Steam Holiday Sale: Day 14: Reruns

Steam, as they usually do on the last day of one of their big sales, is running a second round of some of their better stuff. Pretty much everything's good, so rather than cut and paste, I'm just going to trust that you know what you still have on your list, if anything, and get it.

Steam Holiday Sale, Day 13: New Years' Eve

Today's list of stuff is eclectic, but good. There are a couple of gems in there.

Bioshock Series: $4.99 each - These are both really good games, but more than that, they're really influential games. Bioshock in particular did a lot of things that now turn up in games all the time. Well-written, too, and some of the best art direction of any game series ever.

Magicka: $2.49 - Ridiculous fun, and great gameplay, too. There's substantial depth to be found in the magic system. One of these days, I'm going to program my gaming mouse and keyboard with a profile for all the magicks in this game.

What I'm getting: nothing. Hoard is a little bit tempting, but I've already got so much new stuff, AND I've exceeded my data limit for this month. I think I'm done with this sale.

Steam Holiday Sale, Day 12: Programmable Chemistry

There are only two things I'm going to recommend out of today's batch, but they're both quite solid.

Fallout: New Vegas: $4.99 - A nice combining of the new and the old from Fallout. The game uses the perspective and engine of Fallout 3, but takes place back in the western US and a lot of the original creative team from the first couple of games worked on it. Not quite as good as Fallout 3 in my estimation, but still an absolutely fantastic game.

SpaceChem: $2.49 - This game is, as a friend of mine on Steam observed, more about programming than chemistry, and it gets brain-meltingly hard, but it's really, really, REALLY good. It's also one of the most original puzzle games I have ever seen. For the price, it's absolutely worth it.

What I'm getting: Still deciding. Probably Universe Sandbox and the Fallout: New Vegas DLC, but not sure yet.

Steam Holiday Sale, Day 11: This one's easy.

Not much I've got or played in today's line-up, but there's one I do need to recommend:

Left 4 Dead 2: If you're one of the seven or so people left on Earth without a copy of this, get it. Co-Op shooters don't get much better. 

What I'm getting: nothing today.

Steam Holiday Sale, Day 10: MOAR STUFF

This is the first time I can ever remember actually feeling fatigued at a Steam sale. But they do keep putting good stuff out there at steep discounts, so I'm not going to complain too much!

Space Pirates and Zombies: $2.49 - Or SPAZ, for short. Games like this aren't really made any more, which was kind of the point of this one being made. The developer is just a little two-man outfit, but they've pulled off a remarkably polished game. Much like Terraria, it gets periodic updates, too.

Dungeon Defenders: $3.74 - I've spend quite a few hours in this game with my buddy Aaron Stack, who liked it so much he gifted me a copy so we could do multiplayer together. It's a great little game. The indie scene has gotten to the point where it really maes quality product, and this is a prime example. It's well worth having, playing, and exploring the ins and outs of the game is deceptively deep and a huge amount of fun.

What I'm getting: Homefront. I hear it's not the greatest, but I'm captivated by the concept and really want to try it out.

Steam Holiday Sale, Day 9: Series bundles.

Today, Valve has discounted a bunch of whole catalogs of games tied to individual IPs. They have bundle deals on FEAR, Gothic, and Star Wars. They also have a number of smaller things on sale. Here's my picks, as usual.

Terraria: $2.49 - I've recommended this before, and at $2.49, it's a great impulse buy. The game mixes some "Metroidvania" style platforming with building and exploring a la Minecraft. It's also updated with new content fairly regularly and in fact just got a huge upgrade.

All Dawn of War games: 66% off. I normally don't even like RTSes, but for some reason, this series just works for me. I think it's the territory-based resources or something. Regardless, lots of fun and a good deal today.

Disciples III: $4.99 - If you like the Heroes of Might and Magic or King's Bounty series of games and aren't aware of the Disciples series, this is more in the same vein. By far the prettiest strategy game of this type available, and incorporates a bit of King's Bounty style tactical movement, too. Fun and well worth playing, if a bit repetitive after a while.

What I'm getting: I snagged the Gothic series. I've had some friends bugging me to try these games for a while, so now I guess I'll give 'em a shot.

Steam Holiday Sale: Day 8, Boxing Day

I'm running out of non-repetitive stuff to say by way of introduction in these posts. That's okay, though - today's post belongs to the deals, because there's a lot of them.

Bastion: $5.09 - I got this as a Secret Santa gift this year, and wow, it's good. The adaptive narrator mechanic works really well, actually says meaningful stuff, and never repeats himself. The combat works really well, too, and the art style is unique and beautiful. Despite the fact that the story is post-apocalyptic, the color palette is bright and colorful. Bravo, designers.

Far Cry 2: $4.99 - Though the story is about as bleak and depressing as you're liable to find, the shooting and freewheeling around the war-torn African nation where it takes place is great. Also of note is that everything you do, including pulling up your map, is done in-game.

Anomaly: Warzone Earth: $2.49 - Tower defense in reverse. In this game you lead an armed convoy through a maze of enemy weapon emplacements. It's exciting, fast-paced, challenging, and really cool. s another reviewer pointed out, it's amazing that such a fantastic game could come out of nothing but a collection of escort missions!

King's Bounty series: $8.74 for the Platinum edition with everything. A great take on the Disciples/Heroes of Might & Magic style of strategy games. Seems shallow and cutesy at first, but becomes deep and involving very quickly.

Red Faction: Guerilla: $4.99 - Do you like to smash things? Do you like to bash, trash, crash, and explode things? Does going on a rampage of destruction in a world where just about everything breaks sound like fun? Yeah, thought so. :) I haven't progressed very far into the story of this, but the visceral thrill of smashing down buildings with a massive hammer is pretty great. 

What I'm getting: Nothing today - the only thing I really wanted was Bastion, and I was fortunate to receive that as a gift.

Steam Holiday Sale, Day 7: Christmas Day

The Christmas day list of things for the Steam sale is as good as any day that's come so far. Let's get straight to the deals:

Fallout 3: $7.49 - Years ago, when this game first came out, I sank over 400 hours into it. I don't think I've spent that kind of time with any other game, ever. The expansions make it better yet, particularly Broken Steel. Though it's a pretty radical shift in UI from the original Fallout games, it is absolutely a worthy successor to that series. It's also just a fantastic game all on its own, and very much worth playing.

Batman: Arkham Asylum: $4.99 - The original Rocksteady studios Batman game demonstrated that yes, in fact superhero video games can be good. Great, in fact. They got the voice actors for The Joker and Batman (Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy, respectively) from the excellent Batman: The Animated Series to reprise their roles, and wrote the game much like the series, but not for kids. The result is something incredible. Well worth playing.

Atom Zombie Smasher: $2.49 - A kind of unique quasi-tower defense game centered around pulling people out of zombie infestation zones. The graphics are nothing special, but the gameplay is very solid. It's definitely worth grabbing for this price, or pick up the bundle that includes it.

Overlord Games: $4.99 for the complete pack - I'm starting to sound like a broken record as this stuff keeps going on sale again and again, but this series really is fantastic. Rhianna Pratchett (Terry Pratchett's daughter) was involved in the writing, so the games are genuinely funny. The gameplay is good, too, though I'd recommend playing Overlord 2 with the aid of a cotroller.

What I'm getting: I picked up the X mega set thingy. The space combat/exploration/trade genre is one that's always sounded cool to me. I've given it a try various times before, but it never took. We'll see if this one scratches the itch.

Steam Holiday Sale, Day 6: Bordering on Zombies

Today's Steam Sale has good stuff in it again! (I know. What are the odds?) Anyway, here's my picks for today:

Borderlands: $4.99 - I have recommended this game so many time, I'm out of new stuff to say. It's a very good shooter married to an okay RPG, the art and the humor both work. It's good, it's worth buying, it's dirty cheap. If you don't have it yet, here it is yet again for just a few bucks.

 Plants vs. Zombies: $3.39 - This game is by Pop Cap, which may lead some readers to scoff. Don't it garnered a 91% rating and an Editor's Choice from PC Gamer - the game is fun, surprisingly deep, and incredibly addictive. Also: cheap.

Jamestown: $2.49 - This retro Shoot-'em-up is part of the latest Humble Bundle, so if you're after it, I'd recommend getting it there, but if the $3 or so between the cost of the game today and the cost of the Humble Bundle is a factor, it's worth having.

What I'm getting: today, just Prototype. That's been on my watch list for a while.

Steam Holiday Sale, Day 5: Clilly Notes

Once again, shock of all shocks, the Steam holiday sale has some great stuff in it. Here's my picks for today:

Audiosurf: $2.49 - This was one of the first (if not the first) games to generate some important facet of the game from music files. I bought it for full price back in the day when it first released and really enjoyed it then, and years later I still fire it up on occasion. The game is a puzzle racer where you collect colored blocks and make patters with them through a course generated off the song you're playing. At $2.49 it's well-worth the meager price they're asking for it today, and its one of those things that belongs in every PC game collector's library. Mellow tracks make an easier race course, heavier, up-tempo music is more challenging.

Frozen Synapse: $3.74 - One of the coolest and most surprising game experiences a lot of folks, myself included, have had this year. Frozen Synapse is a great simultaneous turn-based tactical game. It's very hard, but very rewarding. I hear the multiplayer is even more fun than the single-player, but I've yet to try that. Still, for under $4, it's not bad.

E.Y.E.: Divine Cybermancy: $2.49 - This isn't a great game by any stretch of the imagination, but it is an interesting one to fiddle around with. I don't think I'd recommend it for a higher price than it's currently at, but for $2.49, it's worth getting to poke at.

What I'm getting: I picked up Rage, since it's dropped to half its original price and then dropped to half of that in the sale. I've been wanting to play it, but not for $60.

Steam Holiday Sale, Day 4: Piles of Awesome

Some really amazing stuff in today's Steam Sale! I'm going to get right to the details.

Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2: $4.99 each. The Mass Effect series is the best RPG series of at least the last five or so years, IMHO. I am almost beside myself with anticipation of the third one. Grabbing the first two for a combined total of $10 is one of the best uses of your gaming dollar I could imagine.

Torchlight: $3.74 - One of the best Diablo-likes ever made, including the Diablo games themselves. It's very satisfying, and funny to boot. Will play on anything down to and including a netbook.

Brink:  $4.99 - I really enjoyed Brink, especially its world and setting, but my love of it was far from universal. Still, for $5, I'd recommend trying it to see if you like it.

Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga: $9.99 - I've yet to finish this, but I have gotten a lot of fun hours out of it. The hero has more unique and cool stuff they can do than most game heroes, and you can play a complete smart-alec who is still a good guy with ease. It does a lot of interesting things and is well-worth playing.

What I'm getting: I'm not sure yet, as I'm typing this on my lunch break at work, but I think I'll pick up Avadon: The Black Fortress (I like Spiderweb software games I've tried so far) and I might pony up the $3.74 to get Torchlight on Steam instead of Direct2Drive (which is going away soon).

Steam Holiday Sale, Day 3: Stalking Battily

Day three of the annual Steam Holiday Sale has rolled around, and today there's a good spread of stuff in it again. My recommendations out of today's lot:

Defense Grid: The Awakening: $2.49 - A classic, defining tower defense game. It's very tight and the voice acting for the general that's been uploaded into a computer talking in your ear is great. If you like tower defense, it's definitely one to have in your collection. If you've never played tower defense games, it's a wonderful introduction.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Bundle: $8.74 - (or grab individual games for 75% off, if you prefer.) The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games are some of the most immersive and creepy games you're likely to play on any platform anywhere, ever. They're an interesting mix of realistic shooter and lightweight RPG set in a kind of quasi-post-apocalyptic setting that's sprung up in an alternate history version of the area around the Chernobyl reactor. There's a bit of a steep introductory curve, but if you can get past that, these games will hook you something fierce. I already have all three and I'm still a little tempted.

Batman: Arkham City: $24.99 - this game just came out and is well worth full price, so at this price point, it's both a no-brainer and a steal.

Stuff I'm picking up: Today, I'm just getting Mount and Blade: With Fire and Sword. I keep hearing about how amazing this series is, almost incessantly, actually. So I've finally decided to break down and try one.

Steam Holiday Sale, Day 2: Dred-ful

I have only one recommendation from today's Steam Sale bargains, but I implore you to take it if you enjoy anything vaguely resembling roguelikes: Dungeons of Dredmor. I've been playing the living daylights out of the game for the last week (seriously - something like 29 hours logged in the last 7 days.) With the expansion pack, the game is $1.87. Please, just go get it. It's less than the cost of a soft drink from most fast food joints and it is one of the most fun and the most funny games I have played in quite a while.

Stuff I'm Getting: Today, nothing. I already have everything I want from the sale.

And here we go again with the sale-ing. (Steam Holiday Sale, Day 1)

Steam has begun their holiday sale. Hold onto your wallets!

Here's what I'd recommend out of today's batch:

Just Cause 2: $4.99 - This is a crazy, over-the-top action-movie take on the sandbox genre. There's more shooting and explosions than a Michael Bay film if you're trying at all. It's not the smartest or most sophisticated game ever, but it's gloriously silly fun.

Metro 2033: $4.99 - This is one of the most atmospheric and affecting shooter you'll ever play. It's not funny and silly like Just Cause 2, but it's very immersive.

Fable III: $12.49 - I played this and really liked it. The story is solid, and I like the Industrial Revolution + Fantasy setting Albion has evolved into.

Orcs Must Die!: $3.74 - This will probably get a blog review before the month is out. I've been playing this game a fair bit lately, and it is a very quality piece of indie gaming. Everything's tight and polished, and the core mechanics are both well-refined and very satisfying. Especially at this price, just buy it already.

Singularity: $7.49 - I thought this game was great when I played it back in May, and I've been feeling like playing it again, actually. It's a good game.

Max Payne and Max Payne 2: $2.49 each - These predate The Backlog, but were fantastic for their time. A mix of modern crime drama, film noir, and bullet-time actually done well make these great additions to an action gamer's library, especially if you like third-person shooters.

Terraria: $4.99 - This just got a HUGE content update, so now's as good a time as any to pick it up. This is a modern classic that should be in every serious PC gamer's library.

Stuff I'm Getting: Picked up Portal 2 and some DLC for Orcs Must Die! and Magicka.