Steam only has a sale four times a year, so it’s beyond imperative I take advantage of the 2018 Summer Sale. Thing is, I already have a library that, at this point, has more than a few games I’ve only played for at most a couple hours. I call this “The Pile,” as coined by a friend of mine. It’s pretty effective because it reminds me that, were the games in my library physical copies in their cases, there would be a rather tall stack of them that I’ve completely ignored. The Pile has been chiseled at, just a bit, but I find myself going back to comfort zones, such CS:GO, XCOM (1&2), or the Total War franchise. Obviously, I just really need more games, so let’s see what I’m considering.
See? I’m responsible! I know I have some time before the sale ends, so I can really weigh my options before buy approximately 70% of what I was considering. Here are my summer jams to pile onto the… Pile…
I’ll be explaining what held me back from purchasing these games upon or (before) release and what kept me eyeballing them all this time. After the sale is over, I’ll publish an updated list of what I chose to buy in the end, and what I think about them now I’ve played them.
Nidhogg 2 - $7.49 (50% off)
So, I cheated on this one, a little, as I’ve already succumbed to the peer-pressure of my closest friends into buying it. No speculation needed here, this game is definitely worth full-price, let alone half off. I knew after playing the first one how much of a ruckus it could generate as a game, but I could never justify it before it really went on sale, so to speak. My friends and I have joked, but this game really might deserve a spot at EVO next year.
The frantic combat is what made the first one, and against my worries, the second has kept the essence of its “game-feel’ intact. The changes are entirely positive, especially the variation in weaponry. This of course can lead to moments where I exclaimed “oh, bullshit,” but overall, there’s quite a lot to learn, and plenty of room for different playstyles. For instance, I initially shunned the bow, but after learning how to use it, I can achieve timely killstreaks to advance my character through a level, using lots of movement feints to leave my opponent exposed. One of my favorite moves is to fake a jump-over, only to land back, and slide under my opponent’s attack, followed by a quick shot to the back of the head. I squeal with joy every time I nail that one; Waltzing through an entire room unscathed just feels so damn good. Really, when I gripe while playing, it’s only because my sense of competition is super-heightened. I just wanna win, man. Also, it’s kind of ridiculous how good the music is. With artists like Mux Mool and more, there’s plenty of lofi beats to keep me happy, and add to the atmosphere.
Purchase Prediciton: Already Purchased! Instant Satisfaction!
Doom - $14.99 (50% off)
I have to admit, I was probably sold on this the moment I saw it presented at E3, but I also knew it was going to be in serious backburner territory for a while. I definitely couldn’t justify a $60 price tag, as it was a franchise I never had much of an interest in. The closest I got to it was the Star Wars Doom-clone, Dark Forces. I didn’t even catch the wave of the early 2000s revival with Doom 3. That may have had to do more with my avoidance of “spooky” games as a child, but I still don’t feel like I was missing much, in retrospect.
Now, at 15 bones, I am more than excited for some mindless, frantic blood and gore. Seeing early gameplay trailers reminded me of simpler times as a child, when FPS titles lacked the “sophistication” they have now. DOOM looks like so much fun, because I don’t have to think about anything; Not the plot, nor its mechanics, nor for hidden upgrades or collect-a-thons, nor for any deeper meaning. Just classic shooter mechanics, satisfying “gun-feel”, and killin’ demons harder than Alex Jones could ever dream.
Purchase Prediction: Very Likely
Firewatch - $4.99 (75% off)
Games like this are definite write-offs for its base price. I know I’ll knock this one out in a day. My friend who recommended it me explained that even if I was thorough (which I am), I could maybe squeeze five hours or so out of it. With that, the $20 price-tag at base is pretty laughable to me. Yes, it’s kind of a ridiculous when you put it in perspective that the average movie-ticket costs about the same. That’s more than double the entertainment value, time-wise.
Still, I must admit I have trouble with games like these. A big issue for me is that I tend to fall back to games I know. I used to feel a certain restlessness only when watching movies or TV, but now, it seems that has pervaded into linear single-player games like this. I think CS:GO has sort of ruined me, with its instant action, and larger focus on technique over atmosphere. A slow-burn (pun so intended) like this might rekindle (I’m on a roll now) my love for the journey over the destination when it comes to games.
Purchase Prediction: Moderate to Likely
Rocket League - $9.99 (50% off)
Completely on the opposite end, here’s a multiplayer title with some serious allure. I have to say, just watching someone play this on Twitch is exhilarating. Even as a kid, I never shied from sports titles. I’m generally not any good at them, except for NHL. Still, not much compares to competing from the couch with a friend, strutting like a peacock in front of them when you score a goal/touchdown. Sniping top cheddar, bar-downski after a filthy coupl’a’ dangles, followed by a sick celly? That’s the life, eh?
Uh… anyhoo…
In the same vain as NHL, Rocket League is clearly loaded with potential for technique and unique playstyles, while still being fun and accessible to new players. The speed and movement look just thrilling, and I can’t imagine the ecstasy I’d likely feel the first time I score on a mid-air shot. I’ve heard less-than-promising things about the community, but it’s likely no worse than CSGO’s, and easily better than Overwatch, despite Blizzards best… “efforts” to eradicate toxicity. Overall, a cool title, to be sure, but one I might need to enlist friends in order fully enjoy it. Part of the fun for me is developing set plays with teammates who know the drill, just as in “real” sports. At ten big greens, we’ll see about this one.
Purchase Prediction: Moderate
Stardew Valley - $11.99 (20% off)
I never really thought I’d consider something like this, given that it’s, well, work, but with all the positive press it’s received, this might just suck me in, should I purchase it. Hanging out with friends in middle and high school, games like Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon weren’t uncommon obsessions. This is somewhat astonishing now, given that most of my friends in those days were guys, and almost none of them would give a game like The Sims a chance (the one gal-pal I had as a kid got me into that one, for what it’s worth). It’s promising to see how things like this have progressed, and gamers, regardless of gender, have opened themselves to new experiences.
Gender-politicking aside, this is still a tough sell, though it’s made my list. Games with a serious grind-aspect must mask the work involved with engaging gameplay, in order for me to not lose interest. Heck, the “management” part of games doesn’t scare me; Empire: Total War taught me to fall in love with financing my war-machine, and this carried over to other games like XCOM (1 and 2), as I maximize resources in order to crush my enemies. Good quartermasters win battles! But I worry Stardew won’t give me the same rush. “Had a good harvest this year, nice! Now I can… buy better tools and stuff… woo?” Combine that with only a 20% discount (yes, 12 buckeroos is still very reasonable), and I feel I might just wait on this until the price drops so low that I’d buy it as quickly as a gumball.
Purchase Prediction: Unlikely
Fallout 4 - $14.99 ($29.99 for GOTY, both 50% off)
Ah jeez, this is still a sore-spot for me and Bethesda. I love Todd Howard despite everything, but Fallout 4 was just… beyond disappointing at first. Initial reactions? Excitement, felt kind of unexpected, if memory serves. The more we learned, however, the less excited I got. I noticed this pattern ever since Skyrim, where Bethesda seemed to dumb-down a good portion of what made their games RPGs. This was almost entirely in the stats department, and while I enjoyed the changes of Skyrim from Oblivion, what I saw, in Fallout 4 was an abysmal deletion of anything related to building up a character. I tried playing it once, and my fears felt completely justified: it was a first-person shooter with inventory-management and perks. The shooting felt pretty good, and had I been playing on PC, I might have enjoyed the combat a little more. Still, after that, I was pretty well turned-off.
That sentiment began to erode as friends started picking up the title. We’d be chatting on Discord, and I’d be invited to watch them play through the game. I watched one of my friends play on hardcore mode, and I was genuinely engrossed by the combat’s intensity. The player-character was just as squishy as the super-mutants he was shooting at (as squishy as super-mutants can be, anyway). Top that off with needing to eat, drink, and sleep, and there’s some deep immersion I can get behind. It may not have the RPG elements I would’ve wanted, but there’s plenty there, for the price.
Purchase Prediction: Likely
Prey - $14.99 (50% off)
This was definitely a game that flew under my radar, already out by the time I’d heard of it. I wasn’t too enthused when I first saw the trailers. Ultimately, I’m probably joining the chorus: it presents itself as a more fleshed-out Bioshock. Where Infinite worked on its gunplay, Prey seems to be more concerned with improving the environmental action and abilities.
Good price, given how recently it came out. Otherwise, I’m unsure of how much I’ll enjoy the game. Yes, I had fun the first time I went through the first Bioshock, but there’s some lastability issues for me after that. Starting a new game, the veneer of the story’s shock-value had diminished, and I was more aware of how I felt just by playing. Bioshock feels downright clunky. Sure, the point was to play creatively, using powers, weaponry, and the environment to dish out punishment. That ought to be a knockout, right? Even at normal difficulty, yes, gunplay alone couldn’t save you, and I usually appreciate that. With Bioshock, I felt I had established my basic playstyles, with a few favored combinations, and that was sufficient. That’s the fear I have for Prey: a game teeming with atmosphere, but gameplay that doesn’t naturally evolve past a few optimum strategies.
Inspecting it again for this post, I learned it was developed by Arkane, the studio that gave us Dishonored. That certainly gives me some confidence. Maybe fifteen really is a great deal, even it’s a one-off.
Purchase Probability: Moderate
Cuphead $15.99 (20% off)
This makes the list for a number of reasons. I may not be too keen on difficult 2D platformers, but there’s obviously something to Cuphead that intrigues me. The animation is simply unbelievable, with its authentically hand-drawn characters and their noodly 30s style movement. Plenty of critical and public acclaim means I don’t have to think too hard on its worth…
That would be the case, if I wouldn’t consider my own preferences, of course. I know who I am, and I know that this game will frustrate me to the point where I put it down and don’t pick it up for maybe another year or more. I’ve watched friends play, and it’s definitely fraught with brain-farts, where you know the pattern of the boss, but you still make mistakes. It’s a little debilitating when you can quantify your chances of success, mid-fight, by how much health you’ve retained before reaching a certain stage. “Took two hits before he reached his 3rd form? Aww yer in trouble, there.” There’s just too much of that, as far as I can see, especially given its current price. For all the hard work that went into making it, Cuphead totally deserves at least $20, but with only a 20% discount at present, I know I can just hold out another year for an even better price.
Purchase Prediction: Unlikely
Furi $7.99 (60% off)
Alright, this is my least professional take on any of the games here. I’m probably going to buy this game solely because it features Carpenter Brut. I’m not the biggest fan of top-down boss-rush/bullet-hell games, I’ll be honest. However, I know with a pounding synth soundtrack, I’d be exhilarated if the game involved nothing but delivering pizza. I’m only sort of kidding, as the soundtrack of Hotline Miami put it easily into my top-5 list of all the games I’ve played. That game, to this day, fills me with a manic frenzy unparalleled in other games. I’m listening to the Furi soundtrack as I write this, and I can feel the same tingling, primal energy just from the music itself (even the slow tracks!).
Soundtrack aside, there’s plenty of other aspects of this game that I’m a sucker for. For instance, its visuals are in that “cel-shaded” territory, and I’ve loved that since Sly Cooper. Gameplay? Well, the trailers make it look easier than my friends have reported, but man, it just seems to control incredibly tight, and it could very well be a challenge I am up for. I’ve played enough slow-paced games these days; this could be just the ticket to reminding me of a time when games made my heart race.
Purchase Prediction: Very Likely
Root $0.99 (90% off)
I’ve got to admit, I met the developers of this one. The Florida boys at Skunkape were showcasing their next title, Denizen, at MAGFest in early 2018. I was impressed with the demo, but while I was sitting at one computer, my friends were playing the neighboring game, an incredibly colorful and fast-paced shooter. It was pretty distracting, to be honest.
First-person stealth being my favorite genre, I am definitely excited to give this one a shot. The neon colors are a refreshing change from the mostly grey corridors, and, much like the game mentioned above, it appears to be scored by pounding synth.
Purchase Prediction: Guaranteed
Hellblade $17.99 (40% off)
I am hastily adding this to the list, as it was recommended last-minute by a friend of mine, and so I decided to revisit the trailers. Hellblade is nothing, if it is not striking. The visuals are dark, brooding, offset by blinding beams of light, shining out of the gloom. The protagonist is incredibly expressive and compelling. I get the feeling a real-life actor did more than have their face scanned for this one.
The presentation is one thing, but the actual gameplay seems truly novel. Developed by the same group behind Heavenly Sword, I had expected a hack-n-slash. Instead, the game focuses on single-combat, fighting otherworldly opponents with the camera hovering to the side. One thing I liked about that was how cinematic it made the game seem, without going overboard and taking the actual satisfaction of fighting away from the player. The slashes and stabs are punchy, and every hit or parry carries weight. To me the one-on-one fights actually add to the game’s atmosphere. Fighting a bunch of grunts like it’s Dynasty Warriors would reduce the nordic folk-lore and biome to just another epic “viking game.”
There’s just a primal, brute-force aspect that ties it together for me. The price is fairly high, considering other titles I have to consider, and the potential I can hold off on this one. That said, I have to say, I admire a 2nd-party company breaking away by publishing their own game. In the age of authenticity, that really counts for something.
Purchase Prediction: Likely
