What if I told you that the only time Morpheus really said that line was in the South Park episode? It’s true, he never actually says it during the movies. It’s just like in Star Wars, Vader never said “Luke, I am your father.” But that’s enough random movie trivia for the day; let’s get on to video games.
One last reminder, unless the game is either a Daily Deal or a Flash Deal, hold off on buying it. There’s only one day left in the sale, and you never know how Steam will try to surprise us next.
Warhammer 40K: Dawn Of War II – $7.49 – This is exactly what the future of the RTS genre needs. These games are outright violent and offer a streamlined approach where nothing feels rushed or cheap. Retribution is the game of choice from these series as it has the most content and the largest player base still active. If you’re even a casual fan of Warhammer or the RTS genre in general, this is a great title to buy.
Batman: Arkham City – $10.19 – The Arkham games are some of the (if not the) best superhero titles ever created. Everything about the game is simply amazing. The plot is engaging, the setting is perfect and the combat is exactly what I would want from a Batman game. The brand new Harley Quinn DLC is only $3.39 with today’s deal and while it’s a bit shorter than I would like, this seems like a fair price for a great addition to the title. If you even have a passing interest in Batman, you need to pick up either Arkham City or Arkham Asylum and see why these are being hailed as the pinnacle of comic book games.
There is also a Batman Bundle available, but let’s be honest here. This bundle is essentially just a random bit of crap for Gotham City Imposters which is a game that has the audacity to charge people for free to play mechanics. It’s a cute title and has a few things going for it, but there’s nothing there really demanding of your money.
Torchlight – $3.74 – Torchlight is a colorful cartoony dungeon crawler made by some of the original developers for Diablo II. While there are only three classes and no multiplayer, it is a phenomenal game offering a good amount of replay value. The game has a stellar sense of humor and style that really makes it a joy to dive into. For instance, there’s a unique sword named “Epic Sword of Adam” that does 59 emotional damage, 42 Futuristicness as well as providing 1285 Resistance to Logic. If that wasn’t enough, it also shouts “WIZARDS!” whenever you swung it. There’s not a single part of typing out that sentence that I didn’t enjoy. It is worth noting that Torchlight II is set to be released sometime this summer, and if you pre-order it now for $19.99 you’ll get a free copy of the original Torchlight. Minus the fact that it’s missing multiplayer, this is one of the best dungeon crawlers on the marketplace today and is decidedly worth looking into.
Fable III $12.49 – If you’re familiar with the Fable games, you’re probably familiar with the massive buildup leading to a disappointing title. What Fable III does well, it does really well, however, the overall game left me wanting. While the game puts you in a position to feel like you’re making an impact and changing the world, nothing of importance changes no matter what decisions you make. On top of that, the promised multiplayer is absolutely horrendous on the rare occasions it works. Pass on this game.
Evochron Mercenary – $6.24 – I honestly couldn’t tell you a single thing about Evochron Mercenary and instead of insulting your intelligence and attempting to make something up, I rather admit that I don’t even know where to begin talking about it. I’d highly advise downloading the demo from Fileplanet here since they don’t have it on Steam for some reason before making a decision. Once you’ve played it, leave a comment below to let us know what you think.
ARMA II: Combined Operations – $17.99 – This is exactly why I have been insisting that you hold off on making your purchases until a game shows up as a daily deal. ARMA II has been in the top sellers all week as players have been clamoring to get their hands on the Day-Z mod that has the internet in a tizzy, but the patient gamer can now rub in the fact that they saved twice as much money. The mod turns the ultra-realistic military simulator into what is perhaps the best zombie game ever made. Players have to conserve ammo, find supplies and avoid other players who are more than likely hunting you for your beans. It’s tense, it’s unforgiving and it’s sure to make more than a few people rage quit. The main page has a counter that gives you the average life expectancy of players, which right now is sitting at about 49 minutes and seems to be dropping. I’d expect that after today we should see that hit 30.
Quantum Conundrum – $8.99 – Quantum Conundrum is a puzzle platformer that simply oozes personality, for better or worse. While I had an absolute blast reviewing it, I’ve heard a decent amount of people complain about the lack of actual character development and that the humor can fall a bit flat, but somehow neither of those ever felt like an issue for me. The puzzles are challenging while still being rewarding, and while Professor Quadwrangle’s script was a bit cheesy it was just so charming I was willing to look past it. If you enjoyed either of the Portal games, I’d heavily recommend picking this up.
Prince of Persia – $2.49 – The Prince of Persia titles are still some of the best action platformers on the market. The combat is fluid and the platforming itself feel spot on. You can pick up all of the titles for $12.24 in the bundle, but if you’re looking to save a few bucks The Sands of Time is usually considered the highpoint of the series.
Indie Bundle X – $9.99 – One of the more eclectic bundles we’ve seen during this sale, the tenth bundle really offers something to just about everyone.
Machinarium is one of the best adventure titles ever created, and is jaw-dropping beautiful. This is a game that everyone should play, and is more than capable of winning over gamers not usually fans of the adventure genre.
BIT.TRIP RUNNER is one of the most deceptively hard games I’ve ever played. The seemingly simply rhythm game is only requires you to hit one of two buttons the right moments to dodge obstacles while listening to an absolutely adorable soundtrack. It doesn’t take more than a few levels before the game becomes brutally taxing, though. If you’re a gamer with anger issues (you know who you are), you may want to stay away from this one.
All Zombies Must Die! Is an engaging little twin stick shooter where you’re facing off against the zombie hordes with an incredible arsenal at your disposal. There is local co-op, but sadly there’s no true online component which seems like a fairly massive oversight. It may not do anything to reinvent the genre, but the amount of fun that can be had here is pretty astounding.
Flash Deals? You want to talk about Flash Deals? Check out our page dedicated to them over here. Remember to bookmark the page and check back often, we’re updating every two hours to keep you updated with the best ways to stretch your dollar.
One day left ladies and gentlemen, what are you hoping will go on sale tomorrow?
