The Steam summer sale has to be one of the most awkward times of the year for me, and I’m sure many other gamers would admit to feeling the same way too. I already have a pretty hefty backlog of games on my PC as most of my gaming is done console side, yet every time a Steam sale comes around I feel like I have to buy all the games on my wishlist as they are reduced to crazily low prices. So far this sale I have managed to hold off but Age of Empires 2 HD is just so tempting. Time will only tell if I have the strength to hold back. How are all of you finding this years sale?

Kevin

This week has probably been the most muddled gaming week I’ve had in a long time, but I mean that in a good way of course. It started off with Scourge: Outbreak, a newly released XBLA game I am playing for review purposes. I wont write too much into it now other than to let you know that I was left feeling a little disappointed. Reasons as to why will be in the review on Monday.

Next up it was back to Battlefield 3 and the Close Quarters map pack that was given out free during the E3 weekend earlier this summer. After dusting off the disc, this has taken up most of my play time this week. I vaguely seem to remember Close Quarters being advertised as a pack to draw in some of the Call of Duty fans, with the fast paced, high intensity, shotgun-fest arenas, but I have to say that the four new maps are actually really good. The fast pace that they bring to the gameplay is something often missing from Battlefield 3’s massive open maps. The change in pace is welcome every now and then, although there’s only so many times I can accept being killed by the USAS.

This week I have also been digging into Dragon Age: Origins, Dear Esther and Temple Run 2… did someone say something about nice weather? Nah, didn’t think so.

Chris

A lot of my spare time this week has been spent with Football Manger 2013 and my TNS squad in the 2015/16 season. When I started playing again I was halfway through the Europa League group stage and after a couple of fortunate results I was able secure progression to the knockout rounds. I magically won in my first round, but came unstuck in the second round. I hadn’t been expecting to get that far so I was very pleased with the performance of the team.

On the domestic front I managed to win the treble of league, Welsh Cup and Welsh League Cup. It was all fairly easy which shows how far ahead my TNS squad is compared to the rest of the Welsh teams. However after my European adventures my other Welsh clubs will be the Europa League at a later qualification stage giving them more money which will in-turn improve the reputation of the league.

Long-term I hope that league will be on a par with English League 2. High hopes eh?

Nick

At a time when most people are screaming the words ‘Steam sale’ at the top of their lungs whilst literally trying to force cash into their monitors, this year I managed to restrain myself from going nuts. So far, I’ve spent only a couple of pounds by picking up the experimental FPS Receiver, a fascinating game that simulates firearm management to an absolutely ludicrous extent. You can forget just hitting R to reload – Receiver instead demands you pull back the slide, release the magazine, insert bullets in the magazine,  attempt to put the magazine back in the gun but instead hit the wrong button, drop the magazine and watch it fall off the platform you’re standing on.

So, with my family away this week, instead of throwing more money at Valve, I’ve been dedicating my time to answering more of the important questions in life, such as ‘is there anywhere a Mini Cooper cannot go in GTA IV?’

So far, the answer seems to be no.

The Mini is absolutely microscopic in comparison to the majority of vehicles inhabiting the streets of Liberty City, meaning it is able to squeeze through bollards, gateways and even down the tight, narrow stairwells that access the city’s enormous underground system. Whilst it struggles to climb stairs, it bounds down them like a gazelle, with its small but eager engine allowing you to nip through side-streets, back alleys and pedestrian zones in your attempts to elude the police.

A beautiful looking mod and oh so much fun. You can download it here.