So, the Steam summer sale is happening, and thus I find myself gazing upon my PC monitor with a hysterical grin on my face and tears in my eyes. Once more, Steam conspires to ruin me, and once more I leap in with fatalistic giddiness, like a horny sailor to a siren.
But what has caught my eye so far? Loads, unsurprisingly, so I thought I'd share my most enthusing findings with you. This isn't a complete list by any means, it's just the stuff that has caught my eye this morning. But it's definitely stuff that I feel it my moral duty to make sure you're aware of. Take a look, and then share what you've found in the comments. A Steam sale is important business, and between us we'll get it covered.
Square-Enix Hits Collection- £29.99
More of an Eidos hits collection really, covering as it does all of the publishers biggest PC stuff before and after it was bought out by Squenix. And thus, it covers some of the most important and groundbreaking games in history. For your miserable thirty pounds you will get:
The entire Deus Ex series from first game to Human Revolution, including all DLC. Hitman, Hitman 2 and Hitman: Blood Money. Just Cause 2 and all DLC. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, with all DLC. Quantum Conundrum. Thief, Thief II and Thief: Deadly Shadows. Tomb Raider Anniversary, Tomb Raider: Legend, Tomb Raider: Underworld.
Valve Complete Pack- £24.99
Basically, everything Valve has ever put out. For £24.99. Yeah. Specifically that includes:
Counter-Strike, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero, Counter-Strike: Source, Day of Defeat, Day of Defeat: Source, Deathmatch Classic, Half-Life, Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, Half-Life 2: Episode One, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, Half-Life Deathmatch: Source, Half-Life: Blue Shift, Half-Life: Opposing Force, Half-Life: Source, Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, Portal, Portal 2, Ricochet, Team Fortress 2 and Team Fortress Classic.
Frozen Synapse: Complete Pack- £10.79
One of the best, most immediate, and most visually striking strategy games in recent years, its expansion and its soundtrack, for less that half-price. Oh, and you get two copies of the game so that you can send one to a friend and set up some multiplayer.
Penumbra Collector Pack - £3.99
The full collection of one of the smartest and flat-out scariest horror series out there. The precursor to Amnesia: The Dark Descent, and next year's upcoming Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. Contains Penumbra: Overture, the sequel, Penumbra: Black Plague, and the Requiem expansion.
Mafia II + Joe’s Adventure - £13.14
Mafia II is one of the most under-rated action games of this gnberation, and one of my absolute favourites. Forget any misguided criticisms you might have heard that its open-world is dull and empty of content. Those statements miss the point entirely. Mafia II was never supposed to be an open-world game, and it isn't. What it is is a beautifully-realised, deeply affecting, immensely atmospheric linear adventure taking in a huge chronological sweet and warm, human, detailed characterisation. The city is just the film set that all of that takes place in. And a stunning film set it is too.
You can buy Mafia II on its own for £9.99, or you can get the eight hour expansion Joe's Adventures for an extra £3.15.
The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Director’s Cut- £4.19
One of the best RPGs of the last decade. Simple as that. Brilliantly written, genuinely mature, and with a raft of different ways to further the plot depending on the decisions you make (which certainly won't always turn out the way you were expecting), The Witcher is only bettered by its own sequel.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent- £6.49
If you think that horror games are done with, play Amnesia. When you get out of that sobbing foetal ball in the corner, you'll agree that you were wrong.
Trine Franchise- £3.49
Two gorgeous, clever, class-driven, physics-heavy platform puzzlers for a quarter of their normal combined price. But click quickly. This one is a limited offer only on until 4PM GMT.
Darksiders - £4.99
THQ's rather marvellous Zelda-meets-God Of War. The sequel is coming soon, so grab this one for four-hundred and ninety-nine pence now. But again, be quick. You only have until 6PM GMT.
So there you have it. My current list of things that are about to melt my credit card. But how about you? What have you spotted? Come on team, let's destroy each other's finances together.
