Let’s Sing 2020 seems more aimed at people in their early 20’s with a few token classics spuriously thrown in for the older generations. Based on the game’s current track listing I personally probably would not have bought it, however, the DLC packs provide an assortment of tracks that opens the game up to more people that are over the age of 25. Let’s Sing 2020 plays well and can easily be used to form the basis of a party when people want to get together and also compete to see who the best singer is! I award Let’s Sing 2020 the Thumb Culture Silver trophy.
Farming Simulator 19 Platinum Edition is immense, tricky and certainly not a walk in the farm! There is a handy tutorial to set you on your way but be warned, you will lose many days if not months of your life to this game in order to perfect your farm. As a father of 4 boys I would personally struggle to sit down every day for a few hours to carry on what I was doing from the day before. That said this is the perfect form of escapism if you just need to go chill and take time out from your life, which let’s face it, we should all do from time to time. The attention to detail within the game as well as the amazing CLAAS vehicles that have been included in this edition really bring something to the table if you love your farming and engineering. I award Farming Simulator 19 Platinum Edition the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Ghostbusters made me feel all tingly in a good way. Many remasters do not stand the test of time however I felt that with the way the game was initially written and developed as well as the use of most of the amazing original cast from the movies it is the talent that has held it all together. If you ain’t afraid of no ghost, wanna relive that nostalgic ghostbusting atmosphere and also celebrate the 35th anniversary of the original movie you will not be disappointed. I award Ghostbuster: The Video Game Remastered the prestigious Thumb Culture Gold Award.
I really enjoyed Megaquarium, I found it refreshing to take on the challenge of designing and managing my own aquarium and it took me right back to my childhood roots. There has clearly been a lot of love and attention given to the game mechanics as well as the background understanding for each of the various marine species. Will I ever get to Megaquarium status? Watch this space! I award Megaquarium the Thumb Culture Platinum Trophy!
With some games, when a DLC drops it can sometimes feel like a half-arsed attempt to cash in on something that is already successful however Mutant Year Zero: Seed of Evil is refreshing as it introduces new plant-type enemies as well as a new character, new areas to explore and a continuation of an epic story. If you really want to challenge yourself and reckon you are strategic mastermind then I highly recommend departing with your hard-earned money as you will not be disappointed. I award Mutant Year Zero: Seed of Evil the Thumb Culture Platinum Trophy.
I award Car Mechanic Simulator the Thumb Culture Silver trophy. What it sets out to do is really quite clever however I do not think the Playstation console shows it at its best due to the controller.
With upto 4 player local splitscreen enabling frantic racing and battling as well as the chance to take the racing online, there is enough to keep you entertained for a long long time, while enjoying the resurrection of all things Bandicoot. Beenox has definitely smashed it with this remaster. Now c’mon Activision, bring us Tony Hawks! Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled receives the prestigious Thumb Culture Platinum Trophy!
If you enjoy horror games like Outlast then Home Sweet Home is definitely for you, yes it sure made me jump and the story was intriguing however I did find sometimes the interaction with objects, particularly when trying to hide could be a little hit and miss, costing you your life! I award Home Sweet Home the Thumb Culture Silver Trophy!
American Fugitive is a fantastic top-down game if you want to play something fun, doesn’t take that much thought and allows you to cause lots of death and destruction. With a strong nod to GTA, this is not simply a clone of a game from yesteryear, this is a homage to an amazing game with added elements of their own thrown in for good measure. Retailing at around £17.99, come and join in the chaos and find your father’s killer! I award American Fugitive the Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Overall I enjoyed my experience although I found I needed to be in a very tactical frame of mind to take on World of Warships Legends as there is a lot to take on board and a lot of careful decisions to make when out on the water! Happy hunting! I award World of Warships Legends a Thumb Culture Gold award.
Vaporum has around 15 hours worth of gameplay to conquer and many secrets to discover. Will you solve the mystery of the tower and get out alive? or will you succumb to the monsters that lie in wait for you? Having played Dungeon Master when I was young lad along with gems such as Bloodwych, Eye of the Beholder, heck even the original Doom, I love grid-based dungeon crawlers. Playing Vaporum brought back the nostalgia and to have it in a gothic steampunk setting really made this game something special for me. Breaking from the shackles of PC and launching onto multiple platforms, Vaporum brings back the genre both immersively and beautifully. Vaporum earns the prestigious Thumb Culture Platinum Award!
If you love LEGO Worlds then you will no doubt absolutely love this game due to being able to free roam and more or less construct and destroy anything you wish, your imagination is the limit. For me it feels a little rushed and unrefined. It is as if somebody remembered that the film was launching soon and needed to get a game quickly ready, “oh yes lets reskin LEGO Worlds, throw in some movie cutscenes and away we go.” There is a degree of awkwardness and certainly clunkyness when playing the game that I can’t help feel could of been addressed through a bit more playtesting, resulting in a better quality of game that has been produced. If you are an inquisitive human, or a child, then buy this game. If on the other hand you detested the format of LEGO Worlds, then steer clear!
I won’t lie, I feel really let down by Riot: Civil Unrest. I felt like a kid at Christmas who was excitedly looking forward to opening a present under the tree to realise it was a potato and not what I had wished for. On the face value of it, I was intrigued by the concept and what I was going to discover, however, the way the game has been designed and drawn lets it down majorly. With polished graphics, better sound and a tutorial that helps you understand what the hell you are doing, this game could have had so much potential. For me, it is currently being deleted from my console. Harsh I know, but it is for the best.
Pode is a wonderful and at times tricky puzzle game which really gets you thinking. My wife and I loved playing through all of the chambers however it only took us around 6 hours to complete. Ok, there are collectables along the way in the form of fireflies that require one of the characters to use their ability to explode a plant pod or rock in order to release them, however as far as the main story goes, it is quite short.
If you love puzzle solving or are a die-hard fan of the series then give it a whirl, but for me I found it a little repetitive and too brain taxing to enjoy!
For all you wrestling fans out there I would seriously consider having WWE 2K19 on your Christmas list as it is great for both solo and multiplayer gaming, just what you need in the festive period.
8-Bit Armies developed by Petroglyph and published by Soedesco is a fast paced real-time strategy game that has a strong similarity to the Command & Conquer franchise and is depicted in a voxel manner, i.e the graphics are made up of blocky pixels.
There is certainly a lot of ways to play both alone and with friends on NHL 18 with jam packed online and offline modes. Although there is not a single player story campaign as seen in the recent Fifa and NBA games, EA is trying to appeal to new players by offering a new training system to enable them to learn the skills to enjoy the game. If you have followed the NHL series of games for a while you maybe a little disappointed in the latest offering as it will feel a little samey however the NHL Threes mode is exciting and different enough to possibly tempt you into a purchase. One thing is for sure, EA need to refresh their NHL franchise for next year if they want to keep their players interested as this years "what's new" is certainly light on the ground.
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II by Neocore Games is the second instalment in a trilogy of hack 'n slash Van Helsing games to come to console. Already available on PC since 2014, Van Helsing II boasts "PS4 Pro Enhanced" support and can also be played as a standalone game with no prior knowledge of the first adventure. For those of you that have never heard of Van Helsing, well he is the son of legendary vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing found in Bram Stoker's awesome novel "Dracula". If you love all things gothic and creatures such as zombies, ogres, vampires and other occult beings then this is for you!
Dead Purge: Outbreak by Microlith Games is a first person zombie shooter set in a post-apocalyptic era that is available for the PC. With the zombie shooter genre constantly being pushed upon me via the daily shared videos on social media of Days Gone and my friend's showing off their latest gameplay from Call of Duty Zombies my appetite is constantly whetted. Boasting of "beautiful locations & dozens of weapons" along with a "realistic combat system & multiple game modes" I sat down at my PC and looked forward to what was going to unfold.