Want a free copy of Hitman: Absolution, Far Cry 3 and Sleeping Dogs? As part of its Gaming Evolved program of working with game devs, AMD is bundling up free copies of some of the most exciting titles of the coming holiday season with its current generation of graphics cards. If you buy any AMD card, from any add-in board manufacturer at all, the participating etailer/retailer will include a voucher for a free copy of the relevant games.

Participating etailers are as follows:


Overclockers
DABS
Scan
Aria
CCL
eBuyer
Novatech
DinoPC


Every card will also come with a 20% discount on Medal of Honour: Warfighter. It might not be the first game you'd stretch open your wallet for this holiday season, but that discount looks a bit tastier once you've crossed Far Cry 3 and Hitman off your shopping list.

Here’s a handy chart so you can tell which cards will get you which games. Bless AMD for its ambitious bundling of Hitman: Absolution with CrossFire pairings of its HD 7800 and HD 7700 series of cards.



Sadly, if you’re just buying a single HD 7870 (awesome price/performance right now, people!) then you’re only eligible for the Medal of Brothers in Warfighting Duty discount and a copy of Far Cry 3.

So yeah, free games. Nom. What is almost as nommy though is extra free performance from your existing graphics card. To that end AMD is also pushing out a beta of its latest Catalyst driver, version 12.11 and it’s promising some significant performance gains in a number of titles.

In Battlefield 3 it’s looking at 30-40% improvements over the last 12.8 Catalyst drivers. It claims that these performance improvements are down to the fact that its current range of cards carrying the Graphics Core Next architecture represent a brand new direction for its driver team and it’s still finding different ways to unlock latent potential in the chips themselves.

Still, with AMD’s cards being the top price/performance options out there already any extra speed we can squeeze out of our GPUs is always welcome. I’ll be testing the step up in performance later in the week, so stay tuned!

An analysis of the Windows 8 app certification requirements by programmer and tech blogger Casey Muratori suggests that games with a rating over PEGI 16 or ESRB Mature will not be allowed on the Windows 8 storefront.

This means we won't be seeing many of the current crop of games on the store, or, given the proliferation of rating-baiting neck-stabbing seen at E3, many of next year's either - not unless publisher's are willing to heavily sanitise their content.

The guidelines are pretty explicit about creating a walled-garden within Microsoft's hitherto anything-goes OS. As section 6.2 of the certificaiton requirements state: "Your app must not contain adult content, and metadata must be appropriate for everyone. Apps with a rating over PEGI 16, ESRB MATURE, or that contain content that would warrant such a rating, are not allowed."

As Kotaku pointed out, this might not be such a problem in the US, where relatively few games receive a mature rating, but it will be very significant in Europe, where games such as Dishonored, Skyrim, Sleeping Dogs, Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty all fall foul of the restriction.

Of course, you'll still be able to buy and install these games on the OS - you just won't be able to get them from the official Windows storefront. So is this a problem? Perhaps - games that don't make the cut won't be able to make use of Windows 8's bespoke features, and by bifurcating the platform Microsoft risks fragmenting the PC gaming marketplace. If games are rated as mature in one location and not in another, will that create stark regional differences? And what's more, from a creative perspective, it may force developers to censor themselves in an attempt to reach that wider audience.

It's a curious direction to take for a platform which prides itself on being open, and the reaction among devs is sure to echo the fears already annunciated by the likes of Gabe Newell, Blizzard's Rob Pardo, Notch and others.

This week's best deals  ►  Total War, EVE Online, Dragon Age
Steam has routed your excuses for not trying out the Total War franchise with Rome Gold, Empire, Medieval II, Napoleon, Shogun 2, and Fall of the Samurai all for $32. Amazon will throw you pod-first into the ruthless galaxy of EVE Online for a fiver. GameStop is looking to hook you up with over 100 hours of Dragon Age goodness for $10.

Steam  ►  Total War Franchise, Modern Warfare 3, Hearts of Iron III
Modern Warfare 3 is half price and the multiplayer is free to play this weekend. This is in addition to basically everything that says "Total War" on it being discounted 25% or more.


75% off Total War Master Collection - $31.98 Individual Total War titles are also 25% off or more.
50% off Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 - $29.99
75% off Hearts of Iron 3 Collection - $7.49
75% off The Binding of Isaac - $1.24, Wrath of the Lamb DLC is also 75% off - 74 cents
50% off Age of Empires Online Steam Starter Pack - $9.99
More Steam Deals



Amazon  ►  EVE Online, Sleeping Dogs, XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Get your start in Spreadsheet Commando EVE Online for only $5. You can also pre-order XCOM for 10% off.


75% off EVE Online: Inferno - $4.99
10% off XCOM: Enemy Unknown - $44.99
40% off Sleeping Dogs - $29.99
87% off the Viva Big Bundle of Games (Featuring Grand Ages Rome and Crazy Machines) - $9.99
26% off Assassin's Creed 2 - $14.83
More Amazon Deals



Green Man Gaming  ►  Alpha Protocol, Sonic 3 and Knuckles, XCOM
Green Man is offering up Obsidian's spy-themed story RPG Alpha Protocol and an armload of Sonic the Hedgehog titles - including the quintessential Sonic 3 and Knuckles - at half off. They've also got two voucher deals running: GMG20-27J4Z-8NXHO for 20% off any download, and GMGSD-W3R94-DZBAZ for 30% off Sleeping Dogs.


10% off XCOM: Enemy Unknown (Pre-order) - $44.99
50% off Alpha Protocol - $9.98
50% off Condemned: Criminal Origins - $7.49
50% off Sonic 3 and Knuckles - $2.49
50% off Renegade Ops - $7.49
More GMG Deals



GOG  ►  Square Enix Squad
How does this sound: Thief 1, 2, and 3, Deus Ex GOTY and Deus Ex Invisible War, Hitman 1 and 2, Tomb Raider 1, 2, and 3... all for $38.30. You can also add the Legacy of Kain series, Conflict: Desert Storm, Anachronox, and Pandemonium! to the deal to increase your percentage savings.

Also, it's not on sale, but the Carmageddon Max Pack is now available for $9.99.

Get Games  ►  Hitman Absolution, Guild Wars 2 (EU), Far Cry series
Get Games is selling the Professional Edition of Hitman Absolution (pre-order) for the same price as the normal edition, which is cheaper than we've seen it anywhere else.


25% off Hitman Absolution Professional Edition (Pre-order) - $44.99
10% off Carrier Command: Gaea Mission - $44.99
15% off Guild Wars 2 - $46.75 (Europe only)
75% off Far Cry 1 and 2 - $6.25
60% off Lord of the Rings: War in the North - $19.99
75% off Overlord II - $2.49
More deals from Get Games



GameStop   ►   War of the Roses, Dragon Age, Battlefield 3
The problem with pre-ordering War of the Roses on Steam is that it gives you the House of Lancaster armor set. Toss aside those pretenders and support the noble House of York with GameStop for only 30 bucks. You can also get ALL THE DRAGON AGE! (Excluding DA2 DLC) that there is to play for 10.


War of the Roses House of York Deluxe Edition (Pre-order) - $29.99
80% off Dragon Age Bundle - $9.99, includes Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition and Dragon Age 2
75% off Battlefield 3 - $9.99
50% off Spore Ultimate Digital Collection - $14.99
More GameStop deals



GameFly   ►  Modern Warfare, Prototype, Singularity
You could grab the entire Prototype franchise for under 40 bucks, or the entire Modern Warfare franchise for $60 from GameFly this week.

50% off Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - $9.99
50% off Modern Warfare 2 - $9.99
50% off Modern Warfare 3 - $29.99
75% off Prototype - $4.99
33% off Prototype 2 - $33.49
75% off Singularity - $7.49
More GameFly Deals




Best Buy   ►  Max Payne 3
Finally, Best Buy has Max Payne 3 for 66% off, at $20.

Let us know in the comments if you find any more great deals!

Disclaimer: We offer no guarantees regarding the validity of these sales, their restrictions, or the quality of service provided by these distributors. We cannot vet every deal: we only list what we see advertised at the time of writing. Buy at your own risk!

Undercover Detective Wei Shen's Triad shenanigans in Sleeping Dogs involve plenty of activities beyond strong-arming street vendors and butterfly-kicking random civilians, and he'll soon have more diversions at his disposal. Developer United Front Games and publisher Square Enix plan a bevy of DLC content in October to furnish the open-world action-adventure with additional racing activities, cop missions, and weapons across five content packs releasing throughout the month.

The teaser trailer above touches on what each pack offers, but the announcement from Square Enix drifted on details like a souped-up Audi. Speaking of drifting, however, we do know the Street Racer Pack peppers racing missions throughout the dense Hong (Honk?) Kong roads.



If that sounds a little too hooligan-y, the SWAT Pack returns Shen to the force with 20 new cop missions awaiting sweet street justice, though an extra wait nets you the awesome armory of the Tactical Soldier pack which brings "the game's most powerful weapons and armor."

Lastly, a free Community Gift Pack gives "tailor-made content" to players straight from United Front. What that content entails isn't known yet, but we hope United Front takes a page from Saints Row and gives us giant fist-gloves for Shen.



Square Enix also hinted at a story-driven DLC appearing sometime in October but won't elaborate until a special panel at New York Comic Con on October 14. Speculation alert: John Woo punches Shen in the face after sliding down a banister as doves majestically flap away in slow motion.

No other details on specific release dates and pricing, but previous DLC suggests a price tag of around $3-$5.

A memory edit for open world swordfish-'em-up Sleeping Dogs has freed up camera control, allowing you to roam the streets of Hong Kong in first person. Or second person, if you fancy shifting the camera over into the passenger seat. It also adds support for head tracking, something modder Racer_S has previously worked into Need For Speed: The Run.

It's still a little rough around the edges - turn the camera too quickly while driving in the first person and you'll be treated to a horrifying cross-section of Wei's face, like you're a ghost haunting the body of an undercover policeman. Or a camera clipped inside a video game character's face mesh. One or the other.

It's probably best treated for now as an immersive way of roaming the game's impressive rendition of Hong Kong - attempting to throw someone into a furnace or leap from a speeding bike onto a sportscar from this perspective seems like a recipe for disaster. Check out Tom's Sleeping Dogs review for more on the game, from the good (that city, those swordfish) to the bad (that story).



The mod is available from Racer_S's website, and there's also a thread on the official Sleeping Dogs forum. Hat-tip to DSOGaming for the heads up.

Winston Chu has a bulging, tattooed body, a gold-plated gun and a massive square head. He’s a gangster, so that face is locked into a permanent scowl, a symptom of years of steroid abuse and a childhood under the fist of a psychotic mother with an unhealthy love of cleavers.

Welcome to life in the triads.

Mrs Chu is your mother, too, in a sense. You’re Wei Shen, undercover cop, on a mission to bring down the triads from the inside. The trouble is, once you’re initiated, you’re family. Another brother in a grotesque gang of crooks and killers. You’ll spend most of your time in this richly realised, open-world Hong Kong performing missions for thugs, the better to get close to the sharp suits who run the show.

It’s a good enough excuse to step into the slippers of every Hong Kong action movie hero of the last 30 years. There are shadows of Bruce Lee in Wei’s fighting style as he fends off knife attacks in alleys. In gun fights he channels Chow Yun Fat, vaulting over tables and hosing down enemies in slow motion. On rooftops, he trades on Tony Leung’s ability to look cool in a suit by putting on shades and standing still in front of sunsets. Sleeping Dogs occasionally delivers these moments with more style than any other member of the Mafia/GTA family, but they’re folded into a humourless and predictable tale set in a Hong Kong that often feels like a beautiful backdrop rather than a bustling, interactive city.



The main storyline follows an emerging gang war that threatens to overrun the city. A linear series of missions inches the plot along, triggered by you visiting shifting location markers on the map. You start out shaking down local vendors for protection money and beating up enemy gang members to bolster Winston’s monstrous ego. Before long you’ll be angling for promotion, and occasionally meeting up with your police handler, Raymond, to hear the same lecture about not getting too emotionally attached to the monsters you’re working for.

Inevitably, as much as you might not want him to, Wei gets too emotionally attached to the monsters he’s working for, but at least there are plenty of opportunities to beat them up before that happens.

The sharp combat system makes this especially satisfying. Punch-ups are heavily inspired by Batman: Arkham Asylum. Wei can counter incoming attacks from any angle, grabbing wrists, elbows and shoulders and wrenching foes into painful new shapes. This display of violent human origami lacks the satisfying Kevlar-on-bone crunch of Arkham City, but fights are satisfying enough, especially when you throw in some of the gratuitous execution opportunities scattered around.



Once you’ve grabbed an opponent, you can drag him around the city at full sprint by the scruff of his neck looking for an interesting way to finish him off. Useful props glow bright red thanks to an effect best described as ‘sadism vision’. You ram heads into industrial fans, throw people into ice chippers, impale them on meat hooks, toss them bodily onto convenient warehouse palettes of severed swordfish heads and, in once instance, kick them into a wide open furnace.

If you don’t have the stomach to painfully annihilate every enemy, you can merely break all their bones with a well applied hold, or use a combination of light and heavy strikes to knock them out. Applying a variety of takedowns will boost your triad performance rating for each mission. Levelling up pushes you up the triad skill tree, which lets you boost melee and weapon damage and unlock new moves.

There’s a cop skill tree, too. That’s driven by a police rating awarded at the end of missions. It’s knocked back by any instances of theft and property damage. Murdering innocent civilians is also frowned upon. That sits alongside your ‘Face’ rating, which can be increased by completing side missions for minor gang members loitering about Hong Kong, and by visiting ‘massage parlours’ which, it is heavily implied, are actually brothels.





The reward for your crime and debauchery? Gaining Face lets you wear nicer T-shirts and improves an overdrive mode in combat, which triggers by itself once you’ve punched enough people. This mode enables Wei to do more damage and causes his enemies to cower in fear of his ability to complete fetch quests and pay for sex.

These levelling layers are less interesting than the game thinks they are. I’ll never take Sleeping Dogs up on its offer to let me replay any mission to improve my score, but the extra combat moves are worth the effort. The combat gets better as Wei gains new ways to dismantle large groups of enemies.

These fights are the highlight of most missions, which are themselves constructed from a series of action sequences shuffled from a shallow deck. Foot chases lead Wei through narrow alleyways and over rooftops, where he vaults, climbs and jumps with parkour-inspired flair, but every manoeuvre is triggered by a timed press of the spacebar. The car chases are better, powered by an arcade driving model that almost glues your car to the road. You hit screaming speeds quickly and a ludicrous shunt move throws your vehicle suddenly sideways, making short work of anyone in pursuit.



Sometimes you’ll be asked to ‘action hijack’ another vehicle ahead. This involves getting close enough for a cursor to change colour, at which point you press the ‘action hijack’ button and Wei action hijacks the hell out of whatever is in front of him, leaping unlikely distances to latch onto the hood. He hangs there for a few seconds before clawing open a door and swinging into the driver’s seat. Mad, but fun.

Guns are supposed to be hard to come across in Hong Kong, so you won’t often see them outside of contained mission environments. This gives Sleeping Dogs a good excuse to fall back on its superior melee system, but the gun battles aren’t bad either. Weapons tend to spray wildly, but a handgun and a steady mouse hand let you line up some swift, fatal head shots.

Bum-sliding over objects while aiming down a gunbarrel kicks the world into slow motion. If there’s an armed guard at the end of that slide Wei will punch and then disarm him. With the right upgrade you can use this to trigger another slow-mo killing spree. The sticky cover system causes some frustrating moments, but there’s more style here than you’ll find in any of GTA’s plodding shootouts.



The story escalates from small-time crime to a street war, during which the police seem strangely absent. It’s easy to forget that Wei is actually working for law enforcement for large chunks of the story. Fortunately, police sidequests offer a ray of light in a gloomy storm of wanton murder. These deliver satisfying multi-part mysteries that let you track down serial killers, smash people- trafficking schemes and generally make Hong Kong a better place for its citizens.

These missions are better paced, more varied and more worthwhile than triad missions, and even let you play with your all-powerful magic police phone. You can use this to hack street cameras to capture drug deals, then launch arrests from the comfort of the massive flatscreen in your apartment. Police missions let you dress up to infiltrate crime scenes – and also a hospital in one standout mission, where you play a cop pretending to be a triad member pretending to be a doctor.

Returning to the triads after those missions is a drag, and sadly they simply run out hours before the end. After that I was left to muddle through the story, baffled by Wei’s dedication to his new crew and frustrated by my complete inability to shape a narrative that drove Wei further and further away from the Wei I wanted to be.



Pre- and post-mission cutscenes are a familiar storytelling device in the genre, but this game demonstrates how clunky and painful they are when contrasted with the freedom of an open world. Sleeping Dogs lacks Rockstar’s eye for caricature, and has none of Saints Row’s knowing exuberance. We’re left with a bland, bloody tale in a setting that deserves better.

The game does have good punching, though. Compared to its competitors, the action sequences shine. If you want to bike down a Hong Kong high street at night in the rain and shoot up gangsters, Sleeping Dogs does a pretty good job of that. If you’re looking for story, watch Infernal Affairs instead.

If Sleeping Dogs has you unsure of whether it's worth your hard-earned cash, now's your chance to give it a try as Square Enix have released the Sleeping Dogs demo on Steam. It features an on foot pursuit through a crowded market, chasing down a rival gang member before beating him to a bloody pulp. This is followed by a warehouse section that shows off Sleeping Dog's slow motion shooting.

If you like what you see, rest assured there's plenty of content on its way as Square Enix have announced that they have six months of Sleeping Dogs DLC planned. Also, be sure to check out Sleeping Dogs' PC-specific features.

The PC port of open-world crime-a-rama Sleeping Dogs packs some neat toys such as high-res textures and DX11 support, but that extra effort may not have happened before publisher Square Enix took control. A PA Report interview reveals Square Enix actually pushed for the inclusion of those features as well as the retention of in-house development for the port.

Among other things, Sleeping Dogs senior producer Jeff O'Connell talked about Square Enix's insistence on keeping development of the game's PC version squarely (ha) within developer United Front Games' hands, furnishing the studio with increased resources for sprucing up the port with additional features. Initially, original publisher Activision sought outsourced work for the PC version.

"Very early on in development, we wanted to create a PC-specific version," O'Connell said. "We always had that planned. When the game changed hands from Activision to Square Enix, Square was incredibly supportive of the PC version and actually wanted us to do more with it. It was at that point that we began to focus more resources on the PC version and it became what it is."

According to O'Connell, Square Enix was naturally floored by the results. "It was particularly rewarding for them, and they loved the results that they saw," O'Connell said. "If you play this on a multi-monitor setup or you play it in 3D, it really changes the game as well. Once we made the decision and got started and jumped in with both feet, the came along really fast, and seeing how good the game looked and seeing it on multi-monitors and seeing it in 3D, it’s really motivating for people to see that on the floor. It was busy near the end of our production and it’s been a long game, so a lot of people seeing the PC version got excited again."

"The PC gaming audience can be very influential," he continued. "They’re very vocal, and I think they respect and appreciate when effort is made. I think Square felt strongly enough when they saw where our PC version was at, and even showed the multiple-monitor 3D setup at some of the trade shows prior to the launch."

For the rest of the interview, head on over to PA Report.

One of my personal favorite games, DEFCON, is on sale for $1.99 at Green Man Gaming this week (spoiler: everybody dies). You have my word that it's worth the price of, I don't know, a Cheesy Gordita Crunch from Taco Bell or something. If you're in the market for something bigger and action-ey-er, however, Sleeping Dogs is 25% off at Get Games, Alan Wake is 75% off on Steam, and Arma II: Combined Operations is 30% off at GameFly. Much more below...

This week's best deals  ►  Sleeping Dogs, Alan Wake, Arma II and more
In an effort to make this list more readable, I've made slight changes to the layout, limited the size and number of bullet point lists, and added this section: the deals that I think deserve top placement.


25% off Sleeping Dogs on Get Games - $37.44
30% off Arma II: Combined Operations at GameFly - $20.99
75% off Crysis Maximum Edition - $7.49
50% off The Secret World - $24.99
75% off Alan Wake on Steam - $7.49
66% off Civilization V Game of the Year Edition on GamersGate - $16.98
80% off DEFCON: Everybody Dies on Green Man Gaming - $1.99
20% off at Green Man Gaming with the voucher code DERHE-RRDER-RINGE



Steam  ►  Alan Wake and Sniper Elite

There's an "Alan Wakes Sleeping Dogs" joke here somewhere, but any effort to find it might cause an investigation by the Jokes Committee, and I can't risk losing my membership. Anyway, nothing too big on Steam this weekend, but hey, we got the free TF2 Mann vs. Machine update, free Portal 2 Perpetual Testing Initiative co-op update (with 75% off coupons to share), and a community update closed beta.


75% off Alan Wake - $7.49
75% off Alan Wake's American Nightmare - $3.75
66% off Sniper Elite - $3.39
66% off Sniper Elite V2 - $16.99
20% off Iron Brigade - $11.99
75% off Unstoppable Gorg - $2.49 (Friday only)
More Steam deals



Get Games  ►  Sleeping Dogs, Serious Sams, and Far Crys
This newcomer is doing a nice job of making itself known. Among Get Games' smattering of sales, which include stuff like the Serious Sam series, Borderlands, and Just Cause 2, I found Sleeping Dogs for $37.44, which is the best price I've seen for it so far.


25% off Sleeping Dogs - $37.44
75% off Far Cry 1 + 2 - $6.25
75% off Serious Sam HD - $3.74
15% off Civilization V: Gods & Kings - $25.49
50% off Borderlands - $9.99
75% off Just Cause 2- $3.79
More deals from Get Games


Amazon  ►  The Secret World, Crysis, and Metro 2033
Nothing big to report on Amazon this week, except maybe 50% off The Secret World (personally, I think I'll hold out for Guild Wars 2). Some of the usuals, like Crysis and Metro 2033 are also back to being discounted.

50% off The Secret World - $24.99
75% off Crysis Maximum Edition - $7.49
44% off Metro 2033 - $11.13
57% off IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover - $21.31
26% off Sid Meier's Civilization V - $22.26
26% off Saints Row: The Third - $36.80
32% off Mass Effect 2 - $13.58
67% off Mount & Blade - $4.98
62% off Trine - $7.63
More Amazon PC game downloads


GameFly   ► Arma II and Focus Home Interactive

I use clocks to tell time and say "bravo" after rousing performances, but if you prefer their military applications, GameFly is having an Arma II sale. If a certain sadistic zombie mod is your target, $9 off Arma II: Combined Operations should help usher you into hell.

In addition, GameFly is offering 75% off select Focus Home Interactive games, such as Yesterday, Game of Thrones, and Wargame: European Escalation.

GameStop   ► Total War and Focus Home Interactive
GameStop has discounted even more Focus Home Interactive games, and also has Total War: Shogun 2 for $7.49.

Green Man Gaming   ► 20% off it all

Until the end of the month, you can save 20% on any PC download at Green Man Gaming with the voucher code DERHE-RRDER-RINGE. Additionally, it's got quite a few games between $2 - $10, including a personal favorite, DEFCON: Everybody Dies.

GOG  ►  FPS Blast
This week, GOG has discounted a selection of shooters, including Far Cry and Far Cry 2, XIII, and Unreal Tournament 2004 ECE.

Square Enix have revealed there is an "extensive" Sleeping Dogs DLC plan for at least the next six months. Content will start appearing on Steam when the game is released later this week and will include "the 80's-inspired Retro Triad Pack, a killer old school outfit with its own player buffs and funky kung-fu van," according to the publisher.

Details are scarce but there's more planned for September in the form of a "high-speed Racing Pack" and an "explosive SWAT Pack". It's not hard to imagine what they might consist of.

Square Enix's London Studios general manager Lee Singleton said: "We want to create something to suit everyone's play style from cool cars and high-speed missions to outlandish outfits and game-extending mission packs. The game launch is just the beginning."

It sounds like Square Enix are really getting behind this one, and it'll hopefully look especially shiny on PC thanks to the recently announced batch of Sleeping Dogs PC-exclusive features.