Summer has come, the heat is on, and when it comes to bargains, Valve refuses to be left behind. Gamers on a budget rejoice! It’s time for the Steam Summer Sale! Steam has placed over 12,000 titles on sale, running all across the very wide gamut of gaming and it will be running until July 4th. There’s everything from new releases to old classics and from hot new hits to classic player favorites in there and with so much to choose from, there’s most certainly bound to be something for everyone. We’ve taken the liberty of scanning through the sale and putting together some of the highlights of the sale going on right now across a few choice categories. Have a look!
Adventure
If your heart desires a romp through fantastic environments with all of the emphasis on a good story clever mechanics set towards allowing that story to play out, then we have some good news for you. There are some choice adventure games going on in this particular sale. Our recommendations are Life is Strange, Firewatch, and SOMA. Life is Strange is an episodic game in which a young, female photographer named Max discovers she has the power to rewind time. The story provides environments where Max can go back and play with numerous conditions that will have an effect on how events will play out.
Firewatch places players in the role of a fire lookout named Henry in the woods of Wyoming. When a mysterious string of events occurs, Henry must travel the woods and search for clues, all while maintaining contact and communication with his supervisor Delilah. What you do and how you act will have consequences on Henry’s fate and relationship with Delilah. Finally, for a much more frightening affair, you have to see SOMA. Created by the makers of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, SOMA is a terrifyingly atmospheric journey through a destroyed underwater facility inhabited by terrifying creatures created by the facility’s malfunctioning and renegade AI. Use sound, sight, and environmental interaction to help you survive, unravel, and escape the dangers that lurk in the twisted corridors.
Find all of these at the links below.
-SOMA
Role-Playing
There are a ton of good RPGs going in Steam’s Summer Sale. If you want to travel into a world of sword and sorcery or perhaps journey into the far future, the sale has you covered. A few of our favorites include Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, Dishonored, and Pillars of Eternity. Witcher 3 really needs no introduction. It’s a sprawling journey across a fantastical and varied landscape with professional monster hunter Geralt of Rivia. The game was wonderful standalone, but each of its expansions have only upped the ante further and you can get all of it on discount.
If you watched Bethesda at E3 this year, then most certainly you saw Dishonored 2. If you haven’t play Dishonored then now is the time. It puts you in the boots of Corvo Attano, framed for the murder of his ward, the Empress Jessamine Kaldwin. You’ll gain powers, gadgets and upgrades as you sneak through the steampunk city of Dunwall on a journey of either redemption or revenge. Pillars of Eternity is a game that should have every Baldur’s Gate fan on notice. It’s an isometric RPG from well-versed developer Obsidian Entertainment. You’ll take up one of six races, gather your party, and strengthen numerous skills that allow you traverse a deep and rich fantasy world your way.
Find all of these at the links below.
Action
If you’re looking for something to get the pulse pounding, something to give you adrenaline rush, and keep those reflexes sharp, Steam has just the thing for you in terms of action games. Our choice highlights include Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and a sale on the entire Assassin’s Creed franchise. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is a journey back to the roots of the series, putting players in control of Big Boss as he attempts to create a utopia where soldiers without country can live freely. It is both an action-packed tactical espionage journey through the origins of Outer Haven and Hideo Kojoma’s perfect swan song before his departure from Konami.
Rise of the Tomb Raider continues the Crystal Dynamics reboot that reintroduced us to the iconic treasure hunter Lara Croft as it explores her formative years. Rise of the Tomb Raider features a journey through harsh Siberian wilderness in search of a lost and ancient city and Lara’s first true expedition into archaeological adventure. Finally, say what you will about the Assassin’s Creed franchise, but it’s certainly had its share of ups throughout the years. Now you can choose from any one of the games throughout the franchise, from Altair in the original game all the way to Jacob Frye in the most recent Syndicate as you explore the story of Assassin’s and Templars throughout history.
Find all of these at the links below.
-Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
First-Person Shooters
Got enough bullets? Steam will make sure you do and we will too. The sale has quite a few choice first-person shooters running on quite the discounts right now. Our favorites are Rainbow Six: Siege, Wolfenstein: The New Order, and the Call of Duty franchise. Rainbow Six: Siege introduced players to an all new degree of tactical teamplay, offering numerous specialized operatives on offense and defense. Whether you live, die, fail, or succeed depends not just on your trigger finger, but your cooperation with your precious team mates in each mission as you breach or defend numerous locations with a variety of strategic methods.
Wolfenstein practically invented what we know as the proper first-person shooter and The New Order was a return to form for the series in the best of ways. You take up arms as B.J. Blazkowicz in an alternate world where the Nazis conquered the world as you fight to cripple the regime from the bottom up in an action-packed and brutal campaign. Finally, if you want fast-paced competition on the premier franchise, look no further than Call of Duty. The entire franchise is on sale running from the very first game all the way up through the most recent Black Ops 3. If you want a solid combination cinematic excitement and competitive experience unlike any other, Call of Duty is the shooter to have.
Find all of these at the links below.
Building/Management Simulation
Want to get away from all the action and excitement for a bit and go after something a bit more calm and relaxing? Maybe you need something in the simulation realm to help you unwind. In the sale, our choice highlights include Stardew Valley and Cities: Skylines. Stardew Valley is a game of humble pixels that hosts an enormous depth. After finding yourself bored with life, you inherit a farm from a recently deceased family member. It’s your chance to start anew as you go to your farm, build it from the ground up, create your empire and interact with locals around. Stardew Valley has a lot of RPG elements going on with it, but at the end of the day, it’s main appeal is creating and customizing your farm however you please and using its output in dealings with the world around you.
Of course, if you’re looking for a grander scheme, look no further than Cities: Skylines. This game made GameWatcher’s overall 2015 Game of the Year for good reason. It’s a dizzyingly expansive city building sim that allows you to create your sprawling metropolis however you see fit. Start at one square of land and expand across miles of terrain that will have you building, creating, and managing for hours on end, and if you even get the slightest bit bored, check out the mod compatibility the game hosts and choose from a vast availability of additions to keep your game fresh.
Find all of these at the links below.
Strategy
What would this deal round-up be without some key strategy highlights? Don’t worry, there’s plenty to choose from in the Steam Summer Sale and we’ve got you covered. Our picks include Rise of Nations: Extended Edition, The Banner Saga series, and Stellaris. Rise of Nations is what happens when you take a blend of a lot of great things and mix them into one fantastic amalgam. Players can take up one of eighteen civilizations across history and guide them through a clever blend of resource and political management, turn-based decisions, and real-time strategy battles. Rise of Nations with all of the DLC content that has been created for it over the years would normally cost a hefty sum, but you can get all of it for a fraction of the price during the sale.
If you want more story out of your strategy, you have to see what The Banner Saga is offering. In a world of vikings and giants, you are tasked with leading a band of warriors and civilians on pilgrimage. Every choice you make in combat and outside of it will have lasting effects on your journey and the first game’s progress and outcome can be transferred directly to the second in a continuing narrative built by the player. Finally, we have the breakout galactic hit Stellaris. Who are you as a people? What are your characteristics? How will you develop as you expand outward from your homeworld? That’s for you to decide as you create an empire sprawling numerous galaxies and come in contact with new species both friendly and hostile.
Find all of these at the links below.
-Rise of Nations: Extended Edition
These are our highlights of the sale, but there’s also much, much more to explore in the Summer Sale. Have a look through the catalogues and find something that suits your interest while this sale lasts! You can find the full list of Summer Sale games here. Happy hunting!
