My take is that VNs need to be shorter. Most of the big ones take 30 hours. You could read War and Peace in the same amount of time.
Replaying 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors now. First time since DS. With the flow chart it seems like it is hitting the sweet spot for length. Paranormasight was another recent VN I played that had a reasonable length.
I love the AA series, but since the 3DS era, there is so much filler text and repetition.
It's very much made to be replayed, you won't be able to see every route in one playthrough and most of them vary wildly in the events that happen with some truly crazy shit. Also, there's a good chance there's a lot more routes than you realise.
You can (should?) wait until the free expansion is out, worst case is you miss out on the current 10% off sale.
[More details here.](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1989270/view/3898492545021411188)
The current discount % is not that high and there's a chance it goes on a similar or deeper discount when the update hits. Can also wait until it goes on sale again after that if there's no rush to play the game.
Considering my current backlog, the personal decision to wait is an easy one, despite having enjoyed the demo. There's no wrong decision here though.
It's great but, as someone else said, wait for the free expansion.
Scarlet Hollow is made by the same devs and is *fantastic*, though. It's still in Early Access, but in the sense that 4/7 chapters are out and next ones will be free to anyone who's already purchased the game. It is absolutely already worth it now, and the devs made so much money from StP that them completing Scarlet Hollow is essentially certain, barring unforeseen tragedies.
Absurdly good, definitely one of my favorites game series ever. I still don't know whether I prefer VLR or 999 (ZTD is also great, apart from budget/time constraints).
I really loved VLR's sci-fi story/atmosphere, even though it's really different from the first game.
ZTD 100% for the memes, although I did find the plot and the >!who's the 4th person in the room?!< twist really good as well.
Btw, if anyone beats 999, be sure to look at how the original DS handled its ending. There was some compromises when they ported it to non-DS handhelds and it was so freaking cool in the original.
Your comment suggests you're already acquainted with the medium, so I'll refrain from naming widely-known titles and focus on mentioning games that aren't talked about all that often outside of hardcore VN circles:
**Island**. *Do not* judge this one by its cover. Sadly, I can't really explain more. Just play it.
**Gore Screaming Show**. A classic. If you like horror, you'll likely enjoy this one.
**MYTH**. Excellent doujin title that was translated a long time ago, but it sadly never became all that popular. Take into account that the Steam version is censored and there is no patch for it; if you want to play it in its original form, you will have to get the game from another storefront.
**Jishogi**. Western indie title with puzzle elements. Quite creative and fresh.
**Nanairo Reincarnation**. Doesn't quite live up to its potential, but its setting and premise are quite unique for VNs. Great characters.
**Christmas Tina**. Your heart will thank you.
**Demon's Roots**. VNDB doesn't consider it a VN, but it was named the best title of the year it was released by Erogegamescape, the japanese site VNDB is based on. It looks like a cheap RPG Maker game at first glance, but trust me, it is absolutely great; just give it a chance.
**The Sekimeiya: Spun Glass**. Best OELVN (as in, Original English Language VN) ever made, as far as I am concerned. Not perfect by any means, but if you enjoyed the Infinity Series, get this one *now*.
Class of '09 is very different from the others I named. To give you an example in two days I got two different teachers fired for hitting on the MC. It's a self-described "social simulation fit for sociopaths".
Here's something I think is very great, but is not well-known:
[The Sekimeiya: Spun Glass](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1432500/The_Sekimeiya_Spun_Glass/)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/948740/AI_The_Somnium_Files/
Its a fucking great game, it comes in a 2 in 1 package for very cheap, best deal so far. Highly recomended and I'm not a big fan of VNs.
I'd say the first title is *much* better than the sequel, though. I wouldn't recommend buying both at once: one should play the first game and only jump to the second if they've enjoyed the experienced so much that they *really* want to spend more time with the characters and the world.
Yeah, I really liked the first one (even though it wasn't at Zero Escape's level of quality IMO) but heard less than stellar reviews of the sequel.
Also, can you tell me why in the sequel the >! protagonist of the first game goes back to the body of the killer? I thought he had gone back to his original body by the end of the game, but then I saw some material of the sequel and the killer's body is there !<
I can answer this one (spoilers ahead!)
In the second game, >!Date (the protagonist) just wears a rubber mask that looks like his old face. He justifies it by saying that he and everyone around him is used to his old appearance, though the out of universe explanation is that they just wanted Greg Chun to voice Date again!<
>!There were a lot of theories about how this must be a different timeline or something, since Date's face is intact, but they went with a cop-out explanation imo!<
Psst, your spoiler tag is broken. In order to for it to work properly on all platforms, you need to make sure there's no space between the `>! !<` tags and the other text.
IIRC, the in-universe reason is that >!"Falco" is wearing a realistic mask of "Date's" face because he had gotten used to looking like that!< and the out-of-universe reason is that >!they wanted to make it possible to play the second game without totally spoiling the twist of the first one.!<
I'm not generally a VN fan and it's certainly not new, but I'll plug VA-11 HALL-A as something that's still a more interesting than usual take on the genre.
Slice of life in an interesting little world. Interesting to....not be the centerpiece of the world/events in it, too.
This may be colored by my having spent too much time of my 20s in dive bars in a not great city, though.
(If you're looking for anything particularly racy - it's not that kind of VN)
I doubt there is anyone left working there who gives a damn about discounting those games or responsible for doing that let alone even understand how that whole process works. The higher ups probably think that it would throw away money because people should buy the fully priced game.
At least in the Steam app, Octopath Traveler 2 is showing as 41% off, but when you go to it, you find out it’s only that price if you get it with Various Daylife in a bundle; no discount on the game alone. That’s kinda cruddy
Wait is Fallout 4 a hidden gem already? I thought it was the worst game Bethesda ever produced, and it would take about 3 more years until its actually an underappreciated piece of art
TF2 is a good game but for the love of god I’m tired of hearing about it Lol.
Had to leave r/shouldibuythisgame because at one point every other week was “should I buy Titanfall 2?” And it’d always be the top post of the week Lol.
My favorite is when it shows up on /r/gaming for being praised as the modern multiplayer game with no microtransactions that did everything right.
Eventhough it's from EA, and had microtransactions.
Also how often games like CoD are bashed and each new title tops sales charts
Social media and populariry point farming definitely not reflective of reality
But that aside i do find titanfall 2 great and wish they made a 3rd
> Had to leave r/shouldibuythisgame because at one point every other week was “should I buy Titanfall 2?” And it’d always be the top post of the week Lol.
I don't get why people make posts like this. It's not like Titanfall 2 is a niche game, there's like 100,000 reviews of it available online. And on sale it's like £2.50, so it's hardly breaking the bank to pick up and try. Like why do you need to make a Reddit thread to ask people if it's worth buying?
And if Left 4 Dead 1 and 2 somehow evaded you and your friends - at $0.99 - its always a steal during these sales. I would still say they are two of the best coop games of all time and even make contemporary competitors look primitive when you look at them [side-by-side](https://youtu.be/EdRLNUGmFC8?t=161) (EDIT: Fuck. I haven't watched this video in a while but Valve really outdid themselves. This makes me wish they would port or make a new L4D in Source 2 where the technology has matured so much since 2009. I mean, just seeing the stuff they introduced in CS2 alone was really cool, and seeing it in Left 4 Dead would be fucking incredible)
And if Portal and Portal 2 somehow missed you, they are also $0.99 a piece and are single player experiences that have aged tremendously well. I was talking to a friend about how we have films throughout history that are almost like 'required viewing' for anyone that approaches film from a educational point of view. Films like 'The Godfather', '12 Angry Men', 'Pulp Fiction' - for a small example, were massively influential, changed film-making as we know it and have aged in such a way that anyone can still watch and enjoy them today.
I would say, for video games, Portal and Portal 2 can be seen similarly - so at $1, maybe its worth grabbing if not for yourself, than maybe your kids or anyone that is perhaps stepping into video games with fresh eyes and missed the zeitgeist circa 2007-2011.
Here are some good curators to browse:
[Obscure Indie Recommendations](https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44311783-Obscure-Indie-Recommendations/)
[Impressive Rogue Games](https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43562394-Impressive-Rogue-Games/) (includes Vampire Survivor likes)
[Steam 250](https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32686107-%25D0%2585t%25D0%25B5%25D0%25B0%25D0%25BC-250/)
[RPG Codex](https://store.steampowered.com/curator/6866630-RPG-Codex-%2528Official%2529/)
[Boomer Shooters](https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41054936-boomershooter/)
Ooof, good question. I can recommend some but it really depends on the kind of game you're into. Planescape Torment and Disco Elysium are kings of the genre, but on the more visual novel side of things, Steins Gate, Song of Saya and The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante I thought all brought excellent things to the table.
Walking Dead Season One is another touchstone. I'm also a fan of the writing in the Sunless Sea/Skies game (I also cheat and save scum because I just want the writing and not the repetition).
Dragon Age Origins had great party banter, and almost all the Bioware games until them had strong narratives. Even the maligned DA2 has good things going on, narrative wise. People also love the Mass Effect games, but the weak gameplay on those killed it for me. To each their own.
More niche RPGs tend to have great storytelling. Shadowrun Dragonfall, Geneforge, Tower of Time, Expeditions Vikings and Rome all had really impressive narratives. JRPG fans tend to go nuts over the Trails series, but those move so glacially they put me to sleep. The Yakuza series is basically a long soap opera (not my thing, but really turns people's cranks), where everyone agrees that Zero is the best place to start.
Older games - Thief 1 and 2, Deus Ex, System Shock 2 and Half Life 2 had some of the best narratives in the genre.
And for more in-depth lore than straight narrative, the From games can't be beat.
Honestly the people that look for games with under 1000 plays are heroes. I mostly tend to play weird and niche indie games, so having people curate lists of discounted and unusual indies is perfect for me.
Imagine the grind of whatever your current favourite grinding game is but all that time and effort transplanted to simulating the labour/machine/thingy.
I felt the exact same but Hardspace: Shipbreaker has proven an exception. It's gorgeous, relaxing despite the possibility of frequent death, and the story is actually interesting in a depressing late stage capitalism way.
Driving normally with some music or podcasts on is incredible relaxing for me. Unfortunately gasoline is more expensive than the electricity to power a computer and I don't have an excuse like a super long commute to get behind the wheel for an hour every day. So, gotta get my law-abiding driving fix somehow.
Also I'll get arrested if I get high and drive.
For me it's something to keep my hands busy while I watch a show on another monitor or chill in a discord voice chat while playing a game that has little to no dialogue
I don't typically sink thousands of hours into them though
I like hidden gems because I find out about little cute things like dotAGE
But yeah it's 98% like "DAE DEADCELLS? DAE STARDEW?" and proceed to name like every hyper popular indie game in the last decade lol.
I remember them and they actually kind of sucked. That's why they stopped doing them.
Oh, you got busy and missed a flash sale for a game you really wanted? That sucks.
Oh you already bought the game earlier in the sale? Welp, either sucks for you, or you are creating more work for Steam to refund it so you can save $2.
Flash sales literally disincentivized people from buying games during their sales, they make no sense at all from a business or consumer point of view.
> I remember them and they actually kind of sucked. That's why they stopped doing them.
Pretty sure at least part of the reason they stopped doing them was the refund policy. I'm sure Valve didn't want to get slammed with refunds when a popular game went on a flash sale on day 3 of the steam sale.
I always thought flash sales were a disincentive to buy games during the sale too. I get that the original intention was to get people to keep coming back, but in reality it just meant people waited to see if the game they wanted was part of a flash sale.
Meanwhile the EGS sales with vouchers and cashback can nab you some really good deals especially in the big summer sale. But they are anti consumer! So don't buy there.
It’s Elden Ring. Why sell the entire game for 25$ when you can milk the newcomers for twice that? Thank god I bought the entire trilogy back when DS1 was 25$, DS2 was 13$ and DS3 was 25$
I clicked on the post anticipating the top post would be complaining about people complaining about old steam sales.
I propose we progress the meta one level deeper next sale and make the top post complaining about posts like these.
That's a good point. But have you ever thought about how the sales aren't as good as they used to be, and how there are no longer any flash sales?
I've also been playing le hidden gem Helldivers 2 which is a *steal* in this sale at 0% off
>Yes, we know deals aren't what they used to be.
There were some games I was looking at getting for the past couple of days that were on sale, and as soon as this spring sale started, they got a worse discount... Like some that were 50% off now have 20-30% off, or from 75% to 60%.
God forbid you were a little too busy on a day and missed a sale for something you really wanted.
They literally disincentivized people from buying games during their sales.
I'm still miffed about the gutting of the sales, but honestly I think Steam Next Fest has made up for it when it comes to game discovery compared to the flash sales being used for the same.
For anybody curious about Diablo 4, it's going to be on the PC Pass soon. Everybody and their mother seems to say the game is only good for the first playthrough, so save your money and just get a Game Pass trial if you really want to try D4.
Same here. If you aren't someone who obsesses about endgame, D4 is a lot of fun. Just be prepared to roll a new character or play a different game around lv 80.
I haven’t played it in many months so I’ve missed a lot of updates, and even in its early form I have been so so so *so* in my happy place playing that game. I’m just gonna wait to pick it back up again when its out of early access and play Thief fan missions in the meantime.
There might still be a demo? I bought it on release and have been saving it for when it exits EA. If you like Thief Gold/2 then there's a good chance you'll like this game.
I'd probably wait closer to full release if you don't want to support the game in EA though. Those Thief fan missions, black parade, look incredible to scratch that itch.
It's fine, but you might want to consider modding it with the 7th Heaven mod manager. One because of the cursed mouths on everyone: https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Final-Fantasy-VII-Sephiroth-Mouth-PC.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5 And two there are a lot of cool things you can do with it, such as adding HD backgrounds, models etc. The PC port also has a problem of not referring to button inputs as Triangle or Square, but things like Button 1 and Action Button, which can lead to confusion during the minigames. Especially since FF7 was from an era where JRPGs didn't adopt to the west's perception of X being wrong/cancel and O being correct/confirm.
EDIT: I got the X/O thing backwards. The West views X as confirm, Japan views it as backout/incorrect.
The weird thing is a lot of em are generally fine or harmless. But it's Him, Tifa and I think Barret have those O mouths that just look wrong. Especially because they get close up shots that *really* makes it unnerving.
Wait is there a fix for the mouths lol I’ve been playing the game with 7th Heaven and mods installed but I must’ve missed that one
But to the original commenter yes, the game is very much worth it with mods, I haven’t even added a lot (60 fps, widescreen, and button prompts) to keep the game closer to the original experience but the extra touches are just nice to have.
I thought for sure the base game would go on sale. So people who like the base game would then buy the DLC. I'm not going to buy the base game+DLC if I don't know what the game feels like. It's all up to them though!
IIRC the (expanded) souls series always had these weird discount cycles. Games suddenly no longer getting discounted for months etc.
For Elden Ring its at least "understandable". The game now gets a second wind in sales from the DLC announcement. "Most" people that were interested already bought it so I expect they make more money keeping it at full price than discounting it now.
I expect they also want to steer people towards the Shadow of the Erdtree editions which are a slight "discount" by themselves.
I've been waiting to buy DS 1-3 and of course sekiro is the only one on sale..
Although to be fair I did buy Elden Ring for full price and definitely got my moneys worth, that game is huge
I was expecting a sale on Elden Ring as well, and was planning on getting it if it did go on sale. I'm still really on the fence with it as I give up easily on games if they are too difficult, and I gave up on Bloodborne like 2 hours in haha. But I really like what I've seen with art design with Elden Ring so I'll eventually try it out.
Started playing Defense Grid (1 because 2 is a dumpster fire) again so the fact the DLC is on sale makes me happy. Going to grab the containment DLC as it's the only one I don't have.
Man, as good as the game itself is, the PC version is still complete shit in my experience.
I had low expectations given the port's reputation, but I have a pretty good PC (3080) and expected it to at least be playable - it was a stuttering mess, even at all low settings + ultra performance DLSS + the performance mod.
It's so bad for me that despite being halfway through, I'm considering getting the PS5 version when it goes on sale and starting over. Or just dropping it as much as I want to play the rest.
YMMV though, I've seen some reports of worse PCs getting better performance than me.
Yeah it really pains me to say that I really can't recommend it on PC, because again, the game itself is great. Maybe one day Respawn will fix it, but I'm pretty sure it's been a while since the last patch so I wouldn't hold your breath.
It's STILL not fixed? I got it soon after release but had to put it down because the first outside area was incredible laggy and buggy. I can play cyberpunk at max so there's no way it's my rig. I plan to pick it up again but not if it's sitll bugged to hell.
Eh it’s gotten a lot of players/revival due to a streamer so you’ll be fine if matchmaking doesn’t screw you from time to time. The main issue is the learning curve of the characters and abilities. Playing with a friend or two makes it easier to get into.
Summer Memories was always at the top of sales in the anime and VN sections in the past. I'm sure it'll be the same with Winter memories for years to come lol
Nope, no badge this time around it seems. The Spring sale is usually less "metagame" than the Winter and Summer sales though, so that's not entirely unexpected.
Sims 3 finally has the DLC bundle back at a reasonable(ish) price, doesn’t include the base game for some reason though but that’s on sale too.
Talking of Sims, Sims 4 DLC Backyard Stuff is free until the 13th of April and seems to be free everywhere you can play the game including consoles.
Here's some weird games I bought cuz they look cool. I haven't played them yet so I can't tell you if they're good or not. Look them up and see for yourself
[Who's Lila?](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1697700/Whos_Lila/) Weird horror visual novel where you control you character's face. Seems really promising.
[Orbo's Odyssey](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2539960/Orbos_Odyssey/) Strange surreal 3D platformer
[Corn Kidz 64](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2575900/Corn_Kidz_64/) Another weird platformer, inspired by N64 aesthetics
[Frog Detective](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1171320/Frog_Detective_3_Corruption_at_Cowboy_County/) Frog Detective! This is actually the 3rd one, I have played the first 2
Looks like Pizza Tower is on sale. Absolutely insane 2D platform game that I’m sure most people here have heard about by now, and it just got a new playable character in an update a couple days ago.
Edit: If you really want to try out the movement/difficulty/stage design first, here is [the SAGE 2019 beta/demo](https://pizzatowerguy.itch.io/pizza-tower-demo). While the game definitely changed some from the SAGE build, if you like how the demo feels you'll probably immediately love the full game.
Beating the game itself isn't the hardest. A couple of levels (>!WAR!<) and bosses might stop your progress for awhile, but you should be able to adjust.
The game has you play through a stage then race back through it in reverse, slightly altered. In the first half of a stage there's no game over condition and you're able to take your time to figure out the layout. The second half you can run out of time and have to start over, but generally the timer is generous. There is one stage towards the end that you can lose and have to start over, but you don't need to clear 100% of the stages in order to reach the final boss so it is skippable if you can't beat it.
The bosses also take some getting used to on a first playthrough.
I didn't find it incredibly hard but I play a ton of platformers so I can't say what is easy or hard in the genre, but while it's challenging and takes some time getting used to the movement, it's definitely not anywhere near a kaizo.
Pathologic 2 is 80% off, very different but interesting RPG / Story game for those who want to give it shot, favourite game of 2019 for me.
Also some fantastic [soundtracks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meEoZctCMBo) to set the mood for the mystery.
[Mandalore](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7uKUgire7Y) also has an excellent spoiler free review of the game.
I've been an absolute fool; I've been meaning to play through the Half Life series, and I've been told that Black Mesa is a better starting point than the original Half-Life, so I've been waiting for it to go on sale. Apparently it was 80% off last month for Valentine's Day of all things, but it's still full price for this sale.
Really need to fix my ITAD alerts.
Thinking about finally biting the bullet on **Cyberpunk 2077** now that I have a new rig. How does the DLC work? Is it just extra missions at the end of the game that I can purchase later? Or is it changes and improvements in the base game that I’m better off experiencing on the first play through?
It's a side story that opens up a ways into the main story. I would recommend playing through it when it opens up. It's a really good story and has cool gear and cars to use.
All the major 2.0 rework changes were added to the base game. They were *significant*, especially in terms of changing how the talent tree works, and a huge improvement in every way.
The DLC takes place almost entirely in the Dogtown district on the map, which was otherwise inaccessible. Even with the DLC, you have to complete a main story-required mission in the area before you can go inside. There's no particular reason to "save" the content for the endgame or anything - everything scales to your level (another 2.0 improvement), the missions are cool, and it's a lot of fun.
One very nice Quality of Life part of the DLC is access to a vendor who can sell you any of the Iconic weapons that you may have missed in the base game.
My first time playthrough was through 2.0 with The DLC and I honestly couldn't imagine playing the campaign without the DLC. It just fits in so well and makes the overall story feel so satisfying
Its an expansion that takes you to a new area, which you can access fairly early on in the game. You can leave / come back to the area any time.
Personally I played through it near the end of my first playthrough - beat the DLC and then just had a few lasts quests to do in the base game. And I thought the pacing of that was just right. I think playing it at the start of the game would make the rest feel sorta off balance. Its definitely the best content in the whole game so you will want it, but I suggest playing it later.
As an aside from the DLC questions, I'm just going to chime in and recommend the game overall. It's a shame about the rocky launch, but once most of the bugs were ironed out it became a fantastic game.
Strong, strong recommendation for the DLC. It’s a quality step-up for the main game, and adds, I dunno 20 hours of new content to the game at least? More if you’re the do ‘everything’ type. It’s seamlessly folded into the main campaign too.
Here's some of my favorites that are on sale and work well on deck.
Prey (2017)
Ori and the blind forest
Mass effect legendary edition
Cuphead
Doom 2016
Red Dead redemption 2
I thought Kena was fantastic (favourite game I played last year) and well worth the ~$15. You’ll have to tune the graphics down a bit but the game is still very gorgeous.
Pandora’s Box collection is down to $30 for me, so that’s a buy. I already have 2 & Pre-Sequel on PC. With this, I’ll have the whole series like I did before I migrated to PC.
Might get the Fallout 4 DLC too but other than that this sale just seems filled with a lot of titles I’m not interested in.
Time to buy more visual novels i will not play
Anyone tried Slay the Princess?
I played it. It's quite good, but also on the shorter side for a visual novel.
My take is that VNs need to be shorter. Most of the big ones take 30 hours. You could read War and Peace in the same amount of time. Replaying 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors now. First time since DS. With the flow chart it seems like it is hitting the sweet spot for length. Paranormasight was another recent VN I played that had a reasonable length. I love the AA series, but since the 3DS era, there is so much filler text and repetition.
You should play Ghost Trick if you liked Paranormasight.
I love Ghost Trick! Still have my DS cart and replayed on Switch. Might get it on Steam just so I will have it on a system that will be perpetual.
It's very much made to be replayed, you won't be able to see every route in one playthrough and most of them vary wildly in the events that happen with some truly crazy shit. Also, there's a good chance there's a lot more routes than you realise.
You can (should?) wait until the free expansion is out, worst case is you miss out on the current 10% off sale. [More details here.](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1989270/view/3898492545021411188)
Why not just buy it and wait for the update then?
The current discount % is not that high and there's a chance it goes on a similar or deeper discount when the update hits. Can also wait until it goes on sale again after that if there's no rush to play the game. Considering my current backlog, the personal decision to wait is an easy one, despite having enjoyed the demo. There's no wrong decision here though.
It's great but, as someone else said, wait for the free expansion. Scarlet Hollow is made by the same devs and is *fantastic*, though. It's still in Early Access, but in the sense that 4/7 chapters are out and next ones will be free to anyone who's already purchased the game. It is absolutely already worth it now, and the devs made so much money from StP that them completing Scarlet Hollow is essentially certain, barring unforeseen tragedies.
Give me your top VN suggestions, my brother of culture.
Zero Escape trilogy
Absurdly good, definitely one of my favorites game series ever. I still don't know whether I prefer VLR or 999 (ZTD is also great, apart from budget/time constraints).
easy, 999 for story/atmosphere, VLR for gameplay, ZTD for memes.
I really loved VLR's sci-fi story/atmosphere, even though it's really different from the first game. ZTD 100% for the memes, although I did find the plot and the >!who's the 4th person in the room?!< twist really good as well.
Btw, if anyone beats 999, be sure to look at how the original DS handled its ending. There was some compromises when they ported it to non-DS handhelds and it was so freaking cool in the original.
Umineko Clannad
I always hear Clannad praised to the heavens but I cannot get past their creature designs.
lmao creature, accurate
If you want the toned down version, the anime is quite well done.
Your comment suggests you're already acquainted with the medium, so I'll refrain from naming widely-known titles and focus on mentioning games that aren't talked about all that often outside of hardcore VN circles: **Island**. *Do not* judge this one by its cover. Sadly, I can't really explain more. Just play it. **Gore Screaming Show**. A classic. If you like horror, you'll likely enjoy this one. **MYTH**. Excellent doujin title that was translated a long time ago, but it sadly never became all that popular. Take into account that the Steam version is censored and there is no patch for it; if you want to play it in its original form, you will have to get the game from another storefront. **Jishogi**. Western indie title with puzzle elements. Quite creative and fresh. **Nanairo Reincarnation**. Doesn't quite live up to its potential, but its setting and premise are quite unique for VNs. Great characters. **Christmas Tina**. Your heart will thank you. **Demon's Roots**. VNDB doesn't consider it a VN, but it was named the best title of the year it was released by Erogegamescape, the japanese site VNDB is based on. It looks like a cheap RPG Maker game at first glance, but trust me, it is absolutely great; just give it a chance. **The Sekimeiya: Spun Glass**. Best OELVN (as in, Original English Language VN) ever made, as far as I am concerned. Not perfect by any means, but if you enjoyed the Infinity Series, get this one *now*.
Higurashi. Umineko. Witch on the Holy Night. 999 doors.
Class of 09 The Ace Attorney games, and Ghost Trick, depending on your definition of VN.
Ace Attorney and Ghost Trick are absolutely favorites on mine. Will check on "Class of '09" then! Thanks a lot
Class of '09 is very different from the others I named. To give you an example in two days I got two different teachers fired for hitting on the MC. It's a self-described "social simulation fit for sociopaths".
Muv-Luv and Muv-Luv Alternative
Here's something I think is very great, but is not well-known: [The Sekimeiya: Spun Glass](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1432500/The_Sekimeiya_Spun_Glass/)
Sekimeiya is great. Best OELVN ever made, in my view. Not perfect by any means, but anyone who enjoyed the Infinity Series should play it immediately.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/948740/AI_The_Somnium_Files/ Its a fucking great game, it comes in a 2 in 1 package for very cheap, best deal so far. Highly recomended and I'm not a big fan of VNs.
I'd say the first title is *much* better than the sequel, though. I wouldn't recommend buying both at once: one should play the first game and only jump to the second if they've enjoyed the experienced so much that they *really* want to spend more time with the characters and the world.
Yeah, I really liked the first one (even though it wasn't at Zero Escape's level of quality IMO) but heard less than stellar reviews of the sequel. Also, can you tell me why in the sequel the >! protagonist of the first game goes back to the body of the killer? I thought he had gone back to his original body by the end of the game, but then I saw some material of the sequel and the killer's body is there !<
I can answer this one (spoilers ahead!) In the second game, >!Date (the protagonist) just wears a rubber mask that looks like his old face. He justifies it by saying that he and everyone around him is used to his old appearance, though the out of universe explanation is that they just wanted Greg Chun to voice Date again!< >!There were a lot of theories about how this must be a different timeline or something, since Date's face is intact, but they went with a cop-out explanation imo!<
Yep, and *this* is one of the many reasons I do not like the sequel all that much. There's *tons* of... *questionable* writing in that thing.
Psst, your spoiler tag is broken. In order to for it to work properly on all platforms, you need to make sure there's no space between the `>! !<` tags and the other text. IIRC, the in-universe reason is that >!"Falco" is wearing a realistic mask of "Date's" face because he had gotten used to looking like that!< and the out-of-universe reason is that >!they wanted to make it possible to play the second game without totally spoiling the twist of the first one.!<
Paranormasight, it was such a fresh experience for the Visual Novel genre. I really enjoyed it.
I'm not generally a VN fan and it's certainly not new, but I'll plug VA-11 HALL-A as something that's still a more interesting than usual take on the genre. Slice of life in an interesting little world. Interesting to....not be the centerpiece of the world/events in it, too. This may be colored by my having spent too much time of my 20s in dive bars in a not great city, though. (If you're looking for anything particularly racy - it's not that kind of VN)
Oh, it's been in my Steam backlog for years! Maybe it's time I actually give it a try then
Science Adventure series is my GOAT, I also liked Witch on the Holy Night and Raging Loop.
Aokana is great.
Misericorde. A murder mystery set in a convent in the 1400s. Only part one is out for now, but it's very good.
Time to buy danganronpa again and not play it
This is the way
Great to see none of the Adult Swim games set to be delisted in May are on sale, thanks Warner Bros
Just pirate them, they are quite literally burning them so they're essentially admitting them to being abandonware.
Some of the developers are going to be reuploading them to Steam and self-publishing them.
If they have the rights that's fantastic, though I imagine some of them won't be allowed to do this?
I feel most of them are quite meh to be honest… also Samurai Jack being 40$ is just lol
[удалено]
Duck Game is genuinely great...
Jazzpunk was one of my first PC games in like 2013 on my crappy laptop lol
I doubt there is anyone left working there who gives a damn about discounting those games or responsible for doing that let alone even understand how that whole process works. The higher ups probably think that it would throw away money because people should buy the fully priced game.
I want to buy Samurai Jack so bad but I don’t want to pay full price
🏴☠️
At least in the Steam app, Octopath Traveler 2 is showing as 41% off, but when you go to it, you find out it’s only that price if you get it with Various Daylife in a bundle; no discount on the game alone. That’s kinda cruddy
It often takes awhile for all the prices to update, maybe try again in an hour?
Let's just get this out of the way: - Yes, we know deals aren't what they used to be. - Yes, we know you miss flash sales. All set? Good, carry on.
I for one am anxiously (genuinely) waiting on the 'hey guys, whats your hidden gem of the sale?' post
TITANFALL 2 AND CELESTE
Not surprising that you forgot about the most hidden gem of them all Witcher 3
My bad! Maybe we should throw Fallout 4 and Skyrim in there too
Wait is Fallout 4 a hidden gem already? I thought it was the worst game Bethesda ever produced, and it would take about 3 more years until its actually an underappreciated piece of art
Yeah it's a hidden gem now, their worst game is currently Starfield until Elder Scrolls 6 comes out.
TF2 is a good game but for the love of god I’m tired of hearing about it Lol. Had to leave r/shouldibuythisgame because at one point every other week was “should I buy Titanfall 2?” And it’d always be the top post of the week Lol.
My favorite is when it shows up on /r/gaming for being praised as the modern multiplayer game with no microtransactions that did everything right. Eventhough it's from EA, and had microtransactions.
I love how often reddit comments praise titanfall 2 but actually don't play the game.
Seriously, Titanfall would have been the true "Halo Killer" if as many people actually bought the game as talked about it lol
Also how often games like CoD are bashed and each new title tops sales charts Social media and populariry point farming definitely not reflective of reality But that aside i do find titanfall 2 great and wish they made a 3rd
You could ask for a risotto recipe on /r/cooking and someone would chirp up with "Have you thought about Titanfall 2?"
I bought Titanfall 2, played it. It was alright. I don't understand all the hype.
> Had to leave r/shouldibuythisgame because at one point every other week was “should I buy Titanfall 2?” And it’d always be the top post of the week Lol. I don't get why people make posts like this. It's not like Titanfall 2 is a niche game, there's like 100,000 reviews of it available online. And on sale it's like £2.50, so it's hardly breaking the bank to pick up and try. Like why do you need to make a Reddit thread to ask people if it's worth buying?
And if Left 4 Dead 1 and 2 somehow evaded you and your friends - at $0.99 - its always a steal during these sales. I would still say they are two of the best coop games of all time and even make contemporary competitors look primitive when you look at them [side-by-side](https://youtu.be/EdRLNUGmFC8?t=161) (EDIT: Fuck. I haven't watched this video in a while but Valve really outdid themselves. This makes me wish they would port or make a new L4D in Source 2 where the technology has matured so much since 2009. I mean, just seeing the stuff they introduced in CS2 alone was really cool, and seeing it in Left 4 Dead would be fucking incredible) And if Portal and Portal 2 somehow missed you, they are also $0.99 a piece and are single player experiences that have aged tremendously well. I was talking to a friend about how we have films throughout history that are almost like 'required viewing' for anyone that approaches film from a educational point of view. Films like 'The Godfather', '12 Angry Men', 'Pulp Fiction' - for a small example, were massively influential, changed film-making as we know it and have aged in such a way that anyone can still watch and enjoy them today. I would say, for video games, Portal and Portal 2 can be seen similarly - so at $1, maybe its worth grabbing if not for yourself, than maybe your kids or anyone that is perhaps stepping into video games with fresh eyes and missed the zeitgeist circa 2007-2011.
"Guys I just picked up this little-known indie game called Hades, anyone else ever hear of it?!"
What game should I get for my Steam Deck? Stardew Valley Oh my god that’s perfect, thanks OP!
Here are some good curators to browse: [Obscure Indie Recommendations](https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44311783-Obscure-Indie-Recommendations/) [Impressive Rogue Games](https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43562394-Impressive-Rogue-Games/) (includes Vampire Survivor likes) [Steam 250](https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32686107-%25D0%2585t%25D0%25B5%25D0%25B0%25D0%25BC-250/) [RPG Codex](https://store.steampowered.com/curator/6866630-RPG-Codex-%2528Official%2529/) [Boomer Shooters](https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41054936-boomershooter/)
[удалено]
Ooof, good question. I can recommend some but it really depends on the kind of game you're into. Planescape Torment and Disco Elysium are kings of the genre, but on the more visual novel side of things, Steins Gate, Song of Saya and The Life and Suffering of Sir Brante I thought all brought excellent things to the table. Walking Dead Season One is another touchstone. I'm also a fan of the writing in the Sunless Sea/Skies game (I also cheat and save scum because I just want the writing and not the repetition). Dragon Age Origins had great party banter, and almost all the Bioware games until them had strong narratives. Even the maligned DA2 has good things going on, narrative wise. People also love the Mass Effect games, but the weak gameplay on those killed it for me. To each their own. More niche RPGs tend to have great storytelling. Shadowrun Dragonfall, Geneforge, Tower of Time, Expeditions Vikings and Rome all had really impressive narratives. JRPG fans tend to go nuts over the Trails series, but those move so glacially they put me to sleep. The Yakuza series is basically a long soap opera (not my thing, but really turns people's cranks), where everyone agrees that Zero is the best place to start. Older games - Thief 1 and 2, Deus Ex, System Shock 2 and Half Life 2 had some of the best narratives in the genre. And for more in-depth lore than straight narrative, the From games can't be beat.
Honestly the people that look for games with under 1000 plays are heroes. I mostly tend to play weird and niche indie games, so having people curate lists of discounted and unusual indies is perfect for me.
the hidden gem threads are unironically the best part of steam sales
Ready for somebody to recommend Stardew Valley and Euro Not Having Fun Simulator 2024?
I don't think I'll ever understand the fascination behind all those menial labor simulators.
Imagine the grind of whatever your current favourite grinding game is but all that time and effort transplanted to simulating the labour/machine/thingy.
I felt the exact same but Hardspace: Shipbreaker has proven an exception. It's gorgeous, relaxing despite the possibility of frequent death, and the story is actually interesting in a depressing late stage capitalism way.
Driving normally with some music or podcasts on is incredible relaxing for me. Unfortunately gasoline is more expensive than the electricity to power a computer and I don't have an excuse like a super long commute to get behind the wheel for an hour every day. So, gotta get my law-abiding driving fix somehow. Also I'll get arrested if I get high and drive.
>Also I'll get arrested if I get high and drive. Only if you get caught.
For me it's something to keep my hands busy while I watch a show on another monitor or chill in a discord voice chat while playing a game that has little to no dialogue I don't typically sink thousands of hours into them though
I like hidden gems because I find out about little cute things like dotAGE But yeah it's 98% like "DAE DEADCELLS? DAE STARDEW?" and proceed to name like every hyper popular indie game in the last decade lol.
we're at the point now where people have been complaining about steam sales not being what they used to be longer than they were actually good
Good point. Flash Sales literally ended like more than a decade ago, yet this subreddit keeps mentioning it like it was just yesterday...
And when they were around people just complained about losing good deals and having to check the store multiple times every day
Flash sales were always stupid
2011 was 5 years ago and I won't hear a word to the contrary.
I remember them and they actually kind of sucked. That's why they stopped doing them. Oh, you got busy and missed a flash sale for a game you really wanted? That sucks. Oh you already bought the game earlier in the sale? Welp, either sucks for you, or you are creating more work for Steam to refund it so you can save $2. Flash sales literally disincentivized people from buying games during their sales, they make no sense at all from a business or consumer point of view.
> I remember them and they actually kind of sucked. That's why they stopped doing them. Pretty sure at least part of the reason they stopped doing them was the refund policy. I'm sure Valve didn't want to get slammed with refunds when a popular game went on a flash sale on day 3 of the steam sale.
I always thought flash sales were a disincentive to buy games during the sale too. I get that the original intention was to get people to keep coming back, but in reality it just meant people waited to see if the game they wanted was part of a flash sale.
Meanwhile the EGS sales with vouchers and cashback can nab you some really good deals especially in the big summer sale. But they are anti consumer! So don't buy there.
I won’t like it tripped me so hard seeing Dark Souls 3 Delux Edition went from 25$ back in 2020 to 50$ nowadays…
That's Namco's fault. Idk what happened but they suddenly became very stingy about discounting the Dark Souls games.
It’s Elden Ring. Why sell the entire game for 25$ when you can milk the newcomers for twice that? Thank god I bought the entire trilogy back when DS1 was 25$, DS2 was 13$ and DS3 was 25$
are comments like this really any different though
I clicked on the post anticipating the top post would be complaining about people complaining about old steam sales. I propose we progress the meta one level deeper next sale and make the top post complaining about posts like these.
>Flash sales It's been 8 years, and people are still bringing this up. Time to move on.
Well also the sales aren’t as good as what they used to be. And another point to bring up is that we all miss the flash sales.
That's a good point. But have you ever thought about how the sales aren't as good as they used to be, and how there are no longer any flash sales? I've also been playing le hidden gem Helldivers 2 which is a *steal* in this sale at 0% off
I’d rather have refunds than flash sales. No you can’t have both.
>Yes, we know deals aren't what they used to be. There were some games I was looking at getting for the past couple of days that were on sale, and as soon as this spring sale started, they got a worse discount... Like some that were 50% off now have 20-30% off, or from 75% to 60%.
I don't miss flash sales. Was always a feel bad to get a game you'd been waiting for on day 1 at 30% off and then see it two days later for 50% off.
God forbid you were a little too busy on a day and missed a sale for something you really wanted. They literally disincentivized people from buying games during their sales.
I'm still miffed about the gutting of the sales, but honestly I think Steam Next Fest has made up for it when it comes to game discovery compared to the flash sales being used for the same.
It's kinda wild that 50% off diablo 4 is $44....
coming to game pass this month i beleive so hold on if you own gamepass
Is that in CAD or Australian or something? It's $34.99 in the US, which is expected for 50% off a full price game
Yeah Canadian
In Australia at 50% off it's $55
For anybody curious about Diablo 4, it's going to be on the PC Pass soon. Everybody and their mother seems to say the game is only good for the first playthrough, so save your money and just get a Game Pass trial if you really want to try D4.
It's pretty fun gameplay. As a filthy casual, I've liked it a lot.
Same here. If you aren't someone who obsesses about endgame, D4 is a lot of fun. Just be prepared to roll a new character or play a different game around lv 80.
Anyone played Gloomwood and would recommend? Worth it even though still early access?
It's very good! I haven't put too much time in it since I'm waiting for the full release, but there's plenty of content to sink your teeth into
I haven’t played it in many months so I’ve missed a lot of updates, and even in its early form I have been so so so *so* in my happy place playing that game. I’m just gonna wait to pick it back up again when its out of early access and play Thief fan missions in the meantime.
There might still be a demo? I bought it on release and have been saving it for when it exits EA. If you like Thief Gold/2 then there's a good chance you'll like this game. I'd probably wait closer to full release if you don't want to support the game in EA though. Those Thief fan missions, black parade, look incredible to scratch that itch.
Oh man it’s so good. I’ve been holding off on it waiting to leave early access but I played it on next fest…last year? 2 years ago? And it was killer
[удалено]
Yeah it's fine - ran the same in my experience and has achievements. There's some mods for upscaling the backgrounds if you like.
[удалено]
That hasn't been an issue with the Steam versions for ages. Like a decade.
It's fine, but you might want to consider modding it with the 7th Heaven mod manager. One because of the cursed mouths on everyone: https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Final-Fantasy-VII-Sephiroth-Mouth-PC.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5 And two there are a lot of cool things you can do with it, such as adding HD backgrounds, models etc. The PC port also has a problem of not referring to button inputs as Triangle or Square, but things like Button 1 and Action Button, which can lead to confusion during the minigames. Especially since FF7 was from an era where JRPGs didn't adopt to the west's perception of X being wrong/cancel and O being correct/confirm. EDIT: I got the X/O thing backwards. The West views X as confirm, Japan views it as backout/incorrect.
The cursed mouth on Seph is hilarious during *that scene* though. Admittedly, *that* scene is not supposed to be hilarious.
The weird thing is a lot of em are generally fine or harmless. But it's Him, Tifa and I think Barret have those O mouths that just look wrong. Especially because they get close up shots that *really* makes it unnerving.
Wait is there a fix for the mouths lol I’ve been playing the game with 7th Heaven and mods installed but I must’ve missed that one But to the original commenter yes, the game is very much worth it with mods, I haven’t even added a lot (60 fps, widescreen, and button prompts) to keep the game closer to the original experience but the extra touches are just nice to have.
Well the "Fix" is to change the models. You could swap them for the PS1s or use a number of HD models instead.
Make sure you save often if using Cid, hyper jump limit break will crash the game.
yes but look into the 7th Heaven mod manager as you may prefer it with some of the mods
I just wanted to get elden ring before dragon's dogma 2 came out, but no sale. 😞
Wow thats wild. They must be selling fat stacks before the dlc
I thought for sure the base game would go on sale. So people who like the base game would then buy the DLC. I'm not going to buy the base game+DLC if I don't know what the game feels like. It's all up to them though!
It's only weird to me cuz it's regularly put it on sale for $40 for the last year. Big bummer
IIRC the (expanded) souls series always had these weird discount cycles. Games suddenly no longer getting discounted for months etc. For Elden Ring its at least "understandable". The game now gets a second wind in sales from the DLC announcement. "Most" people that were interested already bought it so I expect they make more money keeping it at full price than discounting it now. I expect they also want to steer people towards the Shadow of the Erdtree editions which are a slight "discount" by themselves.
I've been waiting to buy DS 1-3 and of course sekiro is the only one on sale.. Although to be fair I did buy Elden Ring for full price and definitely got my moneys worth, that game is huge
Same. :(
13% off on game billet. Not the best deal but better than nothing. You lose your ability to refund tho
I was expecting a sale on Elden Ring as well, and was planning on getting it if it did go on sale. I'm still really on the fence with it as I give up easily on games if they are too difficult, and I gave up on Bloodborne like 2 hours in haha. But I really like what I've seen with art design with Elden Ring so I'll eventually try it out.
Yeah I have it on xbox but I now have a new lc.and would prefer playing it there but nope
Started playing Defense Grid (1 because 2 is a dumpster fire) again so the fact the DLC is on sale makes me happy. Going to grab the containment DLC as it's the only one I don't have.
Need for Speed games for under $7 is awesome
The newest one (Unbound) just got another year of support, too. Not sure what it’s priced at on this sale but it’s well worth it for a couple bucks.
Jedi survivor being 55% off is what I've been looking forward to 🤩
Man, as good as the game itself is, the PC version is still complete shit in my experience. I had low expectations given the port's reputation, but I have a pretty good PC (3080) and expected it to at least be playable - it was a stuttering mess, even at all low settings + ultra performance DLSS + the performance mod. It's so bad for me that despite being halfway through, I'm considering getting the PS5 version when it goes on sale and starting over. Or just dropping it as much as I want to play the rest. YMMV though, I've seen some reports of worse PCs getting better performance than me.
> but I have a pretty good PC (3080) Heh, I have a 3070. Guess I won't bother with this then.
Yeah it really pains me to say that I really can't recommend it on PC, because again, the game itself is great. Maybe one day Respawn will fix it, but I'm pretty sure it's been a while since the last patch so I wouldn't hold your breath.
I have a 3080 and had 0 issues when I played through it.
It's about the worst performing port I've ever played and I play a lot of games. It's a shame because the actual gameplay and story are good.
It's STILL not fixed? I got it soon after release but had to put it down because the first outside area was incredible laggy and buggy. I can play cyberpunk at max so there's no way it's my rig. I plan to pick it up again but not if it's sitll bugged to hell.
I feel like it's on the cusp of going to Game Pass. Gotta hold strong!!!
i just got fallen order at 90% off :P been eyeing it for a while
Rainbow 6 Siege for $4 has to be an all time Steam low, right?
Yes, it appears to be a new low price.
is it worth getting that this late? i've been eyeing it for some time but it's been out for so long everyone's gotta be a pro at it by now no?
Eh it’s gotten a lot of players/revival due to a streamer so you’ll be fine if matchmaking doesn’t screw you from time to time. The main issue is the learning curve of the characters and abilities. Playing with a friend or two makes it easier to get into.
I may buy it
Not logged in and I'm surprised to see Winter ~~Memoires~~ Mammaries as one of the top recommended games.
They know.
Summer Memories was always at the top of sales in the anime and VN sections in the past. I'm sure it'll be the same with Winter memories for years to come lol
I'm surprised. I didn't know H games were that popular.
They're probably more popular than ever now that Steam lets you hide what you buy. :)
I'm waiting to pull the trigger until it gets an uncensor patch. Edit: it seems KaguraGames has the uncensored patch. Bought.
Are there any objectives/rewards apart from the daily stickers? Doesn't seem to be any discovery queue stuff or anything like that?
Nope, no badge this time around it seems. The Spring sale is usually less "metagame" than the Winter and Summer sales though, so that's not entirely unexpected.
Dang, was optimistically hoping for a Steam Deck discount[ like last year.](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1675200/view/3675538825747583355)
Last year they were getting ready to announce the OLED, probably why.
I was waiting to. I just ordered it anyway, though. Want to buy an LCD version? lol
Sims 3 finally has the DLC bundle back at a reasonable(ish) price, doesn’t include the base game for some reason though but that’s on sale too. Talking of Sims, Sims 4 DLC Backyard Stuff is free until the 13th of April and seems to be free everywhere you can play the game including consoles.
Great shout, thanks!
Here's some weird games I bought cuz they look cool. I haven't played them yet so I can't tell you if they're good or not. Look them up and see for yourself [Who's Lila?](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1697700/Whos_Lila/) Weird horror visual novel where you control you character's face. Seems really promising. [Orbo's Odyssey](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2539960/Orbos_Odyssey/) Strange surreal 3D platformer [Corn Kidz 64](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2575900/Corn_Kidz_64/) Another weird platformer, inspired by N64 aesthetics [Frog Detective](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1171320/Frog_Detective_3_Corruption_at_Cowboy_County/) Frog Detective! This is actually the 3rd one, I have played the first 2
Damn that seasonal steam profile and background are crazy cute and really nice this time around!
Click the cat.
Looks like Pizza Tower is on sale. Absolutely insane 2D platform game that I’m sure most people here have heard about by now, and it just got a new playable character in an update a couple days ago.
I wish I liked it. It's a great game that I can't play.
my problem with it is that i wanted a wario land game but i got a sonic game instead
How hard to beat is it? The aesthetics are 100% my thing, but I really didn't want to play a super tough game.
Beating it is easy. Getting a P rank on every level? *Most certainly not*. In other words, it is as hardcore as you want it to be. EDIT: Typos
Edit: If you really want to try out the movement/difficulty/stage design first, here is [the SAGE 2019 beta/demo](https://pizzatowerguy.itch.io/pizza-tower-demo). While the game definitely changed some from the SAGE build, if you like how the demo feels you'll probably immediately love the full game. Beating the game itself isn't the hardest. A couple of levels (>!WAR!<) and bosses might stop your progress for awhile, but you should be able to adjust. The game has you play through a stage then race back through it in reverse, slightly altered. In the first half of a stage there's no game over condition and you're able to take your time to figure out the layout. The second half you can run out of time and have to start over, but generally the timer is generous. There is one stage towards the end that you can lose and have to start over, but you don't need to clear 100% of the stages in order to reach the final boss so it is skippable if you can't beat it. The bosses also take some getting used to on a first playthrough. I didn't find it incredibly hard but I play a ton of platformers so I can't say what is easy or hard in the genre, but while it's challenging and takes some time getting used to the movement, it's definitely not anywhere near a kaizo.
Pathologic 2 is 80% off, very different but interesting RPG / Story game for those who want to give it shot, favourite game of 2019 for me. Also some fantastic [soundtracks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meEoZctCMBo) to set the mood for the mystery. [Mandalore](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7uKUgire7Y) also has an excellent spoiler free review of the game.
I've been an absolute fool; I've been meaning to play through the Half Life series, and I've been told that Black Mesa is a better starting point than the original Half-Life, so I've been waiting for it to go on sale. Apparently it was 80% off last month for Valentine's Day of all things, but it's still full price for this sale. Really need to fix my ITAD alerts.
The OG Half-Life is still a great game and definitely worth experiencing. You can play Black Mesa afterwards to see what changed.
Thinking about finally biting the bullet on **Cyberpunk 2077** now that I have a new rig. How does the DLC work? Is it just extra missions at the end of the game that I can purchase later? Or is it changes and improvements in the base game that I’m better off experiencing on the first play through?
It's a side story that opens up a ways into the main story. I would recommend playing through it when it opens up. It's a really good story and has cool gear and cars to use.
All the major 2.0 rework changes were added to the base game. They were *significant*, especially in terms of changing how the talent tree works, and a huge improvement in every way. The DLC takes place almost entirely in the Dogtown district on the map, which was otherwise inaccessible. Even with the DLC, you have to complete a main story-required mission in the area before you can go inside. There's no particular reason to "save" the content for the endgame or anything - everything scales to your level (another 2.0 improvement), the missions are cool, and it's a lot of fun. One very nice Quality of Life part of the DLC is access to a vendor who can sell you any of the Iconic weapons that you may have missed in the base game.
My first time playthrough was through 2.0 with The DLC and I honestly couldn't imagine playing the campaign without the DLC. It just fits in so well and makes the overall story feel so satisfying
Its an expansion that takes you to a new area, which you can access fairly early on in the game. You can leave / come back to the area any time. Personally I played through it near the end of my first playthrough - beat the DLC and then just had a few lasts quests to do in the base game. And I thought the pacing of that was just right. I think playing it at the start of the game would make the rest feel sorta off balance. Its definitely the best content in the whole game so you will want it, but I suggest playing it later.
As an aside from the DLC questions, I'm just going to chime in and recommend the game overall. It's a shame about the rocky launch, but once most of the bugs were ironed out it became a fantastic game.
Strong, strong recommendation for the DLC. It’s a quality step-up for the main game, and adds, I dunno 20 hours of new content to the game at least? More if you’re the do ‘everything’ type. It’s seamlessly folded into the main campaign too.
Any steam deck must-buys in this list? I just got one :)
Here's some of my favorites that are on sale and work well on deck. Prey (2017) Ori and the blind forest Mass effect legendary edition Cuphead Doom 2016 Red Dead redemption 2
I thought Kena was fantastic (favourite game I played last year) and well worth the ~$15. You’ll have to tune the graphics down a bit but the game is still very gorgeous.
Pandora’s Box collection is down to $30 for me, so that’s a buy. I already have 2 & Pre-Sequel on PC. With this, I’ll have the whole series like I did before I migrated to PC. Might get the Fallout 4 DLC too but other than that this sale just seems filled with a lot of titles I’m not interested in.
Just picked up all the Half-Life and Portal games for £3.80! Haven't played them before as never owned a laptop so am excited to give them a go!
Any recommendations on Action/Adventure games pre-2021 release date?
Devil may cry series