The Great Monkey Race Results!

The race was tough, and the path was grueling (especially on Escape from Monkey Island), but all the contestants have crossed the finish line. The rankings are:

1st - OzzieMonkey - 15:54
2nd - GuruGuru214 - 21:05 (+5:11)
3rd - apenpaap - 21:21 (+5:27)
4th - harald - 30:13 (+14:19)
5th - IcedHope - 33:27 (+17:33)

It seemed that everybody had fun. I enjoyed talking to harald on his LiveStream feed, and personally cannot wait until The Great Monkey Race of 2010. If you are interested on getting in on the next Monkey Race, contact GuruGuru214 on the Telltale Games forums. Congratulations to OzzieMonkey and all the other competitors!


GuruGuru214:
The Secret of Monkey Island: 3:25
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge: 2:40
The Curse of Monkey Island: 2:30
Escape from Monkey Island: 5:45
Launch of the Screaming Narwhal: 1:10
The Siege of Spinner Cay: 1:10
Lair of the Leviathan: 1:25
The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood: 1:25
Rise of the Pirate God: 1:35
Total LucasArts: 14:20
Total Tales: 6:45
Total: 21:05

Icedhope:
The Secret of Monkey Island: 1:23
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge: 1:45
The Curse of Monkey Island: 3:43
Escape from Monkey Island: 12:00
Launch of the Screaming Narwhal: 2:00
The Siege of Spinner Cay: 2:21
Lair of the Leviathan: 3:00
The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood: 3:15
Rise of the Pirate God: 4:00
Total LucasArts: 18:51
Total Tales: 14:36
Total: 33:27

apenpaap:
The Secret of Monkey Island: 2:46
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge: 2:45
The Curse of Monkey Island: 3:42
Escape from Monkey Island: 5:00
Launch of the Screaming Narwhal: 1:20
The Siege of Spinner Cay: 1:20
Lair of the Leviathan: 1:25
The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood: 1:24
Rise of the Pirate God: 1:39
Total LucasArts: 14:13
Total Tales: 7:08
Total: 21:21

harald:
The Secret of Monkey Island: 2:48
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge: 2:27
The Curse of Monkey Island: 3:48
Escape from Monkey Island: 11:08
Launch of the Screaming Narwhal: 1:51
The Siege of Spinner Cay: 1:53
Lair of the Leviathan: 2:10
The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood: 2:13
Rise of the Pirate God: 1:55
Total LucasArts: 20:11
Total Tales: 10:02
Total: 30:13

OzzieMonkey:
The Secret of Monkey Island: 1:45
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge: 2:00
The Curse of Monkey Island: 2:35
Escape from Monkey Island: 3:30
Launch of the Screaming Narwhal: 1:05
The Siege of Spinner Cay: 1:06
Lair of the Leviathan: 1:20
The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood: 1:13
Rise of the Pirate God: 1:20
Total LucasArts: 9:50
Total Tales: 6:04
Total:15:54

The New Great Monkey Race Standings

GuruGuru214:
The Secret of Monkey Island: 3:25
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge: 2:40
The Curse of Monkey Island: 2:30
Escape from Monkey Island: 5:45
Launch of the Screaming Narwhal: 1:10
The Siege of Spinner Cay: 1:10
Lair of the Leviathan: 1:25
The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood: 1:25
Rise of the Pirate God: 1:35
Total: 22:05

Icedhope:
The Secret of Monkey Island: 1:23
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge: 1:45
The Curse of Monkey Island: 3:43
Escape from Monkey Island: 12:00
Launch of the Screaming Narwhal: 2:00
The Siege of Spinner Cay: 2:21
Lair of the Leviathan: 3:00
The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood: 3:15
Rise of the Pirate God: 4:00
Total: 33:27

apenpaap:
The Secret of Monkey Island: 2:46
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge: 2:45
The Curse of Monkey Island: 3:42
Escape from Monkey Island: 5:00
Launch of the Screaming Narwhal: 1:20
The Siege of Spinner Cay: 1:20
Lair of the Leviathan: N/A
The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood: N/A
Rise of the Pirate God: N/A
Total So far:16:53

harald:
The Secret of Monkey Island: 2:48
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge: 2:27
The Curse of Monkey Island: 3:48
Escape from Monkey Island: 11:08
Launch of the Screaming Narwhal: 1:51
The Siege of Spinner Cay: 1:53
Lair of the Leviathan: 2:10
The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood: 2:13
Rise of the Pirate God: 1:55
Total: 30:13

OzzieMonkey:
The Secret of Monkey Island: 1:45
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge: 2:00
The Curse of Monkey Island: 2:35
Escape from Monkey Island: 3:30
Launch of the Screaming Narwhal: 1:05
The Siege of Spinner Cay: 1:06
Lair of the Leviathan: 1:20
The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood: N/A
Rise of the Pirate God: N/A
Total So Far:13:21

Steam Sales For 12/26

Hello, Games, Gold, and Glory readers! Ribs here, and I'm here to give the lowdown on today's Steam Deals. As always, there is a number of games having great price slashed off every single day! Today's deals are no exception, probably the best deals since day one! Anyway, Tom has a write up on his recommendation after this. Today's deals:
Dragon Age: Origins - Digital Deluxe Edition, 25% off, $48.74
Dragon Age: Origins, 25% off, $37.49
Universe at War: Earth Assault, 75% off, $4.99
Torchlight, 75% off, $4.99
Prototype, 50% off, $19.99
LUMINES Base and Advance Pack, 80% off, $2.99
Star Wars Premier Pack, 50% off, $24.99
Today is my day to shine GGG fans, It's time for... Tom's deal of the day! Today's choices were tough, and the fight to the top was gruesome, but when quality is equal, one factor is left to push one to the deal of the day; quantity. Yes. Today's deal of the day is the Star Wars Premier Pack! Get nine full length games and one MMO for only $25! Even though the MMO (Star Wars Galaxies: The Complete Online Adventures) has a monthly subscription fee, something that I hate, I still favour this deal because it comes filled withmarvelous games. Battlefront II, a game I have always loved, is a steal in this pack. Play as your favourite character, good or bad, in this wonderful game. You can choose to play the story mode, or to just hop online and compete with friends! Overall, a terrific deal with outstanding games. Some of LucasArts' best.
For information regarding the Steam Holiday Sale, visit http://store.steampowered.com/. Games, Gold, and Glory has no affiliation with Lucasarts or Valve in any way, shape, or form.

The Great Monkey Race of 2009

And they're off, competing to see who can finish all nine Monkey Island games first. The race began today, with the Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2; LeChucks Revenge. This is planned to be a three day event. The players are (Telltale Gamesforums usernames) GuruGuru214, IcedHope, Secret Fawful, apenpaap, Harald, and Ozzie Monkey. The rules, as told by GuruGuru214 are as follows:

Both editions of The Secret of Monkey Island are allowed.
LeChuck's Revenge and Curse must be played in not-Lite and Mega Monkey modes.
Maximum text speed in Secret and LeChuck's Revenge is allowed.
The double-click room teleport in Curse and the room exit button in Escape are allowed.
Skipping dialogue or cutscenes is not allowed. Bypassing optional dialogue is allowed, but once a dialogue option is picked, you must let it play out uninterrupted. There is an exception for accidentally picking an identical dialogue section a second time (especially inTales).
The credits count as a cutscene. You're finished with a game when you see "Turn off your computer and go to bed", "Turn off your computer and do something constructive", when Curse and Escape auto-quit, and when the Tales episodes return to their menus.
We're mostly doing this on the honor system, however it's preferred that you provide some sort of documentation. The last time we did this, Icedhope, Secret Fawful, and I broadcasted our races on Livestream, and it was a lot of fun, both for us and the people watching. However, this can cause sluggish performance in some games and can be difficult to make work with others, so if you prefer you can also provide updates on your progress over Twitter, post in this thread, or even come to one of the Livestreams and chat with everyone. What's fun about this is the added community element. If you choose to document, please provide a link to where you will be documenting and an estimated time (and time zone) that you will begin playing so I can add where and when to watch next to your name on the entrants list.
Certain puzzles in Escape from Monkey Island cause problems on certain PCs. The use of previously made saves is allowed as long as it is only for the following problems:

• The raft locks up when Guybrush tries to disembark at Deadeye Dave's.
• The timing for the boulder puzzle is incorrect because you have a faster PC.
• You may NOT use it to skip Monkey Kombat.

If you need to make use of this rule, please try to make sure of where you are in the game ahead of time. I know that last time, I accidentally skipped picking up the chicken grease and whacking Herman with the coconut but also had to pick up the Eau de LeChuck twice, so I'll be trying not to make those mistakes again.
Feel free to suggest any other situations where a problem with the game necessitates the use of saves.
Saving the game during the race is allowed, and may be a good idea in case of a game crash (though I only see that as being likely to happen in Escape). Loading saves made during the race is fine (but other than a crash, why would you want to?). If your game crashes and you haven't saved, er...I really have no idea what happens then.

Since we're splitting the race apart, the winner will be determined by time. Time will be determined by forum posts made at the start and finish of each game.

There currently is no prize, but they are willing to accept one if somebody volunteers to give one. I believe it is still possible to join, but you will have to contact GuruGuru214 on the Telltale forums for more information. For more information, click here. I will try to keep up with the news, but it won't be immediate, because I'll need to learn of it, write it, get Ribs to review it, and send it out. I will try to be as quick as possible, though.

Standings: 

GuruGuru214:
The Secret of Monkey Island: 3:25
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge: 2:40
The Curse of Monkey Island: 4:10
Escape from Monkey Island: 5:45
Total So Far: 16 hours 


apenpaap:
The Secret of Monkey Island: 2:46
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge: 2:45
Total So Far: 5:31

harald:
The Secret of Monkey Island: 2:48
Total So Far: 2:48

OzzieMonkey:
N/A
 

Secret Fawful:
N/A

IcedHope:
N/A


Games, Gold, and Glory is not affiliated with Telltale Games, LucasArt, The Great Monkey Race, nor any of the Monkey Island games.

Battlefield: Evolution

June 2008. As Dice prepares it's newest Battlefield Game, it decides to release a public demo. It is widely downloaded. It took hours upon hours to download it due to the demand, increasing by the minute. The servers were on. Players logged in, clicked 'Find Multiplayer Match', and sat back. What they experienced in those few moments could only be described as magic.

Battlefield Bad Company had this unique style of multiplayer; it was strictly a 'attack/defend points' game mode, but it felt like so much more. You would rush the enemies base, sometimes with a team, sometimes alone. But, no matter the time, you always formed a plan in your head. My typical plan was something along the lines of 'blow the wall, kill them, let teammate arm charges' as I always played demolitions. The assualt person would lead in front of me, killing anyone exposed by the blast. Sniper covered our backs. Each class has a unique role. However, this paragraph is about the gameplay. The team storms the other team's base, which has two crates full of gold hidden somewhere in the base. The defense uses turrets, tanks, and various other gadgets to try and stop them from destroying their gold. The concept was so ridiculous, yet it provided hours upon hours upon hours of entertainment. This is part one of why Battlefield: Bad Company provided the ultimate multiplayer experience.

Secondly, there was the maps. The game shipped with eight maps, each of which took place in a unique setting, some taken from single player, some original, and even a remake of a map from Battlefield 2! The most popular map, the map from the demo, is Oasis, and with good reason! The map is huge as both teams collide! The nice thing is this cool way it builds: Both teams start out even, but as they move back, it follows this pattern in terms of base quality: Attack used the old defense base, which was just a few buildings. Defense takes the city. Attack then takes the city, but defense moves further into the city, making it even. Attack progresses further, defense gets in a town hall like building that is easy to defend and hard to attack. The map design in Battlefield is amazing.Thirdly, and lastly, there are the classes. Assault, Medic, Demolitions, and Recon. These are the thing that makes the game work. Assault is the assualt class, machine guns and grenades as they kill and progress forward. Medic is the support. He carries a machine gun and medpacks, dropping them to those who need healing. There's demolitions, the close combat risk taker, armed with a shotgun and a rocket launcher. The game's destructible enviroments give this class great . Finally, there's the backup, Recon. Armed with a Sniper, the sniper is carefully eliminating the enemies with ease and covering anyone's back whilst they are busy. Ultimately, the classes are one of the three reasons Bad Company's multiplayer was so great.

This is where I get to the point I am trying to make: Bad Company has revolutionized the first person shooter genre. With huge, beautiful maps, this game truly pushed the limit environmentally. The gametypes, although limited, took what was done before and made it even better then they could possibly hope for. The classes were truly varied and each have their own spot on the battlefield. This game is the modern first person shooter. There is no argument. The only question that remains is the following; can Bad Company 2 possibly be better then the first in the series? 

Steam Sales for 12/25 and Ribs Recommended Deal of the Day

Another day, more Steam deals! As we all are well aware by this point, Steam is holding excellent deals on nearly all of it's games, however, each day they select more games to be even further discounted! Today is one of those days! Our selection this week is quite the variety, but there's one in particular that is a Ribs Recommended Deal of the Day!

Today's deals:

Battlefield 2 Complete Collection, 75% off, $7.49

Cogs, 80% off, $1.99

Red Faction: Guerrila, 75% off, $9.99

Elf Bowling: Hawaiin Vacation, 90% off, $1.00

Resident Evil 5, 50% off, $24.99

King's Bounty: Armored Princess, 75% off, $9.99

My recommendation is none other than Battlefield 2! In this game, you play as (gasp) soldiers during a war. This game has been out for years and years and it still is packed when you try and hop into a multiplayer match. The community has perservered through the thick and thin, as this is just a mammoth of a game. There are over forty official maps, plus countless custom maps! This is a staple of PC gaming, and is a must-own for this low cost of $7.49!

For information regarding the Steam Holiday Sale, visit http://store.steampowered.com/. Games, Gold, and Glory has no affiliation with DICE or Valve in any way, shape, or form. 

Happy Holidays

Hey folks, this is Ribs saying on behalf of Games, Gold, and Glory, happy holidays! May it be a joyous and wonderful few days! We'd love to know what YOU got as gifts, so feel free to comment below! See you next time, GGG readers, same bat time, same bat channel!

Steam Sales For 12/24

Note: Ribs was busy today, but he had already started this post. I merely finished it for him. Most of the credit belongs to him. The "Recommended by me" is by me, Tom, not Ribs.

Wow! Is it this time yet again? That's right! Today is day two of the Steam Holiday Sale for 2009, and unfortunately for this reviewer and the rest of the steam populous, this is not the best deals heard of in all of history.

• id Super Pack - $23.79 (66% off)
• Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter - $9.99 (50% off)
• Left 4 Dead 2 - $33.49 (33% off)*
• Football Manager 2010 - $29.99 (25% off)
• Need for Speed: Shift - $37.49 (25% off)

*-Recommended by Me
Let's hope Steam does better with the games tomorrow. Ah, well, beggars can't be choosers, and with a sale this promising, there are bound to be a few bad eggs. Until next time GGG readers.

News in the World of GGG

This being the beginning, they'll be loads of new things to explore. I, being one who lives in the future, will project out new features and plans for the future. Our two writers, if you have not seen yet, are Ribs and myself, Tom. You can get updates, news, reviews, and enter exclusive contests by following us on Twitter. I currently have a Condition Zero review in the works. I'm not sure whether or not Ribs wants to reveal his project yet. In the future, we plan to hold more contests (for example, we are planning a "Design the Games, Gold, and Glory Logo" contest for when we get more readers, so get your friends!) We might get our own URL someday. In regards to systems, I have a PC, Wii, and PS2, while Ribs has an Xbox 360, Wii, and PC. If you have any questions, concerns, or something else all together, you can now email us at gamesgoldandglory@yahoo.com. Thank you and happy holidays.

Into the Crystal Ball; A Look at the Games of the (near) Future

     After reading Ribs epic prediction of Sam and Max 2010, I began to wonder about the future. What did it hold in store for us? With so many amazing games out there now, what can we expect from our favorite companies next? I decided to look into that.
     Starting with probably the best known video-game company in the world, Nintendo is putting on the finishing touches to Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers. Taking place one thousand years after the original Crystal Chronicles, this tale, made exclusively for the Nintendo Wii, tells the story of Layle. After technology had taken over magic died, and was only used by outcasts like Layle, called Crystal Bearers. The player will control the game through a motion-driven gameplay. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers is rated Teen and will be released on December 26, 2009.
      Microsoft is working on one of the most anticipated sequels of the year; BioShock 2. Due to release on February 2, 2010 for the Xbox 360, the game begins ten years after the original BioShock. Along the Atlantic coast, a mysterious creature has been snatching little girls and returning them to the undersea city of Rapture.
     Being one of the most well known companies in the business, Electronic Arts will be putting out two new games that caught my attention. For the first time in its ten year history, Medal of Honor will be moving out of World War II and into the war in Afghanistan. Too make sure this game was absolutely perfect and precise, Electronic Arts worked with Tier 1 Operators from the U.S. Special Operations Community. Says Vice President and General Manager of Electronic Arts Los Angeles, “Medal of Honor promises to be an unforgettable entry in the modern shooter genre."
      Dead Space 2, the sequel to one of the world’s most popular games, follows Isaac Clarkes fight against the necromorphs. The player will experience zero gravity environments, meet new characters, and fight with new weapons. “Dead Space 2 is on target to deliver a jaw-dropping experience gamers won't soon forget," said Nick Earls, Senior Vice President and Group General Manager at Electronic Arts. Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer of Dead Space 2 added, “The infection continues to spread throughout space and our hero Isaac Clarke is the only person able to contain it. There are still loads of necromorphs that need killing! In Dead Space 2, not everything is exactly as it seems. Expect plot twists that will surprise you and a huge cast of twisted, disgusting monsters that are sure to scare the daylights out of you." Dead Space 2 will be released onto the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. Both games will be released in 2010.
     LucasArts is working on Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, due to come out in 2010. LucasArts appears to be very quiet about this game, but what is known is that the player will play a very powerful Starkiller, Darth Vader’s secret apprentice. The game takes place between Star Wars: Episode IIIRevenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.
      All of these games should be an excellent buy. I would recommend buying the prior games to the sequels to learn the story and see if you enjoy them. These are not the only game that these companies are working on; they were just the ones that caught my eye. I am no way affiliated with Nintendo, Microsoft, Electronic Arts, nor LucasArts.

Sam and Max 2010: Ribs' Theorum

'Sam and Max 2010' Theories - Notes

December 8th, 2009. A cold winter day as the Telltale Games forum is buzzing with excitement. The final episode of the critically acclaimed Tales of Monkey Island is about to be released, but little did they know the surprise they would recieve at the end of the credits; A link. What was so special about this small link? It confirmed the existance of the return of the canine detective and hyper rabbity-thing; it confirmed the return of Sam and Max.

That link, that oh-so-unexpected link, was to http://www.samandmax2010.com/. That site redirects back to Telltale Games' website, but to a special page: http://www.telltalegames.com/samandmax2010. On that side, a mysterious narrator proclaims many things. This writer shall refer to the narrator as 'Shadowman' due to the source code referring to an audioclip with that name printed on it. The narrator proclaims:

"In all the universe, the only power behind the mind's comprehension is the power to comprehend the power of the mind. If any one of us could unlock this terrible power, would we use it to explore the mysteries of infinite, or would we use it to destroy?"

Fans of Sam and Max everywhere are trying to interpret exactly what this means. I, however, have narrowed it down to this: to understand the brain; to be able to learn exactly how it works. This is a revelation; perhaps an act of god. Perhaps Sam and Max are going all the way from Hell to Heaven?

Another theory that can be guessed by this is the return of supervillain Hugh Bliss. To understand the brain is to control it, and controlling the brain is controlling one's mind. Mind Control was the overarching plot of Season One, and Hugh Bliss used it to destroy. Perhaps he is back, and Sam and Max are using his own abilities against him?

Wording is key here; 'behind man's comprehension' Sam, Max, Hugh Bliss, the Monster, Jurgen, Satan, the Shambling Corporate Prescense, Sybil, Stinky, The Director, Mr. Featherly, and Abe are all not men. Some aren't human, some are women. Perhaps one of these people unlock the amazing ability Shadowman is referring to.

"It's a familiar tale; a power mad space gorilla pitted against a canine detective and a sociopathic bunny with psychic powers."

This is continuing off of the first of the quotes; a sociopathic bunny with psychic powers does sound a lot like Max, but there is a chance this is not Max, but another sociopathic bunny. This is not likely; but this is the only not obvious hole in the entire quote.

"But, my friends, this story is different. In this story, you are in control. There will soon come a time when you will be called upon to lead Sam and Max to defeat the forces of evil."

Perhaps players will be able to play as a third character, someone the freelance police look up to. You lead them to defeat evil itself; which I believe is actually Shadowman himself. The 'third wheel' situation is less the extremely unlikely, and should not be taken seriously.

"No longer can you blindly mash buttons to unleash a torrent of irreverent banter and comic mischief. Now you are all that stands in the way of the total annihilation of the planet Earth."

Sam and Max are in more trouble than they have ever been. They are literally one witty comment away from Shadowman (or whomever the villain may be) pressing that button, instantly destroying Earth. Perhaps he does; perhaps Shadowman truly does destroy Earth, and Sam and Max have to stop him from destroying the other planets aswell.

Piecing It Together

This is how I believe Sam and Max Season Three will unfold: Sam and Max arrive back at their office, only to find Superball, who was there in What's New Beezlebub according to Chariots of the Dogs. Superball unveils who he works for: Shadowman, the person found in the concept art on Max's left ear. Shadowman doesn't want Sam and Max interfering with his plans, as Shadowman is omnipotent and can see past, present, and future. Shadowman promptly teleports them away to Heaven, the farthest place from Earth he knows of. There, an episode takes place, and 'God' gives Max omnipotent psychic powers. They take a spaceship, modeled after High Priest Max, and embark on a journey across the planets that takes an episode or two. As they arrive at Shadowman's lair, a Power-Mad Space Gorilla defends the base, and sends them back through time. They spend roughly a few puzzles in the 1800s, where Sam gets a mustache, and then embark to Egypt, where they stop the Gorilla from ever existing by locking it's ancestor in it's coffin. They go to show down against Shadowman, and Max sacrifices his godlike powers to forever destroy Shadowman. Unfortunately, Shadowman succeeded, and destroys Earth. Sam and Max stare at the sun as a slow piano ballad plays, ending their saga.

Will this actually happen? Probably not. But, I still managed to form a cohesive story of what it could be from the few clues we have. Until next time, GGG readers.

Steam Sales For 12/22 and 12/23 and Ribs Reccomended Deal of the Day

Today is the first day in the annual Steam Holiday Sale, and it is a doozy. Five games are on sale, and at least two of them are worth playing. Today's deals are clearly just a preview of things to come, as there is one 'great' deal and one 'great' deal that was held last month as well. There are also three other deals available, which, along with the first two, are listed below:

Mirror's Edge, 75% off, $4.99

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, 50% off, $19.99

Grand Theft Auto IV, 75% off, $7.49

Defense Grid: The Awakening, 75% off, $2.49

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl, 80% off, $1.99

The two outliers here are Mirror's Edge and Grand Theft Auto IV. First up, Mirror's Edge. Mirror's Edge is hard to explain, as there is no other game quite like it. In it, you portray Faith, a rebellious woman who has mastered the art of parkour. For the uninformed, parkour is, by definition, 'getting from point A to point B in the most creative way possible'. This involves jumping, sliding, running, and any other tactics needed to get there quickly and swiftly. Faith is in a city where the law is strict, and her and her group keep breaking it. This game has an excellent flow of gameplay and beautifully animated cutscenes. Mirror's Edge is an excellent deal for only $4.99.

Secondly, there is Grand Theft Auto IV. For those of you who haven't ever played a Grand Theft Auto game (and I'm sure it's a very small amount of you), you play as a character, in this case Nico Bellic, who runs, guns, and drives his way through his problems. Grand Theft Auto has always had an amazing story, each mission makes sense and has great dialogue between characters. Nico is new to America, and as one can assume, he won't have it easy. The soundtrack is also , featuring hits from artists such as Stevie Nicks and Black Sabbath. The game's environment is so realistic, there are people on the street that trigger cutscenes, and even multiple episodes of television shows stored inside the game. This game is the Ribs Reccomended Deal of the Day and is well worth the $7.49.

Check out http://store.steampowered.com/ for all the information regarding the Steam Holiday Sale. Games, Gold, and Glory has no affiliation with Dice, Rockstar, or Valve in any way, shape, or form.

Who is Ribs?

Ribs is the other writer on Games, Gold, and Glory. Like Tom, Ribs has only just entered the video game critique world, but he has played video games since the day he was born*! His primary interests in games are games with an edge-of-your-seat plot that has you guessing throughout the entirety of the game. Some of his favorite games are Mass Effect, Tales of Monkey Island, Halo Wars, and Team Fortress 2. That's about it! My first review planned is Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People, and every day or so I'll keep you all up to date on the Steam Holiday Sale. 

*May or may not actually be true.

Steam Holiday Sale: The Good, The Bad, and the Noticeably Awesome

Steam, once again, is holding sales for video games to celebrate the holidays. This is the newest in a line of holiday sales, and arguably the best. Steam did this over Thanksgiving as well, or 'Black Friday Week' as some shoppers know it. That particular sale brought this particular writer twenty dollars worth of games for the low price of five dollars. Naturally, I would show interest in the Steam sale this year, with my picks out of the many, many, many offers.

First up, this is an outlook on the deals for the full sale duration of ten days:

33% off full 2K games catalog

Eidos Collectors Pack, 50% off, 49.99

50% off full THQ games catalog

Unreal Deal Pack, 66% off, $13.59

Rockstar Collection, 33% off, $46.89

50% off full Ubisoft games catalog

Up to 80% off most Indie Games

66% off full Atari games catalog

50% off full Novalogic games catalog

80% off full Rebellion games catalog

50% off full Kalypso Digital Media Games games catalog

Square Enix Pack, 37.5% off, $49.99

33% off full Eidos games catalog

Aspyr Complete Pack, 50% off, $44.99

50% off full 1C Company Games games catalog

50%-80% off full Strategy First Games games catalog

50% off full JoWood Entertainment/Dreamcather Games games catalog

25% off full Bethesda Softworks Games catalog

Telltale Games Complete Pack, 50% off, $49.99

50% off full Paradox Games catalog

All of these packs have high points, and all have low points. I chose my personal top three that I would say are worth buying. First up to bat, the Eidos Collectors Pack and sale for 33% off the full Eidos catalog. In particular, Batman: Arkham Asylum, which is available in the pack and for $33.49 individually, a whopping 33% off of the MSRP of $49.99. In the game, you portray the one and only Dark Knight as you explore Arkham Asylum, Gotham's home for the clinically insane. Joker has been arrested yet again; but this time, he is taking control of the asylum. The game is a stealth action/adventure that has you tactically take down an entire prison's worth of convicts and select members of Batman's noticeably large rogues gallery. The game also contains 'riddles', which ask you to solve a riddle by highlighting a section of an area that is the answer to the riddle. This game has amazing gameplay and an amazing story, and therein is well worth the $33.49.

Next, the Bethesda Softworks game catalog, all available at 25% off the MSRP. These games are largely celebrated RPG/FPS hybrids that have hundreds of hours of gameplay and numerous game of the year awards. The Elder Scrolls series has you as a warrior in the Middle Ages, trying to help defeat the demons and orcs and other stereotypical baddies and rise to the royal throne. The other great game there is Fallout 3, which takes place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The game plays like the Elder Scrolls, but features the addition of guns and a much better storyline. The game takes place in a war torn Washington DC and features you traveling alone, just you and your dog. The Bethesda Pack is the best buy for fans of the RPG genre by far.

Lastly, there is the Telltale Games Complete Pack. This is well worth the cash so long as you do not wish to ever obtain physical copies of the games. For only $49.99, you can have access to 28 Adventure Games, each lasting about 3-5 hours a piece. Telltale is my favorite PC developer, as they have never had a 'bad' game. They've had 'not great' episodes, but never a flat out bad one. If you have never played a Telltale game before, you may go to their website and download a free copy of 'Abe Lincoln Must Die!' It is one of the strongest episodes of Sam and Max, and is as always extremely hilarious. This pack is the best for the classical gamer who has been around since the day The Secret of Monkey Island was released, and also the gamer who likes a good laugh.

Valve guarantees more deals every day, and I'll be sure to keep you posted on which are the good deals, what are the bad deals, and what are the great deals.

Check out http://store.steampowered.com/ for all the information regarding the Steam Holiday Sale. Games Gold and Glory has no affiliation with Eidos, Bethesda, Telltale Games, or Valve in any way shape or form

Tales of Monkey Island Game Review

NOTE:Due to the fact this is an episodic game, I will be dividing my review up into five sub reviews; one for each chapter and an overall grade.

Chapter 1: Launch of the Screaming Narwhal
4/5 stars
The sheer excitement of a new Monkey Island, the introduction of new characters, and the beginning of a new plot. This game blew my mind. After waiting for what seemed like ages for a new Monkey Island, TellTale Games delivers. A brand new plot with tons of new characters to love! Reginald van Winslow, the humorous captain (or ex-captain)of the Screaming Narwhal is introduced to fans with his map. Winslow shot right up to fans favorite characters with Murray and Wally. The Pyrite Parrot also makes his (annoying) debut and becomes the parrot of the extremes, you can either adore or despise it. And no longer is LeChuck the only bad guy. Introducing, the Marquis de Singe. I thoroughly enjoyed this game. It was an epic adventure that took Monkey Island back to its Secret roots. Being brand new to TellTale, I was worried what they were going to do with it, but my god, look at what they did! This game is one that surely won't disappoint! The humor! The drama! The pure joy! This game is a must!

Chapter 2: The Siege of Spinner Cay
3/5 stars
A bit of a disappointment... After the release of Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, I couldn't wait to see what TellTale was cooking up next. What I got was chocolate cake with a mushy center. The idea was there, the people were there, all that was missing was more time. This game seemed to stray from the plot, left us with an empty feeling. This game wasn't all bad though, hell it wasn't even close to bad! We met new characters once again, such as the lovely and skilled pirate hunter and Guybrush Threepwood fanatic, Morgan LeFlay, and the possibly uni-sexual merfolk. I found chapter two a bit of a let down, but the cliff-hanger ending left me waiting for chapter three.

Chapter 3: Lair of the Leviathan
4/5 stars
Tales of Monkey Island is back! What do you get when you mix Guybrush Threepwood, Reginald van Winslow, Morgan LeFlay, a manatee, and throw in an evil skull and mental explorer and crew? One hell of a game! This game was amazing! We see the characters in a new light, get new puzzles, meet even more people (deCava and his crew), all in a manatee! One of my favorite parts of the Monkey Island game is that they're not just a bunch of jokes, nor are they a super serious game, no, they are the perfect balance of game and bubbly pirate humor.

Chapter 4: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood
4.5/5 stars
This game just keeps getting better and better! At last, the revival of the game we most longed to hate to see; Stan (Attorney at Law!) Some how, with the magic of technology and wisdom, TellTale managed to keep Stan's motionless coat pattern, motionless! This chapter is amazing, with more drama and humor than you can shake a dead cat at. Though trapped by the legal system, Guybrush Threepwood still manages to wit his way out, in a enormously funny, cunning, and even more shocking, realistic way. I can't praise this game enough. It shot it's way into a cozy spot of one of my favorite games. I thought nothing could make Tales of Monkey Island better, until...

Chapter 5: Rise of the Pirate God
5/5 stars
Oh... My... Pirate... God... If I died right now, I would consider my life complete. When I arrive at the Crossroads, you would find me clinging to a Shred of Monkey Island. This chapter never ceased to be amazing. I must admit, I tried to take forever on this chapter, because I didn't want it it end. We learn that Monkey Island is just as awesome alive or dead. TellTale Games carried this game so far. I am amazed by their work. Rise of the Pirate God was an outstanding ending for a wicked good ride. TellTale have outdone themselves with this game. It was one hell of a journey, TellTale. Sign me up for the next Tales!

Overall Grade
Playability- 9.5/10 stars
Fun- 10/10 stars
Repeatability- 7.5/10 stars
Memorability- 10/10 stars
----------------------------
Overall- 9.25/10 stars (Amazing!)

Buy it here!

Game by TellTale Games. Full season for $34.95. Individual episodes for $8.95.

Who is Tom and what is Games, Gold, and Glory?

Let's see. I am new to the video game critic world, so I will accept all the criticism, all the time. I currently have no money, so I will not cannot review every, or even, most games. YET! As I get better at this, I may (hopefully) earn some respect with the companies and be able to do more games. Maybe I'll manage to get my own URL. I plan to have contests in the future... And... That's about it.... My first review will be on Tales of Monkey Island. :D