It’s Christmas Eve, the day where you should be finished shopping and be able to relax. Steam will have none of that. Day 6 of the Winter sale is here with some sales that are forcing you to spend more of your hard earned money and wonder what your kidney could go for on the open market.
Here’s what’s on the roster today.
Company Of Heroes Pack – $9.99 – Company of Heroes is one of the all time great RTS series. While it’s easy to dismiss any game set in WWII, Company of Heroes adds a lot to the genre. Suppression Fire, cover, flanking and direct fire control all make an appearance setting this game apart from almost everything else here. You can safely pass on Tales Of Valor since it doesn’t add that much outside of some missions and modes, but the other two in the pack are well worth buying into.
Tom Clancy Pack – $44.99 – The problem with a pack like this is there is such a wide variety of titles appealing to different demographics. Between the stealth of the Splinter Cell titles, the tactical precision needed for the Rainbow Six games to the more modern take of the recent Ghost Recon games there’s a bit of something for everyone. The pack as a whole just doesn’t really scream the value it should, but picking through the games individually should offer something more to your liking.
Hard Reset – $4.99 – Hard Reset is another title that draws attention to everything that is great about PC gaming. An over the top FPS set in a cyberpunk universe (The only one I can think of) with the oldschool rules of massive guns and hordes of enemies. Hard Reset is a shorter title, but 5 bucks is the perfect price for the title. The demo hasn’t been updated with the game, so there’s a lot missing which makes it hard to truly judge. People Can Fly have announced a retail version of Hard Reset in March adding some new content, but I’d feel very comfortable picking up this title now.
Prototype – $7.50 – When Prototype first game out, it revealed the psychopaths in my friends. There’s something slightly chilling watching a grown man giggle as he throws a tank into a helicopter and slashes a group of tourists with spikes coming out of the ground. The plot suffered from an overabundance of conspiracy elements, but the games true skill is being able to run around destroying the population of Manhattan. If you’re looking for a blood bath, this is it.
Blood Bowl – $7.99 – Speaking of blood baths, here’s Blood Bowl. Blood Bowl is another niche title offering something no one else is. While it’s easy to mistake this as a Madden knock off at first glance, or even a new Mutant League Football (EA WHY HAVEN’T YOU GIVEN ME THIS), Blood Bowl is actually a turn based table top game. The game will play closer to Warhammer than any sports game, and is well worth it for any fans of table top games in general. This faithful rendition plays well and is unlike anything else on the market
Risen – $14.00 – I honestly don’t know all that much about Risen. However, after doing some homework I have to say I’m intrigued. Many fans consider this the true Gothic 4 as it was made by original developers Piranha Bytes. I can’t in good conscience give a recommendation to a game I don’t know much about, but I can say that this game has gone for cheaper and uses a very intrusive TAGES DRM. Go after this one at your own risk
Wings Of Prey – $4.99 – Another title I haven’t tried, so I can’t offer much help here. The game is placating a very nice audience, and if this is your cup of tea it apparently holds its weight very well. There is a demo available which I heavily recommend before just jumping into something like this.
Plants Vs Zombies – $3.39 – At this point I’m always shocked to find out that someone doesn’t have this title. Plants Vs Zombies is a fun casual title offering a lot of gameplay for a remarkably small price tag. The game is fun distraction, and is perfect for when you only have a few minutes to kill. That being said, with its charming visuals and accessible learning curve it’s easy to lose hours to the game without knowing. I’ve logged more time killing zombies with peas than I’d like to admit, and I’m sure I’ll double that before I’m done with this title. If you haven’t already, pick this up now.
Jamestown – $2.50 – Jamestown is a contender for indie title of the year and is a very impressive shmup offering a very well rounded bullet hell game. The local coop is a fantastic addition and is well worth the purchase. However, just like Cave Story + from yesterday, Jamestown is available through the Humble Indie Bundle currently and offers a better value that way. Buy this one, but get it from there.
Borderlands – $4.99 – Borderlands is Diablo with guns. Your enjoyment of this game will be based solely on if you play with friends or on your own. If you’ve got three friends willing to charge through the wastelands with you, this game is an absolute must buy and will offer hours of fun, but the same can’t be said of singleplayer. Even with that said, there are some issues that are hard to turn a blind eye to. It’s open mic only (and turned on by default) and uses Gamespy for matchmaking which is problematic at best. If you’re going to buy in, get the Game Of The Year edition as the DLC adds a lot to the game without being a huge investment.
Renegade Ops – $5.09 – On day one of the Steam sale, I advised you to hold off on Bunch Of Heroes for Renegade Ops. Well, I’m hoping you listened to me, but even if you didn’t this is a great chance to buy in. Renegade Ops offers a twin stick shooter with online multiplayer and an absolute crap load of explosions. This is a game that’s an absolute blast from the second you fire it up until you finish it. The controls are a bit finicky so a gamepad is advised, but don’t let that deter you from what could be your next favorite game.
Skyrim – $40.19 – I think you would be hard pressed to find a gamer who isn’t familiar with Skyrim right now. Arguably the biggest release of the season and a top contender for Game Of The Year, Skyrim offers a vibrant world and a remarkable RPG experience. The world is massive and lets you create your own story if you’re willing to walk from the beaten path. My current character has 60 hours of gameplay so far and I have barely touched the main story line. I know claiming this the Steal Of The Day is a cop out, however it’s impossible for me to say a game that offers this much gameplay for a discount we may not see again for a few months isn’t worth jumping on immediately. Grab this one up.
BONUS SALE Dues Ex: Human Revolution is on same from Amazon for $9.99 here, and it will activate on Steam. Another contender for game of the year for an absolute pittance.
Well ladies and gentlemen, another day has come and gone. Try to remember to bathe and say hi to your family, and I’ll meet you back here tomorrow to go through another set of sales.