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RanceJustice
Supreme [H]ardness
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2003
- Messages
- 6,630
It's that time again, the next Humble Monthly Bundle is about to arrive! For those unaware of Humble Monthly Bundles, please see my more in-depth introduction here during my first thread from April 2017 - https://hardforum.com/threads/humble-monthly-april-review-and-discussion-thread.1929347 - I'll just get right into it again!
For those interested, here are all my back Humble Monthly reviews..
May - https://hardforum.com/threads/humble-monthly-bundle-may-review-and-discussion-thread.1931795/
June - (Missed writing one)
July - https://hardforum.com/threads/humble-monthly-bundle-july-2017-review-and-discussion-thread.1939318/
August - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...st-2017-review-and-discussion-thread.1941294/
September - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...er-2017-review-and-discussion-thread.1943055/
October - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...er-2017-review-and-discussion-thread.1945470/
November - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...er-2017-review-and-discussion-thread.1947730/
December - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...er-2017-review-and-discussion-thread.1949477/
Jan2018 - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...ry-2018-review-and-discussion-thread.1951895/
Feb2018 - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...ry-2018-review-and-discussion-thread.1953943/
March 2018 - https://hardforum.com/threads/humble-monthly-bundle-march-2018-review-and-discussion-thread.1956171/
April 2018 - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...-release-date-4-6-18.1957941/#post-1043572129
May 2018 - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...iscussion-thread-release-date-5-4-18.1959906/
June 2018 - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...iscussion-thread-release-date-6-1-18.1961480/
July 2018 - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...iscussion-thread-release-date-7-6-18.1963715/
August 2018 - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...iscussion-thread-release-date-8-3-18.1965425/
September 2018 - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...iscussion-thread-release-date-9-7-18.1966820/
October 2018 Early Unlocks
Overwatch ($40, Windows) - One of the showcase titles of October's Humble Monthly is the famous Blizzard property, Overwatch! A competitive team-based FPS, Overwatch is one of Blizzard's newest unique IPs, taking place in the near future of a sci-fi inspired parallel reality. Perhaps most closely compared to Valve's Team Fortress 2, Overwatch has some similarities in both how the lore is introduced as well as game mechanics, but there are many differences as well.
Overwatch is known for its setting and cast of characters, a diverse group in design and function alike. A former test pilot who can jump through time, a blue-skinned femme fatale sniper assassin, a climate researcher with an ice-generating gun, Japanese brothers - one a bow-using scion of a criminal enterprise and the other a cyber ninja, a sentient AI monk, a rocket-jumping Egyptian armored commando, and a hat-tipping gunslinger are just a few of the many characters found in Overwatch. Lore and plot points for the characters and world as a whole come forth bit by bit and usually outside the game, in comics, cinematic and the like... but there are clues on various maps as well as special in-game events that unveil a little bit more of the world and character histories.
Each character feels unique in play as well and Blizzard has put lots of effort into balancing. At selection, characters are grouped into overarching type such as Attack, Defense, Tank, and Support and players must build a complimentary selection for their team. Luckily, there is such a wide variety of characters - even more have been added since original launch - that there are plenty of options. Even within a category such as Support characters can be vastly different with differing mechanics. There is a nice variety in map and game type as well, each with different objectives. Some have captureable areas that need to be held to 100%, others are based around an "escort" style where one team must get the "bomb/vehicle etc" to the end of the map and the other must hold out for the time limit etc. Players have the option of default casual matches as well as the "Arcade" which offers around 6 "specialty" gametypes - such a 6 v 6 death match where all characters randomize after each death or a 1v1 mirror image duel; there's also far more esoteric things like the snowball fights during the holiday events! The Arcade's contents swap frequently so there's always something new to do! These add some flair and completing each of them for the first time rewards a Loot Box, as well as playing 9 Arcade matches per weekly cycle will grant 3x more Loot Boxes. For the more competitive, there are also ranked modes that are analogous to the standard "Casual" matchmaking, but allowing players to climb the varying ladders and leagues. There are also special time-limited events which really shake things up and add new game types, such as Halloween and Uprising events that offer PVE events where a team of players work cooperatively against a horde of bots, often with a new storyline, sometimes canon sometimes not. Blizzard seems to be adding new content from characters to events at a significant rate, all included for free thus far.
This is a good time to talk of Loot Boxes, customization and monetization. Overwatch is filled to the brim with stuff to collect for each character - skins, emotes, sprays, end of match highlight reel poses/animations and more! All of these cosmetics range from Common to Legendary in rarity and are contained within Loot Boxes. with each box containing around 4 items. These boxes can be earned in game - playing Arcade Mode, leveling up your overall account XP/rank, and more - but they can also be outright purchased with real money. Its of note there is an in-game currency that, can be awarded in Loot Boxes as well, both as a direct award and in substitution for any duplicate items. This currency cannot be purchased for cash in any way, but most cosmetics have a hard currency price allowing players to save up for the skin or whatnot they really want - Legendaries can be quite expensive as one would expect - in addition to just hoping it drops from a loot box somewhere. There is no trading of any sort and all content is cosmetic in nature, unlike Team Fortress 2. Most of the time there is a single type of Loot Box, but during special time-limited events there are sometimes special Event Boxes which, in addition to the standard drops, have special cosmetics that only drop from these particular boxes and/or are able to be purchased with currency only during the event. When browsing your characters and cosmetics, you can see some icons next to various "locked" items showing they drop from one thing or another. For instance the very popular Genji "Super Sentai" legendary skin only is available during Anniversary events and there are cultural skins for Lunar New Year such as Mei's lovely Chang'e style. These events are spaced out in the year but are relatively common; many players either play/buy special loot boxes or save up their currency to buy what they want when time limited events roll around. Overall, its not the most egregeous use of Loot Boxes I've seen since there is ample opportunity to play and unlock them at least to some degree, but I am sure Blizz knows players fear of missing out on some rare limited skin and buy a whole bunch of additional boxes to try and get it before it heads back to the vault until next year.
Its worth noting that Overwatch, like most Blizzard titles, must be activated on the Battle.Net launcher; it isn't present on Steam. This sort of thing is generally annoying to me but given that Blizzard at least has a stable of thriving titles it is less bothersome...save for the lack of a Linux client of course. For what its worth though, it seems to work well via WINE and from what I hear, Proton. However, I really think that with all of Blizzard's resources it isn't too much to ask for an at least "unofficially" supported Linux client for their long running titles. Overwatch is phenomenally successful in its genre of competitive team-based FPS; if you enjoy the genre and don't yet have the game, its certainly worth a play!
Note: Amazon Prime / Twitch Prime users - Overwatch is giving extra stuff every month to Prime subscribers, so make sure you register your accounts!
SPECIAL BONUS Overwatch Loot Boxes - For anyone who picks up the October 2018 bundle, you will be granted some extra Loot Boxes starting Oct 10th. Those who stick around for November and December's Humble Monthly will also unlock additional Loot Boxes just for staying! A nice little bonus I suppose.
Hidden Folks ($8, Win/Mac/Linux) - Check out this indie, hand drawn search game - its like a digital "Where's Waldo"! In Hidden Folks you are presented with a vast vista of hand drawn artwork with simple animations . Below this crowded world is a list of figures you're looking to find - people doing different kinds of thing and the like. It isn't just a matter of picking targets out directly, but often players need to click on various parts of the scene in order for an animation to reveal those sought. Consider clicking on blinds in the window of an apartment building to reveal one of the little stick figures on your list when they open, or a figure bent over searching in the bushes will turn out to be on the list when they arise to show off what they found.
Those concerned searching for the figures on a blinding-white background graphics will sear their eyes as a result of monitor brightness, the game offers alternate color schemes including a sepia tone and an inverted "night mode" of white drawings on a black background which can be much less taxing especially in the dim hours of the evening. It is worth mentioning that the sound effects that take place when you're clicking and searching are entirely generated my mouth of the game's creators, beatbox style; apparently there are over 1400 of them! The game at the moment has no true in-game content DLC, but the sole $3 option for sale is a Mouth Sounds Pack which, by popular demand, collected together 70+ of the most popular or humorous sound effects into individual audio files for users to use as they like in a non-commercial way. I wonder if the developers will see fit to add expansion style content down the road?
Thankfully MacOSX and Linux users won't be left out of the experience as both platforms are supported, which is certainly appreciated. With an Overwhelmingly Positive score on Steam, Hidden Folks offers hours of relaxing searching through its animated pen-drawn worlds!
Dungeons 3 ($40, Win/Mac/Linux) - Just in time for October comes a chance for those to stretch their command of evil in Dungeons 3! The long running Dungeons series takes its place beside "Tyranny", the "Overlord" series, and perhaps its closest relative "War for the Overworld" as titles that invert the typical fantasy tropes of controlling the good guys versus the ultimate Sauron-like evil. Like Dungeons 2 before it (another worthwhile title and included in an earlier Humble Monthly), Dungeons 3 is a combination of simulation and RTS where you, as the Dungeon Lord, set out to conquer the surface world of goodie two shoes knights, elves and the like. Dungeons titles often have a great amount of tongue-in-cheek humor and this one is no exception, particularly with the return of the Narrator's voice ; a feature i"m glad to see return.
The game is split into two major dynamics, the first being the dungeon management sim. Starting from scratch with only a couple of "loyal" goblin-like minions (which occasionally need to be bopped on the head if they slack) you'll have to build yourself a dungeon worthy of your mighty stature. Carving out walls, finding sources of various currency, setting aside rooms for different features that enhance your dungeon, magic, and its troops, recruiting all manners of minions from orcs to skeletons to demonic succubi to defend it.... there is a comprehensive management sim here and if its anything like previous entries its quite enjoyable. Often times annoyingly heroic types from above will start to raid your dungeon so it will be up to you to put down the incursion of scared footmen, stalwart knights, healing wizards and others who are trying to ruin your days. The other side of the coin is when the Dungeon Lord (who has hulking, armored physical form), your troops, and often a new entry to the series dark elf priestess Thalya who acts as your right-hand woman and commander, ascend to the surface to scourge the source of all that nasty goodness coming your way!
Dungeons 3 offers multiple game modes and features with lots to do and claims to be the largest and most expansive Dungeons title as of yet. The single player Campaign mode is a hallmark of the series and there are many chapters and sub-missions within them. Past games of the series have built into the Campaign a nice tutorial system which I am sure returns, but a new feature this time is the possibility for randomly generated levels and a completely redone Overworld RTS system, smashing the forces of good again and again! Of particular interest however is the inclusion of a Co-Op mode for 2 players, which is indeed a welcome addition; I presume this means making Thalya playable in her own right which is a nice option.
Like its predecessor, Dungeons 3 thankfully offers full compatibility for MacOSX and Linux and is certainly to be lauded for doing so! As far as DLC is concerned, Dungeons 3 again makes smart choices by offering expansion style content DLC. At the moment, there is the "Once Upon a Time", "Evil of the Caribbean", and "Lord of the Kings" each offering new multi-level campaigns, often with a particular comedic nod towards a theme or property, for $5 a piece. At the end of September came the most recent expansion the $9 "Clash of Gods" which is an even larger expansion! Free updates and quality support are a hallmark of the Dungeons series and it sounds like the reasonably priced DLC is well worth it again for those who enjoy the core gameplay experience.
For those looking to recapture the thrils of Dungeon Keeper from the old days or to enjoy a comedic fantasy sim + RTS, Dungeons 3 is unlikely to let you down!
-
For those interested, here are all my back Humble Monthly reviews..
May - https://hardforum.com/threads/humble-monthly-bundle-may-review-and-discussion-thread.1931795/
June - (Missed writing one)
July - https://hardforum.com/threads/humble-monthly-bundle-july-2017-review-and-discussion-thread.1939318/
August - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...st-2017-review-and-discussion-thread.1941294/
September - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...er-2017-review-and-discussion-thread.1943055/
October - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...er-2017-review-and-discussion-thread.1945470/
November - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...er-2017-review-and-discussion-thread.1947730/
December - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...er-2017-review-and-discussion-thread.1949477/
Jan2018 - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...ry-2018-review-and-discussion-thread.1951895/
Feb2018 - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...ry-2018-review-and-discussion-thread.1953943/
March 2018 - https://hardforum.com/threads/humble-monthly-bundle-march-2018-review-and-discussion-thread.1956171/
April 2018 - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...-release-date-4-6-18.1957941/#post-1043572129
May 2018 - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...iscussion-thread-release-date-5-4-18.1959906/
June 2018 - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...iscussion-thread-release-date-6-1-18.1961480/
July 2018 - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...iscussion-thread-release-date-7-6-18.1963715/
August 2018 - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...iscussion-thread-release-date-8-3-18.1965425/
September 2018 - https://hardforum.com/threads/humbl...iscussion-thread-release-date-9-7-18.1966820/
October 2018 Early Unlocks
Overwatch ($40, Windows) - One of the showcase titles of October's Humble Monthly is the famous Blizzard property, Overwatch! A competitive team-based FPS, Overwatch is one of Blizzard's newest unique IPs, taking place in the near future of a sci-fi inspired parallel reality. Perhaps most closely compared to Valve's Team Fortress 2, Overwatch has some similarities in both how the lore is introduced as well as game mechanics, but there are many differences as well.
Overwatch is known for its setting and cast of characters, a diverse group in design and function alike. A former test pilot who can jump through time, a blue-skinned femme fatale sniper assassin, a climate researcher with an ice-generating gun, Japanese brothers - one a bow-using scion of a criminal enterprise and the other a cyber ninja, a sentient AI monk, a rocket-jumping Egyptian armored commando, and a hat-tipping gunslinger are just a few of the many characters found in Overwatch. Lore and plot points for the characters and world as a whole come forth bit by bit and usually outside the game, in comics, cinematic and the like... but there are clues on various maps as well as special in-game events that unveil a little bit more of the world and character histories.
Each character feels unique in play as well and Blizzard has put lots of effort into balancing. At selection, characters are grouped into overarching type such as Attack, Defense, Tank, and Support and players must build a complimentary selection for their team. Luckily, there is such a wide variety of characters - even more have been added since original launch - that there are plenty of options. Even within a category such as Support characters can be vastly different with differing mechanics. There is a nice variety in map and game type as well, each with different objectives. Some have captureable areas that need to be held to 100%, others are based around an "escort" style where one team must get the "bomb/vehicle etc" to the end of the map and the other must hold out for the time limit etc. Players have the option of default casual matches as well as the "Arcade" which offers around 6 "specialty" gametypes - such a 6 v 6 death match where all characters randomize after each death or a 1v1 mirror image duel; there's also far more esoteric things like the snowball fights during the holiday events! The Arcade's contents swap frequently so there's always something new to do! These add some flair and completing each of them for the first time rewards a Loot Box, as well as playing 9 Arcade matches per weekly cycle will grant 3x more Loot Boxes. For the more competitive, there are also ranked modes that are analogous to the standard "Casual" matchmaking, but allowing players to climb the varying ladders and leagues. There are also special time-limited events which really shake things up and add new game types, such as Halloween and Uprising events that offer PVE events where a team of players work cooperatively against a horde of bots, often with a new storyline, sometimes canon sometimes not. Blizzard seems to be adding new content from characters to events at a significant rate, all included for free thus far.
This is a good time to talk of Loot Boxes, customization and monetization. Overwatch is filled to the brim with stuff to collect for each character - skins, emotes, sprays, end of match highlight reel poses/animations and more! All of these cosmetics range from Common to Legendary in rarity and are contained within Loot Boxes. with each box containing around 4 items. These boxes can be earned in game - playing Arcade Mode, leveling up your overall account XP/rank, and more - but they can also be outright purchased with real money. Its of note there is an in-game currency that, can be awarded in Loot Boxes as well, both as a direct award and in substitution for any duplicate items. This currency cannot be purchased for cash in any way, but most cosmetics have a hard currency price allowing players to save up for the skin or whatnot they really want - Legendaries can be quite expensive as one would expect - in addition to just hoping it drops from a loot box somewhere. There is no trading of any sort and all content is cosmetic in nature, unlike Team Fortress 2. Most of the time there is a single type of Loot Box, but during special time-limited events there are sometimes special Event Boxes which, in addition to the standard drops, have special cosmetics that only drop from these particular boxes and/or are able to be purchased with currency only during the event. When browsing your characters and cosmetics, you can see some icons next to various "locked" items showing they drop from one thing or another. For instance the very popular Genji "Super Sentai" legendary skin only is available during Anniversary events and there are cultural skins for Lunar New Year such as Mei's lovely Chang'e style. These events are spaced out in the year but are relatively common; many players either play/buy special loot boxes or save up their currency to buy what they want when time limited events roll around. Overall, its not the most egregeous use of Loot Boxes I've seen since there is ample opportunity to play and unlock them at least to some degree, but I am sure Blizz knows players fear of missing out on some rare limited skin and buy a whole bunch of additional boxes to try and get it before it heads back to the vault until next year.
Its worth noting that Overwatch, like most Blizzard titles, must be activated on the Battle.Net launcher; it isn't present on Steam. This sort of thing is generally annoying to me but given that Blizzard at least has a stable of thriving titles it is less bothersome...save for the lack of a Linux client of course. For what its worth though, it seems to work well via WINE and from what I hear, Proton. However, I really think that with all of Blizzard's resources it isn't too much to ask for an at least "unofficially" supported Linux client for their long running titles. Overwatch is phenomenally successful in its genre of competitive team-based FPS; if you enjoy the genre and don't yet have the game, its certainly worth a play!
Note: Amazon Prime / Twitch Prime users - Overwatch is giving extra stuff every month to Prime subscribers, so make sure you register your accounts!
SPECIAL BONUS Overwatch Loot Boxes - For anyone who picks up the October 2018 bundle, you will be granted some extra Loot Boxes starting Oct 10th. Those who stick around for November and December's Humble Monthly will also unlock additional Loot Boxes just for staying! A nice little bonus I suppose.
Hidden Folks ($8, Win/Mac/Linux) - Check out this indie, hand drawn search game - its like a digital "Where's Waldo"! In Hidden Folks you are presented with a vast vista of hand drawn artwork with simple animations . Below this crowded world is a list of figures you're looking to find - people doing different kinds of thing and the like. It isn't just a matter of picking targets out directly, but often players need to click on various parts of the scene in order for an animation to reveal those sought. Consider clicking on blinds in the window of an apartment building to reveal one of the little stick figures on your list when they open, or a figure bent over searching in the bushes will turn out to be on the list when they arise to show off what they found.
Those concerned searching for the figures on a blinding-white background graphics will sear their eyes as a result of monitor brightness, the game offers alternate color schemes including a sepia tone and an inverted "night mode" of white drawings on a black background which can be much less taxing especially in the dim hours of the evening. It is worth mentioning that the sound effects that take place when you're clicking and searching are entirely generated my mouth of the game's creators, beatbox style; apparently there are over 1400 of them! The game at the moment has no true in-game content DLC, but the sole $3 option for sale is a Mouth Sounds Pack which, by popular demand, collected together 70+ of the most popular or humorous sound effects into individual audio files for users to use as they like in a non-commercial way. I wonder if the developers will see fit to add expansion style content down the road?
Thankfully MacOSX and Linux users won't be left out of the experience as both platforms are supported, which is certainly appreciated. With an Overwhelmingly Positive score on Steam, Hidden Folks offers hours of relaxing searching through its animated pen-drawn worlds!
Dungeons 3 ($40, Win/Mac/Linux) - Just in time for October comes a chance for those to stretch their command of evil in Dungeons 3! The long running Dungeons series takes its place beside "Tyranny", the "Overlord" series, and perhaps its closest relative "War for the Overworld" as titles that invert the typical fantasy tropes of controlling the good guys versus the ultimate Sauron-like evil. Like Dungeons 2 before it (another worthwhile title and included in an earlier Humble Monthly), Dungeons 3 is a combination of simulation and RTS where you, as the Dungeon Lord, set out to conquer the surface world of goodie two shoes knights, elves and the like. Dungeons titles often have a great amount of tongue-in-cheek humor and this one is no exception, particularly with the return of the Narrator's voice ; a feature i"m glad to see return.
The game is split into two major dynamics, the first being the dungeon management sim. Starting from scratch with only a couple of "loyal" goblin-like minions (which occasionally need to be bopped on the head if they slack) you'll have to build yourself a dungeon worthy of your mighty stature. Carving out walls, finding sources of various currency, setting aside rooms for different features that enhance your dungeon, magic, and its troops, recruiting all manners of minions from orcs to skeletons to demonic succubi to defend it.... there is a comprehensive management sim here and if its anything like previous entries its quite enjoyable. Often times annoyingly heroic types from above will start to raid your dungeon so it will be up to you to put down the incursion of scared footmen, stalwart knights, healing wizards and others who are trying to ruin your days. The other side of the coin is when the Dungeon Lord (who has hulking, armored physical form), your troops, and often a new entry to the series dark elf priestess Thalya who acts as your right-hand woman and commander, ascend to the surface to scourge the source of all that nasty goodness coming your way!
Dungeons 3 offers multiple game modes and features with lots to do and claims to be the largest and most expansive Dungeons title as of yet. The single player Campaign mode is a hallmark of the series and there are many chapters and sub-missions within them. Past games of the series have built into the Campaign a nice tutorial system which I am sure returns, but a new feature this time is the possibility for randomly generated levels and a completely redone Overworld RTS system, smashing the forces of good again and again! Of particular interest however is the inclusion of a Co-Op mode for 2 players, which is indeed a welcome addition; I presume this means making Thalya playable in her own right which is a nice option.
Like its predecessor, Dungeons 3 thankfully offers full compatibility for MacOSX and Linux and is certainly to be lauded for doing so! As far as DLC is concerned, Dungeons 3 again makes smart choices by offering expansion style content DLC. At the moment, there is the "Once Upon a Time", "Evil of the Caribbean", and "Lord of the Kings" each offering new multi-level campaigns, often with a particular comedic nod towards a theme or property, for $5 a piece. At the end of September came the most recent expansion the $9 "Clash of Gods" which is an even larger expansion! Free updates and quality support are a hallmark of the Dungeons series and it sounds like the reasonably priced DLC is well worth it again for those who enjoy the core gameplay experience.
For those looking to recapture the thrils of Dungeon Keeper from the old days or to enjoy a comedic fantasy sim + RTS, Dungeons 3 is unlikely to let you down!
-
