The Groginati Sales Thread

[republic]

I'd like to get Witp AE but...I already have Witp and don't play it because the interface makes an already complex game needlessly complicated.

[JasonPratt]

WPO is great if a little buggy; the developer did his best to support it, but real life required him to move on.

The game system is a slightly simplified version of the original WitP engine; so while it's missing some features from the first WitP, and moreso from the second, it's proportionately easier to learn. (Except for the parts of AE which made things work better, I guess. :) )

I definitely recommend it for people who want to see if they'd enjoy WitP-AE but don't want to risk that much of an investment. Just be aware that weapon platforms at all levels (sea, air or land) won't be as effective as WW2 platforms would be, especially air and sub.

[Nefaro]

I'd like to get Witp AE but...I already have Witp and don't play it because the interface makes an already complex game needlessly complicated.

Yep.  The interface on UV was extremely torturous so I never put the later ones on my want list.  I would probably jump at AE but the memory of all that click-click-clicking on each of the massive amount of lone settings was enough to make me quit before.  That doesn't look to have changed.  :-\

[CptHowdy]

any recommendations for the steam Halloween sale? ive got don't starve in my cart at the moment and wouldn't mind adding another cheapie to bump it over 10 bucks.

[Arctic Blast]

any recommendations for the steam Halloween sale? ive got don't starve in my cart at the moment and wouldn't mind adding another cheapie to bump it over 10 bucks.

I had a lot of fun with Costume Quest. It's a bit silly, but you get to fight in little battles as whatever costume you're wearing. Big cat? Yep. Missile spewing robot? Yep. And so on. It has its moments of humor as well.

[JasonPratt]

I second Costume Quest (which I already own, on the PS3 I think.)

I'm personally picking up

The Next BIG Thing -- wacky Lucasartsish adventure about real monsters as Hollywood movie stars, somewhat along the line of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? crossed with the Munsters.

Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles -- released by the Frogwares, who have done a bunch of other Holmes series games -- but this one looks more colorful and static than their usual games, but I make a habit of collecting their Holmes adventures.

and

Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines -- been putting this off for a long time, because I've heard it has to be modded heavily to have a prayer of working properly (or anything like approaching 'properly'), but I loved the first game and appreciate the ambitious design of this one.


I notice that the recent Castlevania reboot Lords of Shadow is on sale with all epilogue chapters for $15. I already own that for PS3, and cannot think of a more appropriate Halloween flavored game. Highly recommended. (Unless you're a hardcore CV fan, in which case you may likely hate it with a passion, since it throws away the tenuously developed continuity of the other games for an absolutely total reboot, and jettisons all the awesome musical cues developed over the decades for equally awesome but very different "Batman In Middle Earth" orchestrations.)

[JasonPratt]

Steam also has the Max Payne franchise on sale for 75% off, although by "franchise" they mean "not including the very important second game" which isn't on Steam yet for some reason. The first two games have curious horror-game touches to them, which would make them interesting alternative choices for a Halloween playfest (especially for those in the US and Canada who are shoveling unexpected snowfall already!)


For something completely different, my nieces love playing JOOOOOEEEEE DAAANNNNGGEERRRR! -- and I see that its two games have come to Steam for under $7 total. Very addictive little linear bike race game.

[JasonPratt]

Footnote: while I still recommend the CV reboot ahead of it, another werewolf apocalypse game well worth playing is Sang Froid: Tales of Werewolves which is also on sale and also features things other than werewolves. (But mostly types of werewolves.)

Granted, the production values of CV:LoS are vastly higher, and the game probably lasts longer, but the gameplay in Sang Froid is just as atmospheric and tense in its own way, arguably moreso because your character is a lot easier to kill. It could still stand some polish, but it's a great little ranging tower defense game, not exactly Halloween (more of a messed up Christmas game), but certainly applicable.

Be sure to play it or be cursed to remember this song, ahem:

I am a lumberjack and I'm okaaay! I chop all night and I shop alllaaarrahshghhlscklsle!! {mauled to death by a windigo} {or possibly by Windigo}

Sang Froid: it'll make you wish you could live in Canada!

[eyebiter]

.

[Gusington]

So you liked the new Castlevania heh Jason? I've been wanting to pick that up but reviews were 'meh.' Also interested by Sang Froid. Damn this sale.

[JasonPratt]

I honestly don't understand why reviews were meh. Super-high A/V values, artistically presented; plenty of GoWish tactical action (including three titan class bosses); meaty playtime that doesn't overstay its welcome and changes up environments and enemies on a regular basis.

I'll grant that it feels a lot like a game that someone realized was such a reasonably effective CV homage that Konami might as well buy the thing and make it a Castlevania reboot with a few easy adjustments (although the designers have sworn this isn't true). The gameplay is rather more linear than what the CV games evolved into, but I didn't mind: God of War was like that, too (and the Prince of Persia Sands trilogy which with CV helped inspire GoW. The new "4th" game of the Sands story, set between 1 and 2, is a perfectly fine entry, by the way, worth picking up by anyone who likes the property.)

The second and final epilogue DLC was too hard for me to beat at last (and I decided I finally didn't care enough to beat the final boss since by then I could tell what was going to happen plotwise), but except for the original game hugely begging the question of what happened to even distantly account for the original game's epilogue cut-scene, the epilogue DLC duology isn't necessary and fits well enough into the game if a player wants to continue on.

So yeah, I've played it through at least three times on the PS3 (maybe four, not counting the DLC epilogues at one each), and enjoyed it every time. I almost rebought it on PC just to see if the graphics look any better, but I'll wait for it to drop some more (like I did for the Arkham games) before I do that.


In conclusion, I don't know why anyone who likes the GoW games and the PoP:Sands games wouldn't like CV:LoS. It's entirely competent at being that kind of game (but much more Halloweenish. Thus why it headed my rec list for your H'ween gaming, Gus. :) It absolutely DRIPS with colorful atmosphere.)

[Gusington]

I'll pick up for 15.00 then...note I have never played a Castlevania title. I think I'll probably enjoy it more, from the sound of it.

[JasonPratt]

Here's the first fifteen minutes (or thereabouts) of gameplay -- skip to around 3:40 to nix a trailer for the game, some opening adjustments (which provide a nice chorale musical cue), the interchapter loading screen narration (wherein Patrick Stewart's character rambles on with color text giving no especially useful information except where the writers of the text inadvertently contradict the plot even from PS's character's standpoint ;) )...

That was on the XBox360 at 720p. Presumably the PC game will look and sound a bit better. (The PS3 can be manually tricked up to 1080p.)

[PanzersEast]

Couple of Steam title I saw of interest..... may seriously pick up Pirates! (sap for ye ole games) and maybe San-Foid (heard good things).... I still have not gone through SH vs Jack the Ripper so I will probably pass on The Last Testament.

Sid Meier's Pirates!
San-Froid - Tales of Werewolves
The Last Testament of Sherlock Holmes


PE

[W8taminute]

A buddy of mine lent me his Castlevania Lords of Shadow disc for PS3 and although I never really was a Castlevania fan this game reminds me somewhat of Skyrim.  I'm talking about the atmosphere and a little bit about gameplay.  While the game definitely is a JRPG it does have a bit of western influence in it wrt to the setting and story.  I'm digging it.