Mwahahahahahahaaaaa! Happy spoooooooky Halloween week, my pretty, appetising friends. Here’s hoping you’re up for some horror and gore, because that’s what you’re going to get with this week’s picks of the special offers on Steam.
Tuck yourselves in tight at night, won’t you?
Killing Room
Firstly, here’s a new title for you – Killing Room. It was released a matter of days ago, and on offer with 40% off. It’s a special promotion that’s only going to last until the end of the week, so be quick, because this one looks brilliant fun. Clearly taking influence from games like DOOM and Bioshock, this first-person shooter is set in a dystopian world of manipulation and blood sport.
Quite probably also influenced by The Running Man, The Hunger Games and that one episode of Dr Who with Anne Robinson as a robot, your task is to fight your way through hoards of enemies with a variety of weaponry, complete puzzles and avoid traps, and survive – all for the entertainment of your reality television show audience. As long as they are entertained, you live, and if you make it to the end, you can choose your reward.
Enemies are genetically engineered by the show’s creators in order to look like your childhood nightmares, and the action is pretty non-stop. It’s had a patch, as of today, so some of the bugs people were having seem to be ironed out. The graphics look really good, and the gameplay seems challenging but fun. Indie FPS games come few and far between at a decent standard, but this looks like a great one to show your support for.
True Fear: Forsaken Souls
Another new game, True Fear’s first title had been out on iOS for a while, moving onto Steam in order to generate income and interest for publishers who may want to fund the long-awaited sequel. The game is made, but not set for release yet, so why not give it a go and show support if you like it? It’s on offer for 30% off in the midweek madness sale, so be quick!
This hidden object/point and click game is simple enough to play, but the art and storyline are captivating, and truly scary in places. Think of PT, but way smaller in gameplay style. The cinematics are presented really well, with a deep sense of dread and atmosphere. Even playing on the phone or tablet takes you into that world.
I love the Japanese horror influence this game clearly has. It’s a great homage to the classic urban ghost stories, even though this is set in a creepy old house. The story and art help so much with this, and it’s a real treat for you, if you’re into atmosphere and build up – especially in a point and click.
The Black Watchmen
This intriguing game is half price this week. There are also bundles on offer, with add-ons and other titles included. The Black Watchmen is a stunning title if you’re after puzzle solving in order to advance an epic and in-depth storyline. The developers advertise this as the first permanent alternate reality game, meaning that as long as people play it, it will keep expanding.
The Black Watchmen are a paramilitary group, protecting people from things humans don’t necessarily understand, and you join this group to work discreetly and efficiently for the unknown companies that hire you. Most of this is done using the internet, utilising websites and references to our world, in order to make the alternate reality seem as real as possible.
It’s an MMO, and you’re able to see where your fellow agents are, and can communicate with them in order to help each other with your missions, creating a massive community online, all invested in the reality of The Black Watchmen.
Sophie’s Guardian (VR)
Sophie’s Guardian is in Early Access at the moment, and you can grab it this week for 25% off. The creators have opened the game up to the modding community, which could make for some really fun outcomes, but as it stands, the game is a fun and horrifying VR title with some fantastic potential.
You play as said guardian, fighting off the evil-looking, creepy-as-all-heck dolls of Sophie’s nightmares, in order to keep her safe. I’m sure we all had that guardian when we were small; I certainly did, and to put the childhood experience into a VR game is surely a recipe for a great Halloween experience. There are three modes to play through at the moment, including a small story mode, but stay tuned for more as this game expands.
Special Mention: SUPERHOT
Another title on sale for midweek madness is SUPERHOT, which you can save 40% on until the 28th. I put this one in the special mentions as it’s not a horror. Though being shot at is a pretty horrific experience, in the world of video games it’s not so shocking. Thank goodness for video games.
The thing that makes this game so much more than a regular shooter is the puzzle element. Time only moves forward when you move yourself, so pay attention to your enemies, and where they are going. They will move around the level, shoot at you, and there are far more of them than there are of you. It’s up to you to dodge the bullets and take out the enemies with your own weapons. The gameplay changes wonderfully as the game advances, giving you shotguns and even a katana, which keeps the puzzle fresh and exciting.
The game is wonderfully simple and addictive, and a real novel title. Plus, that end of level jingle is a fantastic way to add to the experience – as though it were made by an AI, and is something rather special.
SUPER
HOT
SUPER
HOT
SUPER
HOT…….
Mwhahahahahahahaaa! Well, my pretties, I hope that you are suitably spooked by my scary Steam special choices this week. Don’t eat too much candy, it might make you…festively plump…you do look tasty…
