Hmm. I’m treading dangerously close to establishing a trend of only ever posting on here about free stuff. Which is great and all, because free stuff (obviously), but, y’know, doesn’t exactly hit the “credible original content” mark that I have sorta-intentions of hitting.
Anyway!
A sweet little side-scrolling action title by the name of The Expendabros was recently released with extra Freedom. That is, it’s actually free. So you should look past the validity of my claims regarding the title’s “sweetness” (because I haven’t played it or the previous title that it’s based on, so I really have absolutely no idea what it tastes like), and just get on with acquiring a free game. Acquire it here, on The Expendabros‘ Steam page (or right through the Steam client, if, y’know, you’re not stuck in an office reading about things you’d rather be playing because work PCs and the frowned-upon idea of gaming on them). Oh, and it’ll be “available for download until December 31, 2014.” Read more of the rubbish I type about The Expendabros after the jump (there’s a trailer too).
EA is giving The Sims 2 away for free, until 31 July 2014 10h00 PDT (that’s 19h00 for us GMT+2 people), to drum up anticipation for the impending launch of The Sims 4 (I/we/the internet/everyone figures, but EA says it’s “because you’re a passionate The Sims 2 player”). Even better, the edition being given away is the Ultimate Collection, which is The Sims 2 base game plus ALL THE THINGS (eight expansions, ten stuff packs, the whole shebang). So if it’s still before the cut-off time and you haven’t already done so and you like free things, you’d best open Origin up (app or website), keep reading to take advantage.
On one of my YouTube adventures (binges) I happened upon a video by Tek Syndicate. Well, actually, I ignored it there in the “recommended” section for a few days and finally let my curiosity out to click on it, but anyway… That indulgence in curiosity has steadily led to Tek Syndicate becoming one of my favourite places on the internet, with their technology and internet news, hardware reviews, and general cool. The Tek, their “main” video series, has become something that I eagerly look forward to watching every week and the other review, news, and gaming videos are almost always informative and interesting (and always entertaining). So, you should watch them (whoever you are), to know more things and stuff.
But that’s not all! Here’s the bit where I reveal an ulterior motive to this post… They’re (well, Logan is) giving away a car (Logan’s car), along with a sweet, new gaming PC that I’d be mighty proud to own (wanna know who Logan is? Watch The Tek! :P). So, y’know, watch The Tek (and everything else Tek Syndicate does), enter the car competition by referring my entry to give me more entries when you make entries (yeah, yeah, I’m in ol’ RSA and not really eligible but whatever, shut up; if you’re in Yankee Land or Canada make friends here, if I win maybe I could ask Logan to drive to you instead of getting him and car stuffed into a container for shipping), and just be a better human Tek. Being. Teing. Err…
Well, apparently. According to assorted internet sources, the 2014 Steam Summer Sale starts on 19 June 2014. Sources like this thread on the NeoGAF forums, and then this confirmation by Eurogamer, and some of these Google search results.
Hail Gaben.
I’m not certain whether I’m happy with this news. My money all got sunk into a pretty new DeathAdder just last week (review incoming… eventually… probably on the weekend…), so I guess it’s time to start skipping meals (at least those I need to pay for) and avoiding social engagements.
Whatever the case, if it’s not tomorrow, it will be soon. So, y’know, prepare thy wallets.
First up in the E32014 avalanche, is the official news of GTA V coming to PC! And the XBONE and PS4, but whatever. PC! It’ll be coming during our spring 2014 (“fall” 2014…). More details and a trailer after the jump.
I really need to quit using that line… Origin’s doing the cheap games thing, with a “Player Appreciation Sale,” “games you would actually play” campaign (poking a little fun at Steam’s “there’s always something on sale” thing which for many just ends up being library filler).
There are some great specials on, with the games being 70% off which is a pretty decent discount. Personally, I’m picking up Dead Space 2, Need for Speed Shift, Bulletstorm, and probably Syndicate too. I’m on the fence about Syndicate, since most reviews I see praise the co-op as its best aspect but I’m usually late to the party with co-op titles and end up hardly playing the co-op bits ’cause everyone’s done with ’em already (nudge nudge, wink wink).
Oh, and here’s something unprecedented: I didn’t find out about this from NAG Online! It came right from the source! Isn’t that something?
And now to go contemplate how terrible I am for starting to actually like EA’s Origin while I wait for the downloads…
Or: Battlefield 3 is free! On Origin! Until 03 June 2014!
Continuing with the trend of blatantly copying what I report here from NAG Online, anyone (with an Origin account) can now get Battlefield 3 on PC for the high, high cost of absolutely nothing (unless you count data for the 19GB (!) download…)! Not only that, but right now you can totally still get the thing-I-forgot-to-report for mere clicks too, which is Plants vs. Zombies GOTY Edition (PC and Mac)! Until 16 June 2014! Huzzah! More freeness and things!
Get Battlefield 3 here and Plants vs. Zombies here, and the low-down on why Origin is throwing free stuff around here. Quick, before they realise what they’ve done!
Of course, you’ll still need to get yourself Battlefield 3’s Premium pack if you want ALL the (Battlefield 3) things, but, at least locally, the vanilla base game is pretty much all that’s being played online now anyway so one might as well wait until that’s on sale/free.
Thanks, NAG Online!
So, I’ve been smashing words together to write this review for about two months. It’s been mostly complete for at least 6 weeks of those two months, but I haven’t posted because… reasons, or something. So here it is, presented to the internether (that’s internet/ether, you with “but that’s not a word” shut up), no more screwing about.
Max Payne was modern gaming innovation incarnate. The noir story and gritty, graphic novel presentation, coupled with solid over-the-shoulder shooter mechanics and oh-so-awesome bullet time, won Max Payne a place in the heart of many a gamer. The sequel, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, expanded on the series and earned a proud place beside the first. Years later, a very different Max Payne is released to a much changed gaming world…
See, different.
So, Dead Space is free (like free beer), until 8 May 2014. Hit the jump for more sweet, sweet info.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution was an unexpected pleasure for me. I didn’t play the original Deus Ex games, though they’d always been intriguing to me, and I gave Human Revolution a miss on release because I was wary of all the brouhaha surrounding the boss fights. Then along came the Steam Holiday Sale of ’13, and the next thing I knew Human Revolution’s Director’s Cut, with it’s “new and improved Boss Fights” and included DLC, had snuck through a credit vent into my library. I fired it up, and what followed was some 80 hours of brilliantly engrossing stealth and exploration, cloaked in a plot of revenge, global conspiracy, and a spectrum of ethically grey corporate interests. And Adam Jensen, one of the coolest protagonists I can recall.
