June 23 - June 29

Section: 

The Steam Sale has already tempted me twice with its glorious deals. While the winter sale felt like it came an went with little to tempt me, the summer sale has already felt rife with the kind of deals that I couldn't get enough of. What too often flies under the radar in these sales, though, are the sales on the DLC and downloadable content for games. For example, all of Rocksmith 2014's song DLC being on sale for 25% off is sorely tempting.

If you're in the mood for something new this week, the Transformers games have been consistently solid, and Rise of the Dark Spark comes out this week. Presumably unconnected to, but happy to cash in on the popularity of, this week's theatrical release of Age of Extinction, if I had some extra cash to throw around I might be tempted by Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark. I played both War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron, and though they were both largely forgettable after a month or two, they scratched a certain nostalgic itch quite nicely at the times.

For the game of the week I'm picking Sniper Elite 3, the third (or fourth depending on where you put Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army) iteration of the first person shooter series. It took me a while to get interested in this particular series of games, but its combination of action, tactical and stealth shooting mechanics eventually proved appealing.

Also this week, PvZ Garden Warfare comes to the PC, Company of Heroes 2 gets an expansion, and there's a game on the PS3 that has Shen Megami Tensei's name attached so I'm betting that's a big deal to a few of you. You know who you are.

Here, let me save you some time: Devil Summoner 2 got robbed!

PC
- Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (download - $50)
- GRID Autosport (download - $50)
- Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare (download - $30)
- Company of Heroes 2: The Western Front (download - $20)
- Sniper Elite 3 (download - $50)
- Shovel Knight (download - $15)
- Valiant Hearts: The Great War (download - $15)
- Three Dead Zed (download)

PS4
- Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark
- Valiant Hearts: The Great War (download - $15)
- Another World (download)
- Blue Estate (download)
- R.B.I. Baseball 14 (download)

Xbox One
- Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark
- Valiant Hearts: The Great War (download - $15)

Xbox 360
- Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark
- GRID Autosport
- Valiant Hearts: The Great War (download - $15)

PS3
- Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark
- GRID Autosport
- Atelier Rorona Plus: The Alchemist of Arland
- Xblaze Code: Embryo
- Valiant Hearts: The Great War (download - $15)
- Another World (download)
- Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon (download)

Wii U
- Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark
- Shovel Knight (download - $15)

Vita
- BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma
- Xblaze Code: Embryo
- Farming Simulator 14
- Another World (download)
- Z-Run (download)

3DS
- Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark
- Farming Simulator 14
- Shovel Knight (download - $15)

Comments

Valiant Hearts: The Great War looks to be an interesting title.. Probably will pick that one up.

Pretty sure Shovel Knight was robbed as the SMT game is just a PS2 classic release on PS3.

YOU CAN'T WIN, SANDS!

Grid Autosport got robbed!

"Shen" Megami Tensei?

The game I'm most interested in this week is the 3DS Transformers game. Unlike the shooter game on all the other systems, the handheld game is a tactical RPG from WayForward. It'll probably be rough around the edges, but it's the closest to a Super Robot Wars game we're likely to ever get.

Transformers is better on the Vit..aaaa--- oh.

Couldn't help myself.

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon is the only thing that calls out to me, and even then I can wait for it without any issue.

Back to the pile!

all of Rocksmith 2014's song DLC being on sale for 25% off

Ooooooh.

I just jumped into the Rocksmith 2014 pool when my wife got me a guitar -- my first -- for Father's Day.

And now I've just spent another $25!

Valiant Hearts Wuz Robbed!

(note to self: keep some sale money to one side for Valiant Hearts)

Company of heroes 2 expansions will be released today instead of tomorrow!

PvZ looks great too!

What a weird coincidence - I was looking for something "stealth" last night, and ended up playing Sniper Elite 2 (or is it V2?) while waiting for Hitman: Absolution to download.

2 hours in, and I'm having fun.

I'm also excited for Sniper Elite 3: Super Ultra Testicle Sniper WW2 Edition.

[size=1]Yes, you can get x-ray shots of your sniper round shattering a man's junk. It's some combination of hilarious, uncomfortable, and cringe worthy. Totally worth trying to do once.[/size]

I think I'm getting Shovel Knight from the Kickstarter, but I'm really most interested in Valiant Hearts. I will probably cry, especially if the dog dies.

first person shooter series

first-person shooter series
first person-shooter series
first person, shooter series
first-person shooter series
first-person-shooter series

wordsmythe wrote:
first person shooter series

first-person shooter series
first person-shooter series
first person, shooter series
first-person shooter series
first-person-shooter series

Does first-person shooter series have two meaning?

Is the Transformers game a movie tie-in crapfest or is along the same vein as Fall of Cybertron/War for Cybertron (which were pretty good for fans of the 80s series)?

wordsmythe wrote:
first person shooter series

first-person shooter series
first person-shooter series
first person, shooter series
first-person shooter series
first-person-shooter series

Sweet ass-shooter series

If anyone gets a chance to play Valiant Hearts please drop me a line and let me know if it is any good. It looks fascinating but I can't derive what gameplay mechanics there are from the trailers I have seen and would like to know before I pull the trigger.

Decent number of games that I wouldn't mind playing this week. Of course, a sniper game isn't on the list.

Another world is probably the highest on the list.

Yeah, I'm waiting on reports from people about Valiant Hearts. Interesting premise, curious about the execution.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

"Shen" Megami Tensei?

The game I'm most interested in this week is the 3DS Transformers game. Unlike the shooter game on all the other systems, the handheld game is a tactical RPG from WayForward. It'll probably be rough around the edges, but it's the closest to a Super Robot Wars game we're likely to ever get.

Of this I was unaware. I look forward to your thoughts in the 3DS thread whenever you choose to pick it up.

Or maybe they'll release a demo on eShop?

As for me, nothing for the time being, but if I were to snag a game this week it would likely either be Shovel Knight or Valiant Hearts. Though I have no idea what the latter actually is in regards to gameplay (I was originally hoping you played as the dog based on the E3 trailer, but alas, nay).

garion333 wrote:

Pretty sure Shovel Knight was robbed as the SMT game is just a PS2 classic release on PS3.

Seriously. Although Valiant Hearts looks pretty cool, but I'm waiting on reviews for that one.

Nevin73 wrote:

Is the Transformers game a movie tie-in crapfest or is along the same vein as Fall of Cybertron/War for Cybertron (which were pretty good for fans of the 80s series)?

I believe it's part of the Cybertron series, but being released around the same time to leech off the "popularity" of Bayformers. More confusing is that both seem to feature the Dinobots prominently?

shoptroll wrote:

I believe it's part of the Cybertron series, but being released around the same time to leech off the "popularity" of Bayformers. More confusing is that both seem to feature the Dinobots prominently?

Well sh*t, why hasn't anyone told me about any of this?

Now I have to look up information to see if I should be interested.

Also, the prominence of Dinobots wouldn't be surprising in Dark Spark considering they played quite a role in Fall of Cybertron.

univarn wrote:

If anyone gets a chance to play Valiant Hearts please drop me a line and let me know if it is any good. It looks fascinating but I can't derive what gameplay mechanics there are from the trailers I have seen and would like to know before I pull the trigger.

I'm pretty sure it's a point and click adventure game.

ccesarano wrote:

Also, the prominence of Dinobots wouldn't be surprising in Dark Spark considering they played quite a role in Fall of Cybertron.

People actually know the plotlines in Transformers? That always seemed to be the series that amounts to transforming robots fight over MacGuffin.

Not MacGuffin, no. The MacGuffotronix. The Marvel comics had the best continuity for that thing.

For everyone, including myself, waiting for reviews for Valiant Hearts, RPS just posted a Wot I Think.

ccesarano wrote:
shoptroll wrote:

I believe it's part of the Cybertron series, but being released around the same time to leech off the "popularity" of Bayformers. More confusing is that both seem to feature the Dinobots prominently?

Well sh*t, why hasn't anyone told me about any of this?

Now I have to look up information to see if I should be interested.

Also, the prominence of Dinobots wouldn't be surprising in Dark Spark considering they played quite a role in Fall of Cybertron.

On the one hand, Grimlock. On the other hand, modern Michael Bay. *brain asplode*

EDIT: so according to the Steam description it has characters from Cybertron and Bayformers. I don't even...

Yikes! Valiant Hearts came out of nowhere. Joystiq also has a positive review up. Sold! Going with PS4 version so that I can play it in the living room.

Shovel Knight and Valiant Hearts both look like games I'd like to play, but it seems foolish to spend the money with the growing pile. I have Outlast, Pixeljunk Shooter Ultimate, Trine 2, Max and the Cursed Brotherhood, Halo:Spartan Assault, Thief, Tomb Raider:DE, and Watchdogs all sitting in the next-gen pile because I've been neglecting them to play Hearthstone. With Strider already announced as incoming for free in July and who knows what coming free on the XB1, I just can't justify spending the money right now even on games I want to play.

I don't even want to think about my last-gen and steam piles.

it seems foolish to spend the money with the growing pile

This feel, I know it.