Steam Holiday Sale 2014

Hey there everyone! I know some of you have gotten used to the idea of me covering sales with my recommendations of what to buy. Unfortunately, I will be unavailable throughout much of this sale (10 days out of the 15 the sale is on for). That's a pretty good reason for me not being able to post on a regular basis, so I figure I'll just have to write this one off. Sorry I couldn't be of more help, but you can still look through my list of reviews to see if one I've covered has come up.

I'm hoping to get a regular review or two up in the mean time, as I just completed Crysis last week, and still have XCOM almost ready to go (waiting for the enemy to take his turn). Otherwise, for a full sale review, you'll have to wait until the summer sale.

Steam Exploration Sale 12-1-14

Welcome once again to another day of deals! Well, sort of deals, but more on that below.

48 Hour Deals:

Child of Light - A fantasy platformer rpg that's been on my list for a while (with a combination like that, it's not hard to see way). Unfortunately, at only 60% off, which makes it $5.99, I feel it's worth it to wait.

Crusader Kings - This grand strategy game always catches my eye, but it's pricey, coming in at $9.99 for the base game and $39.99 for the collection (which is after it's 75% off). An alternative would be to go over to the Humble Bundle Flash bundle where you can get the game and 2 expansions for $16, plus 6 other games, including the reviewed War of the Roses.

XCOM - This is actually my next review, which will probably hit sometime next week. In short, it's a good, though longwinded, tactical strategy game where the goal is to make sure you win the war, not just a particular battle. It's $7.49 for the base game, but $12.49 gets you everything, and considering Firaxis' pricing, that's probably the best you'll get unless they release another expansion.

Tomb Raider - This QTE heavy game keeps dropping in price, which is why it's now $3.99 for the base game and $5.99 for the GOTY edition. Come on Square Enix, knock 1 more dollar off and you've got a sale...

Ryse - Does this game look awesome? Yes! Is it affordable? Not at $25.99!

The Forest - Hey, look another survival game, though this one patterned after Rust rather than Day Z. Either way, it's early access, which mean's it's an automatic no go at $10.04.

Skyrim - The massive fantasy game returns for it's recent sale price of $4.99 for the base game and that stubborn $13.59 for the complete edition, which I've been waiting to hit $10 for far too long.

Wasteland 2 - Another one of those games that looks fantastic, but it's $26.79, so well worth it to wait.

Alien Isolation - Survival horror game set in the alien universe. Good or not, one thing is for certain, it's $24.99.

24 Hour Deals:

Dawn of War - This game is actually an RTS, versus the other Dawn of War titles that were more ARPG (and good at that). Kind of a typical Relic RTS, in terms of mechanics like cover, but with the massiveness that is the Warhammer 40,00 universe. A good game if you like RTS, but it's $10.19.

Portal 2 - Reviewed! While I didn't like this game's design as much as the original, it was still a decent game worth your cash. It's $4.99, but you can get the franchise for $6.24.

Killing Floor - I've logged some time in this game as well, and it's an okay survival game that requires other skilled players to survive. It's the kind of title that if you don't have a good group of friends to play with, it's probably not worth your time or money, whihc would be $4.99 for the base game.

Shadow Run - Two different games here, Returns, and the (now standalone) expansion, Dragonfall. What you want to do is buy Returns only. Why? Because it's $1.49. Who could say no to that?!?

Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 Platinum! Um, it's $5.99.

Splinter Cell - I've played the earliest titles in the series, and I really liked the stealth in them (though, sometimes in the first one it was a bit too restrictive). Still a solid series worth playing if you want something other than just masacuring everyone. Just be forewarned that the series morphs, starting with conviction it becomes much more action oriented. You can get 4 of the first 5 titles (Pandora Tomorrow isn't on steam for some reason) in a package for $9.99, and get the latest title for $7.49. Not a bad deal on the package, TBH.

Castle Crashers - So this 4 player coop just hit a record low 90% off, making it $1.49. Still not my type of game (see the part about 4 player coop).

Farming Simulator - Having been a farmer, I could discuss the realism aspect, and criticize it for lacking. Or I could just give you the price, because really, no one actually wants to be a farmer. It's $20.09.

Planetary Annihilation - The spiritual seccessor to Total Anihilation and Supreme Commander, this game is finally out of early access and down to a reasonable price. The catch is it's been criticized as being badly bug ridden. That would probably explain why it's $5.99. While I've watched this game for a while, I'm going to have to pass until I hear it gets patch up good.

RPG Maker VX - Perhaps you're a critic and you don't like many of the games out there (pot, meet kettle). In that case, maybe you could try this RPG maker, if you want to go for that genre of games. It's $17.49.

Xtreme Legends Dynasty Warriors 8 Complete Edition - It's $16.99. (sad when you can sum it up in less words than the title)

So that's it for today, and possibly the sale. Not much in the way of good buys, but some decent ones, like XCOM and Portal, with the best deal being Shadow Run hands down. Just in case there is nothing new tomorrow, I'll say I hope you enjoyed these little reviews, and I'll see you again in ~3 weeks!