5 satellite friendly games in the Steam Summer Sale
First things first… Steam clearly operates on American seasons, and while we’re all freezing cold in Australia, we can’t hold the sunshine against our friends in the northern hemisphere.
In fact, it’s probably the best time of year for Australians to purchase games online. While it’s cold and dreary outside, we’re happier than ever to stay indoors whiling away the time with video games.
The Steam Summer Sale has been running since 25 July 2020 and is on until 9 July 2020.
But at SkyMesh, we want to make sure rural Australian online gamers can make the most of the sale too. That’s why we’ve gone through what’s available and found five of our favourites for satellite online gaming in the sale.
Here are our top pics for Steam Summer Sale satellite online gaming
Stardew Valley
In the words of one of our very own SkyMesh gamer gods:
“Stardew Valley is a very cute game that is really popular, and to be honest, almost perfect for satellite online gaming because it isn’t focused on fast-paced action so latency doesn’t matter.”
Instead, Stardew Valley is more of a farming game and falls under the Indie/RPG category of online games.
It has the sweetest storyline that starts out with you inheriting your grandfather’s farm in – you guessed it – Stardew Valley. The rest centres on whether or not you’ve got what it takes to return Stardew Valley to the greatness it yielded before a wicked corporation came to town.
It’s pretty low-tech, has a super cute official soundtrack, and as such doesn’t chew up too much data (in fact, none-at-all if you have a Sky Muster™ Plus plan).
Such a fun way to spend your winter days.
Age of Empires III
A little nostalgic throwback for anyone in their mid 30s to mid 40s right now.
The hugely popular 90s, award winning strategy game will quite literally give you the chance to conquer the world.
It’s a low-tech game so it works well with the latency and data consumption challenges found by satellite internet users.
You’re in for a delight if you’ve never played Age of Empires III. It’s all about selecting your civilisation (British, Dutch, French, German, Ottoman, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish) and expanding your empire across the globe. You build cities, explore new lands and have mighty battles throughout the ages.
Because this game was built for a 90’s dial-up connection, you can confidently enjoy the multi-player aspects of Age of Empires III on a rural satellite internet connection as well.
It’s just as good in single-player mode which is always going to give you the best experience with a satellite connection, regardless of your game choice.
Civilization VI: Platinum Edition
This is a perfect strategy game for satellite connections because it’s turn-based.
Build an empire that crosses the ages, experiences realistic natural disasters and navigates diplomatic grievances. It all adds up to plenty of action throughout the game’s progression.
It’s a huge strategy game and best downloaded during off-peak hours if you’re on a regular Sky Muster™ connection.
However, if you’re on a Sky Muster™ Plus connection, all your online gaming (including downloads and updates) are included in your unmetered data.
You can choose from 45 really diverse characters who can lead their particular civilisation to greatness or destruction. Either way, it’s plenty of fun.
In terms of multiplayer functionality in this game, Steam has a funky little feature which will notify you when your opponent has made their move. Then it’s your turn to do something crafty in response. It all works through the Play by Cloud option and lets you both play out the game in your own time.
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is a super goofy game that can be played solo or multiplayer.
The collection includes both Borderlands 2 and Borderlands Pre-Sequel, both of which are RPG shooter games and extremely fun in single player mode.
You can choose from 12 well differentiated characters to play your way through the hundreds of hours of side missions that lead you from Pandora to the moon and back again.
Obviously, this sort of game is best played in single player mode over a satellite connection.
And remember, that unless you have Sky Muster™ Plus, you’re going to want to schedule the download for this beauty to happen during off-peak hours.
Red Dead Redemption 2
This is a cowboy western shoot ‘em up game set in 1899 where we meet American outlaws, Dutch Van Der Linde and his crew. They’re on the run through the game’s tremendously detailed open world after botching a heist.
It’s a roughly 60 hour, incredibly rich storyline with lots to explore, as well as wildlife and people to interact with throughout the narrative.
The game is full of beautiful graphics that draw you into another time and place. It’s very cinematic in both visuals and sounds, and the attention to detail is phenomenal.
If you have Sky Muster™ Plus, you’re in luck. Downloading, updating and online playing of this big game are included in your unmetered data.
If you don’t have Sky Muster™ Plus, make sure you schedule this one to download during your off-peak hours.
Always play in single-player mode or offline for your best experience.
Hopefully one of these fantastic games takes your fancy so you can go forth and take advantage of the Steam Summer Sale for your satellite online gaming.
Want to get the most out of satellite online gaming? Here are our top tips:
- Satellite Internet is not the optimal set-up for online gaming, but it can be done
- You can’t avoid the latency factor so choose the player modes that don’t rely on twitch gameplay
- Single-player mode is the best option
- Avoid MMO and RTS games – unless you can play offline or in single-player mode – because the latency will kill you (in every sense)
- Consider the brand-new Sky Muster™ Plus for its available gaming data if you’re a really passionate gamer
- Optimise your settings where possible
- If you’re on a standard Sky Muster connection, monitor your data usage, download during off-peak hours and buy physical copies of your games if possible to avoid massive data consumption.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again… whoever said gaming on a satellite internet connection wasn’t possible, just didn’t know what works, what doesn’t and why. Lucky for you, we’re here to help.
Don’t already have a rural nbn™ internet connection? Check your address to find out what connection type you can get at your home.
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