I bought the Humble Bundle yesterday, so here are my thoughts:
First, you are not getting five or seven games, you are getting four or six games and one movie. I watched the first half of the movie,
Indie Games: The Movie, on Netflix (where you can still see it there), and it provides interesting insights on some of the more well known non-Minecraftian indie developers. But, the fact you can view this on Netflix (or on Youtube if you are that cheap) lessens the value of the bundle.
Second: The reviews of the games:
- PLAY THE BINDING OF ISSAC! Its the best game in the bundle, especially if you like the Legend of Zelda and Super Meat Boy. Just buy the game if you don't want the bundle. Get it. Please. Why are you still reading this?
- I haven't played Closure on Steam, but a more simple version on Kongregate. Closure is an interesting game where you have to follow lights as they create tangible platforms leading to your goal. I thought the short game was a nice diversion and expect the full game to offer more.
- Snapshot, I think this is not a good game at all. It's is a puzzle-platformer like Closure, Braid, Gish, and many, many other indie games. Its mechanic is using a "snapshot" of certain objects and then moving them to other areas of the level to aid you. Unfortunately, it seems unfinished and bland. For starters, the mechanic if simplified is the same one used in many other games where you move certain objects to beat the puzzle. It would have been more exciting if everything was teleported magically by the picture effect. The challenges in game are either ridiculously easy or stupidly hard. This game alone makes me almost regret buying the bundle, if it was not for the Legend of Grimrock.
- Shank 2, a mindless beat-em up with the pacing of Metal Slug. Like Closure, its a simple diversion and nothing more.
- Legend of Grimrock is a dungeon crawler in the style of Eye of the Beholder. Its a superb game and worth paying above the current average. Certainly revives the stagnant genre that has not seen success since the old floppy-disk era.
- As of right now, I have not played enough Dungeon Defenders to give an honest review of it. I'll might post something later if I do play it and this thread is still active.
Finally, unlike previous Humble Bundles,you can activate each individual game or movie instead of one key for the entire bundle. This allows you to give away keys for the games you already own in the bundle.
So....is this bundle worth it? Maybe, whoever designed this bundle should have left out Snapshot. Paying above average, you get two great games, one possibly good game, two okayish diversion games, one okayish movie, and one lump of Santa's coal do not make a decent indie bundle, let alone a Humble Bundle. Not paying above leaves you with one great game, a bunch of Christmas Humbug, and a lump of coal. HOWEVER, the saving graces with this bundle are both the prospect of additions (I'm hoping for Mark of the Ninja myself or even a previous bundle) as well the fact you can give away keys to the games you already own or don't want. So if you have the money and don't have BoI and LoG, buy the bundle. If not, wait until the additions, if there are additions to be added.
Quick addition: I forgot to mention: you also get the soundtracks for all of the games and the movie. That does not change my opinion of the bundle. Also, I'm only reviewing paying for the games alone. If you like to give to charity, more power to you. Don't let JollyScrooge get in the way.
