Valve Corporation’s Steam software has distributed lots of games in its lifetime (surprisingly since 2003!). I had only heard of it since last year sometime but I’ve collected a small amount of games to play on it. And for those of you that don’t know, Steam has an annual summer sale that takes a chunk of the cost off of many of its games, sometimes up to 90% off! I took advantage of this last year but sadly I didn’t really have the money to do it this summer. Fortunately, I have an awesome brother who got me a couple games as a birthday present (it’s this coming Sunday, the 21st). In addition to the two games, I would be amiss if I didn’t talk about one of my favorite games on Steam so it will be a little bonus at the end. They all have a commonality in that they are all violent and full of blood to varying degrees and styles. Unlike my other game reviews I won’t be giving an actual score (a predicted score, maybe) since it wouldn’t be fair to rate the two games I haven’t yet completed.
Hotline Miami
Hotline Miami is a chaotic, fast-paced top-down shooter where the action is bloody and one hit means you’re a dead man. The game is published by Devolver Digital (the Serious Sam series) and it’s easy to see some similarities between the two games; Lots of enemies, lots of weapons, lots of death. I have played only a few levels of this game and I can say for certain it is a challenging game. Like I mentioned before, one hit means you’re dead and your foes are armed to the teeth with baseball bats, rifles, shotguns, and their bare mitts. Of course, all those weapons are at your disposal as well but you stand alone. The story starts out cryptically so it’s hard to guess what’s going on… you receive a phone call, you drive to the enemy’s base and you kill everyone. Pretty basic stuff. Your character also has the ability to don a number of rubber masks that give him different abilities. Though you WILL die a lot, you shouldn’t be discouraged from playing this game. The checkpoint system and lack of load times between deaths keeps you in the action and the music in the game is so good you’ll want to keep playing just to listen. I was only a little frustrated as sometimes I didn’t know the best way to tackle a floor of enemies. With time and practice, I’m sure Hotline Miami is a bloody good time.
Predicted Score: 4/5
Steam Summer Sale Price: $5, usually $10
Mark of the Ninja
Unlike Hotline Miami’s guns-a-blazing style of action, Mark of the Ninja is a side-scrolling stealth action game developed by Klei Entertainment, who also developed the new game Don’t Starve. Apparently that game is very good too. Anyway, you take the role of a nameless ninja in this game as you sneak your way past, or through, lots of guards and traps. I have only played two levels of this and with the small amount of time playing it, I think I like it much more than Miami. While the controls take some getting used to (you use a keyboard and mouse to do everything and the button mapping seems too crammed), it is so rewarding to use the skills you have to take down guard after guard. You’re rewarded for distracting guards then finishing them off with your sword, but it also helps to stay completely invisible throughout the stage as you get a large chunk of points. So far, the stages have contained three optional objectives, three scrolls, and three point milestones to complete. Completing any of these earns a seal and you use those to upgrade your arsenal. In one stage I missed a scroll, but was happy to see after completing that level and returning to grab it, I didn’t need to do any of the optional objectives again. This helps in 100% completing the game as you don’t need to be perfect through every run of a level.
Where this game blew me away initially was its visual style. It reminds me of a cross between Okami and Samurai Jack; thick brushstrokes and beautiful colors encompass the entire game, creating what other reviewers called a “Saturday morning cartoon” style. Even in the shadows, the ninja’s designs are impressive as the blacks and whites keep the character from becoming invisible to you as well as the NPC’s. This is definitely a must play for fans of the stealth action genre and very recommended for anybody else.
Predicted Score: 4/5
Steam Summer Sale Price: $7.49, usually $15
The Binding of Isaac (Wrath of the Lamb DLC)
Now this game I didn’t buy during the Steam Summer Sale last year. In fact, I didn’t purchase it at all. I received it as a gift from a speedrunner’s marathon by correctly answering a trivia question before others in the chat room. Boy, was I glad I decided to choose this game from everything out there. While I was writing this and checking the price, I noticed a flash sale going on for this game and its DLC, but by the time I post it, the sale will be gone. However, at $4.99 for the game and $2.99 for its DLC, The Binding of Isaac is truly a bargain.
BOI is a randomized, dungeon-crawler game where each time you play is a completely new experience. When you begin, you only have control of Isaac, who retreats into his basement to get away from his Mom whom wants to kill him (since God told her so). When you complete a level, you retreat further down into the depths of the earth where you face new monsters, find new items, and face new challenges. There are hundreds of items to collect and all have different uses, allowing you to build a different Isaac (or one of the six unlockable characters) every time. Sometimes items are detrimental, sometimes items can provide benefits with each other, making Isaac super strong. I should mention that Isaac’s form of attacking comes through his tears, which can be altered with many of the items. One of my personal favorites is a combination of Polyphemus and Chocolate Milk. Polyphemus gives Isaac one large Cyclops eye in exchange for two, producing much bigger tears, while Chocolate Milk allows you to charge the tears (like Mega Man’s Mega Buster if you will), making them even bigger and stronger. There were times where bosses fell in just a few hits to the chocolately salty goodness… you know since tears are salty…. Anyway, the game provides hours upon hours of gameplay (I have 101 hours on mine), as the game becomes increasingly challenging and several optional challenges can be tried as well. I could talk about many aspects of the game (the differences between characters, the varying enemies, the ferocious bosses) but this is truly a game where spending some time with it makes you appreciate it more and more. Definitely a must-own and of the utmost recommendation.
P.S., it was made by Edmund McMillen, same guy who created Super Meat Boy. Just another reason ;).
Final Score: 5/5
David Night's Assorted 