I actually have Uplink in my backlog from some bundle or other. I guess I'll try one of those demos, see what I think. Thanks for the detailed account!
No problem. Tell us your impressions if you don't mind.
Since the comparison to Uplink came up, I have to ask how similar the Hacker Evolution games are. Uplink was very unintuitive in the early game and had some strict time limits on story missions, to the point where you might not actually realize there was a story. But it was also enough fun that I played it through for different endings. Given that I already have base Duality with no DLC, should I pick this bundle up or skip it?
Well, I've posted gameplay of the second game (the first one is pretty much the same thing) and noted that Duality plays completely differently. I believe the guy in the video for Untold mentions Uplink. Uplink is similar to Hacker Evolution except instead of all that clicking, there's a lot of typing. I think you would enjoy both classic Hacker Evo games if you liked Uplink.
As for whether or not the bundle is worth it? Well, it's $3, and you'd be getting both Hacker Evo games, the Hardcore DLC for each game, and you'd be getting the Inception expansion (it's in three parts, and ports all the levels from the original two games into Duality's engine) for Duality, as well as the two hardcore packs, and a "bootcamp" DLC.
The way I'd break down the price in your situation is:
$1 - Hacker Evolution Complete (Base game + hardcore DLC) - $13 value before sales
$1 - Hacker Evolution: Untold Complete (Base game + hardcore DLC) - $13 value before sales
$1 - Hacker Evolution Duality DLC Pack (All 3 Inception DLCs, Both Hardcore DLCs, and boot-camp) - $18 value before sales
(Total is $44 before sales, so $3 is more than 90% off)
Since 2/3rds of the value is based on the original two games, I'd recommend you play both demos and see what you think. As for the DLC for Duality, it's more of the same (but it's a LOT of content), so if you enjoyed the base game, the DLC is worth it, no question.
As for the lack of the music pack for each of the three games, it's $3 each for the first two games (the one for Untold is currently on sale for $1.50), and $5 for Duality. But unless you've got DLC OCD they're skippable as they're not really worth it for the price. 90% off sale would be nice though..