During QuakeCon 2022, many games from publisher Bethesda are on special offer. We have a few personal tips for you
Pull out your wallets and fire up your PC, because it”s the Steam sale again! And not only that, GOG and Epic also have their own discount campaigns going on. The reason for this is QuakeCon 2022, which traditionally takes place in August. The sale is therefore exclusively about games from publisher Bethesda, who organises this event year after year.
Despite this restriction, the selection is relatively large, which is why our editorial team will support you with some personal tips when making your purchase decision. If you prefer to browse for yourself, you can go straight to the sales here:
- Steam-Sale (Runs until 30 August)
- GOG-Sale (Runs until 22 August)
- Epic-Sale (Runs until September 6)
6 personal game recommendations
Table of Contents
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
(Genre:Action-Adventure – Release: 2006 – Developer: Headfirst Productions – Price & Discount: 1,50 Euro (70 percent off at Steam))
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One thing right away: No, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is by no means an exceptional title that everyone must have played. The highly atmospheric horror adventure is plagued by too many design flaws for that, as our review in the 05/2006 issue criticised.
What is it about? Former policeman Jack Walters wants to put an end to the sinister machinations of the Order of Dagon in the remote village of Innsmouth and has to go through a lot on his way to his goal: disfigured corpses, bloodthirsty inhabitants and involuntary organ donations are only the tip of the adrenaline iceberg. You explore many different locations, collect clues, solve puzzles and, rarely, there are gun battles. The action part of this game is really small, which at least I like very much.
The design blunders I just mentioned? They range from the annoying search of the environment for the smallest clues to the sometimes really stupidly placed save points and the sudden increase in difficulty in the last third of the game. But honestly? The atmosphere in Dark Corners of the Earth is so dense that I can already ignore each of these flaws after a short time.
If you”re in the mood for a night of gripping horror, you can”t really go wrong for just 1.50 euros in my opinion!
Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
(Genre:Action Role Playing Game – Release: 2008 –Developer: Bethesda Game Studios – Price & Discount: 7 Euro (67 percent off at Steam and GOG))
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I”m going to go against popular opinion and say that not Fallout: New Vegas, but Fallout 3 is the best Bethesda Fallout.
This already starts at the beginning of the game, where you are still in one of the famous bunkers, the so-called Vaults. Safe and secure, celebrating your birthday, eating cake, and a few minutes later: destroyed landscapes, murderous giant insects and the bitter fight for survival. The contrast here makes for an excellent introduction.
It”s true that Fallout 3 is getting a bit long in the tooth, but that can be quickly forgotten after a short period of acclimatisation. Despite everything, Fallout 3 shines not only in terms of gameplay, but also with its unique atmosphere – even compared to other Fallout games – which is due not least to the outstanding soundtrack, which is one of my absolute favourite compositions of all time.
In addition, there are fantastically written characters, decision-making options with sometimes devastating consequences and exciting topics that are addressed, e.g. the horrors of war, human abysses, environmental destruction and much more. If you haven”t played this masterpiece yet, you can get the Game of the Year Edition with all DLCs for a knockdown price in the sale. If you only want to try out the main game, it will cost you 3 euros.
Witches 2
(Genre:First person shooter – Release: 1997 – Developer: Raven Software –Price & Discount: 1,50 Euro (70 percent off Steam and GOG))
Hexen 2 is a very dark game with which I associate a lot of fond memories. Because it is one of the very first video games I experienced. Back then I was still a 5-year-old child, looking over my dad”s shoulder while he played and totally fascinated by this fantasy world. Especially the levels in ancient Egypt with the narrow corridors, hieroglyphics on the walls and Anubis monsters as enemies have a very special place in my heart.
I haven”t played the classic game myself yet. But now is the perfect opportunity to slip into the role of a necromancer, assassin, crusader or paladin and shred my way through the levels built in the Quake 1 engine.
Note: Neither the Steam nor the GOG version includes the worthwhile expansion Portal of Praevus! The Steam version also lacks the music. But if you”re in the mood for an old-school FPS again, you shouldn”t miss this opportunity. Guess who”s going to dig out the old manual, gather up all their spare change from their gym bag and give themselves the full nostalgic dose for 1.50 euros!
Doom
(Genre: First-person shooter – Release: 2016 – Developer: id Software – Price & Discount: 5 Euro (75 percent off Steam))
Hey, do I really need to explain to anyone else in 2022 what to expect in Doom? A shooter experience that is very, very rare. And if you don”t already own the game, then you either think shooting, hell, or a high level of brutality is stupid (and you”re welcome for that!) – or: you haven”t been able to free up the time, space, or budget for Doom.
If you belong to the latter group: today is the perfect opportunity to change that. I know, with Doom Eternal the sequel is also reduced to under 20 Euros, but for me the first Doom reboot of 2016 remains the absolute crowning achievement of modern skatepark shooters. Skatepark means: You enter a room, monsters appear everywhere, there is hardly any cover and you dash from enemy to enemy at lightning speed, switching through weapon after weapon in order to lay down the perfect combo.
Doom has its quirks, personally the eternal collectible hunt got on my nerves like hell and the game lacks a bit of variety, but for 5 euros you get what hardly any triple-A publisher still delivers: a really, really good single player shooter.
Ghostwire: Tokyo
(Genre:Action-Adventure – Release: 2022 – Developer: Tango Gameworks – Price & Discount: 30 Euro (reduced by 50 percent on Steam and Epic))
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I”ve been reporting about Japan non-stop, so I can”t do it here either and I just have to take up the cudgels for Ghostwire: Tokyo! Yes, the game is notoriously monotonous and personally I always wonder whether the gameplay really needs the open world. At the same time, it only uses the Ubisoft formula. And if you can handle that, you won”t be bothered by it here either.
Especially since the open world of Ghostwire: Tokyo is something really special. Because here you explore the real Tokyo, where even the drinks machines are in the right place and not just a fictitious district like in the Yakuza series. There is also a small crash course in Japanese culture and mythology. For opponents such as the numerous businessmen or a lady with far too large scissors are based on this.
Almost as good as a real trip to Japan! Especially as it”s currently a bit difficult anyway, thanks to the Japanese government”s entry restrictions. And also a bit more expensive than buying a game in a sale.
Prey
(Genre:First-person Shooter – Release: 2017 – Developer: Arcane Studios – Price & Discount: 7.50 Euro (reduced by 75 percent on Steam and GOG))
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The games from Arcane Studios hold a special place in my heart. This is because the developers manage to create incredibly compelling and magnificently designed worlds. This is true for both Dishonored games, as well as for 2017”s Prey, which is also why the space shooter is one of the best sci-fi games I”ve ever played.
As Morgan Yu, you explore a huge and diversely designed space station and fight against vicious alien creatures. Particularly interesting are the mimics, which can transform into all kinds of objects and ambush you even as a harmless-looking biros or paperweight. You not only defend yourself with weapons, but can also learn powerful alien skills in the course of the game.
What I particularly liked about Prey is that it is really scary in places without mutating into a full-blown horror game. This effect wears off eventually, but I still remember my first encounter with a poltergeist with joy and shivers. I won”t tell you why it was so scary, you”d best find out for yourself.
Did you like our tips and are you already on the way to your Steam purchase? Can you understand exactly why our editors recommend a certain title? Or are you missing a particular game from our list? Feel free to post your own recommendations in the comments!
