valve

Gaming is a very expensive hobby. Most games today sell for $60, and most of these games last for 10 hours. Earlier too gaming was expensive, but the games were longer, and provided more value for money. These days, most games are shortened under the pretext of providing the ultimate experience, which completely manages to hide itself while playing the actual games. Hence, it is important to appreciate those companies which try to pack in more in the development of their games, so that spending 60$ on a Dvd seems worth it. So these are some of the best deals to have been released in the past few years.

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

I got this game for 40$, and this is the one game that I would never like to sell. It features what is probably the best Splinter Cell campaign, along with an awesome co-op mode and a versus mode. The campaign is an amazing mix of tense action and a good story. It lasts for a good 12-14 hours, and provides plenty of great set pieces. The versus mode features soldier vs spy action which builds up tension no matter what side you play on. But the star of the show is the co-op mode. The co-op mode features a number of unique missions which encourage co-operation and group thought rather than random traversal of the map. The co-op missions last for a good 6 hours, and combined with the single player campaign and the versus mode make up for an awesome package.

The Uncharted Series

The Uncharted series is undoubtedly one of the best game series ever created. Featuring edge of the seat action, brilliant set pieces, top of the line graphics, and great dialog, they make for experiences that Michael Bay can only dream of creating. All games in the trilogy have been widely praised and have become instant classics. As such, a pack which combines all three and sells for 60$ is a must buy and probably provides more value than any other deal out there.

Metal Gear Solid

Metal Gear Solid is probably the best stealth action franchise out there. It features great stories, outrageous characters, funny dialog, a legendary protagonist, and unforgettable boss battles, some of which can last for hours. The HD collection, available for the PS Vita, Xbox 360, and the PS3 is probably my favorite game collection of the lot. The Xbox 360 and the PS3 versions contain MGS2, MSG3, and MGS: Peace Walker, whereas the Vita version replaces Peace Walker with the original Metal Gear Solid. The transition from the previous generation of consoles to the current consoles is mostly bug free, and works pretty well. Overall a great deal for anyone wanting to play one of the best videogame series of all time.

The Orange Box

No best deals list is ever going to be complete without the Orange Box. Valve have the tendency to outdo themselves, and they really outdid everybody’s expectations with the Orange Box. Containing Half Life 2, Half Life 2 : Episode 1 and 2, Team Fortress 2, and the critically acclaimed Portal, this will go down for many as the best deal of all time. Team Fortress 2 is considered by many to be the best multiplayer game out there, and Portal has become a brand in itself. That is the quality of games packed into just one 49$ box. I’m convinced – Valve can do no wrong.

The God Of War Series

Kratos has always been in my top protagonists list. He is more ‘gray’ than any protagonist i’ve seen, and this “I’m flawed because I am human” attitude of his combined with his rage is what makes him awesome. The original God of War introduced him to the world, while the sequel expanded upton the first game with some awesome set pieces. Packing these two games for the PS3 is probably the best chance one will have to experience these two gems. So if you have a PS3, and if you haven’t played these games before, buy this deal as soon as you can. It’s worth it and will set you up perfectly for God of War 3.

Unless Square Enix decide to pack all Final Fantasy’s into one box, I don’t think many deals out there will surpass the ones mentioned above. But hey, that’s just me. I’m sure I must have missed so many others, that many of you might have played.

E3 is a gamer’s one stop shop for all the latest and greatest game announcements. It’s a platform which is used by developers to market their games, and to get the hype meter going. Having seen it’s good days and bad days, it has survived and is here again to satisfy our gluttony for new announcements. But as with any given year, there are always companies that choose to abandon the show in favor of more customized and personalized announcements. And it seems like 2012 will not be an exception to this rule. So lets look at some of the games and developers we might not see at E3 2012.

Kingdom Hearts 3

We know its coming, and we’re waiting very very patiently, but the chances of KH3 making an appearance at E3 are rare. Square Enix have been very tight lipped about this one, and you know what they say about secrets – “the biggest ones are always the most exciting”. Here’s hoping we can get a first glimpse as soon as possible. An E3 appearance will be an epic surprise indeed.

Epic Games

This one is on the fence. The numerous sites that have listed the E3 attendance list make no mention of epic games. Or maybe they’ll shock us all by showing Unreal Engine 4, which might just be the highlight of the show, provided it happens!

Half Life 3

The game which everyone wants is the one which always alludes us. Valve don’t have a great track record of showing their presence at collaborative events, and Half Life always abides by this rule. The only time i’ve seen Valve take center stage in such an event was to show their support for the PS3 at Sony’s conference. And even that was because of the backlash that some of their PS3 comments got. So no, I don’t think Half Life 3 will see the light of day at this years E3.

Blizzard

This does not even need mention, but its here anyway. Blizzard always showcase their games and make their announcements at Blizzcon, and hence never make an appearance at E3. With a new MMO in the works, there surely is something very interesting cooking in their studios, but we won’t get to see it this year.

Metal Gear Solid 5

No, i’m not implying Rising, or Vengeance as they call it now. That will be present at E3, but that’s not a true Metal Gear title. I’m talking Snake, who i’m sure everyone wants to see. It is confirmed to be in the works, but it probably might not make it to E3. If it does though, that announcement alone will get me off Diablo 3.

These are the primary highlights of what we might miss at this years E3. I’m sure I must have left out a few other notable mentions, but these are the ones which are lingering round my head. If any of these prove me wrong, it will be a great day for gaming indeed!

Retrospect – Lucrative Game Deals Of The Past Few Years