3rd entry into the series. 2 is $3.74 with a $2.49 DLC, and the original is also $2.49. The collection is $13.74, which is actually $0.03 more than the individual games. However, I'm betting with the amount of time it would take to add all 4 to your cart individually, the additional cost is with the time saved.
Crusader Kings II - Massive doesn't seem like it's an appropriate descriptor for this game, one in which you are involved in all kinds of political plots that span a continent. It's $9.99 for the game, but $19.99 for the collection. It does have a demo, which would be great to help determine if this type of strategy game is, in fact, for you.
Primal Carnage - I have to forgo this game just because it's a multiplayer shooter, but don't think for a minute that I'm not tempted as hell, because, well, dinosaurs! It's $5.09 with several pieces of DLC available.
Voters' Choice
Deus Ex - It's only $2.99, and you don't have this game yet. Well, don't get this, spend $5.99 and get the whole series to see why choice it such a big deal.
*****
And, in case you missed it: Trine 2 Complete Story ($3.99), Mass Effect 2 ($5.99), The Testatment of Sherlock Holmes ($9.99), PES 2013 ($13.59), and Left 4 Dead ($4.99) where the overnight sales; and Mirror's Edge ($5.99), Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II ($3.99), Bioshock Infinite ($29.99), Organ Trail ($1.24), and Natural Selection II ($6.24) this afternoon.
*****
Alright, certainly the best day of the sale so far. I'm picking up Dishonored, and maybe a DLC or two, without thinking about it. Dust will probably drop lower in the next sale, as will Max Payne, Reus, and Wargame, which, considering Thanksgiving is only 4 and a half months away, I think I can afford to wait. Though both Dust and Reus would be the ones I'd most want to pick up sooner. We'll see, since I still have (almost) 48 hours to decide before the deals go away.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Steam Summer Sale 7-14-13
So I had actually planned on having this post up shortly after the main games rolled over, but instead spent some time with friends catching a movie and then going over to one of their houses to have a few beers and play a few video games. Unfortunately, they were console games, because on of the downsides to PC gaming is lugging around a massive case if you want to do multiplayer in person. That, plus that everyone has to put $1k-$2k into a computer. That is just one of the ways console gaming has a leg up on the PC. Where it doesn't though is when you get to all these great deals what we PC gamer's get to enjoy. Great deals like the ones list below!
Main Sale
Kerbal Space Program - Okay, so this game is a bit bizarre, but something I'll admit I'm interest in. It's a simulation game where you find youself messing with all kinds of variables to get your space program fully functional. I've heard tales of someone trying to create an aircraft that could fly around the world non-stop, and how small tweaks could make a huge difference in the outcome. It is an Early Access Game, so there's that. But it also has a demo, so points back there. It's $13.79 today.
Hitman Absolution - Just in case you missed the flash sale yesterday, you now have another 48 hours to grab this game. Same pricing and whatnot as before: $6.24 for the base game, pick up the Professional Edition for $7.49, the collection for $22.49, and a DLC pack for $1.49. That pack doesn't include 3 specific DLCs that are actually a part of the Professional Edition. It's all kind of strange, but I went ahead and picked up the base game only yesterday morning. Just haven't gotten around to playing it yet.
The Sims 3 - If you've been alive and not in a coma for the last 5 years or so, you should have heard about The Sims, so I'll spare you the details. Just think carefully about what you want to buy, because there is the base game for $14.99, three additional packs that include one of the expansions, or you could buy all the expansions separately for an incredible $234.82. How generous of them not to round up to $235, because those $0.18 make a huge difference.
Fallout: New Vegas - While the game is $2.49, what you really want to do is buy the Ultimate Edition, since that is only $4.99 and includes the DLCs. I put a huge chunk of time into Fallout 3, which is also $4.99 for the GOTY edition right now, and really enjoyed it, but haven't gotten around to playing this yet. Still, by far the best price that I can recall, and I highly recommend picking these games up.
ARMA II - Obviously Day Z is still popular, which is why once again this game has shown up on sale. If you don't believe me, click on the link and you'll notice that right under all the pictures is a big box that warns you you need more than just ARMA II to play Day Z. Yeah. So, what you really need is the Combined Operations package for $8.49, rather than the base game for $4.41. You can also get the Complete Collection for $13.59 or the ARMA X: Anniversary Edition for $16.99.
Eador - I think I might have greenlit this strategy game back when I actually cared about greenlight, which means it must have been posted in the first day or two. What intrigues me about it is the multilayer strategy aspect. Basically, it looks like it's a huge game with a lot going on, and I like that. I'll probably pick it up some day, but just not today. $11.99.
Sanctum 2 - I've only played a little bit of the first game, and I did like the blend of Action and Tower Defense, though my favorite series for that category is the humorous Orcs Must Die!. Couple different options with how you go about picking this one up, since you can either get the second game for $7.49 or the franchise for $19.99. If you're at all considering it, give the demo a shot, because then you'll probably figure you want it.
Portal - Portal 2 reviewed! Portal 2 is interesting, though not as good as the first one, despite it's obviously greater production value, story, and effects. But for more on that, read the review. I would recommend getting the game if you haven't already. It's not a bad way to spend 6 or so hours, and $4.99 is about right for it too. You may want to considered the franchise for $6.24 if you don't have both, because pretty much everyone should play Portal to see what the big deal is.
Remember Me - I'll admit the premise of a character that can actually steal your memories interests me greatly, but the game is still too new, and by that I mean too expensive, for me to have tried it. It's $29.99 today.
Total War - This one has come up at the last couple of sales as well. If you're a fan of strategy games, you should find something here that will war for you. There are four different collections, ranging from the base game for $7.49, to the Grand Master Collection for $41.24.
Flash Sales
Poker Night 2 - I actually just beat the first one here a few weeks ago, which is also on sale. For the original it takes 21 wins to gain all the unlockable decks and card tables, plus however many to unlock the TF2 items. It's funny because the game is just poker, specifically Texas Hold 'Em, but what makes it so good is the dialogue between the characters. Tycho telling Max about his giraffe fetish, the Heavy flipping a table in rage and pulling out his minigun. It's these actions that make the game worth while. A great thing to use to fill up 10-15 minutes when you want to avoid doing something else, like actually working on a review. Knowing what they bring to the table, I recommend you pick up both games for their $2.49.
The Swapper - $7.49.
Track Mania Canyon - Racing games are one of my least favorite, so I'll not be doing this. But if you want to, it's $9.99.
Spec Ops The Line - Pretty much the best game I played in 2012, and it would have won an award for that if I actually did such a thing. I've done both a written and video review, so if you've got some serious time to kill, which you will after you purchase this and start the download, why don't you check those out. $7.49 is a great deal for it.
Voters' Choice
Torchlight 2 - Reviewed! I do highly recommend picking up this Action RPG if you are at all a fan of the genre. It really is a fun game with a great look to it and plenty of interesting play styles. Add to that mod support, giving you plenty more to do, and you'll find it's one of those games you can sink an amazing amount of time into. Plus, at $5.00, it's cheaper than it's ever been individually.
Since my last posting the following have been on sale: I Am Alive ($5.09), Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 Platinum! ($4.99), Lords of Football ($10.19), On the Rain-slick Precipice of Darkness 4 ($2.49), and Universe Sandbox ($2.00) for yesterday evening; Simcity 4 ($5.99), Metro Last light ($29.99), Dawn of Fantasy Kindgom Wars ($6.79), You Need A Budget ($14.99), and System Shock 2 ($2.49) over night; and Impria ($4.99), Doom 3 BFG ($4.99), NBA 2K13 ($7.49), Ace Combat Assault Horizon Enhanced Edition ($8.99), and Deadlight ($3.74) this afternoon.
****
So that marks another day in the sale. Still not too excited about it, and looking at today's sale I've seen several of the same deals over the past couple of sales, specifically ARMA II, Total War, Portal, and The Sims. The other games are either new or just new low prices, which I can appreciate. I did pick up Hitman yesterday, as well as Sleeping Dogs. Kerbal Space Program is a maybe (demo is downloading right now), but other than that I don't see much to invest in today. Scratch that. Not much to invest in that I don't already have, because, you know, I'm kind of a Steam shopping addict. Seriously, I need help.
Main Sale
Kerbal Space Program - Okay, so this game is a bit bizarre, but something I'll admit I'm interest in. It's a simulation game where you find youself messing with all kinds of variables to get your space program fully functional. I've heard tales of someone trying to create an aircraft that could fly around the world non-stop, and how small tweaks could make a huge difference in the outcome. It is an Early Access Game, so there's that. But it also has a demo, so points back there. It's $13.79 today.
Hitman Absolution - Just in case you missed the flash sale yesterday, you now have another 48 hours to grab this game. Same pricing and whatnot as before: $6.24 for the base game, pick up the Professional Edition for $7.49, the collection for $22.49, and a DLC pack for $1.49. That pack doesn't include 3 specific DLCs that are actually a part of the Professional Edition. It's all kind of strange, but I went ahead and picked up the base game only yesterday morning. Just haven't gotten around to playing it yet.
The Sims 3 - If you've been alive and not in a coma for the last 5 years or so, you should have heard about The Sims, so I'll spare you the details. Just think carefully about what you want to buy, because there is the base game for $14.99, three additional packs that include one of the expansions, or you could buy all the expansions separately for an incredible $234.82. How generous of them not to round up to $235, because those $0.18 make a huge difference.
Fallout: New Vegas - While the game is $2.49, what you really want to do is buy the Ultimate Edition, since that is only $4.99 and includes the DLCs. I put a huge chunk of time into Fallout 3, which is also $4.99 for the GOTY edition right now, and really enjoyed it, but haven't gotten around to playing this yet. Still, by far the best price that I can recall, and I highly recommend picking these games up.
ARMA II - Obviously Day Z is still popular, which is why once again this game has shown up on sale. If you don't believe me, click on the link and you'll notice that right under all the pictures is a big box that warns you you need more than just ARMA II to play Day Z. Yeah. So, what you really need is the Combined Operations package for $8.49, rather than the base game for $4.41. You can also get the Complete Collection for $13.59 or the ARMA X: Anniversary Edition for $16.99.
Eador - I think I might have greenlit this strategy game back when I actually cared about greenlight, which means it must have been posted in the first day or two. What intrigues me about it is the multilayer strategy aspect. Basically, it looks like it's a huge game with a lot going on, and I like that. I'll probably pick it up some day, but just not today. $11.99.
Sanctum 2 - I've only played a little bit of the first game, and I did like the blend of Action and Tower Defense, though my favorite series for that category is the humorous Orcs Must Die!. Couple different options with how you go about picking this one up, since you can either get the second game for $7.49 or the franchise for $19.99. If you're at all considering it, give the demo a shot, because then you'll probably figure you want it.
Portal - Portal 2 reviewed! Portal 2 is interesting, though not as good as the first one, despite it's obviously greater production value, story, and effects. But for more on that, read the review. I would recommend getting the game if you haven't already. It's not a bad way to spend 6 or so hours, and $4.99 is about right for it too. You may want to considered the franchise for $6.24 if you don't have both, because pretty much everyone should play Portal to see what the big deal is.
Remember Me - I'll admit the premise of a character that can actually steal your memories interests me greatly, but the game is still too new, and by that I mean too expensive, for me to have tried it. It's $29.99 today.
Total War - This one has come up at the last couple of sales as well. If you're a fan of strategy games, you should find something here that will war for you. There are four different collections, ranging from the base game for $7.49, to the Grand Master Collection for $41.24.
Flash Sales
Poker Night 2 - I actually just beat the first one here a few weeks ago, which is also on sale. For the original it takes 21 wins to gain all the unlockable decks and card tables, plus however many to unlock the TF2 items. It's funny because the game is just poker, specifically Texas Hold 'Em, but what makes it so good is the dialogue between the characters. Tycho telling Max about his giraffe fetish, the Heavy flipping a table in rage and pulling out his minigun. It's these actions that make the game worth while. A great thing to use to fill up 10-15 minutes when you want to avoid doing something else, like actually working on a review. Knowing what they bring to the table, I recommend you pick up both games for their $2.49.
The Swapper - $7.49.
Track Mania Canyon - Racing games are one of my least favorite, so I'll not be doing this. But if you want to, it's $9.99.
Spec Ops The Line - Pretty much the best game I played in 2012, and it would have won an award for that if I actually did such a thing. I've done both a written and video review, so if you've got some serious time to kill, which you will after you purchase this and start the download, why don't you check those out. $7.49 is a great deal for it.
Voters' Choice
Torchlight 2 - Reviewed! I do highly recommend picking up this Action RPG if you are at all a fan of the genre. It really is a fun game with a great look to it and plenty of interesting play styles. Add to that mod support, giving you plenty more to do, and you'll find it's one of those games you can sink an amazing amount of time into. Plus, at $5.00, it's cheaper than it's ever been individually.
Since my last posting the following have been on sale: I Am Alive ($5.09), Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 Platinum! ($4.99), Lords of Football ($10.19), On the Rain-slick Precipice of Darkness 4 ($2.49), and Universe Sandbox ($2.00) for yesterday evening; Simcity 4 ($5.99), Metro Last light ($29.99), Dawn of Fantasy Kindgom Wars ($6.79), You Need A Budget ($14.99), and System Shock 2 ($2.49) over night; and Impria ($4.99), Doom 3 BFG ($4.99), NBA 2K13 ($7.49), Ace Combat Assault Horizon Enhanced Edition ($8.99), and Deadlight ($3.74) this afternoon.
****
So that marks another day in the sale. Still not too excited about it, and looking at today's sale I've seen several of the same deals over the past couple of sales, specifically ARMA II, Total War, Portal, and The Sims. The other games are either new or just new low prices, which I can appreciate. I did pick up Hitman yesterday, as well as Sleeping Dogs. Kerbal Space Program is a maybe (demo is downloading right now), but other than that I don't see much to invest in today. Scratch that. Not much to invest in that I don't already have, because, you know, I'm kind of a Steam shopping addict. Seriously, I need help.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Steam Summer Sale 7-13-13
Another day, another collections of games that I can at least claim to know something about. Today also marks the inclusion of software into the sale, so there's that.
Main Sale
Tomb Raider - Just released in March, and here it is 75% off. But then again, Square Enix had a very bad quarter, with lower sales than exceptions, thanks to titles like this and Hitman (which is also on sale right now). It's $12.49 for the base game, $14.49 for the "Survival" edition, or $17.49 for the franchise pack. While I've heard the game is good, I've also heard it's short and seems to consist of moments of action punctuating cut scenes and events where it's simply button mashing. That doesn't preclude a game from being good (see The Walking Dead), but it's enough to make me hold out another 4 months to see what the price will be then.
Mars War Logs - This game could be interesting, I'm not sure.A demo would be nice to see if it's really worth the $10 they are asking today. Maybe it'll be best if I hold off until the next sale, given that I have more than enough games to occupy my time, so if a game doesn't grab me right away, it's usually in my best financial interest to wait a bit longer.
Borderlands 2 - Returns from it's status as a voter's choice today. I'm still waiting for the GOTY edition, given the 34 pieces of DLC, though only a few are major content. Some DLCs are the 66% off,w hile others are only 33%, so you'll need to pick through the list. What's good news is that the season pass is on sale this time, for the same $10.19 as the base game, so you might want to pick both of those up if you're ready to go drop 100 hours into the FPSRPG.
Might & Magic Heroes VI - If you're interested in a bit of strategy today, you might want to check out this game, which, thankfully, does have a demo. A few different buying options here. There is the gold edition for $10.19, which includes two additional DLCs. Then there bis the Complete Edition, which includes everything the gold edition has and one more DLC, but is only discounted 50%, so the price is $24.99. But if you're willing to pay that much, you might just take a look at the franchise pack for $33.29.
Resident Evil 6 - So this is actually supposed to be a good one. I don't know, I haven't played a RE game since 2, unless you count two arcade shooter style games from the Wii. This also just came out in march and is now 50% off, bringing it to $19.99. If you'd rather, you'll find that Resident Evil 5 is on sale for $4.99, and Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is $7.49. That last one you can play as single player, but it's one of those games that is really meant to be played with multiple people, like Left 4 Dead or Payday.
The Witcher 2 - Lowest price I have ever seen this game at, as it's down to $4.99 today. I still haven't gotten around to it, though I did review Witcher 1 (both written and video) here not too long ago, and it turns out that game is also on sale for the usual $2.49. So you really should pick up both and set yourself up for some good times ahead of Witcher 3.
Sniper Elite Nazi Zombie Army - I'm actually playing Sniper Elite v2 right now ($10.19), which I am enjoying, so I've got faith in these guys. I am a bit worried that it is one of those games where you really need a squad of people you trust to make it fun, but we'll see. Zombie Army is $5.09 today.
Stardrive - It's a 4X strategy game, meaning it's like Civilization or Endless Space. After those two games I've been burned out on the genre, so I will have to pass here. It's $10.19 today.
Age of Empires II HD Edition - This game only is $9.99, but you can get the Legacy Bundle, which includes II: Complete Collection, for just $16.99.
RPG Maker VX - Assuming you've looked through the list and haven't seen anything you like, you might want to give this a try, and use it to make the sort of game you think should be on sale. $23.79 today.
Flash Sales
Blood Bowl Chaos Edition - $7.49
Kinetic Void - Just be aware with this game that it's early access, not a finished product. Purchasing a game ahead of time to fund it's development is one thing, but prepurchasing it at a discount could cause some concern. It's $6.79.
L.A. Noire - One of those games that is always on sale returns for it's normal low of $4.99.
Battlefield Bad Company 2 - I've put some decent time into it, but it's pretty much all been multiplayer. The game is okay, but not great. Mostly vehicular combat, but not quite to the extent of the main line of Battlefield games. Worth considering if you want to do the modern military multiplayer shooter, since it's only $5.99.
Voters Choice
Hitman Absolution - Edged out the compitition this morning. It's $6.24 for the base, $7.49 for the professional edition, $11.24 for the franchise, and $1.49 for a pack that includes 8 of the 11 DLCs, with the other three totaling an addtional $0.72.
Over night there was Farming Simulator 2013 ($9.51), Ys I & II Chronicles ($5.09), Batman Arkham City ($7.49), Garry's Mod ($2.49), and Tropico 4 ($5.99 for the base, $7.99 for the collection).
*****
I'm feeling a bit better about the selection today. A little disappointing that games are already popping up during multiple sales, basically referring to Borderlands 2, but that's to be expected with major titles. I'm personally leaning towards Hitman, Tomb Raider, and the Witcher as winners today, as well as Arkham City if you were able to snag that (it's on sale at Gamersgate, but it's $9 there, and I'm betting it'll come around again). Still, so far It's been a single game a day for me. I might not even get a trading card for spending enough money, which would be extremely shocking.
Main Sale
Tomb Raider - Just released in March, and here it is 75% off. But then again, Square Enix had a very bad quarter, with lower sales than exceptions, thanks to titles like this and Hitman (which is also on sale right now). It's $12.49 for the base game, $14.49 for the "Survival" edition, or $17.49 for the franchise pack. While I've heard the game is good, I've also heard it's short and seems to consist of moments of action punctuating cut scenes and events where it's simply button mashing. That doesn't preclude a game from being good (see The Walking Dead), but it's enough to make me hold out another 4 months to see what the price will be then.
Mars War Logs - This game could be interesting, I'm not sure.A demo would be nice to see if it's really worth the $10 they are asking today. Maybe it'll be best if I hold off until the next sale, given that I have more than enough games to occupy my time, so if a game doesn't grab me right away, it's usually in my best financial interest to wait a bit longer.
Borderlands 2 - Returns from it's status as a voter's choice today. I'm still waiting for the GOTY edition, given the 34 pieces of DLC, though only a few are major content. Some DLCs are the 66% off,w hile others are only 33%, so you'll need to pick through the list. What's good news is that the season pass is on sale this time, for the same $10.19 as the base game, so you might want to pick both of those up if you're ready to go drop 100 hours into the FPSRPG.
Might & Magic Heroes VI - If you're interested in a bit of strategy today, you might want to check out this game, which, thankfully, does have a demo. A few different buying options here. There is the gold edition for $10.19, which includes two additional DLCs. Then there bis the Complete Edition, which includes everything the gold edition has and one more DLC, but is only discounted 50%, so the price is $24.99. But if you're willing to pay that much, you might just take a look at the franchise pack for $33.29.
Resident Evil 6 - So this is actually supposed to be a good one. I don't know, I haven't played a RE game since 2, unless you count two arcade shooter style games from the Wii. This also just came out in march and is now 50% off, bringing it to $19.99. If you'd rather, you'll find that Resident Evil 5 is on sale for $4.99, and Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is $7.49. That last one you can play as single player, but it's one of those games that is really meant to be played with multiple people, like Left 4 Dead or Payday.
The Witcher 2 - Lowest price I have ever seen this game at, as it's down to $4.99 today. I still haven't gotten around to it, though I did review Witcher 1 (both written and video) here not too long ago, and it turns out that game is also on sale for the usual $2.49. So you really should pick up both and set yourself up for some good times ahead of Witcher 3.
Sniper Elite Nazi Zombie Army - I'm actually playing Sniper Elite v2 right now ($10.19), which I am enjoying, so I've got faith in these guys. I am a bit worried that it is one of those games where you really need a squad of people you trust to make it fun, but we'll see. Zombie Army is $5.09 today.
Stardrive - It's a 4X strategy game, meaning it's like Civilization or Endless Space. After those two games I've been burned out on the genre, so I will have to pass here. It's $10.19 today.
Age of Empires II HD Edition - This game only is $9.99, but you can get the Legacy Bundle, which includes II: Complete Collection, for just $16.99.
RPG Maker VX - Assuming you've looked through the list and haven't seen anything you like, you might want to give this a try, and use it to make the sort of game you think should be on sale. $23.79 today.
Flash Sales
Blood Bowl Chaos Edition - $7.49
Kinetic Void - Just be aware with this game that it's early access, not a finished product. Purchasing a game ahead of time to fund it's development is one thing, but prepurchasing it at a discount could cause some concern. It's $6.79.
L.A. Noire - One of those games that is always on sale returns for it's normal low of $4.99.
Battlefield Bad Company 2 - I've put some decent time into it, but it's pretty much all been multiplayer. The game is okay, but not great. Mostly vehicular combat, but not quite to the extent of the main line of Battlefield games. Worth considering if you want to do the modern military multiplayer shooter, since it's only $5.99.
Voters Choice
Hitman Absolution - Edged out the compitition this morning. It's $6.24 for the base, $7.49 for the professional edition, $11.24 for the franchise, and $1.49 for a pack that includes 8 of the 11 DLCs, with the other three totaling an addtional $0.72.
Over night there was Farming Simulator 2013 ($9.51), Ys I & II Chronicles ($5.09), Batman Arkham City ($7.49), Garry's Mod ($2.49), and Tropico 4 ($5.99 for the base, $7.99 for the collection).
*****
I'm feeling a bit better about the selection today. A little disappointing that games are already popping up during multiple sales, basically referring to Borderlands 2, but that's to be expected with major titles. I'm personally leaning towards Hitman, Tomb Raider, and the Witcher as winners today, as well as Arkham City if you were able to snag that (it's on sale at Gamersgate, but it's $9 there, and I'm betting it'll come around again). Still, so far It's been a single game a day for me. I might not even get a trading card for spending enough money, which would be extremely shocking.
Friday, July 12, 2013
Steam Summer Sale 7-12-13
Day two of the sale. Already I noticed that only 40% of today's deals are "Cards!," so there's that. Kind of a mixed back today, including a few games I've already reviewed, and a few more that I've play some game in a series, but not the one on sale.
Main Sale
Chivalry Medieval Warfare - I have played this, but only briefly during a free weekend. It is an interesting first person slasher game, or whatever the heck you want to call this genre. Modes include things like escorting a ram, or just team death match. Fun stuff, with turret based weapons. Personally, I found it to be much simpler than, say, my reviewed War of the Roses, and I didn't care for it as much. But if you're interested in pretty much every killing blow being a decapitation, I would recommend getting it at the low price of $6.24 today.
Just Cause 2 - Alright, I need to play this, since I've only had it for a couple of years. It's a whopping 80% off, which brings it down to $2.99. The DLCs will set you back another $1.73.
Surgeon Simulator 2013 - So this game is one of those that has just sort of gone viral, mostly because it's ridiculous. I've heard it said by someone that was an actual surgeon that really surgery is easier than this game. The fun comes from doing things like taking out someone's guts and tossing them out the back of the ambulance you're ridding it. A very low $3.39 today.
Fez - At least it's not $90, or whatever that ill advised quote was. Still, the very interesting looking multi 2D (?) platformer is $4.99 today.
FTL - Reviewed! It's one of those games that you can really play endlessly, since each play through is completely different. It' takes a combination of skill, planning, and lots of luck to make it through a full life of this game, but thankfully it's only $2.49 today, which makes it the lowest price I can recall. If you were considering it, I'd highly recommend it.
Darksiders II - I haven't played this game yet, though I picked it up for more than it is today back in December of last year. I did however review the first game, so you can take a look at that to get an idea of what to expect from this more adult version of adventure games popularized by series such as Zelda. It's $9.99, but unfortunately there is no franchise pack or other way to get the DLCs for cheap.
The Walking Dead - Reviewed. Lowest price I've ever seen it at $6.24, and something that you should buy, and play, right this very second. The discount does not apply to the just release DLC, since, you know, it was just released.
Anno 2070 - City building sims aren't my forte in general, but if they are yours, it's $14.99 today. The complete edition is $24.99.
Black Ops II - I've grown to harbor a certain level of disdain for the CoD series, given the quality of the stories, shortness of gameplay, and a rising hatred for the community of those games. Not to bias what I'm saying or anything. Still, the game is 50% off at $29.99 today, which is probably the best you'll do for a long while on a CoD title (the original is still $20).
Sniper 2 - If you were interested in this one, it looks like waiting would have paid off. Just released four months and a day ago, this game is now 85% off, taking the cake for biggest discount of the day at $4.49. The trailer is corny as hell, and I'm currently having my sniper itch scratched by Sniper Elite V2, but I suppose I could pick this up as well. At least this one has a demo.
Flash Sales
Bully - $3.74
Super Meat Boy - The extremely challenging platformer game where you can spend hours making the only acceptable perfect jump. I highly recommend a controller. It's $3.74.
Godmode - $4.99
Magicka - Reviewed! The base game is $2.49, and you should certainly pick it up. But what you should really get is the Collection, which is $8.74 and includes the large number of DLC this game has.
Voters' Choice
Sleeping Dogs - Alright, so I played the demo of this game a long time ago, and it seemed pretty interesting. More of a melee GTA with destructible environments and a much better story. Now I'll actually pick it up, since the game is only $6.24. Unforunately, the 75% off discount doesn't apply to the DLC packs, which is another $27.49, though I've heard you don't need all the 22 something DLCs anyways.
In case you missed it, and because there is a good chance these sales will come up again during the sale at the same price, the following games were on sale over night, and earlier today: Duke Nukem 3D ($3.39), Football Manager 2013 ($9.99), Little Inferno ($2.49), Civilization V ($7.49, $12.49, and more dlcs), and Sanits Row The Third ($4.99 or $7.49) for this morning. Legend of Grimrock ($3.74), XCOM: Enemy Unknown ($9.99), Bit.trip 2 ($7.49), Farcry 3 ($23.99), and GTA 4 ($5) for this afternoon.
That's it for today. Not too much to say. I guess I'll just save my words for tomorrow then, when hopefully I have actually played and reviewed every game on the list so I can be a bit more helpful.
Main Sale
Chivalry Medieval Warfare - I have played this, but only briefly during a free weekend. It is an interesting first person slasher game, or whatever the heck you want to call this genre. Modes include things like escorting a ram, or just team death match. Fun stuff, with turret based weapons. Personally, I found it to be much simpler than, say, my reviewed War of the Roses, and I didn't care for it as much. But if you're interested in pretty much every killing blow being a decapitation, I would recommend getting it at the low price of $6.24 today.
Just Cause 2 - Alright, I need to play this, since I've only had it for a couple of years. It's a whopping 80% off, which brings it down to $2.99. The DLCs will set you back another $1.73.
Surgeon Simulator 2013 - So this game is one of those that has just sort of gone viral, mostly because it's ridiculous. I've heard it said by someone that was an actual surgeon that really surgery is easier than this game. The fun comes from doing things like taking out someone's guts and tossing them out the back of the ambulance you're ridding it. A very low $3.39 today.
Fez - At least it's not $90, or whatever that ill advised quote was. Still, the very interesting looking multi 2D (?) platformer is $4.99 today.
FTL - Reviewed! It's one of those games that you can really play endlessly, since each play through is completely different. It' takes a combination of skill, planning, and lots of luck to make it through a full life of this game, but thankfully it's only $2.49 today, which makes it the lowest price I can recall. If you were considering it, I'd highly recommend it.
Darksiders II - I haven't played this game yet, though I picked it up for more than it is today back in December of last year. I did however review the first game, so you can take a look at that to get an idea of what to expect from this more adult version of adventure games popularized by series such as Zelda. It's $9.99, but unfortunately there is no franchise pack or other way to get the DLCs for cheap.
The Walking Dead - Reviewed. Lowest price I've ever seen it at $6.24, and something that you should buy, and play, right this very second. The discount does not apply to the just release DLC, since, you know, it was just released.
Anno 2070 - City building sims aren't my forte in general, but if they are yours, it's $14.99 today. The complete edition is $24.99.
Black Ops II - I've grown to harbor a certain level of disdain for the CoD series, given the quality of the stories, shortness of gameplay, and a rising hatred for the community of those games. Not to bias what I'm saying or anything. Still, the game is 50% off at $29.99 today, which is probably the best you'll do for a long while on a CoD title (the original is still $20).
Sniper 2 - If you were interested in this one, it looks like waiting would have paid off. Just released four months and a day ago, this game is now 85% off, taking the cake for biggest discount of the day at $4.49. The trailer is corny as hell, and I'm currently having my sniper itch scratched by Sniper Elite V2, but I suppose I could pick this up as well. At least this one has a demo.
Flash Sales
Bully - $3.74
Super Meat Boy - The extremely challenging platformer game where you can spend hours making the only acceptable perfect jump. I highly recommend a controller. It's $3.74.
Godmode - $4.99
Magicka - Reviewed! The base game is $2.49, and you should certainly pick it up. But what you should really get is the Collection, which is $8.74 and includes the large number of DLC this game has.
Voters' Choice
Sleeping Dogs - Alright, so I played the demo of this game a long time ago, and it seemed pretty interesting. More of a melee GTA with destructible environments and a much better story. Now I'll actually pick it up, since the game is only $6.24. Unforunately, the 75% off discount doesn't apply to the DLC packs, which is another $27.49, though I've heard you don't need all the 22 something DLCs anyways.
In case you missed it, and because there is a good chance these sales will come up again during the sale at the same price, the following games were on sale over night, and earlier today: Duke Nukem 3D ($3.39), Football Manager 2013 ($9.99), Little Inferno ($2.49), Civilization V ($7.49, $12.49, and more dlcs), and Sanits Row The Third ($4.99 or $7.49) for this morning. Legend of Grimrock ($3.74), XCOM: Enemy Unknown ($9.99), Bit.trip 2 ($7.49), Farcry 3 ($23.99), and GTA 4 ($5) for this afternoon.
That's it for today. Not too much to say. I guess I'll just save my words for tomorrow then, when hopefully I have actually played and reviewed every game on the list so I can be a bit more helpful.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Steam Summer Sale 7-11-13
Ho boy, it's that time of year again. Well, sort of. By that I mean it's when you would normally watch you bank account quickly empty as you rush to buy games as part of the just begun Steam Summer sale, but I've found that the last few sales have been devoid of some really great deals - or maybe I've just bought pretty much everything that was on sale. Either way, we've got some games I can go over, pointing out what I've reviewed, and hopefully steering you in the right direction as you wave wads of cash in front of your PC, demanding GabeN shuts up and takes your money already.
First up, a couple of general observations about this sale. It returns to the form we've seen over the last year, and that was ultimately hammered down at the end of 2012, with several main deals each day, a group of 8 hour flash sales, and an 8 hour community choice. At least it's not as hectic as last summer, where there were 6 revolving flash sales all on different timers, and you pretty much had to check back every 2 hours just to make sure you didn't miss anything. Now we've just got to suffer through the "CARDS!" tie in with 90% of today's games, so you can see where this is going. Anyways, just in case you missed it, there are 10 main daily deals (which is a lot) for 24 hours, 4 flash sales on their 8 timer, and 1 voter's choice on the same 8 hour timer. Basically, you have to check back at least 3 times a day.
It's also worth noting that while Green Man Gaming just had a major sale last week, GamersGate has been running a sale of it's own this week, and though Amazon doesn't have a major sale, you can still find some gems.
Now, for the games!
Main Sale:
Left 4 Dead 2 - I'll be honest, I didn't care much for L4D2, since I logged only 15 hours, as compared to the original, in which I logged 115 hours. Certainly a great co-op game if you can get a good group of 4 people together. Even better if you get 8 and you can run private versus matches. Playing solo? Well, then the game really isn't that good. $4.99 gets you just L4D2, while the bundle is $7.49 for both this and the original.
Endless Space - You know what's nice? When you can copy/paste work you've already done to save time. But I'll save you that. Endless Space is an interesting take on the 4X type of strategy games. I put some time into it during a free weekend last year. The game certainly had some potential, with a variety of win conditions, including things like just expanding your galactic influence beyond a certain percentage. Building fleets of ships to defend your systems, terraforming planets to change how they positively or negatively impact your population, and so much more. It's $10.19 for the Emperor Edition, but $11.89 for the Gold Edition, which includes the Disharmoy DLC that would otherwise set you back $8.99 on it's own.
Antichamber - Probably one of the most intriguing FPPs (that's first person puzzlers) out on the market today. As I type this I'm actively involved in a trade deal to pick this up on the cheap, but the $7.49 price tag isn't too bad if I've got to get it myself.
Defiance - $13.59 gets you the MMO shooter from Trion, the same people that made RIFT. Now, I really liked RIFT, and I've even watched all of the Defiance TV show, which did include a few tie ins between the game and show. As for the game however, well, I've sworn off MMOs, so you'll just have to let me know. But in case you're wondering, Defiance coming back for a second season, so that would seem to indicate those tie ins will continue.
Hotline Miami - Actively playing this game, as recently as this morning. Hyper violent game that is a strange combination of strategic planning and reckless abandon. The game is difficult, in a Super Meat Boy way, because you need a very high level of precision to make it through a stage, since one hit and you die. However, it isn't a game that is highly predictable either, because enemies will patrol around differently, or sometimes your gunshots won't be heard. Also, great music, but visual effects that give me a headache after a short time, and I made it through Aaaaa....!!! - for the Awesome without issue, so that's something. Lowest price I've seen it anywhere for $2.49 today.
Scriblenauts Unlimited - At $4.99, it's the lowest I've seen it on Steam, but it doesn't beat Amazon's price for $3.75 last December. Still, not a bad deal for the summon through the power of words game. I might even get it myself.
Toki Tori 2 - I played a little bit of 1, because it was one of the earlier games I had on my cellphone. An okay puzzle platformer that is really casual, but wasn't something that really pulled me in, so I hanve't ever put much time into it. $9.89 gets you just TT2, while $13.74 gets you a total of 4 games in the form of a publisher pack.
Call of Juarez Gunslinger - Not a series I've really followed after the second title, which was pretty good. At least this one returns to the wild west. It's only 33% off, bringing the price down to a strange $10.04.
Don't Starve - It has been recommended that I play this survival game by someone whose opinion I generally trust. I've yet to follow through on that information, and since it's still $8.99 I don't think I'll be picking it up today, but I had to at least say something here so you wouldn't get bored and go to a legitimate news site.
Bioshock Infinite - Another game that I've heard good things ago. Actually, scratch that, I've heard it's fantastic. Still, I'm a cheap jerk that doesn't value to the work of others, so I haven't bought it yet, and still won't at today's price of $29.99. It is worth nothing that, since the Season Pass DLC isn't on sale on Steam, you should actually head over to Green Man Gaming and use their 20% off code to save $4. But, if you want Colombia's Finest DLC, you'll need to get that on Steam since it's 50% off there. See, this is what I'm here for, finding the best ways to save you money.
Flash Sales
Bastion - Reviewed! Great deal at $2.24, making it the lowest price I've ever seen it on sale for.
Dark Souls - Also the lowest I've ever seen it at $7.49 while it lasts.
Cities XL Platinum - $7.49 if you don't own it, but apparently an additional 10% off if you own Cities XL 2011 or 2012.
Euro Truck Simulator2 - $9.99
Voter's Choice
Borderlands 2 - It edged out Dishonored and Far Cry 3 in the first round of voting. It should be noted that while the game is $10.19, there are also a ton of DLCs, which would total $30 or so if you bought them all. Considering some people have found a GOTY edition listing out there for this game, and my large backlog, I'm content with waiting until November or December and getting everything in once nice package.
****
Alright, that's it for now. Check back every day sometime in the evening PST, or shortly after the new games on sale on the weekend, when I'll get these up ASAP. If you've been here before, you know the drill: I'll talk briefly about what I know, mention if it's been reviewed or not, and so on. Otherwise I'll try and find you the best deal or make a sly remark. So see you around!
First up, a couple of general observations about this sale. It returns to the form we've seen over the last year, and that was ultimately hammered down at the end of 2012, with several main deals each day, a group of 8 hour flash sales, and an 8 hour community choice. At least it's not as hectic as last summer, where there were 6 revolving flash sales all on different timers, and you pretty much had to check back every 2 hours just to make sure you didn't miss anything. Now we've just got to suffer through the "CARDS!" tie in with 90% of today's games, so you can see where this is going. Anyways, just in case you missed it, there are 10 main daily deals (which is a lot) for 24 hours, 4 flash sales on their 8 timer, and 1 voter's choice on the same 8 hour timer. Basically, you have to check back at least 3 times a day.
It's also worth noting that while Green Man Gaming just had a major sale last week, GamersGate has been running a sale of it's own this week, and though Amazon doesn't have a major sale, you can still find some gems.
Now, for the games!
Main Sale:
Left 4 Dead 2 - I'll be honest, I didn't care much for L4D2, since I logged only 15 hours, as compared to the original, in which I logged 115 hours. Certainly a great co-op game if you can get a good group of 4 people together. Even better if you get 8 and you can run private versus matches. Playing solo? Well, then the game really isn't that good. $4.99 gets you just L4D2, while the bundle is $7.49 for both this and the original.
Endless Space - You know what's nice? When you can copy/paste work you've already done to save time. But I'll save you that. Endless Space is an interesting take on the 4X type of strategy games. I put some time into it during a free weekend last year. The game certainly had some potential, with a variety of win conditions, including things like just expanding your galactic influence beyond a certain percentage. Building fleets of ships to defend your systems, terraforming planets to change how they positively or negatively impact your population, and so much more. It's $10.19 for the Emperor Edition, but $11.89 for the Gold Edition, which includes the Disharmoy DLC that would otherwise set you back $8.99 on it's own.
Antichamber - Probably one of the most intriguing FPPs (that's first person puzzlers) out on the market today. As I type this I'm actively involved in a trade deal to pick this up on the cheap, but the $7.49 price tag isn't too bad if I've got to get it myself.
Defiance - $13.59 gets you the MMO shooter from Trion, the same people that made RIFT. Now, I really liked RIFT, and I've even watched all of the Defiance TV show, which did include a few tie ins between the game and show. As for the game however, well, I've sworn off MMOs, so you'll just have to let me know. But in case you're wondering, Defiance coming back for a second season, so that would seem to indicate those tie ins will continue.
Hotline Miami - Actively playing this game, as recently as this morning. Hyper violent game that is a strange combination of strategic planning and reckless abandon. The game is difficult, in a Super Meat Boy way, because you need a very high level of precision to make it through a stage, since one hit and you die. However, it isn't a game that is highly predictable either, because enemies will patrol around differently, or sometimes your gunshots won't be heard. Also, great music, but visual effects that give me a headache after a short time, and I made it through Aaaaa....!!! - for the Awesome without issue, so that's something. Lowest price I've seen it anywhere for $2.49 today.
Scriblenauts Unlimited - At $4.99, it's the lowest I've seen it on Steam, but it doesn't beat Amazon's price for $3.75 last December. Still, not a bad deal for the summon through the power of words game. I might even get it myself.
Toki Tori 2 - I played a little bit of 1, because it was one of the earlier games I had on my cellphone. An okay puzzle platformer that is really casual, but wasn't something that really pulled me in, so I hanve't ever put much time into it. $9.89 gets you just TT2, while $13.74 gets you a total of 4 games in the form of a publisher pack.
Call of Juarez Gunslinger - Not a series I've really followed after the second title, which was pretty good. At least this one returns to the wild west. It's only 33% off, bringing the price down to a strange $10.04.
Don't Starve - It has been recommended that I play this survival game by someone whose opinion I generally trust. I've yet to follow through on that information, and since it's still $8.99 I don't think I'll be picking it up today, but I had to at least say something here so you wouldn't get bored and go to a legitimate news site.
Bioshock Infinite - Another game that I've heard good things ago. Actually, scratch that, I've heard it's fantastic. Still, I'm a cheap jerk that doesn't value to the work of others, so I haven't bought it yet, and still won't at today's price of $29.99. It is worth nothing that, since the Season Pass DLC isn't on sale on Steam, you should actually head over to Green Man Gaming and use their 20% off code to save $4. But, if you want Colombia's Finest DLC, you'll need to get that on Steam since it's 50% off there. See, this is what I'm here for, finding the best ways to save you money.
Flash Sales
Bastion - Reviewed! Great deal at $2.24, making it the lowest price I've ever seen it on sale for.
Dark Souls - Also the lowest I've ever seen it at $7.49 while it lasts.
Cities XL Platinum - $7.49 if you don't own it, but apparently an additional 10% off if you own Cities XL 2011 or 2012.
Euro Truck Simulator2 - $9.99
Voter's Choice
Borderlands 2 - It edged out Dishonored and Far Cry 3 in the first round of voting. It should be noted that while the game is $10.19, there are also a ton of DLCs, which would total $30 or so if you bought them all. Considering some people have found a GOTY edition listing out there for this game, and my large backlog, I'm content with waiting until November or December and getting everything in once nice package.
****
Alright, that's it for now. Check back every day sometime in the evening PST, or shortly after the new games on sale on the weekend, when I'll get these up ASAP. If you've been here before, you know the drill: I'll talk briefly about what I know, mention if it's been reviewed or not, and so on. Otherwise I'll try and find you the best deal or make a sly remark. So see you around!
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Frozen Synapse
Oh boy, how do I go about describing Frozen Synapse? It is a
strategy game, though tactical would be a bit more apt of a description, but
we're really just talking semantics at that point. Turn based also applies, but
not in the way that you would normally think, because both you and your enemy
plan and act at the same time. Maybe Frozen Synapse is a simultaneous turn
based tactical game. Actually, that sounds kind of cool. Yeah, let's just go
with that for the remainder of the review.
So now that the genre is established, how about the actual
game? It alternates between two sections: one in which you plan your moves,
ordering your shotgunners, machine gunners, grenade launchers, snipers, or
rocket wielding units to move from point A to B, aim or fire in a specific
direction, check behind them, focus or ignore certain targets, or duck behind
cover; and the time spent actually executing those moves, which only plays out
the first 5 seconds. When combined with the fact that both you and your
opponent plan and act simultaneously, you get a game where you must agonize
over your potential actions more so than, say, a turned based game like XCOM,
since in those games you're insulated from the immediacy of an enemy's actions,
yet lack the ability found in traditional RTS games, such as Supreme Commander
or Starcraft, to instantly change direction if it turns out a particular course
of action isn't going to work out like you hoped. Basically it's a pretty tough
game where you can spend a lot of time trying to craft the best possible plan
of attack, only to cringe as it all falls apart during that 5 second results
section.
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| This looks good now, but unfortunately I failed to take into account how close my machine gunner's path was to a wall. |
To help make your like more difficult, or potentially
easier, during the planning stage not only do you have control over your own
units - planning out their moves, seeing how they react to enemy positions,
etc. - but you can also plan out your enemy's moves. These aren't the actions
that your enemy will ultimately take, but a tool that you can use with which to
build and test your strategy against a possible enemy strategy, for the
purposes of refining your strategy. Or, in other words, just check if your idea
will work at all. It's great for testing if your machine gunner is safe where
he is, or needs to aim a different direction because, yes, the enemy can
actually run all the way around and flank you within the next 5 seconds, or if
your cover is vulnerable from a certain angle. In my experience, while it was
very nice to have this ability, I found myself fretting every possible choice,
and ultimately found it far better to trust my instincts about what the best
move would actually be, very much in a "Luke, trust the force" Epsiode
4 sort of way.
There are a couple of other mechanics that work to keep the
game from getting stale, as inevitably you'll find yourself playing the same
mission over and over again, because there is no saving midway through a level,
or going back and doing that last turn over - basically, you must accept the
results of your actions, good or bad. Should you replay a level, what you'll
notice right away is that the map is not the same. The layout of structures
will generally have a similar feel to what you were working with before, and if
there are key components of a mission, such as a main hallway down the center,
those will still be there, but the rest of the layout will be different with
new doors, different rooms, and different unit placement. Thus, while your
general strategies will always be useful - have a unit duck down under cover
until at the middle of a window, then pop up and kill the sniper that has
another unit pinned down - you have no guarantee that anything will play out
the same as it did the last go round. Actually, what you have is pretty much
the guarantee that nothing will play at as before, so take your preconceptions of
predicable enemies that always follow the same pattern and toss that out the
window.
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| Another valid strategy is to blow a hole in a wall will units already aimming at the to be hole, ensuring they are ready to wipe out any enemy that might otherwise have been secure. |
Now I pointed out that some missions have key features that
will always be there, and that's largely down to the variety of gametypes
you'll encounter. During most missions you'll be tasked with simply eliminating
all or nearly all enemies within a set number of turns, and those are the ones
that change the most between different attempts. Victory in other missions
comes from keeping enemies out of a protected zone, or the reverse, finishing a
turn with one of your units in a certain area. Some require you to protect a
unit not under you control, requiring you to act as a screen with your own
units to pick off those hiding behind cover and ready to kill your VIP. For yet
others you must collect "intelligence," red squares around the map,
but the collection only counts towards your goal when you run a unit out of
bounds, thereby taking him out of play for the remainder of the game. There is
at least one mission in which you must keep enemies out of the left half of the
map for a set number of turns, or kill any units that make it across that
midpoint. Levels are further diversified by the addition of things like the
occasional fog of war concept, such that you won't know your enemy's movements
until you sight them, at which point they leave a ghost on the map for your
next planning stage.
There are a total of 55 missions that make up the original
campaign. There is also a skirmish mode if you want something a little
different, or multiplayer if you would rather go that route. The game does
surprisingly well at keeping things fresh, thanks to it's large combination of
gametypes and possible modifications, and that it usually groups 3-5 missions
in with a specific operation, breaking up different operations with more story.
The story itself is interesting, though a bit complex. You are a tactical
program named, appropriately, Tactics. You come to join a rebellious group that
does not like the condition of this city-state, headed by one of the founders
of the corporation that rules the city through the use of predictive
algorithms. Various factions are involved, from religious groups, to hippies,
to a university. It's all a very strange story, involving a collection of
humans, robot soldiers, and programs that exist in the shape, which is somewhat
like the internet, but still makes for an interesting break from the main game
as you speak with different characters, read dossiers, and catch the latest
news headlines between operations. Plus the game has a nice twist at the end,
at least 50% of which I saw coming.
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| This is a combination game type. I need to get one of my three units into the green zone in the middle to bring down the walls around the red intel, which I then need to pick up three of and take to the edge of the map. Also, I'm outnumbered 2-1. |
There are a few faults within the game, I am sad to say. One
that bothered me most had to do with the destructible environment, which
happens when you fire a rocket at a wall. While this is a great way to take out
enemies, it is an even better way to make new paths and flank enemies. Therein
lies the problem. While planning out your moves for a turn, you are incapable
to ordering a unit to move through the hole that will be made during that turn.
I'm sure this is because the game could potentially end up having to handle a
case where an unit is ordered to move through a wall, but the rocket unit was
destroyed before the hole was made. A few times I ran into an issue where there
was a difference between the way things played out during the planning stage,
and the actual game, concerning things like a rocket's or grenade's explosion
radius and the proximity of my unit, or which of two snipers actively aiming at
each other during the last turn would actually fire first. That was
particularly frustrating, because there was one mission during which it had
come down to an enemy rocket and my sniper, with the rocker having just been
fired come the end of the five second results stage. Everything indicated that
the rocket would explode nearby, but that my sniper would be fine, remaining in
position for just a split second longer before killing the rocket unit.
However, when theory gave way to practice, there was a discrepancy that
shouldn't have existed, and I failed that mission. The final bug, which was
particularly troublesome, involved the final mission, as I would have units
suddenly disappear between turns, and all replays actually showed actions taken
that were not mine. In fact, the only reason I finished the game was because,
on something like my 10th attempt, a shotgun unit miraculous appeared inside
the zone I needed to capture, despite the fact that I had lost my shotgunners
much earlier in the mission. This problem wasn't unique to me, but seeing as
only 0.7% of players (thanks Steam achievements!) have actually beaten the game,
I'm not sure many people have gotten that far (similarly, 42.5% have finished
the tutorial).
 |
| During missions you'll got conversation bits from other characters. On missions where I did particularly well, I wondered if I finished to fast to get the whole picture, since you would only see a bit each turn. |
My experience with strategy games is pretty limited, and generally
I'm more likely to try a RTS than a turned based game. Still, Frozen Synapse
stands out as a really unique experience with a lot of replay potential.
Actually, as of this writing, I've been playing XCOM: Enemy Unknown for an
upcoming review, and I've found that I enjoyed
Frozen Synapse far more, as it delivered a purer tactical experience
that was unforgiving in the way it punished you for sloppy decision making but
that also had enough variation to keep things from getting stale as you
endlessly strive to do better, which you could do because you don't have deal
with the meta game of keeping soldiers alive to have any chance in the future.
I played the game over the course of 9 months or so, dropping in and out of
missions as my frustration with my own strategic failings ebbed and flowed, but
still my playing time totaled 22 hours, which covers just the base game and
does not include the time I will (eventually) log on the Red DLC. The pricing on this game is a little hinky
though, and while I managed to get it for 90% off the normal $25 price tag ($35
for the complete pack, an additional $6 for the fantastic soundtrack, or $30
for the original and the soundtrack, plus an additional $10 for the DLC), the
game comes with two copies, so that $25 is really $12.50 each. That's about
right, assuming you actually can find someone else to trade the second copy to.
Frozen Synapse is certainly an excellent game, bending and blending traditional
strategy elements into a beast I've never seen before, resulting in perhaps the
most challenging gameplay I've ever seen, because ultimately the real enemy
isn't the red guy, but your own failures and inability to accurately predict
all possible scenarios - 10 out of 10.
So, the final breakdown:
Score: 10/10
Suggested Price: $12.50
*****
For more Frozen Synapse, check out this collection of
screenshots otherwise unused in this review. Click any one for a full sized
image.
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