Handsome & Humble: November Issue
Handsome & Humble is an ongoing series from Handsome Phantom about the games in the Humble Monthly Bundle. Humble Monthly is subscription service ($12 per month) from Humble that give subscribers a bundle of PC games each month. There are always some AAA titles, as well as a handful of indie games. The bundles are usually worth somewhere around $200, so we think its an awesome value for what subscribers pay.
Subscribers also have the option to pay for the next month’s bundle early, in order to get the “early unlock,” which is typically two or three of the games from the next month’s bundle. Handsome and Humble is the monthly series where we look at what you’ll get in the early unlock as well as a quick overview of the games from the last bundle.
This month, if you paid for the early unlock, you’ll receive a copy of Hollow Knight, Hitman: The Complete First Season, and 7 Days to Die.
Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight is a metroidvania adventure game that puts players in control of a knight that we know very little about. Players are told very little about this knight (including his name), or why he is exploring the creepy insect kingdom of Hollownest. The Hollow Knight goes through many different levels of Hollownest, increasing his skills, acquiring new spells, and discovering some of the lore that exists behind this mysterious game. Even though players aren’t directly told much about the Hollow Knight, it doesn’t matter. The process of discovering the game’s lore for yourself is actually extremely fun, immersing players even further into the game.
Even though Hollow Knight has a lot of the standard metroidvania game mechanics (quick movements & dodging, upgrading weapons, and acquiring new skills), but it also has a few mechanics we don’t typically find in a metroidvania game. Throughout the game the Hollow Knight acquires soul by defeating enemies. This “currency” is used initially to regain health when the Hollow Knight is hurt, but as players progress through the game they can acquire powerful spells which are powered by soul. However, when the Hollow Knight dies, a shade appears where he died and, after respawning, players need to find the shade and defeat it. Until then, players will only be able to hold a small amount of soul which can really hamper any player’s progression through the game.
Hitman: The Complete First Season
The Hitman game series has been around for many years. This newest installment does not disappoint. Hitman: The Complete First Season brings back all of the elements we have come to love from the Hitman series. Some of the stand out game play moments include stealth assassinations, getting into restricted areas under disguise, and sabotaging mechanical equipment to make a targets death look like an accident. The story line of this game sheds light onto the origins of Agent 47 by giving you a glimpse of his connection to the agency and how he was created.
The Hitman series has always given players various ways to complete the mission, which allows players to adapt the game to their own play style. This game has taken that flexibility to a whole new level. Each mission feels like its own open world. This encourages players to explore the same mission over and over all while discovering new ways to complete the objectives. There is a challenge system for each mission that will unlock new starting positions, available weapons, and disguises that the player can use to assassinate their target in a different way. Fans of this series will definitely love Hitman: The Complete First Season.
7 Days to Die
7 Days to Die is a zombie survival crafting game that is currently in early access. Even though this game is still in development, it already has a very dedicated player base. Like many other survival games, players start in the middle of nowhere with nothing. Players are forced to survive the harsh weather conditions, their own bodily needs and, of course, the zombies that want to eat their brains.
The game is separated into day and night. This forces players to budget their time to gather resources and scavenge for weapons and ammunition during the day. At night, the zombies become much more fast, aggressive, and dangerous. Most of the time, players will want to build some type of fortress to serve as protection during the night. Over the course of seven days, players need to build up their defenses to survive the seventh night in order to make it to the next round of seven days. Every seventh night, an enormous hoard of ferocious zombies have one mission: to destroy your fortress in order to kill you. 7 Days to Die is a unique take on the survival genre, giving players more of a goal than simply building their arsenal and becoming more powerful.
And many more!
Each monthly bundle contains a handful of other titles as well, some that are well known, some that are not so well known. Since we can’t tell you about any of the other titles that will be in November’s bundle, here’s a quick overview of the games in this month’s bundle!
American Truck Simulator – A simulator where players drive 18 wheelers all around the USA
Dungeons III – The dungeon keeper game where players take the role of the bad guy
Gremlins – The steampunk strategy board game about outsmarting your fellow gremlins
Hidden Folks – The hidden object game set in a moving, hand-drawn environment
Old Man’s Journey – A story-driven point and click game about an old man’s life
Overwatch – The award-winning hero shooter from Blizzard Entertainment
We Were Here Too – The cooperative puzzle adventure game all about communication
