Dragon Age: Origins £19.99 @ Gamestation [XBox 360 & PS3 Games]

Dragon Age: Origins £19.99 @ Gamestation [XBox 360 & PS3 Games]

It may not last too long but Gamestation are currently selling Dragon Age: Origins for just £19.99. This is the cheapest I have ever seen the XBox version and it is very rare to see PS3 copies for under £20 either. At the moment the next best competitor for either console is Zavvi with a price tag of £24.85 (XBox PS3) so Gamestation’s price gives a near £5 saving.

Dragon Age takes some very well worn high fantasy tropes—elves, dwarves, mages, themes of betrayal and impending apocalyptic doom— and places them into a huge world that is a pleasure to explore and filled with side quests to undertake and fascinating characters to meet.

While it may feel rather familiar to anyone who has read any fantasy literature, the story is perfectly paced and just so beautifully told that it will keep you hooked from start to finish as well as being populated by brilliant characters with excellent voice acting to make up for the occasionally dodgy models. Add to this the brilliantly implemented morality system that has far deeper consequences than is usually seen to games, a fun and varied combat system and a world that is made real through it’s rich history and lore and it is not hard to see why, while Dragon Age has not been the biggest commercial success of recent times, it has won an army of devoted fans.

If you are a graphics freak then it is highly recommended that you opt for the PC version of the game, as it fares far well visually than either of the consoles. The PS3 offering is the less ugly sister, with improved textures over the 360 but unfortunately it is also the more glitch prone of the two.

The graphics issue is a shame but really doesn’t not affect the greatness of this game—big, bold and brilliant, it is a worthy addition to any games shelf.

If you want to read more before taking the plunge then be sure to read Matt’s review!

Final Fantasy XIII: Collector’s Edition £49.99 @ HMV.com [PS3/Xbox 360 Games]

Final Fantasy XIII: Collector’s Edition £49.99 @ HMV.com [PS3/Xbox 360 Games]

Well there’s a kick in the stones for loyal day one fans of Final Fantasy XIII. One day after its European release the Collector’s Edition for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions has had £10 knocked off the price at HMV.

If you own both consoles you might as well go for the PS3 version which has better graphics in some areas. 360 players are still getting a fantastic looking game though.

So what’s in the box? A CD soundtrack presented in an artwork decorated slipcase and liner notes by the composer Masashi Hamauzu, a hardback book featured artwork, CG renders and images of the games epic vista environments. There are also three separate exclusive art prints of the Eidolons or Summon monsters if you prefer. Last of all there’s a ‘Brand of the L’Cie’ decal (sticker) that you can treasure, slap it on your fridge or spend all day trying to get it to stop falling off your arm at the next Tokyo Game Show.

PS3 gamers will also find a card in the box (and the standard edition) with a number to register online to get included in a future lottery of beta keys for FFXIV, with unique items upon the game’s release too.

Why the almost immediate reduction then? Well, the scores have started coming in and they’ve ranged from sevens to high nines generally which by Final Fantasy standards isn’t great as they’re expected to average at least a nine. Perhaps HMV have thought they better get rid while hype still surrounds the release. To be honest, looking at the contents of this Collector’s Edition it’s a much fairer price for what you’re getting. Still, no keyring?

Praise has been high for the game’s gorgeous graphics and excellent soundtrack. The story has been well received too. However, the more linear nature of the game has upset quite a few fans. The amount of people I saw on facebook yesterday complaining that all they’d done was press one button for the first three hours was shocking. For a more in-depth look at the game, check out Matt’s review.

If the scores are to blame for this sudden reduction, you have to wonder how long it’ll be before websites start chopping the price of the standard edition? We’re RPG players, we can wait.

Thanks to Scazza at HotUkDeals

Borderlands £14.99 @ Play.com [Xbox 360/PS3 Games]

Borderlands £14.99 @ Play.com [Xbox 360/PS3 Games]Borderlands was certainly one of the most unique games of 2009. It was a title which blended elements of an RPG – like upgradable stats, levels and skills – with the format of a first person shooter, to create what Gearbox have dubbed a ‘role-play-shooter’. And you can currently pick up a copy for just £14.99 on the 360 (expired) and PS3 , in a deal which undercuts the next best price on both formats by nearly £3.

Gearbox’s vision of a post-apocalyptic, degenerate society, which has evolved from the remnants of a failed colonial expedition to the planet Pandora is brilliantly realised in Borderlands. The setting consists of a kind of Mad-Max-2 style culture in which bandits and scavengers war over the planet’s dwindling resources and inhabit a decaying society full of exotic sci-fi technology.

The player assumes the role of one of four characters whose various skills can be upgraded by allocating points to a skill tree which effectively increases the damage you dish out, the damage you can take, or the power of your primary action. Some reviewers do complain that Borderlands‘ character ability archetypes felt a bit too limited however, but that said there is certainly no limitation when it comes to creating and upgrading weapons. The game uses a so called Procedural Content Creation System which allows for somewhere in the region of 17 million weapon variations to be generated. Much of the gameplay consists therefore of tweaking weapons, or else plundering the world for different items and components.

Unlike Fallout 3, Borderlands does not have a set of choices and consequences which affect the storyline, and despite such a great setting, some argue that the narrative could have done with a bit more depth. Despite this however, the game deserves credit for its unique and original style, and the way it immerses players in a dynamic open-world where it’s a hell of a lot of fun to go adventuring.

Thanks to Niminator from Hotukdeals.

Final Fantasy XIII Review: Is It Hip To Be Square?

Final Fantasy XIII Review: Is It Hip To Be Square?

Dealspwn Rating: 7/10

Platforms: PS3/X360

Developer: Square-Enix

Publisher: Square-Enix

We’ve been waiting for this for a little while. Final Fantasy XII came at a time when the 6th generation console were beginning to hit their stride, proving not only that the PS2 still had life in it, but that it was capable of truly astonishing graphics. The thirteenth instalment comes after something of a hiatus and the release of startlingly pretty, but desperately mediocre titles (especially on the Xbox 360) that have simply made us release how good we had it. With titles such as The Last Remnant and Infinite Undiscovery showcasing a beautiful but pretty vapid side to the Square-Enix catalogue, we’ve been on the edge of our seats waiting for the demiurge of JRPGs to return and reclaim its throne, or at least I have.

Yeah, about that.

You know the cliché how you’re on along bus or train journey, and there’s always one kid incessantly prodding their parents in the ribs and in a piercing whine asking ‘Are we there yet?’ and all you want to do is tear your eyes out in a violent expression of frustration and use them to plug your ears, well the first few hours of Final Fantasy XIII aren’t exactly that bad, but they’re certainly a bit of a slog. You can kiss goodbye to such series staples as towns, side quests and NPCs as you press forward, always fighting, fighting, fighting. In fact, the vastly improved AI is so good at its job that you can probably get through the first 10 hours or so simply by pressing up and A, turning the game into an incredibly pretty sequence of barely interactive cutscenes.

Final Fantasy XIII Review: Is It Hip To Be Square?

Final Fantasy XIII does its utmost, in fact, to try and put you off, constantly asking the question ‘Do you really want a Final Fantasy game?’ before slapping you across the face and demanding that you continue grinding through narrow pathways dungeon-crawler-style. It’s worth pointing out that this is deliberate, with game director Momotu Toriyama having said that Square-Enix were looking to capture an ‘FPS style vibe’, but instead of sucking players in to this marvellous game world, the game’s important first quarter feels sterile, clinical and cold. This isn’t helped by the game deciding that you’re clearly incapable of working your way around an RPG during this lengthy period. You can only control one player and you don’t get to decide your party’s development or indeed its make-up. The focus is so absolute that it runs the risk of boring you to tears.

Only it doesn’t.

Click here to find out why FFXIII is a game of two halves...

Modern Warfare 2 £24.99 @ Play [PS3/Xbox 360 Games]

Modern Warfare 2 £24.99 @ Play [PS3/Xbox 360 Games]

Someone over at Play has gone mad, dropping arguably the most notorious release of the last 12 months down to a sub-£25 price and undercutting their closest competition by nearly £9 (Coolshop – £33.26). Still, this is a joyous occasion for us, as it means that you can nab a truly excellent slice of FPS action for the type of low price that we haven’t seen since it was launched.

If you haven’t heard of Modern Warfare 2 by now, and considering all of the legal wrangling in the games presses recently between developer Infinity Ward and Kotick’s crack legal commandos you really should have, then I can only assume that you’ve been living in a cave in the middle of nowhere with wolves as your only company. You need to get out more.

What haven’t we said about Modern Warfare 2? Not a lot really. You can check out Neil’s review here and run your eyes over a slightly more in depth appraisal of the game’s merits and faults, but all you really need to know is that if you like shooters, you need this in your library.

The multiplayer is still one of the best around (although in my opinion that of Battlefield Bad Company 2 pips it to that particular post now), and the singleplayer campaign is a frenetic, albeit somewhat short, collage of frenzied action setpieces that have been tied together with a ridiculously overblown story and some cracking gravelly-voiced acting.

Don’t worry about whether or not you should buy it on principle, and don’t ignore it for fears that you might be fanning the flames of Kotick’s subterranean lair, blot out the hype and try it for yourself, or alternatively pick it up just to see what the fuss is all about. But it’s certainly one of the games of the past year that you should play, even if it’s just to get an opinion on it. Frankly, though, I reckon you’ll have an absolute blast as well.

Thanks to gooner_187 at HUKD


Bionic Commando £4.50 @ Tesco Ent [Xbox 360/ PS3 Games]

Bionic Commando £4.50 @ Tesco Ent [Xbox 360/ PS3 Games] Tesco Entertainment were flogging copies of Bionic Commando for a very reasonable £7 around the middle of February, but now they’ve slashed the price down to just £4.50. This is a great deal according to price comparison as the next best price comes in at £8.71 from ASDA.

Anyone able to remember the lassoing days of Nathan Spencer from way back in the eighties will know that the original Bionic Commando was one of most infuriatingly difficult platform games ever. Many a controller was thrown, bitten, smashed, or stomped on as players succumbed to bouts of extreme game rage rarely seen nowadays – although the modern version of Bionic Commando does have its moments.

Propelling Spencer through the ruins of Ascension City – which, in terms of visuals is not badly done at all – can be a tricky business as you try to master this swing mechanics. Accuracy is paramount, and all it takes is one slight slip up to send you hurtling ingloriously down the side of a skyscraper to your death. So, still retaining the character of the 80s original, Bionic Commando is quite tough to get the hang of – at least initially. But if you have the resolve to master those swing mechanics, the gameplay does provide some satisfying and entertaining moments.

Not least the fact that Spencer’s super arm can hurl massive pieces of debris at enemies. You do have the opportunity to pick up guns, but as the man says in Enter the Dragon ‘any bloody fool can pull a trigger’, and what’s much more satisfying is swing down Spiderman style and drop kick a few unsuspecting enemy heads. On the down side the game is quite linear, the story is cheesy and ludicrous – but then again what do expect? BC is from the eighties…

Thanks to Amibees from Hokukdeals.

Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition (Pre-Order) £23.99 @ thegamecollection [Xbox 360/PS3 Games]

Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition (Pre Order) £23.99 @ thegamecollection [Xbox 360/PS3 Games]Although slightly annoying if you already own a standard copy, Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition is due to be released on Friday 12th March, and features two new additional episodes titled ‘Lost in Nightmares’ and ‘Desperate Escape’. So if you don’t yet own a copy of Resident Evil 5 (even if you do, you can always buy the additional features as DLC) you can pre-order the Gold Edition for £23.99 from TheGameCollection which is the cheapest deal currently going.

For those who’ve still not played Resident Evil 5, it’s a sequel which provides a real departure from the slow-paced, menacing, and atmospheric tone of prior editions. No longer do you find yourself wandering deserted corridors with nothing to intrude on your isolation expect some mortally wounded survivor, the odd teammate, and lots of bumbling zombies, as Resident Evil 5 thrusts you into the heart of Black-Hawk-Down-style warzone.

Zombies no longer limp towards at the speed of a paralytic old man but swarm and sprint like something out of 28 Days Later. Bullets are no longer like gold dust, in fact – with sniper rifles, grenades, incendiary bombs, and sub machine guns hanging from you like Christmas tree decorations – you need never fear the dead man’s click mid fire fight.

 It’s an enjoyable, intense, fast-paced third person shooter, but one which, to be honest, feels slightly shallow compared to the likes of Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2. It lacks the same degree of tactical depth, and to compensate you for everything missing from the traditional format, Capcom seem only able to provide loads and loads more guns (although, on second thought, maybe that’s not such a bad thing after all?).

Thanks to Alena from Hotukdeals.

Mon, 8 Mar, 10
Author:
Marius Goubert

Category:
Games deals

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The Godfather 2 £10.85 @ SHOPTO.NET [Xbox 360/ PS3 Games]

The Godfather 2 £10.85 @ SHOPTO.NET [Xbox 360/ PS3 Games]Godfather 2 is probably one of greatest sequels of all time – but what a shame the same can’t be said for the game. However it’s a title which does provide you with a bit of mindless and gratuitous fun, and one which has just enough going for it to be mildly entertaining. So for just £10.85 this is certainly not a bad deal, especially since the next best offer comes in at £12.99.

For me, the frustrating thing about Godfather 2 was its poor execution. The game did have real potential – especially with the introduction of features such as the don’s view and the fact you can recruit your own crew – but everything got undermined by the sheer number of bugs and the shockingly bad AI. One top of this, the game just mystified me in the sense that, rather than building upon the perks of the original, Godfather 2 seemed to actually invent new problems.

For example, weapons really felt like they packed a punch in the original, but in GF 2, the fire fights fail to be anywhere near as satisfying. The original game also didn’t do too bad a job of portraying the Godfather characters with an ounce of credibility during cut scenes, but here they are so atrocious it makes you feel like burning the Godfather logo off your game box.

Of course, given that the sequel actually invents problems which weren’t present in the original, don’t expect it to address some the more fundamental issues which plagued its predecessor. Taking over businesses is still monotonous as ever, and many missions are still picked up from random strangers in the street. Overall, Godfather 2 is a missed opportunity, but that said, for just over £10, you could certainly do a lot worse.  

 Thanks to Taswir1 from Hokukdeals.


Sun, 7 Mar, 10
Author:
Lydia Low

Category:
Games deals

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Bioshock 2 £24.99 @ Gamestation [XBox 360 & PS3 Games]

Bioshock 2 £24.99 @ Gamestation [XBox 360 & PS3 Games]

If you’ve been itching to get back to Rapture but are holding out for a reasonably priced copy, you were probably gutted if you missed Everything Play’s very short lived £25.99 deal but thankfully if you’re quick, you can reward your patience with Gamestation’s even better price of £24.99, which happily includes the PS3 version too. Not only is the first time I’ve seen the price drop below the £25 mark for the console versions of the game but the XBox edition is £3 cheaper than the next best offer from The Game Collection and the PS3 version offers almost a £5 saving when compared to runner up retailer The Hut.

Do hurry though as stocks are limited and, this being a weekend deal, the prices will soon increase again!

This sequel to the fantastic Bioshock sees you take on the role of a hulking Big Daddy from the get-go as you attempt to free Rapture and its resident clutch of abductee Little Sisters from the tyrannical clutches of controlling psychiatrist Sofia Lamb and her army of aggressive plasmid abusing Big Sisters.

Bioshock 2 is a very very good game, with some noticeable improvements over its predecessor, particularly in terms of combat (including the surprisingly good multiplayer campaign), but sadly it is not quite the masterpiece we all longed for.

Rapture itself is still the same beautiful and fasciBioshock 2 £24.99 @ Gamestation [XBox 360 & PS3 Games]nating yet twisted presence that brought so many under its spell during the original game but with its mysteries now laid bare, it doesn’t offer quite such a tense and compelling atmosphere. Add to this the fact that, no matter how hard it tries (sometimes too hard!), the story and the characters therein are simply not as memorable as those found in the first Bioshock, and you have a game that is great but inevitably disappointing to those who, like me, fell in love with the gorgeous dystopia they found themselves in a couple of years ago.

To find out more check out Matt’s full review.

UPDATE: Too late – you were too slow and missed this hot deal! Why not subscribe to our email updates or RSS feeds to make sure that doesn’t happen again?

Peggle (PSN Review)

Peggle (PSN Review)

Dealspwn Rating: 8/10

Platforms: PS3 (Reviewed)/360/PC

Developer: PopCap Games

Publisher: Sony Online Entertainment

Old news for PC and 360 gamers, but Peggle has finally made its way to PS3 via the PSN service. If you enjoyed PopCap’s other games like Bejeweled 2 and Zuma then there’s every chance you’ll love this too.

The aim is to rid the screen of all the orange Pegs. You do this by shooting a ball at an angle from the top the screen, then simply sitting back and letting gravity take care of the rest as the ball bounces of walls and blue and orange Pegs. Pegs light up when touched and disappear a few seconds later, longer if the ball is still pinging around lots.  Eventually the ball falls to the bottom of the screen, either into a hole or into a moving bucket which lets you use the ball again. You get ten balls to clear all the orange Pegs out, but more balls can be earned by saving them at the bottom or racking up a large combo by bouncing off lots of pegs. Once the last orange Peg has been hit the ball lands in one of five pits for an extra score bonus.

What makes Peggle so different from most puzzle games is how you don’t really have a lot of control over the ball. Once you’ve launched it, you watch it run its course in eager anticipation and hope.

This on its own would get boring pretty quick so each character that you’re given in turn for a few levels each during the Adventure mode has their own unique talent that you can activate by hitting a green Peg. This could be altering the trajectory of the first bounce in advance for a few shots. Or maybe the green Peg will act like a bomb destroying nearby Pegs. A later one adjusts your next shot to the best angle to get the most hits on the way down. A large fireball is a handy one for clearing a straight line too. The only one that requires you to do something after the ball has been fired is the lobster flippers which put pinball-style flippers at the sides for you to flick the ball back up for more.

Peggle (PSN Review)

Generally though it’s quite a relaxing game to play and makes a nice change from the usual frantic re-arranging of Bejeweled or the quick aim and fire of Zuma. There’s not even a bonus for finishing levels quickly, so relax, have fun with it.

The main Adventure game has 55 levels and after that you’ll want to check out the 75 challenges which are tougher levels with you aiming for a high-score or a larger number of orange Pegs. Master Dual is where you can face off against any of the game’s characters by taking turns on a single map to get the highest score.

If you can find anyone online to play against there are similar dual options for multiplayer, but you can play locally too. If you’re still desperate for more, there’s already an expansion pack out called Peggle Nights. You can even get the Nights pack on PC for free at the moment. Have a look at Neil’s article for more information.

Pros

  • Totally addictive gameplay
  • Plenty of levels
  • Nailing a double shot with your last ball and landing in the 100,000 point bucket. Absolute win.

Cons

  • May frustrate players who want more constant control
  • Online servers a little barren
  • We’re already late for work

The Short Version: Does what PopCap Games do best; steal the nights from underneath you. You know when they’ve nailed it again when you sit down for a quick game and don’t move for three hours. The gameplay is pleasantly relaxing for a change too.

8/10

Peggle is available now on the PSN store for £6.29 and the Peggle Nights expansion is £3.19.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 £29.99 @ TheGameCollection.net [Xbox 360 Games]

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 £29.99 @ TheGameCollection.net [Xbox 360 Games]

If you can get past all of the Infinity Ward controversy that’s currently raging around Activision, and fill their stuffed coffers with a little more money, it looks like currently TheGameCollection.net is undercutting everyone by offering MW2 for £29.99. Most retailers seem to still be stocking it for just around £33.90 so that’s almost £4 off. I find it amazing really, as Call of Duty 4 is still selling for around £21!

What can you say about Modern Warfare 2 that hasn’t already been said? Not a lot. We believe it has sold a couple of copies and is pretty popular amongst the kids online that like to question each other’s sexual orientation on a regular basis. If you can also ignore the lawsuit-flinging spat that’s now erupted between Activision and the ex-bosses of Infinity Ward you might be able to enjoy what is a pretty decent first person shooter.

Contrary to the rest of the world we might draw attention to the sheer childlike plotline and the overuse of killing the player’s character at the end of levels for dramatic effect. It’s pretty mind-numbing just how banal the story is. Seriously, the Russians invade simply by deactivating a bunch of US satellites? Have our eyes stopped working? Did the whole of Europe sleep in that day? I’d imagine someone would have noticed a Russian flotilla on the move at some point. But as a visual treat stomping through the suburbs of middle-town America as Russian troops parachute in, and seeing Washington burn is hard to top. And ludicrous plot aside, it’s that experience that anyone into single-player gaming wants.

Modern Warfare 2 does have its ups and downs. There’s certainly a good number of points that are frustratingly scripted and it’s ultimately a short-lived experience (taking just six or seven hours at best) but it is the gaming equivalent of Avatar and has to be seen.

Thanks to Alena at Hotukdeals!

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 £34.85 @ Shopto [Xbox 360 Games]

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 £34.85 @ Shopto [Xbox 360 Games]If you’ve been wavering over whether or not to pick yourself up a copy of DICE’s Battlefield Bad Company 2, or hold out until the game falls to £20, I sympathise with your dilemma. However if you’re close to justifying a £30+ game purchase because you know how special this particular title is shaping up to be, the best price currently going comes in at £34.85 from Shopto. Actually, to be honest, the best price comes in at £34.49 from Coolshop, but their stock is long gone, and after the Shopto price, the next best deal which is currently in stock comes in at £36.99 from Amazon, so that’s not a bad saving.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has to be the most anticipated first person shooter since Modern Warfare 2. Indeed, with its tuned up Frostbite Engine, BC2 could well be on course to utterly demolish the reputation of its arch rival and reduce Modern Warfare 2 to a pile of smouldering rubble. This time round, Bad Company features what the developers have dubbed ‘Destriction 2.0’, which basically means that the game encompasses a ‘full spectrum of destruction’. Not only can you chip away at walls and covers with machine gun fire, but take down entire buildings completely. This will certainly be a welcome addition for fans of the original Bad Company, who will of course have noticed that the environments were never fully destructible.

Like the original, BC2 still focuses on Preston and his squad of misfits. However, DICE have toned down all that witty banter, and made things a bit more serious – and of course, as this is Battlefield, you know most of the emphasis is on the multiplayer side of things. As a result, DICE have introduced various perk systems, and attempted to provide players with an unprecedented array of customization options. They’ve also done a look of tweaking with things like vehicle handling, introduced new toys to like the Blackhawk helicopter complete with side-door-mini-guns, and overall, tried to ensure players have as much fun as possible blowing each other to hell.

P.S. Read our review here.

120GB Xbox 360 Elite Console £148.94 @ Sainsbury’s

120GB Xbox 360 Elite Console £148.94 @ Sainsburys

Yep, you read that right, you can currently pick up a Xbox 360 Elite with a 120 GB hard drive for just under £150 now, courtesy of Sainsbury’s. Traditionally priced more towards the more expensive end of the £150-200 price bracket, Sainsbury’s have dropped the price on this console by £40 from their usual RRP to just £159.99. However, you can knock a further £15 off of the price with a little voucher code, meaning that, once you’ve factored in the delivery price, you’ll be able to snaffle up one of Microsoft’s obsidian radiators for £148.94.

Voucher Code: 6S2Q-24HD-4ULV

Discount: £15 off any order over £150

Remember to enter the voucher code at the checkout to take the price from £163.94 delivered down to £148.94!

The box will include the usual cables and manuals, you’ll net yourself a black controller, a headset and a year’s general warranty (not to be confused with the expanded warranty specifically for the dreaded Red Ring of Death), but don’t expect an HDMI cable – you’ll still have to buy that separately.

You’re always in for a bit of pot luck whenever you buy an Xbox 360 online, because essentially you’re playing lucky dip with your motherboard. In general, though, Elites break a lot less than the old Pros used to. If you’re really lucky you might just pinch a console made from 2009 onwards that comes with the shiny new Jasper board, which tends to break a lot less and uses less power.

All in all, though, if you’ve been holding out on nabbing yourself an Xbox then this is the perfect deal to get you started.

Thanks to StevenA2000_uk @ HUKD

Thu, 4 Mar, 10
Author:
Lydia Low

Category:
Games deals

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Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood £8.94 @ The Hut [XBox 360 Deals]

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood £8.94 @ The Hut [XBox 360 Deals]

If you’re a fan of all things spaghetti western then Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood might just be the perfect game for you.
The Hut’s price of £9.93 was already the cheapest by about a fiver, with the next best price coming in at £14.75 at Shop To, but if you take advantage of today’s XBox deal then you can knock another pound off the price.

Don’t forget today only you can add voucher code X10 to take the price down to an even tastier £8.94.

Bound in Blood is a prequel to the original Call of Juarez and tells of brothers and enemies, Ray and Thomas McCall, and their fall from grace as they left behind their lives as loyal confederate soldiers to become amoral bounty hunters. Those who have played the first title will remember Ray as a fire and brimstone preacher and anti-hero; Bound in Blood uncovers his journey to that point.

The game tells a deep and involving story against the ravaged backdrop of Civil War era America. The tone is pitched just right and Bound in Blood creates a great, authentic Western feel, rendered beautifully by excellent visuals and with the perfect soundtrack to match the mood. It’s the ideal setting for exciting duels and shoot outs although the controls can occasionally feel a little awkward.Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood £8.94 @ The Hut [XBox 360 Deals]

Bound in Blood is a very good but not quite great game. It’s let down by dodgy AI and gameplay that eventually becomes tedious despite its short length. Nonetheless it is definitely worth a look as the fascinating story presented so beautifully provides a unique and exciting experience.

Thanks to Rhys135 at Hotukdeals!

UPDATE: Too late – you were too slow and missed this hot deal! Why not subscribe to our email updates or RSS feeds to make sure that doesn’t happen again?

Thu, 4 Mar, 10
Author:
Marius Goubert

Category:
Games deals

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Fallout 3 GOTY Edition £20.00 @ Asda [Xbox 360/PS3 Games]

Fallout 3 GOTY Edition £20.00 @ Asda [Xbox 360/PS3 Games]Having been hooked on PC FPS titles like Operation Flashpoint and Hidden and Dangerous for years, I never thought I’d go back to crappy consoles shooters. They all seemed so much more linear and less dynamic in comparison. And then I discovered Fallout 3. A game which, hands-down has to be one of the greatest, most life consuming titles I’ve ever experienced, and one which – even after completing – I still return to frequently to trade some bottle caps and fire teddy bears at radioactive scorpions. And if you haven’t yet got had the pleasure, buy Fallout 3, immediately.

The Game of the Year addition is currently going for just £20 from Asda, and provides you with not just the standalone game but all of the expansions. This is a truly superb deal, especially for the 360, where a brand new copy will set you back more than £27. It’s also not bad for a PS3 version however – which unfortunately does have slightly inferior graphics – as after ASDA you’re looking at around £1.70 more. To buy online from ASDA however, follow the link below and type ‘Fallout 3’ into the search box.

It’s certainly difficult to try and sum exactly what makes Fallout 3 so truly special (in 150 words anyway). But for me one of the game’s greatest accomplishments was The Capital Wasteland: a giant swath of post-apocalyptic North America encompassing deserts infested with radioactive monsters, ruined urban centres teeming with mutants, and isolated communities dotted around the landscape like islands. The whole setting is just an explorer’s dream come true. Alongside following the main thread of the narrative – which sees the player searching for their father (voiced by Liam Neeson) – you are free to travel the landscape.

You can instigate conversations with wanderers and residents, aid communities in crisis, accept side quests, and influence your fate through decisions and actions. You can rob, steal and murder if you choose, but this will attract hit men, and have people refusing to admit you into their shops or houses. If you choose to help those in need by giving water to peasants, protecting the vulnerable, placating or killing the bad guys, you may find yourself being hailed the saviour of the wastelands.

Like most players, you’ll probably find yourself choosing one path, and then, as soon as you complete the game, restarting and doing things differently. Overall Fallout 3 is an absolute must own, and if you don’t buy a copy now, do it as soon as you can.

Thanks to jingernuts from Hotukdeals.