Steam Winter Sale 2012

Dawnguard is still that expensive? It's $20 normally? Geez.

But it lets you become a vampire lord. Or a werewolf. Or possibly a vampire lord werewolf. With new shouts!

So, Endless Space for $10. Worth it? I think I remember hearing good things about it but I'm not sure.

Same question here.

The daily deals for December 24th are up. Still no Dark Souls.

Mass Effect Collection $9.99 (75% off). Includes ME1 and ME2.
Company of Heroes Complete Pack $12.48 (75% off). Includes Opposing Forces and Tales of Valor.
Sonic Bundle $29.99 (75% off). 16 games featuring Sonic the Hedgehog. Do you desire more hedgehog? There's also 50% off Sonic Generations ($14.99) and Sonic Adventure 2 ($4.99), too.
Call of Duty franchise. 50% off the only restaurant chain that serves bullet burgers and ammo fries. Does not include Black Ops 2.
Endless Space - Admiral Edition $10.19 (66% off) or Endless Space - Emperor Special Edition $11.89 (66% off). Emperors get more skin (pack).
Of Orcs & Men $19.99 (50% off). Based on the little-known Steinbeck novel.

The metascore on Endless Space is 77/100, which suggests it is a decent game. Would you pay $10 for a decent game, even if it doesn't let you become a werewolf vampire lord?

If this screenshot excites you, then I submit the answer is 'yes'.

I missed two flash sales for games I totally would've bought ;___; I've been waiting for Sniper elite!

God damned social life.

I would say no. While it is all incredibly slick and pretty, I found it pretty soulless and tedious. Although it took me about thirty hours of pressing 'end turn' to realise that I wasn't actually enjoying the experience. I like Civ-type games, but I didn't like this.

It stinks.

Do any of you know anything about Of Orcs and Men? It looks interesting, but I'm hesitant to pick it up, sight unseen.

Yeah, I think I'll pass on Endless Space. It doesn't pass the "I want to play this right now" test.

If you have a smartphone, the Steam app is actually pretty useful in situations like this. I've used it to check flash sales while I'm out a few times and even bought a couple of things from the app. You can buy them and have them start installing to your home machine while you're out. BEHOLD THE FUTURE!

It's bad.

Problem being that it's a battery drain! I know I don't really have an excuse. I have the App and everything. I was just wrapped up in a Pathfinder game! Curse you, fun! :P

Two-thirds of a collection, anyway. Weaksauce.

Someone talk me into Rayman Origins for $10.19, so I can say I bought something during this sale.

Anyone played Alan Wake? Is the "light combat" just a gimmick or a fun puzzle-solver?

I normally go sale-crazy on Steam, but the only things I've bought so far are a few of the Tom Clancy games I was missing (R6 3 Gold, Vegas), based on TotalBiscuit's recommendations. There's no way I'm going to play all of the Tom Clancy games I have, but I may as well have the best ones.

It's a fantastic platformer, and best of all it has a Steam demo. When compared to the likes of the latest Mario and Donkey Kong 2D side-scrolling platformers, it leans towards the latter in difficulty (in that it's more challenging than most of the newer Mario stuff).

Endless Space still fails to be as much fun as MOO2, which is on sale for like $2 at GOG. The biggest problem is that they epic failed at designing a fun combat system.

Yeah, I had the same experience. I love the look and theme of the game (very cool art and races/factions), and I loved the idea of the card-driven combat system (if not the implementation), but the gameplay just falls flat.

The combat varies from moderately entertaining to really stupid (the "poltergeist" manifestations). They wanted to build a Resident Evil 4 level of scarcity and environment management into it but ended up saying fuck it and resetting your resources at the end of each chapter. So use all the stuff you're carrying, don't hoard, and it all works out once you get past the somewhat tight on ammo opening chapters.
The real selling point is the story and the writing, which is a fun combination that ranges across late 20th century popular American horror books. Sometimes what they were trying to do with foreshadowing works, and sometimes it's silly, but it's a great value at that price on the off chance it's your kind of thing.

Just under 11 hours left on the latest flash deals:

• Spec Ops: The Line $10.19 (66% off). Gritty.
• Rayman Origins $10.19 (66% off). Goofy.
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II $2.49 (75% off). Buggy. (The first game is also available for the same price.)

Rocketbirds is only $2.50!

Sounds somewhat like Lone Survivor. Nothing like the Christmas season to stock up on all the horror games. I'll add it to my cart, then.

Thanks Elyscape and Lizard_King!

That's not how you sell a game.

This is how you sell a game.

1. Offer the pitch: Annihilate an evil penguin regime in this cinematic platform adventure game offering full solo and co-op campaigns.

2. Post a screenshot:


3. Provide the Steam link for easy impulse purchasing and note that it's only $2.49 (75% off) until January 5th.

4. Don't point out the so-so metascore of 74/100.

Wishing I had bought the soundtrack pack of bastion last time around. It's currently 50% off. Hoping it'll go on a daily deal or flash sale even cheaper, although $5 for that fantastic soundtrack is a great deal in of itself.

Let me chime in and mention that I also loved the story in this game as well, I think it's one of the best game stories in a long time.

Hahaha wooo so far nothing in this sale has tempted (well OK I gave Max Payne 3 as a gift and got Spec Ops and Waking Mars as gifts)! Wooooo

Aw, fuck

That's a stupid collection because it doesn't have the third game. What you want is Mass Effect Trilogy, which is sadly only on Origin. And I think even that doesn't have the DLC, which is for the most part worth playing in all three games.

You seriously haven't played Mass Effect? That is a gaping hole in anyone's modern gaming cred!

I seriously totally have several times! I just have them installed on an old HD, this just makes it easier! I like easy! It's not stupid for someone like me who has ME3 on his new HD but not ME1 and 2.

Last I heard ME1 and ME2 don't support 360 controllers on the PC. This still true?

It's true, and neither does ME3. No good reason why, they just chose not to. Even though they're totally console games.

Okay, thanks.

The Total Biscuit review of RocketBirds was pretty bad, I'd pass unless you really want to play it.

Cool, we can vote to have a 50% sale on Miner Wars 2081. Or, you could just buy it for 50% off any other time during the winter sale. Maybe it's more gratifying if you voted for it.

I voted for Towns, because I want it. :p

10+ hours left on these flash deals:

• Tomb Raider Collection $14.99 (75% off). Includes 9 (!) Tomb Raider games. Each is also available separately for 75% off. Boob joke.
• Jet Set Radio $3.39 (66% off). Features 'lush HD visuals'. And graffiti.
• Spirits $2.49 (75% off). A 'relaxing action-puzzle game with a dynamic wind and world environment.'

With the Borderlands 2 community pick, the season pass is finally on sale for 25% off. Makes it about $22.50. Cheapest I've seen it so far!

Anyone think Spec Ops is worth $10? Seemed like it might be.