November 2018 Humble Monthly Overview: Shoot 'Em Up

Published: November 30, 2018 12:00 PM /

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november 2018 humble monthly

Along with all of the good that Humble Bundle already brings to the table, they additionally offer players the chance to snatch up a medley of video games for a whopping $12 the first Friday of every month by becoming a subscriber. Varying from popular titles to indie games you’ve probably never heard of, Humble Monthly generates a diverse curated bundle to help establish the most paramount game libraries. In addition, every subscriber automatically receives 10% off titles in the Humble Store. You can’t beat the facts, folks—that’s one heck of a deal.

This month, Humble Monthly gifted ten various titles to subscribers. Whether you're doing your darnedest to survive a zombie apocalypse or World War II, November's games ought to keep you on your toes. Keep reading to reveal one subscriber's first impressions of each title included in this month's bundle.


Resident Evil Revelations

As a fan of the Resident Evil franchise, it was nice to see Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine back in action. Originally released for the Nintendo 3DS, Resident Evil Revelations made its way onto multiple consoles enhanced with improved visuals and enriched environmental effects. The over-the-shoulder perspective has always performed well in Resident Evil games, but the aiming is a bit on the wonky side in this particular escapade. To be honest, Resident Evil Revelations proved to be a tad disappointing.

You begin the horror experience as Jill Valentine and her partner, Parker, wandering a seemingly abandoned ship in hopes to find Chris. However, instead of stumbling upon her old partner, Jill confronts a deranged monster instead. The story then rewinds a bit, showcasing the events prior to encountering this new fiend. Plot details come to light, but Chris’ location is still unknown.

humble monthly resident evil
Resident Evil Revelations

Yay or Nay?

Resident Evil Revelations is decent at best, but nothing to write home about. The gameplay feels unpolished, though it is entertaining to switch between Chris and Jill’s experiences and uncovering secrets embedded within the Resident Evil world.

Read our full review of Resident Evil Revelations here.


Dead Island: Definitive Edition

Picture this: you’ve consumed a considerable amount of alcohol on an island where parties are everywhere you turn. You’re obnoxious and causing a scene, so you’re escorted out. Naturally, you stumble across a body showered in what you presume to be blood, but don’t want to confront the drama. Instead, you wander back to your room somehow and pass out. When you awaken, you come to realize that the undead have overtaken the island. Not a picture-perfect vacation, but close.

Dead Island: Definitive Edition is a stunning first-person shooter where the gameplay is hardly boring and riddled with humor. You choose between five characters, each possessing their own unique ability. Within my first hour or so, I mustered my way out of my now-vacant hotel, snatching whatever money and trinkets from the now deceased abandoned suitcases. May they rest in peace. The zombies run at you in a thirsty rage, forcing you to think on your feet. That’s the fun of Dead Island, though. The best part is, you can team up with others to defeat the undead and take back the island.

humble monthly dead island
Dead Island Definitive Edition

Yay or Nay?

Dead Island: Definitive Edition is well worth your time if you enjoy a good zombie escapade. Be warned – the fast-paced combat might throw you for a loop.


Sniper Elite

Though Sniper Elite was released over thirteen years ago, the classic stealth experience is still entertaining to this day. The story of the original sniper escapade illustrates the end of World War II and the first undercover battles of the Cold War. Naturally, you face the war as an American Sniper, confronting whatever and whoever necessary to put an end to Stalin’s forces before they reveal Germany’s nuclear mysteries.

Considering Sniper Elite was released back in 2005, the animations and gameplay aren’t as smooth as its older brother's, Sniper Elite V2. Nonetheless, the visuals in no way deter from how fun the gameplay actually is. Whenever you’re about to make a kill, the camera zooms in on the bullet in slow motion as it penetrates your enemy. Staying low to the ground has its benefits as well, though crawling around aimlessly doesn’t do anyone justice forever. Not to mention, the clunky controls prove difficult to get used to when you’re accustomed to modern stealth games.

humble monthly sniper elite
Sniper Elite

Yay or Nay?

Sniper Elite is easily the oldest game included in this month’s bundle, but offers a foundation for its upgraded version, Sniper Elite V2. It’s always fun to take a trip back in time, but managing the repetitive gameplay and funky controls can be a headache.


Sniper Elite V2

Set in the horrifying days of World War II, you take the reins as a professional sniper on a mission to prevent a dangerous rocket program from falling into the hands of the Red Army. Thus, all of the precautionary actions must be taken, including mastering the skill of stealth. By planting trip mines or throwing rocks to deter the attention of your enemy, Sniper Elite V2 offers an inventive gameplay experience for shooters of all shapes and sizes.

Sniper Elite V2 does excellent work building a background story and bringing the current events at that time to life. A brief, yet informative, tutorial guides players in the basic mechanics of strategy, stealth, and sniping. Even if you’re a newbie like I was, Sniper Elite V2’s instructions pave a generic path to someday becoming a paramount sniper who knows no bounds. To be honest, the crafty gameplay generates a satisfying kill each and every time.

humble monthly sniper elite v2
Sniper Elite V2

Yay or Nay?

Sniper Elite V2 is both innovative and riveting. Even if you’re not the biggest fan of shooter games, this one may be an exception.


HITMAN

HITMAN embarks with the introduction of the assassin, Agent 47. The realistic visuals pull you into the shoes of the slayer, utilizing a variety of tactics to get the job done. Whether you infiltrate your target in a stealthy manner or walk right up to them and pull the trigger, the freedom of choice exists in HITMAN. Sure, you may have to continually switch disguises to evade security, but sometimes it’s fun to take that risk.

The gameplay is pretty straight-forward. The tutorial stage commences on a yacht and informs you on how to eavesdrop and knock someone on conscious, fashioning their clothing as a disguise. I discovered early on how easy it is to get caught. Keeping a low profile is essential in HITMAN, for the crew will recognize that you’re not one of their own. Luckily, the game offers tips to accompany you through your first assassination. After you succeed the first time, you replay the same scenario but rather spread your wings to explore other outcomes. Let me assure you, it’s incredibly rewarding to prosper at your own plan.

humble monthly hitman
HITMAN

Yay or Nay?

HITMAN is a popular assassination escapade and for good reason. Possessing the independence to rid of your target however you see fit will make you want to test the waters for multiple solutions.

Read about how much we enjoyed HITMAN here.


Hollow Knight

Hollow Knight is charming in many ways, but the hand-drawn 2D visuals and smooth animations are clear as day from the very beginning. Not only is the adventure game well designed, but also gifts players with an open side-scrolling world where you generate your own path. The creepily adorable creatures you come across along the way are merely an added plus.

Right off the bat, Hollow Knight presents an immersive introduction. The general gameplay is elementary and follows what you’d expect from a platformer game, but the unforgiving setting threw some curveballs my way. Enemies can be relentless, but learning from your mistakes and recognizing their patterns typically results in progression. Evolving your little fella with an array of skills and abilities assists in enemy domination as well. What can I say? Hollow Knight is exquisite.

humble monthly hollow knight
Hollow Knight

Yay or Nay?

If a beautifully crafted platformer game sounds like your cup of tea, I’d highly recommend plunging into the challenging world of Hollow Knight. Admiring the art is pretty fun, too.


7 Days to Die

Survival games ensure entertainment for many reasons. You get to walk in the shoes of a fictional character and determine whether or not you have what it takes to survive in an unforgiving world. 7 Days to Die is no different. Offering several scenarios to cherry-pick from, you’re spawned into a post-apocalyptic atmosphere where crafting is vital and your hunger and thirst won’t dare be put on the back burner. The undead, of course, saunter within the environments. However, it isn’t until day seven that you experience their full wrath.

Whether you craft a fortress on your own or struggle through the world with a buddy, 7 Days to Die won’t hold your hand and guide you toward success. You practically learn on the go and collect scraps to craft weapons and perhaps maybe even a vehicle. Exploring the environment proves to be rewarding, but can be dangerous if you haven’t anything to defend yourself with. Not to mention, how difficult it is to find a source of water. Gulping down lake water apparently only causes diarrhea…which only induces dehydration…which eventually leads to your demise. Learn from my mistakes, folks. It’s an embarrassing way to go.

humble monthly 7 days to die 1
7 Days to Die

Yay or Nay?

Though 7 Days to Die is technically still in Early Access, the survival game offers players an array of tools to increase their chances at survival. You may fail a handful of times before you succeed, but the challenge is what makes it so much fun.


The Dwarves

The premise of this real-time strategy experience relies on electing a variety of super awesome dwarves to reveal the story of their fantasy race. The vibrant worlds and immersive gameplay of The Dwarves not only keeps you on your toes, but allows room to plan your attacks accordingly. The challenging aspect originates from battling a horde of enemies with only a handful of dwarves. Don’t you fret though. Dwarves are a pretty powerful race.

The Dwarves commences with a brief battle tutorial that not only throws you into the heat of a battle, but walks you through the means of succeeding. Patience is a virtue here, for your dwarves must reacquire their action points after each attack. Once your action points have revitalized, vigorously clicking at enemies to attack appeared to work in my favor. However, special abilities can be casted upon a group of enemies to clear the horde at a faster pace. It’s a tedious job, but rewarding if you succeed.

humble monthly the dwarves
The Dwarves

Yay or Nay?

The Dwarves offers both an RPG and real-time strategy adventure, but mostly focuses on combat above all. Though at times the camera angles can be a little wonky, overall The Dwarves is an enjoyable experience.

Check out our overall thoughts on The Dwarves here.


Hard Reset Redux

Hard Reset Redux commences in a comic-story fashion, exhibiting a creative introduction. The game then switches to a first-person perspective amid a futuristic cyberpunk world. The visuals are stunning, not to mention the challenging setting overrun by homicidal robots. Jam-packed with an array of enemies, hardcore weapons, and a pretty radical story line, Hard Reset Redux basically mirrors an updated old-school shooter.

Seeing as I grew up blasting demons in DOOM, I instantly received the same vibe from Hard Resest Redux. Enemies are relentless, and some even seem to dissolve the bullets. Though frustrating, the general gameplay has its perks. By blasting a nearby electrical box when an enemy is within its appropriate distance will electrocute the enemy, giving you the upper hand while it’s stunned. Though the gunplay is fun, it does get repetitive after a while. Nonetheless, blowing robots to smithereens is always a blast.

humble monthly hard reset redux
Hard Reset Redux

Yay or Nay?

If you grew up with old-school shooters, Hard Reset Redux might be right up your alley. Though some enemies act like a sponge and apparently absorb your bullets, the general gameplay has its perks.

Read about how much fun we had with Hard Reset Redux here.


vApe Escape

With every Humble Monthly bundle, subscribers are gifted with an original game specifically developed for them. This month, subscribers take control of an experimental ape trapped on an apparent spacecraft where scientists intend to use them as a vape dispenser. Unfortunately, you read that right. However, vApe Escape truly does an exceptional job with its interactive comic experience.

vApe Escape plays as a point-and-click adventure game where solving mysteries and escaping a sad destiny showcases innovation. The story begins in a black and white setting where the ape hardly understands left from right. At one point, the ape undergoes a magical vaping experience and becomes incredibly brilliant. Suddenly, the world bleeds with color. His vocabulary also becomes extensive, spewing off words I could hardly comprehend. Uncovering the odd truths encompassed in vApe Escape provided both humor and an intriguing plot, proving to be one of the better Humble Monthly originals I’ve come across.

humble monthly vape escape
vApe Escape

Yay or Nay?

The comic book style of vApe Escape inspired a new style of gameplay. Even if the idea of a video game about vaping makes your eyes roll, it's worth looking into for a laugh or two.


A good chunk of November's games required the skill of stealth, aim, and strategy. However, each title offered its own unique twist to keep the thrill of survival alive. November was an impressive month, to say the least. Especially with a vaping ape, which...I'm still processing that one. What are your thoughts on November's bundle? Let us know in the comments below!

Disclosure: Humble Bundle works with TechRaptor for affiliate partnership, and TechRaptor earns a small commission off purchases made from links in this article.

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


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I'm so awkward when I have to talk about myself. I'm an avid video game player (obviously). When I'm not avoiding reality in imaginative… More about Amanda