If there’s a silver lining to the miasmic cloud of catastrophe that’s enveloped the world, it’s that we no longer need to feel guilty about playing videogames when the weather’s warming up and the bird-tweets are beckoning us outdoors. Stay indoors, play games, save lives.
And veteran games retailer Gamesplanet is here to support our sedentary struggles with some gaming deals that will keep us in front of our screens.
Dark Souls 3
Rounding off the tough-loving trilogy that caused screams of anguish and roars of ecstasy in equal measure, Dark Souls 3 is a spectacular end to the influential series. It may not have quite the perfectly interwoven level design of the original game, but makes up for it with stunning areas and some of the most memorable, haunting boss battles in the series.
Just listen to James Davenport, who gave it a 94(!) and called it "the best Dark Souls yet".
Metro Exodus
The claustrophobic tunnels of the first two Metro games would maybe have been a bit close to the bone in these cabin-febrile times. Luckily, Exodus shakes things up by taking you on a rollicking steam-train ride across the hinterlands of Russia, where you stop off to traverse sprawling levels to take on the mutants, maddened factions and other dangers of the post-apocalyptic world.
Our Andy Kelly liked it in his review, calling it "an incredible trip through a stunning post-apocalyptic world".
Monster Hunter: World
Take invigorating constitutionals around the glorious and formidable wilderness of Monster Hunter: World. The only caveat is that it’s populated by giant reptilian beasts that can best be described as dinosaurs-not-dinosaurs. The range of weaponry and fighting styles makes it an infinitely replayable single-player game, but it /really/ shines when played in co-op alongside three other hunters.
Its "thrilling fights with fantastic beasts never got old", so sayeth James Davenport.
Rainbow Six Siege
It’s doubtful that even Ubisoft predicted how successful the Rainbow Six series’ first foray into competitive online shooting would become. But here we are in 2020 and it’s a hit eSport shooter mentioned alongside the likes of Counter-Strike and Overwatch. A perfectly balanced range of operatives, tight round-based battles and destructible scenery makes this a perfect game for hunkering down with a squad of buddies.
PC Gamer bad boy James Davenport loved it, calling it "an accessible and deeply satisfying shooter that rewards planning and teamwork over a quick trigger finger".
Wolfenstein: Youngblood
For the first time in its history, legendary shooter Wolfenstein commits itself to co-op, as you take charge of BJ Blazkowicz’s spunky daughters as they seek to find their father in 1980s Nazi-occupied Europe. It’s an awesome setting, with the Nazi-splatting action complemented by excellent level design courtesy of some input from Dishonored developer Arkane Studios..
The prolific James Davenport (who’s mentioned so often in this list that we’ll be abbreviating him to 'Porty' from here on out) says its "gorgeous, terrible world is worth exploring".
The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
Until Dawn developer Supermassive Games brought its inimitable narrative-adventure horror formula to PC last year with Man of Medan, where you control a party of somewhat douchey twenty-somethings exploring a spooky abandoned ship. Characters live or die on your decisions, the story can go in all kinds of zany directions, and you can play co-op where each player is responsible for the life of a different character.
Porty loved it, calling its familiar story "fascinating, and even moreso with a partner".
Space Hulk: Deathwing - Enhanced Edition
Games Workshop’s classic corridor shooter tabletop game has received plenty of videogame iterations over the years, but none quite so bombastic as Deathwing. It turns the turn-based game into a first-person shooter where Space Marine Terminators stomp down corridors decimating swarms of vicious Tyranids. Think James Cameron’s Aliens meets Left 4 Dead 2. Good co-op fun too.
The venerable Tom Senior had his reservations, but called Deathwing "good simple fun in a cool setting… in co-op especially".
Final-Day Deals
Gamesplanet is preparing a special set of deals for the final day of Spring Sale, with a huge number of games - including those listed below - set to join the ranks of cut-price titles. There will be plenty more deals going live tomorrow, so be sure to check back in on the site then!
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare - Standard Edition
The original Modern Warfare was the game to elevate the Call of Duty series to a phenomenon back in 2007. This super-glossy remake doubles down on those series hallmarks - the cinematic set-pieces, the zippy multiplayer, and the creepy immersion of night-vision and those impersonal airstrike cameras. Rarely does calling a game ‘a blast’ feel so apt.
Our straight-shooter Morgan Park called it "the new Call of Duty to beat".
Fallout 76
Taking one of the most popular RPGs ever online is always a big ask, but despite getting off to a slow start, the momentum has slowly gathered on Fallout 76. A megaton of post-release patches, updates, and a recent expansion have breathed new life into this vast post-apocalyptic wasteland… which we can all agree is quite an achievement.
Chris Livingston called it "a beautifully crafted but ultimately repetitive world" upon release, though much can change in an MMO in over a year.
Mortal Kombat 11
The Mortal Kombat series has always distinguished itself from rival fighting games by being a bit more accessible and a whole lot more bloody. The latest entry continues in that savage spirit, offering a ton of character customisation as its cast of moody, murderous martial artists spills that sweet crimson in front of a tapestry of deliciously grimdark backdrops.
Blackbelt Matt Elliott not only thinks the fighting’s improved in all the right places, but that it "sets the standard for storytelling in fighting games".
