Indie Royale is back, of course, with a new bundle titled the Getaway Bundle. This bundle features six games and some music as usual. For a little under $6, you can pick up Analogue: A Hate Story, Shattered Horizon, Da New Guys, Waves, Miniflake, and Super Amazing Wagon Adventure. Each game is available for Desura except for Shattered Horizon; however, Shattered Horizon, Analogue: A Hate Story and Waves are the only available games for Steam. If you pay $8 or more, you’ll receive the album Handheld Heroes Volume 1 by Handheld Heroes. Also by just paying for the bundle, you’ll also receive the Da New Guys, Waves, and Analogue: A Hate Story‘s official soundtracks with the six games. Check out the trailer below along with the official blog post detailing all the games. Also here’s the official website.
Indie Royale is back with a bundle that will take you on unique adventures from the comfort of your own living room: “travel” to the moon, the American Old West, a starship called the Mungunghwa, and more with the Getaway Bundle featuring six independent games, including exclusive debut Super Amazing Wagon Adventure!
The first exotic location on the itinerary is the moon where you can fight a zero-gravity death match in Futuremark’s unique multiplayer FPS Shattered Horizon available for Windows on Steam. Celebrated by Strategy Informer for game mechanics that create “thought-provoking gameplay”, Shattered Horizon offers unique combat features, realistic space gameplay, 32 player battles and huge levels that offer hours of gameplay. Top contributors will be rewarded for their generosity in this bundle; the top 10 contributors will receive a Shattered Horizon t-shirt; in addition, the top 5 contributors will also receive a meteorite sample from the Sikhote-Alin meteorite (Russia, 1947) with display case and certificate of authenticity. NOTE: Shattered Horizon requires DirectX 10, a DirectX 10 compatible video card, and Windows Vista or Windows 7.
Next up is Christine Love’s visual novel-style game, Analogue: A Hate Story, which takes place thousands of years in the future and is also loosely based on the Joseon Dynasty in Korea, available for Windows, Mac and Linux on Steam, Desura and DRM-free. A current Indiecade Finalist, this game is focused around finding out the fate of a ship with the help of the ship’s two AIs after it re-appears 600 years following its mysterious disappearance whilst on a mission to establish an interstellar colony. Also included are the Space and Science DLC and the original soundtrack. PC Gamer calls Analogue: A Hate Story “ingeniously constructed” and states that “watching its narrative clockwork spinning is a huge part of the appeal.”
Offered along this journey is an Indie Royale exclusive debut; adventure on the Oregon Trail with Sparse Vector’s game, Super Amazing Wagon Adventure available for Windows on Desura and DRM-free. This 2D shooter offers random gameplay elements and a mission to traverse fires, avalanches and time travel while fighting against bears, giant spiders, buffalo herds, snakes, scorpions, sharks, bandits, wolves and aliens. Originally developed for XBLIG, Eurogamer raved about the XBLIG version of Super Amazing Wagon Adventure : “Hilariously weird, with a solid gameplay base, it’s really quite brilliant.”
Also offered on the “getaway” is a look behind the scenes of a professional wrestling ring with retro point-and-click adventure from Wadjet Eye Games: Da New Guys, available for Windows on Desura and DRM-free (also included is the original soundtrack). Da New Guys is based on 3 wrestlers from England (Brain, Simon and Defender) who have immigrated to America. The story begins with the kidnapping of Brain and his recently won medal; Simon and Defender embark on a journey to save Brain which leads them to the city’s darkest corners. Da New Guys offers pixel hunts, puzzles, a lighthearted story, tongue-in-cheek RPG elements and quirky dialogue.
Included in the Getaway Bundle is a twin-stick shooter from Squid In A Box Waves, available for Windows on Steam, Desura and DRM-free, which offers a rather unique destination that is “out of this world.” Waves is different from other games of its kind by rewarding you for killing your enemies by triggering a slow-motion buffer and the ability to bomb them; it offers quite lively chiptune tracks and some strategy elements when it comes to killing enemies. Offering five different modes, leaderboards and 20 levels Waves was recognized by Eurogamer as one of the “finest examples of the twin-stick arcade shooter genre to arrive in recent years.”
Last up is I-Game-Art’s retro 1bit RPG miniFlake available for Windows on Desura and DRM-free. A roguelike RPG, miniFlake offers great chiptune music; retro sound effects; and randomly generated dungeons, overworld maps location names, and NPCs. The goal of the game is to pillage dungeons, and this gets increasingly difficult with each level. MiniFlake is still an Alpha: an updated build will be made available on your Indie Royale Key Page every time developer updates it (and the Desura version will automatically update).
Finally, those who pay $8 USD or their currency equivalent during the Getaway Bundle will get ‘Handheld Heroes Volume One’ a project, directed by Saskrotch which consists of 41-tracks from leading chiptune artists. Featuring familiar artists like Wizwars, Alex Mauer, Heosphoros, little-scale, OxygenStar, Goto80, zabutom, IAYD, Bit Shifter, this compilation pays homage to Game Boy, Master System, NES, Game Boy Advance, Amiga and a myriad of other “old skool” consoles.
You can find more information on Getaway Bundle, including real-time statistics and its current price, on its official website or via its Facebook and Twitter pages. And a final reminder – get in early while the prices are still low (unless generous contributors drop the price), so “get away” and grab a bundle today!
Robot Entertainment’s Orcs Must Die! 2 will release on July 30th. The new sequel will feature co-op and an endless mode. Available tomorrow is live showing of these two new concepts at 2pm EST on PC Gamer’s livestream channel (twitch.tv/pcgamer). Also if you have any questions to ask, a developer will be there to answer.
Weekend Game Deals – Summer is here! *article taken from PC Gamer because it would just be silly to rewrite what’s already been conveniently laid out heh*
As you know, Deus Ex games are all 75% off this weekend. There are a few smaller discounts as well, but that’s the big one for this weekend. Oh, except 80% off Bejeweled 3, if you want a game with an exceptional number of ‘e’s in the title.
Origin is holding a “pre-order one, get one half off” sale. Origin’s deals page lists the pre-orders available and their resulting discounts. Some of them are silly, like 50% off SimCity 4, which is constantly discounted everywhere else. Pre-ordering Dead Space 3 can get you 50% off Mass Effect 3 or Battlefield 3, which isn’t bad…but you have to pre-order Dead Space 3. I prefer to avoid potential early adopter remorse.
I can’t list GOG’s sales at the moment, because it’s time for… BATTLE OF THE GAMES! Every day two games will be discounted — one at 40% off and one at 60% off — with the bigger discount going to the game with the most votes recorded the previous day. Go get your interactive marketing on, just be sure to vote for the games I want. (Please deactivate your neural firewall for a moment so I can upload my preferences.)
GAMEFLY
GameFly is rather barren this week — the only deal I spotted was the 50% off Payday: The Heist sale that’s being offered everywhere.
Dishonored is an interesting assassin type game that enables you to choose which method you’d like to approach the game such as stealth of just direct combat to take down opponents. Set in Dunwall, a Steampunk Victorian London era city, you are the Empress’ bodyguard that is until you were framed for her murder. The Bethesda published game will be receiving a different interface compared to the console versions, according to co-designers Raphaël Colantonio (BioShock 2, Call of Duty: World at War) and Harvey Smith (Deus Ex, BlackSite: Area 51) . Colantonio stated, “‘Our background is very PC for sure. And now in this game we have a mix of strong console players and fans, and also hardcore PC people. So both sides are very influential, and in the end, yes, the PC has its own different interface'” (PC Gamer).
Smith added, “’It’s a very cool mix of culture, as Raph was saying. At either location [Lyon and Austin] you’ll have people that are like, super hardcore strong about these PC standards. Obviously with the long legacy we’ve had, it’s a religion. Smith went on to say that ‘the same is true for the PS3 and the Xbox,’ and that the studio’s philosophy is to “step back” and let those who are passionate about one platform influence development there. Achievements, for example, are left to the Xbox evangelists on staff.
If PC standards are truly a ‘religion’ at Arkane Studios, we may be served well, but we haven’t yet verified it with our eyeballs” (PC Gamer).
Indie Royale is back for graduation. For just a little above $4, you can receive five awesome games: The Void, Dead Pixels, The Ship, 1000 Amps, and LaserCat. If you purchase the bundle paying $7 or more, you’ll additionally receive Cheap Dinosaurs acclaimed self-titled album. You’ll also receive a special exclusive Indie Royale AirMech beta key available to use with Steam and Desura as well as an exclusive Indie Royale in-game item, the Graduation Cap, for +5 persistent XP. Indie Royale has also included The Ship gift copies as well which will allow you to gift two extra copies and those copies also include one steam gift code with them as well! In addition, CSR Studios’ Dead Pixels is available for the first time ever on Windows and you can pick up this retro zombie shooter in the Graduation Bundle. Check out the lineup below and their website and happy gaming.
Here’s a more detail description of the Graduation Bundle by the organizers themselves.
The Indie Royale game bundle site returns with the Graduation Bundle, offering five fantastic independent games available at a bargain, fluctuating price – including cult Russian first-person classic The Void, an exclusive PC debut for 8-bit zombie shooter Dead Pixels, and multiple copies of multiplayer murder mystery The Ship. Plus you get early Steam Beta access to hot F2P action-RTS AirMech with an Indie Royale-exclusive in-game item code!
Headlining the bundle is Ice Pick Lodge’s cult classic action-adventure The Void, available for Windows on Steam, Desura, and DRM-free. In this beautifully art-directed first-person game from the Russian creators of Pathologic, you must guide your lost soul through the Void, a space trapped between life and death. Use color as your health and ammo as you discover the dark secrets hidden by the beautiful Sisters and monstrous Brothers. PC Gamer UK called The Void, “An astounding world, and a flagship for the imagination and capability of independent game developers.” Clash with golems, bloodthirsty predators and other spawn of the Void as you fight for your lost soul.
Next up is CSR Studios’ retro zombie side-scrolling shooter Dead Pixels, available for the first time ever on Windows for Desura and DRM-free. In this conversion of the hit 8-bit style Xbox Live Indie Games title, a toxic waste spill has found its way into the water supply and the dead have risen from their graves. Take on waves of zombies as you make your way to salvation before it’s too late. The city is never the same twice, so there’s always something hiding around the corner! Featuring 22 types of zombies to blast, upgradable weapons and items, and all the free additions from the XBLIG version, such as the “Last Stand” and “The Solution” game modes, it’s time to get your boomstick ready.
Also featured is Outerlight’s first-person, multiplayer-centric nautical action game The Ship, available for Windows on Steam only, and with each copy coming with two extra Steam keys to send to your friends! (Those copies each have one extra gift activation too!) Set in a 1920s cruise ship, players must murder their assigned target while at the same time avoiding the player hunting them. Be careful not to be spotted murdering your victim, or it’s off to jail. Use all the weapons at your disposal, including crowbars, swords, flare guns, and many more. Featuring a unique bonus single-player story and an addictive online mode, Source Engine title The Ship is unlike any other first-person experience.
The bundle also includes The Odd Man Out’s illuminating puzzle platformer 1000 Amps, available for Windows and Mac on Steam, Desura and DRM-Free. As Plug, you are charged with restoring the expansive Amp-Tree-System. You light up whatever you touch, and Rock Paper Shotgun says of the game, “It’s witty in its minimalist design, its use of sound cues is exemplary, the jumping is pixel perfect, and the ability to put a smile on my face with every single completed room is a joyous thing.” Solve puzzles and teleport to new areas to bring light to the whole world!
Rounding out the bundle is Monster Jail Games’ eccentric Metroidvania-ish 8-bit platformer LaserCat, available for Windows on Desura and DRM-free. Explore the castle of the evil Wizzord, as you search for the keys littered throughout the world. Featuring wacky trivia questions and a little cat ghost left behind every time you die, LaserCat has an uncommonly good sense of humor, with cues taken from games old (Jet Set Willy) and new (VVVVVV).
Included in the bundle is a special exclusive bonus, a Steam Beta key to hot F2P action-RTS AirMech with Indie Royale-only in-game item code – the Graduation Cap (+5% persistent XP)! The much-hyped AirMech is in closed beta on Steam right now, making these codes very hard to come by, so infinite thanks to Carbon Games for partnering with us to offer these keys to all our valued customers. (And we’ll be unlocking one more game for all buyers during the bundle itself – watch our social media feeds for info!)
Finally, those who pay $7 USD or their currency equivalent during the Graduation Bundle get Cheap Dinosaurs’ self-titled album in .FLAC and HQ .MP3 – the long-awaited first official release from the chiptune prog rockers, and normally a $6 value on its own.
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 is scheduled to release on August 21st this summer. The new game will have a rebuilt A.I. system and lots of new improvements. The game will release on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. Check out a preview of the game here and an exclusive Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 Developer Demo from PC Gamer. Below are screenshots and a new Urban Combat trailer.
Probably with recent cover on PC gamer on THQ’s Company of Heroes as well as the announcement for the next installment set for 2013, it was only obvious to have a sale on the franchise. For this weekend, Company of Heroes is 80% off on Steam. You may get the complete Company of Heroes pack for just $9.99. The individual games are also 80% with their values detailed below.
In addition, the Tropico franchise is also on sale with their games on sale ranging from 25% off to 66% off as well as the DLC. Also Haemimont Game’s Tropico4 is free-to-play all weekend until Steam’s weekend deals end on Monday, May 14th at 1pm EST.
The sequel to one of THQ’s popular franchises, Company of Heroes 2, has been officially announced and will release in 2013. Last week it was revealed that the company was in development of the next installment of the popular RTS. If you want to know more about the sequel, pick up a copy of PC Gamer which headlines CoH 2 for its upcoming issue on sale May 9th in the UK and May 22nd in the US. Also if you pick up a copy of the UK edition, you’ll receive a free copy of Company of Heroes.
As usual the main talks of Bioware’s Star Wars: The Old Republic has been whether or not it has enough content to keep players logging in and coming back. Not only that, but also if the game has sufficient replay value as well. Their update of the Rakghoul plague event drummed up business and surprised players, but will they be able to keep up events that hook their subscribers?
Daniel Erickson of Bioware stated that as a fully-voiced MMO they have development teams creating scenarios and events far in advanced. If they need something or change course for a particular update, then they’ll prioritize their tasks. As such the developer has focused on convenience features like a group finder as well as Legacy update’s Guild Bank system. They are even trying to implement a new idea into their guild system.
“In our own guilds, the PC Gamer Mint Imperials and PCG Revel Alliance, the cap on membership has made overflow guilds a necessity. Mint Imperials member Bocephus suggested that in the future it might be possible to add a players legacy – all of their characters from a given faction – to a guild, occupying a single slot. Erickson was taken with the idea. ‘We’d actually never thought of this’ he says, ‘but it’s now on the list!'” (PC Gamer)
Ideas like this will keep the game looking and feeling neat, but hopefully despite the Rakghoul plague event ending tomorrow, Bioware can keep players logging in now and in the future and more importantly during their peak hours with excellent replayable and new content. Erickson details his opinion on the recent Rakghoul plague event and what it brought to Star Wars: “’Events are, by their very nature, transient things that build a sense of history within the game’ Erickson explains. ‘Later you’ll pull out your red rakling pet and say, ‘remember when the rakghoul plague hit'” (PC Gamer).
Endless Raining 
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