As the summer approaches, you may be tempted to go outside and actually enjoy the sun. Making a solid effort to prevent that, GOG has introduced its Summer Sale (Affiliate Link - TechRaptor earns a small commission if you buy through it)
As you would expect from any sale, GOG's summer sale features a lot of low priced games. Yet there's more to it than just that. You can score a free copy of System Shock 2 simply for downloading the GOG Galaxy client, a Steam-like client that allows you to keep track of your games and play with your friends, sometime within the next two days. As you log in, buy games, place games on your wishlist, and share the sale, you'll earn XP. Earn enough XP and you'll unlock three games. So without much work you can get free copies of Spelunky, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers - 20th Anniversary Edition, and Dreamfall Chapters Season Pass.
So now you know the sale exists, and how it works. Yet what games should you pick up? I asked the writers here at TechRaptor for some recommendations and here are some games they're into.
Editor's Note: All Links below are affiliated, meaning TechRaptor earns a small amount of money if you purchase a game on GOG after clicking through.
Scott Malcomson
The X-Com Classics: if you're at all a fan of "retro sprite" games, this is probably one of the reasons, and it still holds up all these years later. Solid tactical gameplay, gut-clenching decisions, and open-sandbox strategy made this series legendary.
Star Wars Tie Fighter: do you own a joystick? Do you like Star Wars? If both your answers were "yes", you either already own this game or didn't realize it existed. If the latter, rectify the former.
Don Parsons
Planescape: Torment: One of the finest story heavy games, Planescape: Torment is set in the well regarded Planescape universe and is a testament to the skill of designer and writer Chris Avellone when he was with Black Isle. Using the Infinity Engine while its combat is on the weaker side for combat but the well-designed world, rich characters, and story make it a must have.
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis: This is the definitive Indiana Jones game and also one of the best games that Lucas Arts created. While many early 90s games don't hold up, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis art design, game design and general level of polish let it despite the nearly 25 years passing and is a must play for adventure fans.
Samuel Guglielmo
D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die: A quirky as hell game where you play a Boston detective who travels back in time to try and figure out who killed his wife based only on a single clue: his wife's last words were "look for D." Also, his roommate thinks she's a cat, he gets into a brawl with a one-eyed drug dealer, has a chat with a fashion designer obsessed with his mannequin girlfriend, and has an argument over the merits of clam chowder. Our Review.
Ziggurat: An FPS Rogue-lite. You get to climb a tower and get various magic abilities as your weapons. It has pretty fun gameplay and I had a really good time working around the various things that went wrong in whatever playthrough I was on. Solid game, and a steal for that price. Our Review.
Matthew Arrojas
Transistor: this game is the perfect mix of everything I love about video games. Not only was Supergiant Games able to craft a beautiful game world and thoughtful story, but they blended it wonderfully with innovative and satisfying gameplay. And don't even get me started on how fantastic the soundtrack is. Yeah, I know, I used way too many fluffy adjectives to recommend this game, but that just goes to show how much I adore this game. Our Review.
Perry Ruhland
Hotline Miami: Some people like great stories in their game. Others like great gameplay. Hotline Miami manages to be both. It's a fast-paced, neon-tinged celebration of pixelated ultra violence that has you kill hundreds of nameless mafia thugs with a grin on your face - and leave wondering if you're quite as good of a person as you thought you were. Our Review.
Brandon Bobal
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines: It has a troubled history as the last title from Troika Games, and it's technical flaws are numerous and well documented. Despite the shaky gameplay, the atmosphere and depth of lore mean it definitely earns its status as a cult classic and a game you'll keep coming back to.
Steven Ramos
To the Moon: If seeing a sad story grow into a beautiful tragedy is your thing, then To the Moon is the right tear-jerker for you. The plot is rarely surprising, yet it's hard not to feel every bump on this emotional rollercoaster.
What games are you interested in? Share your picks and what you've bought in the comments below!