Path: ...!Xl.tags.giganews.com!local-4.nntp.ord.giganews.com!news.giganews.com.POSTED!not-for-mail NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 04 Sep 2024 14:46:23 +0000 From: Spalls Hurgenson Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action Subject: Humble Choice September 2024 Date: Wed, 04 Sep 2024 10:46:24 -0400 Message-ID: X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 2.0/32.652 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Lines: 115 X-Usenet-Provider: http://www.giganews.com X-Trace: sv3-UKq7Z4BGyQPqL9SXT4EL6tAT86ZY7+55zZaU3En//oau9EaGANpQbSgSAjQMQesl18PhlPn7pR/9Tmq!prlxxdR8CPUQlUUYWE8UKelbtSl1tQHcsXt+/tyU6kXOCcP8MZUF8812oRdSP3P0nGcLsbqA X-Complaints-To: abuse@giganews.com X-DMCA-Notifications: http://www.giganews.com/info/dmca.html X-Abuse-and-DMCA-Info: Please be sure to forward a copy of ALL headers X-Abuse-and-DMCA-Info: Otherwise we will be unable to process your complaint properly X-Postfilter: 1.3.40 Bytes: 5537 [I posted this yesterday, but it looks as if it never got through. Let's try again. Apologies if it duplicates] It's the start of a new month, which means it's time for a flood of new games from HumbleChoice. Still not free, but usually worth the cost of entry. We'll see if the trend continues! * Marvels Guardians of the Galaxy https://store.steampowered.com/app/1088850/Marvels_Guardians_of_the_Galaxy/ You can probably guess what this game is all about by its title alone; an action/RPG based on the popular movie franchise. Generally well regarded, with the biggest complaint being that, ultimately, it doesn't break any new ground narratively or mechanically. It's fine. * Stranded: Alien Dawn https://store.steampowered.com/app/1324130/Stranded_Alien_Dawn/ Another of the myriad open-world, first-person survival games. This time you're plonked down on an alien planet, but other than that it isn't much different from "Raft" or "Rimworld" or "Ark" or any of the others. It's not bad, but it lacks originality. If you've never played any of its competitors, you might as well play this one; otherwise, "Stranded" offers nothing new. * Coral Island https://store.steampowered.com/app/1158160/Coral_Island/ Essentially "Harvest Moon" or "Animal Crossing", except this time set on a tropical island. Really, that's pretty much all there is to say about it. If you like these sort of cozy games, you'll likely enjoy this one too. Otherwise, its hard to recommend over its competitors. * Spongebob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake https://store.steampowered.com/app/1282150/SpongeBob_SquarePants_The_Cosmic_Shake/ It's Spongebob; I don't care enough to give it a description. If you -or your kids- like the character, here is another video game featuring him. * Lost Eidolons https://store.steampowered.com/app/1580520/Lost_Eidolons/?curator_clanid=44473362 A turn-based strategy/RPG, akin to the old "Fire Emblem" games on Nintendo. Unpolished, limited in scope, and with a rough difficulty curve, it's a type of game that is an acquired taste. Not really to my liking. * Astrea: Six-Sided Oracles https://store.steampowered.com/app/1755830/Astrea_SixSided_Oracles/ The game's description says, "Astrea is a DICE-deck- building roguelike" and that's about where I tuned out. I'm sorry; this might be the greatest game in the world, but deck-building mechanics just piss me off. Nope. * Infraspace https://store.steampowered.com/app/1511460/InfraSpace/ Hey! This game was actually on my wishlist! I mean, I knew I was never going to actually BUY it until it dropped down to the <$5USD price-point, but it was something I wanted! Anyway, it's another in a long line of 'factory-building' style games, where the real puzzle is managing the routing of resources (and finished goods). Honestly, the whole genre is a bit too fiddly for me to really enjoy it --I prefer the more hands-off approach in games like "Cities Skylines"-- but I like giving games like Infraspace a try, even if I know I'm not going to stick with them very long. Thanks Humble! * You Suck At Parking https://store.steampowered.com/app/837880/You_Suck_at_Parking__Complete_Edition/ A racing game with the hook that stopping in a very particular spot (your parking space) is as important as getting there first. I'd probably enjoy this one more if it wasn't a top-down racer, MicroMachines- style. I never could get the hang of those. So, I'll be honest: this month's selection is leaving me a bit unsatisfied. But that's not because the games aren't good; it's just that so many of them aren't the sort of game I'd want to play. Still, just getting "Infraspace" on Steam is worth the price of admission for me, and there are a few others I'll want to at least take a look at. Not a great month, but not a total wipe either. And anyway, it's not like I don't have a huge backlog of games already ;-) But hopefully next month's HumbleChoice selections will be a bit more to my liking. I guess we'll find out in thirty* days! -------------- * technically, 28 days. This message is to pre-empt any pedants who'd feel it necessary to correct me. ;-)