GTA 3? Again?

 So I'm not sure how this happened, but I somehow managed to miss the fact that Grand Theft Auto 3 has landed in the App Store.  You know, life was just so less complicated before twenty minutes ago.  Here I was, getting ready to dump Alan Wake into my Xbox, when I noticed that the damn game was $4.99, which is exactly $5 less than Chinatown Wars (and $2 less than Infinity Blade II).  Dammit.  Do I really need this game?  After 3.4 second of deliberation I can confidently say "yes" to that question.  The only real issue is how I am going to explain this to my wife...

What Happened?

Wow.  Needless to say, I've been doing other things.  It started with game purchases on Steam, then escalated with school.  Oh, well.  I've been playing Episodes From Liberty City sporadically, but the game I've been playing more often than most is the Testing New Computers game.  Well, I guess new in the context of this post is a relative term, as I work for a computer remarketing company, so nothing I have access to is new.

Back to games.  While I did play and beat GTAIV, I never played much of Lost and Damned, and nothing of Gay Tony.  So far everything seems good, though I couldn't help but notice that there is a Full Monty about five or six hours into Lost and Damned.  Sure, this is old news at this point (it was released almost three years ago), but when you don't expect it the sudden appearance of a swinging dick is quite shocking.  Also I killed Brian, the butt-sniffing lackey.  While on a mission to kill(?) him I rounded a corner and saw him standing there with arms raised in defense.  I was so trigger happy I gave him about three rounds with my auto-loading shotgun before I could stop my traitor hands.  He looked like he was trying to say something, but now I may never know (I refuse to look anything up about this game until I finish it).

Once I get my new/old rig running >85% I'll likely have more impressions.  Then again, maybe not.  Is Lost and Damned a one trick pony?  Does it have anything more to offer than male nudity and a single choice?  Stay tuned.  Or don't, I don't give a whip.

Steam Sale Day Three and More

Day three of the Steam Sale reveals even better deals, with Deus Ex: Human Revolution for $24.99 and Dead Island for $19.99.  Oldies include GTA IV and Knights of the Old Republic, both for $4.99 each.  A highlight (for those that don't already own it) is the GTA franchise sale, which goes for just over $12.

For those of us with an iOS device, Gameloft and Electronic Arts are having pretty massive sales, with the latter of the companies offering their entire catalog for $1.  I recommend Dead Space, which is a highly enjoyable addition to the Dead Space franchise.  Notably missing from the Gameloft sale is their Saints Row/GTA series clone, Gangstar, and their Halo series clone, N.O.V.A..  On a side note, GTA: Chinatown Wars on iOS is now only $2.99, though it might be a price drop and not sale price.

I don't know about you, but I don't think I will be able to hold off my purchases for another few days.

Retraction?

So I feel like I need to say something about games.  I love games, but I really love getting deals on games.  Weird, I know, but very true.  Just recently Steam launched this years Autumn Sale (did they gave one last year?), where many of the games may be purchased at a reduced price.  For someone like me (who is cheap) this is most decidedly a recipe for heartburn.  What do I get?  Whatever is cheap.  What makes this job easier is that my supply of dead presidents is much lower this time of year than normal, so choosing is just a bit easier than say, during the Tax Refund Steam Sale (come on, Steam, you need to do this).

The first thing I noticed is that the two games I want are not on sale.  This is expected, as each seems to be quite popular in its own right.  Despite my own initial hype, I think (read: might) be able to wait for this.  Maybe.  Anyways, I've been spending a bit of time adding and deleting games from my cart of Steam, trying to get the perfect combination of awesome games to satisfy my cheapness-palette and not offend my bank account.  Unlike last year, I don't necessarily feel an attraction to games that have a larger full price-to-sale price ratio, which will no doubt guarantee more of these games being played, which will in turn make the argument for buying games during the inevitable Steam Christmas Sale.

I have my eyes on a small number of cheap-but-fun games, some of which are on my Steam wish list.  A few, such as Dead Island (which is 50% off normal pricing), will not be considered at this time.  So far I have:

• Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth - $4.99
• Avadon - $4.99
• Mass Effect - $4.99
• Mass Effect 2 - $4.99
• Cthulhu Saves the World & Breath of Death VII Double Pack - $1.00
• Saints Row 2 - $7.49
• Amnesia - $9.99

 I know, having two Cthulhu mythos games on one list might be much, but based on the reviews and videos of Dark Corners of the Earth, I am willing to take this chance.  The total so far for this list is $38.44.  Ideally, I would like to have this sub-twenty bucks.  So far the Saints Row 2, Cthulhu Saves the World, and Avadon are must-buys and I am currently reviewing videos and general opinions to help me decide about the rest.

The saddest part is I'm enjoying the whole consideration process so much that I'm beginning to doubt that my ability to enjoy playing the games will be less.

That Time of the Year

Normally I'm anywhere from one to ten years behind the gaming media in my game playing.  Case and point, I'm playing S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl on Steam and Mercenaries on PS2.  This habit wasn't started from necessity, but rather because I start to get a rather large retro jones around March that lasts until the end of November.  During this time I spend equal amounts of time playfully dancing through my backlog of old games and seeking out gems I missed from the past.  It's a wonderful habit, and something I've been doing for over a decade now.

However, November is almost over.  I find myself stopping to check websites and blogs when I listen to gaming podcasts to check on screenshots and system requirements on games I hear about.  Two games in particular have tunneled their way into my subconscious: Saint's Row: The Third and Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. 

More on these games later.

Random Thoughts #1: Explanations

So I couldn't help but notice that there are birds in the corner of this blog.  So, the primary reason I stopped posting on my old website was that I could only post at home from my main computer, not because of limitations, but because I'm stupid and couldn't be bothered to learn how to do it otherwise.  This blog will allow me to post when I feel so inclined to without screwing around with FTP or code to get comments to work right.

I want to say that I'll fix the birds later, but I have a sneaky suspicion that I won't (at least until some one mentions it to me).

Second verse...

Hello, hello, welcome to the Gravygamer Blog.  I'm Gravy, and I will be your opinionated and tacky tour guide for the duration of the trip (or as long as I can be bothered).  Since things didn't go over so well back at my original website (getting a job will do that to a website), I thought I would try anew.  Well, anew being a completely subjective word, as this is a template that I didn't even bother changing.  Oh well. 

So, what will this blog be about, you ask?  Videogames (note the spelling) will be the main target, as I am a gamer of the old school, but because I am poor (or monetarily challenged) the target games will most likely not be new, though "retro" games also be on the menu (not just because I'm cheap, but also because I'm old).  Gravy will also be discussed and considered because, duh, my name is Gravy.  Also whatever else tickles my fancy-bone.

Stay tuned, or something.