We're currently on Day 9 of the Steam Summer Sale, and I'm afraid to say that there isn't much more to go. The sale, along with its onslaught of discounts will disappear on July 4, so let's not waste too much time.
As before, here are my recommendations on which games to grab during today's Summer Sale. I've chosen all of the following games based around two simple criteria, their quality and the depth of their discounts, while the actual order in which they appear is still completely random:
XCOM: Enemy Unknown Complete Pack (-80%)
While XCOM 2 is by all accounts an excellent strategy game, for people on a budget it isn't really the most economical of purchases right now. Luckily, the XCOM: Enemy Uknown Complete Pack is on sale as well, and its still a damn good game even after all these years. With the expansion and all of the DLC combined in one package, Enemy Unknown offers hundreds of hours of playtime, a wide variety of tactics and upgrades to employ, some of the best turn-based gameplay out there, and most importantly, a lesson in statistics. As it turns out, just because something is 99% certain doesn't mean you won't fail the dice roll 5 times in a row... Still, XCOM is an amazing game and if you're a fan of squad-based tactics you owe it to yourself to try it out.
Don't Starve Alone Pack (-66%)
In an era where most "survival" games are nothing more than a bland open world with a couple of zombies sprinkled in for flavor, Don't Starve is one of the rare few that actually stays true to its name and its roots. The world is absolutely brutal and you will need to employ every ounce of ingenuity you have in order to survive the harsh weather, lack of supplies, and the local wildlife that would love nothing more than to nibble on your squishy parts. If you want a true survival experience, one that will keep you entertained for many, many hours, then by all means, grab Don't Starve and its expansions.
Borderlands GOTY + Borderlands 2 (-80%)
The Borderlands series is a bunch of dumb shooters with plenty of loot sprinkled throughout them to keep you always hungry for more. The story is terrible and the writing is often irritating, but if you can get past that you will find one of the best co-op shooters I've ever played. Both games feature unique characters with their own set of abilities and talents to chose from, an obscene amount of randomized weaponry, and enough enemies to shoot that it makes you wonder if you're making a heavy dent in the planet's overall population. As a purely singleplayer experience, I wouldn't really recommend you the Borderlands series, but if you have a couple of friends (and hopefully a few beers among you as well) you will find them to be one of the most stupidly enjoyable shoot-em-ups.
Deponia: The Complete Journey (-85%)
Deponia is the polar opposite of Borderlands as it focuses mostly on the story and exploration, while the "actual gameplay" is left to the sidelines. To put it simply, Deponia is an adventure game with an incredibly well realized cast of characters, an intriguing world, a splendid story, and a style of humor that will hopefully keep you smiling throughout the decently long chapters. If you enjoy oldschool classics such as Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, Day of the Tentacle, or any other game that emulates the old LucasArts formula, you will find plenty of enjoyment in Deponia as well.
Transistor is the latest game from Supergiant, the folks behind Bastion, and as you might expect, it features a beautifully stylized world, a gravely-voiced narrator that makes all of your actions feel twice as important, an intriguing take on combat, and a story that will suck you in from the moment the big reveal appears. As for the combat, you can either play in turn-based fashion or in full-on real-time action, but also in any combination of the two! Its hard to explain how exactly it works in a single paragraph, but let's just say that it works, and that it works pretty damn well. If you're a fan of Bastion, or just love to play extremely stylized games that are here to deliver a story, then you will probably enjoy Transistor as well.
And there you have it, these are all of my recommendations for Day 9 of the Steam Summer Sale. If you're interested in more, I welcome you to either check out some of the previous days, or simply come back tomorrow for a brand new batch of discounted goodies.