Gamewatch

Man, I really need to update more often. Over the last few weeks Steam basically went berserk with their summer sales, and they essentially cleaned me out. Highlights included:

Men of War Assault Squad: Whilst it fixes a lot of the initial problems with the basic game, I can't help but feel it really needs a skirmish mode, having to navigate the online mode for an equivalent is just irritating.

The Sims 3: I knew when I bought this that I would play it for 4 days religiously and then get board. This is exactly what happened with every other game I've ever played that started Sim- and sure enough it was true here. I REGRET ALMOST EVERYTHING, but at least it was half price.

All of Crysis 1: Surprisingly cheap, and a pretty good game. Would be better if I had a mousewheel that worked.

EVE Online: I still think the guys who design the ship have the artistic sense of an autistic badger, but otherwise it's better than most people say. You can just stick to the mission component without trouble these days and earn enough money to get yourself a good cruiser, maybe even a battlecruiser if you stick at it, but the really big stuff will be forever out of your league. Despite the styling issues, it's still a very pretty game.

Steam were also doing STO for 3.50 as well, which is a good deal for first timers if I'm honest, you only really need a Month to get everything and do everything more or less, so it's good value.

Frozen Synapse: Not worth £15. It's good, but not THAT good.

Assassins Creed II: If you hated the basic core tenants of Assassins Creed, then you'll hate this. If what you disliked about the first game was that there wasn't really much variation on what to do, hated the dirty post-war Arab city terrain and thought Altair was uncharismatic as fuck then rejoice all of your issues have been addressed! They've added a lot more equipment to buy, a homebase to upgrade, the location has been moved to Renaissance Italy - which is probably the best possible location imaginable for what is still (incongruously) a freerunning simulator simply because were talking about the best looking architecture of all time here. Oh, and instead of Altair, Enzio at least seems to posses a level of character and charm to him that most will find engaging at least if nothing else.

Also, at one point, the writers engineer a situation just so a character can go: "It'sa Me! Maaaario!"

That said, if you were going to get this game, I can't really recommend the PC version, the graphics engine has colossal optimisation issues and the USB control pad support is easily the worst I've ever seen. I haven't even started on the now infamous DRM systems still implemented within it. Seriously, get the 360 or PS3 version.

On the subject of which: 5 seconds after playing a second hand copy of Super Street Fighter 4, my initial reaction was: WHY THE HELL DIDN'T ANY OF YOU TELL ME IBUKI WAS THIS GOOD!?