jshackles
Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
Welcome to the June 2015 NeoGAF Steam thread! We mostly talk about Steam, but we also talk about other things.
- STEAM News Thread - Read rules before posting
- GAF Steam ID List | Request a buddy
- Steam Trading | Games/Cards/Keys/Money/Items
- PC Gaming Threads | A list of PC threads on NeoGAF
Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition - corrosivefrost
DMC4 SE, a remaster of sorts for the 2008 DMC4 title for current generation consoles, is also coming to PC this month. PC gamers already had an incredible port of DMC4 with features not present in the PS3/x360 versions of the game, such as Turbo Mode as well as a community which provided a lot of cool mods. So why should you care about the re-release, you ask?
While console editions are definitely getting the most out of this remaster, PC gamers are still getting a lot of new content to be hyped about. The game now boasts FIVE unique playable characters instead of the original TWO. Dante and Nero return, mostly untouched, from the original DMC4 release. Vergil returns in a more polished and fleshed out incarnation of hist DMC3 SE self. Trish, once playable in DMC2 as a reskin of Dante, now has her own unique moveset and playstyle which takes a lot of influence from her appearance in UMvC3. Finally, Lady from DMC3 is playable for the first time ever with a focus on keepaway and ranged combat.
While there aren't any new bosses or levels from the original campaign, you can now enjoy a fresh spin on the game by taking control of Vergil throughout the entirety of the main campaign. Lady and Trish will split the main campaign between them, much like Nero and Dante did in the original. And while not everyone cares about achievements, Steam achievements will finally make their debut in this game.
As any fan of the DMC series knows, the real draw here is the fast paced, deep, character action combat system. That's still here and now it has the added bonus of three new playable characters to enjoy in the campaign and bloody palace mode. Besides, if it sells well, maybe it will get DMC5 greenlit for development and we can hopefully get some of questions about Vergil's disappearance and Nero's origins answered.
Batman: Arkham Knight - Dr Dogg
Set one year after the events of Arkham City poor old Batman is struggling with the void left by the absence of his nemesis, The Joker. Without him terrorism Gothams citizens the city has never been safer, with crime on the decline. But not everyone feels the same remorse as Bats does with his other adversaries, Penguin, Two-Face, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, The Riddler et all seeing a chance to unite with the ultimate goal of killing Batman. But a bigger danger in threatening Gotham as on Halloween night Scarecrow threatens Gotham with a new and more deadly strain of his fear toxin with bombs planted throughout the city that forces the evacuation of some 6 million citizens [guess thats how theyll account for fuck all civvies in the game then]. This leaves the city with just the criminals running rampant making Commissioner Gordon and the GCPD outnumbered. This ruckus also brings Azrael to Gotham City feeling he is the saviour Gotham deserves, prophesying that the night will consume Batman. If that is not enough Batman also faces a new threat in the mysterious Arkham Knight with his highly militarised army, forcing the Dark Knight to develop new crime fighting technology.
So Rocksteady are back after 4 years from Arkham City. As described above the playspace now is Gotham City itself which is to take in various iconic landmarks (some detailed in teaser trailers) and seems to be much bigger in scope than Arkham City. To cover the ground more quickly the Batmobile makes its first Arkhamverse appearance which can also transform into a light tank to tackle the Arkham Knights mobile infantry. Also another new feature is a new single player character swap mechanic Rocksteady are naming Dual Play. This allows Batman to swap to one of his allies, Robin, Nightwing or Catwoman, mid combat or even execute tag team finishers. Combat also has a few new additions to the brawler style we know over the past couple of titles. You can now set up the fight as you glide in, allowing to fire gadgets in the air, Batclaw a goon towards you before you even hit the ground to then land an elbow right into the guy's chops. Gadgets feature too like the Disruptor has been upgraded to take out tanks now if Batman is feeling brave as well as returning favourites like Batarangs, Explosive Gel, the Cryptographic Sequencer and more.
Plus there will be challenge maps, goofy skins, new Batmobile races and tank challenges and other distractions to keep you occupied.
Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward - jshackles
This month Square Enix brings us the first expansion pack to the increasingly popular Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Fans of this massively multiplayer online game are in for a treat as this expansion promises to raise the level cap from 50 to 60, add three new job classes, and introduce flying mounts to the world of Eorzea. The expansion also touts a new 50 hour quest line that takes place across nine new zones that are each roughly twice as big as the zones we're used to - so not only are we getting the ability to fly but we're also getting interesting levels to fly through. We're also getting eight new dungeons to explore. Excited yet?
Plz be.
Of course this expansion comes with a few caveats. The first being that you must already own the original Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. If you want to play Heavensward on Steam, you'll need the Steam release of the original, because the Steam release of Heavensward is incompatible with the non-Steam release of ARR. Secondly, you'll need an active subscription to Final Fantasy XIV to play Heavensward's content and unfortunately (unlike the original) purchasing the expansion pack includes no additional playtime credit. Finally, Heavensward's in-game content is almost exclusively accessible only to players who have completed the storyline of the original.
So if you're a current Final Fantasy XIV player who's beaten the end-game content and are looking for something more, Heavensward is easy to recommend. If you don't have an active sub, don't have the Steam version of ARR, and haven't finished the main questline, you should probably wait to pick this one up until you're ready.
SUPERHOT - uzzy
SUPERHOT is a first person shooter, developed by SUPERHOT Team. Playing as an unnamed agent fighting against enemies bent on killing you, you must work your way through a series of minimalist office blocks, fighting your way through your enemies with limited ammunition, with time as your only ally. Time moves only when you do.
SUPERHOT (and yes, you need to use all caps for this) looks really unique, using a fantastic minimalist aesthetic to great effect, and a colour pallet limited to red for enemies and bullet trails, black for guns and bullets, and white for everything else. But it's the defining mechanic that most makes the game interesting to me. As the developers succinctly put it, 'Time moves only when you do.' This turns what would otherwise be a straight forward FPS into a puzzle or strategy game, where you have to carefully plan out your movement to dodge bullets and take down your foes. SUPERHOT is the Matrix's bullet time, mixed with Mirror's Edge's colour style and Braid's puzzle mechanics. SUPERHOT is super hot.
Universe Sandbox ² - jshackles
The original Universe Sandbox was great but really limited in scope. Essentially, it was a gravity simulator - which is cool because it let you do some amazing things and load some really cool cosmic "what if" scenarios. Universe Sandbox² expands on the original by adding in other factors such as plantary climate simulation, chemical simulations, stellar evolution, terraforming, dark matter simulations, and greatly improved collisions. If you were a fan of the original Universe Sandbox, you're going to want to pick this up.
While not a "game" in the traditional sense, the original game was fun to play around with. Even if you only have a cursory knowledge of planetary and stellar physics, there's a lot to do here as well. If you're like me and have a love of science and a deep understanding of astrophysics, you'll still find that Universe Sandbox² is a great way to concoct amzingly elaborate "what if" scenarios that produce detailed and visually stunning simulations. On top of all of that, Universe Sandbox² seems to be an even better teaching tool than the original game, which was released to schools for free. I found the original Universe Sandbox to be a great teaching tool for my high-school aged children, and with the bredth of content available in the new release it's easy to see how this could be used effectively in a classroom setting.
The Silent Age - Tizoc
The Silent Age was originally released for mobile. It is a Point n' Click adventure game set in the 70s, where you play as Joe, a janitor who discovers a dying old man. The old man entrusts Joe with saving mankind from extinction with the use of a time machine device. Joe must use the device to travel between time periods and prevent mankind's extinction.
While not the deepest PnC game ever made, it's still a good game to play if you want a 'take a break game' or just want a simple PnC to pass the time. The Steam release will feature voice overs, but keeps its simplistic but vibrant visual presentation.
Ronin - uzzy
Ronin is a turn-based action platformer, developed by independent developer Tomasz Waclawek, and published by Devolver Digital. Seek your vengeance as a Ronin heroine, striking down the five shadowy figures who killed your father. Move skilfully through the shadows and plan out your attacks, dispatching your foes with a variety of tools and weapons, such as razor wire and holograms. Take up your katana, and embark on a roaring rampage of revenge.
This is not Gunpoint. This is infact so not Gunpoint that a helpful hint appears during the game to remind you that this is not, infact, Gunpoint. Which is an important distinction to bare in mind as you play through the game. Sure, it takes Gunpoint's jump mechanics, but unlike Gunpoint, Ronin focuses on action, with stealth only really being in the game in order for you to get into a position to launch a surprise attack. It's really quite fun to make your entrance by jumping off a roof, throwing your grappling hook out and grab onto a wall, to swing through a window pane and throw your katana into a guard. I've found that the turn-based action system is rather well put together, giving you the time to plan your attack pattens, and the flexibility to execute a variety of them. One hit kills you, so you have to jump from guard to guard, knocking them out and slowly killing them off, all while dodging gun and katana attacks from the rest of the guards. Aesthetically, the game looks pretty pleasing, with the locked 30fps only slightly taking away from the futuristic/cyberpunk style the game is going for.
Anyone can write a recommendation for an upcoming game for next month, just send a a PM of the game you want to write about and your thoughts on why it's good/why people should play it. Please make the sure recommendation is 60+ words at least and try and hand it a few days before the month ends so I can add it to the next thread.
- Do not solicit/trade/sell/beg for games in this thread. The discussion of splitting retail packs is fine though.
- Do not spam post your steam stats/games count or post damage lists from sales.
- Examples of good posting behaviour and bad posting behaviour.
- Don't hype pre-order bundles that you have no idea about.
- Steam Support - The place to contact steam if you have a problem with the service.
- Steam Trading Cards - Gain money by selling cards or craft them for cosmetic items.
- Add funds to your Steam Wallet - You can also buy gift cards at most major gaming retailers.
- Steam Mobile - Use Steam while away from the PC. Supports iOS and Android and has been recently updated.
- Big Picture Mode - Lets you run Steam on your TV in a more convenient manner.
- Steam Family Sharing - Share your Steam account with family and friends.
- Steam Community - A hub of what other steam users have created or are discussing.
- Steam Workshop - A showcase of Mods for games on Steam. Many are free, but some you now have to pay for.
- Steam Greenlight - Vote for games that want to be on the Steam store.
- Steam Stats - Check stats for the top 100 most played games on Steam.
- So when does the 'Winter/Spring/Summer/Autumn' sale start? This month you're in luck! It's set to start on the 11th. But usually, nobody fuckin knows!
- How do I use Modbot?! - Read this tutorial or watch this GIF.
- I changed my GAF email address, but now I'm locked out of my account - PM Stump.
- Can I join the NeoGAF Steam Group? - NeoGaf Steam Group - You must be invited by another member to join.
- Where can I add other gaffers on Steam? - GAF Steam ID List , add yourself to the spreadsheet
- Which game won SteamGAF GOTY 2014? - Divinity: Original Sin, full results here
- Can I register this retail game on steam? - Check here.
- Is there a easy way to manage my Steam categories? - Use depressurizer.
- How can I protect my Steam account? - Read: Account Security Recommendations.
- Store is in another language?! - You used a link that had ?l=blahblah at the end: http://store.steampowered.com/?l=english.
- Community is in another language?!- http://steamcommunity.com/?l=english.
- How do I contact customer support? - Use this link.
- Can I use my steam account on a different computer? - Yes.
- How do I run Steam in offline mode? - Steam Offline Mode Support Page.
- Is steam down? I can't see my Profile/Friends/Chat/Cloud Saves - See if Steam is running maintenance.
- Steam won't start or run? - Refresh your Steam files. If it fails: copy steamapps folder and re-install steam.
- Is using a VPN to get steam games from another region a good idea? - It can result in getting your account banned.
- Using a VPN to unlock games early?- Most people can unlock games early so that seems to be fine.
- How do I buy games outside the Steam Client when there is a sale? - Use Steam Mobile.
- Can I do remote downloading? - Yes, login into the Steam community webpage and select the game to download.
- How do I track how many players are playing a game over time? - Use steamcharts.com.
- One of my grid icons is missing a picture? - Check here to see some artwork Gaf did.
- I want to clean up my Steam folder of re-distributable packages - Use TikiOne-Steam-Cleaner.
- I am running out of space on my HDD, can I move my games? - Use SteamTool Library Manager or Steam Mover.
- Where I can download skins for Steam? - Go here for a mega list, make sure that the skin is safe to use.
- Can I trade games? - If they are in your inventory then yes, you cannot trade games you already own.
- Can I sell inventory items? - You can sell some of your inventory - such as TF2/DOTA/Emoticons/Cards items as long as they're marketable.
- Any other places to trade? - Try: SteamCardExchange / TF2 Outpost / SteamTrades / B/S/T or Steam Trading GAF.
- Sites to compare Steam prices regionally ? - SteamPrices or use Enhanced Steam.
- How do you find info on upcoming releases and updates? - Steam Database is a great tool.
- Is there a list of games no longer on Steam? - Check this list.
- Any extensions to use while using Steam site in a browser? - Enhanced Steam
- Any way to backup games that don't used Steam Cloud? - Use Game Save Manager.
- I want to compare prices to to other DD sites? - isthereanydeal.com
- Is there a SteamGAF Gaming Group to play games with other gaffers? - NeoGAF Games Night.
- How do I get rid of trade dues for cards?- Use this useful site.
- How long will it take me to beat game 'X/Y/Z' ? - Check out How Long To Beat.
- Sites that list Steam profile Stats? - Data about your Steam account | Tells you how much time you spent on steam and for each game
- Warning: Some of the sites have region locked keys that only work in certain regions of the world, please check before buying:
- Green Man Gaming
- Gamers Gate
- Gamestop
- Get Games
- Amazon
- Newegg (US Only)
- Groupees
- Nuuvem
- Humble Bundle
- Indie Royale
- Bundle Stars
- Indie Gala
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