We are slowly marching towards the end of the Steam Summer Sale on July 4th, and much to my surprise, there is still a nearly impossible amount of awesome games (at even more awesome discounts) to showcase.
As before, here are my humble recommendations on what exactly to grab during Day 8 of the Summer Sale. I've chosen all of the following games based on two rather simple criteria, their quality and the depth of their discount, while the order in which they appear is still completely random:
Mark of the Ninja is an indie company's take on the classic stealth formula, and while this might come as a bit of a shock given how many big names its competing against, it features some of the best stealth gameplay I've ever experienced. The mechanics and movement are completely smooth and responsive, levels are laid out in such a way that they support a wide variety of playstyles (anything from ghosting to speedrunning), and the visual style is simply gorgeous to observe in action. If you've got even a single sneaky bone within you, I fully recommend you give Mark of the Ninja a try, its a ton of stabby fun.
Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition (-50%)
I am a big fan of RPGs and especially those that model themselves after oldschool classics such as Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, and Neverwinter Nights, and since this is what Divinity: Original Sin takes inspiration from I was almost predestined to love it. Its pedigree aside, it features an astonishing combat system, a visually charming world filled with plenty of secrets to look out for, impactful spells and abilities, and best of all, a fully featured co-op system that lets you either play through the game with a friend or occasionally engage in a spot of friendly team-killing. If you enjoy classic RPGs, especially those focused around combat, then I can almost guarantee you will enjoy Divinity: Original Sin as well.
Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition (-75%)
Speaking of things I love, Batman: Arkham Asylum is definitely a key member of that list. While the rest of the Arkham series might feature better combat and a wider assortment of villains, Batman: Arkham Asylum is the only game in the series that has managed to create a cohesive, well-designed world, one that's worth every minute spent exploring it. There is no fluff, no pointless mini-games to distract you from the end goal. Its just you, an asylum run by some of the best super-villains from the Batman universe, and a whole lot of henchmen just asking to be punched in visceral and occasionally hilarious ways. If you enjoy games with excellent combat and level design, and especially if you enjoy Batman as a character, then do make sure to play Batman: Arkham Asylum. In my humble opinion, its the best in the series despite being the first.
Lords of the Fallen is often accused of being a nearly shameless copy of Dark Souls, and while there is certainly an air of truth to it, Lords of the Fallen is its own beast. Its not a perfect game by any stretch, and you can tell this is the company's first try at an action orientated combat system, but I can't say that I was ever bored throughout my playthrough. The weapons are nicely varied and they feel impactful when they connect with the enemy's face, there's a good amount of unique opponents and bosses to fight against, and the visual style is simply amazing. Lords of the Fallen might not have the quality or polish of a Dark Souls game, but if you enjoy combat RPGs or the Souls series in general I would still give it a try as it can often be a ton of fun, as long as you are OK with its somewhat clunky nature.
After the unmitigated disaster that was Sim City's original launch, the world was in a desperate need of a hero to save the city builder/management genre, and much to everyone's relief, that hero arrived shortly after in the form of Cities: Skylines. As you might expect given the title, you are able to build up a sprawling metropolis from a flat piece of land and then control every single aspect of your domain, everything from taxes to how the sewage system is handled. If you're a fan of city-building games or just like to micro-manage every single aspect of your business, then by all means give Cities: Skylines a try, its currently the best in its genre.
And there you have it, these are all of my recommendations for Day 8 of the Steam Summer Sale. As always, I suggest you look through your Discoverability Queue in order to hopefully find some niche games only you might be interested in, games that I can't really recommend to a general population, but are still well worth the playthrough. If not, feel free to stop by tomorrow for Day 9 and a fresh batch of discounted games to enjoy.