Free Stuff Friday: Team Fortress Arcade and Broken Sword

Happy Friday, everyone. To make sure we scrub the memory of Rebecca Black from our collective consciousness, I try my best to find other alternative reasons to look forward to the end of the work-week. Luckily, I’ve been pointed to a couple new offerings in the “free game” category of the internet.

Eric Ruth has remade/demade Team Fortress 2 to create Team Fortress Arcade, which is available as a free download on Piki Geek right now, along with a nice little interview with Ruth himself. Here’s a telling excerpt from the interview that shows why Ruth done did what he do:

“Well, anyone who knows my work understands that I’m a big fan of a simpler time when games were a little easier to just pick up and play. I kind of miss games that have a limited number of buttons and functions.  This usually means that the SKILL is what separates players from each other and not just unlocks, downloaded items, key binding, etc.

“One of my favorite genres of the by-gone arcade era is the side-scrolling beat-‘em-up that used to inhabit the retro arcade scene. I’m a BIG fan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Final Fight, Streets Of Rage, X-Men Arcade and the mostly forgotten DJ Boy. So, naturally, I tried combining two things I love together (this is how they invented peanut butter and jelly sandwiches) and in the end, came up with the concept that you can now play on your computer for free.”

If that wasn’t enough for you, GOG.com is celebrating their 6 millionth download by giving away free downloads of Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars until…tomorrow. The deal expires on October 1 at 7:59 a.m., GMT, to be exact, so if you want it, you should get it RIGHT AWAY.

This game looks to be exploring secret societies of Europe’s past way before Assassin’s Creed made it cool, officially making this the hipster of that kind of video game. Here’s the official description:

“Uncover the identity of a jester assassin. Unlock the legend of the Knights Templar. Unravel a plot as twisted as the catacombs you’re about to prowl. As George Stobbart, an American in Paris, you find it odd when an accordion-playing clown darts out of a cafe clutching a briefcase. Moments later, you’re sent flying, violently thrown through the air by the force of a massive explosion, right into a sinister, global intrigue. The coveted contents of that briefcase? A fiercely guarded manuscript penned by a clandestine medieval order – the Knights Templar. Reveal the truth behind a secret conspiracy and save the world from the Templars’ evil plan.”

Head on over to the site and download this bastard right away.

Happy Friday, everyone. For reals.