Digital distribution services such as Good Old Games, Impulse and Steam frequently host special weekend deals on a number of the games in their collection. I haven’t really bothered to touch on these in the past, but with this weekend’s deals being of such a high caliber, I feel that I just have to push some attention to these products on offer. You can’t afford to miss out on these deals steals!
So I’ve written a few short words on some of the better games that are on offer this weekend. Below you’ll find not only details for each game, but also demos to try them out yourself. Take a look, and see whether any of these games suit your fancy. I’m certain they will.
Zeno Clash
A lauded independently developed title, which features first-person fighting combat in a strange fantasy world. With its close combat mechanics and otherworldly setting it is certainly a unique game, with notable charm. And the Source engine (Half Life 2, Left 4 Dead) ensures that the graphics are capable enough, if not quite up to the high standard of todays big-budget titles.
It is a relatively short game (roughly 6 hours) with no multiplayer support, but it does feature challenge levels to extend replayability. Its reminiscent of Mirror’s Edge in that it presents a truly innovative take on the first person actiongenre, but where Mirror’s Edge went for acrobatics, Zeno Clash goes for visceral melee combat.
Its developers, ACE Team, have just released three new challenges in a DLC pack. And to celebrate its success, they’re now offering it at a reduced price of 7,99 euro (50% discount!) on Steam. A demo was recently released so you can try it for yourself before you decide to make the purchase. Check out the demo, or buy the full game, here.
Sword of the Stars: Complete Bundle
Stardock and Kerberos have really pulled out the stops this weekend in offering not just a wealth of super deals, but also an exclusive time-limited game package! Sword of the Stars: Complete Bundle is only available until Monday on Impulse and includes the original game, its two expansion packs and the recently released DLC for a total price of 15,99 euro. That is 60% less than the normal price for SotS: Ultimate + DLC.
I already purchased Sword of the Stars: Ultimate in a previous weekend deal and it was well worth the money. SotS is a space-based 4X turn-based strategy game with a lot of originality. It features real-time combat with limited vessels (you usually won’t field your entire fleet at once), dozens of different random events and random tech trees! It’s also multiplayer-focused like Sins of a Solar Empire, with no singleplayer campaign.
The graphics aren’t quite up-to-par with Sins of a Solar Empire, but the battles are nice enough to watch and it has a cartoonish style that works well for it. But its the gameplay that stands out. No longer do you need to suffer through hours of complex tutorials (Sins of a Solar Empire) or read 500 page manuals in order to understand what’s happening. SotS is a 4X strategy game that you can just pick up and play, even if you’ve never played a 4X game before.
You’re introduced to new elements at a leasurely pace as your research advances, so even with the incredible wealth of options that the expansion packs have added – it’s always easy to play. But that does not mean the game is forgiving or easy to win. Since the expansion packs it has grown rather difficult (for inexperienced 4X players) and you’ll have to fight tooth-and-nail to even survive against devastating random encounters and scheming AI (or human) opponents.
There really is too much to say about this game and you’ll probably just want to know whether the game is any fun. On that account it certainly succeeds, but don’t take my word for it, try the demo yourself! Then head on over to Impulse once you’ve convinced yourself of its qualities for this special weekend deal: Sword of the Stars: Complete.
The Empire management view in Sword of the Stars
The Heroes Pack
Steam and Ubisoft have similarly teamed up for their Heroes Pack. This is a collection that includes everything Heroes of Might & Magic V as well as the excellent first person action-RPG Dark Messiah for just 19,98 euro, yet another 50% off! And both of these games are certainly required items in anyone’s game collection. All of them are on sale seperately as well for the duration of this weekend.
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is an action-RPG set in the same Might and Magic universe as Heroes V. The game is played in first person, similar to Oblivion, but is more action-oriented and more responsive. It’s also a linear game, with inventive use of physics and melee combat in the Source engine.
Dark Messiah still looks quite good today and is certainly a good game, but it’s no classic and has its flaws. The story is nothing to write home about and it can take some time to get used to the controls. But at a pricepoint of 4,99, there is no excuse imaginable to refuse to pick up this game. You can always try the demo if you need some extra convincing.
And where Dark Messiah is a good game available at an incredible price, Heroes of Might and Magic V (plus expansions) is an absolute steal. This is a game that will keep you entertained for hundreds of hours and it can be yours for the price of 2 tickets to the cinema!
Heroes of Might & Magic V is well-known as the incarnation of the HoMM series that did away with the failures of part IV. It may not be quite up-to-par with the combat presented in HoMM III, but it’s as close as it gets. And its the incredible production values that seal the deal. Beautiful graphics, especially the animations and special effects, combined with an amazing soundtrack make for a mouthwatering experience.
If you’re a fan of turn-based strategy, or fantasy gaming, then you can’t afford to let this one slip by. Try the demo if you must, but you’ll be purchasing it anyway so you may as well go straight to the Steam deal and get it over with.
Space Rangers 2 Complete
This bundle includes the original Spaces Rangers 2 and it’s Reboot expansion pack. Space Rangers 2 may as well be called Space Life, it offers that many career paths, gameplay styles and gameplay options.
You start by selecting your character, choosing from one of five races (humans are included) and one of five classes (fighter, trader, etc.) that determine your starting position. After some basic training you’re thrown into space and left to fend for yourself, quite literally. You can explore the universe, become a pirate, or fight off the dominator menace and safeguard the alliance of races.
And all of this happens in a variety of genres. In space you’re flying your ship around on a 2D map in turn-based fashion, much like Heroes of Might & Magic V. But there are also real-time strategic ground battles to be won, puzzles to be solved, teammates to be found and hired and a character to build. Space Rangers 2 combines RTS, TBS and RPG gameplay in a weird mix that somehow just… works.
Space Rangers 2 is not known for its production values. The fact that it is a low-budget Russian game is painfully obvious when you look at the 2D space view or the mediocre 3D graphics for ground-based combat. The walls of text and lack of sound are further indications that this game could have benefitted from slightly more funding.
Even so, the gameplay is solid and at 14,23 euro (50% off) its certainly well worth the investment. Try the demo to see if you can handle the poor production values – and head on over to Impulse if you feel like exploring space as a Space Ranger: Space Rangers 2 Complete.
Elven Legacy paints a pretty picture, but it's the gameplay that shines
Elven Legacy
A recently released turn-based strategy game from Russian developers Ino-Co, Elven Legacy is slightly different from your average fantasy TBS game.
No longer will you be hoarding half a dozen different units under a single heroic commander, as in Heroes of Might & Magic V or King’s Bounty. But you’ll be commanding each stack of units separately and they all take a place on the hexagonal combat field. And more importantly: you constantly need to move your units strategically about the map, because your exploration field is your combat field. There is no magical troop-reorientation before a battle in this game, nor are there any ridiculous forest barriers.
It makes these battles uniquely challenging, but also removes some of the charm of exploring beautifully crafted maps as your iconic hero. Not that Elven Legacy actually has any beautifully crafted maps, because it has a stark realistic overtone, much like the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games. The 3D engine churns out some pretty pictures, but the lively decor and sweet animations of other fantasy TBS games are missing.
Don’t mistake this for a Song of Fire and Ice-like gritty fantasy theme, because it’s not. You’ll still be dealing with Elves and Trolls and Wizards, but they won’t be quite as ornately decorated as they are in other titles. Nor does the story qualify for bestseller status (or even bargain bin status for that matter), but the same can easily be said of HoMM and King’s Bounty.
In spite of its low production values and flimsy storytelling, Elven Legacy did manage to suck me in. Its fresh take on fantasy TBS combat and movement was captivating and at 9,99 euro (66% discount) there is not much lost on playing this incredibly expansive and lengthy game. It even comes with a map editor, so you can create your own campaigns.
Try the demo for a taster and if it tastes like more, then you can get it on Impulse: Elven Legacy.
Spellforce Platinum and The Guild: Gold Edition
The complete version of Spellforce, including its two expansion packs, is being bundled with The Guild: Gold Edition on Good Old Games for a mere $13,98 US Dollar. I don’t know too much about The Guild, other than that it is a free-roaming RPG of some renown, but I know Spellforce Platinum is an excellent mix of RTS and RPG.
In parts Spellforce plays just like an RPG would, with a small group of heroes each with their own special abilities and inventories. The way you move about the world and go about your objectives is rather reminiscent of Dungeon Siege. But you will also be building settlements and growing armies; taking part in enormous battles, with larger forces under your command; and roam decently sized maps for a non-openworld RPG.
The presentation is still impressive today, especially for a game from 2003. It boasts battles of gigantic proportions (by RPG standards, it’s nothing to the Total War series) with impressive visual effects in a presentable 3D world.
Try Spellforce for yourself in the original demo, or the second demo. As for The Guild: Gold Edition, check out IGN’s review and see if its your cup of tea. Or buy the whole package over on Good Old Games.
Aztaka plays like a 2D platformer
Aztaka
Aztaka is a recently released action-RPG/platformer, with high production values for an independently developed game. Beautifully crafted environments and characters marry quality sound design for an audiovisual treat.
Yet this game is in a way the opposite of Elven Legacy, with well-crafted graphics, but rather simplistic gameplay. The RPG element is limited to improving a number of elements for increased damage or health, which will help you to defeat more difficult opponents (more health and damage) later on. Oh and a number of items you can decorate your character in, but with the linearity of this game there’s not a lot of variety there either.
So in the end Aztaka really just comes down to a 2D platformer with more of an emphasis on storytelling. You’ll be jumping across chasms, solving puzzles, hopping from tree branch to tree branch and stabbing your spear left and right. There are also a few spells to use and some clever map design tricks (like requiring spells to see in dark areas).
And it never really expands to anything more than that, which is a shame if you’re expecting a genuine RPG. But for a platformer, it’s certainly a well-crafted one. And at 13,16 euro (25% discount) it should be obvious that this is not the – full-price – second coming of Baldur’s Gate.
It’s hard to recommend Aztaka, because you really need to try it yourself to determine its worth. I liked it, but you ought to give the demo a go before you decide to spend your cash on this one. Even so, if you like what you see, then you can get it on Impulse: Aztaka.
Supreme Commander: Gold
The final game I’ll cover – and one of the best deals this weekend – is Supreme Commander: Gold. This is a compilation of the original game and the Forged Alliance expansion pack and is now available on Impulse for 14,99 euro (50% discount, albeit only 20% vs ordinary shops).
Supreme Commander is one of the most renown strategy games in recent years and a truly successful spiritual successor to Total Annihilation. It’s a strategy game of enormous scale, where you can have a unit fill the screen one moment, and an overview of the world at a glance the next, with coloured icons depicting hundreds of units.
Gameplay in Supreme Commander is entirely different from what you’re used to from other strategy games (even the Total War series) and is a lot more detached from the average unit. This makes it a more cold game of numbers, which has been its main criticism; aside from the hefty system requirements. But it is this cold, brutal, warfare that attracts a lot of strategy gamers, and makes it one of the most unique strategy games around.
If you don’t own it already, but do have the PC to play it on, then you will not want to miss out on this deal. Try out the demo if you’re not sure about your system specifications, or purchase it directly on Impulse: Supreme Commander Gold.
Weekend In Closing
So there you have it. The best deals for this weekend all lined up, with demos for you to try and screenshots to admire. Perhaps some of these games will manage to keep you busy in this time of relatively few noteworthy game releases, until the Storm of Fall comes again.
I probably won’t be doing this every week, but be sure to check in anyway. If there are any good weekend deals on offer, then you’ll be the first to know.
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