Best Steam Summer Sale Deals: Day 8
Day 8: RPS still does not suspect I am a talking five pound note.
What are the best Steam Summer Sale deals? Each day for the duration of the sale, we'll be offering our picks - based on price, what we like, and what we think more people should play. Read on for the five best deals from day 8 of the sale.
I am become boxes, the mover of worlds. I sit in the shattered remnants of my old flat, marvelling at how one floor could possibly be so dusty, and considering the possibilities of cheap games. If only I had bought on daily deals instead of needlessly flushing my cash away, perhaps I wouldn't have this incredible headache and be unable to feel my feet. I was supposed to bring balance to my wallet, not destroy it! I intend to assist you in finding that balance.
Steam Day 8 - First Contact:
5. Batman Arkham Asylum + Arkham City
75% off: $4.99 / £3.74 / €4.99 each, Asylum page and City page
The first two parts of Batman's soon to be complete trilogy of beat'em'up/adventure/action games. The first is a clean, tight world filled with interesting areas, distinct buildings of the complex being devoted to certain super villains. The follow-up was a large open-world with roaming gangs of baddies, but broadly followed the same Zelda-esque dungeon formula. They're both excellent in their own ways and buying them also gets you a free pass to the Arguing Which Is Better Emporium. Mr. A Meer gave thoughts on the original (in 2009 oh babel the passage of time), while Mr. A Smith was assigned to the followup.
4. Shovel Knight
33% off: $10.04 / £7.36 / €10.04, Store page
2D platforming with a very retro feel, you play a knight armed with a shovel (surprise!) and must defeat enemies and dig up gems to progress. Despite the surface retro, it's had modern animation and art applied, so looks gorgeous. Received stunningly well by press and players, it appeared a bit out of nowhere. Adam gave it an hour around release time and came away smiling.
3. Titan Souls
40% off: $8.99 / £6.59 / €8.99, Store page
That very rare combo of incredible idea (Shadow of the Colossus meets Dark Souls with one touch death for both the player and bosses) and impressive execution. Titan Souls is a delight, difficult and precise combat of attempting to nail weakspots with arrows while dodge rolling to evade attacks from massive creatures. The plot is implied through environmental factors and the bosses themselves. Marsh loved a pre-release demo while Adam fell for the full thing in his review.
2. Ori And The Blind Forest
40% off: $11.99 / £8.99 / €11.99, Store page
A recent entry in the feelings 'n' platforming genre featuring a mysterious white creature's journey to save the world. Also featuring the most adorable giant bear-mother-thing ever. While Ori nails the cutesy elements, it's also rock solid on platforming and combat especially once you're over the initial hump of what is quite a difficult game. Pip enjoyed the beauty of the world and the story while swearing at it in her review and she and Graham virtual-sat virtual-down for a virtual-chat about how well the emotional side of the game functions.
1. Life is Strange
20% off: $15.99 / £12.79 / €15.99, Store page
One of the new breed of Telltale-style adventure games with a focus on exploration and decision making over hardcore puzzle solving and failure states. It's an absolutely wonderful story of a girl named Max and her reactions to suddenly discovering the ability to control time. Now is an extra good time to jump in as the first three episodes that are currently released form a narrative arc of their own within the larger story. You can also grab just the first episode to check if it's for you for under two pounds or equivalent (equidvalent?). If it turns out to be your cup of tea, the other four won't set you back much more. We've written tonnes about the game but everything except Pip's initial review of the first episode should be considered somewhat-spoilers.
From yesterday's community suggestions, Abyss Odyssey sticks out as a good shot at 66% off. It's a 2D action platformer with a deeper fighting system than you might be used to, playing a little more like Street Fighter than DMC or the like. You switch characters by defeating and then absorbing them, giving you limited time with their move set. Dear departed Nathan interviewed developers ACE Team (also of Zeno Clash) before release.
City builder Banished also got the nod from you fine folks at 75% off. It's a historic city-builder, taking a tribe of medievalish exiles and building them into a strong and wealthy nation. It's quite interested in making you understand how easy death comes to human beings without food and fuel and slightly less in giving you a nice town filled with happiness and joy. Alec frowned at his starving populace in his review.
Tomorrow: day 9 brings my computer back to life in a new abode. What adventures await? Until then!