Gaming

New Humble Bundle Offers Games From Square Enix
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New Humble Bundle Offers Games From Square Enix

Today the latest Humble Bundle has gone on sale and it offers a good selection of games from the Square Enix library including all the entries in the Deus Ex franchise, titles in the Hitman series, and a variety of other titles that they have published over the years. At the usual “pay what you want” tier ($1 pledged or more is required for Steam keys) there’s the following selection of games.

  • Thief Gold (92% PC, 10/1999): An expanded version of Thief: The Dark Project which is a stealth game where the player takes control of a master thief who must complete objectives without being detected.
  • Daikatana (N/A PC, 04/2000): A first person shooter game which takes place across different time periods and locations.
  • Mini Ninjas (74% PC, 09/2009): A third person action adventure game where players control one of six playable characters, each with different items and abilities.
  • Anachronox (77% PC, 06/2001): A third person role playing game where the player assumes the role of a private investigator who stumbles upon a mystery that threatens the fate of the universe.
  • Hitman: Codename 47 (73% PC, 11/2000): A stealth game where players take the role of a trained hitman tasked with assassinating criminal masterminds involved in experiments that had been performed on the character.
  • Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (87% PC, 09/2002): A sequel to Hitman: Codename 47 where the player again takes the role of Agent 47 and must complete missions involving the assassination of various targets.

By beating the average price which at the time of writing is at $6.63 and trending upward, a selection of more recent titles is unlocked. It’s worth noting that this pricing bracket includes two games in the Deus Ex series, albeit the lesser praised of the four Deus Ex titles. More titles are expected to be added to the list below in the coming days.

  • Deus Ex: Invisible War (80% PC, 12/2003): A first person shooter which is a direct sequel to the original Deus Ex which combines elements of RPG and FPS games and puts the player in a technologically advanced world filled with conspiracy .
  • Deus Ex: The Fall (46% PC, 69% iOS, 07/2013): A title which originally launched on iOS and was later brought to Android and PC. It continues the story of the Deus Ex: Icarus Effect novel and features similar gameplay elements to Deus Ex: Human Revolution
  • Hitman Absolution (79% PC, 11/2012): The most recent entry in the Hitman franchise. Features similar gameplay to the previous games while continuing the main character’s story.
  • Nosgoth Veteran Pack (N/A PC, 2014): A booster pack for an upcoming free-to-play action game that is currently in Early Acess status on steam.
  • Battlestations: Midway (76% PC, 01/2007): An action game that lets the player control various air, sea, and underwater vehicles as part of naval battles during World War II.

Finally, paying more than $14.99 unlocks the whole selection of titles including some very recent ones like Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director’s Cut and Just Cause 2. The original Deus Ex: Game of the Year edition is also included which rounds off the Deus Ex games for anyone who wishes to pick up the entire series in this bundle. The full list of games in the $14.99 tier is laid out below.

  • Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director’s Cut (91% PC, 08/2011): A prequel to the original Deus Ex. Combines elements of FPS and RPG games allowing the player to modify themselves with various mechanical augmentations and to perform various side quests in addition to the main story. The director’s cut includes the Deus Ex: Missing Link DLC which was originally released after the original game.
  • Just Cause 2 (84% PC, 03/2010): An open world action-adventure game that lets the player complete objectives in various different ways with an array of weapons and vehicles along with the ability to reach great vertical heights using grappling hooks and parachutes.
  • Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (82% PC, 08/2010): A platform adventure game where the character must use various weapons and skills to solve puzzles and traverse levels.
  • Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition (90% PC, 06/2000): A game which combines various elements of action, stealth, FPS, and RPG games. The player progresses through the game while upgrading their character’s nano augmentations and uncovering various conspiracies involving groups like the Illuminati and Majestic 12.
  • Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days (66% PC, 08/2010): A third person shooter game where the player takes control of two criminals trying to keep alive after an arms deal goes wrong.

While it’s not the most incredible Humble Bundle that has ever been put out, the Square Enix bundle offers a solid collection of games. Personally I believe that just picking up the entire Deus Ex series is well worth the $14.99 and everything on top like Just Cause 2 and Hitman: Absolution is just an added bonus. The Humble Square Enix Bundle will run for the next two weeks and payments can be split between Square Enix, the GamesAid and Make-A-Wish charities, and Humble Bundle, Inc. to help them continue to run these game bundles.

Humble Weekly: Liebesgrüße aus Deutschland
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Humble Weekly: Liebesgrüße aus Deutschland

Okay, pardon my potentially horrible German (and a James Bond reference for good measure!), but it was worth a shot. The latest Humble Weekly Bundle includes up to twelve games, all from German developers. The core bundle has a “pay what you want” price ($1 or more for Steam codes; DRM-free version of five of the seven core games are available for any donation), with three more games if you beat the current average price ($3.81 right now), and finally two additional games if you donate $9 or more. I’m used to seeing Child’s Play Charity and the American Red Cross as the standard donation options, but this week the two charities are Doctors Without Borders and Make-A-Wish, so if you’d like to help those causes it’s another reason to pick up some of these games. Here’s the short list, ordered alphabetically within the pricing tiers:

  • Beatbuddy: Tale of Guardians (75%, 08/2013 – $1+): puzzle-platformer with a world that responds to the soundtrack, with rhythm/adventure elements thrown it for good measure.
  • Crazy Machines 2 (72%, 06/2008 – $1+): solve increasingly challenging/complex puzzles by building Rube-Goldberg-inspired machines.
  • Galaxy on Fire 2 (63%, 08/2012 – $1+): open-ended space shooter/simulation with an optional story you can follow; updated graphics relative to the original iOS release.
  • The Great Jitters: Pudding Panic (~60%, 05/2014 – $1+): a port of a popular iOS game, you guide a scared blob of pudding down the rails of a ghost train – try not to faint! (Reviews of the original iOS version are very positive, but the PC port is so new that I haven’t seen any reviews yet. Personally…I rate it about a 60%; it’s a weak port, with no resolution support above 1024×768 and the gameplay with a mouse is undoubtedly not as compelling as with a touchscreen.)
  • The Guild II Collection (~61%, 10/2006 – $1+): this collection includes the original medieval strategy/RPG “life simulation”, along with the two follow up games Pirates of the High Seas (63%, 2007) and Renaissance (56%, 2010). You can choose from a number of professions and then life out your life in the game world.
  • Spirits (~60%, 02/2012 – $1+): a puzzle/action game with concepts similar to Lemmings, if you go that far back. Guide the autumn leaves home by altering the way the wind blows and changing the ground.
  • Tiny & Big: Grandpa’s Leftovers (75%, 06/2012 – $1+): a 3D cell-shaded puzzle-platformer where you manipulate the environment with various tools to try to recover a lost relic (Grandpa’s Underpants); this was part of another recent bundle, but if you missed it you can pick it up here.
  • ArcaniA – Gothic 4 (63%, 10/2010 – BTA): an open-world RPG in the vein of the Elder Scrolls series, this fourth installment moves to more tropical island environment.
  • The Book of Unwritten Tales Digital Deluxe Edition (82%, 10/2011 – BTA): this is a classic-style point-and-click adventure game from the Unwritten Tales series, originally funded/launched via Kickstarter. This includes a “making of” booklet and original soundtrack as part of the “Digital Deluxe” package; not to be confused with the later installment in the series, the Critter Chronicles.
  • Risen (77%, 10/2009 – BTA): if you’ve finished reading all of the Elder Scrolls and beaten Gothic and you’re still looking for more open-world RPG adventuring, you might want to check out the world of Risen – it’s good for another 50+ hours of gameplay.
  • Giana Sisters: Twisted Bundle (~80%, 2012-2013 – $9+): this is a two-for-one bundle that gives you the original Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams (77%) and the Rise of the Owlverlord (84%), with the latter providing seven new levels. Giana Sisters is a platformer (and another game that started at Kickstarter), with the key mechanic being that switching between the two “sisters” alters the entire game world.
  • The Night of the Rabbit: Premium Edition (75%, 05/2013 – $9+): last but not least, this is another point-and-click adventure that involves you following a white rabbit to the world of…no, not Wonderland, Mousewood! Help young Jerry fulfill his dream of becoming a magician, and in the process save Mousewood.

I think the “beat the average” portion of this bundle is a pretty easy sell, as you get ten games and at least a few of them should be worthy of your time. The $9 tier isn’t too bad either, provided you don’t already own one or both games. I grew up playing quite a few point-and-click adventure games but the genre lost me as I grew older; with young children of my own now, however, getting some family friendly fare that might stretch their brains a bit is always welcome. I’m not sure I’d rate the bundle as “wunderbar”, but “gut genug” in this case was sufficient to help me part with some of my money. And as an added bonus for making it this far, I have some extra codes for Beatbuddy, Tiny & Big, and Risen, so the first people to ask me for a game code can get a Steam gift code from me.

Humble Weekly: Liebesgrüße aus Deutschland
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Humble Weekly: Liebesgrüße aus Deutschland

Okay, pardon my potentially horrible German (and a James Bond reference for good measure!), but it was worth a shot. The latest Humble Weekly Bundle includes up to twelve games, all from German developers. The core bundle has a “pay what you want” price ($1 or more for Steam codes; DRM-free version of five of the seven core games are available for any donation), with three more games if you beat the current average price ($3.81 right now), and finally two additional games if you donate $9 or more. I’m used to seeing Child’s Play Charity and the American Red Cross as the standard donation options, but this week the two charities are Doctors Without Borders and Make-A-Wish, so if you’d like to help those causes it’s another reason to pick up some of these games. Here’s the short list, ordered alphabetically within the pricing tiers:

  • Beatbuddy: Tale of Guardians (75%, 08/2013 – $1+): puzzle-platformer with a world that responds to the soundtrack, with rhythm/adventure elements thrown it for good measure.
  • Crazy Machines 2 (72%, 06/2008 – $1+): solve increasingly challenging/complex puzzles by building Rube-Goldberg-inspired machines.
  • Galaxy on Fire 2 (63%, 08/2012 – $1+): open-ended space shooter/simulation with an optional story you can follow; updated graphics relative to the original iOS release.
  • The Great Jitters: Pudding Panic (~60%, 05/2014 – $1+): a port of a popular iOS game, you guide a scared blob of pudding down the rails of a ghost train – try not to faint! (Reviews of the original iOS version are very positive, but the PC port is so new that I haven’t seen any reviews yet. Personally…I rate it about a 60%; it’s a weak port, with no resolution support above 1024×768 and the gameplay with a mouse is undoubtedly not as compelling as with a touchscreen.)
  • The Guild II Collection (~61%, 10/2006 – $1+): this collection includes the original medieval strategy/RPG “life simulation”, along with the two follow up games Pirates of the High Seas (63%, 2007) and Renaissance (56%, 2010). You can choose from a number of professions and then life out your life in the game world.
  • Spirits (~60%, 02/2012 – $1+): a puzzle/action game with concepts similar to Lemmings, if you go that far back. Guide the autumn leaves home by altering the way the wind blows and changing the ground.
  • Tiny & Big: Grandpa’s Leftovers (75%, 06/2012 – $1+): a 3D cell-shaded puzzle-platformer where you manipulate the environment with various tools to try to recover a lost relic (Grandpa’s Underpants); this was part of another recent bundle, but if you missed it you can pick it up here.
  • ArcaniA – Gothic 4 (63%, 10/2010 – BTA): an open-world RPG in the vein of the Elder Scrolls series, this fourth installment moves to more tropical island environment.
  • The Book of Unwritten Tales Digital Deluxe Edition (82%, 10/2011 – BTA): this is a classic-style point-and-click adventure game from the Unwritten Tales series, originally funded/launched via Kickstarter. This includes a “making of” booklet and original soundtrack as part of the “Digital Deluxe” package; not to be confused with the later installment in the series, the Critter Chronicles.
  • Risen (77%, 10/2009 – BTA): if you’ve finished reading all of the Elder Scrolls and beaten Gothic and you’re still looking for more open-world RPG adventuring, you might want to check out the world of Risen – it’s good for another 50+ hours of gameplay.
  • Giana Sisters: Twisted Bundle (~80%, 2012-2013 – $9+): this is a two-for-one bundle that gives you the original Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams (77%) and the Rise of the Owlverlord (84%), with the latter providing seven new levels. Giana Sisters is a platformer (and another game that started at Kickstarter), with the key mechanic being that switching between the two “sisters” alters the entire game world.
  • The Night of the Rabbit: Premium Edition (75%, 05/2013 – $9+): last but not least, this is another point-and-click adventure that involves you following a white rabbit to the world of…no, not Wonderland, Mousewood! Help young Jerry fulfill his dream of becoming a magician, and in the process save Mousewood.

I think the “beat the average” portion of this bundle is a pretty easy sell, as you get ten games and at least a few of them should be worthy of your time. The $9 tier isn’t too bad either, provided you don’t already own one or both games. I grew up playing quite a few point-and-click adventure games but the genre lost me as I grew older; with young children of my own now, however, getting some family friendly fare that might stretch their brains a bit is always welcome. I’m not sure I’d rate the bundle as “wunderbar”, but “gut genug” in this case was sufficient to help me part with some of my money. And as an added bonus for making it this far, I have some extra codes for Beatbuddy, Tiny & Big, and Risen, so the first people to ask me for a game code can get a Steam gift code from me.

Humble Bundle Weekly: RPG Maker
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Humble Bundle Weekly: RPG Maker

It’s Thursday again, so you know what that means: a new Humble Weekly Bundle. This week the core package is RPG Maker VX Ace, a tool which can be used to make [Drumroll…] your own RPGs. Surprise! I always had dreams of being a game designer as a youth, and while I never did much with the idea I do know there are plenty of budding designers still out there. Hopefully some of you can make use of this package to get your start. The collection of games have all been created with RPG Maker (some with VX Ace, some with earlier versions), and while you can buy some of the games, others are available free so there’s nothing special here other than providing you with a different means to download the games. There are three tiers for this bundle: “pay what you want” ($1 minimum for Steam codes), $6 or more, and $12 or more. Here’s the list of games/tools, grouped by pricing tiers:

Pay What You Want ($1)

  • RPG Maker VX Ace (~75%, 03/2012): not a game as such but a tool that can be used to create games. The graphics created won’t be cutting edge, but you can still have a lot of fun regardless.
  • RPM Maker DLC Bundle #1 (N/A, 2012): more assets – tiles, music, sound effects – to use in the games you create. Includes Royal Tiles Resource Pack, Adventurer’s Journey (music), Tyler Warren’s First 50 Battler Pack (50 monsters), and Modern Day Music Mini Pack.
  • Skyborn (N/A, 03/2012): only two reviews have been submitted, but both liked this JRPG-style game.
  • Sweet Lily Dreams (N/A, 12/2011): created with an earlier version of RPG Maker (I think?)
  • RPG Maker Free Games Bundle #1 (N/A): includes four games – In Search of Immortality, Legionwood: The Tale of Two Swords, Star Stealing Prince, and The Reconstruction. These games are all free downloads so basically this is a collection of “best of” games built with RPG Maker.

$6 or Higher Donation

  • RPG Maker XP (N/A, 09/2005): an earlier version of the RPG Maker software. Why do you need this if you have VX Ace? Don’t ask me!
  • RPG Maker – Exclusive Resource Pack (N/A, 05/2014): exclusive content just for the Humble Bundle – 21 new songs as well as reworked RTP town tilesets.
  • RPG Maker DLC Bundle #2 (N/A, 2013): more DLC packs for content creators – includes High Fantasy Resource Pack 1, High Fantasy Main Party Pack 1, Futuristic Tiles Resource Pack, Inspirational Music Pack Volume 1, Tyler Warren’s Second 50 Battler Pack, and the Humble-exclusive Steampunk/Western Preview (for an upcoming DLC).
  • To The Moon (81%, 09/2012): fulfill a dying man’s last wish as you travel through his memories.
  • Deadly Sin 2 (N/A, 05/2014): from the same team that created Skyborn (Dancing Dragon Games), this 20-30 hour epic has you trying to save the Empire. Note that this is not a direct sequel to Deadly Sin and can be played on its own.
  • RPG Maker Free Games Bundle #2 (N/A): as above, there are four games here that are available elsewhere for free, specifically Homework Salesman, I Miss the Sunrise, Aetherion, and Visions and Voices.

$12 or Higher Donation

  • Game Character Hub (N/A, 05/2014): a software package to help you manage and edit 2D art assets.
  • RPG Maker DLC Bundle #3 (N/A, 2014): four more DLC packs with two Humble exclusives – Zombie Survival Graphic Pack, Rural Farm Tiles Resource Pack, Joel Steudler’s All Music Sampler (mix of tracks from his RPG Maker releases), and Best of Member+ Resource Sampler (a Humble exclusive providing a collection of resources normally only available through the Member+ program).
  • Legionwood 2: Rise of the Eternal’s Realm (N/A, 05/2014): a brand new release and the sequel to the earlier free game.

This is clearly a bundle targeting wannabe game developers/designers more than RPG fans. Not even counting the games, the cost of purchasing all of the software and DLC packs in this bundle normally comes to around $300 (note that Steam currently has a sale on most of the RPG Maker assets), though I’m not sure if there’s much point to owning and using RPG Maker XP when you have the newer VX Acer version. However, it’s not the tools so much as what you can do with them that matters, and I suspect despite claims to the contrary, you’ll need to spend a decent amount of time with the tools before you can create anything really noteworthy.

You can even create commercial games using the various tools, though I’m not sure how viable it is to sell such games unless you invest a lot of time and effort into creating your own assets – otherwise, it’s just new stories with the same graphics and music that numerous other RPG Maker games have used. Another complaint I have with the created games is that the support for different resolutions appears limited (or perhaps non-existent), so many of the games look like they’re 1024×768 affairs.

If I were 25 years younger I’d probably be a lot more interested in trying my hand at RPG Maker, but as a grumpy old man I’m more content to see what others have created. To that end, if you’re just looking for free RPGs, you could skip this bundle and instead check out all of the free content on RPGMaker.net. The quality of user-created content will vary greatly, naturally, and the best games will likely end up turning into commercial products I suspect. Even if you just want games, though, at $12 for the entire bundle you still pick up more than $50 worth of games (i.e. not counting the free games), so that’s not bad. Now if I just had about 500 hours to spend playing nothing but classic-style RPGs, I’d be set!

On a similar note, if you’re looking for tools to create your own games, Bundle Stars has a similar deal running for Axis Game Factory Premium for $9.99 with ~13 days remaining.

Humble Bundle Returns: PC and Android 10
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Humble Bundle Returns: PC and Android 10

I’ll be honest: I’m really glad the “14 days of bundles” is over, as what started as something potentially interesting eventually became a series of mediocre bundles. I did buy a few of them, I haven’t played most of t…