Originally launched as Bundle Stars, Fanatical is a UK-based online PC game retailer (similar to Humble Bundle) known to offer Steam games, bundles, and now, even digital comics. One thing that’s unique about Fanatical, as compared to Humble Bundle, is their Mystery Box bundle offerings. Considered to be a sham among fellow Reddit users, Fanatical has often promised AAA games time and again, only to disappoint most of the time.
Although it’s a gamble, I personally tried getting these Mystery Boxes on two separate occasions. Here’s a list of the games I got from the raffle:
The Magnificent Mystery Machine ($6.99)
I was disappointed with half of the games I got from this mystery box. The ad copy says it was supposed to be “magnificent” and I was expecting to get AAA games and indie titles. Although there are hidden indie gems in the mystery box, there were also throw-ins that weren’t really valuable.
Mystery Goldrush Bundle ($9.99)
For a tad higher price than that of the Magnificent Mystery Machine bundle, the quality of the games in this mystery box was actually better.
Takeaways
Getting the mystery boxes is a lot like gambling (even if Fanatical doesn’t quite say so): you’re never really sure of what you’ll get in the end. Although, come to think of it, you’ll always end up winning something and at the end of the day, there’s always a chance you’ll get at least one good game that’s more or less worth the price you paid for. But if you’re expecting to get really good games 100% of the time, don’t bother spending your money on these mystery boxes.
I guess there’s really no point blaming or shaming Fanatical for the games they include in this raffle since it’s actually Steam that has allowed low class games or clones to be part of their library anyway. In the end, it’s our choice whether or not we’ll spend for something we don’t know.
But, do let me know if there are any titles above that interest you that I can probably give away or trade for in the future. Or if there are titles you’ve already played and would recommend me playing too.