Video game sales update thread

[Hitmen]

Faster Than Light is now on sale on Steam...its quite an addictive game and only costs 8.99. Somewhere else, someone else talked about this game. But a sot of description is that it is a roguelike, space ship simulator.

Tom posted about it awhile back, I am playing his version, and all I can say is I can not stop playing it. It is what a Star Trek game should have always been. So much fun.

[Mike Dunn]

Faster Than Light is now on sale on Steam...its quite an addictive game and only costs 8.99. Somewhere else, someone else talked about this game. But a sot of description is that it is a roguelike, space ship simulator.

Tom posted about it awhile back, I am playing his version, and all I can say is I can not stop playing it. It is what a Star Trek game should have always been. So much fun.

Yes, I grabbed this last night and its really a lot of fun. Easy to get into, hard to master. In this first week of release, its $9 instead of $10.

Also, I bought it directly from the developers, which still gives you a steam key but gives them more of the cash. This was made by just two guys in Singapore. They ran a Kickstarter campaign months ago to raise cash to finish it, and it was wildly successful, giving them enough money to hire an artist and writer as well.

Expect to die a lot and restart, like a true roguelike. But when you stave off death it's tremendously rewarding. In my second game my crew of the Starship "Kiss My Ass" had managed to destroy a rebel ship, but just barely. We were left floating in space with serious damage. Two of three crew members were injured and getting worse, the power was out and the med bay inoperable. The fearless captain, named Mike, managed to restore power as he watched the health bars of the other two deplete. Then he restored the med bay. Then he managed to get both hurt guys to the bay just before they died. They survived, repaired the rest of the ship, and practically good as new, we moved on to another part of the first sector.

[Evas]

I just picked up FTL based on all of the positive reviews here. Should be fun.

A couple other games I have been playing recently that had dropped to about $10 before I picked them up:

Blood Bowl: Legendary Edition - Turn based fantasy rugby/football set in the Warhammer universe. Based on the table top game. I am not that familiar with the Warhanner universe, but have enjoyed this one a lot. Brings me back to Mutant League Football on the Sega Genesis. It is currently priced at $39.99 on Steam. I'd stay away at that price. But for $10, it is a great game. I would recommend turning off the announcers though. They were really horrible.

Crusader Kings II: - At first glance this seems like another Civilization type strategy game. But while the point of the game isn't quite the same. In CKII you play as a single ruler who is trying to expand his feudal realm and secure heirs to maintain his dynasty. This one has a steep learning curve, but is interesting once you get the basics down. As you progress from a Duke to a King to an Emperor, it gets harder and harder to hold things together. The death of a good ruler could plunge the realm in to civil war if the heir isn't up to snuff. Throw in the crusades, jihads and the Mongolian hordes and you have a game that is worth your time to play.

[Hitmen]

Here is the thread where FTL was first mentioned with some more information along with a bunch of other indie games.

As Mike already mentioned, it is primarily a rogue like so do expect to die often and start over often. What I love most about it is that like I mentioned is that it is the kind of game I always envisioned a true and proper Star Trek game to be like. You have to worry about your ships systems, have people at stations, repair things as they get damaged, transfer power when necessary to compensate, just amazing space battles. There is plenty of quick little story stuff which would be cool to expand on if they could, but it really comes down to the unique space battles. I can't get enough of it at the moment. And the music is simple and cheesy old-school 8-bit sounding stuff, but it's great! Game gets a 5/5 for me, highly recommend taking advantage of the cheaper price.

[Mike Dunn]

There is plenty of quick little story stuff which would be cool to expand on if they could, but it really comes down to the unique space battles. I can't get enough of it at the moment.

Yea, same here. Great fun.

I finally made it to sector 3 and it proved to be a great story. My commander, Rebekah, and her two crewmates were in a fight to the finish battle with a rebel ship in sector 2, when suddenly the ship was boarded by some reptilian creature. So in the midst of a space battle outside the ship, the red shirts had to get into hand-to-hand combat with the creature, who -- if left unattended -- would run around the ship messing with controls.

So they were out of missiles, the hull was failing, the crewmembers couldn't fix the failing systems because they were fighting the interloper, and the rebel ship was putting up a major fight. I thought they were doomed. Finally, though, the rebel ship combusted into a billion pieces in the face our of bombardment. The commander then put the ship on autopilot, unbuckled her seatbelt, went to the back of the ship and found the two crew members dead at the hands of the reptile guy. Commander and reptile then get into a knock-down drag out fight, and the commander finally puts lizard guy out of his misery. Then she goes to the sick bay to heal herself, as she is close to death. But first she has to repair the sick bay! With her dying breath, she fixed the medical room, and I watch as her health points are restored. Once fully healthy, she then has to go around and fix the shields, weapons, etc.

So talk about winning the battle but losing the war. She survived all of this, but was left with no crew, and no fuel, floating in space. Eventually another ship offers her some fuel in exchange for some scrap metal, and this allows Commander Rebekah to get into a new part of Sector 2. And she finds a Federation ship under attack by another rebel ship. Most guys and gals, knowing they were without crew, would have simply run, but not our hero. She takes on the rebel ship by herself, destroys it, though barely, and in the process gains another crew member. Later, another.... and later, another.

So by Sector 3 Rebekah has a crew of three others and an upgraded ship. And what happens? She dies in a hull breach, the three newcomers survive. They toss her body out into deep space and go on their merry way, reaping the benefits of her bravery.

I embellished slightly. Not not much. FTL has a slight learning curve but once you get over it, great adventures lie ahead...

On another note:

Green Man Gaming has a deal for $8 off the soon-to-be-released update of Xcom. They're using a trade-in trick. Get Age of Fear for free and trade it in for $8 off the discounted price of $44. Xcom for $36!

http://www.greenmangaming.com/xcom-deal/

[John]

GOG is holding a "Pick 5, Pay 10" promotion through Monday, Nov. 26. A bunch of games normally priced at $10 or $15 each are included. Many of these games are newer indie releases that have received strong to stellar reviews. Many are also old-school point-and-click adventure games, but there are also a healthy dose of puzzle and action games, too. Here were my five picks:

• Gemini Rue
• Blackwell Bundle
• Geneforge 1-5
• Trine
• Anomaly: Warzone Earth

[Hitmen]

As fully expected, let the Steam Sales begin! Plenty of top games 33-50% off with tons of indie games and other titles 75% off as well! XCOM 33% off on day 1!

[John]

As fully expected, let the Steam Sales begin! Plenty of top games 33-50% off with tons of indie games and other titles 75% off as well! XCOM 33% off on day 1!

I'll never play them, but I picked up Age of Empires III: Complete Collection ($10) and Knights of the Old Republic I and II ($2.50 each) to ease a titch of my guilt over playing pirated copies of these worthy games way back when.

Actually, residual guilt is probably why I make most of the gaming purchases I do nowadays. I sure don't have time to play any of these games! And yes, I realize that paying $2.50 for KotOR now hardly makes up for pirating them when they were sold at full price. I have learned my lesson. Pay for what you consume, people!

Speaking of paying, how about those of you who still lack a copy pony up for Civilization V: Gods & Kings on GreenManGaming? Use the code "GMG20-1FYLZ-EDG8R" and it's yours for just $8.15! The game activates on Steam, so you'll be ready to join PEBACiv games as soon as your transaction is complete. Hurry, though: The deal ends at 6:00 a.m. ET on Thanksgiving day!

[Reg]

Steam has the Walking Dead by telltale games for 25% off right now, so if you like stories do yourself a favor and pick this one up and get all five episodes for under 20 dollars. A couple of disclaimers, not for those who are not okay with strong language or zombie gore and violence. It's not so much a game as it is a strong choose your own adventure with some light puzzles and action sequences.But if you really like playing a game where choice does make a difference, and like a story that sucks you in then you owe yourself the privilege of this one. To me it was like playing an episode of Lost...I have never watched the series on AMC so can't vouch for how similar it is to that, but they are both based off the same comic book.

I think my favorite part was when I realized I was near the end of the game and I had somehow managed to keep only the characters I disliked alive, I was like...dang it...its the zombie apocalypse and I hate everyone I am surrounded by....

I am ready to play through it again, just to see how different choices may have shaped the game.....

[John]

I think my favorite part was when I realized I was near the end of the game and I had somehow managed to keep only the characters I disliked alive, I was like...dang it...its the zombie apocalypse and I hate everyone I am surrounded by....

That's awesome.

[Hitmen]

Coming on one of the final day of the Steam sales, and well the Civ games and Expansion are both 75% off both at $7.50 a piece. If you haven't jumped at it yet, do so now!

[Iyou Seigyoki]

Bioshock 2 for $4.99 told me it was time to return to that eerie underwater hellhole again.

I'm not much for shooters in general, but the first Bioshock game was extraordinary with unmatched atmosphere that totally sucks you into the mayhem. You'll never perceive little girls the same way again. Kind of like the ones singing in all those horror movies.

[Paul Moots]

GOG is selling all 7 Avernum games for $11.99. Anyone know anything about these games? They sound intriguing in the description, but I was MIA from gaming during the time they were available and know zilch myself. Recommended or no?

Paul

[Mike Dunn]

GOG is selling all 7 Avernum games for $11.99. Anyone know anything about these games? They sound intriguing in the description, but I was MIA from gaming during the time they were available and know zilch myself. Recommended or no?

Paul

The Avernum games are old school RPGs, pretty hard core party-based, turn-based combat. Its very much an acquired taste. They are basically made by one guy, Jeff Vogel, who has carved out this niche and made a career of it for years. The good thing is -- he always makes very long demos. You should try one.

http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/products.html

[Paul Moots]

Thanks, Mike - I'll give it a shot.