Crave

Today only, download Grand Theft Auto IV for just $7.49--its lowest price ever.

(Credit: Valve)

Well, here we are at the end of "100 Days of Deals"--what a long, cheap trip it's been. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. The Cheapskate will be back in the saddle come Monday, posting new deals every weekday. You can't get rid of me just because the holidays are over! :)

Since we're heading into a long weekend, today's deal is all about fun: Valve is having a huge sale on PC games. You'll need the Steam downloader to take advantage of it, but check out some of these fairly spectacular offers:

• Today only, Grand Theft Auto IV is on sale for $7.49. The game earned a 9.0 score from GameSpot and is universally acclaimed as one of last year's best games.
• Also today only, you can grab S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl for $1.99. This first-person sci-fi shooter scored an 8.5 on GameSpot, making it a no-brainer for fans of the genre. I'm buying it!
• Ghostbusters: The Video Game is on sale for $6.79. I was tempted to grab this when it was $9.95 at Direct2Drive (it's back up to its usual $19.95), but I'm glad I waited.
• A puzzle game like no other, World of Goo is on sale for $4.99. I picked this up a while back during the developer's name-your-price promotion. Trust me, it's five bucks very well spent.

That's just a sampling of what's on sale at Steam right now. If you've been a good gamer this year, now's the time to reward yourself and stock up on some dirt-cheap fun.

By the way, if you're in need of a last-minute gift (and didn't find anything you liked in my roundup of gifts you can print), Steam offers a gift option: You buy the game, the recipient gets an e-mail with download instructions. Easy-peasy.

Thanks to reader gwailo247 for bringing the Steam stuff to my attention! I also want to thank all of you for giving me a little of your time each day. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Have a safe and happy holiday, and I'll see you back here on Monday.

As what one might call mainstream consumers of interactive entertainment, we're quick to snicker at anything too concerned with elves and dragons, or any kind of stat-juggling role-playing game. That said, we've always had a soft spot for epic, story-driven games such as Oblivion and Fallout 3, which use the trapping of the RPG format to build a fully realized virtual world.

This year's entry in the epic RPG/adventure game category is Dragon Age: Origins, released Tuesday. After getting an early preview during this year's Game Developer's Conference, we were surprisingly hooked and eager to see more. Having now played a preview build of the game for the past six weeks, we can safely say it's one of the year's best, alongside Batman: Arkham Asylum and The Beatles: Rock Band.

More surprisingly, it's a rare example of a game that calls out for a high-powered PC rig. While Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions are available, this is one of the few high-profile games in 2009 designed and built for PC gamers and then ported to home consoles, rather than the other way around. While it keeps the same storyline, characters, and locations--along with a redesigned menu system for gamepads and lower-resolution TV screens--we judged the PC version to be superior, with better graphics, a more flexible camera, and the ability to easily pause the action for some strategic planning.

In our initial preview back in March, we felt the heart of the game--a sprawling big-budget action/adventure in the style of the "Lord of the Rings" movies--was buried under tired ideas about how to best sell a game of the sword-and-sorcery genre. There was plenty of talk about party management, the history of various fictional kingdoms, and most frightening, a "prequel novel" explaining the game's backstory.

Fortunately, EA has gone into the home stretch emphasizing the massive battle scenes, PG-13 love triangles, and--of course--the occasional fight with a giant dragon.

While the major beats of the game remain the same, we were impressed that the choice of race (human, elf, or dwarf), profession (fighter, mage, or rogue), and even social status (noble or commoner) determines which of six opening chapters you play through--potentially making the first two-to-three hours of the game different each time, depending on the character you design.

To be sure, entering the world of Dragon Age is no small commitment for casual gamers. There's a ton of dialog, pages and pages of onscreen text to read (a throwback to early computer RPGs that feels in need of an update), and a fair amount hacky scriptwriting involving every cliche in the fantasy genre. The voice actors generally do a fine job, but too often are stuck delivering lines from a Ray Harryhausen Sinbad movie.

Still, even non-RPG types like ourselves were able to get the hand of it quickly, and thanks to expert pacing, interspacing exploration and interaction with plenty of combat, the hours seemed to fly by. We suggest putting any lingering anti-RPG bias aside and taking the very impressive Dragon Age: Origins for a spin; and for PC gamers, it's practically a must-play.

Scott Stein offers a concurring opinion:

Games like Dragon Age: Origins are instantly unappealing to me. There's a seemingly generic fantasy setting and the sense that this is some pre-existing game in a franchise that I'm unaware of and will therefore feel confused by.

Thankfully, Bioware seems well aware of my apprehensions and held my hand from the very get-go. Picking a character and backstory developed into an unfolding of the story that felt organic, and explained everything as if setting up exposition for a good movie. So few games do this, and I appreciated that you could also pick your starting point for the story, changing many elements by doing so.

Did it win me over? In a way, yes. It's still a huge tip of the hat to classic swords-and-sorcery gaming (I prefer RPGs closer to Phantasy Star in setting), but it's made with the care of a Peter Jackson "Lord of the Rings" movie. Pretend you've never played one of these games before, then give it a try.

Screenshots: Dragon Age: Origins

Good news, PC gamers: today's the day to score some solid deals on three popular titles, all of them available via download for (near) instant delivery. Here's the rundown:

• Direct2Drive has Ghostbusters: The Video Game for $9.95. It lacks the multiplayer modes of its console counterparts, but the single-player stuff is a blast. It's a must-have for any fans of the franchise.
• Today only, EA is offering The Sims 3 for $29.95--a savings of $20 off the list price. If you don't mind taking a drive or waiting on delivery, Best Buy has it for $19.99--with an exclusive game guide.
• This weekend only, Steam is offering Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - Game of the Year Edition for $23.99. It's one of the top-rated first-person shooters of all time, and it normally sells for $40.

One of the holiday season games we're most bullish on is Dragon Age: Origins. While this nerd-tastic tale of dragons and elves and guys wearing chainmail armor isn't for everyone (or even usually our cup of tea), the large chunks of the game we've played have had a mainstream Lord of the Rings epic action movie vibe, rather than rolling a 20-sided die in your parents' basement. Plus, it's one of the only big budget games in recent years developed first for PC gaming, and then ported to living room consoles, rather than the other way around.

We saw two early tastes of the game this morning (one very literally). The first is a browser-based flash game spinoff, called Dragon Age Journeys. Billed as an "EA 2D Production" it's a surprisingly faithful recreation of the full game, from the menus and interfaces to the dialog system -- just recast as cartoonish 2D animation. Combat has a similar feel, with plenty of special attacks and powers to use, but it's more strictly turn-based in the browser version.

Unfortunately, it's not embeddable, but the dragonagejourneys.com Web site does allow you to save your game and even create multiple characters.

Coincidentally, moments after we logged into Dragon Age Journeys, a promotional package for the game hit our desk. The box contained a pile of hay-like material and a small wooden box. Inside the box was a vial of red liquid and a wax-sealed note written in the game's arch-geek style, warning us that "Some master the blood of the darkspawn, some perish."

Our promotional vial of demon blood actually had a handy (and probably legally required) list ingredients attached, which included taurine, caffeine, ginseng, elderberry juice, and, of course, sodium benzoate and FD&C Red #40. We haven't dared touch it...yet.

We're not drinking this stuff...

Update: Our buddy Russ at MTV.com actually drank the stuff, and filmed himself doing it.

Here's a little Friday fun for all you game fans: From now until Oct. 25, the insanely popular puzzle game World of Goo is on sale--and you get to name the price.

It normally sells for $20, but in honor of its first birthday, developer 2D Boy decided to run a little experiment. (Check out the results on the company's blog. Very interesting stuff.)

Basically, when you click the Get It button, you're whisked to a PayPal page where you specify your "donation" amount. (No PayPal account? Click the "continue" link on the left side to use a credit card.)

So, what'll it be? A penny? A five-spot? A sawbuck? If you're honestly not sure what the game is worth, download the demo before you pick a number. World of Goo is available for Windows, Mac, and even Linux systems.

I'll admit I wasn't familiar with the game when I heard about this promotion, but it's without a doubt one of the cutest, weirdest, and most inventive puzzles I've ever played. You don't have to take my word: GameSpot awarded it a 9.0, as did several thousand readers.

I'm not going to reveal what I paid for it, as I don't want to influence anyone one way or the other. But I did pay for it--and definitely more than a penny.

How about you? Are you going to get your Goo on? If so, what's a fair price? (And how much did you actually pay?) Let's hear from you in the comments.

Games that once sold for $40-50 are now available for just $5 apiece.

(Credit: Direct2Drive)

A few weeks back I told you about Direct2Drive's 5-year-anniversary sale, which was offering games like BioShock (a personal favorite) for $5 apiece.

I hope you've been checking the site every week since then, because the cheap hits just keep on coming. This week it's wargames, starting with the beloved, award-winning Company of Heroes Gold--yours for just five smackers.

Other $5 gems include Supreme Commander Gold, World in Conflict Gold Edition, and Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 (which, incidentally, scored a rare 9.0 on GameSpot). Good, good stuff.

In case the name of the service doesn't give it away, Direct2Drive provides game downloads--meaning no shipping charges.

And if you happened to miss my first post, good news: BioShock is still available.

There's one week left in this anniversary promotion, so be sure to check back next Monday to see if Direct2Drive has saved the best for last. In the meantime, here's your chance to stock up on some great games for about the cost of a grande frappuccino.

Update: My mistake: This is, in fact, the last week of the promotion. So you've got until Oct. 11 to grab these bargains.

Score some awesome action games for just $5 apiece.

(Credit: Direct2Drive)

Game-download service Direct2Drive is celebrating its 5-year anniversary by offering a large selection of games (all for PC) for $5 each. My top pick: BioShock, one of my all-time favorites.

It's primarily a first-person sci-fi shooter, but with pivotal role-playing elements that fit perfectly into the story. I won't spoil one bit of that story, but I will say it's compelling enough to keep you playing all the way until the surprising, unpredictable, utterly satisfying end.

It's also genuinely scary in places. I actually yelped a couple times while playing.

Granted, BioShock is a couple years old, as are most of the $5 titles--but there's still plenty of great gaming to be had. Other choices include The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, Max Payne 2, and MLB 2K9.

I haven't tried Direct2Drive myself (yet), but I'm definitely planning to pick up a couple of these gems. If you've had any experience with the service, or you have some opinions to share on any of the games, hit the comments!

(Credit: Logitech)

On Thursday, Logitech announced two new PC gaming accessories, a successor to the G5 Laser Mouse and a behind-the-head gaming headset.

The G500 Gaming Mouse refreshes the current G5 Laser Mouse with improved sensitivity and a new design. The mouse will also come with up to 27 grams of weight that you can add on to tune the overall feel of the device. How's that for customization?

The mouse's onboard memory also allows you to switch from game to game without having to remap a button scheme. Better yet, this feature doesn't require any software installation (though you'll need to install if you want to change various sensitivity settings).

Expect to see the G500 in stores September for $70.

(Credit: Logitech)

Also announced Thursday is the G330 Gaming Headset, which the company claims is the first-ever behind-the-head headphone of its kind. The design aims to reduce pressure points on your head, a major complaint of PC gamers across the board.

Attached is also a noise-canceling boom mic with in-line audio controls for volume and microphone mute. The headset can also attach to your PC via 3.5 millimeter jacks or an included USB adapter.

Look for the G330 this month for $50.

Make sure to check CNET Reviews for write-ups on both of these gaming accessories in the coming weeks.

Grim Fandango's suave hero, Manuel "Manny" Calavera.

It used to be that playing classic, out-of-print PC games required you to find shady download sites or old dusty retail boxes on eBay, then hope that your ancient Windows 3.1 game would work under XP or Vista.

One of the most welcome recent developments in gaming is the relatively sudden availability of a huge back catalog of classic games, across multiple platforms.

Like classic films finally being released on DVD, you can now play great (and not-so-great) games from the '80s and '90s via the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii, as well as on your PC via download platforms such as Steam, GameTap, and Good Old Games (which is especially notable for offering DRM-free versions of classic games for $5-10).

Recent examples include LucasArts' The Secret of Monkey Island (available on Xbox Live and the iPhone), and the classic Fallout and Tex Murphy games on GOG.com.

While the future of PC gaming may be in question, many of our fondest video game memories are not of console games played on a living room TV, but of classic PC adventure games -- a genre virtually ignored today.

Sadly, many of our favorites are not yet available on any of these retro gaming platforms, so we present for you, in handy gallery form, our list of five classic adventure games that need to be re-released as digital downloads, pronto. Disagree with our choices? Let us know what classic games (adventure of otherwise) deserve a second chance in the comments section below.

[Note: We fully admit to not playing any of these games since their original release, so our fond memories may be more nostalgia than reality.]

Five classic adventure games that need to be re-released as digital downloads

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