If I sat down next to you and told you to get Battle Shapers, Black Mesa, and Doom Eternal in one sentence, you’d probably get whiplash. Sure, they may belong to the same genre, but the gameplay mechanics, subgenres, and worlds are completely different. However, together they help form the beautiful and varied tapestry that represents the best in FPS gaming right now. Stick with me, because all three of those experiences – and four more – are part of the new Humble Bundle, and it’s one you really won’t want to miss.
Starting with Black Mesa, which actually got me into the iconic Half-Life series (and left me stuck in a loop of hoping for that mythical ‘3’ entry). A fan-crafted remake of the original Half-Life game, Black Mesa: Definitive Edition’s story and gameplay remain practically identical to the 1998 classic, while giving it a loving facelift for the modern era. It’s an accurate remake that remains a blueprint for how to breathe life into older games, rather than replacing them, and what they stood for.
If Black Mesa’s focus on sci-fi story and crowbar-whacking fun isn’t your top pick, Doom Eternal’s high-octane action will certainly do the trick. While there’s a narrative thread, Doomslayer’s rip-and-tearing strength remains his arsenal of weapons, as you jump around tight arenas delivering a bombing run of bullets and a chainsaw against Hell’s forces. It’s brutal, challenging, and an adrenaline rush of chaos that, despite receiving a sequel with The Dark Ages, remains a highlight of the franchise. Seriously, it’s excellent.
Despite some top-tier picks in the bundle, including the underappreciated Prey and a Helldivers-style rival with Starship Troopers: Extermination, my favorite is a surprisingly well-made indie called Battle Shapers. Armed with a giant robotic fist à la Overwatch’s Doomfist, this roguelite sees you take on the ruthless Overlords, unlocking and equipping new gear or Cores that affect your skills. As something of a roguelite connoisseur, this is one of my personal recommendations, and it makes the bundle well worth a shot.
Whether you prefer the sudden alien invasion in Black Mesa or the horde-slaying chaos of Doom Eternal, there’s no shortage of brilliant adventures here. If you’re looking to add to your ever-growing Steam library, you can grab the Sci-Fi Shooters 2.0 at Humble Bundle for $20 / £17.89, adding seven FPS titles worth $224 / £163.80 to your backlog. That’s $2.80 each, give or take, and makes many of these lower than they’ve ever been, even in steep discounts. For the full list of games included, here they are:
- System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster
- Starship Troopers: Extermination
- Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster
- Doom Eternal
- Prey Digital Deluxe Edition
- Battle Shapers
- Black Mesa
All of this writing is making me want to jump into another run of Battle Shapers, so if you don’t mind me, I’m going to go give it another playthrough and probably lose in the process. (I said I loved roguelites, not that I’m good at them.)
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