Re: Humble Choice April 2024

On 4/4/2024 8:30 AM, Werner P. wrote:

As usual 2-3 games on the list are worth my time.
 That is basically the general scheme every month.
So yes it is worth the price!
 Werner
   Am 03.04.24 um 02:35 schrieb Spalls Hurgenson:

>
Another month, another chance to grab eight more games on the cheap.
But are they games worth adding to the library, or just filler to make
The Number go up? Let's find out.
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* Victoria 3
https://store.steampowered.com/app/529340/Victoria_3/
     You rarely can go wrong with a Paradox Interactive
     strategy game... assuming you like their style of
     game, of course. I'm somewhat on the fence about
     their games. However, V3 is a bit of a departure
     from the earlier games in the franchise, as the
     developers simplified a number of mechanics (most
     notably combat), and fans of the older games aren't
     happy. But if you've never played any of the
     "Victoria" games before, you might enjoy this
     one more because these changes make it easier for
     newbies to get a handle on things. My biggest
     complaint is that - like so many Paradox
     Interactive games - there is a lot of content
     locked behind paid DLC.
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* Callisto Protocol, The
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1544020/The_Callisto_Protocol/
     <grumble> I wish this game had been added to
     HumbleChoice two months ago, before I bought it
     on Steam. Oh well, I'm sure I'll find some use
     for this second copy. "Callisto" is basically
     a "Dead Space" clone, and a pretty good one too.
     Not as good as the game its emulating, but
     still pretty good. Definitely worth a play if
     you like this style of game.
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* Humankind (Definitive Edition)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1124300/HUMANKIND/
     A classic 4X strategy game in the style of
     "Civilization". Oh, you can tell how much this
     game wants to be the next "Civilization". But it's
     not. Sure, it emulates those games, and fans of
     the genre can get some enjoyment out of it because
     of that, but it lacks the polish and balancing
     that made the Microprose (and later Firaxis)
     games so compelling. It's an above-average 4X,
     but it lacks the spark and genius that make
     the "Civilization" games so riveting.
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* Fashion Police Squad
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1319460/Fashion_Police_Squad/
     At first glance, you might assume this tongue-in-
     cheek game is a 'boomer shooter', but I'm not sure
     that really fits. Yes, it's an FPS with retro
     graphics, but it lacks the intensity of a true
     boomshoot. It's just a mediocre FPS with old-school
     graphics and try-hard humor that's hoping its
     visual style will mask its deficiencies.
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* Terraformers
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1244800/Terraformers/
     The game describes itself as a "A turn-based
     colony builder", which pretty much tells you all
     you need to know about it. Well, mostly; that
     description implies a certain sandbox elements,
     whereas this game is almost board-game like, with
     random events and powers (sadly, using a deck-
     building motif) adding pressure to the gameplay.
     The actual colony building aspect is actually
     fairly simplistic; its more about scrambling for
     resources than construction. In some respects, it
     feels a bit like a mobile game; something you
     play in short bursts rather than long sessions
     where you watch your creation grow.
     Conceptually, it looks interesting but I'm not
     sure it's the sort of game I would enjoy.
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* Excavation of Hob's Barrow, The
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1182310/The_Excavation_of_Hobs_Barrow/
     Golly! A traditional, side-view retro-graphic'd
     adventure game in the style of the old Sierra
     classics. Not, perhaps, the most challenging
     game but it plays fairly true to those oldies,
     and has strong story and interesting characters.
     A definite throwback to the old times, which is
     great if you like that style (I certainly do)
     but more modern gamers might find it a bit slow.
>
* Coromon
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1218210/Coromon/
     "Palworld" might have gotten a lot of flak for
     being a Pokemon clone, but "Coromon" is a lot
     closer to the original Gameboy classics. Heck,
     its motto is "Capture monsters, train, farm!"
     and if that's not enough, one look at its
     screenshots will immediately tell you what
     this game is aping. If you love Pokemon but
     for some reason don't want to PLAY Pokemon, I
     guess this game is for you. Myself, I never got
     into the Pokeman craze so I'm not at all
     excited about this clone.
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* Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1488200/Symphony_of_War_The_Nephilim_Saga/
     An old-school JRPG in the style of those old
     SNES classics. Again, this is a game whose
     appeal depends heavily on your fondness of a
     certain genre of old-timey games. If you weren't
     a huge fan of the classic "Zeldas" and "Final
     Fantasy" and "DragonQuest" games, then I doubt
     this one will convince you otherwise. But it's
     a solidly made game (although its close emulation
     of the old-time style can sometimes make the
     game feel... well, old!) and old-school JRPG
     fans will probably love this one.
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So... it looks like the theme of this month's selection is "games that
remind you of other, better games", e.g., "Callisto Protocol->Dead
Space", "Humankind->Civilization", ""Symphony of War->Final Fantasy",
"Coromon->Pokemon". That doesn't mean all of the clones are bad games,
but - as they're aping the classics - they lake the novelty and charm
of the originals.
>
Still, there are a number of games on the list that appeal to me, and
- if I didn't own it already - "Callisto Protocol" alone would have
made this month's Choice worth it. Well, I'll just have to make do
with "Victoria 3" and "Hobs Barrow". It's not a great month of games,
but not a bad one either; HumbleChoice is holding steady.
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I'm already happy if there's one a month that I find at least somewhat interesting.