December 2019 Humble Monthly Overview

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 Choice generates a diverse curated bundle to help establish the most paramount game libraries. In addition, every subscriber automatically receives up to 20% off titles in the Humble Store. You can’t beat the facts, folks—that’s one heck of a deal.

This month is about endings and beginnings. December 2019 is the last month of Humble Monthly, but what seems like an end is actually a transformation. Starting with the new year, Humble Monthly is replaced by Humble Choice, which is a similar package with some cool tweaks, like the possibility to take only some of the games offered. This month's games also reflect this feeling, with the return of a great classic in the huge remaster which is Yakuza Kiwami, the latest addition to the Soulcalibur saga, and many other games that trigger that nostalgia itch while presenting modern mechanics.

Soulcalibur VI

This month’s bag of games starts with a series that will be known to most fighting games enthusiasts. The Soulcalibur franchise is one of the most well-regarded sagas in the fighting genre, and the sixth episode holds that light up high.

Soulcalibur VI will have the player yet again follow the events surrounding the two swords Soulcalibur and Soul Edge. In the two story modes (Soul Chronicle and Libra of Soul), the player will be able to follow the adventures of all the characters in the roster and, in the case of Libra of Soul, even live the story for their custom-made fighter.

One of the things that made the Soulcalibur series popular is the deep customization system that allows the player to let their creativity loose. And if you’re uninspired, you can download and play the characters made by the rest of the community.

Yay or Nay?

Great combat, awesome character creation system, and a big roster of characters to choose from—Soulcalibur VI has all the things that made fans fall in love with the series and then some. Also, Geralt of Rivia is there, which is a great plus.

Read our review of Soulcalibur VI here.

Yakuza Kiwami

Veterans of the Humble Monthly will remember that the February 2019 bundle included Yakuza 0, the prequel of the Yakuza series that takes place in the late '80s. Those who enjoyed it (and I’m among those) will be thrilled to be able to put their hands on Yakuza Kiwami this month.

Kiwami is the remastered edition of the original Yakuza game, released for PS2 and PS3 back in 2005. Yakuza Kiwami is not just an HD version of the original game though. Many mechanics from the prequel return (like the battle styles), more minigames and locations are present, more cinematic storytelling, and much more make this return to the origins a real treat for newcomers and veteran fans alike.

Yay or Nay?

Yakuza is a series most beloved by many action games aficionados. Kiwami will allow players to experience Kazuma Kiryu’s story again with improved… well, everything.

Read our review of Yakuza Kiwami here.

My Time at Portia

Now it’s time to sit down, relax a bit, and build some stuff. My Time at Portia will be familiar to fans of other simulator games a-la Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing. The main character of the game inherits an old workshop in the city of Portia and is tasked to restore it to its former glory. The player is then challenged not only with gathering materials and building stuff to become the city’s top builder in the guild but also has the chance to explore the social aspect of the city, meeting its many interesting characters and building relationships.

While the game is expansive, it offers a storyline to follow in order to give the player a precise purpose and a way to progress. You can, of course, completely ignore it and do the numerous gigs the guild offers instead interspersed with the seasonal events of the city.

Yay or Nay?

My Time at Portia has a lot to offer to those who are looking for a more relaxing and meditative kind of game that still offers motivation to keep playing and improving in it.

Read our review of My Time at Portia here.

Fluffy Horde

Fluffy Horde is the closest we get this month to a game that requires a strategy to play. And what a weird strategy game it is.

The objective of Fluffy Horde is to stop an invasion of a horde of murderous fluffy bunnies. To do so, the player controls a series of units with different functionalities (knights, archers, baits, and so on) that each can cover and defend a portion of the map. Strategically placing these units in the 2D side-scrolling scenario is pivotal for the success of the missions.

The gameplay makes Fluffy Horde a weird hybrid between a 2D strategy game and a tower defense with a particular theme and sense of humor.

Yay or Nay?

Fluffy Horde is weird, interesting, and surprisingly quite challenging. While the base mechanics are not very complex, the player is challenged each level to obtain the perfect three-star run.

Chasm

Metroidvanias seemed like a dead genre a few years ago, but recently they’re having a very welcome return in the industry, especially in indie gaming, with games like Hollow Knight, Blasphemous, and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.

Chasm is another Metroidvania for the mix but, it adds a procedurally generated map at the start of every playthrough. This presents a push for replayability, since once you beat the game, you can experience it again with a new layout.

It’s not to be confused with a roguelike though. Chasm is an interesting and good-looking classic Metroidvania, with its puzzle rooms, precise platforming, and interesting pixel art. Exploring the depths of the setting and its six biomes definitely make for an enjoyable time.

Yay or Nay?

A randomized map does not have quite the charm of the levels designed by hand by a professional, but Chasm still offers a good Metroidvania experience which many players can get into and enjoy.

Read our review of Chasm here.

Regular Human Basketball

There was a game called Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime that was designed to be played by couples. Two people manned a spaceship by moving through the different rooms of the vessel and activating different components like thrust power, shields, guns, and the like. It was designed to be played by two people who love each other to strengthen their bond. On the other hand, Regular Human Basketball is designed to be played by two groups of people who desire to utterly humiliate the other party.

Regular Human Basketball is a party game where two teams face each other by controlling two robots with the purpose to make them score points in basketball. Much like Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, each giant robot has different rooms with controls that operate the different components, like the turning of the arm, the grabbing of the ball, and the jumping. The team has to work together to control all the different stuff of the robot in order to score points. The result is absolute madness.

Yay or Nay?

The bad thing about Regular Human Basketball is that it’s pointless to be played alone and just OK played online with random people. It really shines if you have multiple people playing in the same room.

Sword Legacy: Omen

Sword Legacy: Omen is a grim and dark classic RPG set in a pre-Arthurian Britannia. The player controls a party of four members, including Uther Pendragon and Merlin, in the search for the fabled sword Excalibur in order to defeats the duke of Wessex, who has apparently decided to go on a killing and kidnapping spree.

The game plays in a very classic way. The camera is isometric, and the party is controlled mostly with the mouse. The player guides the characters through a series of missions and puzzles by exploiting their set of skills (the lockpicking rogue, the spell-weaving wizard, etc.). Nothing out of the ordinary, but the dark atmosphere really grows into you.

Yay or Nay?

Sword Legacy: Omen is definitely a game aimed at CRPG lovers. It looks like one, it plays like one, and definitely feels like one. It's a nice little game with very dark undertones that builds a great atmosphere.

Balconing Simulator 2020

I will not beat around the bush: this is a bizarre one. I can only describe it as “Goat Simulator meets Darts.”

In Balconing Simulator ,the objective is to gather the most points as possible by yeeting the character of the game off the hotel’s window in the most stylish way possible while hitting the most objects they can. There’s not really much to it, but it’s weirdly compelling in its strangeness. Every attempt only takes a handful of seconds, so you feel encouraged to try again and maybe this time aim for the pool, or aim to land on a chair, or maybe hit the beach ball a few more times on the way there.

You can also share pics of your attempts on social media straight from the game itself if you want.

Yay or Nay?

...I honestly don’t even know, man.

The last Humble Monthly brings us a lot of weirdness; some jump into the past while others look into the future. Not a bad way to conclude the program and to set everyone's eyes on the things to come with the Humble Choice.

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