The Humble Bundle might be one of my favorite things to spend money on each year. Not only because I get a good amount of games for very cheap, but I also get introduced to a lot of indie games that I would have otherwise missed out on, thanks to my blatant ignorance and disregard for awesome games.
This time though, the Humble Bundle doesn't include much loved, bite-sized indie titles, instead we're treated to an amazing five THQ games with two expansions. What's more, each of those games (with the exception of one) have a sequel coming up, or did come out this year. Let's look at what exactly is offered here.
Company of Heroes (Opposing Fronts and Tales of Valor)
This 2006 RTS game and its subsequent expansion packs was one of the most critically acclaimed RTS games of all time. It was also the first to use the Games for Windows branding. Beyond that though, it featured some of the most top notch RTS gameplay.
Being able to play as two separate companies, the Able Company and Fox Company, allowed you to experience many battles through two vantage points. What was also fairly revolutionary was the use of the Havok engine, allowing the player and the enemy to destroy parts of buildings and scenery, altering the environment on the fly.
You can look out for Company of Heroes 2 in early 2013.
Darksiders
We saw a sequel this year with Darksiders II, but Darksiders was an amazing first title in a series that showcases the four horsemen of the apocalypse.
Darksiders told the story of War, and his quest for redemption as he was accused of bringing on the Apocalypse early. Not only was the story compelling, the gameplay was awesome too, featuring a perfect blend of The Legend of Zelda and God of War or Devil May Cry games.
Much like Zelda games, Darksiders featured a large overworld that had many inaccessible areas. Various dungeons scattered across the map housed key items that would not only allow access to previously sealed off areas, but make War much stronger. The combat however was far from Zelda-like. It was fast paced and brutal, allowing War to slash his enemies, juggle them into the air and unleash a hail of bullets from his firearm.
Since Darksiders II is a direct sequel, playing through the first game is pretty necessary. Did we mention it's awesome!? Check out our review here.
Metro 2033
Sure, Metro Last Light is coming out soon and is looking pretty amazing, but Metro 2033 (based on the book of the same name) showed gamers that the FPS genre doesn't have to include crazy co-operative or online modes to be successful. Metro 2033 instead focused on its dark storyline of a twisted future where living underground was necessary, thanks to a nuclear war that broke out in the year 2010.
Featuring a dark and moody setting that would make anyone feel claustrophobic, Metro 2033 succeeded in delivering survival horror better than most other survival horror titles. You'll be taking on not only mutated monstrosities, but go toe to toe with Soviets and Nazi's as well.
What better way to get acclimated with the gloomy setting of post apocalyptic Russia, and get yourself ready for Last Light than with its amazing predecessor. Check out our Review here.
Red Faction: Armageddon
Armageddon didn't feature an open world setting like Guerrilla, and instead focused on linear missions. It however didn't at all detract from the experience. In fact, the more story driven campaign made it that much more enjoyable.
Beyond the story, it's the destruction filled gameplay that still stole the show. Many of the guns found in the game caused some crazy destruction, and being able to level a structure down to its supports is simply terrific.
While Armageddon doesn't have a planned sequel, it's still worthy of a playthrough. You can check out our review here.
Saints Row: The Third
The wildcard game you get if you pay the current minimum of $5.61. I feel like Saints Row needs no introduction. What started as a simple parody of the GTA games, has soon grew to be a beast of its own. Saints Row: The Third kicks it up a notch and features a crazy, over the top storyline with some intense action sequences, awesome weapons, character customization, and even online co-op!
There is no denying that Saints Row 4 will push the envelope even further, but seeing as how amazing The Third was, I'm interested to see what crazy shenanigans we'll be able to pull off in the next game. You can check out our review here.
So our verdict on THQ's Humble Bundle? Hell yeah it's worth it! It's worth dropping even more than the bare minimum for all these games. You truly get a wide spectrum of genres, from shooters, RTS, action/adventure, to open world sandbox, you honestly can't go wrong here. And if you're feeling cheap, and don't care for Saints Row, you can drop a single dollar and get the rest of those amazing games. DO IT NOW!
