Rock, Paper, Shotgun

By Lewie Procter on November 13th, 2010 at 1:10 pm.

There are some words between this sentence and the deal of the week, but you want to ignore those and skip straight to the deal of the week. Seriously, what are you doing still reading this bit? In the grand scheme of things this bit is totally irrelevant. You know the deal by now surely? Good games, low prices, silly abbreviations, I plug my web site and then we all have a lovely chat in the comments. It can only be the bargain bucket.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light – £7.46/€8.78/$12.02
Apply coupon “savemore”. Registers on Steam.
The online co-op patch just came out on the Xbox three hundred and sixty, so in theory it should be out on the PC soon too. Either way, it’s a perfectly enjoyable game played solo, and the spears are the only friend I need. Are there any other recent examples of long running series having a such successful complete overhaul? GOL is certainly a much smaller game than any of the recent Tomb Raiders, but I think it’s better for it. It doesn’t feel like the scope is limited, just more focussed. It’s surprising how quickly the Legend formula felt dated, although I’m certainly excited for that oft-rumoured reboot that Eidos have gradually been PRing accidentally leaking. Here’s wot John thought.

F1 2010 – £14.96/€17.61/$24.10
Apply coupon “savemore”.
F1 2010 is a simulation of F1, that came out this year. So accurate is the simulation, Codies even managed to recreate accusations of cheating and deception from the real life racings. The extent of my knowledge about F1 is that my Sister’s Boyfriend’s Mum gets very shouty when she watches it, particularly when that guy crashed his car on purpose for some tactical purpose that was completely beyond me. I tried that in the game, and I didn’t get showered with champagne or money, so I’d recommend against it. I guess it’s not a perfect simulation after all. RPS coverage here.

The Ball – £11.21/€13.19/$18.06
Apply coupon “savemore”. Registers on Steam.
John and Jim collaboratively opined about this just a couple of weeks ago, and said:

It feels like quite an old soul. The game reminded me, alternately, of Quake and Unreal. The initial level design felt very Quakey, but the ambience, and the creatures, very much reminded me of the original Unreal.

and

it’s almost as if you could sense of the FPS modder origins in it. There were bits where its heritage is very clear. But the result of that is that, occasionally, it looks really fantastic. I mean it’s mostly rooms and corridors, but there are bits where the rooms open up to mad ziggurats, or temples with giant bat-monsters flying about overhead.

They said you should probably buy it at full price, so now you should probably-and-a-bit buy it.

Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight – £4.99
UK only. Apply coupon “i41″. I’m not sure when the coupon expires, so be quick.
Many people were put off by it’s obtrusive internet requiring DRM (how bad is it? I’ve not used it myself), or by lukewarm reviews, much like this one from Mr Meer. Still, it’s got to be worth a pop right? It’s the last C&C ever, until they make another one. Here’s what he said about it:

On the one hand, it’s important to look at this as its own game rather than through change-fearing spectacles. On the other, it’s called Command & Conquer 4, and that bald bloke who keeps waving his arms and talking about ascension is all over it. It’s still aimed at the fans. That it is such a giant step away from the mechanics C&C has clung onto for so long is bold and exciting in concept, but so absolute in practice that it’s an insult to the faithful.

Deal of the week
Mirror’s Edge – £4.99/$9.99
UK Folk need to apply coupon “i41″ to get this price. I’m not sure when the coupon expires, so be quick. Only available in the UK/North America, sorry everyone else.
Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin. This is the story of the time that one of the biggest publishers in the world took a risk on a game about running and jumping. Mirror’s Edge is worth your attention because it is different. There’s not another game like it, and I doubt if there ever will be. You play as Faith, a human being that feels like a human being, and you have to get from A to B because of the story. It’s hard to put it in a genre box (hell, EA classify it as an RTS), but I guess it’s a first person platformer/racer, where it’s all about finding the quickest path and looking like a badass. Its greatest success is putting the person back in first person. Faith runs, climbs, jumps, and falls on her ass in a way that feels more real than any other game I’ve played. If you stand still after a sprint, you can see and hear her panting as she catches her breath. Her arms and legs are visible, and are very convincingly animated. It’s also strikingly beautiful. Just look at it. There’s more colour in 5 minutes of Mirror’s Edge than there is in most games. Most of the complaints made about it are fair, there are (very) occasional moments of frustration when the controls don’t quite do what you’d like. The story is made of fluff. It’s probably the only game that has cut scenes that look far far far worse than the in game graphics. The combat should be better, and running away should always be not just an option, but the fastest option. Still, if you can’t find something to love in Mirror’s Edge, you might want to go and see a Doctor about your missing heart. Here’s wot Alec thought.

Also of note:
CODBLOPS – £29.96/€35.26/$48.28. Apply coupon “savemore”, registers on Steam.
Risen – £9.99/€14.99/$14.99 (Warning: Has nasty TAGES limited activation DRM)
JoWood Promo

UK/EU only:
Fallout: New Vegas – £22.46/€28.79. Apply coupon “savemore”, registers on Steam.

UK only:
The Saboteur – £4.99. Apply coupon “i41″.
Mass Effect 2 – £9.99. Apply coupon “i41″.
Medal of Honor – £14.99. Apply coupon “i41″.

Remember to go visit SavyGamer.co.uk and buy lots of stuff so I get mad commission.