With the Thanksgiving holiday looming tomorrow, Valve has decided to bless our PC’s with a four day sale. While the Steam Autumn Sale pales in comparison to their Winter and Summer sales, we’re assured to have some great deals over the next couple of days.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown – $33.49 – When I reviewed XCOM last month, I stated that it was one of the most addictive games I’ve played all year, but it wasn’t without its problems. Long time fans may not appreciate the streamlining that had gone into making the game more accessible, and newcomers could be just a bit overwhelmed if they don’t pay attention, but this is still a strong candidate for Game of the Year. If you’ve been holding out, this is a fantastic time to buy in and enjoy the best strategy game I’ve been able to play as of late.
The Walking Dead – $12.49 – TellTale hasn’t always done well with adventure games based on pop culture IPs, but The Walking Dead is a phenomenal title. The game is incredibly tense and tells an incredibly engaging story where you’re going to have to make difficult decisions with life and death consequences. The fifth and final episode of the game launched today, so this is an ideal time to buy in.
Darksiders II – $16.99 – Another possible candidate for Game of the Year, Darksiders II has you playing the role of Death on a quest to prove his Horsemen brother’s innocence of the events that took place in the original. The DLC has been lackluster so far, so our suggestion is to pass on that for now, and if you’re really hooked pick it up when it undoubtedly goes on sale during the Winter Sale
Terraria – $3.39 – Terraria has been called the bastard child of Minecraft and Metroid, but certainly stands out as more than just the sum of its parts. The massive focus on exploring and combat parlayed with the fantastic aesthetics make this a killer go-to title. The fantastic multiplayer where you and a few friends can build up your castle before hunting down the end game monsters never really gets old. However, I can’t fully recommend picking it up right now as it went on sale for $2.49 over the Summer Sale and I expect to see a repeat come December. It may seem like an insignificant amount, but as any veteran of these sales will tell you, with the absolute wealth of deals, it may be worth it to save as much as you can.
Age of Empires III – $9.99 – Every time I talk about Age of Empires I realize just how old I am. 7 years ago, Age of Empires III was seen as one of the best RTS games on the market, and while the game is still balanced exceptionally well, it hasn’t aged with grace. RTS fans who can look past the dated presentation will find a fine game waiting, but fans new to the genre may be better served looking for something with a bit more polish.
Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers – $4.99 – This is an easy one. Magic the Gathering is simply an online version of the classic card game with a few small upgrades thrown into the mix. If you haven’t had any interest in the card series before, this isn’t going to change your opinion. However, if you’re the type who’s always looking for new ways to build their deck, this may be worth checking out.