The Steam Deal Thread V7 - The soda wars have ended, but the deals rage on.

Status
Not open for further replies.
eastx

eastx

CAGiversary!
Feedback
92 (100%)
Welcome to the Steam Deal Thread V7! You can find link to past threads at the bottom of this post. Read post #2 of this thread for Steam FAQs and more.

Since the V6 thread, we've decided to leave regular minor sales out of the OP. This post will keep track of major sales (Summer sale, etc.), Steam deals available through other sellers (like Amazon), Preorder deals, and Group Buys.

I would still greatly appreciate help from you folks at home in keeping this smaller-scale OP up-to-date. This is a Wiki post so anyone can contribute. Wiki instructions:
Thanks for your help! If you notice a sale has ended, feel free to delete its line from the sale list. Of course, if you see something does need to be added, then kindly add it to the list.

Make sure your changes match the thread's format! For example, every game that's on sale is part of an unordered list. When adding a game to the list, copy an existing line and update the link, title, and prices. That way, the format stays correct. Do not list percentages off! We list the original price and the sale price here. If you have any suggestions for major changes to the post/thread, PM me (EastX) about them.

Steam Sales - Updated 5/20


CAG Threads Featuring Steam Games on Sale Elsewhere - Updated 1/9


Preorder Deals - Updated 1/10
Group Buy Deals - Updated 1/9/13
Several multiplayer Steam games are available in 2-packs or 4-packs. These packs offer a discount over buying multiple copies of a game separately. We also maintain group buy trade threads for several games, so please use those threads if you're interested in setting up a group buy.


Free Stuff - List needs updating with F2P games!
There are several free games and mods on Steam. These are a few choice ones; you can find a full list here. Note that free games are not permanently attached to your Steam account like actual purchases would be. You'll need to manually download a game again from the website if you uninstall it.


Steam around CAG

If you are interested in joining the Steam CAG Community or participating in a trade or group buy with fellow Cheap Ass Gamers, please do so in the dedicated threads and not in the deal discussion thread. In the dedicated threads you will find CAGers with the same specialized interest who will be much quicker (and happier) to respond than in the Deals thread.

Past Special Sales

Visit www.steamgamesales.com to check previous sale prices on Steam games. We do keep track of some older sales here though:

Steam Retail Key List

What is a CD key and where can I find it?

Steam's explanation and list of Steam-activatable keys

The CD Key is a serial number with a combination of 13, 18, or 25 letters and numbers - it can be found on a sticker inside your game's case or printed on the game's quick reference card. The CD Key acts as your proof of purchase for the game - Steam Support may ask for it if you need to establish your ownership of an account. It is recommended that you keep your CD Key in a safe place to ensure the security of your account.

Other Keys that can be redeemed on Steam (CAG tested & verified)
11.gif

  • The Ball (bought @D2D, tested by voken)
  • Supreme Commander Forged Alliance (gives both FA and original, bought @amazon, tested by vism)

Indie Bundles thread on Steam forums (link)

Past CAG Steam Deal Threads
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Upvote 0 Downvote
[quote name='louiedog']Just a reminder that BioShock Infinite has unlocked. Refresh Steam if it's not showing as so for you yet.[/QUOTE]

Oh I have noticed.

The jealous rage is slowly building in me as seemingly everyone on my friends list keeps starting up their great adventure in Columbia. Yet here I am, poor and getting ready for an interview for tomorrow that will only make me slightly less broke if I get it! haha
 
[quote name='sleeping_lights_on']Majora's Mask for 60$ and the complete story with all the items sat in your N64. The nickel and diming is getting sickening. The only thing this will do for publishers is never get my money day 1 ever again, always waiting for sales, packs, and second hand. Day 1 gets you nothing, except support for more nickels,dimes, 3/4 of the story (the other 1/4 behind a pay barrier), and 120$ worth of dlc down the road. No thanks.

Majora's Mask but each extra mask is an extra 5$. CHA ****ING CHING! And you all know damn! well thats how Ubi/Activision/EA would do it today.[/QUOTE]



Don't forget, however, that Majora's Mask was the first big release that required the N64 expansion pack, so while people didn't have to shell out extra to access game content, we did have to do the same to add SYSTEM content. In a way, it was that decade's equivalent. ;)
 
[quote name='Izod517']But if he does SR3 before SR2 he'll hate SR2![/QUOTE]


I disagree. I beat SR3 back in Nov 2011, have have screwed around with it more recently. I'm currently halfway through SR2 (for the first time) and I'm having a blast. I'd argue that they are quite similar, though SR3 is more polished and over the top. SR2 has enjoyable crassness. SR2 on "hard" is much easier than SR3 on "hard".

[quote name='seamoss']Here's what I've done with my almost 1000 unplayed games: I pick one of each kind and play them through simultaneously.
This means one RPG, one platformer, one puzzler, one pointy-clicky-adventury, etc. I usually have 4-5 games going on at any point in time though I usually focus on a couple during each week. This way I don't get bored from playing the same game all the time.

Some games, like Braid, I played over the course of a year or two, solving a puzzle whenever I felt like it. Other games like Civ basically have no "ending" so they're always installed. Similarly for puzzlers like Tidalis or Bejeweled, which stay installed until I get sick 'n' tired of them.
[/QUOTE]


In my experience, I'm most likely to beat something if don't play anything else (except maybe a few laps on a racer I've already beaten).

[quote name='Eldredpe']I beat Return to Castle Wolfenstein this fall, and found it quite satisfying.
I was sort of impressed with myself. (And the poor quality of the forced stealth mission is absolutely overblown.)

Just a divergent opinion to consider
.[/QUOTE]


I hope you noticed there was a HD Texture pack.
 
[quote name='asheskitty']
I hope you noticed there was a HD Texture pack.[/QUOTE]

Nope!

The graphics didn't bother me much, though.

I remember renting it when I was a kid on the Xbox 1, and the PC version already looked better than that, so I was both happy and nostalgic during my time with it.
 
[quote name='hal']I tend to go after the ones that are easiest to finish off in a reasonable amount of time. So I'd avoid Civ4, Saints Row, and Sonic.

Mirror's Edge and Prey can be polished off rather quickly. Portal 2 is not far behind that, followed by RTCW and HL2 Episodes. Those are all excellent choices to begin with.

A bit of Rochard and Sonic in between would be a good palate cleanser - both can be picked up and played at will.

Deus Ex: HR, Dishonored, Far Cry are all shorter than the remaining games.

You really can't go wrong with any of those. That's a high quality backlog![/QUOTE]

I actually beat Sonic Generations in one sitting on release date but my eyes were pretty sore after!
 
Tomb Raider is $35 today at Amazon. I would of bought it if I didn't buy Bioshock. It's a money thing, not a I have enough games things to be fair :lol:. If I had the extra cash, I would of bought it.
 
[quote name='Blade']Prey isn't very good. It's a short FPS that you can play when you have nothing else to play, which most likely won't happen. I played it on 360, the console practically built by and for FPS games, and didn't even want to finish it. Same bland level designs, same abilities, same gameplay throughout all of the 18 or so chapters, some of which only consist of one enemy spawn in one room. I had more fun with Duke Nukem Forever. As far as this list goes, you should definitely save Prey for last.

Start up Portal 2 after you're finished with Bastion. It's a great game. Play co-op with mics (and some booze, if you're so inclined) and you'll have a blast.[/QUOTE]

Hm. Prey is one of the reasons I felt the Portal series was an overhyped knock-off. You should at least give it credit for doing two things no FPS before it had done: having "portals" and a Native American protagonist (even if the story was loaded with enough cliches to make the Washington Redskins cringe).

[quote name='Eldredpe']I beat Return to Castle Wolfenstein this fall, and found it quite satisfying.

I was sort of impressed with myself. (And the poor quality of the forced stealth mission is absolutely overblown.)

Just a divergent opinion to consider.[/QUOTE]

RTCW is pretty great, especially the Where Eagles Dare-style breakout introductory levels.
 
I felt like Prey was underdeveloped personally. I could see how it would have had great potential but I just didn't dig it. I got bored quickly and it largely felt like just another FPS with a few gimmicks. I realize there's a good argument against that it was just what I felt like after going about half way through the game. That said it's incredibly hard for me to finish an FPS.
 
[quote name='Izod517']I felt like Prey was underdeveloped personally. I could see how it would have had great potential but I just didn't dig it. I got bored quickly and it largely felt like just another FPS with a few gimmicks. I realize there's a good argument against that it was just what I felt like after going about half way through the game. That said it's incredibly hard for me to finish an FPS.[/QUOTE]

What is they threw in elves, orcs and stormtroopers?

That's what they need to make. A FPS where you have guns and everyone else is from WoW. Boom. Billion seller.
 
Yes orcs and stormtroopers would have likely completely fixed Prey for me. Or... better yet, orcs that ARE stormtroopers. I think we're on to something here.
 
[quote name='warreni']Hm. Prey is one of the reasons I felt the Portal series was an overhyped knock-off.
[/QUOTE]

You couldn't create portals in Prey.

It's not like teleporters/portals didn't exist in FPS games before both Portal and Prey.

They just happen to look similar artistically.
 
[quote name='Mooby']Speaking of overhyped...

quotes-banner.jpg
[/QUOTE]

I assume you've been up for the past 11 hours playing it to come to that conclusion.

Such dedication!
 
[quote name='warreni']Native American protagonist (even if the story was loaded with enough cliches to make the Washington Redskins cringe).[/QUOTE]

I heard that Prey did well in this regard, and was not offensive to the sensitive types out there.
 
[quote name='Eldredpe']I assume you've been up for the past 11 hours playing it to come to that conclusion.

Such dedication![/QUOTE]


The game is a paradigm of everything that is wrong with the AAA industry. It's fallacious to think you need to play a basic shooter to determine its quality. There are no subtle nuances in game play.

So, when will gaming have its Citizen Kane moment? Forget that. When will anything else have its BioShock Infinite moment?​
I don't know how else to tell you that this is the game videogames were made for. It’s the game every other designer wishes they could make. It’s a watershed moment for our industry, and I’d be hard pressed to tell you that anything that came before is better. More so, however, I can’t imagine that anything else, in my lifetime, will top this.​
If you can make it through the game without being emotionally affected - or even experiencing a bit of an existential crisis - you need to check your pulse immediately.​
Click to expand...
 
[quote name='Mooby']The game is a paradigm of everything that is wrong with the AAA industry. It's fallacious to think you need to play a basic shooter to determine its quality. There are no subtle nuances in game play.[/QUOTE]


Sure there is. There are two major ways shooters differentiate themselves:
1) Pointing
2) Clicking

=p
 
[quote name='Mooby']The game is a paradigm of everything that is wrong with the AAA industry. It's fallacious to think you need to play a basic shooter to determine its quality. There are no subtle nuances in game play.

[/QUOTE]

The only thing that bothered me of Prey was just how much they hyped those portals. They really did their best to convince you they would be game changing and they were in absolutely no way at all like that. Luckily I rented it a long time ago for the 360 so I had fun without regretting a purchase. It was fun, but not worth spending more than the price of a rental on.
 
[quote name='Mooby']The game is a paradigm of everything that is wrong with the AAA industry. It's fallacious to think you need to play a basic shooter to determine its quality. There are no subtle nuances in gameplay. [/QUOTE]
But should a game be judged on gameplay alone? Does story not have a bearing, or indeed an overriding impact on your feelings towards a game?

I'm playing through Spec Ops: The Line at the monent. The gameplay is reminiscent of a gazillion other modern day shooters but it's the story that makes me want to finish work so I can get home and play. Doesn't the overall experience take precedence over specific gameplay, erm, stuff?

(lost my train of thought there. Oops)
 
[quote name='Spokker']I heard that Prey did well in this regard, and was not offensive to the sensitive types out there.[/QUOTE]

It was good in the sense that Tommy wasn't an alcoholic casino-worker, but beyond that, the story's really heavy on the spirit-journey/wise old grandfather ghost-kind of hokum. There was an interesting article in (I think) the now-defunct Games for Windows LIVE magazine about how American Indians viewed the portrayal of his character and the characters in AoE III.
 
[quote name='Flowette']But should a game be judged on gameplay alone? Does story not have a bearing, or indeed an overriding impact on your feelings towards a game?

I'm playing through Spec Ops: The Line at the monent. The gameplay is reminiscent of a gazillion other modern day shooters but it's the story that makes me want to finish work so I can get home and play. Doesn't the overall experience take precedence over specific gameplay, erm, stuff?

(lost my train of thought there. Oops)[/QUOTE]


To me? No. I realize the vast majority of people here (and video game consumers in general) enjoy their games to be interactive experiences/borderline movies but stuff like that doesn't interest me. Even then I don't find the story/writing that superlative. Nothing anymore engrossing than your average AMC series. But Ken Levine is big into that kind of thing and unfortunately it looks like his paymasters are content on giving him bigger and bigger budgets to play Hollywood producer in the gaming scene.
 
[quote name='Kaltic']The only thing that bothered me of Prey was just how much they hyped those portals. They really did their best to convince you they would be game changing and they were in absolutely no way at all like that. Luckily I rented it a long time ago for the 360 so I had fun without regretting a purchase. It was fun, but not worth spending more than the price of a rental on.[/QUOTE]
I've played through quite a bit of Prey, and I don't remember there being anything that I'd liken to the portals in Portal.
 
[quote name='Flowette']I'm playing through Spec Ops: The Line at the monent. The gameplay is reminiscent of a gazillion other modern day shooters but it's the story that makes me want to finish work so I can get home and play. Doesn't the overall experience take precedence over specific gameplay, erm, stuff?[/QUOTE]

I think Spec Ops: The Line is one of the worst examples of this. I find the gameplay incongruous with the plot. It is hard for me to take the plot seriously when you are three guys going from one action setpiece to another killing hundreds of trained soldiers.

As for Bioshock Infinite, I think RPS had the best balanced view of it:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/03/25/bioshock-infinite-pc-review/
 
[quote name='Mooby']The game is a paradigm of everything that is wrong with the AAA industry. It's fallacious to think you need to play a basic shooter to determine its quality. There are no subtle nuances in game play.[/QUOTE]

:roll:
 
[quote name='Mooby']The game is a paradigm of everything that is wrong with the AAA industry. It's fallacious to think you need to play a basic shooter to determine its quality. There are no subtle nuances in game play.[/QUOTE]

I don't think, by reading a few reviews, gameplay is what people are praising this game about, people are talking about the art, the music, the story, the feeling of the game, not the gameplay wich of course, just by seeing some videos is not new at all.

Games tend to focus in different things, gameplay, story, graphics, etc, it's hard to find an all-around AAA game now, but, without playing BI yet, seems to me this game have those atributes well balanced.
 
[quote name='TheLongshot']I think Spec Ops: The Line is one of the worst examples of this. I find the gameplay incongruous with the plot. It is hard for me to take the plot seriously when you are three guys going from one action setpiece to another killing hundreds of trained soldiers.[/QUOTE]
Which is kinda the point of the game, its a bit of a satire of the modern military shooter. What begins as a search and rescue quickly spins out of control as Walker makes assumption after assumption, leading to horrible consequences. I personally am a sucker for a good yarn, if the gameplay is functional and not overly repetitive, I will usually seek it out.
 
[quote name='guardian_owl']Which is kinda the point of the game, its a bit of a satire of the modern military shooter.[/QUOTE]

The one mechanic that I always found TOO incongruous was that you regain a clip of ammo for performing execution moves.

So if you want to stay up on ammo with rare weapons you HAVE to use executions, meaning I was making moral choices I didn't agree with (brutal executions) based on an arbitrary gameplay mechanic that doesn't make sense in the context of the plot (why would my enemy NOW have a rocket on him because I kneecapped him before shoving my gun in his mouth?).
 
[quote name='Eldredpe']The one mechanic that I always found TOO incongruous was that you regain a clip of ammo for performing execution moves.

So if you want to stay up on ammo with rare weapons you HAVE to use executions, meaning I was making moral choices I didn't agree with (brutal executions) based on an arbitrary gameplay mechanic that doesn't make sense in the context of the plot (why would my enemy NOW have a rocket on him because I kneecapped him before shoving my gun in his mouth?).[/QUOTE]
Ya, I always found that strange, that certainly lends credence to the
purgatory theory
though, as that mechanic is quite surreal.
 
[quote name='Eldredpe']The one mechanic that I always found TOO incongruous was that you regain a clip of ammo for performing execution moves.

So if you want to stay up on ammo with rare weapons you HAVE to use executions, meaning I was making moral choices I didn't agree with (brutal executions) based on an arbitrary gameplay mechanic that doesn't make sense in the context of the plot (why would my enemy NOW have a rocket on him because I kneecapped him before shoving my gun in his mouth?).[/QUOTE]

This just further strengthens the game's point. It's not forcing you to perform executions to get ammo, you want to do it just so you can keep using your favorite weapons. You're prioritizing gameplay over contemplation of your actions, which is what the game is criticizing.

I personally thought that Spec Ops was gaming's Citizen Kane moment. It uses aspects of video games in such a unique way that it forces you to think differently when playing it. It's a game you're meant to experience, not enjoy. What other video games (pretentious art games don't count) do that?
 
[quote name='Davinatorman']This just further strengthens the game's point. It's not forcing you to perform executions to get ammo, you want to do it just so you can keep using your favorite weapons. You're prioritizing gameplay over contemplation of your actions, which is what the game is criticizing.[/QUOTE]

To be honest, I didn't know you got ammo for executions.

If the game is supposed to be satire, it is pretty weak satire.
 
[quote name='Davinatorman']This just further strengthens the game's point. It's not forcing you to perform executions to get ammo, you want to do it just so you can keep using your favorite weapons. You're prioritizing gameplay over contemplation of your actions, which is what the game is criticizing.
[/QUOTE]

I find that to be a stretch, and find it to be an issue with the game putting mechanics over its larger point because it wasn't quite able or knew how to be what it wanted to be. Similar to the game's criticism of you as a player for the way its most shocking moment plays out, when you as the player in reality had no say in its execution, and would in fact fail the mission if you'd done your obvious due diligence and not allowed that thing to happen.

I think Spec Ops is an interesting experience, and I respect the things it was attempting, but I think some people give it a benefit of the doubt it doesn't deserve in regards to its failings.

A somewhat confused commentary on consequences in games and the tone of modern military shooters? Sure.

But grand satire it is not.
 
[quote name='louiedog']Today's deal is Dungeon Defenders at 75% off ($3.74 or $11.24 for a 4-pack)

All DLC is on sale and the collection is $12.49.

Now move along.

Midweek Madness

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga at 50% off ($9.99)
Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars at 50% off ($9.99)[/QUOTE]

I hope DD isn't the humble weekly. I'm rooting for
Amnesia.

[quote name='Eldredpe']I find that to be a stretch, and find it to be an issue with the game putting mechanics over its larger point because it wasn't quite able or knew how to be what it wanted to be. Similar to the game's criticism of you as a player for the way its most shocking moment plays out, when you as the player in reality had no say in its execution, and would in fact fail the mission if you'd done your obvious due diligence and not allowed that thing to happen.

I think Spec Ops is an interesting experience, and I respect the things it was attempting, but I think some people give it a benefit of the doubt it doesn't deserve in regards to its failings.

A somewhat confused commentary on consequences in games and the tone of modern military shooters? Sure.

But grand satire it is not.[/QUOTE]

Agreed. Everyone touts that one moment as so impactful. How can that be so when I knew what the consequence would be and spent 30 minutes trying to avoid it?
 
[quote name='preedatore']i hope dd isn't the humble weekly. I'm rooting for something that hasn't been in any bundle that detruire has bought.[/quote]
ftfy.

;)
 
[quote name='Preedatore']I hope DD isn't the humble weekly. I'm rooting for Amnesia.[/QUOTE]

As soon as I saw this daily I started assuming it might be. It's not currently available through the Humble Store, but I doubt that matters too much for these. They're already hosting the game and its soundtrack. Of course it goes on sale all the time anyway on Steam. I guess we'll find out in 45 minutes.

edit: And the Indie Royale people just tweeted the next bundle is coming soon. We might see that in 45 minutes as well.
 
[quote name='Terlan']These are as cheap as these have been yes?[/QUOTE]

Lucas arts seems to be stingy with sales, I haven't seen lower a price. I think I'm going to grab both now that Disney owns lucas arts and Disney and steam don't play nice. I'm sure it may bite me in the ass down the road but ill kick myself if they pull these off steam.
 
I'm not sure what you mean by putting game mechanics in front of it's point, because it never forces you to perform executions. It's an illusion of choice, because it ultimately doesn't affect the bottom line (you can easily get by the game without executing anyone), similar to the rest of the game's choices. I found it to be a mechanic executed flawlessly. It services the game's bigger picture. Hell, they could have just made it so enemies dropped ammo upon death and got rid of execution entirely, would have made for a faster paced game, but they knew what they were doing when they implemented it, to the point where even you rationalized the executions as HAVING to do it because of superfluous ammo.

The WP scene is probably something mired by the fact that there's really no possible way to do it while also giving the player the illusion of choice. However, I personally fired at the truck next to the group (I had doubts about who the group was), and it spread, which I found plausible and still made me feel guilty about what I did.

I wouldn't ncessarily call it a satire, it's more of a commentary on the state of modern shooters.
 
[quote name='Drabelincoln']Lucas arts seems to be stingy with sales, I haven't seen lower a price. I think I'm going to grab both now that Disney owns lucas arts and Disney and steam don't play nice. I'm sure it may bite me in the ass down the road but ill kick myself if they pull these off steam.[/QUOTE]

I had Jake Nome pick up Lego Star Wars for me during the Winter sale. I think his price was $7 (maybe $7.50). So if you wanna save a little bit more, you might wanna check with him first.
 
[quote name='Drabelincoln']Lucas arts seems to be stingy with sales, I haven't seen lower a price. I think I'm going to grab both now that Disney owns lucas arts and Disney and steam don't play nice. I'm sure it may bite me in the ass down the road but ill kick myself if they pull these off steam.[/QUOTE]
Yeah I'm thinking the same thing.
 
[quote name='The End']I had Jake Nome pick up Lego Star Wars for me during the Winter sale. I think his price was $7 (maybe $7.50). So if you wanna save a little bit more, you might wanna check with him first.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the heads up. Ill ask him.
 
[quote name='Eldredpe']I find that to be a stretch, and find it to be an issue with the game putting mechanics over its larger point because it wasn't quite able or knew how to be what it wanted to be. Similar to the game's criticism of you as a player for the way its most shocking moment plays out, when you as the player in reality had no say in its execution, and would in fact fail the mission if you'd done your obvious due diligence and not allowed that thing to happen.

I think Spec Ops is an interesting experience, and I respect the things it was attempting, but I think some people give it a benefit of the doubt it doesn't deserve in regards to its failings.

A somewhat confused commentary on consequences in games and the tone of modern military shooters? Sure.

But grand satire it is not.[/QUOTE]

Agreed. It would have been a stronger game if the decisions they let you make had a stronger effect on outcomes. And yeah, the moment you talk about is pretty obvious when it happens. It kinda takes the power of the moment away when you had no choice in the matter.
 
[quote name='Mooby']To me? No. I realize the vast majority of people here (and video game consumers in general) enjoy their games to be interactive experiences/borderline movies but stuff like that doesn't interest me. Even then I don't find the story/writing that superlative. Nothing anymore engrossing than your average AMC series. But Ken Levine is big into that kind of thing and unfortunately it looks like his paymasters are content on giving him bigger and bigger budgets to play Hollywood producer in the gaming scene.[/QUOTE]

to speak in generalities i actually agree with you that i like my videogames to be, ya know, games... and not shoot 29 guys/slay 20 orcs and walk around the corner to trigger the next michael bayish cutscene. but how can you specifically criticize the story/ writing without playing it?

that said i'm about 1.5 hours into bioshock infinite and my mind is not blown, but i definitely like it better than bioshock 2
 
If you ask me, Spec Ops, Blops, MW, and Bioshock all tell equally implausible stories. None of them are a "satire" though I do enjoy the former and latter as well told tales and well made games.

I thought Spec Ops was spectacularly effective but I do not think it was a commentary. Anything can be a commentary. A commentary is the lowest form of art. Any teenager can subvert a superhero motif but very few will ever write The Watchmen. I think SO succeeded on its own merits as a tragedy, as its own story.

Mooby, sounds like you're talking about indie games.

Though my favorite ignorant overwrought video game review will always be IGN's slobbering blowjob for RDR. RDR was excellent but in almost none of the ways IGN claimed. Anyone who can read the first paragraph of that without wrenching has a sterner stomach than I.

http://m.ign.com/articles/1090125

It's possible they overdid it in LA Noire and MP3 but I've not dared subject myself to anything more than a cursory read of those.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='Rsmobile']If you ask me, Spec Ops, Blops, MW, and Bioshock all tell equally implausible stories. None of them are a "satire" though I do enjoy the former and latter as well told tales and well made games.

I thought Spec Ops was spectacularly effective but I do not think it was a commentary. Anything can be a commentary. A commentary is the lowest form of art. Any teenager can subvert a superhero motif but very few will ever write The Watchmen. I think SO succeeded on its own merits as a tragedy, as its own story.

Mooby, sounds like you're talking about indie games.

Though my favorite ignorant overwrought video game review will always be IGN's slobbering blowjob for RDR. RDR was excellent but in almost none of the ways IGN claimed. Anyone who can read the first paragraph of that without wrenching has a sterner stomach than I.

http://m.ign.com/articles/1090125

It's possible they overdid it in LA Noire and MP3 but I've not dated subject myself to anything more than a cursory read of those.[/QUOTE]


the day i stopped taking IGN seriously was the day i read their fez review
 
[quote name='Davinatorman']I'm not sure what you mean by putting game mechanics in front of it's point, because it never forces you to perform executions. It's an illusion of choice, because it ultimately doesn't affect the bottom line (you can easily get by the game without executing anyone), similar to the rest of the game's choices. I found it to be a mechanic executed flawlessly. It services the game's bigger picture. Hell, they could have just made it so enemies dropped ammo upon death and got rid of execution entirely, would have made for a faster paced game, but they knew what they were doing when they implemented it, to the point where even you rationalized the executions as HAVING to do it because of superfluous ammo.
[/QUOTE]

I believe enemies DO drop ammo when you kill them, they just drop ammo specifically for all the guns you're holding on execution. It doesn't make sense in an in-world context, which makes it so gamey that it loses any kind of impact. If you want to say that that's commentary on a modern military shooter, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree that that was the intent of the game.

It sounds like the kind of thing a designer threw in for the sake of gameplay and a writer tried to rationalize in interviews after the fact.

That's actually what a lot of Spec Op's issues strike me as stemming from, to be honest.

[quote name='Davinatorman']
I wouldn't ncessarily call it a satire, it's more of a commentary on the state of modern shooters.[/QUOTE]

I apologize. Guardian_Owl was the one to use the word satire.

You only compared it to Citizen Kane. ;)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
bread's done
Back
Top