GamesPlanet Summer Sale - Day 1 Guide

We're turning up the heat and kicking off this year's Summer Sale with a bang! Over the next week we'll have plenty of sizzling deals for you to roast on a fire and sink your teeth into, if deals aren't enough we'll be sure to fill the next week with contests and other fun events which may result in you bagging a free game (as a hint follow our Twitter and Facebook pages)! The GamesPlanet Summer Sale will feature over 900 (sorry not 9000!) discounts, each day we'll be bringing you a set of 24 hour discounts which will save you even more - but be warned these will only be around for a limited time and when they're gone, they're gone!

Today we're featuring Dark Knights, Big Bosses, A Writer, Racing Cars and more! Let's jump into the sale and focus on some highlights for the sale that have been handpicked by myself to be some of the best the sale has to offer.

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes

Think of Ground Zeroes as a starter to the main course, set before the events of Phantom Pain you play Snake (or Big Boss depending on your preference) as you try to infiltrate and rescue hostages from Camp Omega. The game features a small open world with various ways to approach your mission including bonus objectives that are completely optional, as soon as you finish the main mission you are given a couple side missions which extend the gameplay (but don't really offer much in the way of a story). New to the series is the "reflex mode" which let's you react to an enemy discovering your presence by slowing you down allowing for a more cinematic approach to fights.

Since the game is only a small slice of what Phantom Pain delivers it's hard to recommend it on it's own unless you're going to be picking up both games in the series in which case it's a great start to the story. It took me about 3 hours to finish the game which may not be to everyone's enjoyment, but what it lacks in length it delivers a great opening act.

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is 80% off today!

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is in my mind one of the best games of 2015, it has a great cast of characters, an interesting story and plenty of things to keep your interested for a long time. If Ground Zeroes was too short and linear then Phantom Pain sets that right by giving you a huge open world Afghanistan (and later Africa) to explore with plenty of side activities to keep you on your toes, you'll even get to manage your own base and soldiers with micro management.

As the game progresses you'll eventually unlock more options and more equipment in how to approach a mission, you can even recruit buddies to help you on missions such as D-Dog who will sniff out enemies or attack them depending on the role assigned to him. Even if you might prefer to do things Stealthy the game does give you the option to treat it like an action game but it's more fun trying to sneak your way around and honestly it's how a Metal Gear game should be. Missions may vary and you might find yourself triggering new ones by playing others, each one can be dealt with in an almost random order but there are certain ones that need to be played before unlocking others. Not really a massive thing but there are some cassette tapes in the world you can hunt out to play on your iDroid device (or use as helicopter landing music) such as Europe - The Final Countdown, A-ha - Take on Me, Kim Wilde - Kids in America and many others, all of which make the game enjoyable.

It's one of the biggest open world games of last year and while it might not be as long as Witcher 3 you'll still end up playing this for a long time, I haven't even managed to finish this despite spending over 50 hours (it might even more like 70 or higher I lost count). Then you have the multiplayer which I have not yet tried but get this for the single player as it's one of the best games of this year period. Highly recommend this for any Stealth action fan out there, even has Kiefer Sutherland doing the voice of Snake this time and while some didn't like the change I found he does a great job in the role.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is 40% off today!

Batman: Arkham City

After Asylum it seemed all but inevitable a sequel would follow and sure enough in 2011 that came true. At the start of the game you're basically thrown into a city full of prisoners and the usual suspects are causing trouble again. Joker, Penguin, Two Face, Mr Freeze, Hugo Strange and others all bring a sense of chaos that only you the Batman can stop. The game was also the first one to let you play as Catwoman during certain moments, most of the gameplay is similar to Batman but has a unique style - at times you might find she's very hard to play as. You also can play as Robin/Nightwing in challenge modes but combat is more comparable to Batman.

The story takes place shortly after the events of Asylum and you're dealing with the aftermath of that, without spoiling anything let's just say there is plenty of twists in the game and some very unexpected things happen which you wouldn't expect. Freedom in Asylum was very limited because you had a small space and you were confined, this time around they gave you a whole city to spread your wings and glide around - in a way it's almost like you can fly because gliding is great and couple that with your grapel letting you keep gliding and diving into another glide to keep speed and height it's just a wonder. Plenty of side quests too, if you love collectables then you'll love collecting Riddler Trophies (or hate them!). This is probably my favourite Arkham game (though it's a coin toss between it and Arkham Knight) - everything is just so well made it's like a fine wine that all Super Hero games should aspire to become.

You can get Batman: Arkham City GOTY for 75% off today!

We also have the entire Batman Arkham Franchise on sale, today you can save up to 75% off on all titles!

Batman: Arkham Knight

This is my game of the year for 2015, which might be an odd choice and not even something I give a reason for really. It's the swansong from Rocksteady Studios in their Batman: Arkham trilogy and boy did they go out with a bang. I've always been a fan of Batman and played various games over the years (including some really bad ones), it was such a delight when Arkham Asylum released back in 2009 as it did something very few games did and made good use of a license. Arkham Knight is the ultimate Batman experience, you have the best free-flow combat system in any game as a staple for the series but refined enough to make it feel more fluid, you can drive around the streets with the Batmobile - (which at times can be a little tedious and annoying but the fact it's in the game still feels like it makes the whole package that much sweeter) and then you have a wonderful cast of villains - each one with their own personality and charm.

The game is a visual treat with some great moments highlighting just how pretty it is, at times it's hard to believe it's the same engine they have been using since the first game. Everything looks and sounds like it should, Kevin Conroy reprises his role as Batman along with many of the cast returning (including Mark Hamill as the Joker) to bring the world to life. Gameplay is much like the other games in the series, you have main missions, side missions, challenges and Riddler Trophies to collect - this time they have also added racing tracks to make use of the Batmobile. At times you might find yourself using the Batmobile as a tool to help you out during combat or to help solve a tricky environment puzzle. Another great addition is the team-up moves which let you pal up with Catwoman, Robin or Nightwing during certain moments to add more spice to the free-flow combat (I wish there was more of this outside of challenge maps).

I was a little disappointed they didn't do more with the story since it felt a bit lackluster at times and wasn't as dramatic as Arkham City, they also didn't do much in the boss battles (they do have some though). Minor gripes aside though when it comes together as a complete package it's a great Batman title and even with the various PC problems the game has had the game still managed to deliver a stunning game that is hard to ignore, not everyone will enjoy it or put it high on a list but it's the game I most enjoyed in 2015.

I hope one day Rocksteady Studios does another game based in the DC Comics universe, perhaps a Justice League game?

You can get Batman: Arkham Knight Standard Edition for 63% off today OR save 64% off the Premium Edition instead!

We also have the entire Batman Arkham Franchise on sale, today you can save up to 75% off on all titles!

Alan Wake

This was a surprise, a game that came out of nowhere and surprised everyone. Created by the Remedy Entertainment team that are best known for the Max Payne series, Alan Wake sees you play as the title character on a search to find answers and uncover the mystery of Bright Falls. The game has a focus on light and darkness, you are armed at times with nothing but a flashlight which helps you fight the darkness and enemies consumed by it, eventually you'll get a gun or flares which will help you out a great deal. Each episode feels like a chapter of a book with each one ending on a "to be continued", it's the story that's a big highlight here with many surprises and great moments that really bring the game together, turning it into a mystery novel. Alan Wake is a great game to get into, it's a horror game at heart but it doesn't have too many scare moments.

Alan Wake and Alan Wake's American Nightmare are both 75% off today only!

Mafia II

Imagine a Grand Theft Auto game set in the 1940's and you'll get a get this gritty tale of mob wars set in the Big Apple. You play as Vito Scaletta who is a former soldier that has returned to New York to seek out a better life for his family, sadly for him he's having to turn crime to support them as life is tough with massive debts being something they can't afford. Much like a GTA game you'll be doing plenty of side missions in the open world including finding Collectibles such as really old Playboy Magazines (with nudes - this is not a game for kids!) or picking up Wanted posters for criminals.

If you've ever watched The Godfather then you'll feel like this is the closest game you'll get to GTA and since Mafia III is months away it's a nice way to jump into the series for the very first time - even if you've never played the original! It also has a pretty nice soundtrack with very classic oldies such as Dean Martin's Let it Snow or The The Chordette's Mr. Sandman.

Mafia II is 76-77% off today only, you can even get the DLC for 75% off all sale long!

Fallout 4

The latest entry in the popular Fallout franchise, Fallout 4 takes place in the year 2287 (10 years after the events of Fallout 3) and is set in a post-apocalyptic world of Boston, Massachusetts as well as other parts of New England known as "The Commonwealth. As your story begins you'll find yourself thrust in the world where nuclear war is coming and you need to get your family to safety in one of the handy Vaults (which just so happens to be a stone's throw from your house). Once there you're put into cryogenic hibernation and things don't quite go to plan when you wake up, it's up to you to find your way outside and begin your adventure.

As with most Fallout games there is a massive open world for you to explore, vast cities and plenty of places to go. You can switch between a First Person or Third Person perspective anytime you want and you'll be able to team up with trusty companions such as everyone's favourite little doggy friend "Dogmeat". New this time is the ability to customize weapons, allowing you to beef up the simple guns you get into menacing weapons of doom.

Another new aspect of Fallout 4 is the S.P.E.C.I.A.L system which lets you pick skills in a tree allowing for you to tailor things your way, for example you could focus on a Stealth tree and make things easier on you if you need to lockpick a lock or you could focus on building up your Strength so you can carry more with you! The game features 275 perk and doesn't have a level cap so if you want to get everything in the game it might take you a while but it's possible to do (or you could use mods). There has been some pretty good DLC released already with Far Harbor being an impressive landmass (and the biggest one Bethesda has ever produced). Soon the last piece of DLC will arrive in Nuka-World, which will see you in a vast amusement park now a lawless city of Raiders with plenty of areas to explore such as Safari Adventure, Dry Rock Gulch, Kiddie Kingdom, and the Galactic Zone.

Get Fallout 4 for 50% off or grab any of the franchise for up to 67% off today only!

And that's our Day 1 Survival guide, this is just a small taste of everything we have on sale as we have Watch Dogs for up to 75% off, Battleborn for 60% off, Cities: Skylines for 66% off and Project CARS Digital Edition for 53% off!

Visit our Summer Sale page for more daily discounts and further treats! Keep an eye peeled tomorrow as we another great day ahead with Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege going for 50% off as well as many, many more ;)