I picked up Phoenix Point because I was feeling that XCOM itch and knew if it wasn't this I would start a Long War game of XCOM2 which would probably take 2 years to finish if I did at all.
Far Cry 5 is $6 and though I'm not particularly tempted I've heard good things.
Mad Max is $2 and if you haven't played it I would say it most certainly a bargain at that price. It is fairly boilerplate open world where you take towers and bases to gather resources for upgrades and eventually unlock tougher and tougher zones. The vehicle combat is really the standout and your car is the star of the show. Just tearing around the desert is fun in itself. Taking caravans is particularly cinematic and satisfying to eventually bag one that you just weren't quite able to before your latest upgrade. Unfortunately the base assault and dismounted fighting is pretty forgettable with batman arkham-style auto-target with quicktime blocking that doesn't change very much as you unlock new abilities. My 2nd favorite open world game after shadow of mordor/war.
I got Far Cry 5 almost exclusively because it's one of the few games that allows you to use an M-14.
The M-14 is frustratingly underpowered in the game. That being said, I think it's a frustrating but mostly enjoyable experience. Certainly worth $5 if you want to put up with Ubisoft. Then again, FC5 (without it's sequel) continuing to make money probably really pisses Ubisoft off. The "Media Literacy" class has never liked it.
As much as FC5 is my favorite one gameplay wise, I have personally felt that Seed is extremely weak as a Far Cry villain (no matter how much Eden's music slaps).
Compared to the likes of my personal favorite villains in FC2 The Jackal ("I may be a ruthless gun runner, but I am not the one making these people kill each other. And besides, I am rescuing civilians on the side with the plan to leave and let these people murder each other in peace") or FC4 Pagan Min ("I may be a sadistic dictator, but have you seen the possible replacements for me?! I am actually the less evil option here."), I was not really a fan of the fact that Joseph butchered civilians, ruined the entire area, did it all in the name of "I am saving them so they can meet god", and then the game just asspulls that he was right at the end out of nowhere.
Also, fellow M14 enjoyer. I may like the M16/M4 too, but give me my "American AK" any day of the week, to the point I want to eventually get one IRL (the M1A).
For the main point of the thread:
Not on sale, but Sea Power is a pretty fun game if you are into more intense and "realistic" strategy simulators. It is built around late Cold War naval battles, from submarines to the often overlooked surface fleets, with many scenarios where you can play as anyone from the US to the Soviets to the Iranians and other smaller factions. They are also going to add a dynamic campaign down the line that will simulate a WW3 scenario to play over the long term, and there is a Workshop to allow people to make their own scenarios.
For one that is on sale, Jagged Alliance 3 is great and stays true to the older games (which are also on sale). It absolutely does not try to make the game more for a "modern" audience, brings back some of the fan favorite characters that would absolutely be considered "problematic", and just plays with a plot like you would expect from an old 80's action movie, just like it should.
That low effort "don't" flag got me good. I want one.
I've always been partial to the No Step On Snek flag because of the angry eyebrows.
Yeah, I might have to get that on a mug or something.
Or make my own "don't," it's not like it would be hard.
To get it sewn into a flag it might cost $40. I've gone to professional flag makers before.
Ghost Recon Wildlands has a very adequate and mostly satisfying M-14 from what I can remember, but I haven't touched that game in a really long time so I could be misremebering (also I began absolutely hating that game after unlocking the Tier 1 mode, which just makes the game not fun to play at all).
I might still pick it up for that reason alone. I already kinda liked the look of the gameplay, but that would just be a big cherry on top.
The only two games to ever do it justice were Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear (had a completely uncontrollable fully automatic setting) and Call Of Honor (early Vietnam game where that was one of the earlier guns).
Man, Rogue Spear brings back memories. I never actually used the M-14 in that game, I always stuck with the revolver and the H&K MP5.
But I will toss another in there that made me absolutely fall in love with the M-14 and that is Operation 7, that game basically nailed the Tarkov style gunplay and customisation years before Tarkov was a thing.
EDIT: Okay I just booted up Wildlands after a few years to make sure it's in the game -- and funnily enough my character was still equipped with the MK-14 sniper rifle variant the last time I played in the Tier 1 mode, so that speaks to its efficiency for sure.
Couple images of it in-game:
Okay, okay, it's the high-speed, low-drag, version of the M-14, but I'll take it. I like that it's considered a sniper rifle. I've never heard of Operation 7. I'll need to look into it.
Why do people use things in games just to get frustrated?
The whole game is a little low-key frustrating. It's almost better off kinda being alone in the wilderness hunting and fishing until a random gunfight appears.
I just really like the M-14's design, sound, recoil, and overall power. It's a fun weapon that has a bunch of fun features, and is a bit over the top as a battle rifle.