“Streets of Rogue” tops the Itchio chart for the past week. Image: Matt Dabrowski via AFP Relaxnews
A week-long discount on over 100 French-made games propelled 2018’s murky London-set adventure “Vampyr” back into GOG’s top five, while on Steam the physical Valve Index VR Kit was the site’s best-seller, by revenue; it sells for 33 times more than the next most-purchased item, Battle Royale game download “PUBG”. “Streets of Rogue” makes a big impact with an explosive launch trailer.
Revealed in April and shipped to first customers at the end of June, Valve’s advanced virtual reality setup, the Valve Index has been received as “a great choice for enthusiasts” (Road to VR) and “a headset offering the most comfort and highest fidelity available” (Upload VR), especially well suited to those that are upgrading from an HTC Vive, as the Index headset and controllers are compatible with the Vive’s base stations.
The full set-up costing 33 times as much as “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” (“PUBG”) (66 times more when “PUBG” was half price during the Steam Summer Sale just passed), it does not take much to propel the Index up to the top of Steam’s revenue-based best-seller charts.
Over on GOG, last week’s special focus on French-made games propelled blood-sucking adventure “Vampyr” up to second on the site’s chart, held off top spot by “Cyberpunk 2077.”
Made in Paris by the team behind narrative-driven “Life is Strange,” the stealth action game is set in London during the aftermath of World War I.
Doctor Jonathan Reid has returned home from the battlefield and has to deal with not only an influenza pandemic spreading across the capital city but also the effects of his own recent conversion to vampirism.
Just as the Valve Index is made by the company that runs Steam, so too “Cyberpunk 2077” is being developed by part of GOG’s parent group.
On Itch, a demo for the now-finished “Streets of Rogue” starts the week atop of the indie game site’s New & Popular ranking.
It blends the kinetic action of “Enter the Gungeon,” “Nuclear Throne” or “Binding of Isaac” mixed with the systems-driven emergence and freedom to improvise of a “Deus Ex” or “Fallout,” and the go-anywhere, do-anything kitchen sink attitude of a “Grand Theft Auto” or “Saints Row” environment.
Boasting a plethora of possible level layouts, armfuls of items and equipment, as well as 40 playable characters and up to four-player local and online co-op in the retail release, “Streets of Rogue” then debuted through Steam’s Early Access program back in March 2017 and then, last Friday, as a modestly priced $19 (over P970) finished game across PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
Steam*
1. Valve Index VR Kit
2. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG)
3. Monster Hunter World
4. Grand Theft Auto V
5. Earth Defense Force 5
*Steam chart based on revenue rather than units.
GOG
1. Cyberpunk 2077
2. Vampyr
3. Heroes of Might and Magic 3: Complete
4. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
5. Diablo + Hellfire
Itchio’s New & Popular
1. Streets of Rogue
2. Roll, Die, Go Home
3. HammerHelm
4. Eggs for Bart
5. 1st Degree
Data collected Monday July 15, 8 a.m. UTC. JB
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