There comes a moment when the digital cart hits triple digits and my self-control uninstalls itself. Today's specials made that moment arrive early. Across Nintendo, Xbox, PlayStation, and PC, there's more temptation than sense. In case I don't see you, stay safe, save often, and see you Monday.
In retro news, I'm using the explosion of a Venezuelan fuel depot to light a 17-candle cake for Mercenaries 2: World in Flames. Back in 2008, nothing felt quite as gleefully lawless as dropping into this war-torn sandbox with an arsenal of over-the-top firepower and the ability to blow up practically anything that stood in your way. The tagline practically wrote itself: "Everybody pays."
I vividly recall the sheer novelty of calling in an airstrike and watching the world crumble in real time, or hijacking a tank just to cause even more mayhem. It wasn't a flawless game, sure, but its nuke 'splosive spectacle made it unforgettable, and it embodied a time when open-world shooters were pushing hard to see just how McStupid they could go.