It's probably clear that I like HumbleChoice. Sure, the games often
aren't that great, but rarely are they all stinkers and there's
usually enough 'good enough' games to make the it all worthwhile. And
there's something fun about getting a bunch of new games each month.
Plus, I get to make an announcement in Usenet about what's been
released? What's not to like?

This month, we get:

* Expeditions: Rome
https://store.steampowered.com/app/987840/Expeditions_Rome/
An old-school 'isometric' turn-based CRPG, with its twist
that it's set in ancient Rome. Its combat is a bit more
tactical than most (I've seen it compared to XCOM) but
otherwise it's fairly standard to the CRPG genre. Its mix
of strategy and adventure - not to mention its Roman
setting - remind me a lot of "Rome: Pathway to Power",
an ancient Maxis game. I didn't like that one very
much; hopefully "Expeditions: Rome" will be
more enjoyable.

* Midnight Fight Express
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1390410/Midnight_Fight_Express/
It looks like your typical 'isometric' CRPG, but it's
really more of a shooter... or brawler. With a strong
focus on melee combat (there are some guns too), it's a
game all about beating down your opponents. There's some
story too but the combat is the star. Think of it as a
"Hotline Miami" clone with a slightly slower pace and
far better presentation.

* Elex II
https://store.steampowered.com/app/900040/ELEX_II/
Although I loved the developers most famous games -
the "Gothic" franchise - I was incredibly cool on
the first "ELEX" game. It felt rote in comparison, with
none of the character and atmosphere I expected.
Hopefully "ELEX II" won't be quite as paint-by-numbers
(although reviews aren't particularly positive).

* Nobody Saves the World
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1432050/Nobody_Saves_the_World/
A retro-graphic shooter/hack-n-slash. This game's
twist is that you can transform into various unusual
monstrosities. Looks sort of grindy; I'm not sure it's
a game for me.

* The Gunk
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1087760/The_Gunk/
Part action/adventure platformer, part puzzle game. A
bit too cutesey in its presentation, and apparently
quite short. Definitely not a game I'd ordinary give
a second glance to, but as part of this bundle? I may
give it a try.

* The Pale Beyond
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1266030/The_Pale_Beyond/
Guide your ship and crew on an expedition to the
Antarctic. Mechanically, its up to you to manage your
various resource (fuel, moral, food, etc.) and make
various hard decisions that will decide if your crew
survives or not. It reminds me a bit of games like
"Sunless Skies", except with less procedural generation
and no Lovecraftian overtones.

* Last Call BBS
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1511780/Last_Call_BBS/
Essentially a collection of puzzle and arcade games,
wrapped around an old-school BBS motif (in particular,
the Japanese BBS scene from the late 90s). The
gameplay itself doesn't look all that engaging, but it
is hard for me to resist its aesthetic.

* From Space
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1502190/From_Space/
A co-op shooter (there's a single-player option too)
where you run around shooting aliens from a top-down
perspective. Think "Alien Breed" and you're on the
right track. Colorful and with a lot of potential,
the game stumbles with balance and pacing, but
hopefully future updates will improve on that.

So... not a GREAT selection - certainly no games I was eagerly waiting
upon - but not terrible either. I'll have to give "ELEX II" a try
(despite my misgivings), and "Last Call BBS" just for its visuals.
"Expedition: Rome", "The Gunk", "The Pale Beyond" and even "Midnight
Fight Express" all deserve a look too. Only "Nobody Saves the World"
and "From Space" leave me a bit cold, and that's more because I'm just
not a fan of those genres than any specific complaint with the games
themselves.

Plus, The Number goes up by eight!

HumbleChoice may not be to everybody's taste (and that's cool!), but
as for me, I remain a fan.

On 12/5/23 12:35, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> * Nobody Saves the World
> https://store.steampowered.com/app/1432050/Nobody_Saves_the_World/
> A retro-graphic shooter/hack-n-slash. This game's
> twist is that you can transform into various unusual
> monstrosities. Looks sort of grindy; I'm not sure it's
> a game for me.

Sounds cool/cute.
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom